Following-up on the widespread critical and fan acclaim of their first two CDs, “Starfooted” and “Entertaining Thanatos”, San Francisco-Area band Metaphor announced the release of its much-anticipated third effort, entitled, “The Sparrow.” It’s a rock opera about the first Jesuit mission to another planet, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by celebrated author Mary Doria Russell. Recorded entirely at Blue Seven Audio with Christopher Scott Cooper engineering and co-producing. CSC also worked with metaphor on their second CD “Entertaining Thanatos”

Consisting of guitarist Malcolm Smith, keyboardist Marc Spooner, bassist Jim Anderson, vocalist/lyricist John Mabry, and percussionist Greg Miller, Metaphor has crafted another unique and exceptional piece of music. With its interesting poly-rhythms, thoughtful and exciting vocal excursions, and depth of harmonic ideas, the band continues to explore its evolving musical identity.

Metaphor, with the author’s permission (“John found the heart of things but expressed them more telegraphically and economically than I could.”), has taken this story and created music, in its own inimitable style, bringing a new dimension to the suspenseful, and challenging tale. Visit Mary Doria Russell’s official website at: http://users.adelphia.net/~druss44121/

A note of interest: astronomers reported earlier this decade that the lowest note calculated to be vibrating in the universe is a B-flat (Bb), fifty seven octaves below middle C and far below the range of human hearing. It is emanating from a black hole in the Perseus galaxy cluster, some 250 million light-years away. The Bb drone at 30.87 Hz represents the universal vibrating frequency. And so the drone heard at the beginning and end of Metaphor’s “The Sparrow” is a Bb – to represent both the distance in time and space of the story’s concepts, as well as the universal nature of music.

More information about this CD and the band is available at http://www.metaphor.org.

Another B7A client, Mind Furniture, has finally released their sophmore effort “Hoop of Flame”. Four years in the making, this was CSC’s first client at Blue Seven Audio in 2003.
The CD consists of 2 sections, or suites. The first being “The Trial of God”, where man places God on trial for neglect. The second, “Hoop of Flame” revolves around the Hindu God Shiva and life in general. With beautiful and haunting lyrics by John Mabry (also of the band Metaphor), wide ranging guitar craft by Bill Estes, keyboard cinema by Brett Barnett, and chugging rhythm by Greg Miller on drums and Paul Harrison on bass. This CD is distributed worldwide by MUSEA Records in France.

More information can be obtained at: www.mindfurniture.com and www.musearecords.com/

This well-honed progressive rock quintet, consisting of guitarist Malcolm Smith, keyboardist Marc Spooner, bassist Jim Anderson, vocalist/lyricist John Mabry, and percussionist Greg Miller, has crafted another unique and exceptional piece of music, thrilling listeners with its interesting polyrhythms, thoughtful and exciting vocal excursions, and a satisfying depth of harmonic ideas as the band continues to explore its evolving musical identity.

“The Sparrow” tells the story of Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest whose soul was shattered by what befell him on the planet Rakhat as part of the first manned mission to another planet and its civilization. Humanity has finally found evidence of extraterrestrial life when exquisite singing from another planet is detected on Earth. The Jesuits organize a crew for an expedition, and what it finds is a civilization beyond comprehension, leading humans to question the very meaning of what it is to be “human.” The sole survivor of the ill-fated expedition, Father Sandoz, returns to Earth, and must explain what went wrong.

Metaphor, with the author’s permission, has taken this timeless and thoroughly thought-provoking story and created music, in its own inimitable style, which brings a new dimension to the suspenseful, lively, and challenging tale. Visit Mary Doria Russell’s official website at http://users.adelphia.net/~druss44121/.

A note of interest: astronomers reported earlier this decade that the lowest note calculated to be vibrating in the universe is a B-flat (Bb), fifty seven octaves below middle C and far below the range of human hearing. It is emanating from a black hole in the Perseus galaxy cluster, some 250 million light-years away. The Bb drone at 30.87 Hz represents the universal vibrating frequency. And so the drone heard at the beginning and end of Metaphor’s “The Sparrow” is a Bb – to represent both the distance in time and space of the story’s concepts, as well as the universal nature of music.

More information about this new CD and the band is available at www.metaphor.org. Distribution and retailer inquiries are welcome, by contacting malcolm@metaphor.org.