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HOT NEW REVIEWS
GHALIA
VOLT 'ONE WOMAN BAND' (RUF RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
How something as evil as covid-19 can turn
out to be a positive change in someone's life, because Belgian
singer-songwriter/blues guitarist GHALA VOLT was already quite successfull with
her 2 earlier albums, but due to covid she couldn't tour or barely recording a
new album, because travelling is a major issue worldwide. However, she
reinvented herself by learning to play guitar and drums at the same time while
singing her songs, kinda like a busker, and as a result she toured across the
USA all by herself, and eventually recorded this sensational 3rd album One
woman band on her own. There are a few guest spots from bassist DEAN ZUCCHERO
and guitarist MIKE WELCH, but overall she does everything on her own here. The
album is a sensational piece of original heavy blues rock with superb vocals
and excellent guitarplaying, while the songs are quite memorable. 11 songs are
included and you can feel the real soul of her work and I am safe to say that
we need to keep our eyes wide open in the future for this beautiful talented
musician. Hopefully after covid, she will return to the stage and then she will
mesmerize us with all her talents as a one-woman band. More info at: https://www.ghaliavolt.com
ALLY
VENABLE 'HEART OF FIRE' (RUF RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
ALLY VENABLE is one of the youngest
musicians in the blues rock scene, with already quite a few releases so far.
Heart of fire is her latest album, and it features guest appearances by some
big names, such as DEVON ALLMAN and KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD. 11 songs are included
in total, and despite you can hear she is still young and her voice needs to
develop further into the future, her guitarwork is sensational. Besides Ally
singing and playing guitar, other involved musicians are drummer ELIJAH OWINGS
and bassist BOBBY WALLACE on most of the songs, while we can also hear PAT
FUSCO (keys), JANA MISENER (cello), CODY DICKINSON (drums), LANDON MOORE (bass)
and RICK STEFF (keys). Just like on her earlier albums, Ally delivers a
top-notch high class heavy blues rocksound , with as highlights Heart of fire,
Hateful blues, Road to nowhere and the lovely closing track What do you want
from me, although the instrumental Tribute to SRV is also a great song that is
a tribute to the late great STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN. Check out more info on Ally at:
https://allyvenableband.com
PETTER CARLSEN 'THE SUM OF EVERY SHADE' (FRISKT PUST ERECORDS/JOT AGENCY)
As soon as the first song I Love The Way
You See The World is playing loud in my room, it is clear that we are dealing
with a very interesting album that musically speaking fits somewhere between
melancholic singer-songwriter pop, modern atmospheric semi-progressive rock and
catchy chorus orientated indie-pop/rock. It concerns here the 5th album of
Norwegian singer, songwriter, guitarist and engineer PETTER CARLSEN, who worked
with DANIEL CARDOSO (ANATHEMA) in the past and is assisted on this new album by
multi-instrumentalist KRISTIAN S. OLSTADT, BENJAMIN MJORK (synths), WETLE HOLTE
(drums), MIKAEL PEDERSEN (drums) and ARKTISK FILHARMONI (strings). He actually
lives in Alba, Norway, which is a town up north close to the polar circle!
After the great start of the afforementioned opener, following Dogs is a lovely
midtempo indie-poprocker with a great chorus that feels a bit like early 90s U2
somehow. The calmer Contradictions is a beautiful song that shows the
incredible talent of Petter as a singer/songwriter, because this modern pop
song is radio-ready and even reminds me a bit of KEANE. The prog influences are
also hearable on a lot of songs, such as during Pagee, the fantastic rockier
Good news and the superb Funny old life (bombastic song with superstrong
melodies like a calmer MUSE meets AIRBAG). Overall, this feels like a great
journey through a musical adventure that balances somewhere between the
atmospheric modern calmer melodic progressive rock of ANATHEMA, AIRBAG, PORCUPINE
TREE, STEVEN WILSON and a indie-rockier approach to darker melancholic
singersongwriter pop-rock a la TAME IMPALE. More information can be found at: https://pettercarlsen.com/
ZOE
'BACK INTO THE LIGHT' (BRENNUS MUSIC/FRANCE IMPORT)
Back into the light is the 4th album of
the French stoner rockband ZOE, who are signed to the legendary BRENNUS MUSIC
label. Back in the 1990s this label, which was a rock orientated sublabel of
MUSEA RECORDS, it brought a lot of great album releases from mostly French AOR,
Hardrock and Metalbands. ZOE is probably the last and only act on BRENNUS MUSIC
nowadays, but thankfully they are a great rocking band to check out. Their new
album is mastered by GORAN FINNBERG (MESHUGGAH, IN FLAMES...) and 10 songs are
included on this great record. The band is formed around Musically speaking we are heading into
classic massive sounding groovy heavy fuzz guitar orientated Stoner Rock a la
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS, and 70s acts like MC5 and BLACK SABBATH, but
also here and there a touch of dirty mean sleazy rock and roll (Cut class). The
lovely frontcover is already making you eager to check out the album as quickly
as possible, and as highlights we need to mention Voices, the melodic Down in a
hole (classic retro melodic hardrock that even reminds me a bit of FOO
FIGHTERS) and White trash. ZOE is definitely one of the stronger French bands
right now, so go check them out at: https://zoestonerrock.bandcamp.com/album/back-into-the-light-lx-brennus-music
AZMARI
'SAMAI' (SDBAN RECORDS/NEWS DISTRIBUTION/BELGIAN IMPORT)
Psychedelic jazz meets Afro-funk or fusing
ethiogroove, dub, psychfunk and eastern sounds with memories of classic 1970s
prog/krautrock as well, that is what this is all about on the official debut
full-length release of AZMARI. This instrumental Belgian band is formed around Arthur
Ancion (drums), Basile Bourtembourg (keyboards), Jojo Demeijer (percussion),
Niels D’haegeleer (bass), Mattéo Badet (sax) and Yohan Dumas (sax) , and via an
earlier EP release they were already tipped as a band to watch out for, and now
with this new album, which has a beauitul frontcover by the way, this AZAMARI
is ready to make their big breakthrough. Sometimes quite jazzy (Cosmic masadani
and Kadikoy), while at other times even touching classic 70s kraut/progrock (Kugler
and the lovely Fat Ari) and of course the Middle-Eastern meets African influences
in a lot of the songs. This beautiful album feels like a trip around the world,
with so much diversity going on, although also concentrated around melodies in
each and every of the 9 included songs. In general, they come across like a mix
between 70s WEATHER REPORT, SOFT MACHINE, AZYMUTH, OMER AVITAL and ALTIN GUN.
One of the absolute highlights is the superb Azmari and also the aforementioned
Fat Ari, which combine all those elements perfectly, with the arabic rhythms
and western mixture of jazz and psychedelic 70s kraut/progrock, it is simply
said a joy to listen to from start to finish! This is one of those bands that
makes you realize how wonderful it was to watch them perform live on stage
during for example NORTH SEA JAZZ. Let's hope it will all happen again in 2022
and onwards, but for now check out AZMARI's superb album and more info at: https://sdbanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ekera-ep
HENRIK
FREISCHLADER BAND 'MISSING PIECES' (CABLE CAR RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Germany comes the wonderful classic
rock/bluesrockband HENRIK FREISCHLADER BAND, who are formed around
guitarist/singer/songwriter HENRIK FREISCHLADER, a gifted and very talented
musician from the city of Wuppertal. The other members in the band are bassist
ARMIN ALIC, keyboardplayer ROMAN BABIK, saxophone player MARCO ZUGNER and
drummer MORITZ MEINSCHAFER. They have released quite a few albums so far, while
Henrik himself also released a lot of solo albums. I hope I am able to check
out more on him soon, because this new album Missing pieces is a lovely record
from start to finish. The artwork is stunning, with many things to look at
while listening and thankfully the music is of an incredible high level. After
the short instrumental Opening, which is a bluesy guitar solo by Henrik
himself, the ball starts rolling with New beginning, a wonderful calmer
relaxing bluesy and very soulful tune that showcases not only the excellent
guitarplaying of Henrik, but also his beautiful soulful voice, which is a
pleasure to listen to. It gives you goosebumps when listening to the precise
melodic guitarwork in combination with those soulful vocals, so it is even more
remarkable he has not yet had his absolute big breakthrough. Anyway, the album
continues with the rockier Power to the peaceful, a groovy tune with superb
guitarwork and also a soul vibe, somewhere between GARY MOORE, JOE BONAMASSA
and WALTER TROUT. Following Let the people be free continues this midtempo
groovy soulful blues vibe, because this is a sensational song that even touches
for example LENNY KRAVITZ and JOHN MAYER, while the soaring melodic guitarsolo
of Henrik shows once again he can let his guitar sing and that's what makes him
such an interesting guitarist! Another missing piece is a calmer tune with a sorta
BILL WITHERS vibe somehow, while the RAUL MIDON-ish Justice blues and It ain't
funky (with jazzy touch) are great funky groovy tunes in classic retro 70s
style. The calmer bluesy slow ballad I wanna thank you follows in a classic BB
KING style. What have I done to you? speeds things up a bit in a more groovier
heavier blues rock direction in the style of GARY CLARK JR. and KENNY WAYNE
SHEPHARD, including a wonderful guitarsolo. Following tracks Grown up and We
used to be happy have that groovy jazzy touch again, while One and one is one
is a very slow soulful song and closing track Walking in the shadows of the
spotlight blends the funky RAUL MIDON sound with a bluesy JOHN MAYER touch. Do
not miss this talented musician! Check out more at: https://www.henrikfreischlader.com
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
THE
PAWN SHOP SAINTS 'ORDINARY FOLKS' (DOLLYROCKER RECORDS/US IMPORT)
Out of the US state of New England comes
THE PAWN SHOP SAINTS, a band formed around
singer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist/banjo player JEB BARRY, guitarist MICHAEL
O'NEILL, drummer JOSH PISANO and bassist CHRIS SAMSON. They have already
achieved some success with their previous albums, so this new album Ordinary
folks will probably find it's way to the fans of the band. Musically speaking
it is calmer and somewhat depressing singer/songwriter/folk orientated like BOB
DYLAN, NEIL YOUNG and TOWNES VAN ZANDT. It's not a real uplifting album, but
this is no problem at all, since this is also the purpose of the 9 included
story-telling songs that are all written by Jeb, and here and there are dealing
with today's stuggles of the youth due to the covid lockdown worldwide. Lynyrd
Skynyrd for example is such a song, which of course also refers to the
legendary band. If the aforementioned names are up your alley, then I would
recommend you to check out THE PAWN SHOP SAINTS at: https://www.jebbarry.com/
WITCHRIDER
'ELECTRICAL STORM' (FUZZORAMA RECORDS/SWEDEN IMPORT)
The Austrian band WITCHRIDER was formed in
2012 and quite quickly they released their debut album Unmountable stairs on
the Swedish label FUZZORAMA RECORDS. After some line-up changes, it took the
band some time to come up with the follow-up, but eventually Electrical storm
is now released. This 2nd album is a great record and of a very high level,
including 11 songs in total. The first couple of songs clearly show the band's
love for the Stoner Rock of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and the modern Alternative
Melodic Rock of FOO FIGHTERS, although the uptempo You lied even reveals
somehow memories of DURAN DURAN vocally speaking, so there is a very slight pop
touch to be heard, which can be heard even more during the calmer gothic/wave
influenced titletrack Electrical storm, a superb atmospheric and somewhat
melancholic dark semi-ballad that is very melodic. The album continues this
interesting mix of 90s grunge, 00s alternative rock, stoner rock and the
melodies of a band like DURAN DURAN or even THE CURE. This rocks big time all
the time and the musicianship is quite impressive, while the vocals of lead
singer DANIEL DORNINGER are also superstrong. The other members in the band are
guitarist HANS-PETER LEITNER, bassist BERNHARD WEIGL and drummer MICHAEL
HIRSCHMUGL. Not a single weak song to be found here, and as highlights I would
like to point out Shadows, I am confused, Mess creator and the superb Let go
(which sounds like DURAN DURAN joining FOO FIGHTERS to record a song produced
by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE!). If you're starting to become interested, then
check out this excellent highly recommended Austrian band at: https://www.witchridermusic.com and
https://fuzzoramarecords1.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-storm
ENIGMA
EXPERIENCE '?' (FUZZORAMA RECORDS/SWEDEN IMPORT)
ENIGMA EXPERIENCE is a new band from
Norway/Sweden and basically they are a super band, because their line up
consists of TRUCKFIGHTERS guitarist Niklas ‘Mr.Dango’ Källgren, ex-TRUCKFIGHTERS/WITCHCRAFT
drummer Oskar ‘Pezo’ Johansson and BREED/MOTORFINGER vocalist Maurice Adams.
The resulting debut album ? is a lovely piece of work that combines retro
Classic Hardrock soaring guitar solos, Stoner/Doom Rock/Metal orientated heavy
fuzz guitar riffs and melodic hooks and choruses from the Melodic Rockbook. I
am always jealous of the fact that this kind of rockmusic is especially made in
the Scandinavian countries at a very high level, because over here in The
Netherlands only a few bands are creating such rock, but nowhere near the high
level of this ENIGMA EXPERIENCE. Opener Realityline kicks off the album and
right from the start you will be impressed, because this 10 minutes counting
song has got all the ingredients to become a classic in the future to come. You
absolutely can't go wrong after such a sensational start, and the following 7
songs continue this high level mixture of classic hardrock, stoner/doom and
melodic hardrock, with as other highlights the uptempo Lonewolf, Corruption,
and Equilibrium. The band has an own identity, but if you like bands such as
BLACK SABBATH, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FOO FIGHTERS, SPIDERGAWD, TRUCKFIGHTERS
and even THIN LIZZY, then you will love this album for sure! Check out this
superb band at: https://www.enigma-experience.com/
ELLIS
DELANEY 'ORDINARY LOVE' (HUDSON HARDING/INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Ordinary love is the 10th album of folk singer/songwriter
ELLIS DELANEY from Minneapolis, USA. She sings, plays acoustic guitar and
ukulele, while there are quite a few guest musicians appearing on her latest
album. 12 songs are included and after a calm start with the acoustic The
finest adventure, things get a it more uptempo with the catchy I think about
you. Somehow I must think of a cross between ALANIS MORISSETTE, ILSE DELANGE
and SUZANNE VEGA, both vocally and musically speaking. Other highlights are Pie
for breakfast, Happy life and Paper wings. Ellis has a strong voice and her
music is a nice mixture of folk, singer/songwriter and calmer 90s melodic
pop/rock. Check out more info on Ellis at: https://ellisdelaney.bandcamp.com/album/ordinary-love
(Points:
7.5 out of 10)
AARON
LEE TASJAN 'TASJAN! TASJAN! TASJAN!' (NEW WEST/PIAS/KLANDERMAN PROMOTIONS)
The American singer/songwriter has been
around for a while, but his new album Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! is my first introduction
to this talented musician. I believe he already released 6 albums in the past,
but somehow I must have missed them, which is not that strange if you consider
the fact that there are literally hundreds of releases each week. Anyway, back
to Aaron's new album, this is a very strong album and a remarkable one, because
it sounds different from the countless other new album releases. Aaron has a
love for the past and he gives it his own touch to make it sound ready for
today's world. 11 songs are included and opener Sunday women is a catchy
uptempo Powerpop tune with clear influences from TOM PETTY and some THE BEACH
BOYS harmonies during the strong chorus. Then there's also the fantastic
midtempo catchy pop/rocker Up all night, which is TOM PETTY meets THE TRAVELING
WILBURY'S meets GEORGE HARRISON meets ROY ORBISON being produced JEFF LYNNE, so
I guess you'll get the picture what this sounds like! There are also calmer
singer/songwriter moments to be heard (Another lovely day), but overall we can
hear a great melodic powerpop/poprock adventure through past music history,
with a lot of memories of the aforementioned acts. Other highlights are the
superb midtempo Don't overthink it, the lovely dreampop-ish Cartoon music and Dada
bois. The melodies are extremely catchy and Aaron has a pleasant relaxing
voice, so go check out Aaron a.s.a.p. if any of the acts is up your alley. More
info can be found at: https://altobviously.bandcamp.com/
VOLTER
'HIGH GAIN OVERKILL' (VOLTERZONE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
VOLTER is probably the future band for any
dedicated MOTORHEAD fan, because when hearing their opener High gain overkill,
this is basically classic MOTORHEAD all the way! The German band was formed in
2014 and High gain overkill is their 2nd album so far. VOLTER is a trio
consisting of drummer ANTON HERRMANN, guitarist JAKE WEGENER and
bassist/vocalist GREGOR MUSIOL, and High gain overkill is a classic rock and
roll record, with a sound that dates back to the late 1970s/early 1980s when
the borderline between punk and metal was extremely small and especially
MOTORHEAD made it possible to unite fans of both genres. Although not very
original, VOLTER are doing things at an incredible high level and therefore I
can easily say they are a must to hear if you like classic dirty mean uptempo
punky raw NWOBHM with raw vocals and a sleazy guitarsound. MOTORHEAD fans will
absolutely love songs like the aforementioned titletrack High gain overkill, Kiss
my ass and Damage dealer, but if you like for example AC/DC, RUNNING WILD,
GRAVE DIGGER and such you will also like the growlin’ classic rock/metal of
VOLTER. The closing Rockstar is one of the few songs that is slightly
different, more midtempo with a sorta BLACK SABBATH ish Doom Metal approach,
yet with pure LEMMY-ish vocals. Check out VOLTER at: https://volterzone.de
ART OF
EMPATHY 'END OF I' (AENAOS RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
End of I feels like a soundtrack, with its
dark calm haunting melancholic approach that is situated around a bombastic
orchestral instrumental sound, with dark low pitched vocals that have a sorta
gothic/doom kinda feeling. Imagine a mix of dark wave/gothic neo-folk (TYPE O
NEGATIVE meets OMNIA) with a modern post-progressive rock touch (ANATHEMA,
PORCUPINE TREE, OPETH), then you’re probably close to ART OF EMPATHY. It
concerns here a Belgian project formed around JEF JANSSEN and the result is
already a 3rd album since his debut in 2007. The music is quite melodic and it
really takes you on a journey where I personally see myself walking through a
rather cold and snowy landscape (which at the time of writing is exactly what I
see in front of me when looking outside!) and I am looking for food and a warm
place to shelter. Job done very well actually and especially the relaxing vibe
of the album is making it a joy to listen to. Fans of Neo-Folk, Darkwave,
Post-Progrock and even Celtic Mediaeval Romantic music (Legion features
additional and really beautiful female vocals) are united on this album and it
will also appeal to fans of Doom Metal and if you like a band such as WARDRUNA
or LORD OF THE RINGS/GAME OF THRONES background music, this might be right up
your alley as well. 12 songs are included and with a playing time of 71
minutes, it will give you a lot of pleasure from start to finish. Check out all
info at: https://artofempathy.bandcamp.com/track/end-of-i
THE
SEARCH 'HEART'S RACING' (AENAOS RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
RAZMIG TEKEYAN is the only member left in
the band THE SEARCH. This Swedish band was formed back in 1999 and they have
released 9 albums so far. I was unfamiliar with them, so their new album
Heart’s racing is a nice introduction. Razmig does everything on his own here,
with 18 songs in total, starting with the Indie 80s calmer THE SMITHS ish
Saturday night. However when reading the press release, I was quite surprised
to see that influences came from BRYAN ADAMS, THE OUTFIELD and SCANDAL, but
when the 80s synth influenced melodic wave/poprocker Under the radar is playing
after this somewhat alternative indie start, it is clear that we are hearing
something wonderful and pure 1980s retro based, quite close indeed to classic
THE OUTFIELD, MR. MISTER and CUTTING CREW, with a real 80s synth/classic catchy
hooks/chorus orientated sound. Also When the stars align is basically
picture-perfect 80s New Wave/Poprock in an almost classic 1987 Canadian
direction of bands like PLATINUM BLONDE, HAYWIRE, GLASS TIGER, COREY HART, RED
RIDER, WANG CHUNG (British), 1927 (Australian), THE ARROWS and countless
others. Other highlights are the superb Don’t let yourself down (uptempo 80s Poprock
at its best), Tracker of kicks, the beautiful Tonque tied, Specimen, In the
heat of the night and In my restless dreams. Here and there it has also a
slight 80s Indie THE SMITHS-ish touch during the calmer songs and especially
vocally Razmig reminds me of MORRISSEY, but most of the time, this is
definitely a must-have to check out for anyone into classic 80s Canadian new
wave-ish melodic poprock! More info at: https://thesearch.bandcamp.com/album/a-wave-from-the-sidelines
ART
NOIR 'POEMS OF AN EXTINCT SPECIES' (AENAOS RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
At the moment I write the review of the
ART NOIR album I am shocked to read that the legendary GOLDEN EARRING guitarist
GEORGE KOOYMANS is diagnosed with the disease ALS. The man behind this project
is the German film composer/musician JAN WEBER (ex-keyboardist of IMPRESSIONS
OF WINTER) who was diagnosed with ALS back in 2015 when he started working on
this album. Back then he was able to move his fingers, but we all know that
eventually the only way to communicate is through your eyes. The guitarist
JASON BECKER is one of the best known musicians who is still making music via
high-tech machines, eye-scans and the help of other guitarists. Jan is also
moving in that direction and his new ART NOIR album Poems of an extinct species
is an example how musicians still can produce new music despite having this
terrible disease ALS. Along with singer NADIA STELZER, producers THOMAS NAVAS
and STEFAN VESPER, this is a fine album that more or less feels like a calm and
beautiful atmospheric dark ambient electronic wave/soundtrack in a sort of
kraut/KLAUS SCHULZE/TANGERINE DREAM kind synthesizer direction most of the time,
with also a touch of Synthwave (Shadows of the past) and of course the gothic
melodic touch due to the wonderful vocals of Nadia (Moving sky and Gloomy
Sunday). Done very well, this is a great record from someone who doesn’t give
up making music. Check out more info at: http://www.artnoir.net
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
DELTA
TEA 'THE CHESSBOARD' (INDEPENDENT/ELLIE PROMOTION/FRANCE IMPORT)
Here we have a sensational instrumental
release from a French band called DELTA TEA. They are formed around
keyboardplayer Antoine Gehin, guitarist Clovis Gehin, drummer Kilian Beyly and
bassist Oscar Decamps, and The chessboard is their debut album. It mixes
jazz/fusion with classic progrock/progmetal in a very clever way, so at one
moment you think you're listening to a smooth jazzy fusion band, while at other
times it's progrock all the way. STEVE VAI meets PANZERBALLETT has been a
description by several people and I guess you can easily say that is more or
less correct, although DELTA TEA has an own identity, which you will conclude
after hearing the 5 songs on this first album. There is so much going on here,
and it's amazing to see the band taking so much out of a lot of genres (jazz,
rock, prog and metal), and in each and every song you can hear this smoothly incorporated,
while there are countless beautiful melodies to identify. Without a doubt, this
is a highly recommended instrumental album to check out at:
https://deltatea.bandcamp.com
and https://deltatea.fr/tag/the-chessboard
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
SNAP
BORDER 'ICONS' (INDEPENDENT/ELLIE PROMOTION/FRANCE IMPORT)
Out of Nancy, France comes SNAP BORDER, a
professional and international sounding band which was formed back in 2012 and
they released their debut in 2016. Icons is the follow-up mini-CD, consisting
of 5 new songs. Musically speaking SNAP BORDER is doing things at quite a high
level, playing American influenced modern rock with a lot of room for clean
catchy melodies and their singer is really able to sing quite well without an
accent. An uptempo modern melodic rocker like Newsfeed icons is very strong and
a promise for the future for this band! Here and there some aggressive screams,
but if you like the modern American rocksound you will love this for sure!
Check them out for yourself at: https://snapborder.bandcamp.com/album/icons
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
BURNT
UMBER 'PETROLEUM' (INDEPENDENT/ELLIE PROMOTION/FRANCE IMPORT)
Formed in 2018, the French female fronted
band BURNT UMBER deliver now a strong impressive and very sensational
full-length debut album titled Petroleum. The band has a powerhouse vocalist
with an incredible high pitched range (ABBY), who (almost) reaches the vocal
skills of NIGHTWISH’ FLOOR JANSEN and EVANESCENCE’s AMY LEE. Along with a huge
sound, a lot of amazing songs and also excellent guitarwork, this first album
of the band is highly recommended to fans of AFTER FOREVER, EVANESCENCE, and
such! The band is completed by guitarists Massi and Wince, while bassist
Mickael and drummer J-War are together filling the rhythm section. From start
to finish, all of the 14 included songs are a joy to listen to, and it’s
definitely Abby who lifts the band straight above the average female fronted
rock/metal bands in the scene. BURNT UMBER are a sensational new band to check
out and songs like Tree of sorrow, Rainy Sunday and Six feet underwater are the
living proof of a band with a bright future! The only remark I would like to
make is that Abby also needs to sing in a calmer mood here and there, so there
is a bit more diversity, because now she is almost non-stop singing in the
upper league of her voice. Check out this interesting band at: http://www.burntumber.net
35
TAPES 'HOME' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out of Oslo, Norway comes 35 TAPES, and
their new album is titled Home. The 3-piece band is formed around Morten Lund /
acoustic & electric guitars, lap steel, sitar, keyboards, Mellotron,
vocals, Jarle Wangen / bass, acoustic & electric guitars, vocals and Bjørn
Stokkeland / drums. Their music is clearly calmer 1970s melodic progrock
orientated like 70s GENESIS, CAMEL and such, but vocally speaking Morten is
reminding me somehow of the late TALK TALK vocalist MARK HOLLIS. It’s a nice
combination, although here and there I raise my eyebrows as it is not always
sounding crystal clear, but on the other hand the 6 songs take you in a great
classic prog journey. I am not familiar with the band’s debut from 2019, but I
suspect it to be along the same lines. Highlight on this new album is the
lovely Onward and you can check out more on them at: https://35tapes.bandcamp.com
SUBURBAN
SAVAGES 'DEMAGOGUE DAYS' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out of Oslo, Norway comes SUBURBAN
SAVAGES, a band/project formed around the drummer of Progrockband PANZERPAPA,
TROND GJELLUM. I believe it’s the 3rd album and besides Trond on vocals, drums,
percussion, programming, synths, drum-machines, samples, the other involved
musicians are Anders Kristian Krabberød: bass, chapman stick, nylon string
guitar, synths, e-bow guitar, backing vocals, Mari Lesteberg: vocals,
keyboards, synths and Thomas Meidell: vocals, electric and acoustic guitars,
electric sitar, bass VI, synths, theremin, omnichord, field-recordings, samples.
The 4 of them create a sound that is best classified as pure neo-prog with rich
cheerful keyboards in combination with strong song/vocal orientated melodies.
The 8 songs offer enough for both interesting instrumental passages and memorable
vocal melodies, easily finding the right balance between prog and pop/rock. One
of the absolute highlights is the superb Iconoclast, which has all the
ingredients to become a future prog classic! Done very well, this is a
recommended progalbum to check out at: https://suburbansavages.bandcamp.com
CALIGONAUT
'MAGNIFIED AS GIANTS' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
CALIGONAUT is the solo project of
Norwegian singer/songwriter/guitarist OLE MICHAEL BJORNDAL, who is known for
working with bands like OAK, AIRBAG and BJORN RIIS. Together with a list of
guest musicians, which include members of WOBBLER, MEER, OAK, PYMLICO and
AIRBAG, this is an all-star Norwegian prog event. Magnified as giants is the
debut album and I must admit it’s a very strong album that is basically
picture-perfect calmer melancholic dark (and slightly depressing) but melodic
progrock in the style of PINK FLOYD and 70s GENESIS, yet combining the classic
sounds of those bands with a more modern take here and there (PORCUPINE TREE,
OPETH), with a prominent role for the lovely soaring guitarwork from Ole
himself, who is by the way also a strong singer/songwriter. This is one of
those records that will absolutely be loved by the progfans out there. 4 long
songs are included, and from start to finish it’s a great adventure through the
fields of all the variation and diversity our beloved progrock genre has to
offer. Check it out at: https://caligonaut.bandcamp.com/community
LONG
EARTH 'ONCE AROUND THE SUN' (GRAND TOUR MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
Wow, this is a full-blown classic late
80s/early 90s sounding Neo-Progressive Rockalbum in the style of classic IQ, PENDRAGON,
PALLAS, IT BITES, ABEL GANZ, etc. In fact, some of the members played in ABEL
GANZ 25+ years ago, so there is the connection! The band's line up consists of Martin
Haggarty / Lead & Backing Vocals, Renaldo McKim / Electric Guitars,
Acoustic Guitars, Ambient Guitars, Mike Baxter / Piano, Synthesizers, Hammond
C3, Gordon Mackie / Bass, Fretless Bass, Moog Bass Pedals and Ken Weir / Drums,
Percussion. Once around the sun is their 2nd album, following up their debut
album The source from 2017. When listening to the fantastic opener We own
tomorrow, we are pleased with a wonderful melodic song that captures the
aforementioned classic neo-progsound from 25 years ago. It is as authentic as
possible, and perhaps to some it might sound a bit dated, Scottish LONG EARTH
are doing it at an incredible high level, which can be heard from the start
until the very end, which is a concept song titled Once around the sun, which
consists of the 4 seasons as different parts. The vocals and choruses are quite
strong, the songs are based around cheerful keys and rich soaring guitarsolo's,
so I think in the end, all the fans of PALLAS, IQ, PENDRAGON, ABEL GANZ and
such, they will absolutely love this album! More info at: https://longearth.bandcamp.com/album/once-around-the-sun
LIONHEART
'MARY DID YOU KNOW 7" SINGLE' (METALVILLE RECORDS/FLYING DOLPHIN/THE
ROCK/PIAS)
Last year the legendary super group
LIONHEART released a wonderful comeback record and in addition I recently
received a vinyl single, which was released just before Christmas, since it
concerns the Christmas classic Mary did you know on side-A. This is originally
a song by the artist MICHAEL ENGLISH, but has been covered meanwhile by
hundreds of other musicians, including LIONHEART now. Side-B contains a mixed
version of the song The reality of miracles, which is the title track of the
band’s album from 2020. Both songs are a positive message from LIONHEART to the
world, and I think we need a bit of this kinda melodic rock at the moment.
Check out this single and of course their sensational full-length album from
2020 as well as more info on LIONHEART at: https://www.facebook.com/lionheartrock
WIZARD
'METAL IN MY HEAD' (MASSACRE RECORDS/THE ROCK/BERTUS)
Metal in my head is the 12th album of the
German band WIZARD, and just like their previous albums, it is filled with pure
Heavy Metal/Power Metal in classic German teutonic meets MANOWAR style. As soon
as the catchy sing-a-long chorus and twin-guitarwork of the fast uptempo opener
Bring light into the dark is blasting through the speakers, we are definitely
into Metal Heaven! It’s the band’s first album with their new guitarist TOMMY
HARTUNG and the album was produced by MARTIN BUCHWALTER (TANKARD, DESTRUCTION).
The sound is huge and this one of those albums where your heart is pumping a
bit faster due to the strength of the real classic Heavy Metal in fantastic
songs like Metal feast (somehow reminding me of classic NOISEHUNTER), the True
Metal gang-vocals driven anthem Metal in my head (PRIEST meets PRIMAL FEAR) and
30 years of Metal, but they also throw in an epic ballad-ish tune (Whirlewolf)
like MANOWAR and DREAM EVIL also did in the past. All hail to WIZARD and their
sensational new album! More info at: www.legion-of-doom.de
MJM
'IV' (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
Canadian guitarist MICHAEL J. MILLER is
best known as member of RAPID TEARS, a legendary 80s Metal band that released
albums in the 1980s, which are currently re-issued by CULT METAL CLASSICS/SONIC
AGE RECORDS. Michael continued with other bands and projects, such as
ADRENALIN, of whom we reviewed the album Dedicated on LONG ISLAND RECORDS more
than 25 years ago! However, he also formed MJM, and IV is their 4th album so
far. The band’s line up consists of Zsolt Henczely – Bass, Tom Eakin – Drums
and Michael J Miller - Guitars/Vocals and Stephany Dudas – Backing vocals, and
the CD contains 9. Musically it is a clear throwback to classic 80s melodic
heavy rock/metal and thankfully it is done very well with a focus on strong
melodies and biting guitarwork, with as highlights Could it be, Humanoid (very
strong epic progmetal ish piece a la SAVATAGE, EVERGREY and PSYCHOTIC WALTZ),
the 80s orientated Voodoo doll (LIZZY BORDEN-ish) and the fantastic 80s Power
Ballad, with lovely guitarwork. Go check them out at: https://www.mjm.global
INDIA
RAMEY 'SHALLOW GRAVES' (THE MEDICINE SHOW/UK IMPORT)
INDIA RAMEY is a talented
singer/songwriter from Georgia, Alabama with a crystal clear modern appproach
on her 4th album Shallow graves, although it also reveals traditional American
music influences. Her new album was recorded with Mark Petaccia (a
Nashville-based producer) and brothers Will, Carson and Cheyenne Medders on
guitar, bass and drums. Opener and titletrack Shallow graves is a very strong
uptempo southern country rocker with a sorta dark QUENTIN TARANTINO edge to it.
Following Up to no good is a bit more traditional countryrock, with
similarities to classic JUICE NEWTON. The witch is one of the strongest songs,
with a dark alternative midtempo country/rootsy/bluesy rocksound, kinda like
JOHNNY CASH with of course female vocals. The rest of the album continues this
mixture of styles, although in generally speaking this is a mostly country-rock
orientated album a la DOLLY PARTON with a darker edge here and there, and as
other highlights we need to mention Debutante ball, the fantastic You and me
against the world and King of the ashes. Check out this interesting
singer/songwriter at: https://indiaramey.com
THE
CARLOWAYS 'RESUSCITATOR' (THE MEDICINE SHOW/UK IMPORT)
Resuscitator is the debut album of the
Scottish Americana band THE CARLOWAYS. The album was produced by PAUL MCINALLY
(FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, THE LAPELLE…) and the band’s Americana-Poprock is
not only influenced by the American acts in this genre, but also shows the
band’s love for Scottish Folk sometimes (especially during The king and It
would not matter). The result is a strong and diverse album that holds together
11 songs that were written and composed by bandleader MICHAEL FRANCIS
MACLENNAN. They flirt a lot of times with pop structures and melodies (like
AVETT BROTHERS), which actually makes them a band with a possible breakthrough,
because quite a few songs here are hit potential. Highlights are the catchy
uptempo opener 1,2,3 (Oh well) (sounding like MUMFORD & SONS, with a sorta
Bluegrass folky touch, yet more authentic for sure), the lovely midtempo
melodic rockers Worrying kind (a la RYAN ADAMS) and Lonesome (actually a bit
like BRYAN ADAMS), and Library (a very smooth melodic Americana pop/rock song
influenced by THE JAYHAWKS). The band also takes a step back to calmer balladry
here and there, such as can be heard during December (featuring ABIGAIL PRYDE
as guest singer) and closing track How it’s meant to be. Check out this
promising new Scottish band at: https://www.thecarloways.com
KRISTIN
LARKIN 'WAKING UP' (THE MEDICINE SHOW/UK IMPORT)
Waking up is the latest release from
American singer/songwriter KRISTIN LARKIN. Together with KELLEN WENRICH (bass,
strings, keys, harmonium), ANNA EILERMANN (vocal harmonies), ADAM TAYLOR
(guitars), STEPHEN MASON (guitars), JACKI MACRI (drums), STEVE SMITH (drums)
and MARK SLOAN (pedal steel), she recorded a very nice calmer
singer/songwriter/rootsy Americana/country record that starts very peaceful
with Tread lightly, but gets more uptempo on the following songs, with as
highlights That’s beautiful, the slow rockier When you’re lying (fantastic
song, with a sorta soul and rock touch!) and As we go along. Check out this
talented singer/songwriter at: https://kristinlarkin.bandcamp.com/album/waking-up
SPIKE
FLYNN 'POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART' (THE MEDICINE SHOW/UK IMPORT)
Out of Australia comes singer/songwriter
SPIKE FLYNN, and along with the help of MICKEY YOUNG (sax), GRAEME MOLLOY
(piano, organ), CHRIS MCCUSKER (bass), DAVID MCDADE (drums) and a few others,
he recorded a nice album titled Postcards from the heart. Included is calmer
story-telling singer-songwriter 70s orientated pop that sounds melancholic and
not far removed from LEONARD COHEN and even NICK CAVE comes around here and
there. Spike has the raspy raw voice that is perfect for this kind of music and
it makes you keep listening to each and every song. 11 songs are included, of
which the highlights are A circle is a hard place to hide, My lady of sorrow
and Stone to sand (one of the few uptempo folky songs). More info on this
talented musician at: https://spikeflynn1.bandcamp.com/album/postcards-from-the-heart
DUDLEY
TAFT 'COSMIC RADIO' (BMG BUMBLEBEE OBO CORDERO MUSIC/M2 MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
The talented
vocalist/guitarist/pianoplayer/songwriter DUDLEY TAFT has already released 7
albums since 2010 and now presents us his 8th album Cosmic radio. Just like his
previous album, he also recorded this album in his own studio in Cincinatti,
Ohio, the Muchmore Studios which he took over from the legendary PETER FRAMPTON
back in 2013. Together with Kasey Williams (bass), Jason Patterson (drums), Walfredo
Reyes Jr. (drums, SANTANA, CHICAGO, STEVE WINWOOD), Johnn Kessler (bass) and
vocalist Charmae, Dudley recorded a strong new album. 12 songs are included,
and opener Cosmic radio is a strong uptempo piece that sits for the greater
part in the heavy blues rock direction, yet also with some other influences
from the groovy late 80s/early American hardrocksound and even a tiny bit of
LOVERBOY-ish AOR can be heard somehow. Also following Left in the dust has that
kinda feeling, and so with 10 more songs to go, we are already enjoying the
talents of Dudley. The devil throws in some raw dirty mean boogie rock and roll
into the heavy blues rocksound, ending up sounding like a great cross between
SEASICK STEVE and ZZ TOP. Up next is the bluesy midtempo Goin' away baby, which
flirts with the classic blues rock sound, and so does the following One in a
million, although this song even has some slight 90s grunge influences. The end
of the blues is as you would expect a relaxing slower bluesy tune. Relentless
has a nice surprise, because here a fantastic female singer called CHARMAE
sings lead vocals, and she does a great job, sounding a bit like JOANNA SHAW
TAYLOR meets BETH HART. This semi-bluesy rockballad might even be the best song
on the album, thanks to especially the superb vocals of this talented guest
singer, but also the wonderful soaring guitar of Dudley. To my big surprise I
learnt that Charmae is actually the daughter of Dudley, so here we have a big
promise for the future I guess. Following Fly with me is a melodic classic
rocker that even reminds me a bit of FOO FIGHTERS. Hey hey hey is a nice basic
bluesy rocker, while the following slow songs All for one and I'm a believer
show again the light grungy rock influences (ALICE IN CHAINS). The album closes
nicely with the piano ballad I will always love you. All together a great
diverse record, so make sure to check out this talented musician at: https://dudleytaft.com/home
ROCK
AND ROLL JUNKIE 'COMMERCIAL SUICIDE' (SKY PRODUCTIONS/GERMAN IMPORT)
ROCK AND ROLL JUNKIE is a good-old
fashioned dirty mean sleazy rock and roll band from Germany, and they sound
extremely authentic on their 3rd album Commercial suicide. The band is formed
around vocalist/multi-instrumentalist JUNKIE, who is doing almost everything on
his own, except a few guitar solos (done by KIKI), so actually this is a project
or one-man’s band. After two independent releases, the band is now signed to
SKY PRODUCTIONS. 12 songs are included on the CD, and opener NTWV is a catchy
up tempo 80s orientated sleazy/glam rocker that even reminds me a bit of
classic TIGERTAILZ, LA GUNS and such. Following My darker side is slightly more
melodic in the guitar sound, and somehow this song reminds me of a cross
between TATTOOED LOVE BOYS, CHROME MOLLY, BILLY IDOL, HANOI ROCKS and THE CULT,
quite a catchy tune. I think you’ll get the picture in which direction this is
going, and from the other 10 songs the highlights are On your knees (awesome
80s hard rock guitar work), the title track Commercial suicide, Falling and
Rock and roll diet. They sound very British 1980s hard/sleaze/glam rock
orientated somehow, so they are doing this quite well if you’re a fan of the
aforementioned acts. Check out ROCK AND ROLL JUNKIE at: www.rockandrolljunkie.de
BLANK
MANUSKRIPT 'HIMMELFAHRT/KRASNA HORA' (INDEPENDENT/AUSTRIA IMPORT)
Out of Salzburg, Austria comes the
sensational band BLANK MANUSKRIPT, and Himmelfahrt is their 4th album. The band
has released their albums independently, and they were kind enough to send me
their new album and also their 3rd album Krasna Hora. The members of the band
are all multi-instrumentalists, which definitely help to come up with such a
diverse sound they are bringing us. The line-up consists of Jakob Aistleitner –
Saxophone, Flute, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Vocals, Peter Baxrainer –
Electric Guitar, Vocals, Manuel Schönegger – Trombone, Flute, Percussion,
Vocals, Jakob Sigl – Drums, Percussion, Tape, Vocals, Dominik Wallner –
Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Vocals and Alfons Wohlmuth – Electric Bass,
Flute, Vocals. Krasna Hora already shows we are dealing with an exceptional
band with an exciting and impressive 70s inspired Progrocksound, and all 8
tracks are a pleasure to listen to, offering a lot of diversity (Jazz to Prog),
with as absolute highlight the superb closing track The last journey. Their new
album Himmelfahrt is a sorta concept record and if we go through the listed
songs, we have to point out a song like The underglow, which is an amazing song
that many changes musically speaking, and also features a melodic chorus at the
end of the song, so perhaps you could compare this to THE FLOWER KINGS,
TRANSATLANTIC and such, but the song itself jumps to so many different styles,
it gives the band an own identity. What makes this band also a joy to listen to
is the fact that they are always keen on melodies, no matter if it is played on
guitar, sax, trombone or flute, and this makes them a true 1970s orientated
progrockband, yet with a modern approach. Just listen to the calmer start of Twilight
peak and you will understand what I mean, because such a song is breathing the
intelligence of the 1970s progrock movement, including jazzier moments slipping
through here and there, kinda like SOFT MACHINE back in the day. The band finds
a perfect balance between melodic progrock and here and there some exciting
complex progrock parts, with a jazzy/fusion touch as well. Although
instrumental most of the time, we can also hear some vocals/harmonyvocals here
and there as a sorta chorus, and when that happens it sounds very impressive.
Without a doubt, BLANK MANUSKRIPT is one of the great discoveries in prog
lately, and even the jazz/fusion fans will appreciate this band. I am enjoying
this new album of the band more than the new THE FLOWER KINGS, SPOCK’S BEARD or
TRANSATLANTIC albums, and this means we are dealing here with a masterpiece!
More info at: https://blankmanuskript.bandcamp.com/album/himmelfahrt
JOHNNY
GALLAGHER AND THE BOXTY BAND 'A 2020 VISION' (DIXIEFROG RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
Out of Country Donegal, Ireland comes
JOHNNY GALLAGHER, a talented guitarist/vocalist who has already released a few
albums. Now with THE BOXTY BAND, which consists of his brothers JAMES GALLAGHER
(bass) and PAURIC GALLAGHER (piano, organ, synths) as well as drummer SEAN
O'REILLY, they recorded the A 2020 Vision album. In total 13 songs are included
and actually it's a very diverse album that grabs back to all kinds of
rocksounds from the past, but it still sounds very fresh. Opener 2020 vision is
a raw uptempo rocker that fits somewhere between ZZ TOP and SEASICK STEVE,
while the following Scars and stitches is a really great midtempo stompin'
bluesy rocker. Both songs show that Johnny is a superb guitarplayer delivering
soaring guitarsolo's, but he is also able to sing the right kinda way for this
kind of rock. The album continues this rocking' mood on the following 11
tracks, but as already mentioned the diversity can also be heard a lot of
times, especially during the album's highlights, which are the excellent
Southern Rock meets 70s classic rock/prog influenced Bird (a la LYNYRD
SKYNYRD/BLACKFOOT), the sensational classic 70s melodic pop/rockers Judi and
The Spanish fountain (both even have some Westcoast/AOR influences and remind
me of long lost bands like THE B'ZZ, STRANGER (1982), STEALER, COLD CHISEL, but
with THIN LIZZY-ish guitars), the beautiful soaring guitarsolo-led bluesy semi
ballad I've got nothing Toulouse and the catchy 70s-ish glamrocker The Jesus
song. For me personally a really great discovery and without a doubt a musician
to check out a.s.a.p. at: www.johnnygallagher.com
GRANT
HAUA 'AWA BLUES' (DIXIEFROG RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
GRANT HUA used to be part of the duo SWAMP
THING, but the New Zealand based singer/songwriter is now a succesfull solo
artist in his homeland. He sang on 7 studio-albums the past 10 years and his
latest solo-album is titled Awa blues. Grant's music is soulful blues that
sounds quite melodic and catchy when you listen to a song like This is the
place, which reminds me a bit of JAKE ISAAC, GEORGE EZRA, RAUL MIDON and even
JOHN MAYER. Grant has a great voice that sounds like a Soul singer of the old
school, yet the material is rocking enough to make it sound quite modern
actually and as already mentioned radio-ready on a lot of songs. Besides Grant
on vocals and guitar, other involved musicians are TIM JULIAN (bass, piano,
hammond, congas), FRED CHAPELIER (guitar), DELANIE UTOTAONGA (backing vocals,
karanga), JESSE COLBERT (bass), NEAL BLACK (guitar), GEORGE KINGHORN (shakers)
and GRAND BULLOT (harmonica). Next to aforementioned This is the place, other
highlights include the uptempo Be yourself, the catchy Addiction and Mumma's
boy. Check out more info on the talented New Zealand based music GRANT HAUA at:
https://granthaua.com
POPA
CHUBBY 'TINFOIL HAT' (DIXIEFROG RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
POTTER'S
DAUGHTER 'VARIOUS ALBUMS' (MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
The female fronted jazz/prog band POTTER’S
DAUGHTER comes out of Virginia, USA and they released their debut The blind
side in 2018. The band is formed around Dyanne Potter Voegtlin – Piano, Vocals,
Amit Chatterjee – Producer, Arranger, Lead Guitar, Ian C. Voegtlin – Composer,
Rhythm Guitar, Lincoln Goines – Electric & Acoustic Bass and Randy Crafton
– Percussion, Hybrid Drum Set, and The blind side starts with the instrumental
opener City lights, which is a bit jazzy, while it also reveals prog
influences, but on the following track She is dreaming we are really introduced
to the sound of the band, because here we have Dyanne singing. She has a strong
clean voice, while the song itself is a calmer melodic progrocker with a jazzy
piano and a beautiful soaring melodic guitar as main instruments besides the
light groovy rhythm section, which gives the song a great relaxing vibe. As we
listen further, this seems the way to go, so a mixture of jazzy piano, melodic
soaring guitar, a proggy rock song structure and some very fine melodies, both
instrumentally and vocally this is a great calmer jazz-fusion-progalbum. Other
highlights on the The blind side album are Movement IV, To my love, and I lay
down. The focus is leaning towards instrumental parts, but as mentioned, Dyanne
also sings on a number of songs.
THE
19TH STREET BAND 'DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH' (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Out of the historic town in Frederick,
which is close to Washington D.C., the American band THE 19TH STREET BAND has a
clear Irish/Celtic/European Folk kinda sound on their 2nd album Diamond in the
rough. A few of the songs were even recorded in Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, so
therefore the European/Irish touch to their sound. The songs are catchy and
easy to sing-a-long, and also quite diverse. The band consists of GREG HARDIN
(bass, vocals), PATTY DOUGHERTY (drums), CAOLAIDHE DAVIS (guitar, harmonica,
vocals) and MEGHAN DAVIS 9fiddle, mandolin, vocals) and we can find 9 songs on
the album. Especially during strong uptempo pieces like I just had to say,
Firefly, I’ve been waiting and Away from our happy home, the band is at their
best. Folk/Celtic/Bluegrass are blended together quite nicely here, and if ever
over here we will have the PIJNACKER BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL again, this band should
be on top of the bill. Check them out at: https://the19thstreetband.bandcamp.com/album/diamond-in-the-rough
MOONSHYNE
'CURTAIN OF THE MOON' (RUSTICAL RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)
Out of the Czech Republic comes
singer/songwriter MOONSHYNE PRIV and her latest album is titled Curtain of the
moon, which is quite an original album that somehow feels a bit Irish/Celtic in
a way that it reminds me of ENYA, CLANNAD, SINEAD O’CONNOR… Besides Moonshyne
on vocals and guitar, other involved musicians are PAVEL SMID (bass guitar,
array mbira, synths, drums), JOANNA SZCZESNOWICZ (ukulele) and STEPAN PODRAZIL
(cymbals). The result is a beautiful calmer atmospheric modern sounding melodic
ambient/dreampop sounding album divided over 11 melancholic tracks, of which
the highlights are River, Feathers, Cave and the World Music influenced closing
track Desert wind. There are also some light gothic and the aforementioned
celtic influences in the music, and along with the angelic voice of Moonshyne,
it gives a sorta Czech fairytale feeling. Quite a surprising album for sure and
you can find more info on this talented singer/songwriter at: https://www.facebook.com/moonshye.music
HANNU
RISKU 'KIRPEITA HEDELMIA' (ECLIPSE MUSIC/XANGO MUSIC)
HANNU RISKU is a Finnish drummer and
percussionist, accordionist, harmonium player, and I believe Kirpeitä Hedelmiä
is his debut album I believe. Starting with a great midtempo bluesy
americana/rootsy rocker (Moottoritie) with strong vocals and a catchy rhythm,
also following track Niinkuin minakin is a catchy bluesy rocker with a focus on
memorable melodies. The album continues until the end with a nice mixture of
Americana-ish melodies and rootsy/bluesy pop/rock, but also with some
singer/songwriter-ish meets folk material here and there. Closing track Saluet
mua is a very nice relaxing slower bluesy song you might want to pick out as
well to check out. More info on Hannu can be found at: http://www.hannurisku.net/
OMAR
SOSA 'AN EAST AFRICAN JOURNEY' (OTA RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)
Here we have an interesting CD that
explores the African Music culture in 13 songs. It’s not just African Music,
because you can hear all kinds of influences throughout the album, such as jazz
during opener Tsiaro tsara, Eretseretse and Dadilahy. OMAR SOSA plays piano,
percussion and sings, while he is assisted by STEVE ARGUELLES (drums) and
CHRISTOPHE “DISCO’MINCK on double bass, keys and effects. However, the actual
original recordings took place in the field with local traditional singers and
musicians when touring in East Africa back in 2009. Back home in the studio
there was the finishing touch by Omar, Steve and Christophe. It’s a great
journey through countries like Madagascar, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Sudan, Kenya,
Zambia, etc. It gives you an insight in the local music sounds, and this also
gives you an idea where jazz, blues and rock originate from if we go back more
than one century in time. More info at: https://soundcloud.com/jmp-samplers/sets/east-african-journey-omar-sosa
HELLROCK
'THIS IS METAL' (STEEL SHARK RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
When the first couple of songs blast
through the speakers, it is clear we are heading into classic melodic true
metal in the style of 80s IRON MAIDEN, HEIR APPARENT, LEATHERWOLF, PRETTY
MAIDS, HELLOWEEN, PICTURE, HIGHWAY CHILE, etc. High-pitched vocals, melodic twin-guitarwork
and catchy choruses are brought together in a slightly faster uptempo classic
metal sound as if it was still 1985. A few times the band takes a step back,
such as during the fantastic powerful melodic rockballad Outlaw. We are talking
about the French band HELLROCK and their official debut full-length CD This is
Metal, which has been released on the new French label STEEL SHARK RECORDS. In
a limited edition of only 300 copies, this is a must-have for anyone into
classic 80s Metal. The band does a great job, switching between faster pieces
like This is Metal, The wanderer, Operation at Adel, The savage from the
mountain, King of shame and Blood red line (awesome, classic MAIDEN at its
best!), epic semi-ballad orientated songs such as the lovely Outlaw, Sailing to
Atlantis (excellent!) and the beautiful Heartbeat away (a la FISC/HELLOISE),
the superb classic 80s ACCEPT midtempo pumping Melodic Metal of Don’t come
alone, and an instrumental Piece titled Epitaph which closes the album very
nicely. Everything sounds picture perfect here (vocals, songs, production and
the guitarwork is quite phenomenal!) and you would honestly think this is a
re-issue of an old 80s metal classic, but HELLROCK from Toulouse is definitely
a new band formed around guitarist Rémi Bonin, vocalist Paul Eyssette,
guitarist Pascal Renaudat, drummer David Lienard and bassist Thomas Dechambre.
Check them out a.s.a.p. at: https://www.hellrockofficial.com
GENGIS
KHAN 'COLDER THAN HEAVEN' (STEEL SHARK RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
Formed around singer FRANK LEONE, the
Italian band GENGIS KHAN was formed 10 years ago and Colder than heaven is
their 2nd album so far. It’s their first one on the newly found French label
STEEL SHARK RECORDS, and included is classic TEUTONIC METAL the 80s German way,
with clear similarities to bands like RESTLESS, NOISEHUNTER, STORMWITCH,
GRAVESTONE, RUNNING WILD, etc. The vocalwork is raw and harsh and the music is
pure Metal, mostly faster and with the typical 80s German sound (remember HOT
BLOOD/SCRATCH RECORDS?), but we are really talking about a new Italian band!
Anyway, 7 songs are included and as mentioned, it’s straight-ahead and fast
most of the time, so if you like your metal fast and still melodic, with pure
1980s guitarwork, then look no further than this strong band from Italy. Not
much info to be found on them by the way, but you can check out more info at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Gengiskhanmetal
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