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 in approach and sound quality. Having not played any of...

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 production, and does not sound like the performance of a...

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 polished and produced, which has turned out to be both a...

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 City to collaborating with Ed Sheeran, Dani has led this...

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 latest Ted Nugent album was any good, and agreement...

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 release has obviously cast a shadow. Mental illness is a...

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 could have imagined at the time that this would be the last...

PRIVATE Press Portugal  36:25 mins Progressive Art Rock https://www.facebook.com/aconstantstorm Rating 85/100 https://soundcloud.com/user-796193906/sets/ant/s-hCK- 05UxyMzS?si=9c113d7cca904b7ba84e72211b7770cf&utm_source=-...

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 Ten Ox Herding Pictures, and is set to be released later...

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 across a new wonderful band on a daily basis, and here...

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, the media just called it a planet hunter which seemed...

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. Then the damn thing is finished, and I have to put it on...

Norway, Karisma Records  43.39 mins Jazz inspired Progressive Rock https://www.facebook.com/WIZRDTHEBAND/mentions Rating 90/100 It is so refreshing to come across a band new to the scene, combining multitudes of musical techniques not only instrumentally but vocally,...

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 of Cameron Owens (guitars) and James Trimmer (drums),...

Here we have the second EP from Hamilton-based quartet Landlords containing five songs at approximately 20 minutes in length. Interestingly the band are signed with a UK label, something I only realised when I checked out their Bandcamp page and could not work out why...

A little while back I was fortunate enough to hear the single Carousel, and now Wellington-based Anxiety Club are back with the album. As I said in the earlier review, due to various reasons Kev Fitzsimons (Thom Cross) and Clint Meech (Matt Langley band) found...

Silcrow will be a new name to many, it certainly was to me as it was only when I was arranging to see them play recently that I discovered this is the new name for Close to the Bone. I was aware of that band, but had not seen them play, although I had seen lead singer...

Here we have another album in what to my ears is one of the most essential series of recordings ever captured. For those who have somehow managed to miss my reviews so far, the concept behind this is really simple. Label boss and recording engineer Dan Emery invites a...