MIND’S EYE
Mind's Eye is a progressive band with a strong sense of melody. Although
making their own blend of heavy metal and progressive rock you can still
hear influences from bands like: Rush, Yes, Queensrÿche, E.L.O, Winger,
Toto and Genesis.
The band started in 1992 when Johan Niemann (bass) and Daniel Flores
(drums & keyboards)met Fredrik Grünberger (guitar)Before creating this
new band they first called Afterglow, the three of them had played in
different local bands in Stockholm while studying music in high school.
When not writing music and rehearsing, Fredrik took lessons with Jan
Granwick (Glory) while Daniel and Johan studied with local teachers.
After playing together for about a year the band met singer German
Pascual and made a self-produced, self-financed promotion CD named
"Afterglow". The CD contained four of the eight songs recorded, and was
very well received by the Swedish press, especially by Swedish
journalist Janne Stark. The CD was also voted Demo of the Year by the
Swedish magazine Backstage. Janne Stark worked with the band in trying
to get labels interested. Even though some labels showed interest in
signing them, the band was still without a contract in 1996. When German
Pascual left the band they started to try out new singers.
Afterglow recorded a demo with two different singers. The singers where
Robert Forse(Head's or Tale's) and Thomas Vikström
(Candlemass), But things didn't work out the way it should and Afterglow
was forced to search for a new singer.
They auditioned over 30 singers, and Johan Persson was selected as a new
band member. The band also changed their name to Mind's Eye since
"Afterglow" already was taken by a German death metal band.
In 1997 Mind's Eye finally got a deal with a record company and recorded
their first CD "Into the Unknown" for the American label, Sensory (a
label of the Lasers Edge group). The album was well received in both
American and German press. The CD was distributed in the States by
Century Media. Meanwhile, Johan Niemann and Daniel Flores studied music
production and engineering at the Stockholm Music Conservatory with
teachers like Roger Krieg (Ulf Lundell, Stefan Andersson) Olle Olsson (Meja,
Snoop doggy dogg, Backstreet boys) Due to musical differences the band
had to change singers again. The new singer, Andreas Novak, also studied
at the Stockholm Music Conservatory with teachers such as Daniel Zanger-Borsch
(Alien, Crosstalk) and Johanna Nyström (The real group). Though Johan
Niemann, Daniel and Andreas studied hard it never got in the way of
writing music with Mind's Eye. With a singer that fitted their music,
they continued to write and rehearse in the studio outside Stockholm
where Yngwie Malmsteen used to rehearse when he started his career.
Their second album "… waiting for the tide" was recorded in 1999. In
order to be in more control of their music, the band decided to release
their second album on their own label "Round Records" with the
assistance of project manager Håkan Kaneberg. The album got rave
reviews, and opened several doors for Mind’s Eye, who now owned great
reputation and respect in many magazines as one of Sweden’s best new
progressive rock acts. Songs like “Calling (father to son)” got great
radio air in both Swedish and American stations. In May 2000 Johan
Niemann decided to quit Mind’s Eye in order to pursue his career with
band Therion. The rest of the members wished him luck with that. In
September 2000 Mind’s Eye decided to compete in the European Progpower
competition. Mind’s Eye came in third place of ten bands. Most of the
bands were big European names so off course that was an honor for the
guys. The same month MNW records and Record Heaven
had heard the album and decided to release the album in Europe. In
October 2000 the band contributed to Adrenaline records “Warning: Mind’s
Of Raging Empires”- A tribute to Queensrÿche, with the song “I will
remember”. The song got amazing reviews waving the Mind’s Eye flag
around the world, showing how strong their musical abilities are.
January 2001 Johan Niemann was asked to join Mind’s Eye again, he
accepted and the band continued to fulfil their third album.
During February until May Daniel Flores and some friends started to
build the “Sheep Valley Studio”. The studio was completed in late May
introducing Mind’s Eye into hard disk recording, a new experience for
the band.
With a new found studio Mind’s Eye now felt the urge to record a new
full-length album again, their third album with the tittle “A work of
art” was a total new area for Mind’s Eye. Daniel Flores and Fredrik
Grünberger produced, arranged and mixed the 12-song album through June
until August 2001. In July 2001 Mind’s Eye singed with German label
Rising Sun (Angra, Dreamscape, Black Symphony). The reviews for “a work
of art” where amazing and everything was going in the right direction
again for the band until the inevitable happened: the label went
bankrupt and Mind’s Eye left Rising sun records. After that Mind’s Eye
took a big blow and they decided to take a long break to gather their
troops again. This was a good period for both Johan Niemann and Daniel
Flores who recorded 10 albums (with different artists) together during
the time off Mind’s Eye. Andreas Novak went on the Swedish TV show Fame
Factory gaining great success and finally signing a record deal with MTM
record/Germany for his first solo album called “Forever Endeavour”
produced by Daniel Flores. Having much success and being studio
musicians that worked all over the world (recording with bands such as:
Therion, Secret Sphere, Tears of Anger, Hubi Meisel, Novak, Xsavior,
Demonoid, Zool, Chris Catena,Sha-boom, Faro) the guys of Mind’s Eye got
the urge to come back and make a new album but Fredrik Grünberger, who
worked as a stock broker during his time off with Mind’s Eye, couldn’t
make it. So he decided to leave the band in order not to stand in their
way of making a new album. The guys who worked together since they where
teenagers where really broken by this but respected Fredrik’s decision.
Bass player Johan Niemann, who also always had played the guitar, took
Fredrik’s place and now they where three…
Note: the members of Mind’s Eye have participated in over 90 albums as
both musicians and producers
Time went by and suddenly the band received great news, they found a new
label which would make a re-release of their last 2 albums”…Waiting for
the tide” and “A work of art” + the release of a new studio album. The
label was LION MUSIC, a great label for the band.
Still with Andreas Novak on vocals and with the new label
Lion Music, Mind’s Eye feels confident and stronger than ever before, to
explore the boundaries of new musical territories and to confront a
larger audience. Expect the unexpected: here is the new Mind’s eye album
“walking on H2O”.
Mind’s Eye
discography:
Afterglow
(1994)
Into the
unknown (1998)
…Waiting for
the tide (2000)
Warning: Minds
of a raging empire (2001)
A work of art
(2002) Reissued in 2005 with 2 bonus tracks
Walking on h2o (January 20 - 2006)
Mind’s
Eye are back with their first new studio album in 4 years and there best
yet in ‘Walking On h2o”. The album sees the band taking a huge leap
forward in the song-writing department with each song being carefully
arranged and perfectly balanced to fit the theme of the album.
‘Walking On h2o’ is a concept piece and confronts the bands thoughts on
Human evolution, science, Religion, Unexplained phenomena, Alien
abduction, deadly virus, earth pollution, loyalty, marriage and
Immortality. The aim and reached goal was a cinematic rock album with
songs that where individually so strong that they could stand their own
ground if served as singles, fitting anyway the concept of the album.
Great choruses covered with crystal clear production making sure that
Mind’s Eye are here to stay for lots of years to come.
The music is still progressive but not in a technical level. Instead
Mind’s Eye rather shows their strength as songwriters, still using
melodies and hooks as their strongest weapons. This time also providing
them with the right amount of production goodies the band always lacked
to some extent previously. ‘Walking On h2o’ is a variety of symphonic,
progressive music, mixing it with classic hard rock tunes and softer
songs fully packed with string arrangements and big lush vocal harmonies
taking the listener back to the days of songs with big chorus and hooks
you’ll be instantly singing to. Even though the song is the bands focal
point there is still lot’s of chops from both guitarist/bass player
Johan Niemann and drummer Daniel Flores to go around.
Songs like “A rabbit in the hat” and “Equally Immortal” shows the bands
great chorus hooks, while songs like “Sahara in an hourglass”, “The
Nazca lines”, “Mrs. Clair Voyance” and “Heal my karma” shows the bands
super strength in writing symphonic and progressive songs. The band also
shows their stamina and brain power with their second ever recorded
instrumental song “Flight of the An.unna.ki” showing what the band is
fully capable of with their instruments. On the heavier side you have
songs like “Sacred rules” and “Out of my system” showing that the band
is capable of making heavier epic songs with modern sound. The 70’s are
also represented here when the song “Umbrellas under the sun” appears
out of nowhere reminding you that bands like E.L.O. and Queen are still
a huge influence on the band. Last but not least you have the two last
songs “When I whisper” a song with only orchestral arrangements and
vocals, proving Andreas Novak can sing with so much feeling it will give
you tears to your eyes, and “Poseidon says” which is 11 minutes long,
the epic and ending song on the album about one persons fight to survive
his deadly cancer, his whish to be immortal and to walk on water,
sailing off to ask the old Greek mythology god “Poseidon” for help.
Info on the recording credits e.g. studio/producer/engineer etc..
3rummer Keyboard player: Daniel Flores wrote the whole album, except
where he co-wrote with Bass player/guitarist Johan Niemann (on 2 songs).
He also produced the album, writing most of the lyrics, co-writing on
two songs together with his wife Ingrid S. Flores. Daniel recorded the
whole album in his own new built studio SOUND vs. SCIENCE in Stockholm
during April – June 2005. Mats Lindfors (Europe, Glenn Hughes) later
mastered the album in “Little big room studios”, adding that last spark
of magic. Mattias Norén did the artwork and it’s for sure one of the
best covers ever made by him.
Band Information
Mind’s Eye is a fulltime band with hard working members. Each member
being a full time session musician, recording with bands around the
globe. Andreas Novak (Lead vocals) released his first solo album on MTM
2005, receiving amazing response around the world. Johan Niemann (Bass/Guitars)
plays the bass and writes songs together with his brother for one of
“Nuclear blast” best selling band “Therion”, constantly touring around
the world. Daniel Flores (Drums, keyboards and vocals) is one of
Sweden’s most hired drummers when it comes to Metal, progressive rock,
AoR and Fusion sessions, recording on over 50 albums proving he is one
of Sweden’s hottest up and coming drummers of today’s modern art
drumming. Today after the loss of former Guitarist Fredrik G. Mind’s Eye
sees more possibilities than ever before with newfound label LION MUSIC,
they would like to invite you to an Audio/picture about us “Homosapiens”
and what we do to ruin this planet. You are welcome to try these waters.
Here is the new Mind’s Eye album and they are “Walking on h2o”.
TRACK LISTING
1. EARTH - THE MOVIE | 2. A RABBIT IN THE HAT | 3. EQUALLY IMMORTAL| 4.
MRS. CLAIR VOYANCE | 5. SAHARA IN AN HOURGLASS | 6. OUT OF MY SYSTEM |
7. UMBRELLAS UNDER THE SUN | 8. SACRED RULES | 9. THE NAZCA LINES | 10.
FLIGHT OF THE AN.UNNA.KI | 11. HEAL MY KARMA | 12. WHEN I WHISPER | 13.
POSEIDON SAYS
|