Ever since multi-instrumentalist and mastermind Rikard Sjöblom called it quits for Beardfish he’s been putting all his energy into Big Big Train and his newest brainchild Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly, who’s sophomore effort follows close in the footsteps of last year’s On Her Journey to The Sun. There’s no denying Mr. Sjöblom is one of the [&am […]

Birmingham Arena Monday, 10th December 2018 There have been huge changes for Nightwish in the 10 years since they last graced a stage in Birmingham. The Finish ‘symphonic metal’ band have moved from small venues, like the club in which they last appeared in the city, to selling out major arenas on a massive world [&am […]

This was a very hard year to pick only 20 albums as my favorites. Some of the ones I left out would have definitely made the cut other years. But for what it’s worth, this is my top 20 favorite … Continue reading &rarr […]

We have been spoiled by yet another year of exciting music and hugely enjoyable releases. The Progressive Aspect, in collaboration with Anthony Rowsick’s radio programme Prog-Watch, have collected together our “The Best Albums of 2018”. There may yet be some more delights left in the year to tickle our fancies, but these are the albums that have worked [&am […]

Hello readers and welcome to a new feature where we reviewers scour our vaults for some unearthed gems that you may have missed the first time around. These are antiquities, shrouded in obscurity, that nevertheless have all the lustre of the classics. It simply didn’t feel right for me to kick off this feature without [&am […]

Phil Keaggy, Tony Levin, and Jerry Marotta have been working on their first album “The Bucket List” on and off for 10 years! The title is a good one since this combination is one that I did not expect. Clearly, … Continue reading &rarr […]

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is home to a plethora of musical artists from a surprising variety of genres. This interesting list includes – but is in no way limited to – The Violent Femmes, Steve (The Joker) Miller, the ubiquitous bass supremo Leland Sklar and, of course, Liberace. What do they have in common? Milwaukee. This is [&am […]

Based on the Northwest Gulf Coast of Florida is keyboard player, multi-instrumentalist and singer Doug Bowers, aka KDB3, and I Fill My Days With Noise is his third release, another recent discovery in my regular hunting ground, CD Baby. Bowers plays all the instruments, however he has enlisted several guitarists to guest across the release. [&am […]

As I have done for a few years now, I will use my radio show to announce my favorite albums of the year. I’ve narrowed this list to only 20 albums rather than 40 as I have done in the … Continue reading &rarr […]

Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff 24th November 2018 This gathering at the lovely Acapela venue near Cardiff in November by Magenta and friends for a special acoustic show is now in its third year, fast becoming a ‘pre-Christmas’ tradition with a magic all of its own. The Acapela is a converted chapel with a unique atmosphere, filled [&am […]