Tribal World Rock, Led Zeppelin meets Dead Can Dance and Loreena McKennitt.

11 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Progressive Rock, WORLD: World Fusion



Details:
The San Francisco Bay Area has historically been the site of some of the most creative and innovative music in history. Following in this tradition, Pandemonaeon (pan-de-moan-ay-on) is carving its own unique path through contemporary rock music.

Pandemonaeon combines the musical influences of both traditional and popular musical styles to create an unusual blend of Middle Eastern-Celtic rock. Influenced by the tribal-trance stylings of Dead Can Dance, they have built upon this sound by adding higher energy elements such as electric guitars and Arabic rhythms. Lead guitarist Winter's blues background and fondness for 9th and suspended chords give a Zeppelin-esque flavor to their somewhat goth tribal mood.

Pandemonaeon has a strong line-up, featuring members also associated with Lost at Last, Bhakti, Stella Mara, D'Cuckoo and Haunted by Waters. The 7-piece band includes Gari Hagerty playing violin, oud & cittern; Bean playing percussion; Jeff Obee on bass; Michael "MJ" St. John on drums, and Naomi True lending her voice to lovely three-part harmony. Add to this driving rhythms, haunting melodies, and Sharon Knight's witchy vocals and you get a sort of "Loreena McKennitt in the underworld" effect.

Dark, mystical, yet very celebratory, her lyrics suggest a fiercely passionate approach to life.
Their self-titled debut album features songs such as Born To Let Our Brilliance Shine. Inspired by Nelson Mandela's inaugural address, Sharon and Winter share their core belief that "it is displaying rather than hiding our brilliance that best serves humanity." This theme is continued in This Night I Ride - a Celtic-inspired story of a woman who finds success by challenging the Fairy Queen.

The 7 members of Pandemonaeon present a sensual theatrical experience unlike the traditional music concert. This past summer's theme at live performances was "Temple Of Dreams," featuring a full-scale production that involved the audience in creating an atmosphere of pleasure and sensuality with their tribe of exotic urban gypsies. Dreamy and Dionysian in nature, one could easily feel they'd been abducted by intoxicated psychedelic gypsies. They frequently feature guest artists in their shows, such as bagpiper Todd Denman, Egyptian percussionist Reda Darwish, or the belly dance troupe Ultra Gypsy. Whether they are featuring an artist from a faraway corner of the world, or someone from the San Francisco freak sub-culture, each show ends up having a unique circus-like flavor. Pandemonaeon is a musical experience that engages and lures every sense of you. Unwilling to limit themselves, they are what their name implies - a wild, lusty spirit of the new musical aeon.