Number of posts : 3556 Age : 37 Registration date : 2013-07-17
Subject: Azlan (Progressive Rock) Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:08 pm
My in-laws sent us a package from Slovakia and included some Hungarian metal CDs for me which was awesome. In it was a surprise that I think the distro they had ordered from threw in for free: a CD entitled First Roar from a band called Azlan. Has anyone heard of them? They're a Hungarian band but sing in English and play a form of progressive rock that's pretty light though has some metal tendencies, maybe comparable to Shadow Gallery's softer stuff. It's actually a very good album. I've only glanced through the lyrics but they seem overall positive though I don't think specifically Christian. You can listen to the album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1WcIHvf1JP7TKWr9wwRfBx
I also found this this website that has some more details about the band:
Quote :
AZLAN, is a Turkish word meaning “Lion,” and was derived from the C.S. Lewis novel, "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” The group wanted a name that would convey strength and wisdom and express their dream of touching and influencing peoples’ lives through their music. As a band, AZLAN is quite the evolutionary story. Steve Kiss, a bassist renown on the European music scene, moved his family from Hungary to join him in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Having performed with countless musicians throughout his earlier years and achieving success in his own right, his dream was to assemble a modern, symphonic rock band whose foundation was rooted in classical music. While they were still pre-teens Kiss tutored his sons Tommy and Isby, instructing them first on the fundamentals of music structure and then engraining in them the work ethic necessary to become proficient at their craft. The metamorphosis that resulted is scintillating. AZLAN now boasts one of the most technically advanced young (21 years old) drummers in the world in Tommy, and, in Isby, a powerhouse rock vocalist with opera training who stands a commanding 6’5” tall and carves an awesome image on stage. Rounding out this exciting group of musicians is Kiss’s nephew Levi, a lead guitarist with precision, nuance and lightning-fast fingers. Together they are a dynamic, powerful, and visually stunning show that audiences will be talking about for decades to come. Yes, AZLAN’s songs are hard-hitting and filled with intensity, but their more subtle strains and orchestral treatments are the underpinnings of the fresh, new sound they bring to the ears of their listeners. And because their songs are so lyrically relevant, the band feels they can influence popular music in a powerful and positive way. AZLAN is, without question, a band with a vision: A vision of a father, passed down to his family and now happily shared by thousands of fans who anxiously await the release of their first full-length CD “ First Roar”. Not incidental to their overall dream is the hope that millions of people around the globe will have AZLAN’s songs in their hearts and on their tongues.
I'm curious if anyone's heard of 'em! There are a couple other bands with the same name which makes things confusing.
Black Rider
Number of posts : 1566 Registration date : 2011-04-13
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You can find samples here BR: https://www.allmusic.com/album/first-roar-mw0000261105
Neat Kerrick. I wonder if they've put anything else out since this album. I particularly liked "Dream of East" (cool Middle Eastern vibe to the arrangement) and "Money" (cool layering) and "Hun" (though I have no idea what it's about).
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Xid
Number of posts : 5588 Age : 55 Localisation : Knoxville, TN Registration date : 2014-03-12
...and "Hun" (though I have no idea what it's about).
Atilla?
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kerrick
Number of posts : 3556 Age : 37 Registration date : 2013-07-17
Subject: Re: Azlan (Progressive Rock) Wed Aug 26, 2020 11:28 am
Black Rider wrote:
Anywhere else but Spotify to listen?
Amazon.com doesn't have the MP3 album, but when I did an internet search I stumbled upon numerous European Amazon websites that had it. I *think* you can order from Amazon.it or Amazon.es with an Amazon.com account if you're really interested.
I read through the lyrics last night. Definitely nothing Christian but they're pretty benign. Just talking about social issues, lost love, etc.
As for the Hun song, I don't really get it either. I think it's about someone who travels back in time and sees beyond the "barbarian" side to the humanity of the Huns who I guess have been historically demonized.
deathisgain
Number of posts : 253 Registration date : 2014-12-04
It's funny, but years ago I had the sound guy at church give me an album of a band that I think he mixed, or was involved with the sound, called Azlan. He was from South Florida. I looked this band up, and found a site where it lists them as being from South Florida. I believe they were Christian.
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kerrick
Number of posts : 3556 Age : 37 Registration date : 2013-07-17
Robert, do you still have the CD? Or do you remember the sound guy's name? The booklet says:
All music composed and arranged by Steve Kiss Music recorded at One Heart Studios Engineered by Patrick Trombly Vocals Recorded at Wisner Studios Engineered and mixed by James Wisner Mastered by Michael Grasso
Those names don't sound particularly Hungarian.
deathisgain
Number of posts : 253 Registration date : 2014-12-04
Robert, do you still have the CD? Or do you remember the sound guy's name? The booklet says:
All music composed and arranged by Steve Kiss Music recorded at One Heart Studios Engineered by Patrick Trombly Vocals Recorded at Wisner Studios Engineered and mixed by James Wisner Mastered by Michael Grasso
Those names don't sound particularly Hungarian.
My copy was a CD-R that the guy gave me. I think he was either the sound guy for the band when they played, or knew them in the industry. His name was Pete Hanson. I know that he did a lot of sound work for clubs and such.
kerrick
Number of posts : 3556 Age : 37 Registration date : 2013-07-17
Number of posts : 95 Age : 61 Registration date : 2010-03-30
Subject: Re: Azlan (Progressive Rock) Sat Sep 19, 2020 10:09 am
I'm liking this from the samples I've heard. Yet I also have never heard of this band. Internet search shows only one album released either in 2004 or 2007 depending on source. Also described anywhere from pop/rock to prog rock depending on source. I'm loving the heavy intro riffing, I would consider them to be prog rock/metal. With edgier vocals they would be more suited for the metal genre.
kerrick
Number of posts : 3556 Age : 37 Registration date : 2013-07-17
^Cool! It's easy to find digitally but I haven't been able to find any more CDs available. Yeah it is an interesting mixture of rock and metal - and I agree, more "metal" vocals might've pushed 'em over the edge into the metal realm.
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Subject: Azlan (Progressive Rock) 
Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:08 pm
