ERIC PORTER reports for SoT from Zebra's 50th Anniversary Tour Show in Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel NY, Saturday March 28th, 2026

ChimpanA return with a striking reinterpretation of the classic song “I Don’t Know How To Love Him� from Jesus Christ Superstar, offering a powerful and contemporary reimagining of one of musical theatre’s most emotionally resonant pieces.

Armored Saint Return with Their Brand New Album, Emotion Factory Reset - Citrine Vinyl Boone’s Overstock Exclusive

Allegaeon kicked off their Australian tour in Perth recently at the Rosemount Hotel. The melodic technical death metal act that hail from Colorado USA were supported by local acts Ashen and Neomantra.

German progressive metal pioneers Vanden Plas are back with “AcCult II�, a new acoustic album set for release on June 12, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. To coincide with the announcement, the single “Far Off Grace�, along with an official video, are available today.

Congratulations to US progressive metal legends Dream Theater for winning our Readers Poll for 2025 Album of the Year with 'Parasomnia', their return with drummer Mike Portnoy! Second place went to the comeback album from Swiss Tech-Thrash act Coroner and their album 'Dissonance Theory', and third place goes to Ghost with their latest release 'Skeleta'. Thanks to all who voted, and once again, a job well done to Dream Theater, our 2025 winner!

Congratulations to Swedish progressive metal legends Opeth for winning our Readers Poll for 2024 Album of the Year with 'The Last Will and Testament! Second place went to fellow Swedes Evergrey for their album 'Theories of Emptiness' and third place goes to Haven of Echoes for 'Memento Vivere'. Thanks to all who voted, and once again, a job well done to Opeth, our 2024 winner!

It’s not often that you can say you heard King Crimson songs played live within two weeks of each other. I had the good fortune of seeing the David Cross band this past Friday evening, about a week and a half after seeing the incredible beat performance. Cross played selections of King Crimson material between the periods of 1972 and 1974, probably my favorite period of the band.

It's jam band weekend here in Albany NY as Phish takes over the MVP arena for three straight nights. What a perfect time to pregame for a music-filled weekend with these Colorado based bands. A bunch of us here at Sea of Tranquility were blown away with Squeaky Feet's latest release Cause For Alarm, so there was no way I would miss this show.

When I heard this super group had formed specifically to tour the music of 80’s King Crimson, saying I was thrilled would be an understatement. Things on paper don’t always turn out as you’d expect, but before you read any further, my expectations were exceeded on this night. Wow! I was transfixed from the moment the band hit the stage, absorbing the sound while my eyes would not leave the stage. The band hit the stage running as Adrian Belew blows that whistle and the band launches into Neurotica. I breathe a sigh of relief as the intro of “Neal, Jack and Me� rang out, probably my favorite Crimson song from that era, and I finally get to hear it live. The band proceeded to run through those three albums and I felt the energy level continue to rise throughout the night. This band has chemistry; the joy displayed by both the band and fans was undeniable. Steve Vai was definitely a presence on this evening, standing off to Adrian Belew’s right; he proceeded to nail his parts, and thankfully added his own character to the music. Danny Carey was terrific, and the drum sound that evening was spectacular, kudos to the sound crew. The first set came to a close with "Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part III)" and the band took a short break.

I believe this was the 7th Dweezil Zappa show I have seen, and as usual, he and his incredible band did not disappoint. Dweezil was the last concert I saw prior to the Covid shutdown in March of 2020, and I have been waiting for that next opportunity. Let me say this, if you love or even have the slightest interest in Frank Zappa’s music, this show is a must see. I remember I begged my sister to go with me after seeing him the first time, and she resisted, but I bought a ticket and did my best to convince her to go. She has gone to every show with me since, he and his band are that good, and entertaining.

Blackberry Smoke pulled into Albany NY with their mix of Southern Rock, Hard Rock, and Country all wrapped up in one ripping package. The band is out on the road supporting their latest release “Be Right Here� and wasted no time getting down to business.

Romeo's Daughter in ultra rare acoustic gig less than fifteen minutes from my home? Capital idea. This was my first (and certainly not last) visit to the beautiful intimate venue nestled in Pendle in the north west of England. When I say intimate I really mean it and the sold out downstairs area had no more than eighty punters who were treated to a superb run through the band's excellent back catalogue.

It was a night all about second chances for Al DiMeola. Closing in on 50 years in the music business and a recent health scare had Al in a reflective mood this past Saturday night in Hudson Falls NY. The packed venue listened intently as Al spoke of his heart attack last fall, and how that inspired him to bring his 70’s classics back out again. That inspiration also carried over into his writing, as he has a double CD set for a July release

Angra's Cycles of Pain was voted by our readers as the Best Album of 2023! Coming in second place was Uriah Heep's Chaos& Colour, and third place was Rival Sons with Darkfighter. Congrats to Angra for the win! Thanks to everyone who voted, and we'll see you all later in 2024 to do this all over again.

Pete and the SoT Crew