After the controversial album “The Astonishing,” it makes perfect sense for Dream Theater to get back to the basics. “The Astonishing” was initially an album that sounded good to me overall but with a poor story line and too much … Continue reading &rarr […]

Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham 14th February 2019 Paul Carrack, one of Britain’s hardest working performers is back on the road and continuing to thrill his legions of fans as he tours the UK through the spring. Wearing his trademark hat and sunglasses, and with guitar in hand, Carrack opened his recent show at the Royal [&am […]

Underground music scenes in all urban centres naturally develop their own amoeba-like existence, dissolving and reforming in different shapes as the mood and the Muse takes them. Belgian capital Brussels is no different, and one such meeting of like minds is in a group called The Gödel Codex. Consisting of Etienne Plumer (Rêve d’Elephant, Animus [&am […]

Further to Rhys Marsh’s late 2018 announcement that he has signed to Karisma Records, I’m pleased to be able to take on this review. His last album, The Black Sun Shining, was spontaneous, visceral music. Rhys returns to a more structured approach with a third solo album that is a polished and honed collection of [&am […]

Is it possible for me, as a huge fan of P@ Mastelotto, to give an objective review? Probably not but I’m going to do it anyway. Consisting of band members Lef: vocals, keys (Obake, Berserk!), Carmelo Pipitone: guitars (Marta Sui Tubi), Colin Edwin: … Continue reading &rarr […]

1998. To me another period where the manufactured music seemed to take over the airwaves, so the arrival of Semisonic with Closing Time was a godsend; nothing to do with my alternative residence of the pub, but the quality of the music. Lyrics with the clarity of Crowded House, memorable tunes, and a pleasure to [&am […]

MONO is a mostly-instrumental band from Japan, whose first release was in 2001. Nowhere Now Here is their tenth album. If you asked me to place MONO and their music in a genre (something I find difficult for any music … Continue reading &rarr […]

Art-pop: “progressive rock without the rock attitude”, explains Marek Arnold when I question him further. The instrumentation and the way the songs have been arranged, combined with Manuel Schmid’s interpretation and singing of the lyrics inclines it toward being pop. Yet the heartlands of progressive rock, with its complex chord progressions and unusual sequences, are [&am […]

The Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell, London Friday, 8th February 2019 Time portals, sausages in the air, and heads leading independent lives to bodies are just three things one goes to gigs like these for, oh yeah, baby! A tempestuous and bursting climate greeted our arrival in the capital for our first gig of the year, the [&am […]

Here’s the press release for the upcoming solo album by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater: Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess will release his brand new spiralling and stunning solo album ‘Wired for Madness’ on April 19 via Music Theories Recordings / … Continue reading &rarr […]