Just seeing the title ‘The Magnolia Sessions’ turn up in my inbox is guaranteed to put a smile on my face, as this is one of the most interesting musical series I have ever come across. All power to Dan Emery for these wonderful recordings and long may they continue....

Following on from the success of his big band outing, ‘Blue Soul’, guitarist Dave Stryker is back with his hard-driving group. It features his working band of Jared Gold on Hammond B3 organ and McClenty Hunter on drums, while he brought in tenor player Walter Smith...

Post black metal French band Decline of the I are back with their fourth album, which sees them start a new trilogy. Their first three were inspired by the works of French surgeon and neurologist Henri Laborit, while the new set are based on the output of Danish...

The Not Okays are a band who originally formed a few years ago just to have some fun at the Emo nights put on at Ding Dong Lounge. They comprise Noriel Wong (guitar), Aaron Prictor (guitar, vocals), Lauren Kate Borhani (vocals), Caitlin Clark (bass) and Bahador...

Everyone in Auckland has been incredibly frustrated with the lockdown which has now stretched past 100 days, impacting everyone inside the borders. Obviously one group which have been unable to work are the gigging musicians, which has seen some of them go into the...

{On Tick} was formed by brothers Brendan (vocals and drums) and Aidan O'Loughlin (vocals, guitar), out of the ashes of their previous band, Evil Tomato. They decided to work as a rough and raw punk duo, adapting some of the older songs to their new style, a few of...

It is safe to say that I listen to more varied music than the average person, and I have no idea how many albums I have reviewed over the last 30+ years but it is many thousands, and I have written well in excess of a million words on the subject. This means I am...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to catch these guys at Spark Arena and it was truly one of the greatest concerts I have ever attended. Given that my idea of a great night often consists of high energy metal of one type or another, I would not normally say...

Wellington-based blackened thrash outfit {Pervertor} are back with their third-full length album, Putrid Dominion, some four years since Perverted Tales of Depravity. Since they released their first demo back in 2009 the band have had the same line-up throughout of...

I first came across Gramsci last year when they released the amazing album Inheritance, which was then followed up with a theatre performance which was stunning by all accounts (I was gutted not to be able to make it). But I am very late to the piece indeed, as...

There is something visceral about the blues, something which grabs the heart with emotion which is far more felt than logical. It is a form which guitarists often fall back into, and such is the case here when Sebastian Eder (Avalon) started playing some blues...

I have had mixed feelings about Korpiklaani over the years, as while they have long been favourites of the mass media and are certainly the closest a lot of denim and leather wearing longhairs will ever get to folk, to me they can sometimes lose their core purpose. I...

Ask anyone my age what is the most important live hard rock album, and you will get a host of answers from ‘Live At Leeds’ through to ‘Live and Dangerous’ while the more discerning will also include ‘Snaz’, but any Top 10 will have within it UFO’s ‘Strangers In The...

When Discus Music approached Pat Thomas and asked what he would like to see made available out of his own personal archive, he turned to this set, which was recorded at the festival Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf in 2006. Here Pat (piano melodica) had arranged six early...

There are times when I am listening to music and it feels like I am getting way too much sugar in my diet, losing sensibility and understanding of where I am, and the only way to get myself sorted is to give myself a strong dose of something so off the wall, so...

Although these days I rarely listen to the charts and pop music, nor have any idea who a great deal of popular musicians even are, back in the day I used to listen to the radio as well as playing records, as there were sometimes gems to be heard. There is no doubt...

Sam and the guys are back with the second single from the forthcoming album, Recovery, and if ever they were looking for radio play I can pretty much guarantee this will not be getting it with this one. The simple reason is that in the key part of the chorus, people...

French For Rabbits are back with their eagerly awaited third album, which is their first for AAA Records (home of Troy Kingi, Lee Martin etc.). Throughout their career the band have been incredibly stable, with Brooke Singer (vocals, piano, nylon string, synths), John...