M A N G R O V E

Driven by the passion for writing exciting music and longing for the stages to show their ability to perform it with an almost touchable intensity Roland van der Horst (guitars, vocals) and Joost Hagemeijer (drums, vocals) felt in 1998 that the time was right to form a band and bring their project ‘Brainstorm’ to life. The first demo recording “Massive Hollowness” was the first achievement of these passionate musicians of the group which was then renamed ‘Mangrove’.The year 2001 secured the perfect band: some months after Pieter Drost (bass) completed the rhythm section with his distinctive bass sound, Chris Jonker (keyboards) completed the sonic palette with the keys. Writing sessions started and resulted in the rather successful release ‘Touch Wood’ in 2004. The foundation for the typical Mangrove sound was built. But it was the 2005 concept album ‘Facing The Sunset’ which grabbed the attention of many fans of pure progressive rock within the scene. ‘Facing The Sunset’ was even awarded as best album of 2005 with the ‘Prog Award’ by IO Pages, a leading progressive rock magazine. Beside the stage favorite ‘There Must Be Another Way’ this album with four long tracks ends up with the climax of the exciting 21-minute epic ‘Hidden Dreams’.Mangrove onstage is a synonym for emotion, passion and intensity but surely also for exploding energy. The interaction with the audience perfectly applies to the charismatic front man Roland van der Horst. His contagious stage performance gets the attention of the fans and the press. All of these elements helped to gain an excellent live reputation throughout the years. The music is characterized by the variety in tempo and dynamics, with modest passages but also heavy symphonic eruptions. This oiled machine can bring the sensation of seventies giants like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and King Crimson back to life. But always blended with the typical distinctive Mangrove sound they claim their own unique spot in the (live) music scene. The listener is carried away on a musical journey. The 2006 double live album ‘Coming Back To Live’ summarizes a brilliant Mangrove period with a cross-section of the first three albums.
The continuous growth of Mangrove’s fan base and winning the ‘iO Pages Prog Award’ gave a strong impulse to impressive performances in The Netherlands, soon followed by Belgium, Germany, Poland and England.In 2009 Mangrove will release the long expected and stunning new studio album ‘Beyond Reality’. The title seems to fit the great expectations of the band very well. On this album the development of a professional approach, songwriting capabilities and the moments of virtuosity are clearly showed off. Beside the epic tracks like ‘Daydreamer’s Nightmare’ and the vivacious ‘Voyager’, there is the title track 'Beyond Reality' which inherits everything of a classic rock song suitable for a wide music loving audience. With this new album, Mangrove intends to make a clear statement: pushing the limits in an amazing way. Driven by where it all started with: passion for the music.
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