Here we have the latest single from Auckland trio Imposter Syndrome, which is based strongly on a riffed acoustic guitar (the sound of which is superb, congrats whoever engineered this), with vocals over the top. […]

I’ve always had a soft spot for punk, ever since it exploded in the UK and my dad told me he would kick me out if he ever found any of that music in my collection. I was just 14 when the Pistols were due to play i […]

These guys are new to me, and when I checked them out, I realised they are from Dunedin which is why I have not come across them yet on the Auckland circuit, but I do hope they can make it up here at some point as […]

The latest EP from Trepidations follows a rather unusual format in that we have one vocal track which was recorded in a studio, and then three instrumental tracks which were played live which are quite different […]

I was very impressed with the last single I heard of Gabriel’s, 2021’s Lights Burn Low, so when I asked to review this, I was looking forward to it. As I noticed last time, this is full of class with very high pro […]

Back with their tenth studio album in 20 years are Norwegian death metal act Blood Red Throne. I do wonder how this material will come across at gigs as it has been a while since I heard a DM album quite this […]

There are few bands over the years who have generated so many as extreme reactions as Cradle of Filth, from being arrested by armed police at the Vatican in Rome for wearing ‘I Love Satan’ T-shirts in the Holy Cit […]

One of the (dis)advantages of being around the scene for way too many years, is that my brain tends to fill up with musical garbage, and I can recall a debate taking place in the Kerrang offices over whether the […]

I have long been a fan of Soilwork, and was very much looking forward to this album, but the untimely death of guitarist David Andersson (who was also in The Night Flight Orchestra) less than a month after its […]

I clearly remember when Sepultura broke onto the international stage, and when Roadrunner sent me ‘Roots’ to review I was clear that it was one of the most important metal albums ever released, and no-one cou […]

PRIVATE Press Portugal  36:25 mins

Progressive Art Rock

Rating 85/100

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Conceptual […]

Here we have the second single from Auckland-based instrumental doom outfit {Thousand Limbs}. It is taken from their forthcoming debut album The Aurouchs, which is a ten-part song-cycle based on Kakuan Shien’s T […]

It is not unusual for me to have conversations with music lovers which revolve around me attempting to convince them there is a vibrant and exciting music scene in Aotearoa as sometimes it feels like I am coming […]

On April 19th, 2018, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite was launched on a two-year mission to find a rocky world with an atmosphere which could be probed for signs of life. Although it had an official name, […]

There are times when it is just impossible to write a review as I am having so much fun playing the music that I find myself hitting the desk in time with the drums, bopping to the beat and fully in the groove. […]

Norway, Karisma Records  43.39 mins

Jazz inspired Progressive Rock

Rating 90/100

It is so refreshing to come across a band new to the scene, combining multitudes of musical techniques not only […]

Black Sands are a real rarity in that they are a totally instrumental act, and while they bring in plenty of progressive tendencies, they are always first and foremost a metal band. The band started life as a duo […]