And to end the year on a high note, I’d like to specially thank you for your outstanding support and love. I have read the countless heartfelt, inspiring and motivational messages from a lot of you, and I am extremely thankful and lucky for being able to make music for you, and to have you as a fan and even more than a fan, a friend.
I hope the new year brings lots of exciting moments to you, full of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll!
Cheers!
-Shant
Got My Spotify Payout!
I’M RICH SUCKERSSS.
What a sad state for the music industry.
A Few Signed Copies Available
Remember when I met with Craig Blundell a couple of weeks ago?
Well, I kept this for the holidays. Craig and I have signed a limited number of CDs and LPs for you guys. They’re now available for purchase.
Follow this link and pick the format of your preference.
Quantities are very limited, so it’s first come first serve.
Paradigms Review on PopRock.ca
Here’s the review taken from the site, see English translation below.
Paradigms (2018)
Semantic Saturation
Prog Metal
Cornless Unicorn
Durée : 56 Minutes
8.5/10
Par Jacques Dulac
Voici la chronique de disque du tout nouveau Semantic Saturation paru il y a 3 mois! C’est dans le style prog metal que le montréalais Shant Hagopian nous propose son tout nouvel album!
‘‘Un projet très abouti pour Shant Hagopian qui y démontre toute sa virtuosité, ses talents de compositeur et d’arrangeur.’’
Tout nouveau projet pour le guitariste montréalais Shant Hagopian qui récidive avec un second opus qui se veut la suite logique de Solipsistic paru en 2012. C’est appuyé par le batteur Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) et le bassiste suédois Kristoffer Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation) qu’il nous propose un album qui sonne en partie comme le précédent. Il expérimente aussi d’autres genres musicaux comme pour la pièce Empty Whisky Jar avec la chanteuse Houry Dora Apartian qui se veut dans les mêmes eaux que David Gilmour pour le feeling qui soit dit en passant, est l’une de ses influences à la guitare.
Mirrors of Confusion, Carousel of Death et The Stranger from Andromeda tombent en terrain connu si vous avez écouté son album précédent Solipsistic. Vous ne serez pas dépaysés. Il démontre une grande maturité musicale avec la pièce Until we meet Again qui est très texturée et inspirée. Le claviériste Derek Sherinian fait aussi une apparition le temps d’une pièce intitulée Ulterior Harmony… un bon rappel à l’album précédent. Et à ne pas oublier la pièce fleuve Where Dreams Have died qui passe par toutes les ambiances avec ses moments planants mais aussi plus lourds.
Paradigms se veut être un projet très abouti pour Shant Hagopian qui y démontre toute sa virtuosité, ses talents de compositeur et d’arrangeur. Une qualité que j’aime de Shant, c’est que même s’il est comparé à Petrucci, Steve Vai ou Joe Satriani, il n’a pas tendance à trop en faire dans ses solos de guitare… il sait doser et pour cette raison, ce tout nouvel opus est une réussite sur toute la ligne.
Un album incontournable pour les amateurs du genre.
Pour se procurer l’album : https://shop.semanticsaturation.com/
source: http://poprock.ca/albums/paradigms-semantic-analyse/
*** TRANSLATED BY GOOGLE ***
Paradigms (2018)
Semantic Saturation
Prog Metal
Cornless Unicorn
Running Time: 56 Minutes
8.5 / 10
By Jacques Dulac
Here is the record chronicle of the brand new Semantic Saturation published 3 months ago! It is in the prog metal style that the Montrealer Shant Hagopian offers us his brand new album!
“A very successful project for Shant Hagopian that demonstrates all his virtuosity, his talents as a composer and arranger.”
Brand new project for Montreal guitarist Shant Hagopian, who reoffends with a second opus that is the logical continuation of Solipsistic released in 2012. It is supported by drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) and Swedish bassist Kristoffer Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation) ) that he offers us an album that sounds in part like the previous one. He also experimented with other musical genres such as Empty Whiskey Jar with the singer Houry Dora Apartian who wants to be in the same waters as David Gilmour for the feeling that is, by the way, is one of his influences on the guitar .
Mirrors of Confusion, Carousel of Death and The Stranger from Andromeda fall into familiar territory if you’ve listened to his previous album Solipsistic. You will not be homesick. He demonstrates a great musical maturity with the piece Until we meet Again which is very textured and inspired. Keyboardist Derek Sherinian also makes an appearance the time of a play entitled Ulterior Harmony … a good reminder to the previous album. And do not forget the play Where Dreams Have died that goes through all the atmospheres with its hovering moments but also heavier.
Paradigms wants to be a very successful project for Shant Hagopian who demonstrates all his virtuosity, his talents as a composer and arranger. A quality that I love about Shant is that even if he’s compared to Petrucci, Steve Vai or Joe Satriani, he does not tend to overdo it in his guitar solos … he knows how to dose and for this reason, this brand new album is a success on the whole line.
An essential album for fans of the genre.
To get the album: https://shop.semanticsaturation.com/
Just for Kicks & MetalGlory.de
Paradigms is now available through Just for Kicks Music, featured in the latest catalog with a short and sweet review by MetalGlory.de
Hagopian unearthed a phenomenal mix of Metal, Prog and Fusion
Translated with Google:
Canada import: Shant Hagopian, mastermind behind Semantic Saturation, has made it again and gathered around dedicated musicians who follow his vision and put into action. The most well-known comrades are probably Craig Blundell (Frost / Steven Wilson) and Kristoffer Gildenlöw (Ex-Pain Of Salvation). If you remember the first work of the Canadian
jack of all trades, remember that Hagopian already unearthed a phenomenal mix of Metal, Prog and Fusion, which in a few moments reminds King Crimson of his interaction with Joe Satriani. He continues this line on Paradigms, but adds a much more metallic stamp to the whole thing, but jazz is also not missing, since cross-references can be found in almost every one of the 10 songs, making Paradigms a journey in the train of thought of Hagopian and at the same time a discovery of a special kind, because even if you think you already know everything, you can go on a great journey of discovery here. The reason is that in spite of all the crazy structures the songs have a common thread and are also hyper-melodic which of course makes discovering a lot easier and thereby is not just an album for musicians.
Conclusion: Ingenious prog / fusion / jazz metal with depth and soul and an indie tip.
-CS / Metalglory.de