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Our first album, the dream of decades, a year in the making, finally released on CD October 2007 HOGGWASH - The Last Horizon
Read what we say about the album : Will & Antony A log of the development of the album here. |
Track Listing :. 1. Out of the darkness (15:30) 2. Reflections of life (6:00) 3. Under a rainbow sky (6:10) 4. Road of many challenges (10:05) 5. Like a miracle (9:02) 6. Watching the sun go down (6:10) 7. Another Friday night (9:15) 8. The last horizon (4:28) Total Length 66:40
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Reviews : Hoggwash. What can you say about the name? I have to admit that it immediately turned me off and they were relegated to the heap of new bands that I was not going to invest any time or effort into investigating further. Just because of the name. But I have to tell you, do not be put off by the name because this is some very fine, mainly keyboard driven prog that should appeal to a lot of neo/symphonic listeners here. Thanks to Erik Neuteboom for helping me get past the name and listening to some samples on the Hoggwash website. I deemed it worthy of purchase and have a very fine album with loads of melodies. The band is the brainchild of Welshman Will Mackie, founder of the Caerllysi Music label. From what I can tell, he wrote the music and brought in Ukrainian sensation Antony Kalugin to be the man to get the music played. His keyboards are the main force but there are quite a bit of very nice guitars throughout and that are given the spotlight with some lovely solos. The rest of the band complements the proceedings professionally. The flute, oboe and strings are also featured. The best comparison I can make to another band is Satellite and this album should be a no brainer for fans of that Polish outfit. Even Kalugin's vocals have a bit of that Satellite sound. Low and husky, they are not as powerful as some others out there, but they certainly fit well with the music here. As far as the Satellite comparisons, I think this album is a bit more adventurous. After the first listen, you may be underwhelmed but further spins show that there is a lot going on and there is more meat on the bone than you might think. The tempo varies and the sound is full, with the main instruments standing out and providing great melodies. Guitarist Roman Philonenko really shines both in backing up the bountiful keyboards and when given one of his many solos. They range from slow and tasteful to occasionally blazing. They do not overstay their welcome as there are many more keyboard runs to get to. I urge anyone with an open mind to check out the samples to get a taste of what is on display here. This is modern prog that can appeal to the old school folks who like their keyboards plentiful and varied. Kalugin is a guy who delivers and bears watching in the coming years. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy this and look forward to more from Hoggwash. A solid four stars. Now, about that name. By John Mattern.(johnobvious) Posted 3/3/2009 Once in a while, you come across an album, that..when the first tones hit you, you realise ”this is gold”!! HOGGWASH's debut album: “The Lost Horizon” is one such album!! Out of respect for both musicians and readers, I normally listen to an album, at least 5-6 times, before making judgment, writing a review!! Don't get me wrong, I still do that. But this fine debut, on the first listen, first track, had me cheering out loud: “YES” (which almost gave my cat, always residing/sleeping next to me, a heart-attack.) But seriously, this is a rare fine debut. It has all the makings of a great prog album and certainly a contender for best prog newcomer this year!! You get plenty beautiful and smooth soundscapes, you get superb keyboard play, towering unison guitar/keyboard solo, you get excellent production, mix and arrangements. Though not by any means a copy/clone band Hoggwash has hints, allegations and leanings to such bands as: SAGA, CAMEL, PINK FLOYD to name a few! And why not? Mentioned bands have had (and still have) a great impact on many generations up till now and beyond! “The Lost Horizon” are the excellent example of co work between two major musically talented people, across the borders of separate countries, but also across the borders of culture and sentiment. Now, let me sink my verbal teeth in to the flesh of this fine album. According to the creators (Will & Anthony) this concept album, are to be followed by at least one more (maybe 2?) albums !!? Lets hope so!! First track: “Out of the Darkness” opens with some fine narration, soon to glide into a steady theme, with guitars and keyboards to the fore and some very relaxed vocals “walking” us through the song/lyrics! A beautiful acoustic almost classical, in traditional orchestral way, interval midways breaks the theme of this epic (15:30 min.) track before returning to yet another great theme. So a very long, beautiful and varied composition, reminding this old proghead of a mix between Alan Parsons project & Camel at their absolute best!! What a great way to start an album!! “Reflections of Life” continues in that same excellent style powerful without being heavy, beautiful without being banal, extravagant without being pretentious. Just superbly delivered, composed and finely arranged music!! I'm really amazed, this is top of the class, artrock/progmusic!! “Under a Rainbow Sky” ..well, you get the picture. This track also shines, with brilliant keyboard solo and chord themes, strongly supported by fine guitars and hey, some neat vocal harmonies !! Great stuff!! “Road of Many Challenges” again...im flabbergasted, this track also boast´s a fine beautiful theme, keyboard, guitar and flute(?) one could almost hear hints of Jethro Tull´s magic in there!! This album is absolutely brimful of great themes, any great new artrock/progband would give their right arm, just to have, create or compose, just a few of these!! That´s all you get, from me. The rest of this magnificent debut album are for you to buy, explore and cherish!! And believe you me, you will! It really is amazing what Will, Anthony and the "boys", have created here! Anyone seriously into great artrock/progmusic and for that matter anyone into beautiful, well-crafted music with keyboard deluxe to the fore, must own this fine album!! I cant wait to hear the next outing from these excellent musicians! Im not that impressed by the cover art, but hey that´s me...some like Dali and some like Matisse!! By tlarz Published: November 12, 2007 Quite whether it was by luck or good judgment that I discovered this release, I’m not sure but needless to say, I’m damned pleased I did. About a year or so ago I was looking for an online store to buy a particular album and found Caerllysi music to be my nearest stockist, so obviously ordered it from there. Whilst browsing their site I came across a competition for an album by a Ukrainian band called “Karfagen”. Despite them being previously unknown to me, I entered anyway and ultimately won. The CD arrived, thoroughly entertained me, impressing greatly with the musical talent on display but the lack of vocals somewhat detracted from the wonderfully interesting music it contained. So it has been with great interest I have watched the story of this release, which is a collaboration between South Wales based Will Mackie of “Caerllysi Music” and Ukranian Antony Kalugin, from “Karfagen”, unfold within the web-site, catching sound bites and waiting for the day I could finally hear it in all it’s glory. Well that day is here! Described by Will as “a journey”, “The Last Horizon”, in the greatest prog fashion, is a concept album following a young man’s search for his own identity through all of life’s trials and tribulations aided by a mystical “Wizeman”. To deal with the 8 tracks here individually, or single out just one, as a highlight, wouldn’t do justice to the flowing passages contained within over an hour of delightful music. There is nothing too self-indulgent, nothing overly challenging to the listener, just plenty of perfectly atmospheric keyboard/guitar driven rock. Flutes, oboes, even an accordion (I think) add colour to some of the quieter moments. There are also plenty of extended instrumental pieces, which are sufficiently interspersed by gentle vocals to keep my attention. In fact, I’ve found myself totally immersed in this on several occasions, something that I haven’t been able to say of many other of the genre’s recent releases. “The Lost Horizon” is a retro-prog masterpiece, which deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as landmark releases from such 70’s giants as Camel, Genesis, Focus and Pink Floyd. If you have even a passing interest in this type of music, this should be in your collection, without a doubt. Best of all there are promises of a continuation of this story, watch this space, or better still http://www.hoggwash.net/ Rock of Ages Score : 4/5 This is a very special musical project that started on the Internet where singer Will Mackie (from a pastoral village in Wales) and multi- instrumentalist Antony Kalugin (from a busy city in the Ukraine) got in touch with each other. They shared a love for progressive rock and this has resulted in the release of this debut album by Hoggwash. The name is derived from a spirit that helps people to come from the dark into the light if they are desperate or feel broken, this symbolizes that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. The sound of Hoggwash is more symphonic prog but less adventurous than Antony his other project Karfagen. Nonetheless, Hoggwash has succeeded to make varied and interesting music with flowing shifting moods and good breaks, often topped with strong solos on keyboards and guitar. The first composition is the long and captivating Out Of The Darkness: lots of variety (from compelling and dreamy to mid-tempo and bombastic) and a lush instrumentation featuring fluent synthesizer runs, heavy guitar riffs, wah-wah guitar, powerful vocals, mellow hobo, warm classical guitar and some accordion. The colouring with the keyboards is wonderful with the sound of brass, Hammond and Mellotron. The other seven tracks also manage to keep my attention for the full running time like in Road Of Many Challenges (from dreamy with soaring keyboards, flute and Mellotron to compelling with howling guitar and mid-tempo with sensitive guitar and flashy synthesizer flights), Like A Miracle (strong interplay between varied keyboards and guitar along good solos), Another Friday Night (beautiful mellow atmosphere with acoustic guitar, a slow rhythm with howling guitar and bombastic with Hammond, synthesizer runs and wah-wah guitar) and the dreamy final song The Last Horizon delivering a slow keyboard solo, flute and acoustic guitar. This CD is a strong calling card by Hoggwash! The special bonus CD contains five tracks: Seashell is a bit spacey, Rainbow Part 1 delivers both swinging Fender Rhodes piano as xylophone, Rainbow Part 2 has a tight mid-tempo with exciting keyboard work and the final two songs (from Antony his New Age solo albums) sound ... quite mellow. It also contains video footage from a Karfagen rehearsal including the previously not released song Waiting For A but this ‘Caveman reviewer’ cannot play it on his computer... My rating: 3,5 stars. erik neuteboom I was introduced to this band by a friend, and I've taken a keen interest in Ukrainian keyboardist Antony Kalugin and his various projects (among them, Sunchild, Karfagen and The Spacious Mind), and I find Hoggwash to be a nice eclectic blend: symphonic prog laced with rocking guitar riffs and nice keyboard runs, an occasional folksy feel, and even at times a big band-like swing. There's a lot to like here, and I glean occasional musical references to the like of Mike Oldfield and Bo Hansson. Above all else, melodies are very strong and central on the CD's (as well as the bonus disc's) tracks. My personal favourite is the track Another Friday Night. It takes a couple of minutes before the musical direction of the track is unveiled, and it becomes highly contagious, with a brilliant chorus sung of the words Dirty money's money no matter where it's been. I find this work and its mastermind highly commendable and recommend it strongly to anyone who enjoys longer pieces fleshed out with nice guitar and keyboard runs. The vocals are strong and lyrically compelling. I anxiously await the next work Kalugin sets his energy to. Bob Briggs The music and the lyrics to this new release have been with me for many years now. Will Mackie is a dear dear friend, who kindly enough has shared his thoughts, his music and lyrics with me over the years. So this new album has a very special place in my heart due to fact that we’ve spent hours/years talking about “it”. I’ve promised Will to be honest, so I’ll do my very best. Still, it’s great to see Will’s big dream finally come true, after years of hard work. The collaboration between Will & Antony Kalugin (Karfagen) is very special & unique, which this album reveals in abundance. For a first album it’s very strong, filled to the brim with great symphonic music. The lyrics has depth, they are touching, meaningful and filled with love to life and mankind. The opener “Out Of Darkness” is a true symphonic track filled with Antony’s great keyboards, smoking guitar soloing/riffs. Antony’s vocals are very strong, with just a little accent. The track is built up perfect, with many breaks and some beautiful interplay between the entire band. “Reflections Of Life” opens with “our” very own Scotsman Tam’s great voice. Then it turns almost Alan Parsonish in the beautiful theme-the way the track is build up- A great art rock piece of music. “Under A Rainbow Sky” is a semi-classical-art rock-symphonic piece of music, filled with strong vocals, heavy keys and some excellent guitar soloing.” Road Of Many Challenges” is a masterful track. Complex, constantly changing rhythm and pace. Ad to this an almost Camelish/Tullish sounding flute which is played perfectly. Great track. “Like A Miracle” (the beginning) could have been taken from any given track from Steely Dan or Donald Fagan (that creamy keyboard sound). A heavy sounding guitar solo breaks the track, with a great Hammond in the back. This is really a great piece of music.” Watching The Sun Go Down”, again a masterful symphonic track filled with awesome guitar soloing, many outstanding keyboard sounds/soloing/riffs and great vocals/harmonies. One of my fav. tracks.” Another Friday Night” is a symphonic masterpiece, with outstanding music and great lyrics. We get acoustic guitars, dreamy keyboards, great drumming and some meaningful lyrics. The vocals/harmonies are great and sung with much conviction. Roman Philonenko’s guitar, both electric and acoustic ones are fantastic. The title track ends this great release. A track filled with beautiful soundscapes, great flute, awesome keyboards by Anthony and a great feeling runs throughout it. There’s no doubt in my mind that Will & Antony have made a unique and very special album. Just that it’s possible to make music over that long distance is fantastic. Wales via Ukraine? Will have found a fantastic talented musician in Anthony, no doubt about that. Ad to this all of Antony’s friends, who all is very gifted musicians, each and every one of them. To be honest, this is a much greater release than I had ever dreamed of. One thing is getting all those great demos over the years from Will. Another is a reel album with cover and all. The production is crystal clear(Will Mackie); the instrumentation by all involved is outstanding. Every single musician shines here. Hats of to Will for getting this album out to all of us, who love & treasure great music. I think you owe it to yourself to try out Hoggwash. One thing is curtain: This is great music, progressive music, performed by a unique unit of very talented musicians. Looking foreword to the next Hoggwash project, which according to Will, is on the way? Way to go Will, you’ve done it. Hoggwash gets my highest recommendations. For lovers of symphonic music this is a reel treat. Ps; The album is also sold as a special edition. With a great bonus cd, which is well worth the extra prize. Filled with exciting and fun stuff. By progleo Published: November 19, 2007 |
THE PLAYERS: Antony Kalugin : Vocals, Keys, Percussion & Programming Roman Philonenko :All Guitars Artem Kalinin : Drums Sergey Kovalev : Bayan & Vocals Lesya Kofanova : Flutes Helen Bour : Oboe San Zhara : Strings
Voices: Will and Jane Mackie, Mark Kalugin, Tam Laird and Richard Nicholson. All Tracks Written By : Antony Kalugin & William Mackie, Track 6 Antony, Will & Balon. Recorded At Kfg Studios, Kharkiv, Ukraine Oct 06 to June 07 Mixed & Mastered By A. Kalugin Produced By W. Mackie |
