Kev Rowland

Arka'n Asrafokor: Dzikkuh (2024) I don’t know much about music from Africa, but when I heard that Togolese metal crossover band Arka’n Asrafokor were about to release their second a […]

Argentina Durán: Rapsodia Mexicana (2024) ‘Rapsodia Mexicana’ (Mexican Rhapsody) is the second solo album by young pianist Argentina Durán. It brings together a selection of works by Mexican comp […]

South for Winter: Of Sea and Sky (2024) A few years ago I was fortunate enough to catch South For Winter for some dates on their NZ tour, since when I have followed their career with interest. […]

John Ambrosini: Songs for You (2024) John Ambrosini is a jazz pianist, pop-inspired singer, composer, and bandleader who is quite active in the New York City area. Here we find him providing […]

Isrea Butler: Congo Lament (2024) Back in the late Seventies, when I was studying for exams, I liked to play music as a background but found if I listened to my own albums I got easily […]

Intelligent Music Project: Miracles Beyond (2024) Here we have the latest release from Intelligent Music Project, a project which is always indicated as being Bulgarian given that the person behind it […]

Herakleion: Necroverse (2024) Here we have the second EP from New Orleans-based death thrash trio Herakleion who were formed in 2020 when drummer Speed Wilson met guitarist/vocalist […]

Forgotten Tomb: Nightfloating (2024) Ferdinando “Herr Morbid” Marchisio (vocals, guitars, synths) first came to prominence in black metal outfit Sacrater, but after that band broke up in […]

Atom Stone: Take Me To The Fire (2024) Atom Stone (KRYR, Voyager, Metallic Green) hails from New York and on this album he provides lead vocals and then has brought in a slew of well-known […]

Demon: Invincible (2024) It is strange to think that Demon have been on the scene for more than 40 years, releasing their debut single all the way back in 1979 as part of the […]

Ben Lloyd: Leap of Faith (2024) Ben Lloyd is a New Zealand based singer-songwriter who has been writing acoustic guitar-based rock songs for over 30 years, both in bands and also […]

Amber Weekes: A Lady With A Song (2024) The latest album from Amber Weekes finds her paying tribute to Nancy Wilson, the singer discovered by Cannonball Adderley (with whom she made a classic […]

Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse: Paul Di'Anno's Warhorse (2024) In 1979 I was 16, and there is no doubt that NWOBHM was a major part of my daily listening. It was exciting and vibrant, and with bands like Iron Maiden, […]

Vain: Disintegrate Together (2024) Vain are probably one of those Eighties glam metal bands which many have heard of, but few have actually heard. Originally working as a producer, singer […]

U.K. Subs: The Last Will And Testament of UK Subs [Live] (2024) Apparently, the band announced that their 2022 studio album ‘Reverse Engineering’ would be their last and the 2023 tour in support of the album would be […]

Exodus: British Disaster. The Battle of '89 (Live At The Astoria) (2024) The full title of this album is ‘British Disaster! The Battle of ’89 Live At The Astoria’, from which one might guess this is a live recording from 35 ye […]

Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond (2024) Over the years there is no doubt that Sonata Arctica have released some really powerful melodic metal albums, but it is also true they have released some […]

Shawn Maxwell: J Town Suite (2023) On his twelfth album as band leader, Shawn Maxwell (alto & soprano saxophones, flute) takes us back to his hometown, Joliet, Illinois. It is not a very […]

Sebastian Bach: Child Within The Man (2024) I am not going to go over Sebastian Bach’s history, as he is quite a controversial figure in some ways, but no matter what anyone thinks about him t […]

Sarah Prodan: Little Bird (2023) One morning I was working through my emails and came across one from Play MPE informing me of an album by Sarah Prodan, someone I had not previously come […]