Solstice Coil
Encyclopedia
Solstice Coil is an alternative progressive rock band formed in Israel
in 2001. The band's core members are Shir Deutch, Opher Vishnia and Shai Yallin.
The band describes its musical style on its official website as "combining the emotional with the intellectual", and proclaims itself as "Israel's first alt-prog-rock band to be formed on the web".
Solstice Coil has released two albums, A Prescription for Paper Cuts (2005) and Natural Causes (2011). While both albums were self-produced and self-financed, Natural Causes had been picked up by the Orlando-based progressive rock label Melodic Revolution Records.
On July 5, 2011, Solstice Coil released a parody of Dream Theater
to Youtube titled "The Natural Causes Carries On", spoofing Dream Theater's "The Spirit Carries On" documentary about their search to replace founding member and drummer Mike Portnoy
. The video became immensely popular among Dream Theater fans and was subsequently promoted by guitarist John Petrucci
on official his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess
has also given his seal of approval, stating the video was "very funny".
On July 19, 2011, during Dream Theater's second concert in Israel, the parody was screened before thousands of fans, moments before Dream Theater took the stage.
After going through several line-up changes, the band released its debut album, A Prescription For Paper Cuts on September 21, 2005 with bassist Diego Olschansky and keyboard player Shai Yallin; A self-produced effort, the album was mostly recorded, edited and mixed by Yallin at his home studio. Paper Cuts received positive reviews from music websites and magazines from around the world in Hebrew, English, Dutch Italian, French and German. In Israel, it receives a favorable on Mitkadem, biggest archive of progressive rock in the Hebrew language. It was named "Album of the month" on German website Babyblaue and on Brazilian website progressiverockbr.
Following a review and an interview published on Belgian progressive rock magazine Prog-résiste, the band was invited to perform at an annual progressive festival held at the Spirit of 66’ club in Belgium in 2006. The Belgian tour was covered by Israeli media
In 2007, the band experienced more personnel changes and from then on included Deutch, Vishnia and Yallin as well as Yaniv Shalev on bass guitar and Yatziv Caspi on drums. This line-up would go on to work on the band’s next album, Natural Causes, which was released on June 21, 2011 through Orlando-based label Melodic Revolution Records, with album art by digital artist Vitaly S. Alexius.
, alternative rock
and progressive metal
. The band members state mutual influences by artists such as Radiohead
, Muse
, Porcupine Tree
, Dream Theater
, King Crimson
, Genesis
and The Mars Volta
.
The music is characterised by complex structures, variable song lengths, unorthodox time signatures, multi-layered arrangements and wide range male vocals. The songs are often melancholic and dark, while the lyrics tend to be metaphorical and multi-faceted.
Deep Child was broadcasted on Israeli music Channel 24 and named 'Video of the Week' by My HOT V.O.D – a music video service offered by Israeli's cable company HOT.
A live version of Deep Child was released on the Prog-résiste Prog 4 Convention 2006 DVD. The video was shot during Solstice Coil’s performance at the Spirit of 66’ club in Belgium.
to Youtube titled "The Natural Causes Carries On", spoofing Dream Theater’s "The Spirit Carries On" documentary about their search for a replacement for founding member and drummer Mike Portnoy
. The video was written, directed and edited by Deutch.
The parody video was intended to promote the music video for Too Many Regrets, also edited by Deutch. Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci
posted the video on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, leading to over twenty thousand unique views on the band's YouTube page. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess
commented on the video with his personal YouTube account, stating the video was "very funny".
On July 19, 2011, Dream Theater screened the parody video on their Tel Aviv show, right before they went on stage.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 2001. The band's core members are Shir Deutch, Opher Vishnia and Shai Yallin.
The band describes its musical style on its official website as "combining the emotional with the intellectual", and proclaims itself as "Israel's first alt-prog-rock band to be formed on the web".
Solstice Coil has released two albums, A Prescription for Paper Cuts (2005) and Natural Causes (2011). While both albums were self-produced and self-financed, Natural Causes had been picked up by the Orlando-based progressive rock label Melodic Revolution Records.
On July 5, 2011, Solstice Coil released a parody of Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
to Youtube titled "The Natural Causes Carries On", spoofing Dream Theater's "The Spirit Carries On" documentary about their search to replace founding member and drummer Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
. The video became immensely popular among Dream Theater fans and was subsequently promoted by guitarist John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
on official his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
has also given his seal of approval, stating the video was "very funny".
On July 19, 2011, during Dream Theater's second concert in Israel, the parody was screened before thousands of fans, moments before Dream Theater took the stage.
History
Solstice Coil was established in late-2001 with Shir Deutch on vocals and guitars, Opher Vishnia on lead guitar, Uri Goldberg on drums and Guy Matityahu on bass guitar. During the first years of its existence, the band played a mix of Hebrew and English songs, mostly influenced by brit-pop and brit-rock.After going through several line-up changes, the band released its debut album, A Prescription For Paper Cuts on September 21, 2005 with bassist Diego Olschansky and keyboard player Shai Yallin; A self-produced effort, the album was mostly recorded, edited and mixed by Yallin at his home studio. Paper Cuts received positive reviews from music websites and magazines from around the world in Hebrew, English, Dutch Italian, French and German. In Israel, it receives a favorable on Mitkadem, biggest archive of progressive rock in the Hebrew language. It was named "Album of the month" on German website Babyblaue and on Brazilian website progressiverockbr.
Following a review and an interview published on Belgian progressive rock magazine Prog-résiste, the band was invited to perform at an annual progressive festival held at the Spirit of 66’ club in Belgium in 2006. The Belgian tour was covered by Israeli media
In 2007, the band experienced more personnel changes and from then on included Deutch, Vishnia and Yallin as well as Yaniv Shalev on bass guitar and Yatziv Caspi on drums. This line-up would go on to work on the band’s next album, Natural Causes, which was released on June 21, 2011 through Orlando-based label Melodic Revolution Records, with album art by digital artist Vitaly S. Alexius.
Style and influences
Solstice Coil's music is a cross-genre of Progressive RockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
and progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
. The band members state mutual influences by artists such as Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
, Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
.
The music is characterised by complex structures, variable song lengths, unorthodox time signatures, multi-layered arrangements and wide range male vocals. The songs are often melancholic and dark, while the lyrics tend to be metaphorical and multi-faceted.
Deep Child
The band filmed its first official music video for the song Deep Child in 2006. The script was written by Shir Deutch and directed by Amir Armel over the course of three days. Deep Child featured a story arc and a cast of over 15 people, and was shot in a number of locations. While the band members were not seen playing or singing in the video, Deutch, Vishnia, Yallin and Goldberg had cameos in it.Deep Child was broadcasted on Israeli music Channel 24 and named 'Video of the Week' by My HOT V.O.D – a music video service offered by Israeli's cable company HOT.
A live version of Deep Child was released on the Prog-résiste Prog 4 Convention 2006 DVD. The video was shot during Solstice Coil’s performance at the Spirit of 66’ club in Belgium.
Recipe for Eternity
Solstice Coil's second official video and the first song to be released from Natural Causes. It included footage taken by the band itself during the Natural Causes recording sessions. Lead singer Shir Deutch edited the video, which includes shots of the band working at the studio as well as a string quartet that was recorded for the album."Too Many Regrets" & The Natural Causes Carries On
On July 5, 2011, Solstice Coil released a parody of Dream TheaterDream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
to Youtube titled "The Natural Causes Carries On", spoofing Dream Theater’s "The Spirit Carries On" documentary about their search for a replacement for founding member and drummer Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
. The video was written, directed and edited by Deutch.
The parody video was intended to promote the music video for Too Many Regrets, also edited by Deutch. Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
posted the video on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, leading to over twenty thousand unique views on the band's YouTube page. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
commented on the video with his personal YouTube account, stating the video was "very funny".
On July 19, 2011, Dream Theater screened the parody video on their Tel Aviv show, right before they went on stage.