I have always been a little suspicious of the term supergroup but sometimes you just can’t avoid it. It means a band who individually have already achieved their own fame or success with previous projects prior to coming together to form the "supergroup".
Using that terminology Crosby, Stills, and Nash are a good early example, as are Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. I am old enough to also remember others like Blind Faith; Ginger Baker’s Airforce; Bad Company; Asia; Beck, Bogert, & Appice; etc.
On the negative side, the very definition can become tantamount to creative conflict before it even starts to take off. However good an idea it sounds, gather a collection of creative minds in one room and they probably can’t agree on the time let alone a direction for their music.
Only the exceptional make this work over any length of time. Frost*'s second album, Experiments In Mass Appeal, however, seems to challenge this theory. There are a couple of bands called Frost. This one, with the additional asterik, is the UK neo-prog supergroup.
Formed in 2004 by keyboardist Jem Godfrey, a man responsible for writing number one hits for the likes of Atomic Kitten, Frost* consist of John Mitchell (Arena, Kino), John Jowitt (Arena, IQ), Andy Edwards (Robert Plant's Priory Of Brion, IQ, and the Ian Parker Band).
Their first album arrived in 2006. Milliontown took Jem Godfrey back to where he really wanted to musically be, deep into progressive rock territory. So much so that Milliontown included the massive twenty-six minute epic title track. The following year it went a bit frosty for the band when due to other commitments it was put on hold.
In early 2008 they were back supporting Spock’s Beard and getting back into the studio to record album number two. Adding vocalist Declan Burke (Darwin’s Radio) to the Frost* line-up, the album, Experiments In Mass Appeal, was released on the Inside Out label in November 2008.
The result is an album that shoots down all those doubts about creative meltdown. Jem Godfrey’s Planet Frost* - Frost* Reports section on the band’s website reveal the background to the making of an album that is a successful collaboration between the band's members.
There are two versions (single and double CD) the second providing a whole host of extras including the Frost* Reports, Christmas Sessions, Tour Reports, and much more.
Article comments
1 - Paul Roy
Nice review Jeff. Milliontown was easily one of the best prog albums of 2006 and it has remained one of my favorites. I have the new one on order and can't wait to give it a listen