If I had been given this album to play and asked what instrument was played by the band leader then I would have guessed violin, as that instrument is such an important voice to this quintet, I would never have […]

Singer songwriter Sam Loveridge is here with his debut solo album, although he is already well-known within the Auckland scene as he has worked with Mice On Stilts, Miss Peach and the Travellin’ Bones and Albi & T […]

‘Encore’ was recorded during TNT’s headlining set at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan on April 30, 2017 and is currently the final live footage of the band with singer Tony Harnell. Given that this is the third […]

I was sent this album by Vince Guarnere, and if you look for it on the web you will find it listed in numerous places. Unfortunately, the only place I have been able to discover any information about this release […]

Ashley Hutchings’ ‘By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept’ was originally recorded in 1987, with the sequel ‘Paradise and Thorns’ coming a mere 31 years later. Although I can’t say I have heard even most of Ash […]

It’s the lava lamp on the cover which gives an idea to what is inside this album. As one may have surmised it is the third in a series (apparently the current thinking is that it may well be the end of a t […]

Quick history lesson. Back in 1958, Esquire magazine made the decision to have an issue dedicated to jazz and hired Art Kane to provide a photograph to capture the scene. Kane in turn proposed inviting all […]

The Swiss septet have been making quite a name for themselves since their formation in 2002, but to my ears they haven’t always been as consistent as they might have been. When they are good they are very good i […]

Many years ago, I was pursuing one of my favourite pastimes, spending a few hours in a record store trying to work out what I was going to get that week. While I was in there, I was incredibly impressed with the […]

On December 18th, 1997 I made my way to London Astoria, not to see the headline act (who was Machine Head) but rather to see the middle band of the three (openers were Misery Loves Co.), the mighty Entombed. Their […]

Grand Magus are back, with the same line-up they have had for quite a long period of time now with Janne „JB“ Christoffersson (guitar, vocals) and Mats Fox Hedén Skinner (bass) having been there since the very […]

The complete album title, ‘London Calling: A Toast To Julie London’, shows what this release is all about, which is Stanley taking songs recorded by Julie London (plus a couple she feels she would have if she had […]

This is an interesting concept, as this isn’t the current direction or sounds of the band Origin, but instead is a trip back to the very earliest days of the band. The twelve-track album includes eight new ( […]

This French metal act are back with their second album, some four years after their debut ‘Headlong Disaster’. I haven’t heard that one, but this is incredibly polished metal with melodic tendencies, which also […]

For those of you who haven’t come across Qantice before this, they are a symphonic power metal band, and this is their third album. Before I go any further I ought to mention the musicians (excluding the n […]

The first time I played this I felt the band were trying to be Judas Priest and Testament crossed with Dio, with some very heavy elements indeed and also some quite symphonic ones here and there. It was obvious […]

There is no doubt in my mind that to a certain generation of pre-pubescent boys, the appearance of a leather-clad female bassist on Top of the Pops cranking out hits like “Can The Can”, “Devil Gate Drive” or “48 […]

This five-song 32-minute long album is the debut from Richmond, Virginia based quartet Tel. Their sludge/approach also contains some elements of black metal, which is emphasised by the foreboding black and white […]

Yes, the final barriers have been broken, and here we have a Satanic doo wop record which sounds as if it was recorded some time in the Sixties. “It’s really just a reflection of everything we love,” explains […]

Guitarist Albare and keyboard player/programmer Phil Turcio are back with another album of smooth, melodic, laid-back jazz. It is perfect background music, something which allows the listener to drift away on […]