Reflection on latest album releases
- arranmcsporran
- Oct 2
- 5 min read
It's been six months since the release of the third 'Changeling' single, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some releases that you may have missed. It's also 'Bandcamp Friday' this week (Pacific Time), so if you did want to support any of the projects by buying the releases then Bandcamp waive their fees this Friday so that bands get 100% of the revenue.
'Changeling' was the final release of what I call my 'Covid 6' - 6 albums that I recorded in a row and kept me sane while no touring was happening. The albums are an international mix from the UK (UTOPIA), American (Tómarúm / Cosmitorium), Australian (Vipassi) and German/EU (Changeling)!
I have more information about each release on their own dedicated news/blog pages and you can find them all on my Spotify Playlists (but would appreciate if you considered buying the albums from bandcamp, rather than funding AI Arms Firms)
6) 'Changeling' was released in April 2025 and is the Progressive Death Metal band's debut self-titled album. Conceptualised by Berlin-based Tom 'Fountainhead' Geldschläger, the ex-Obscura fretless guitar virtuoso has put together an amazing group of over 50 core musicians and guests for the first Extreme Metal album composed with Dolby Atmos and immersive audio mixes in mind, rather than as an afterthought 'bonus mix'. The stereo mix is still amazing, but it's worth listening to in Atmos if you have the facility to do so! The bass transcription book is also available on my webstore!
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/G_LWBR0bhdY
5) 'Shame', the second album by UK-based Progressive Technical Metal band UTOPIA, was released in February 2024. Now with a fixed line-up, it's a continuation of the wild playing from the first album, but turned up to 12 (the first album was turned up to 11!). FFO Dillinger Escape Plan, Allan Holdsworth and Frank Zappa. This album and 'Lightless' got me nominated for 'Bass Guitar Performance of the Year' in The Progspace 2024 Awards.
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/4s30ivNBg_k
4) 'Lightless' came out the week before in January 2024 and is the second album by Australian Ne Obliviscaris side-project 'Vipassi', and my first with the band. Instrumental Progressive Metal, the album's one of my favourites that I've been involved in and lots of reviews have described it as having its 'own sound', which you have to hear to understand. The album was nominated for 'Instrumental Album of the Year' in The Progspace 2024 Awards. The drum tracks were each recorded in one take (you can see Dan Presland's album-take playthroughs on YouTube) and the bass and guitars were recorded without click tracks or grid. The bass transcription book is also available on my webstore!
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/VSLy_M0JW58
3) 'Broken Archetypes' was released in November 2023 and is the debut album by California-based Progressive Death Metal band 'Cosmitorium'. I recorded Cosmitorium's single 'Peak & Surrender' in 2020 (which was my first recording with my Carillion fretless) and then the guys asked me to record the full album as a guest, which has lots of fun bass feature moments. The bass transcription book is also available on my webstore!
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/F6ogXA7sDWg
2) 'Ash in Realms of Stone Icons' is the debut album by Tómarúm from Georgia, USA and was released in May 2022. I recorded this Progressive Black Metal album as a guest and it's built a bit of a cult following after being released on Prosthetic Records. They now have a full touring USA-based lineup and their second album was released earlier this year, which is also worth hearing!
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/ffsrrLEBi8U
1) 'Stalker', and its instrumental iteration 'Stalkareoke', is the debut album by UK Progressive Technical Metal band UTOPIA. Released in August 2021 this band's music is some of the most complex material I've ever recorded. This album features several guest drummers, including Billy Rymer of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Baard Kolstad of Leprous! Just crazy music. FFO Dillinger Escape Plan, Allan Holdsworth and Frank Zappa. This album won me 'Best Bassist' in the 2022 '1st Annual Mathy Awards'
Or listen here: https://youtu.be/MQ7vMESFHP4
At the beginning of 2025 I released the album 'Last Sunset' with the Nicolas Meier Infinity Group, which is an instrumental album featuring the songs Nicolas wrote while touring with Jeff Beck and were never released before he sadly passed. Nicolas has re-recorded them and I'm on the songs with Gary Husband (!!!) with the other rhythm section being the incomparable Jimmy Haslip and Vinnie Colaiuta (!!!). Oriental-inspired jazz-rock fusion which we also took on tour earlier this year.
Buy and listen here: https://www.meiergroup.com/lastsunset
I've also released the EPs 'Moon on the Tide' with Matt Appleby and 'Ugh...' by Calf Parade:
'Moon on the Tide' is an instrumental acoustic duo EP that came out in April 2024 featuring acoustic guitar and fretless bass duets, with some ebow thrown in for good measure. I really like it and it's quite different to everything else I've released recently. We're working on a follow-up album at the moment. The bass transcription book is also available on my webstore!
Listen here: https://youtu.be/aveyvt2PUM0
'Ugh...' is an IDM (Aphex Twin/Squarepusher -esque) EP that I recorded and released within 7 days in March 2023 with UTOPIA mastermind John Bailey. Trippy ambient music with fretless and my first recordings on double bass! The bass transcription book is also available on my webstore!
Listen here: https://youtu.be/Z29VMeZp-oU
I also played on a few singles:
'Sunken Garden' by Adieu was released in January 2025 and is a cool progressive instrumental track showcasing Adieu's melodic technical guitar playing. I mostly recorded it on my fretted bass, with a fretless bass solo.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/RBbeSnjtET0
'Exposure' by Six Feet Under's Jeff Hughell is a fun single with three bass players - me, Jeff and Brandon Michael of Allegaeon, with Jørgen Munkeby of Shining (Nor) on sax, Matias Quiroz (Bleak Flesh) on guitar and Travis Zupo (Broken Glass Sanctuary) on drums. Very original track with solos galore and worth a listen!
Watch here: https://youtu.be/Y83uk-vabZg
'A Paradise Lost' by Void Mother was released in March 2022 and has a great guest vocal by Berzan Önen, guest drums by Kévin Paradis and a solo by Vipassi bandmate Benjamin Baret! Progressive symphonic metal.
I also have some new stuff in the works (Virvum fans, watch this space), so thanks for reading and I hope you've found something new!
Until next time!
Arran
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