docker’s guild

The Ravenheart website has been promoting the new Docker’s Guild album heavily! The site is known for wanting to push female fronted rock, so the album did touch the right spots there 🙂

An extensive interview with Douglas can be found here.

And the Review follows below:

DOCKER’S GUILD…’THE HEISENBERG DIARIES – BOOK A: SOUNDS OF FUTURE PAST’

(Digital – Lion Music, physical – Rock Company/Black Swan Records) Reviewed 26th January 2016

Docker’s Guild’s new album has just been released and is a part of a series of 4 transitional albums placed between the 5 main “seasons”, and which focus on an aspect of the storyline’s main character, Dr. Jack Heisenberg. This particular instalment focuses on Jack’s youth and love of science fiction, in fact the album contains exclusively vintage science fiction soundtracks reworked in the typical Docker’s Guild sound. “Book A” will be followed by “The Mystic Technocracy – Season II: The Age of Entropy”, already in development. Another unique feature of “BookA” is its all-female cast, which makes it as far as we know, the first all-female metal opera ever recorded. There are World-class performances as a consequence by an all-female cast comprising Elize Ryd (lead vocals), Amanda Somerville (lead and backing vox), Nita Strauss (guitars), Roxy Petrucci (drums), Anna Portalupi (bass), Mio Jäger (guitars), Yasi Hofer (guitars), Valentina Procopio (leading and backing vox) and Elisa Montin (drums). And then we have Mr Docker himself (Biloxi, Area 51) who takes care of the keys department, together with further lead and backing vocals and who produced the complete package to boot. This is an epic album with a strong emphasis on the instrumental elements, coupled with some familiar tunes that crop up, and highlights too numerous to mention. My suggestion is to immerse yourself in the music on offer while wearing headphones, and you will be well rewarded by this intense listening experience of this record and the beauty that it offers…. 9/10 (Dave)

Spanish site Rock Melodico have done an excellent write up on the new Docker’s Guild album. You can find the original here, and the translation below:

Docker’s Guild are back with a new CD, now with all the songs based on movie soundtracks and famous science fiction series, arranged in their particular style. The producer, composer and singer Douglas R. Docker is responsible for this fantastic project, which has its conceptual side called The Mystic Technocracy and has several albums to come: the first was’ The Mystic Technocracy – Season I: The Age of Ignorance ‘(2012) and now it’s the turn of’ the Heisenberg Diaries – Book a: Sounds of Future Past “.

Co-produced and mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio, numerous renowned musicians have participated in this work, as Roxy Petrucci on drums, Elisa Montin on drums, Anna Portalupi on bass, Nita Strauss and Mio Jaeger on guitars, and Amanda Somerville, Elize Ryd and Valentina Procopio, all with vocals.

Thus, classics like “Barbarella”, “The Neverendingstory “, ” Flash Gordon”, ” Doctor Who “or “Suspension” are presented in a format that one could call space prog, but the original melody of the songs are maintained. Undoubtedly, a job highly recommended for lovers of sci-fi and everything related to soundtracks.

Douglas R. Docker has worked with artists like Tony Franklin, Gregg Bissonette, Guthrie Govan, John Payne, Göran Edman, Tim Bogert, Tony Mills, Therion, The Vivaldi Metal Project, Frantic Amber, Shining Line and Craig Goldie, besides being keyboardist for melodic rock band Biloxi.
‘The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds of Future Past’ is a must for fans of progressive, AOR and classic rock in general.

Docker’s Guild new album “The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds of Future Past” CD RELEASE: February 26, 2016 on ROCK COMPANY / BLACK SWAN RECORDS

A few rave reviews that have already been published:
Glory Daze
Get Ready to Rock
Metal Music Archives
Power of Prog
Metal Hammer Italia
Your Music Blog

And in case you missed it, a new video trailer has been uploaded for you to watch. Learn all about Jack Heisenberg and his diary, linking Season 1 and Season 2!

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JS-yHK7uiI[/embedyt]

One of rock and metal’s most ambitious undertakings in modern memory has been happening since 2012, this being DOCKER’S GUILD, the brainchild of keyboardist Douglas R. Docker, former member of celebrated melodic rockers Biloxi and collaborator to many stellar bands.
We truly enjoyed the previous record (featured here on the blog), and “The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past” is the second in a planned nine albums of the project called Docker’s Guild.

Docker’s Guild is one of Prog’s and AOR’s best kept secret genius’ in Douglas Docker its creator. The best way I can describe the sound is Ayreon and Royal Hunt meets Survivor and Journey. Both heavy on the progressive rock / metal and on the AOR sound just as equally.
This album is part of a series of 4 transitional albums placed between the 5 main “seasons” (there will be nine albums in total) and which focus on an aspect of the storyline’s main character, Dr. Jack Heisenberg. This particular album focuses on Jack’s youth and love of science fiction – the album is full of classic science fiction theme tunes.

The overall story visits the dark world of The Mystic Technocracy, where a silicon-based techno-organic alien race attempts to wipe out all life on Earth through organized religion, while a tormented scientist makes it his mission in life to save humanity.
A very ambitious project which nearly didn’t make it to the starting line and full marks to Lion Music for getting this out digitally (a full physical release follows in February on another label).

Douglas R. Docker handles vocals / keyboards and guests include talented Amanda Somerville, Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), Roxy Petrucci (Vixen / Madame X) and Anna Portalupi (Tarja Turunen / Hardline) among others.
Frontiers Records ‘go to’ producer/songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio helped co-produce and mix the album.

So what of the music? All tracks are inspired by famous science fiction movies / TV shows where Docker’s Guild remain pretty true to the original themes, adding in their own styling here and there.
There is a fantastic Queen ‘Flash’ medley, entitled the ‘Flash Gordon Suite’. Sounds like a cross between Ayreon meets Queen and only the film clips are missing. Amanda Somerville sings the vocal on ‘Hero’ and she puts in a great performance on the less famous of the two vocal songs on the original ‘Flash Gordon’ soundtrack album.

Elsewhere the highlights come thick and fast, be it the ‘Doctor Who’ theme or ‘Red Dwarf’, which includes the full vocal of the theme tune. This one oozes fun through the music and vocal performance.
Elize Ryd (Amaranthe) adds her impressive vocals to ‘The Never Ending Story’, another fine version performed by the Docker’s Guild.

Douglas Docker has certainly made vintage science fiction totally relevant again. With a modern and fresh sound he has arrived with another step in the evolution of great science fiction-rock based conceptual albums.
“The Heisenberg Diaries – Book A: Sounds Of Future Past” leaves your thirst for the next Docker’s Guild installment. Douglas has managed to forge his own distinct sound while maintaining the integrity of the music for both fans of progressive rock and metal and even AOR purists.
All you have to do is look at the talent he recruits and manages to bring all their styles in harmony with his musical vision.
Highly Recommended

01 – Space: 1999 Year One Main Theme
02 – Flash Gordon Suite
03 – Barbarella
04 – Suspension
05 – When The Wind Blows
06 – The Neverending Story
07 – Red Dwarf Theme
08 – The White Light / Echoes From The Past
09 – Doctor Who Main Theme
10 – UFO Main Theme
11 – The Black Hole End Title
12 – Space-Patrol (Raumpatrouille)
13 – Dune Suite
14 – Space: 1999 Year Two Main Theme

Elisa Montin: drums (tracks 1 – 7, 9 – 11, 13)
Roxy Petrucci: drums (tracks 12, 14)
Anna Portalupi: bass (tracks 1 – 7, 9 – 13)
Nita Strauss: guitars (tracks 2 – 6, 8, 10)
Mio Jäger: guitars (tracks 1, 9, 11, 14)
Yasi Hofer: guitars (tracks 7, 12)
Elize Ryd: lead vocals (tracks 4, 6)
Amanda Somerville: lead and backing vocals (track 2)
Valentina Procopio: lead vocals (track 7), backing vocals
Douglas R. Docker: keyboards (all tracks), lead and backing vocals (tracks 3, 6)
Co-Produced, mixed & mastered by Alessandro Del Vecchio

BUY IT !

Douglas R. Docker handles vocals/keyboards and guests include Amanda Somerville, Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), Roxy Petrucci (Vixen/Madame X) and Anna Portalupi (Tarja Turunen/Hardline). Frontiers Records ‘go to’ producer/songwriter Alessandro Del Vecchio helped co-produce and mix the album.

So what of the music? Well safe to say Docker’s Guild remain true to the original themes, adding in their own styling here and there. There is a fantastic Queen ‘Flash’ medley, entitled the ‘Flash Gordon Suite’. Sounds like a cross between Ayreon meets Queen and only the film clips are missing. Amanda Somerville sings the vocal on ‘Hero’ and she puts in a great performance on the less famous of the two vocal songs on the original ‘Flash Gordon’ soundtrack album.

Elsewhere the highlights come thick and fast, be it the ‘Doctor Who’ theme or ‘Red Dwarf’, which includes the full vocal of the theme tune. This one oozes fun through the music and vocal performance. Elize Ryd adds her impressive vocals to ‘The Never Ending Story’, another fine version performed by the Docker’s Guild.

A really enjoyable album and one that has appeal outside of prog rock fans to those many fans of sci-fi shows/films and their iconic theme tunes. Do give this album a listen as it gives a fresh feel to some classic themes. By featuring well known theme tunes it is a good way to draw in new listeners, setting  the scene nicely for the next installment . ****1/2

Thank you Jason! Read the full article here.