The band released its new album, Beowulf, on May 23 on the band’s label, HMG Records. The album is available on digital platforms and on CD.
For over thirty-five years PANGAEA has been creating music that intrigues the mind and inspires the soul. Since their formation in 1989 they have garnered interest in over fifty nations across the globe.
The band’s tight, melodic ensemble playing, highly proficient level of musicianship and excellent songwriting and singing, is reminiscent of prog rock’s classic era while also showcasing the band’s modern era sensibilities.The band was formed initially as Artica in 1989 in Tulsa, Oklahoma by Corey and Andi Schenck, Ron Poulsen, Darrell Masingale (guitar/vocals) and Keith Tinker. Lead vocalist Steve Osborn joined the band in 1991, establishing the lineup that would become Pangaea.
The concept for the band was to create a sound based on the classic rock and progressive rock of the past while utilizing modern sounds and styles. The idea was simple: amalgamate memorable melodies; rich harmonies; powerful rhythms, and other musical elements into compact song structures.
Their first release was a ten-song album entitled Le Collage D’Exoticolours in 1991. Tinker left the band in 1992 although he still performs and records with the band on occasion.
From 1992 to ’94, they recorded and released three more albums – Rotating Oceans, Grey, and The Guild…with each release helping them to garner increased national exposure.
1995 saw the release of the EP, Liquid Placidity, which caught the attention of producer/musician Robert Berry (whose credits include 3, GTR, Greg Kihn and Keith Emerson).
The band went into Berry’s studio in 1996 and recorded The Rite of Passage album, which sold well, received radio airplay on numerous radio stations both domestically and overseas and put the band on the musical map internationally.
Berry produced the band’s albums Welcome to the Theatre (1999) and A Time & a Place(2002), both of which continued to garner the band critical praise and increase their fan base. Berry also produced the band’s The Reckoning album in 2003, but as-of-yet, it remains unreleased.
In 2005, Pangaea recorded acoustic arrangements of several songs at the home of actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd and his brother Peter Aykroyd. This led to an unplugged tour of Borders Books stores, Hard Rock Cafes, and other venues.
The band performed in 2008 at a Houston Dynamo soccer match before 12,000 people but after that show, the band went on an extended hiatus that lasted 15 years.
Eventually deciding to reform in 2023, the band added multi-instrumentalist Scott Draughon to its classic lineup and recorded the new album, Beowulf, with Robert Berry back on board as producer. The first single from the album, Tomorrow Will Come, was released in April. The second single, Necromancer, was released in May.