There is a kind of divinity in the darkness that has pervaded Opeth's music in the quarter century since their debut album Orchid floated into an unsuspecting world; an unassailable character that somehow prevents it from ever crossing over into the dreaded 'cheesy' territory. It's like an old, chipped stone angel in some forgotten graveyard:..
Block Buster – Losing Gravity (Frontiers Music)
Block Buster is a new hard rock band formed in Kuopio, Finland by brothers Aarni and Jaakko Metsäpelto and their biggest claim to fame so far is that they were chosen to open for Bon Jovi despite still being under the legal age to play clubs in Finland and have since gone on to support Anthrax..
The Defiants – Zokusho (Frontiers Music)
Zokusho is the second album from melodic rockers The Defiants, a relatively new band put together by vocalist Paul Laine, bassist Bruno Ravel and guitarist Rob Marcello. You may know them from their work with the American hard rock band Danger Danger with Ravel and Marcello still being members of the band and Laine having..
Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited Band And Orchestra, Live At The Royal Festival Hall (InsideOut)
Steve Hackett is an immense talent, as well as also being a very significant and influential figure in prog rock. He’s in the uniquely enviable position of being lauded for his work with seventies prog luminaries, Genesis, and for his work as a prolific solo artist, which means he has a huge body of work..
IQ – Resistance (Giant Electric Pea)
There's been no shortage of releases for IQ fanatics to absorb since the most recent studio album The Road Of Bones came stampeding into their lives five years ago. Two lengthy live sets (including their first ever blu-ray), a jam-packed deluxe anniversary edition of their classic Ever album, the wonderfully charming Tales From A Dark..
New extreme metal band Strigoi to release debut album this fall
Strigoi is the name of a new band, created by Paradise Lost guitarist Gregor Mackintosh, after the demise of Vallenfyre (a crust/ doom metal project, with three albums released between 2011 and 2017). Strigoi will release their debut album Abandon All Faith, on November 22nd via Nuclear Blast. Named after the troubled spirits in Romanian..
NOVA CASCADE – A Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows
You might not know the name Nova Cascade, but gather round and listen... Perhaps best described as a collective around the hub of Dave Hilborne (vocals and keys), the band known as Nova Cascade released their debut album Above All Else around a year ago, and it had much to recommend it. Fast Forward to..
AUSTIN GOLD – AUSTIN GOLD (MINI-ALBUM)
Peterborough 5-piece Austin Gold released their debut album Before Dark Clouds in 2017, gathering a couple of newcomer awards and securing a main stage spot at 2019’s Ramblin’ Man Fair along the way. Unfortunately, progress towards their second album has been stymied six tracks in by the departure of guitarist Jack Cable, leaving the rest..
Anthony Phillips …in conversation
One might be inclined to think that an 86 minute album of guitar instrumentals could wear out its welcome and tempt the attention deficient among us to turn it off before it was halfway done. Certainly that has been the case with past releases from some of the flashier players in Guitarland, with their endless..
Bodyfarm – Dreadlord (No Dust Records)
In times when Dutch death metallers Bodyfarm should be happy with excitement about the forthcoming release of their best album yet, the mood is exactly the opposite. Founding member Thomas Wouters (vocals and guitars) lost his battle with cancer on August 6th this year, not long after he recorded his, it turns out, magnum opus...