Whether it’s own his own or as the frontman for his band The Pineapple Thief, Bruce Soord brings a subtle, smoldering intensity to his music often absent in the world of progressive rock.

As a case in point, KScope Music has released a pair of Soord-driven albums that show both sides of this dynamic artist.

All This Will Be Yours is Soord’s solo masterpiece. It is proof positive that “heavy” does not have to be “loud.” It is a nine-song case for organic tension and release brought forth via acoustic guitars and basses, tasteful electronics, and mostly brush-played drums. The songs are propelled forward not by big riffs, but by Soord’s skills as a songwriter and sonic painter.

In tandem with their current tour, The Pineapple Thief has released the live album Hold Our Fire, which provides a nice contrast to the cool as ice approach Soord uses as a solo artist.

The Pineapple Thief takes strong songs to the next level onstage. The band’s interplay is comfortable within its intensity, driven primarily by the drumming of Gavin Harrison, who simultaneously holds the groove and weaves his fills around it.

Within the confines of his band, Soord is able to take a half-step back while remaining omnipresent, letting the rest of the band convey his message, still rooted in strong songwriting.

No doubt proggers will want to compare Soord’s works to that of Steven Wilson inside and outside of Porcupine Tree. But Soord is his own man, and his music comes at us from a slightly different angle that offers us the opportunity to hear what seems familiar, differently.

These albums represent a terrific double-play, and deserve to be enjoyed together.

#cirdecsongs

KScope Music

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