Citizen Cain (symphonic prog. rock / UK)

Citizen Cain were a progressive rock band originally formed in London in 1982 with Gordon Feenie (drums, flute) and Cyrus (bass, vocals), joined shortly by Tim Taylor (guitar). That version of the band split up in 1988 and Cyrus returned home to Scotland. Two years later Cyrus met with old guitarist friend Frank Kennedy, who with friends Stewart Bell (drums, keys) and Dave Elam (bass) had a few songs written. After a few months Stewart went onto keys and drummer Chris Colvin was brought in. With Cyrus on vocals and flute Citizen Cain MkII was complete, and the band went on to record a number of albums.

Biography:

Citizen Cain was founded in London, UK in 1982 end reformed a few times after variable periods of inactivity. The band disbanded in 2016.

London, 1982; old friends Gordon Feenie (drums/flute/keys) and George Scott "Cyrus" (bass/vocals) of Not Quite Red Fox formed Citizen Cain. Shortly after Tim Taylor joined on guitar. After several unsuccessful months looking for a keyboard player they decided to remain a three-piece. With the backing of KG Publications they gigged extensively and recorded several tracks in the studio, one of which appeared on the compilation album "Fire In Harmony".

Without the keys the first band was more rhythmic than melodic, nevertheless they received high critical acclaim, regularly headlined the famous Marquee club and even had a TV appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. In 1988, at their peak and on the verge of a record deal with Elusive Records (EMI), disaster struck. A broken arm rendered Cyrus unfit to play and the band had to split up. Citizen Cain was dead and Cyrus returned home to Scotland.

Two years later Cyrus contacted old guitarist friend Frank Kennedy who, with friends Stewart Bell (drums/keys) and Dave Elam (bass), had a few songs written, mostly in the vein of their musical heroes: Genesis, Marillion, Gentle Giant. Initially going by the name The Kleptomaniacs, with Cyrus on vocals and flute, they played around with a few ideas. After a few months Cyrus suggested that Stewart move solely to keys and drummer Chris Colvin was brought in. They decided to adopt the old title and Citizen Cain was reborn.

In '91 their first demo was recorded and received excellent reviews from most. The following year the debut album "Serpents In Camouflage" was completed but was not up to the standard they had hoped to achieve. Personnel problems had forced them into a last minute decision to use a drum machine and tensions were mounting between other members in the band due to conflicting views on how they should progress. Needless to say Citizen Cain were now seeking a new drummer.

A lucky twist of fate saw their first album picked up by SI Music. The engineer of the studio where the band had recorded had a friend visiting who happened to be an A&R man for the label and he liked what he heard. This set the band in motion and in the year of their debut album's release, the prodigal drummer returned and they gigged extensively supporting the likes of Pendragon, The Enid, Final Conflict and also headlining a few gigs.

Political problems still existed however and Cyrus and Stewart were forced to make a decision that could have proved disastrous. They chose to seek not only a new drummer, but also a new guitarist and a new bass player. Alistair MacGregor quickly filled the role of guitarist, fitting in perfectly. He also brought in an old friend Nick Arkless on drums and after a few auditions bass player Andy Gilmour was recruited. With the next album more or less complete the new line-up began learning and adding their own touches to the new material. At the beginning of '94 a new album was recorded, "Somewhere But Yesterday". The result was a much more involved and satisfactory piece of work and the knowledge that the make or break decision from the previous year had paid off and brought Cyrus and Stewart a step nearer their final goal. (for a short while at least!)

More info : progarchives.com

Discography:

- Serpents In Camouflage (1991)

- Somewhere But Yesterday (1994)

- Ghost Dance (1996)

- Raising The Stones (1997)

- Playing Dead (2002)

- Skies Darken (2012)

- The Antechamber Of Being (Part 1 - solo project of the trilogy of epic concept albums)

Somewhere But Yesterday - Strange Barbarians (The Mother’s Shroud)  https://youtu.be/fYLmpc5IYrQ : 

- The Antechamber Of Being (Part 1) (1994):  

The first of the Citizen Cain solo projects . The much anticipated debut solo album from the band’s main composer and keys player Stewart Bell, is a prog rock opera featuring five vocalists; Simone Rossetti, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Bekah Mhairi Comrie, Phil Allen and Stewart himself.

The story is based on his own experiences as a lifelong lucid dreamer and follows the adventures of a young boy as he masters the ability to control his dreams). 

This trilogy of epic concept albums chronicle the key events in his life, the weird synchronicities, strange experiences and profound questions that naturally arise when one grows up living in the twin worlds of dream and real.

Entitled “The Antechamber Of Being” it will appeal not only to existing Citizen Cain fans but also to a much wider audience as Stewart delves into elements of prog metal, experiments with new soundscapes and brings his unique storytelling gift to the lyrics, in which he also shares his extensive knowledge of lucid dreaming. As an accompaniment to the first part in the trilogy (released in Oct ’14) Stewart chronicled his first ever lucid experience in a storybook aimed at teaching children how to overcome their own nightmares by becoming aware while they dream. Entitled “The Cupboard of Fear”, this full colour storybook contains 12 original drawings by Bell himself. The second part expands and continues the story and was released in Feb ’17 along with an art-book once again containing original art by Bell along with the concepts, ideas and stories behind each song. Part 3 is currently in production.