• About AMR
  • Band EPKs
  • Campus Radio Campaigns & Charts
  • Festivals & Associations
    • 420 Music & Arts Festival (Calgary, AB)
    • Armstrong Metal Fest (Armstrong, BC)
    • Calgary Metalfest
    • Calgary’s YYC Music Awards
    • Days of The Dead Festival (Red Deer, AB)
    • Loud As Hell Metal Fest (Drumheller, AB)
    • Metalocalypstick Fest (Lone Butte, BC) – Mountains, Camping and the Women of Metal!
    • ShrEdmonton Metal Fest & Conference
    • WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA
    • WACKEN METAL BATTLE USA
  • Services (Hire Us!)
  • Subscribe To AMR Artist News & Album Promo

Category: Knecht

0 Knecht Shares 8-String Guitar Shred w/ New Playthrough “Transformation”; Out Now! Progressive, Instrumental Self-Titled Debut EP

  • August 11, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · Knecht · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – August 11, 2021

For fans of Haken, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Plini, Liquid Tension Experiment

Knecht Shares 8-String Guitar Shred w/ New Playthrough “Transformation”

Out Now! Progressive, Instrumental Self-Titled Debut EP

Pictured – Joseph Knecht – Photo credit – Tristan Ahearn

 

Earlier this July, Joseph Knecht released his debut self-titled EP, a complex journey through progressive metal instrumentals, along with a well-thought-out blend of classic 70s and modern prog. Knecht started out strictly old school, however now he adds modern elements like 8 string guitar and goes for a more modern midrange-focused tone rather than the classic Les Paul through a Marshall sound.

To demonstrate his 8-string shredding, today he shares his latest playthrough video for the track “Transformation”. Knecht explains:

“This was one of the first songs I wrote with my 8 string.  It’s a hard-hitting sludgy mixed meter riff. With a hint of Tesseract in the middle with the staccato Djenty section. This song represents my transformation into the style that I have developed.”

Watch and listen to “Transformation” – https://youtu.be/DoDGGuDK9Hg

Knecht writes and performs all instruments on the EP, except for the drums, which on this release he enlists the help of Jason Stewart who adds his own creative flair to the drum scaffolding. The result is something complex, yet accessible, enjoyable by die-hard prog fans and casual listeners alike.

The EP is recommended listening for fans of Haken, Porcupine Tree, Plini and Liquid Tension Experiment.

“Knecht” is available on the following digital platforms: Spotify, Bandcamp.

Previous Videos:
“Destruction”- https://youtu.be/3OeTgXI24GE
“Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)” – https://youtu.be/wXg0SuMSqEQ

Track Listing:
1. Transformation (4:50)
2. Tabernacle Jam (3:50)
3. Working Title (4:42)
4. Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach) (3:42)
5. Summer Nights (3:16)
6. Destruction (5:09)
EP Length: 25:31

EP Recording Line Up:
Joseph Knecht – Guitar, Bass and Keyboards
Drums – Jason Stewart

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Joseph Knecht and Jason Stewart
• All songs written by: Joseph Knecht
• Produced by: Joseph Knecht
• Mixed by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Mastered by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Member ASCAP

For more info:
Instagram.com/joeknecht.exe
Facebook
EPK

About:
Joseph Knecht, from Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA, has been playing music since he was a small child. He started out with piano when he was five and picked up the guitar a year later. Bass came along in high school and he attended Berklee College of Music to further his music education.

Looking to share the music he was writing and playing, he created his instrumental solo project Knecht, where he plays everything from classic rock to more modern progressive metal. He performs originals and covers as well as teaches private guitar lessons.

With influences rooted mainly in progressive and groove metal, he replaces vocals with sweeping, complex guitar melodies that are written like vocal melodies. A typical song starts with the rhythm, for him the rhythm guitars by themselves should be interesting and be able to garner attention through the piece. While he is doing this, he is thinking about what he might want the other instruments to be doing as well as keyboard sounds if there will be keyboards. For the drums, he will program a track for writing and recording purposes, but ultimately leaves it wide open for Jason Stewart.

Knecht’s debut self-titled EP is available on July 16, 2021. It features Jason Stewart on drums and was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 New Jersey’s Knecht Unveils Progressive, Instrumental Self-Titled Debut EP

  • July 16, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · Knecht · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – July 16, 2021

For fans of Haken, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Plini, Liquid Tension Experiment

New Jersey’s Knecht Unveils Progressive, Instrumental Self-Titled Debut EP

Self-Titled Debut EP Out July 16th


Pictured – Joseph Knecht – Photo credit – Tristan Ahearn

 

Joseph Knecht has his first EP ready for listeners around the world. The debut self-titled EP is a complex journey through progressive metal instrumentals, a well-thought-out blend of classic 70s and modern prog. Knecht, who has been playing music the majority of his life gives some insight into the record:

“I decided to make an EP and just started writing. “Transformation” and “Overture” were really the only two songs that I knew from the beginning would be on there. The rest were written for this project. It has djenty riffs combined with the classic keyboard sounds like the Hammond Organ and Minimoog. If you listen closely you can hear Jimmy Page licks in my solos and melodies.”

Knecht says that he started out strictly old school, however now he adds modern elements like 8 string guitar and goes for a more modern midrange-focused tone rather than the classic Les Paul through a Marshall sound.

Knecht writes and performs all instruments on the album, except for the drums, which on this release he enlists the help of Jason Stewart who adds his own creative flair to the drum scaffolding. The result is something complex, yet accessible, enjoyable by die-hard prog fans and casual listeners alike.

The EP is recommended listening for fans of Haken, Porcupine Tree, Plini and Liquid Tension Experiment.

“Knecht” is officially out on July 16, 2021 and available on the following digital platforms: Spotify, Bandcamp.

Videos:
“Destruction”- https://youtu.be/3OeTgXI24GE
“Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)” – https://youtu.be/wXg0SuMSqEQ

Track Listing:
1. Transformation (4:50)
2. Tabernacle Jam (3:50)
3. Working Title (4:42)
4. Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach) (3:42)
5. Summer Nights (3:16)
6. Destruction (5:09)
EP Length: 25:31

EP Recording Line Up:
Joseph Knecht – Guitar, Bass and Keyboards
Drums – Jason Stewart

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Joseph Knecht and Jason Stewart
• All songs written by: Joseph Knecht
• Produced by: Joseph Knecht
• Mixed by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Mastered by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Member ASCAP

For more info:
Instagram.com/joeknecht.exe
Facebook
EPK

About:
Joseph Knecht, from Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA, has been playing music since he was a small child. He started out with piano when he was five and picked up the guitar a year later. Bass came along in high school and he attended Berklee College of Music to further his music education.

Looking to share the music he was writing and playing, he created his instrumental solo project Knecht, where he plays everything from classic rock to more modern progressive metal. He performs originals and covers as well as teaches private guitar lessons.

With influences rooted mainly in progressive and groove metal, he replaces vocals with sweeping, complex guitar melodies that are written like vocal melodies. A typical song starts with the rhythm, for him the rhythm guitars by themselves should be interesting and be able to garner attention through the piece. While he is doing this, he is thinking about what he might want the other instruments to be doing as well as keyboard sounds if there will be keyboards. For the drums, he will program a track for writing and recording purposes, but ultimately leaves it wide open for Jason Stewart.

Knecht’s debut self-titled EP is available on July 16, 2021. It features Jason Stewart on drums and was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Progressive Chaos Ensues With “Destruction” From Knecht Off Upcoming Self-Titled Release

  • June 23, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · Knecht · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – June 23, 2021

For fans of Haken, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Plini, Liquid Tension Experiment

Progressive Chaos Ensues With “Destruction” From Knecht Off Upcoming Self-Titled Release

Self-Titled Debut EP Out July 16th


Pictured – Joseph Knecht – Photo credit – Tristan Ahearn

 

Knecht is the solo project of New Jersey’s Joseph Knecht who has been playing music since he was a small child. He is gearing up to release his debut self-titled EP this summer and has the next single “Destruction”.

Citing that he “has never been the best at writing lyrics”, Knecht takes a purely instrumental stance with his music. He continues to explain:

“I write my guitar melodies like vocal melodies. I think to myself how I would want someone to sing over this part. When I wrote Destruction, I knew this was going to be the finale. It captures everything about my style, with elements from 70s and modern prog rock. It’s based around B Lydian dominant, which gives it a really interesting sound harmonically. It’s upbeat and has a bouncing quality, it is my favorite song on the EP.”

Listen to “Destruction” at the following links:
YouTube – https://youtu.be/3OeTgXI24GE
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2TTF2sq

When commenting on the EP as a whole, Knecht says that he intended to write something short that listeners could groove to along with giving a sampling of his complex creativity and intricate songwriting.

“Knecht” is recommended for fans of progressive and groove metal, especially those interested in bands such as Deep Purple, Dream Theater, and Led Zeppelin.

“Knecht” will be available on all digital platforms on July 16, 2021.

Previous single “Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)” can be heard at the following links:
YouTube – https://youtu.be/wXg0SuMSqEQ
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3pzbHPv

Track Listing:
1. Transformation (4:50)
2. Tabernacle Jam (3:50)
3. Working Title (4:42)
4. Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach) (3:42)
5. Summer Nights (3:16)
6. Destruction (5:09)
EP Length: 25:31

EP Recording Line Up:
Joseph Knecht – Guitar, Bass and Keyboards
Drums – Jason Stewart

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Joseph Knecht and Jason Stewart
• All songs written by: Joseph Knecht
• Produced by: Joseph Knecht
• Mixed by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Mastered by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Member ASCAP

For more info:
Instagram.com/joeknecht.exe
Facebook
EPK

About:
Joseph Knecht, from Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA, has been playing music since he was a small child. He started out with piano when he was five and picked up the guitar a year later. Bass came along in high school and he attended Berklee College of Music to further his music education.

Looking to share the music he was writing and playing, he created his instrumental solo project Knecht, where he plays everything from classic rock to more modern progressive metal. He performs originals and covers as well as teaches private guitar lessons.

With influences rooted mainly in progressive and groove metal, he replaces vocals with sweeping, complex guitar melodies that are written like vocal melodies. A typical song starts with the rhythm, for him the rhythm guitars by themselves should be interesting and be able to garner attention through the piece. While he is doing this, he is thinking about what he might want the other instruments to be doing as well as keyboard sounds if there will be keyboards. For the drums, he will program a track for writing and recording purposes, but ultimately leaves it wide open for Jason Stewart.

Knecht’s debut self-titled EP is available on July 16, 2021. It features Jason Stewart on drums and was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 Knecht Revisits Classic Video Games With Progressive Metal Cover of “Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)”, Self-Titled Debut EP Out July 16th

  • June 10, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · Knecht · Music News

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – June 10, 2021

For fans of Haken, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Plini, Liquid Tension Experiment

Knecht Revisits Classic Video Games With Progressive Metal Cover of “Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)”

Self-Titled Debut EP Out July 16th


Pictured – Joseph Knecht – Photo credit – Tristan Ahearn


New Jersey’s Joseph Knecht is releasing his debut EP, a self-titled record that is a concise sample of the music he has been writing over the past couple of years. A well-versed musician, he plays both originals and covers in a wide range of genres, primarily focusing on progressive metal. His first single off this upcoming EP is “Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)”, a dramatic rendition of the theme from the classic video game. He explains why he chose the track:

“This is my cover of the Overture from the game Halo Reach. It’s a much more hard-hitting aggressive take on the original. It’s part of a song composed by Martin O’ Donnell. My idea was to take the original which was for orchestra and rearrange it for a prog metal band. The original is such a cool-sounding piece and every time I’d hear it I’d always imagine a metal version. When I got my 8 string and decided to make this EP, covering this song and taking advantage of the extended range of the instrument seemed like the perfect fit.”

The six-track EP takes a wide sampling of Knecht’s skills and presents them to the listener in a concise, yet varied audio experience. All instruments on “Knecht” were written and played by Knecht save for the drums, which are played by session musician Jason Stewart. The EP was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

Knecht is a lifelong musician, picking up piano at the age of five, since then he has learned to play guitar and bass and attended Berklee College of Music.

Predominantly prog with a hint of groove, “Knecht” is recommended for fans of Haken, Black Label Society, and Deep Purple.

“Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach)” can be heard at the following links:

YouTube – https://youtu.be/wXg0SuMSqEQ
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3pzbHPv

”Knecht” will be available on all digital platforms on July 16, 2021.

Track Listing:
1. Transformation (4:50)
2. Tabernacle Jam (3:50)
3. Working Title (4:42)
4. Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach) (3:42)
5. Summer Nights (3:16)
6. Destruction (5:09)
EP Length: 25:31

EP Recording Line Up:
Joseph Knecht – Guitar, Bass and Keyboards
Drums – Jason Stewart

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Joseph Knecht and Jason Stewart
• All songs written by: Joseph Knecht
• Produced by: Joseph Knecht
• Mixed by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Mastered by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Member ASCAP

For more info:
Instagram.com/joeknecht.exe
Facebook
EPK

About:
Joseph Knecht, from Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA, has been playing music since he was a small child. He started out with piano when he was five and picked up the guitar a year later. Bass came along in high school and he attended Berklee College of Music to further his music education.

Looking to share the music he was writing and playing, he created his instrumental solo project Knecht, where he plays everything from classic rock to more modern progressive metal. He performs originals and covers as well as teaches private guitar lessons.

With influences rooted mainly in progressive and groove metal, he replaces vocals with sweeping, complex guitar melodies that are written like vocal melodies. A typical song starts with the rhythm, for him the rhythm guitars by themselves should be interesting and be able to garner attention through the piece. While he is doing this, he is thinking about what he might want the other instruments to be doing as well as keyboard sounds if there will be keyboards. For the drums, he will program a track for writing and recording purposes, but ultimately leaves it wide open for Jason Stewart.

Knecht’s debut self-titled EP is available on July 16, 2021. It features Jason Stewart on drums and was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

– 30 –

—

ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 EPK – Knecht – Self-Titled (2021) (EP)

  • June 7, 2021
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · Knecht

EPK – Knecht – Self-Titled (2021) (EP)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

For fans of Haken, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Plini, Liquid Tension Experiment

Instagram.com/joeknecht.exe | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

EP Title: Knecht
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Label: Joe Knecht
Distribution: Distrokid

“I wanted to write something that was short and that people could groove too.  While there are some complex sections in my songs, they serve a purpose and are not just there to be flashy. The EP sounds like a blend of new and old.  Djenty riffs combined with the classic keyboard sounds like the Hammond Organ and Minimoog.  My songs have a more bluesy feel like classic 70s Prog even though I used a fair amount of mixed meter and poly meters.  If you listen closely you can hear Jimmy Page licks in my solos and melodies.” – Knecht

====================

BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:

1. Joseph Knecht is a multi-instrumentalist, first playing piano when he was five and picked up playing guitar one year later with learning to play bass in high school.

2. The track Working Title is entitled as a kind of inside joke. When Joseph first started writing the song, he could not come up with a proper name. So he called it this and the more he kept writing the more the name seemed to fit.

3. Tabernacle Jam is named after Joseph Knecht’s hometown Tabernacle.

================

The EP as a whole:
The EP sounds like a blend of new and old. Djenty riffs combined with the classic keyboard sounds like the Hammond Organ and Minimoog. My songs have a more bluesy feel like classic 70s Prog even though I used a fair amount of mixed meter and poly meters.  If you listen closely you can hear Jimmy Page licks in my solos and melodies.

Track by Track explained:
Transformation – This was one of the first songs I wrote with my 8 strings. It’s a hard-hitting sludgy mixed-meter riff.  With a hint of Tesseract in the middle with the staccato Djenty section.  This song represents my transformation into the style that I have developed.

Tabernacle Jam – It’s an upbeat groove that leans more on the classic Prog side.  The intro was inspired by Chick Corea”s song Spade.

Working Title – Yes that’s the actual name, the main groove makes you want to nod your head in time.  This is my most riff-focused song as it has a lot of polymetric and odd meter sections.

Overture – This is my cover of the Overture from the game Halo Reach.  It’s a much more hard-hitting aggressive take on the original.

Summer Nights – I wrote this song to be a breather.  It’s calming like a warm summer night, with a loud solo section in the middle.  It’s a nice break before the final song.

Destruction – When I wrote this, I knew this was going to be the finale.  It captures everything about my style, with elements from 70s prog rock and modern prog rock.

EP Title: Knecht
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Label: Joe Knecht
Distribution: Distrokid

Track Listing:
1. Transformation (4:50)
2. Tabernacle Jam (3:50)
3. Working Title (4:42)
4. Overture (Excerpt From Halo Reach) (3:42)
5. Summer Nights (3:16)
6. Destruction (5:09)
EP Length: 25:31

EP Credits:
• All songs performed by: Joseph Knecht and Jason Stewart
• All songs written by: Joseph Knecht
• Produced by: Joseph Knecht
• Mixed by: Charles-Henry Volk
• Mastered by: Charles-Henry Volk
• EP Artwork by:
• Member ASCAP

EP Band Line Up:
Joseph Knecht – Guitar, Bass and Keyboards
Drums – Jason Stewart

Pictured – Joseph Knecht – Photo credit – Tristan Ahearn

Joseph Knecht, from Tabernacle, New Jersey, USA, has been playing music since he was a small child. He started out with piano when he was five and picked up the guitar a year later. Bass came along in high school and he attended Berklee College of Music to further his music education.

Looking to share the music he was writing and playing, he created his instrumental solo project Knecht, where he plays everything from classic rock to more modern progressive metal. He performs originals and covers as well as teaches private guitar lessons.

With influences rooted mainly in progressive and groove metal, he replaces vocals with sweeping, complex guitar melodies that are written like vocal melodies. A typical song starts with the rhythm, for him the rhythm guitars by themselves should be interesting and be able to garner attention through the piece. While he is doing this, he is thinking about what he might want the other instruments to be doing as well as keyboard sounds if there will be keyboards. For the drums, he will program a track for writing and recording purposes, but ultimately leaves it wide open for Jason Stewart.

Knecht’s debut self-titled EP is available on July 16, 2021. It features Jason Stewart on drums and was mixed and mastered by Charles-Henry Volk.

Asher Media Relations Tweets

  • Helion Prime To Release Special Edition "Question Everything" On Vinyl and Digital - @volatileweekly buff.ly/3zusCGr 1 hour ago
  • \m/ @BraveWords666 Exclusive: @infraredmetal Streaming From The Black Swamp Album In Full bravewords.com/news/exclusive… 3 hours ago
  • Bravewords Now Streaming Infrared’s Classic 80s Thrash Album “From The Black Swamp” ashermediarelations.com/2021/09/28/bra… 3 hours ago
  • Rockshots Records – Brazilian Multi-Instrumentalist Lucas Barbosa’s Terra New Video “Sign My Name” –… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 hours ago
  • RT @WUMLNowPlaying: Fathom Farewell — Eulogy 4 hours ago
  • \m/ @FathomFarewell twitter.com/toxic1metal/st… 4 hours ago
  • RT @volatileweekly: Fathom Farewell’s Is Making Visceral And Technical Metalcore With Latest Single “In Time” - bit.ly/3m3MUC3 #Fa… 4 hours ago
  • RT @metalfury959: Varius 2021 EP Announcement - CONCORDANCE youtu.be/z8o8HaRX0Gg via @YouTube 4 hours ago
  • RT @didaclopez12: BATHORY´ZINE: Canada’s Varius Release First Single “Concordance ... bathoryzine.com/2021/09/canada… https://t.co/0I5PDlTCqP 4 hours ago
  • RT @volatileweekly: Rockshots Records: Out Now! THY ROW Debut Album "Unchained" + New Lyric Video For Title Track - bit.ly/39JN1gk… 4 hours ago

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,318 other followers

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Bandcamp
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
 

Loading Comments...