Back in 2018, four mates got together to have some fun and ending up recording an album just for the hell of it, never expecting anything to come from it, but it kicked up quite a storm and sooner or later thoughts started to turn to another one. Of course, that...

I first came across Wellington quartet This Silent Divide a few years ago with their excellent single, “Lucinda”, since when I have followed their career with interest and even managed to see them live when they came up to Auckland (and have the t-shirt to prove it,...

I have long worked with Stevie Horton at Iconic Music & Media, and when she sent me this album she said, “here is something really special - and very beautiful”, and I was immediately intrigued. After playing it for the first time I knew she was right on both...

Skip Grasso is well-known in the Baltimore/Washington DC area where his guitar playing has been heard in a wide variety of settings, ranging from unaccompanied solos and jazz combos to big bands. Producer Jack Frisch contacted Grasso after seeing a live stream of his...

I am not sure how many times I have caught up with Auckland metalcore outfit Grym Rhymney, but it has been quite a few. They were originally a four-piece when I started seeing them, with Albi Ingram (vocals, guitar), Jamie Stuart (bass, vocals), Spencer Jew (guitar)...

What we have here is a fascinating look into the life of Eric Bell, who will always be remembered for being a founder member of Thin Lizzy. In some ways the writing style is reminiscent of Bill Bruford’s excellent ‘The Autobiography’ in that it doesn’t always follow a...

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory? There aren’t that many connected with music, although for years there were theories that Jim Morrison did not actually die in 1971 like people thought but was instead alive in Paris. That was propagated due to...

This album was originally released in 2019 and designed to mark the 250th anniversary in 2018 of the first of Captain James Cook’s three historic Pacific voyages, which commenced at Plymouth in August 1768 (what I am listening to is the slightly revised 2022 version)....

I first came across guitarist Jeff Aug when he was releasing solo acoustic albums and setting world records for the “most concerts performed in different countries in 24 hours”, which he actually set twice (and I think he still holds), but these days he is having a...

Originally known as Fire For Glory, this pop punk band had been hitting the Auckland circuit for more than a decade, before deciding last year it was time for a reset showing how much they had grown as band, taking their new name from one of their live favourites. I...

Having been recently touring as the opening act for Steely Dan, Dave Stryker (guitar), Jared Gold (organ) and McClenty Hunter (drums), here deliver the first album from Stryker's touring trio. Given their working relationship, Dave decided to record live in the studio...

This 2021 album was the first full album release from the electronic project involving Mark Price (High Spy, Frameshift, Grace) and Phil Heeks (The British Stereo Collective), following on from their EP, 'Space Disco Stake Out' which was released the previous year....

Formed in 1990, this German power metal quintet released this their debut album in 1996, with only two of the eight songs having been previously released in one form or another. Power metal was going through quite a resurgence at this time, especially in Germany, and...

The following year the same line-up returned with a 3-track EP, and in some ways it is very much a continuation of where they have been previously, but there is something of an improvement with the final track, "Silent Crying"", where Gunter takes a much more...

It took until 2002 for Factory of Art to return with their next, and so far last, album, 'The Tempter'. There had been a reset during this period, with the departure of both Gunter (vocals, keyboards) and Wolf (drums), being replace by Petri (vocals), Ekky (keyboards)...

I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them...

Here we have the band’s seventh studio album, and their last with Roadrunner after more than 20 years with the label. As is my custom, I had not read anything about the album before playing it for the first time, and when it kicked off with “Adderall” I was convinced...

This six-track EP was released at the beginning of June, and apparently is the first EP in their history. I am somewhat confused as to why this has been put out as it is quite a while since the album was released, is not exactly indicative of their normal style, and...