Kadima

Kadima, the brainchild of Seattle-based guitarist Aidan Israel, has unveiled their debut prog metal opus, All Birds Deserve To Fly.

Recorded with a host of accomplished guest musicians, Israel set out to create an amalgam of a Devin Townsend-influenced album with a Coheed And Cambria writing style and The Contortionist’s ambiance while creating a distinctly Kadima sound. The seven-track album opens with “Here And Where,” which begins with a soft, spoken word intro before bursting into soaring guitars. From there, All Birds Deserve To Fly continues through peaks and valleys of quiet and ethereal numbers to technical hard rockers where vocalist Kaylee Jorene shines in performances reminiscent of Anneke van Giersbergen.

With All Birds Deserve To Fly, Israel aims to tell complex stories through a strong narrative while also connecting with his Jewish roots and Jewish Mysticism.

"All Birds Deserve To Fly is a concept album detailing mental health struggles and my spiritual connection to Judaism,” says Israel. “When one writes music, they’re meant to rip themselves open and expose themselves to the world. The concept of Kadima is meant to guide our light to a new level of spiritual understanding and wisdom. I am beyond honored to share this with you all as it truly means the world to me.”

All Birds Deserve To Fly follows the Jewish concept of Tohu and Tikkun, which is the idea of chaos and rectification. The album is told through the lens of a person with schizophrenia: It centers on the challenge of a myriad of thoughts and ideas racing through their brain while seeking to become whole, rectify problems in their life, and come to a better spiritual understanding.

The roots of Kadima date back to when Israel began playing guitar as a pre-teen, influenced by concept albums such as Rush's 2112, Periphery's Juggernaut Alpha and Omega and, most importantly, Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes Of A Memory. Kadima, which means “forward” in Hebrew, is based on the idea that music seeks to transcend and grow in a progressive fashion.

“What attracted me to the idea of a concept album and progressive metal, in general, was the ability to convey ideas and tell complex narratives through a means that seemed supernatural and super-advanced,” Israel says. “Music was everything to me from the time I picked up the guitar. It was love at first sight. The guitar was a medium for conveying a sense of power and pride.”

As a Music major at the University of Oregon, Israel began pursuing his dream, but the dream was put on hold when he began displaying abnormal behavior. After a psychiatric evaluation, the guitarist was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and dropped out of the program. But recovery presented an unforeseen hurdle: “I then underwent psychotherapy through outpatient treatment and medication, but the medication was so hard on my body that I entirely forgot how to play guitar due to muscle memory loss,” Israel says.

After a year of treatment, Israel successfully petitioned to rejoin his academic program - and though he struggled with relearning a skill he had already put 10 years into mastering - successfully completed the program. During his time in school, Israel began outlining a concept album based on his mental health experiences, with plans to record it under the name Kadima.

After graduation and the mental health endeavor that Israel deems a “quarter-life crisis,” the gears were finally set in motion to make Kadima’s debut a reality. Along with his college buddy Sam Mendoza, Israel spent the summer of 2019 writing and recording the skeletons of what would become All Birds Deserve To Fly.

Originally planned to be a five-song EP, two of the tracks were split into separate entities, making All Birds Deserve To Fly into a full album. The album is dedicated to the memory of Peyton Arens, a young guitar prodigy who was influential in Israel’s musical pursuits and passed away at the young age of 13 from Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer.

While All Birds Deserve To Fly was recorded with a lineup of studio musicians, Israel plans to assemble a live lineup for future Kadima performances. The album is available via Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify. - Bravewords

All Birds Deserve To Fly is the debut album from Kadima, the brainchild of Seattle-based guitarist Aidan Israel. The album is deeply conceptual born from Aiden’s personal experiences with mental illness and his beliefs.

“‘All Birds Deserve to Fly’ is a concept album detailing mental health struggles and my spiritual connection to Judaism,” says Israel. “When one writes music, they’re meant to rip themselves open and expose themself to the world. The concept of KADIMA is meant to guide our light to a new level of spiritual understanding and wisdom. I am beyond honored to share this with you all as it truly means the world to me.”

Here and Where, opening with a spoken word section performed by Aiden, gently draws the listener into the intimate emotional aspects of this album; it immediately feels very personal. The instrumentation is simultaneously uplifting and serene. A slight bit of dissonance suggests a hint of unease beneath the surface. Drawing together a soaring, progressive guitar lead, floating above layered instruments and choral vocals, the atmosphere of this track is incredibly dynamic. It flows seamlessly into Bound and Thethered. The opening ‘open your eyes’ has a dramatic effect. Kaylee Jorene’s vocals are introduced in this track and her voice adds a whole new dimension to the sound. The tone and texture of her voice is distinctive and enhances and instruments of the track without overpowering the sound. The guitar lead in this track has a similar feel to Polyphia’s track Look But Don’t Touch. There is a strong presence of multiple musical influences, but Kadima have designed a unique sound.

Scratching and Clawing is one of the heavier tracks and is the longest on the album. Dramatic distorted guitars bring a deliciously dark texture, whilst the chord sequence encompasses the dark mood of the track. The vocal styles and lyrical content also play a significant role in the overall mood of this track. Fast lyrics, with barely any pause for breath, appear to represent fast-pacing thoughts. The aggressive spoken words from Kaylee personify the negative thoughts, that I’m sure most people have experienced at some point in their life. The presence of soaring leads, slower tempo sections and carefully designed chord sequences brings a sense of hope to the track, showing the darkness isn’t all consuming. The soundscape of Scratching and Clawing is very theatrical and dynamic; it aptly portrays the emotional themes Aiden shares through his music. Following on with the title track, All Birds Deserve to Fly, the mood of the album is effectively balanced. The two tracks thematically flow well together.

Kadima have produced a beautifully real album. Aiden hasn’t shied away from revealing the dark emotions and situations many people face, and has transformed his thoughts into dramatic soundscapes and meaningful lyrics. The variation between the tracks perfectly reflects human nature and also shows off the wide spectrum of Kadima’s sound.

All Birds Deserve to Fly track listing:

1-Here and Where

2-Bound and Tethered

3-Guiding Paths

4-Lights and Vessels

5-Scratching and Clawing

6-All Bird Deserve to Fly

7-Love and Desolation

All Birds Deserve to Fly lineup:

Composition (music and lyrics): Aidan Israel

Guitar: Aidan Israel and Sam Mendoza

Vocals: Kaylee Jorene

Spoken Word: Aidan Israel

Drums: Nick Mea

Keyboards: Eric Guenther (The Contortionist)

Bass (“Bound and Tethered,” “Lights and Vessels”): Isaac Luger

Bass (“Here and Where,” “Scratching and Clawing,” “Love and Desolation”): Nikitus Perez

Guest Guitar Solo (“Bound and Tethered”): Chance Fuller

Guest Guitar Solo (“Lights and Vessels”): Amit Fortus

Acoustic Guitar (“All Birds Deserve to Fly”): Zach Kornhauser

KADIMA online:

www.facebook.com/KadimamusicAI/?modal=admin_todo_tour
https://twitter.com/Kadimamusicai
www.instagram.com/kadimamusicai/

Check out “All Birds Deserve To Fly” by Kadima in its entirety below via Spotify! - Madness to Creation

KADIMA is based on the idea the music seeks to transcend and move forward in progressive fashion. Founded by guitarist Aidan Israel, he was inspired by many Progressive Rock and Metal giants. “All Birds Deserve to Fly” is a concept album around issues of mental health. The album contains seven tracks.

“Here and Where” opens with spoken words, and a dreamy atmosphere. As the sound develops, warm tones mix in, giving the song a certain charm and appeal. Aidan talks about our challenges, but the determination of the human spirit will overcome. A guitar solo springs up as the song begins to wind down. “Bound and Tethered” hears the earlier melody continue on, with some heavy guitar accents and a scream. Kaylee’s vocals are rich and sort of bluesy. The cadence of the music swells and slows, as the emotions in the lead guitar takes over. What a lovely piece of music here!

“Guiding Paths” features harmonic vocals and a sense of hope. “We will shine. Love and peace for this world. No more racing thoughts unbound” she croons. When Kaylee reaches the upper ranges of her voice, the results are quite powerful and poignant. As the song starts to close, a guitar solo leads the charge, and how dexterous it is, indeed. “Scratching and Clawing” is much darker in scope. Here they talk about the fight of mental health, the fears and doubts. The music marches along together, with a somber and melancholy tone. Anger and rage are echoed in her vocals. At times she mellows a bit, allowing the music to flow easier. By the end, you hear more hope than despair in the music…though the fight is very real.

“All Birds Deserve to Fly” is more of a dreamy ethereal song, with Kaylee’s comforting voice soothing you, calling out to you. “Glimmer with fire, shine on ablaze, closeness desire, to feel love” are the closing lyrics. “Love and Desolation” close the album, on a positive note. The mood is jovial and hopeful. The guitar work here is again fantastic. Maybe we made it through everything in the end. I would be remiss if I did not talk about the production value here…for an independent release, it is quite good and clear.

Overall, I think the final song is key to the album as a whole, at least the title. What comes through best for me is the struggle of mental health, and the bevy of emotions it takes you through…anger, hate, self-doubt, and fear, but also light and hope. The songs echo the sentiment in the music, and the way the tracks seem to flow naturally across the themes of the album are strong. The band has all the elements of being successful…starting with the charming but powerful vocals of Kaylee and Aidan’s active and robust sense of guitar work and compositional skills. They let the melody do the talking here, an obvious thing that many goods bands miss.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 8
Production: 8

Purchase link:

https://kadima.bandcamp.com/album/all-birds-deserve-to-fly - Metal-Temple

Kadima is based on the idea that music seeks to transcend and move forward in progressive fashion. Kadima meaning forward was founded by Aidan Israel as his solo project uniting musicians together to tell stories using expression but also looking to push the limits of what music can be. Aidan was inspired by many progressive rock and metal giants and used them as inspiration as it resembled the unbound potential of humankind. Though the band's material wishes to talk about concepts such as mental health as it resonates with many people as Kadima seeks to connect with their audience. The idea of telling stories through concept albums helps reach people as the writing process provides a strong narrative. It also wishes to connect with Aidan Israel's roots as a Jewish man relating concepts to Jewish Mysticism and magic. All in all Aidan and Kadima wish to move boundaries and move forward with the progression of modern metal using their creative expression. - Metal Devastation Radio

KADIMA, the brainchild of Seattle-based guitarist Aidan Israel, has unveiled their debut prog metal opus, All Birds Deserve to Fly.

Recorded with a host of accomplished guest musicians, Israel set out to create an amalgam of a Devin Townsend-influenced album with a Coheed and Cambria writing style and The Contortionist’s ambiance while creating a distinctly KADIMA sound. The seven-track album opens with “Here and Where,” which begins with a soft, spoken word intro before bursting into soaring guitars. From there, All Birds Deserve to Fly continues through peaks and valleys of quiet and ethereal numbers to technical hard rockers where vocalist Kaylee Jorene shines in performances reminiscent of Anneke van Giersbergen.

With All Birds Deserve to Fly, Israel aims to tell complex stories through a strong narrative while also connecting with his Jewish roots and Jewish Mysticism.

“‘All Birds Deserve to Fly’ is a concept album detailing mental health struggles and my spiritual connection to Judaism,”
says Israel.
“When one writes music, they’re meant to rip themselves open and expose themself to the world. The concept of KADIMA is meant to guide our light to a new level of spiritual understanding and wisdom. I am beyond honored to share this with you all as it truly means the world to me.”

All Birds Deserve to Fly follows the Jewish concept of Tohu and Tikkun, which is the idea of chaos and rectification. The album is told through the lens of a person with schizophrenia: It centers around the challenge of a myriad of thoughts and ideas racing through their brain while seeking to become whole, rectify problems in their life, and come to a better spiritual understanding.

The roots of KADIMA date back to when Israel began playing guitar as a pre-teen, influenced by concept albums such as Rush’s 2112, Periphery’s Juggernaut Alpha and Omega and, most importantly, Dream Theater’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes of a Memory. KADIMA, which means “forward” in Hebrew, is based on the idea that music seeks to transcend and grow in a progressive fashion.

“What attracted me to the idea of a concept album and progressive metal, in general, was the ability to convey ideas and tell complex narratives through a means that seemed supernatural and super-advanced,”
Israel says.
“Music was everything to me from the time I picked up the guitar. It was love at first sight. The guitar was a medium for conveying a sense of power and pride.”

As a Music major at the University of Oregon, Israel began pursuing his dream, but the dream was put on hold when he began displaying abnormal behavior. After a psychiatric evaluation, the guitarist was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and dropped out of the program.

But recovery presented an unforeseen hurdle: “I then underwent psychotherapy through outpatient treatment and medication, but the medication was so hard on my body that I entirely forgot how to play guitar due to muscle memory loss,”
Israel says.

After a year of treatment, Israel successfully petitioned to rejoin his academic program – and though he struggled with relearning a skill he had already put 10 years into mastering – successfully completed the program. During his time in school, Israel began outlining a concept album based on his mental health experiences, with plans to record it under the name KADIMA.

After graduation and the mental health endeavor that Israel deems a “quarter-life crisis,” the gears were finally set in motion to make KADIMA’s debut a reality. Along with his college buddy Sam Mendoza, Israel spent the summer of 2019 writing and recording the skeletons of what would become All Birds Deserve to Fly.

Originally planned to be a five-song EP, two of the tracks were split into separate entities, making All Birds Deserve to Fly into a full album. The album is dedicated to the memory of Peyton Arens, a young guitar prodigy who was influential in Israel’s musical pursuits and passed away at the young age of 13 from Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer.

While All Birds Deserve to Fly was recorded with a lineup of studio musicians, Israel plans to assemble a live lineup for future KADIMA performances.

All Birds Deserve to Fly is available via Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify. - Metal Mayhem Radio

Kadima, the brainchild of Seattle-based guitarist Aidan Israel, released their debut prog metal opus, All Birds Deserve To Fly earlier this year.

The new video for their track ‘Lights and Vessels’ releases on Friday 9th October.


Kadima have also launched a new range of merchandise: https://kadimamusic.threadless.com/

Recorded with a host of accomplished guest musicians, Israel set out to create an amalgam of a Devin Townsend-influenced album with a Coheed And Cambria writing style and The Contortionist’s ambiance while creating a distinctly Kadima sound. The seven-track album opens with “Here And Where,” which begins with a soft, spoken word intro before bursting into soaring guitars. From there, All Birds Deserve To Fly continues through peaks and valleys of quiet and ethereal numbers to technical hard rockers where vocalist Kaylee Jorene shines in performances reminiscent of Anneke van Giersbergen.

With All Birds Deserve To Fly, Israel aims to tell complex stories through a strong narrative while also connecting with his Jewish roots and Jewish Mysticism.

“All Birds Deserve To Fly is a concept album detailing mental health struggles and my spiritual connection to Judaism,” says Israel. “When one writes music, they’re meant to rip themselves open and expose themselves to the world. The concept of Kadima is meant to guide our light to a new level of spiritual understanding and wisdom. I am beyond honored to share this with you all as it truly means the world to me.”

All Birds Deserve To Fly follows the Jewish concept of Tohu and Tikkun, which is the idea of chaos and rectification. The album is told through the lens of a person with schizophrenia: It centers on the challenge of a myriad of thoughts and ideas racing through their brain while seeking to become whole, rectify problems in their life, and come to a better spiritual understanding.

The roots of Kadima date back to when Israel began playing guitar as a pre-teen, influenced by concept albums such as Rush’s 2112, Periphery’s Juggernaut Alpha and Omega and, most importantly, Dream Theater’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes Of A Memory. Kadima, which means “forward” in Hebrew, is based on the idea that music seeks to transcend and grow in a progressive fashion.

“What attracted me to the idea of a concept album and progressive metal, in general, was the ability to convey ideas and tell complex narratives through a means that seemed supernatural and super-advanced,” Israel says. “Music was everything to me from the time I picked up the guitar. It was love at first sight. The guitar was a medium for conveying a sense of power and pride.”

As a Music major at the University of Oregon, Israel began pursuing his dream, but the dream was put on hold when he began displaying abnormal behavior. After a psychiatric evaluation, the guitarist was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder and dropped out of the program. But recovery presented an unforeseen hurdle: “I then underwent psychotherapy through outpatient treatment and medication, but the medication was so hard on my body that I entirely forgot how to play guitar due to muscle memory loss,” Israel says.

After a year of treatment, Israel successfully petitioned to rejoin his academic program – and though he struggled with relearning a skill he had already put 10 years into mastering – successfully completed the program. During his time in school, Israel began outlining a concept album based on his mental health experiences, with plans to record it under the name Kadima.

After graduation and the mental health endeavor that Israel deems a “quarter-life crisis,” the gears were finally set in motion to make Kadima’s debut a reality. Along with his college buddy Sam Mendoza, Israel spent the summer of 2019 writing and recording the skeletons of what would become All Birds Deserve To Fly.

Originally planned to be a five-song EP, two of the tracks were split into separate entities, making All Birds Deserve To Fly into a full album. The album is dedicated to the memory of Peyton Arens, a young guitar prodigy who was influential in Israel’s musical pursuits and passed away at the young age of 13 from Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer.

While All Birds Deserve To Fly was recorded with a lineup of studio musicians, Israel plans to assemble a live lineup for future Kadima performances. The album is available via Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify. - Madness to Creation