Seven Steps To The Green Door
progressive crossover music
aktuelles Line Up ( v.l.n.r. )
Andreas Gemeinhardt ( guit )
Sören Flechsig ( voc )
Marek Arnold ( keys, sax )
Anne Trautmann ( voc )
Robert Brenner ( bass )
Ulf Reinhardt ( drums )
( nicht auf dem Foto: Jana Pöche – voc & George Andrade – lyrics )
Line up 2019 ( v.l.n.r.)
Ulf Reinhardt (drums, comp), Marek Arnold (keys, sax, comp), Jana Pöche (voc), Anne Trautmann (voc), Lars Köhler (voc, comp), Martin Fankhänel (guit, comp), Valentin Klose (bass)
ssttgd 2018:
Marek Arnold (keys, sax, comp) , Ulf Reinhardt (drums, comp), Anne Trautmann (voc), Lars Köhler (voc), Michael Schetter (bg) , Stephan Pankow (guit) , Jana Pöche (vocals)
ssttgd 2015:
Martin Schnella (guit, bass), Marek Arnold (keys, sax, comp.), Anne Trautmann (voc), Lars Köhler (voc), Ulf Reinhardt (drums, comp.), Thomas Schulz ( live band – voc, keys), Heiko Rehm (live band – bass)
SEVEN STEPS TO THE GREEN DOOR
progressive crossover music
Wenn eine Band bereits mit dem Debütalbum den begehrten Deutschen Rock- und Pop-Preis in gleich 2 Kategorien abräumt, lohnt es sich, genauer hinzuhören. Mit ihrem frischen Stilmix, den bis zu 4-stimmigen, polyphonen Satzgesängen und der spannenden Verquickung komplexer Rhythmen mit großartigen Melodien, beweist die siebenköpfige Band um Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile, UPF, u.vm.) und Ulf Reinhardt bereits auf The Puzzle (2006) ihr Gespür für „Progressivität“ im wörtlichen Sinne.
Bereits zwei Jahre später erschien das zweite Album Step In 2 My World. Es wurde beim amerikanischen Label ProgRock Records veröffentlicht und trieb den Stilmix der Band auf die Spitze – von Rock über Country, Rap, Metal und Jazz. Das Spektrum der Band erweiterte sich ungemein und man wurde nun auch international auf diese illustre Truppe aus dem Erzgebirge aufmerksam. Zahlreiche Konzert in und um Deutschland folgten.
2011 wechselte die Band zum deutschen Label Progressive Records und veröffentlichte mit dem Konzeptalbum The?Book ihr bis Dato kompromisslosestes und aufwändigstes Werk. Gemeinsam mit unzähligen internationalen Gästen und eigens für die Band geschriebenem Storybook beschäftigt es sich unkonventionell mit dem Thema Religion und Selbstfindung. Es wurde von Fans wie Presse begeistert aufgenommen.
Wenig später erschien sogar ein interaktives Spiel mit eBook und Musik für iOS.
Das 4. Album Fetish ist das bis dato erfolgreichste der Band. 2015 erschienen und mit zahlreichen namhaften Gästen wie Arno Menses (Subsignal), Dan Mash (UPF, Maschine), Steve Unruh (Resistor, Samurai of Prog) eingespielt, zeigt es die ganze Bandbreite modernen und melodischen ProgRocks. Dichte Vokalarrangements, polyrhythmische und virtuose Instrumentalteile und die bereits zum Markenzeichen der Band gewordenen “Hooklines”. Dies brachte der Band nun große internationale Aufmerksamkeit und sie 2016/17 mit anschließender Tour auf nahezu alle großen ProgRock-Festivals Europas (NotP, Crescendo, Summer’s End, ArtRockFestival).
2019 erschien das noch aktuelle Album und der zweite Teil der Book-Trilogie THE?LIE. Auch hier konnten wieder zahlreiche Gäste aus aller Welt wie Peter Jones (Camel, Tiger Math Tales), Luke Machin (The Tangent, Maschine), Steve Unruh u.v.m mehr gewonnen werden. 2022 konnte nach der Corona-Zwangspause die Band neu aufgestellt werden und das Album live auf dem „2days prog + 1“ Festival in Veruno präsentieren.
Mit „The?Truth“ setzt ssttgd die Trilogie fort und realisiert gemeinsam mit dem amerikanischen Textautor George Andrade eine spannende Umsetzung dieses außergewöhnlichen Projekts.
Nach 13 Jahren Arbeit wird die „The?BOOK“ – Trilogie 2024 endlich abgeschlossen.
ausführliche Bandinfo – momentan nur in englisch – wir bitten um Geduld!
Seven Steps To The Green Door made their mark on the music scene at the German Rock and Pop Awards (2006), the largest and most prestigious band competition in Germany. When a debut album wins first prize in two categories (Progressive and Experimental Rock) it is definitely a band to keep a close eye on. The seven-member band was formed around keyboardist & saxophonist Marek Arnold, who is best known as the frontman for Toxic Smile as well as his work with Flaming Row, United Progressive Fraternity, Stern Combo Meissen and other prominent bands; and drummer Ulf Reinhardt, formerly with Prophets of Prunes. The combined talents of these exceptional artists accounts for this unexpectedly successful first album, The Puzzle (2006) which comprised a wide-variety of style by mixing art-rock, progressive metal, jazz, rap, and pop. With the moderate use of cross-genre stylistic devices, a unique cast of three vocalists, and the courage to blend melody with rhythmic experiments, “Seven Steps To The Green Door” have amplified progressiveness in Progressive Rock.
With the release of Step In 2 My World, (2008) the band pushed their sound to extreme measures: poly-rhythmic meets melodious vocal harmonies, crazy jazz phrases followed by soft ballads, raps breaking through soft melodies – without ever losing sight of the golden thread that meshed the songs together. Additionally, various guests add highlights with classical instruments and vocals, including none other than Larry B., lead singer for “Toxic Smile”. Step In 2 My World will delight fans of varied rock music who will discover something new each time they listen to this complex album.
Progressive concept album, THE?BOOK, (2011) is the band’s most uncompromising creation so far. The album features, apart from the core band and other musical companions of Marek Arnold – a variety of great guest musicians such as multiple award winning vocal ensemble “Siaella”, Larry B. and Flaming Row frontman, Martin Schnella, who has also worked with: Yes, Spock’s Beard and Shadow Gallery. Schnella joined Seven Steps To The Green Door for live gigs in 2012. Also, a remarkable point about THE?BOOK, it was one of the first ever progressive rock albums to be converted into an interactive game for iOS–devices (iphone/ipad), programmed by „Glanzkinder“.
4th album “FETISH” was released 2015 /09 / 11 – and still can be ordered at www.ppr-shop.de. It`s mainly written by Marek Arnold and Ulf Reinhardt again, and the first album, which was arranged already with new guitar player Martin Schnella, who was also contributing bass guitar and great backing vocals and took care of final mix. Released at our label „Progressive Promotion Records“ again it featured some amazing guests like Arno Menses ( voc, Subsignal ), Dan Mash ( bass, UPF, Maschine, Ex-Tangent), Justo Suarez ( perc) and Steve Unruh ( UPF, Resistor ) and many others…
After the great success of that album, ssttgd was on FETISH tour until 2017. We already played amazing gigs at festivals like “Night of the Prog” (DE), “Crescendo” (FR), „Artrockfestival“ (DE) or “Summers End” (UK) and other venues in Europe.
NEW ALBUM “THE?LIE”
Seminal progressive crossover band “seven steps to the green door” from Germany is back with the new album “THE?LIE” – the second part of their concept trilogy “THE?BOOK”, in which authors and band deal critically with religious fanaticism.
With “THE?LIE”, ssttgd are once again proving that they are among the most innovative and creative bands in the genre – and in George Andrade, the band was able to convince and win over a lyricist for the concept, who developed a compelling lyricbook, with stirring and disturbing lyrics, out of Thoralf Koss’ story.
To match the intriguing storyline, some outstanding members of the progrock scene were ensembled to take on the roles of the characters and to perform the instrumental parts: British multi-instrumentalist and singer Pete Jones (Tiger Moth Tales, Camel, Francis Dunnery Band) delivers stunning vocals as the “Father”; gifted guitarist Luke Machin (including Maschine, The Tangent, Francis Dunnery Band, Damanek …) played and arranged most guitar parts; Steve Unruh (Resistor, UPF, Samurai of Prog) and Jason Melidonie (Cytotoxin) added brilliant violin and guitar solos. That’s just to name but a few.
The album, produced by Marek Arnold and mixed/mastered by Martin Schnella (Flaming Row, Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella, ssttgd), will be released by Progressive Promotion Records on April 30, 2019.
George Andrade explains: ” “THE?LIE” is a new rock opera/concept album that I’ve co-written with the magnificent Seven Steps to the Green Door, the second album of a proposed trilogy**.
It tells the story of a family intimately caught up in the fanatic actions of their religious leaders, their church “fathers”, and the unfolding tragedy that befalls them all, while having to reconcile their faith turned religion with the repercussions of those fanatic actions committed in their God’s name, and coming to terms with the divergent and symbiotic relationship of a faith’s moral authority with the political realities of administrating and growing any organized religion…
I think “THE?LIE” contains some of my best and most ambitious writing for music to date (I hope you’ll agree), and combined with the stellar performances of the musicians and vocalist assembled for this record, I’m confident you’ll be entertained, thrilled, and ultimately moved by the musical experience…”
The?Truth – the third and final part of the trilogy will be released in 2024!
all albums can be ordered at our bandcamp shop.