District 97 - Stay For The Ending (2023)

The culmination of everything this Chicago-based prog rock ensemble has worked towards in it's 15 years of existence. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Noam Wallenberg (Alan Parsons, Mac Miller). Formed in Autumn 97, the band has drawn upon influences as diverse as heavy metal to avant-garde jazz. In 2007, they were joined by American Idol Top 10 finalist, Leslie Hunt - who many have compared to a young Ann Wilson. Over the years the band have received acclaim from a multitude of sources but particularly the late John Wetton (King Crimson, UK, Asia). So impressed was Wetton that in 2013, he and the band joined forces and toured across Europe and the US. The same year saw the band nominated for a Breakthrough Artist Award by PROG magazine. District 97 have appeared at some of the world's leading prog festivals, such as Cruise To The Edge, Rosfest, Summers End as well as supporting Marillion at the Marillion Montreal Weekend. This new release sees the band significantly upping their game in the areas of composition, performance, arrangement, production and sonics. Running the gamut from the relentless thrill ride of the title track to the tender, dynamic ballad 'Life Cycle', the album traverses a vast array of themes and musical influences. The songs explore the human experience: unity, division, deceit, obsession, detachment, resilience and transcendence.