|
|
HOT NEW REVIEWS
SIAPIAU ‘PI’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK IMPORT)
SIAIAU
is a new band/project around Fran Bass - electric bass, voice, little
instruments, Phil Hargreaves - tenor/soprano sax, flute, voice, little
instruments, Richard Harrison - drums/percussion, voice, little instruments and
Maggie Nicols - voice, keyboard, little instruments, and they create very
experimental music that seems really quite outta control at first sight when Maggie
starts singing, but later on the CD it gets more experimental nu-jazz
orientated. It’s definitely not an easy album to check, but you definitely will
be able to pick up interesting stuff here. I would recommend you to check first
for yourself if this experimental music is interesting for you and you can do
that through https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/pi-161cd-2023
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
CHARLOTTE KEEFFE & RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW QUARTET ‘ALIVE
IN THE STUDIO’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK IMPORT)
Alive
in the studio is the 2nd CD of CHARLOTTE KEEFE. The line-up of the
album is Charlotte Keeffe - Sound Brush / trumpet, flugelhorn and compositions,
Ashley John Long - double bass, Ben Handysides – drums and Moss Freed – guitar.
The included music is freestyle trumpet dominated music that also has some
great guitar playing of Moss, while Ben is an amazing drummer. Experimental for
sure, but also like all the other DISCUS MUSIC releases, there is enough to
discover here and it is especially of interest for the fans of freestyle jazz
without frontiers. More at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/alive-in-the-studio-160cd-2023
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
ECLECTIC MAYBE BAND ‘BARS WITHOUT MEASURES’ (DISCUS
MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK IMPORT)
ECLECTIC
MAYBE BAND was created by Belgian bassist/composer/producer GUY SEGERS, and
their 4th release Bars Without Measures features a long list of
musicians. Guy himself played in the legendary progressive rockband UNIVERS
ZERO, and basically EMB also has clear elements of progrock music to be heard
most of the time, although experimental freestyle jazz is also present in most
of the songs. Anyway, it is an enjoyable record that also features several
vocal songs that are sung by JULIE TIPPETTS, DANI KLEIN and SIBEL DINCER. 11
songs are included in total, and there is a lot to discover here, because you
will find yourself in a rollercoaster ride that goes from 70s prog to freestyle
jazz to experimental calm music and so much more you never heard before. I
would highly recommend you to check out EMB’s music for yourself at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/bars-without-measures-159cd-2023
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
MURMURISTS ‘ITHYPHALL BREL GORY IS NOT THE SAME AS YOU’
(DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK IMPORT)
MURMURISTS
is an interesting experimental project or a group of artists which convenes
periodically to perform large-scale multi-media events using texts and
graphic-scores composed and directed by Anthony Donovan. This CD, recorded over
a significant span of time, draws upon such live and studio performances, channeling
these years of diverse activity into a brand new work. Call it music theatre,
sound design, documentary – as you will. Part of the words described here
before are taken directly from their bandcamp website and I have to say that
this 3rd CD of MURMURISTS indeed sounds more like it should be used
for a movie/documentary background. It feels like you’re watching a sci-fi
movie, especially when the ‘actors’ start talking and there is this kinda
krautrock kinda sounds to accompany with most of the time. It feels very
unusual as a music CD, but on the other hand it’s also interesting, because
eventually you will discover some cool electronic sounds here and there, which
could well appeal to fans of let’s say SWANS or CAN. The electronic noise
sounds make MURMURISTS a recommended band/project if you’re a fan of those 2
industrial/electronic experimental acts, and when listening to the CD you can expect
a lot of changes and weird industrial parts throughout the album. Once again DISCUS
MUSIC delivers an original release that stands on it’s own. More info at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ithyphall-brel-gory-is-not-the-same-as-you-158cd-2023
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
BRANT BJORK (AND THE BROS) ‘SAVED BY MAGIC AGAIN VINYL
LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
BRANT
BJORK is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who is
best known as being one of the founding members and drummers of the legendary Californian
stoner rock band KYUSS. That band later became more or less QUEENS OF THE STONE
AGE, yet Brant started a solo career in 1999 and has ever since released many solo
albums. In 2005 he released Saved By Magic Again, which is actually a double LP
that is released not only as a solo record, but also as an album by BRANT BJORK
AND THE BROS. However these are really 2 different albums, containing each 10
different songs. Musically speaking the BRANT BJORK solo album is a pure 70s
orientated rockalbum with all kinds of influences, sometimes psychedelic and LOU
REEDish, while at other times rocking like JACK WHITE meets THE BLACK KEYS and
at other songs pure 70s rock and roll (KISS meets T-REX) during a song like Get
Into It. Quite a diverse album that also contains a really nice ROLLING STONES
cover 2000 man (which was popularized by KISS in the late 70s on their classic
Dynasty record).
Anyway,
the BRANT BJORK AND THE BROS album that has the same album title Saved By Magic
Again has a more band kinda approach due to the fact that on this album Brant
is assisted by guitarist CORTEZ, bassist DYLAN ROCHE and drummer MIKE PFEFFER,
while on the solo album Brant did everything by himself. I have to admit that
the album with The Bros rocks a bit more and has a more organic feeling than the
solo album. 70s groovy (hard) rock a la 70s! AEROSMITH/LED ZEPPELIN is basically
the name of the game here, although vocally very different, while there are
also some prog influences here and there. Anyway, from start to finish the
album definitely delivers at a very high level.
Both
albums have now been re-issued onto vinyl by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS, sounding
better than ever and actually you might think these are 2 albums that were
originally recorded in the 1970s. Great job and Brant definitely needs to get
as much attention as for example JACK WHITE (WHITE STRIPES), DAN AUERBACH (THE
BLACK KEYS), DAVE GROHL (FOO FIGHTERS) or JOSH HOMME (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE),
whom are all doing the same kinda thing, which is creating lots of new music
that has the pure 70s rock approach. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/brant-bjork-the-bros-saved-by-magic-again-remastered-reissue
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
BLACK RAINBOWS ‘SUPERSKULL VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
Superskull
is the 8th album of the Italian Stoner Rockband BLACK RAINBOWS. They
were founded back in 2006 by GABRIELE FIORI, who is the guitarist and lead
singer of the band. Gabriele later on founded HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS, which by now
has become the most important Stoner/Fuzz-Rock/Metal album on the planet. On
the same label BLACK RAINBOWS now has this new exciting album out, which has a
fantastic cover that is best viewed in LP Vinyl format and musically speaking
likewise it also sounds at best on vinyl. The line up of BLACK RAINBOWS further
consists of drummer Filippo Ragazzoni and bassist Edoardo "Mancio"
Mancini. The heavy Stoner Rock of BLACK RAINBOWS sounds really good and is definitely
a must-have for anyone into bands like KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, 70s BLACK
SABBATH. Opener Apocalypse March hits like a hammer, sounding absolutely massive,
featuring cool 70s BLACK SABBATH ish guitar riffs and strong lead vocals, both
by Gabriele himself. And the high level of the first song is continues all
throughout the album and here and there the band takes a step back and even
then they deliver high quality stuff such as the epic proggy calmer closing
track King Snake that even recalls a bit PORCUPINE TREE! However, most of the
time this is fuzzy doom stoner rock at it’s very best! On vinyl it sounds
really amazing and I am quite surprised that BLACK RAINBOWS has not entered the
same league as aforementioned bands, because they sound like one of the finest
Italian rock/metal bands at the moment. More info can be found at: http://www.theblackrainbows.com/
and https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-rainbows-superskull
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
ISAAK ‘HEY VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Hey is the 4th album of the Italian band ISAAK. They are
formed around Giacomo H. Boeddu: vocals, Francesco Raimondi: guitars, Massimo Perasso:
bass and Andrea Tabbi' De Bernardi: drums, and it took them 8 years to release
this new album Hey. Although it took a long time before the new album was
released, the guys seem to have a double energy boost on Hey! It is clear that
this record is an awesome hard hitting honest powerful raw stoner rock/metal
album that is based around massive dirty mean guitar riffs. It says on the
album cover to play it loud and while listening you will keep on putting up the
volume button, because it rocks so hard, especially during uptempo pieces like
Obg, Except, Rotten, Over The Edge (WIPERS cover), Fake It ‘Til You Make It and
Dormouse. I received the vinyl version of the album, and of course it sounds
best in this format, so make sure to grab a copy of this album if you’re a
Stoner Rock/Metal fan. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/isaak-hey
and
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
CHE ‘SOUNDS OF LIBERATION VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
In
the beginning of his solo career, American musician (and KYUSS/FU MANCHU
drummer) BRANT BJORK jammed with musicians Dave Dinsmore (bass) and Alfredo
Hernández (drums) and recorded an album under the moniker CHE. The only album
they released on CD in 2000 was called Sounds Of Liberation, which has now been
re-issued onto vinyl by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS. People who are familiar with Brant’s
other efforts will understand that this release is filled with high class pure
Rock and Roll/Fuzz Stoner Rock and especially during uptempo pieces like The
Knife, Adelante (DANKO JONES meets THIN LIZZY) and the instrumental Pray For Rock
it sounds really good. FOO FIGHTERS fans might also want to check out this rare
gem from 23 years ago that is now available again on vinyl. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ch-sounds-of-liberation
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
1000 MODS ‘SUPER VAN VACATION VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
1000
MODS are a Stoner/psychedelic rock band formed in 2005 in Chiliomodi,
Korinthos, Greece, and the name of the band is linked to the village in which
they were formed, as "a thousand" is pronounced "chilia" in
Greek. Anyway, the band consists of Dani G. (vocals and bass), Giannis S.
(guitar), Giorgos T. (guitar), and Labros G. (drums), and they released their
debut album Super Van Vacation in 2011. Now 12 years later HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS
gave it a lovely vinyl release, and not 1 record, but it consists of 2 records!
The sound is massive and underground at the same time, really heavily going into
the big guitar fuzzy doom metal/stoner rock sound of bands like REVEREND BIZARRE,
BLACK SABBATH, RED FANG, KYUSS, etc. The band has released more records since
then, but this debut showed them probably at their peak since it took them
almost 5 years after formation to record. Most of the time the debut albums are
the finest releases in a discography of a band and 1000 MODS might be one of
those bands, because Super Van Vacation is a killer Stoner/Doom/Heavy Rock/Metal
album that needs to be in the collection of every fan of aforementioned bands! And
now that is possible on a shiny vinyl record! More info at: https://www.1000mods.com/ and https://1000mods.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
MARGARITA WITCH CULT ‘MARGARITA WITCH CULT VINYL LP’ (HEAVY
PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
And
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS does it again, because the debut album of MARGARITA WITCH
CULT is yet another sensational Doom/Stoner Rock/Metal release on this
fantastic Italian label. The vinyl edition of this band’s first album sounds
massive and has clear BLACK SABBATH, KYUSS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
influences. They simply blow away any other release in this genre and if they can
cut this live on stage in a same energetic way as on this debut album, then I
can predict a long future ahead of them. The band comes out of Birmingham, UK
and is formed around Scott Vincent on vocals and guitar, George Casual on drums
and Jim Thing on bass. The playing time of only 31 minutes is perhaps a bit
short, but the 9 included songs are all winners.
Opener
Diabolical Influence is slow and heavy doom metal, but very melodic and catchy
as well because there is a good use of clean lead and harmonyvocals during the
strong chorus. Following track Death Lurks At Every Turn speeds up the tempo to
uptempo melodic metal with another monster riff and catchy memorable chorus, and
basically the whole album continues in this style, mixing midtempo and uptempo
pieces with strong memorable choruses. Other highlights are Be My With (with it’s
IRON MAIDENish Running Free intro) and Annihilation.
Concluded,
this is a wonderful debut album by yet another sensational new Stoner/Doom Metal
band on the HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS label. If you like bands such as NEBULA, ORANGE
GOBLIN, UNCLE ACID or of course 70s BLACK SABBATH, then you must check out
these guys a.s.a.p. at: https://margaritawitchcult.bandcamp.com/album/margarita-witch-cult
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
OREYEON & LORD ELEPHANT ‘DOOM SESSIONS VOLUME 8 VINYL
LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Here
we have 2 Italian bands with each 2 songs pressed on this mini vinyl record,
which was released as Doom Sessions Volume 8, released by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS. The
bands are OREYEON (with the songs Wheel Fall (Slo Burn cover) and C10H12N2O)
and LORD ELEPHANT (with the songs Twilight Reflexes and Rumble (Link Wray
cover), and both of them are in the Doom Metal direction. It’s (semi) instrumental
Doom at it’s best, and definitely a pleasure to listen to. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/doom-sessions-vol-viii-feat-oreyeon-lord-elephant
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
ASTRODEATH ‘VOLUME 2 VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
Volume
2 is as expected the 2nd album of this Aussie duo that hails from
the city of Sydney. The duo consists of singer/guitarist Tim Lancken and
drummer Yoshi Hausler, but they do have a massive sound on this vinyl release
of their new album volume 2. It’s all a bit heavier, more aggressive and rawer
in the vocal department (sometimes really screaming, close to Hardcore!) than
the usual bands in the stoner/doom/heavy rock scene, so these guys step up to the
sludge metal genre sometimes, although still most of the 8 included songs do
have a memorable chorus besides all the cool monster guitar riffs. MESHUGGAH
meets KYUSS could be a description for sure, but ASTRODEATH has an own
identity, and I think they will easily find fans all over the globe with their
hard hitting stoner sludge metal. The most impressive thing about ASTRODEATH is
that there are only 2 people here and they make a whole lotta noise. Thankfully
this is done at a high level and once again HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS delivers a
quality release with this ASTRODEATH from Australia. Check them out at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/astrodeath-vol-ii
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
STONEWALL NOISE ORCHESTRA ‘CONSTANTS IN AN EVER
CHANGING UNIVERSE VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Here
we have another lovely piece of stoner rock, this time it concerns a band from
Sweden called STONEWALL NOISE ORCHESTRA. They have been active for about 20
years now, and this re-release on vinyl by their label HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS
concerns their 2nd album Constants In An Ever Changing Universe they
originally recorded in 2008. Nevertheless it still sounds up-to-date and has a
tough heavy stoner rocksound that especially during uptempo rockers such as
Skyscraper Moment and Headlights sounds really good and even has a bit of FOO
FIGHTERS meets KYUSS influences. Anyway, the band has a great singer (JOHN
HERMANSEN) and 2 excellent guitarists (SNICKEN and DANIEL JANSSON), and on
vinyl they rock really hard, but still sound catchy and melodic enough to
listen to them from start to finish. Hopefully I be able to hear more of their
release in the near future, because these are the kinda vinyl rock albums you
just need to have in your collection if you consider yourself a rockfan! More
info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/stonewall-noise-orchestra-constants-in-an-ever-changing-universe-reissue
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
DUEL ‘LIVE AT HELLFEST VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
The
Texas, USA based Stoner/Heavy Rock/Metal band DUEL delivers an awesome live
vinyl album that was recorded at the mighty festival HELLFEST in Clisson,
France back in June 2022. DUEL is one of those bands you need to catch live, because
they sound amazing, which you can clearly on this LP. The band started in the mid-2010s
and have so far released 4 studio albums and 2 live albums. Their line up
consists of Tom "The Mole" Frank - guitars, vocals, Shaun Diettrick
Avants – bass, Justin Collins – drums and Jeff Henson – guitars, and from start
to finish they bring some of the best 70s proto-metal/stoner rock since the
days of BLACK SABBATH. 6 songs are on this vinyl album, and actually it is more
an EP than a full-length release, because the playing time is about 32 minutes.
Anyway, this is nevertheless some of the best proto-metal/stoner rock you can
find on this planet, because DUEL is really nailing it live and therefore I can
easily highly recommend this live vinyl album. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/duel-live-at-hellfest
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
KARMA TO BURN ‘LIVE IN BRUSSELS VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH
SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
The
band KARMA TO BURN was an American rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia,
USA that was active between 1993 and 2002, and 2009-2021. Sadly their guitarist
and leader of the band, WILL MECUM, he died in 2021 after sustaining traumatic
head injuries due to an accidental fall. The other 2 members of the band were
bassist RICH MULLINS and drummer EVAN DEVINE. Due to Will’s death, it didn’t
make sense to continue KARMA TO BURN. The band was quite popular for a while,
and had several other musicians contributing on their albums, including several
vocalists. Even DAVE GROHL sang with the band on a number of songs, but they
were mainly known as an instrumental band. They managed to released about 6
studio albums, but it was their live shows that showed how good these guys
were, and back in 2012 they played a show in Brussels, which was later released
on CD, and now as a tribute to Will, the Live in Brussels – An Evening With has
been released on vinyl, and I received a beautiful blue pressing. The band sounded
incredible that night, with a real heavy instrumental stoner/doom/rock/metal
sound that is situated around the raw fuzzy guitar playing of Will. He’s surely
missed and Metal definitely lost an icon here, but thankfully we have albums
like this vinyl album to relive the days when the band was active and kicking.
More info at: https://karmatoburn.bandcamp.com/album/v
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
WITCHTHROAT SERPENT ‘TROVE OF ODDITIES AT THE DEVIL’S
DRIVEWAY VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Out
of Toulouse, Frances comes the band WITCHTHROAT SERPENT, and although with songtitles
like Multi-Dimensional Marvelous Throne, Nosferatu’s Mastery, The Gorgon, The
House That Dripped Blood, Yellow Nacre and Mountain Temple in Bleakness on
their 5th album, the band may sound dark, horror/black metal
orientated and dangerous, their music is actually quite melodic and clean. Yes,
it does sound dark and very slow, in a doom metal kinda direction like 70s BLACK
SABBATH and CANDLEMASS, but vocally it has a real clean approach, because the
band’s singer and guitarist Fredrik has a very strong voice that gives the band
a melodic touch for sure. The other members in the band are drummer Niko, bassist
Ügo and guitarist Djé. The band was formed about 10 years ago and their new
album Trove Of Oddities At The Devil's Driveway is definitely showing a band
that takes everything very professional and fans of dark slow but melodic doom
metal should definitely check out these guys! A song like The Gorgon is very
original, because it also contains old Horror movie influences, but overall it’s
slow Doom Metal in the REVEREND BIZARRE, CANDLEMASS, 70s BLACK SABBATH
direction. This band is really good and definitely needs more attention,
because this new album they have just released, which was recorded live on an analog
tape recorder by the way, it might belong to some of the best Doom Metal created
this century! Check out this strong band a.s.a.p. if you’re a fan of any of the
aforementioned bands. More info at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/witchthroat-serpent-trove-of-oddities-at-the-devils-driveway
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
THE LORDS OF ALTAMONT ‘TO HELL WITH TOMORROW THE LORDS
ARE NOW! VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
THE
LORDS OF ALTAMONT is an American hard rock/garage/punk/psychedelic rock band founded
in 2000 in Los Angeles. They have this classic 60s organ driven US garage rock touch,
but still with a flashy 70s rock/punk/metal ish guitar approach most of the
time. Basically they are playing pure rock and roll like it was done back in
the 1970s. HAWKWIND, STEPPENWOLF, THE CRAMPS, MC5, THE STOOGES and even NEW
YORK DOLLS come to mind when listening to their new album To Hell With Tomorrow
The Lords Are Now!, which is their 8th record so far. The band’s
line up consists of Jake "The Preacher" Cavaliere – vocals, organ, Dani
Sin – guitar, Rob Zim – bass and Barry "the Hatchet" van Esbroek –
drums, and they absolutely deliver a high class rock and roll album here that
was recorded at the studio Moskou in the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands
back in April 2022. Especially during uptempo rockers like Going Downtown,
Going Nowhere Fast, Velvet and Like A Bird the band sounds at their best and
most raw punky rock and roll orientated. In the end, this is how real rock and
roll needs to sound like! Do not miss this awesome punchy album that screams to
be played loud on vinyl, which I did thanks to this yellow vinyl release! More
info at: http://lordsofaltamont.com/
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
YAWNING MAN ‘LONG WALK OF THE NAVAJO VINYL LP’ (HEAVY
PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Originally
formed all the way back in the mid-80s, the desert rock band YAWNING MAN was
one of the founding bands of the genre that later evolved into stoner rock.
However, the band only started releasing music since 2005, but they definitely
were influential in their area that eventually gave us KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE
STONE AGE and such bands. Anyway, the band has a new album out titled Long Walk
Of The Navajo. Their line up changed several times and they are now formed
around Gary Arce (Guitar), Bill Stinson (Drums), and the return of Billy
Cordell (Bass). Musically speaking it is quite relaxed what we get to hear, an almost
psychedelic dream progressive rock/krautrock affair, instrumental, basic and
not too complex. I am not too familiar with their earlier work, but this new album
is a real nice instrumental piece that might also appeal to fans of PORCUPINE
TREE or LONG DISTANCE CALLING. 3 long songs are included on the vinyl LP, and
when played live this band will easily bring you in an extase or trance, kinda
like you’re in a different world. Check for yourself if you’re starting to become
interested at: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yawning-man-long-walk-of-the-navajo
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
LOVE GANG ‘MEANSTREAK VINYL LP’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
Out
of Denver, Colorado, USA comes LOVE GANG, an old-school early 80s sounding
NWOBHM band at first sight, yet with also some 70s proto-metal/classic hardrock/heavy
blues rock influences (DIO, RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, URIAH HEEP, THIN LIZZY, BLACK
SABBATH, etc). The band consists of Kam Wentworth: Guitar / Vocals, Leo Muñoz:
Organ, Grady O'Donnell: Bass and Shaun Goodwin: Drums, and they were founded
back in 2016. Now 7 years later they release their 2nd album titled
Meanstreak, which from start to finish is the kinda classic heavy rock/old
school hardrock/metal record everyone would have praised about 40 years ago.
Nowadays it is more an underground affair, although I am sure fans of
aforementioned bands are still looking for new bands delivering the goods, and
LOVE GANG is definitely on top of the bill here, because they capture that
classic sound really well on their new album. Vocally Kam does have a sorta 70s
GENE SIMMONS/ACE FREHLEY kinda tone in his voice (and a little bit LEMMY), and
when you hear a song like Meanstreak it’s even a bit reminding of 1976 KISS
(Destroyer era), yet heavier and rockier, close to RIOT when things speed up
halfway the song. I think if you mix all the aforementioned bands, then this mid
70s-early 80s orientated band LOVE GANG should pop up. 8 hard hitting high
class tunes with an authentic old school sound are included on Meanstreak. Fans
of RIOT, 70s KISS, THIN LIZZY, BLACK SABBATH, 70s Y&T and such bands will
definitely love LOVE GANG. The album sounds like it was recorded in 1976 and
that’s a big compliment, because fans of mentioned bands will definitely
appreciate such a retro sounding band. More info can be found at: https://lovegangco.bandcamp.com/album/meanstreak
and https://www.facebook.com/lovegangco/
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
JOSIAH ‘NO TIME/INTO THE OUTSIDE’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY
IMPORT)
JOSIAH
is a Power Rock trio from the UK that was formed in 2000, but eventually they
split up during the 2010s, and has only since 2020 been active again. Nevertheless
they did release quite a few records so far, of which their 2nd Into
The Outside (2004) and 3rd No Time (2007) albums have now been
re-released by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS. Into The Outside starts with the very cool
uptempo classic melodic heavy rockers The Scarlatti Tilt and Turn It On that
sound like FOO FIGHTERS meets THIN LIZZY, and the whole album continues this
style more or less, although you can also pick up some heavy blues rock every
now and then, such as during Sweet Time, so a there’s definitely some
variation. Other highlights are the psychedelic slow doomy Death Rides A Horse
and the calmer closing Unwind Your Mind that all takes you straight into the
70s. The other album No Time is a little bit heavier, dirtier and more BLACK
SABBATHish. An underground ish sound with big fat groovy fuzz guitar orientated
songs is what No Time is all about, while the other CD has a slightly more
uptempo polished sound. Anyway, this is a great band and they have a recent album
entitled We Lay On Cold Stone, which we hopefully will also review soon.
Concluded, this is a great band to check out at: https://josiah-rock-uk.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
SLEEPWOLF ’SLEEPWOLF’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
SLEEPWOLF
is a band from Kristianstad, Sweden, and they released their same titled debut
album back in 2020. That first album Sleepwolf has recently been re-released
through HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS, and also a follow-up album has meanwhile been
released.The music of the band is deeply firmed in the 70s obscure classic rock/doom/stoner
rock/psychedelic hardrock direction. Influences of the countless well-known
bands like BUDGIE, URIAH HEEP, LUCIFER’S FRIEND, THIN LIZZY, BLUE OYSTER CULT,
BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, etc. etc. and the more obscure ones can be traced
in SLEEPWOLF’s music. It’s done at an incredible high level, and the band also
has a great strong lead singer besides a superb axe guitarist, so all together this
is definitely an enjoyable journey to experience. The band consists of lead
singer OWEN ROBERTSON, drummer CARL LINDBERG, bassist VICTOR SJOSTORM and guitarist
SEBASTIAN IHME. Highlights on this wonderful debut album are Wizard Slayer,
Beasts Of Collision, Tumbling Towers and the amazing Misty Mountain, but as soon
as you start listening you will not let go of this sensational new Swedish
band. They can easily be mentioned alongside other Classic Hardrock/70s Rock
influenced bands such as RIVAL SONS, WOLFMOTHER, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SPIDERGAWD,
GRAVEYARD, etc. etc. Go check out SLEEPWOLF at: https://sleepwulf.bandcamp.com/album/sleepwulf
and
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
ALUNAH ‘STRANGE MACHINE’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Out
of Birmingham, UK comes the sensational female fronted classic hardrock/doom
metal band ALUNAH. Strange Machine is their 6th album so far, and also
their most recent one, because it was released in 2022. The band is formed
around Siân Greenaway – vocals, Daniel Burchmore – bass, Jake Mason – drums and
Matt Noble – guitar, and their music is of an exceptional high level, which is
thanks to especially the superb vocals of Siân, who reminds me a bit of ANN
WILSON of HEART, yet musically they are more going into a COVEN, BLACK SABBATH,
BLUES PILLS ish direction. Doom Metal with a very melodic approach, sounding
quite catchy most of the time. Just listen to for example the superb Over The Hills,
which is an incredible tune that blends Doom Metal guitar riffs and solo’s with
a classic Melodic (Hard) Rock chorus that even recalls MEGHAN and VXN. The whole
album has got such highlights, and the production is top-notch, so make sure to
check out ALUNAH as soon as possible. This is one of the finest female fronted bands
I have heard in a long time, and I can highly recommend them to anyone who
likes a good portion of rock/metal with superb female vocals. More info can be
found at: https://alunah.uk
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
HAZEMAZE ‘HAZEMAZE/BLINDED BY THE WICKED/HYMNS OF THE DAMNED’
(HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Sadly inactive since 2022, this
Swedish band delivered superb high class midtempo melodic Doom Metal with clear
references to CANDLEMASS and BLACK SABBATH. Their same titled debut album from
2016 was an instant hit and must-have for anyone into this style, and thanks to
the superb vocals of their singer/guitarist LUDVIG ANDERSSON definitely up
there with the best, along with the huge sound and big fat monster guitar riffs
(also by Ludvig). A superb band that has sadly quit after these 3 wonderful
releases. Every song of each of the 3 albums is amazing. These guys were up
there with their counterparts of SPIDERGAWD or NEBULA to name a few similar
bands. HAZEMAZE existed between 2016 and 2022, and the re-releases of their
first 2 albums from the 2010s and their 3rd and final album were all
released by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS in 2022. Their 2nd album Hymns Of The
Damnded was already sounding bigger and is as good as their first album, but
it’s their 3rd album Blinded By The Wicked that really shows a
slightly heavier more modern approach and a bigger production compared to their
first 2 albums. This final album is definitely their finest album so far and it
should have been massive! A Doom Metal masterpiece! From start to finish this
is Doom/Stoner at it’s very best, and hopefully the band will reform, because
they deserve to be heard and seen live on stage in the near future. All info on
them can be found at: https://hazemazeband.bandcamp.com/album/blinded-by-the-wicked
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
HOT LUNCH ’HOT LUNCH’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Released
way back in 2013, but now re-released in 2022 by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS, the San
Francisco/Oakland Bay Area based band HOT LUNCH delivers a high class sound
that fits somewhere between late 60s psychedelic rock, 70s proto-punk and raw
classic hardrock’n’roll. Imagine a mix between BLUE CHEER, CREAM, THE STOOGES,
BLACK SABBATH, THE DICTATORS, NEW YORK DOLLS and AEROSMITH, then you might be
close to the dirty mean rock and roll sound of HOT LUNCH. The band consists of Eric
Shea Vocals, Aaron Nudelman Guitars, Rob Alper Drums and Charlie Karr Bass, and
they absolutely delivered a wonderful debut album that has sadly went unnoticed,
but gets a second chance here, It’s full-stop uptempo raw dirty rock and roll
the way it was to meant to sound, CBGBish and highly recommended if you miss
those days of 50 years ago. Uptempo rockers like Handy Denny, Killer Smile,
Tragedy Prevention and She Wants More sound like classics from the past. Go
check it out and hopefully soon a new album of this excellent rockband! More
info at: https://hotlunchrocks.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
APE SKULL ’APE SKULL’ (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Out
of Rome, Italy comes APE SKULL, a power rock trio formed around Giuliano
Padroni Vocals / Drums, Fulvio Cartacci Guitars / Vocals and Pierpaolo
Pastorelli Bass / Vocals. They were founded back in 2008 and this same titled
debut album from 2013 has been re-released by their label HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS in
2022. Their music is clearly late 70s/early 80s heavy blues rock/power/hard
rock orientated in the style of JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, CREAM and the
countless other bands from that era. They are doing it very well during the 9
tracks on this CD, which also has a very authentic analog sound that makes it
sound like it was recorded over 50 years ago. Check it out for yourself at: https://apeskull.bandcamp.com/album/ape-skull
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
BIG SCENIC NOWHERE ‘THE LONG MORROW’ (HEAVY PSYCH
RECORDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Produced
by CHRIS GOSS (KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FOO FIGHTERS, etc), this 2nd
album (actually 3rd if you also count the previous EP as an album)
of the Stoner/Desert Rockband BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is a typical product of the
sound that developed in California over the past 35 years. The band’s line up
also consists of members who played with other Stoner Rockbands from California,
so you might as well call this a Superband. BIG SCENIC NOWHERE consists of guitarist
Gary Arce (YAWNING MAN), guitarist Bob Balch (FU MANCHU), drummer Bill Stinson (YAWNING
MAN) and vocalist/bassist Tony Reed (MOS GENERATOR), and they deliver a really
nice product here. Despite nothing new is brought here, it all does sound quite
nice. Murder Klipp sounds like a mix between BLACK SABBATH/OZZY and FOO
FIGHTERS, and is actually a catchy tune! The calmer Lavender Bleu is a
beautiful melodic and slightly progrock orientated piece with big doom riffs
throughout the song. The same can be said about the exiting closing titletrack
The Long Morrow that lasts about 20 minutes and covers more influences that
just Stoner Rock, so those last 2 mentioned songs are definitely showing them
at their best! Without a doubt, this is a great record to check out, especially
if you’re familiar with any of the mentioned bands. More info at: https://bigscenicnowhere.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
OCEAN OF LOTION ‘LOUILOUILOUI’ (APOLLON RECORDS/CREATIVE
ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
Norwegian band OCEAN OF LOTION made a first appearance back in 2012 with the
release of their debut album Dive In. 11 years later the follow-up LouiLouiLoui
is released. I was not familiar with them before, but this album is a rather cool
80s retro synthwave orientated album. The material is of a high quality, although
vocally it’s not so strong. The lyrics and music is a little on the quirky
side, and THE BUGGLES even comes to mind sometimes if we need to make a
comparison. Not bad at all, so it’s of interest for the fans of early 80s retro
wave pop/rock with a quirky touch. More info at: https://oceanoflotionmusic.bandcamp.com/album/louilouiloui-2
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
100 GUITARES SUR UN BATEAU IVRE ’BATEAU IVRE’ (DAAGENDA
RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
100
GUITARES SUR UN BATEAU IVRE means 100 guitars in a drunken boat, and this is a
project created by GILLES LAVAL in 2017. The French musician played in several
bands before, but with this project he enters a calm dark instrumental very
experimental direction that actually is not related specifically to a genre. Hard
to describe, this is one of those albums you need to check for yourselt to
discover whether you like it or not. More info at: https://soundcloud.com/100guitaressurunbateauivre
(Points: 7.0 out of 10)
THE SPACELORDS ‘NEKTAR OF THE GODS’ (SOULFOOD
MUSIC/GOODTOGO/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
THE
SPACELORDS are a Psychedelic Rock band from Reutlingen, Germany that was formed
back in 2008. They have meanwhile built up quite a career ever since, and I
believe Nektar Of The Gods is their 11th album so far. The band currently
consists of founders Matthias 'Hazi' Wettstein (guitars) and Marcus Schnitzler
(drums), and bassist Akee Kazmaier, who joined the band at a later stage.
Anyway, their music is superb instrumental psychedelic/progressive space rock
with very strong guitarwork and a clear 1970s approach. 4 long tracks are
included on this new album. Fans of HAWKWIND will definitely love this band and
I can only imagine that live on stage this band will definitely impress even
more. Without a doubt, this album is one of the finest instrumental releases of
the past few years. Check them out at: https://thespacelords1.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
JODY AND THE JERMS ‘WONDER PINK VINYL RECORD’
(INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
JODY
AND THE JERMS is a band from Oxford, England, and they were founded in the
Summer of 2019. The band’s line up consists of Jody Jeger on vocals, Niall
Jeger on guitar / slide / vocals, Alex Bridge on drums, Peter James Millson on
Guitar / Vocals, Robert Anwood on Hammond organ and piano and David Meaden on
Bass. The band was kind enough to sent me their new album on pink vinyl, which always
is a major bonus when reviewing something new, because on vinyl everything
sounds the way you want to listen to music, because you pick up all the
ingredients much better than when hearing it as MP3 or on CD. Wonder is their
3rd album within 4 years, so they are quite active and they definitely deliver
a nice little record here with 12 short 3-minutes counting catchy tunes. Opener
Started Something is a very good uptempo melodic pop/rocker with a slight indie
touch (THE B52s), yet with a sorta 70s/early 80s quirky AOR/quirky power pop
approach as well, although they also remind me of FLEETWOOD MAC here and there,
which of course is a big compliment for this band. The album continues in this
style more or less, but is perhaps a bit more going into a 90s friendly light melodic
pop/rock direction and actually has a lot similarities to THE BANGLES with a
THE CORRS touch during catchy summer ish uptempo pop/rock songs like Counting
Dreams, The Harder I Try, Intuition, Just For Show, and Safe. Without a doubt,
this band brings a lot of joy and fun uplifting pop/rock music to the world,
and if you’re into any of the aforementioned bands then will surely love JODY
AND THE JERMS. More info at: https://jodyandthejerms.com/
and https://jodyandthejerms.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
KING HERD ‘KING HERD’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
Here
we have a sensational new band from Birmingham, UK called KING HERD, and
basically they are with this debut album settling themselves straight into the
major league of new modern melodic hard/heavy rockbands. There have been
numerous bands lately from the UK, DOOMSDAY OUTLAW being one for example, and
they all capture a sound that takes the best of the past and present
rocksounds. The combination works perfectly here, because KING HERD’s debut CD
is a superb piece of melodic modern classic rock/hardrock. 10 songs are
included, and from start to finish it is a joy to listen to. They were formed
quite recently and their line up consists of the superb lead singer Dave Taylor,
guitarist Tom Longworth, bassist Ray Loverock and drummer Karl Brazil. Highlights
include the catchy midtempo Close To The End, the fantastic uptempo melodic
heavy rocker Remedy (with even a touch of HAREM SCAREM!), the semi melodic rocker
Somebody Else and the amazing semi melodic rockballad Like It used To Be (ROCK
SONG OF THE YEAR!!!), but every song is a winner here! Definitely a band that
is going to make an impact in the rockscene if they are live as good as on this
first album! Check them out a.s.a.p. at: https://kingherd.bandcamp.com/album/king-herd
and https://www.kingherdband.com/
(Points: 8.9 out of 10)
ADVENT HORIZON ‘A CELL TO CALL HOME’ (INDEPENDENT/USA
IMPORT)
A
Cell To Call Home is the 3rd album of the sensational band ADVENT
HORIZON. They are coming out of the Salt Lake City, Utah area and it’s
incredible that I had not heard of them before, because their new album sounds
absolutely phenomenal and is constantly at a major league level. They have a
melodic neo-progressive rocksound in the typical American way, which means a
little more melodic and crystal clear than the British do their neo-prog.
KANSAS, STYX and ENCHANT similarities are therefore very clear, and for yours
truly that makes them definitely an interesting band. They also remind me a bit
of MYSTERY (Canada) and released their debut album back in 2011, and now 12
years later they might have released one of the best prog albums of the year I
think! The band consists of Rylee McDonald - Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Mike
Lofgreen - Drums and Percussion, Cason Wood - Bass, Keys, Trombone and Grant Matheson
- Guitar, Keys, Vocals, and there are quite a few guests on their new CD, including
the mighty keyboardplayer JORDAN RUDESS (DREAM THEATER). The absolute
highlights on their new album are How Did It Get So Good (featuring a lovely
guest guitarsolo by the legendary RANDY MCSTINE), the SUPERB melodic rocking Rain
On Open Water (slight 80s touch here, RUSH meets KING’S X meets STYX/JOURNEY), Calling
It Off, the beautiful Cell To Call Home and closing track Hold Me. Concluded,
this is definitely a contender for prog album of the year 2023! The combination
of melodic hooks, crystal clear vocals, soaring guitarsolo’s, tempo changes, etc.
etc., it just all together makes this a true prog gem to check out! You don’t
want to miss this album if you call yourself a prog fan! More info can be found
at: https://www.adventhorizonmusic.com/
and https://adventhorizon.bandcamp.com/album/a-cell-to-call-home
(Points: 8.9 out of 10)
LIXX ’44 BELOW’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
There
have been countless bands by the name of LIXX, LICX or LIX in the past, and
most of these were Glam/Hardrock orientated, and this LIXX from Edinburgh, Scotland
is no exception to the rule, because their CD 44 Below is definitely Glam/Hardrock
orientated. Actually I found out, when checking out their site, this is the
same LIXX that put out the legendary LP Loose On You back in the 1980s. I
bought that album in a bargain bin record store in Utrecht somewhere in the 90s
and sadly my copy is somewhere hidden very well at my home, so I have to really
search over here to find it back, but it’s definitely in the collection! It
makes it a bit hard to compare it to their new album, because we are about 35
years later! Anyway, the band nowadays consists of guitarist NAZZ, vocalist
JOE, drummer STEEVO and bassist ROBIN. Their music is nevertheless still no-nonsense
80s Glam/Hardrock orientated, not far removed actually from their 80s sounds.
TATTOOED LOVE BOYS, JUNKYARD and CATS’N’BOOTS come to mind several times, so besides
the Glamrock reference there’s also a raw late 80s sleazy hard rock and roll
approach to be heard, but some of the songs have a punky touch (Private Eye). Most
of the songs are uptempo rockers, with as highlights 21st Century
Wreck, Bite The Bullet and Train. Must-have if you like any of the mentioned
bands! More info at: https://lixx1.bandcamp.com/album/44-below
and https://lixx.rocks/
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
AYSAY ‘KOY’ (NO BOUNDS MUSIC/INOUIE DISTRIBUTION/VEEV.COM/FRANCE
IMPORT)
AYSAY
is a band based in Denmark, yet with Turkish/Kurdish roots and musically
sounding a lot like ALTIN GUN. They combine psychedelic rock of the 70s with
Turkish music and give it a modern electronic touch, just like the
aforementioned ALTIN GUN does, although perhaps AYSAY also adds a bit of jazz
here and there. The trio consists of LUNA BULOW ERASHIN (vocals, baglama,
violin), CARL WEST HOSBOND (guitar, bass) and ASKE DOSSING BENDIXEN (drums,
synth bass), while there are several guests on bass, trumpet, synths, zurna, kaval,
etc. The resulting 2nd album Koy is a joyful fun record that follows
up their debut Su Akar from autumn 2021. Highlights on the new album are Dom
Ustune, Ninni, Sen Kimsin and Istanbul. Without a doubt, this is a very
interesting band in the World Music scene and I can imagine they might also
appeal to any music fan out there, because their mixture of pop, jazz, world
music and psychedelic rock is making them sound quite original. More info can
be found at: https://www.aysay.dk/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
BATSUKH DORJ ‘OGBELERIM’ (BUDA MUSIQUE/SOCADISC/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)
Batsükh
Dorj was born in 1990 in Tsengel, the last village in western Mongolia, and
indeed when looking at google maps you will notice this is one of those places
that seems like you’re at the end of the world and probably nobody who reads
this review will ever visit the place, which is a pity, because it seems very
interesting to visit. Anyway, Batsukh comes from that place and he has released
an album titled Ogbelerim, which is a Tuvan throat-singing album, and it is his
very first album, He not only does the throat-singing, but also plays khöömei,
kargyraa, sygyt, igil fiddle, doshpuluur lute, shoor flute, khomus mouth harp,
attinduyou horse hooves and does khai nose whistle, while he is assisted by
JOHANNI CURTET on vocals, kharkhiraa, isgeree khöömii, guitar, doshpuluur lute
and dan moi mouth harp. The result is a pure Mongoloan/throat-singing album as
expected and definitely very interesting to listen to because you don’t hear it
that much, although of course the fantastic band THE HU put the Mongolian throat-singing
definitely on the map worldwide recently. Batsukh does it in a little calmer
direction, but it’s amazing how someone is able to sing like that. Highly
recommended therefore and more info can be found at: https://routesnomades.fr/artistes/batsukh-dorj
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
BAD RAIN ‘ROOM TO BREATHE’ (FASTBALL MUSIC/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN
IMPORT)
BAD
RAIN is a new band from Munich, Germany, and before they will release their
first full-length album in 2024, here is a sneak preview in the shape of an EP
CD titled Room To Breathe. The band consists of Dan Byrne (vocals), Veit
Schlembach (drums), Dani Davis (guitar) and Chris B. (bass), and musically they
are clearly in the late 80s American Melodic Hardrock direction. 5 songs are included
in total, and when you hear such lovely tunes such as the TESLA/GREAT WHITE ish
midtempo melodic rocker Afterlife and the DOKKEN/FIREHOUSE/HURRICANE ish semi
melodic rockballad Your Chains, we can easily conclude that this is a very good
band to keep our eyes open for in the near future. Their British singer Dan
(ex-REVIVAL BLACK) has a characteristic voice (like TESLA singer, with also
some memories of LIVING COLOUR and even GLENN HUGHES) and their bluesy
guitarist Dani gives the band a much needed own identity. BAD RAIN is a
recommended band and I look forward to their full-length debut next year! More
info at: https://badrainband.com/ and https://badrainmusic.bandcamp.com/album/room-to-breathe-ep-pre-order
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
SEEKERS ARE LOVERS ‘NEPENTHES’ (ECHOZONE/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN
IMPORT)
Named
after a COCTEAU TWINS song, the German band SEEKERS ARE LOVERS are bringing pure
80s influenced synth-pop/dark gothic wave and are not that far removed from the
classic bands in the genre such as DEPECHE MODE, although SEEKERS ARE LOVERS
sound a bit rockier on their debut album Nepenthes. The band consists of Chris on
vocals, Patty on guitars and programming and Ivy Onyx on Bass, and they deliver
a nice record here, especially since they were formed just a few years ago
during the covid period. 9 songs are included in total, and the start is quite
synth driven, but the following songs, such as Hunting A Ghost and Frozen
People, they offer a more rockier touch, kinda like HIM crossed with the rockiest
sound of DEPECHE MODE, with a soaring guitar a la THE CULT here and there. I
think the mixture of gothic rock, dark wave and synth pop works really well
here. Just listen to the rather catchy Hayley for example, which is a great uptempo
gothic rocker that even reminds me a bit of bands like ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN and
NEW MODEL ARMY, so basically fans of the darker side of alternative rock/new
wave/light post punk from the 80s should look no further than this German band,
whom are making a great debut with their album Nepenthes. More info at: https://seekersarelovers.bandcamp.com/album/nepenthes
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
FOLLOW THE CAT ‘THE EDGE OF THE WORLD’ (INDEPENDENT/GERMAN
IMPORT)
Do
not confuse FOLLOW THE CAT with CATS IN SPACE, although both are performing in
a similar music style, which is a mix of 70s AOR, Pomprock and Sympho. FOLLOW
THE CAT comes out of Germany, and this is actually an one-man’s band formed around
ANDREAS SEEBURGER, who does everything on his own here. The CD The Edge Of The
World he recorded under this moniker is a clearly 70s/early 80s influenced
piece that also reminds me a bit of TONY CAREY and PLANET P if anyone remembers
such German AOR/Pop/Pomp/Sympho acts/projects. FOLLOW THE CAT’s inspirations come
from TOTO, MARILLION, ALAN PARSONS and such, and you can hear that a lot of
times throughout the 9 included songs. I have to say that it sounds
instrumental top-notch, especially the soaring guitar is really wonderful and
quite precise in a NEAL SCHON direction. Andreas is one of the finest
guitarists I have heard lately, because his tone is melodic, natural and he
lets the guitar sing like in the old days (just listen to the solo during Miracle
Of Life, which puts me in a trance, because the guitarwork is simply amazing!) Vocally
Andreas is not an AOR singer, because he has a sorta typical German nasal prog
kinda voice (like the singer of EVERON for example), although the harmonyvocals
and catchy choruses of most of the songs (especially during a catchy uptempo
rocker such as Count Of The Night) are AOR/Melodic Rock orientated. At times it’s
also a bit KAYAKish, and I also hear some similarities to a band like FOR
ABSENT FRIENDS and the mentioned EVERON, so Neo-Prog/Sympho is definitely the
name of the game here, yet with a slight AOR touch. Anders writes some really
strong 70s/80s influenced tunes and as already mentioned, his guitarwork is phenomenal,
but the only recommendation I would give is to perhaps find a separate lead singer,
because that could definitely give the band (or should I say project?) a boost.
Here and there the band also reminds me of the legendary band TOKYO if anyone
remembers them! Anyway, keep your eyes open for FOLLOW THE CAT, because it
might surprise us in the future. More info at: https://www.followthecat.net/
(Points: 7.7 out of 10)
KORINN PIERRE-FANFAN ‘REVER’ (ROZO PRODUCTION/VEEV.COM/INOUIE
DISTRIBUTION/FRANCE IMPORT)
Originally
from the French Island of Guadeloupe comes KORINN PIERRE-FANFAN, who delivers
her 2nd album titled Rêver. She is a very talented singer/songwriter
who is assisted on her new album by Ruddy Boa: piano and arrangements, Arnaud
Dolmen: drums, Kristof Négrit: drums, Michel Alibo: double-bass, Zacharie
Abraham: double-bass and Jean-Christophe Raufaste: bass. The music is an
interesting mix of modern and classic jazz, pop and traditional music from the
island where she was born. It’s a pity
the album has a short playing length, because it is a pleasure to listen to
this talented singer and her rather catchy songs. There’s a lot of praise going
on for someone like SAMARA JOY, but Korrinn moves in a slightly similar
direction, yet perhaps a bit more polished and radio-ready, but I think she
also deserves a lot of attention. The 8 songs on her new album are a joy to
listen to and after repeated listens you just want to hear more. Her voice
suits the music perfectly and she also able to write some really memorable tunes.
Let’s hope she will get much more attention, because that is what her new album
deserves. More info at: http://www.korinnmusic.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
DARIANA LOPEZ ‘POR ESO CANTO’ (NESSO PRODUCTION/ALTA
FONTE DISTRIBUTION/VEEV.COM/INOUIE DISTRIBUTION/FRANCE IMPORT)
DARIANA
LOPEZ is a singer/songwriter from Venezuela who was born in 1994. Por Eso Canto
is her first solo album, on which she is delivering a high class mix of World Music
and Jazz, with a Pop approach, all sung beautifully by Dariana in both Spanish
and French. The result is a lovely album that is best listened to during the
warm days, because it really has this pure Latin/South American feeling. 9
songs are included in total, and besides singing, Dariana also plays guitar and
percussion, while she is assisted by a lot of guest musicians, of whom the most
important are guitarist Miguel Siso and guitarist/bassist Manuel Sanchez. The
music is cheerful, has a catchy groovy vibe and along with Dariana’s excellent
vocalwork, this is one of the better latin jazz/world music related releases of
2023! Check out more info at: https://veevcom.com/en/dariana-lopez-presents-por-eso-canto/
and https://nessomusic.com/dariana-lopez-3/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
HUNTER ‘REBEL ANGELS RISE’ (INDEPENDENT/BELGIUM IMPORT)
There
have been numerous bands by the name of HUNTER in the past, but this one hails
from Belgium. They were formed in 2016, and their current line up consists of vocalist
David Walgrave, guitarist Joost Vlasschaert, guitarist Thomas Abeel, bassist Jeroen
Wauters and drummer Dries Deturck. Rebel Angels Rise is their 2nd album so far
and it is a real winner for the fans of real classic melodic heavy metal with a
power metal touch, kinda like PRIMAL FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST and good old ACCEPT,
and at times also with a typical 80s Teutonic Metal sound (remember bands like
VETO, STORMWITCH, TYRANT, SINNER, VAMPYR, HIGH TENSION...). The band has a
great powerful high pitched lead singer, while the guitarist does some serious pitch-perfect
solo’s and riffs, and the 8 included songs are quite strong for sure.
Especially uptempo pieces like Wicked, The Forge, Morrior Invictus and Requiem
are absolute winners for the fans of JUDAS PRIEST circa Painkiller meets the
aforementioned bands. These guys are one of the better Belgian metal bands of
the past few years, and they are also one of the few carrying a True Metal
sound (just listen to the MANOWAR meets MAIDEN ish titletrack for example!). If
these guys will be signed to a label and then get in a bigger studio with an
established producer, it might lead to one of the finest Belgian Metal releases
at the moment. For now, this is a highly recommended independent release that
only perhaps production wise does not reach the level of the releases of
established major labels, but on the other hand it does sound really authentic,
so it’s definitely worth your money. Go check them out at: https://huntermetal.bandcamp.com/album/rebel-angels-rise
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
ENTERING POLARIS ‘ATLANTEAN SHORES/AND SILENTLY THE
AGE DID PASS’ (FREYA RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS/BELGIAN IMPORT)
Not
just 1 CD, but 2 new CDs are released under the project name ENTERING POLARIS.
This project was founded in 2018 by guitarist/songwriter/producer TOM TEE from Belgium
when ENTERING POLARIS released their debut Godseed. Now he returns with an adventurous
massive follow-up that will eventually bring us 2 more full-length albums in
2023, so 4 albums in one year! Anyway, Tom is a very ambitious musician, who
was involved in the past in bands like OSTROGOTH and THORIUM, and now his
lifetime work called ENTERING POLARIS is what keeps him very busy. I have to
say that the guest list is very impressive, because none other than THOMAS VIKSTROM
(THERION), ROY KHAN (KAMELOT, CONCEPTION), FABIO LIONE (ANGRA, RHAPSODY), LANCE
KING (BALANCE OF POWER, PYRAMAZE), ARNO MENSES (SUBSIGNAL) and a lot more
established singers make their presence on these first 2 releases Atlantean
shores and And silently the age did pass. A lot of background information on
the project, so there are high expectations on these 2 new CDs of ENTERING POLARIS.
Anyway, the music style is typical project/rock opera/melodic prog/power metal
orientated, close to for example AYREON, MAGORIA, AVANTASIA and the countless
others we have seen the past 25 years. Thankfully it is all done at a very high
level and then I become very interested, especially since it features some of
my favorite singers. Luckily I received the physical 2-CD set that contains
both albums, and the extensive booklet with pictures and lyrics gives you a
good idea of the immense time, energy and efforts have been put into this
massive project! The production is top-notch and Tom wrote and composed all the
songs besides playing the electric and acoustic guitar and the bass, while the
drums are taken care of Louis van der Linden. As already mentioned there are a lot
of guest singers and a few guest musicians as well. Musically it is basically
melodic prog/power metal, but you can easily pick up a lot of other influences
as well, so this makes it a pleasure to listen to the CDs from start to finish.
AVANTASIA meets AYREON is definitely a good description, but on the other hand
ENTERING POLARIS stands on it’s own, which you can hear right from the start
during the fantastic opening song Forever that has some really nice tempo
changes with calmer and heavier parts and a catchy melodic chorus. Tom is an
amazing guitarist who shreds as one of the best, while he also plays in a
calmer acoustic setting quite easily. This mixture can be heard on both CDs,
because the first CD is a powerful melodic prog/power metal affair like
KAMELOT/AVANTASIA/EDGUY/ LABYRINTH and such, while the 2nd CD is an acoustic darker
album that gives a completely different side of the project. And actually I
have to say I absolutely loved this calmer acoustic/unplugged album of the
project, because it shows how extremely talented all the musicians and singers
are, and in facts fans of melodic rock/aor might even like this 2nd
CD, because it does even have some references to STYX and KANSAS. There is no
single weak moment to be found here and it’s a rollercoaster ride that should
be heard by fans of all the aforementioned projects and bands. This project
deserves a lot of attention! Check it out for yourself at: https://enteringpolaris.bandcamp.com/album/atlantean-shores-and-silently-the-age-did-pass
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
CRABE ‘VISITE DU TEMPLE INNE’ (LES DISQUES DURE
VIE/CARGO/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
CRABE
comes out of Montreal, Canada and they play Art-Post-Punk whatever that means.
Anyway, the band consists of Mertin Hoëk (Télégraphe Jungle, IDALG,
Jesuslesfilles, Leamers) and Gabriel Lapierre (Après l’Asphalte, Varger), and
they have been active for about 15 years now, Visite Du Temple Inne is their
latest album and this is quite an experimental record that starts very
experimental and quirky, kinda outta control if you ask me, but during later
tracks the band goes for a more accessible melodic approach, especially during
the melancholic Nightmom and the uptempo Post-Punk piece 2020. This band tries
to mix all kinds of influences, because the aforementioned 2020 also features progrock
parts and metal riffs. It’s a melting pot of as many music as possible, making
it quite a challenge to listen to the album, but to some of us this might make
them an interesting band to check out at: https://www.facebook.com/crabecrabe/?locale=br_FR
(Points: 7.7 out of 10)
HIDDEN ORCHESTRA ‘TO DREAM IS TO FORGET’ (LONE FIGURES/CREATIVE
ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
HIDDEN
ORCHESTRA is a project formed around British producer/composer/musician JOE
ACHESON, who also plays a lot of instruments (such as piano, bass, analog
synth, cymbals, etc), but on the new album Visite Du Temple Inne there are also
several guest musicians to be heard. Anyway, the music is experimental, but accessible,
a sorta instrumental electronic mix of jazz, prog and synthwave, and that works
really well here. It’s quite exciting and has some good rhythms and grooves,
which is thanks to drummer JAMIE GRAHAM. 10 songs are included in total, and as
already mentioned it is quite a pleasure to listen to the album from start to
finish. It never gets complicated or heavy, because it has a slightly calmer
post-prog approach, but as mentioned there are also lots of jazz and synthwave
influences. Combined it is a recommended album to check out if you like instrumental
music that also could serve well as background music to a movie or documentary.
Well done and more info at: https://hiddenorchestra.bandcamp.com/album/to-dream-is-to-forget
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
SAFARI SEASON ‘FOREVERMOOR’ (BEAT GOES ON/PARAPLY
RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)
SAFARI
SEASON is a Swedish band consisting of Lars Ryen (lead & bgv/keyboards)
& Anders Lindgren (producer/guitar/keyboard/percussion/bgv) and Forevermoor
is their 3rd album so far. The band has a sound that is clearly 70s
influenced, very melodic and pop/rock orientated with memories of bands like 10CC,
AMERICA, NEW MUZIK and even ABBA, so nostalgica is written all over the place
on their new album. Guest musicians are Daniel Gullo (bass/drums/keys/guitar),
Ylva Lindgren, Robert Warn, Rebecka Beran & Ulf Akermo (background vocals),
Magnus Berg (trumpet), Erwin Schoonderwaldt, Lars Borgstrom, Andreas
Strombergsson & Joans Bergholm (strings), Graig Lindgren (bass), Mattias
Fabian (recorder) & Lars Borgstrom (string arrangements). The duo sounds at
their best during the summer ish uptempo poprocker opener Running Free and the
80s TEARS FOR FEARS/CUTTING CREWish This Gentle Night. They do a nice job here
and I think this might even appeal to fans of a band like KEANE. It’s well-written
retro pop in a slightly modern jacket. In case you’re becoming interested then
please go to: https://safariseason.wordpress.com/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
STEVE YANEK ‘SEPTEMBER’ (PRIMITIVE RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
American
Singer/songwriter STEVE YANEK delivers a new album titled September, which
arrived at my desk just a few days after September ended. The music is calmer
singer/songwriter meets americana pop/rock in the TOM PETTY meets JACKSON
BROWNE style and Steve did everything on his own here in 18 months’ time. Steve’s
music has been reviewed a few more times in the past, and he continues to
deliver quality singer/songwriter Americana pop/rock music. The uptempo pieces
such as Begin Again and I Could Use A Little Rain as well as the midtempo Westcoast/aor/pop/rocker
Count Every Moment are the best songs that need to be checked first. More info
on Steve can be found at: https://steveyanek.com/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
EDWARD ABBIATI ‘TO THE LIGHT’ (APPALOOSA RECORDS/ HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
To
The Light is the 2nd album of the Anglo Italian singer/songwriter
EDWARD ABBIATI, who used to be in the Italian Americana band LOWLANDS, but he went
solo a few years ago. Along with guest musicians such as several ex-LOWLANDS
members as well as Marco Diamantini (Cheap Wine) Stiv Cantarelli, Winston
Watson (Bob Dylan), Joey Huffman (Soul Asylum) and Mike "Slo Mo"
Brenner (Marah, Magnolia Electric Co.) and many more, the resulting new solo
album of Edward is a nice mixture of indie, college rock, singer/songwriter,
americana, melodic pop/rock, heartland rock and everything in between. It’s
quite a fun record with many happy uptempo tunes that could easily become radio
hits. Done well and for more info please go to: https://lowlandsband.com/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
BONEFISH ‘WHERE DO WE BELONG’ (FBM RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
Where
Do We Belong is the 3rd album of the Swedish band BONEFISH. The band
is formed around ANDERS BUAAS is best Bie Karlsson (vocalist, guitarist), Matte
Norberg (guitarist), Nylle Thoor (bassist) and Rasmus Rasmusson (drummer), and
this new record contains well-written music that contains influenced from
Americana, Rootsy Rock, Powerpop and a touch of Britpop. They are doing a great
job here and especially during fun uptempo powerpop tracks like Modern Day
Attraction, the 80s influenced Always Right, Ghetto In Your Face and the midtempo
melodic Sad, they sound at their very best. Definitely a band to check out,
more at: https://www.facebook.com/BonefishSWE/
and https://bonefishswe.com/
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
NOLAN MCKELVEY ‘FORWARD’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
Without
a doubt this is one of the finest singer/songwriter albums I received the past
few months. NOLAN MCKELVEY started his musical journey in Arizona, USA before
moving and performing in several Boston based bands playing all kinds of
genres, but eventually he went back to Arizona to start a solo career. Forward
is his 4th solo album since relocating to Arizona back in 2004. He sings and writes
his own songs, but also plays guitar and bass, and on his new solo album there
are several guest musicians giving him a rich full sound that rocks a bit more
than a regular calmer singer/songwriter album. Nolan has a great voice and he
sings some beautiful melodies on this CD. You can feel the honesty of his songs
due to the fact that he lost a good friend and both his parents in the aftermath
of the covid pandemic. The first couple of songs, such as Forward, Tir Na nOg,
Pretending and Phoenix Rising show that he is a song orientated musician who
has stories to tell us. Melodies are all over the place and thanks to the guest
musicians on drums, sax, pedal steel, dobro, keys, violin, etc. it all sounds
quite diverse as well. Definitely an album you need to check out, because it is
too good to just pass on. More info at: http://www.nolanmckelvey.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
MANNISH BOY ‘DOWN UNTIL DAWN’ (PARAPLY RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
Out
of Sweden comes MANNISH BOY, a melodic rockband with a sound that is influenced
by the 70s and 80s. They are formed around lead singer/guitarist Erik Sjogren,
guitarist Par Englund, vocalist/bassist Anders Ekblad and drummer Emil Olin.
Vocally not so strong, the 4 included songs on their EP Down Until Dawn are mostly
quite catchy uptempo melodic pop/rock tunes. Check for yourself at: https://www.facebook.com/mbwelove
(Points: 7.4 out of 10)
KONTROLL-RAUM ‘GATE 23’ (MANIKIN RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
MANIKIN
RECORDS is a label founded by Berlin based musician MARIO SCHONWALDER back in
1992. It is focused on releasing instrumental “Berlin School” synth based krautrock
like it was done by acts like TANGERINE DREAM and KLAUS SCHULZE, but also for
example VANGELIS, KITARO, ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, JAN HAMMER, etc. KONTROLL-RAUM
is one of the acts on the label and their new album Gate 23 consists of this
lovely synth based sound, which gives a very relaxing feeling while listening
to the 7 tracks that take up 73 minutes of playing time. All tracks were
composed, arranged and played by Dutchman BAS BROEKHUIS, and Germans FRANK
ROTHE and Mario himself. Waiting For Departure is one of the absolute
highlights here and I think even the fans of old school Sympho and Neo-Prog
will enjoy this adventure of synth sounds from the analog past. This is without
a doubt a must-have for anyone into those old 70s/80s instrumental synth based
sounds and as already mentioned TANGERINE DREAM/KLAUS SCHULZE will absolutely
love this. The recordings took place in Berlin and at Bas’ place in The
Netherlands. The finished product is a lovely adventure that is also definitely
improvised and takes you on a nostalgic synth trip into space. Check for
yourself all info on this masterpiece at: https://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gate-23
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
KELMEN ‘RESULTS’ (MANIKIN RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Just
like the 2 other releases on the MANIKIN RECORDS label, also the album Results
of KELMEN is musically speaking an electronic music journey that reminds us of
the old krautrock/electronic new age Berlin School days of KLAUS SCHULZE and
TANGERINE DREAM, yet also this CD has an own identity for sure. KELMEN is a
German duo consisting of DETLEF KELLER (of whom we reviewed a solo album) and
MICHAEL MENZE, whom both play synthesizer and sequencer. The music has this 80s
kinda vibe, so you could even call it Synthwave, because sometimes it’s like we’re
back in the days when KNIGHT RIDER and MIAMI VICE were aired on national TV
prime time! Anyway, the CD has a playing time of about 75 minutes, divided into
4 songs in total, and it was recorded at the Kellerstudio in Duisburg in October
2022. Here and there drummer DIRK BRAND guests (and then it gets quite exciting
and suspense ish like in a song such as Second Result, which is by the way the
absolute highlight of the album, reminding a bit of classic ALAN PARSONS
PROJECT), but it’s most of the time the adventures of Detlef and Michael, whom
are facing a battle with each other to come up with the most heroic synth
sounds one can imagine. Of course this is also an album that will find it’s way
to fans of JEAN MICHEL JARRE, TANGERINE DREAM, MIKE OLDFIELD, KLAUS SCHULZE,
VANGELIS, etc. etc. It is a wonderful high quality sounding record that is on
the other hand also a typical German product, because this once commercial
music in the 70s went underground during the 80s and has since been created
mainly in Germany. KELMEN is a new modern example that you need to check out if
you like any of the aforementioned acts. More info can be found at: https://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/results
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
DETLEF KELLER ‘SPAINTRONIC’ (MANIKIN RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
front cover artwork of this album by DETLEF KELLER reveals that we are in Spain
and the music is also slightly related to Spain, which can be heard especially
during the intro’s and outro’s of the songs that reveal calmer Spanish guitar-like
sounds. Actually it’s a 2-CD set that takes you on an almost 2-hours counting
journey through the electronic world of Detlef. Just like the other MANIKIN RECORDS
releases, also this album is mainly 70s instrumental electronic kraut/Berlin
school orientated with a focus on the synths. It’s a wonderful experience to
just listen to Detlef’s amazing skills to perform all these melodies on his
synthesizers and keyboards. TANGERINE DREAM is definitely a close-call
sometimes, but Detlef has created his own little masterpiece here called
Spaintronic that is divided into 7 parts in total, spread throughout the 2 CDs.
The music builds up every time to epic highlights and calmer interventions. I
can easily give this a big recommendation to anyone who likes 70s electronic
kraut, TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE, JEAN MICHEL JARRE, MIKE OLDFIELD, etc.
More info at: https://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spaintronic
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
STARMEN ‘STARMENIZED’ (MELODIC PASSION RECORDS/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
STARMEN
from Norrtälje/Uppsala, Sweden are back with a fantastic new album titled
Starmenized. Inspired by KISS and everything 70s/80s Hardrock oriented, STARMEN
kick off their new album with a superb faster uptempo melodic heavy rocker in
the style of very early YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and RAINBOW. Vocally guitarist/lead
singer RED STARMAN sounds a lot like JEFF SCOTT SOTO, while lead guitarist PURPLE
STARMAN shreds like the best 80s guitarists. The other 2 members in the band
form the rhythm section, which consists of drummer SILVER STARMAN and bassist
GOLD STARMAN. Although all 4 of them also sing lead on 1 or more songs on the
album (just like the old KISS), red sings most of the songs. As you will notice
when seeing the names and the frontcover of their new album, the band has
secret identities and are just like KISS hiding their faces behind Starman
masks, although I think it concerns musicians from well-known Swedish bands
(NARNIA, THE POODLES…). The cartoonized pictures of the band members and their
adventures inside the CD booklet is giving them this cool 70s THIN LIZZY kinda
touch. Musically speaking they are more leaning towards the 80s, which can be
heard very clearly on the DEF LEPPARDish midtempo Hardrock anthem Rockstar.
Tears Never Dry is basically KISS – PAUL STANLEY circa Animalize, so uptempo
melodic hard rock in classic mid 80s style. In the beginning of the song there
is this DAVID COVERDALE WHITESNAKE touch, also vocally, but the catchy pre-chorus
and chorus are pure KISS circa Tears Are Falling. Anyway, it is a superb song
with once again a lovely soaring guitar solo. The CD continues with I Die For
You, a superb mid-tempo melodic rocker in the WHITESNAKE – Is This Love style
and as already mentioned, Red has a really fantastic voice that perfectly suits
the 80s Hardrock of STARMEN, but as already mentioned also the other members
sing and are doing a good job as well. The uptempo Radioactive is a very catchy
melodic rocker with once again a lovely 80s memorable chorus that could easily
fit a cartoon theme tune of the 80s! Also fans of NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA will
go nuts when hearing this terrific tune!
The
album continues with Black Moon Rising, another pure KISS rocker, a song that
PAUL STANLEY wishes he could still create, let alone sing! Renegade Jenny is
another big time 80s party anthem with a huge chorus to sing-along to. Just A
Stranger follows the same route, Word Up is a little weaker in a VAN HALEN
style and Starmenized closes the album in a fine mid-tempo 80s DEF LEPPARD
direction.
Although
the first part of the CD is showing the band at their best, it is nevertheless
a great record. There are numerous melodic hard/rock bands in Sweden at the
moment, but STARMEN might belong to one of the best and most diverse right now.
More info on this sensational band at: https://starmen.se
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
ALBANY DOWN ‘BORN IN THE ASHES’ (AB RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
ALBANY
DOWN is a band from the UK that already has released several albums. Born In
The Ashes is their 4th so far and I can easily say that this is a sensational
record. The band consists of Paul Turley on vocals and guitars, drummer and
backing vocalist, Pete Hancock, and bassist and backing vocalist Ben Atkins,
and just like on their earlier albums, also this new one was produced by GREG
HAVER (MANIC STREET PREACHERS, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, INME…). The band’s music is
a mix of classic rock, heavy blues rock and melodic rock, with a modern touch
as well, and right from the start of this new album you can hear that this is
something exceptional and of a very high level!
Opener
Always Want What You Can’t Have is a superb bigtime midtempo modern melodic
heavy rocker with a deadly catchy chorus. It rocks for sure, but is also very
melodic and thanks to the pitch perfect voice of Paul, it lifts this band up to
a very high level than most other rockbands at the moment. The album continues
with 12 more tunes that combine the best of modern and classic rock, and actually
ALBANY DOWN sounds like a great melodic hardrockband most of the time, although
a song like Samen Damn Thing also reveals heavy blues rock influences and
reminds me a bit of THUNDER. And how about the superb soulful power blues ballad
The Memory Of What Used To Be, which shows what an incredible singer Paul is.
This song has also some similarities to JOE BONAMASSA, PHILIP SAYCE and KENNY
WAYNE SHEPHERD, so there is also a lot of diversity going on here. Other
highlights are Reflections (a midtempo slightly bluesy rocker with a really
catchy hook halfway the song), the faster uptempo Don’t Look Back (modern melodic
heavy rocker), This Heavy Soul (another soulful bluesy ballad with a slight
JOURNEY touch in the NEAL SCHONish guitarsolo) and closing track Let Your Love
Shine (a big fat groovy midtempo modern rocker), although there is no single
weak song to be found here! Do not miss this superb new album of ALBANY DOWN,
because it is an absolute winner! More info at: https://www.albanydown.com/
(Points: 8.9 out of 10)
TOMBSTONE DUNNERY ‘THE BLUES OF TOMBSTONE DUNNERY’
(FRANCIS DUNNERY MUSIC/TENACITY/UK IMPORT)
British
guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer FRANCIS DUNNERY is best known as being active
in the Prog/Symphonic Rockworld, because he had huge success with his own band
IT BITES during the 1980s. Eventually he went on doing lots of other things,
including working with ROBERT PLANT, SANTANA, LARYN HILL and he almost became
the GENESIS frontman in 1996 (!). Anyway, he also has a solo career going since
1990 and the latest release is done as TOMBSTONE DUNNERY, which is a pure Blues
rockalbum. He’s helped by several other musicians, such as bassist PHIL BROWN,
drummer PHIL BEAUMONT, keyboardplayer NIGEL HOPKINS, guitarist QUINT STARKIE,
backing vocalist DEANNE BLAZEY and NEIL YATES on brass and woodwind. The resulting
album consists of 12 songs that were all written, producer and arranged by
Francis, and musically speaking it is classic heavy blues rock with strong
melodic clean vocals of Francis. Especially during the uptempo tunes, such as
She Left Me With The Blues, TOMSTONE DUNNERY sounds at their very best. Francic
absolutely delivers here a highly recommended album that should easily grab the
attention of fans of JOE BONAMASSA, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD, etc. etc. Check more
info on: https://francisdunnery.bandcamp.com/album/the-blues-of-tombstone-dunnery-volume-1
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
CHRISTINA MARTIN ‘STORM’ (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
Storm
is the 8th studio album of Canadian singer-songwriter CHRISTINA
MARTIN, and actually I was not familiar with her music at all, so this is the
first time I get to hear her, and I am quite impressed with the material on her
new album. Christina has a superb voice that here and there reminds me of
BONNIE TYLER, LAURA BRANIGAN, SUSANNA HOFFS and STEVIE NICKS, and her music is sorta
80s AOR/Melodic Rock orientated, yet with a modern pop/rock approach and other
influences as well. I have to say that throughout the album the music gets a
little more laid-back and piano-ballad orientated, which is not bad at all, but
some more uptempo rockers would definitely be welcome. Anyway, she is joined on
this album by Brian Murray (drums), Dale Murray (guitars, piano), Ian Bent (grand
piano), Jason Vautour (bass), Jordi Comstock (drums, cow bell, percussion) and Karen
Graves (violin and viola), and 11 songs are in total included on this CD.
Christina
is at her best during uptempo pieces like opener Little Princess and Austin (with
slight Americana influences) as well as the midtempo In Control and Still in
L.A. and the bombastic epic Inside The Mirror. These songs show that we are
dealing here with quite a strong and diverse performer, and fans of let’s say BELINDA
CARLISLE, PATTY SMYTH, STEVIE NICKS (close-call also musically), KIM CARNES (a
lot!), LUBA, QUARTERFLASH and even THE PRETENDERS might like this a lot, but as
you can read the music is going into a lot of different directions, so it will
also appeal to fans of calmer Roots Rock/Americana (BONNIE RAITT) as well as
AOR/Melodic Poprock. Check out more info at: https://christinamartin.bandcamp.com/album/storm
and https://www.christinamartin.net/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
TREEBEARD ‘NOSTALGIA’ (BIRD'S
ROBE RECORDS/MGM/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
In
the middle of the corona lockdown of 2021 the debut album Nostalgia of the
Australian band TREEBEARD was released. Sadly it went unnoticed, so when the
band signed to BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS recently, the label re-released the album
and so here we have another opportunity to get to learn about this interesting
band. Their music is semi-instrumental progressive post-rock with influences
from MOGWAI, NICK CAVE and many others, but overall it will be of interest for
fans of let’s say SLEEPMAKESWAVES, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, SIGUR ROS, GOD IS AN
ASTRONAUT, LONG DISTANCE CALLING, etc. etc. The CD contains 8 tracks that have
a playing time of 60 minutes all together, and from start to finish this is
melancholic dark post-progrock at it’s very best. The band consists of Patrick
Cooke (Guitar & Vocals), Rhys Brennan (Bass), Beau Heffernan (Drums) and Josh
Bills (Guitar & Vocals), and they are right now working on a follow-up to
be released in 2024 on BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS. Meanwhile, check out this lovely
first CD in case you missed it. More info at: https://treebeard2.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
HENCE CONFETTI ‘HENCE CONFETTI’ (BIRD'S ROBE RECORDS/MGM/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN
IMPORT)
This
is Progressive Metal with a Sludge/Metalcore touch in the vocal department, so
it might not appeal to everyone out there. HENCE CONFETTI comes out of
Australia and this same titled debut has been re-released by their label BIRD’S
ROBE RECORDS as a sort of preview of their upcoming new album. The band’s sound
is not far removed from MASTEDON and DEVIN TOWNSEND, and it is quite heavy and
extreme at times, while still being able to call it Progmetal. Personally I
miss the melodies and the focus is a bit too much leaning towards the extreme
side of Metal. Nevertheless, there is also a market for that kind of Metal, so
if you’re becoming interested, go check them out at: https://henceconfetti.bandcamp.com/album/hence-confetti
(Points: 6.5 out of 10)
FJALL ‘FROM THE ROUGH HILL’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK
IMPORT)
Another
new quartet on the DISCUS MUSIC label, FJALL consists of MARTIN ARCHER (flute,
clarinet, bass, harmonica, sax, percussion, electronics…), JAN TODD (harp,
flute, cello, electronics…), drummer FRAN COMYN and drummer RICHARD JACKSON. Their
debut From The Rough Hill is a calmer instrumental album that has a sorta atmospheric
natural landscape and improvised ritual kinda feeling, with also moments of
electronic modern classical music here and there. Interesting album for sure
and recommended to people who want to hear something completely different. More
info at: https://propermusic.com/products/fjall-fromtheroughhill
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
PAUL DUNMALL ’BRIGHT LIGHT A JOYOUS CELEBRATION’
(DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK IMPORT)
Freejazz
saxophone player PAUL DUNMALL releases his 3rd CD Bright Light A
Joyous Celebration on DISCUS MUSIC, and this time he gathered a group of
musicians around him, such as Soweto Kinch: alto and tenor saxophones, Xhosa
Cole - tenor saxophone, Corey Mwamba: vibraphone, Dave Kane: double bass and Hamid
Drake: drums. The result is a nice slightly experimental freestyle jazz album
that is likewise concentrated around Paul’s tenor and soprano saxophone. I do
like a lot of the moments when all the featured saxes are playing together, as
in to harmonize the sound. As expected like every DISCUS MUSIC release, this
one is also quite experimental, but at times also reminds me of the
experimental jazz sounds of the late 1960s. Fans of freestyle jazz will love it
for sure! More info at: https://www.soundohm.com/product/bright-light-a-joyous-cel
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
UROBORO ’A STORY LIKE FIRE’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK
IMPORT)
At
first sight the CD of UROBORO is quite calm and romantic, but throughout the 2
CDs on which all of the music of their debut album A Story Like Fire can be
found, the mood sometimes changes into dark experimental parts, which makes it
quite an exciting album to listen to from start to finish. The band is
compromised of Andy Champion: bass, Laura Cole: piano & keyboard, Anton
Hunter: guitar & electronics, Johnny Hunter: drums, Keith Jafrate:
saxophones & spoken word and John Pope: bass & electronics. The mix of
avantgarde-jazz and experimental progressive rock (KING CRIMSON) gives UROBORO
an own identity that is enjoyable to hear on these 2 full-length CDs. Keith is
the leader of the band, and besides playing the sax, he also does a bit of
spoken word every now and then, which gives the freestyle jazz-fusion style of
the band/project another interesting dimension. Open-minded jazz and progfans
will definitely find something they like over here. Go check out more info at: https://propermusic.com/products/uroboro-astorylikefire
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
TONY OXLEY ’THE NEW WORLD’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/UK
IMPORT)
This
album is definitely a work on it’s own, not to be compared to anything else,
since TONY OXLEY makes art with the help of just percussion and electronics, while
he is assisted on this album by STEFAN HOLKER on acoustic percussion. They
recorded 6 compositions together in Germany in 2022 and the result is as
experimental as you can get, because it contains all kinds of improvised wicked
noises and sounds. It is the complete opposite of commercial music and obviously
Tony is a gifted percussionist, because through all these weird sounds you can trace
a sorta intellectual rhythm that grabs you for sure and it does make you interested
in hearing out the complete CD. On the other hand Tony is a legend, who even
played with BILL EVANS and SONNY ROLLINS during the 1960s, so as a drummer he
knows what he is doing and therefore this new CD of the 85-year old is
recommended to the drum/percussion fans among us. Check for yourself at: https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/9538695--the-new-world
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
ARC ANGEL ‘ARC ANGEL REMASTERED VERSION + BONUS TRACKS’
(BAD REPUTATION RECORDS/SUBURBAN)
It
is the year 2023 and we are celebrating the 40-year anniversary of one of the
best AOR/Pomprock albums of all times! Between 1976 and 1984 almost 95% of the
classics in the AOR genre were released and besides the regular well-known
JOURNEY, SURVIVOR, FOREIGNER, TOTO, etc. releases, there are also quite a few albums
that sadly failed to become a success back then, but thankfully they are
re-introduced every once in a while. The ARC ANGEL classic of JEFF CANNATA is
one of those gems that was released in 1983, and without a doubt, this is one
of the top 10 AOR albums of all times that should have been huge. TOUCH is
another one from a few years earlier, but also ARC ANGEL was and still is such
an amazing piece of work. It captures everything I love about music and it was
definitely not a standard by-the-numbers AOR release, because Progressive Rock,
Synthwave and Pomprock influences and much more are being melted secretly inside
the AOR/Melodic Rocksound of their one and only album Arc Angel.
The
leader of the band/project was the already mentioned multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/producer
JEFF CANNATA, who did a lot on his own here, although he did get help from
other musicians and on the production side the legendary LANCE QUINN and TONY
BONGIOVI assisted him. This re-release contains the original 10 songs along
with 3 bonustracks (which are the excellent covers of the KING CRIMSON classic
In The Court Of The Crimson King and DAVID BOWIE’s Space Oddity, and a brand-new
JEFF CANNATA song called Big Life).
Anyway,
songs like Stars, Tragedy, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Sidelines, Confession, Just Another
Romance and King Of The Mountain still sound amazing after all these years.
Huge bombastic and crystal clear with a focus on many catchy hooks, memorable
choruses and packed inside a frame that also cover instrumental progressive and
pomprock elements as if JOURNEY, KANSAS, STYX, BOSTON, ASIA, KING CRIMSON and
RUSH have been blended together in a milkshake. It stood the test of time and I
can only say to everyone who missed it 40 years ago, get this classic a.s.a.p.!
Without
a doubt, this CD is a must-have for any music fan out there. A picture-perfect
10 which I rarely give to a record! More info on this remastered new edition of
the 1983 ARC ANGEL classic can be found at: https://badreputation.fr/
(Points: 10.0 out of 10)
SOULTOWN REVIVALISTS ‘BURNING DAYLIGHT’ (APRIL MORNING
MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Burning
Daylight is the debut album of SOULTOWN REVIVALISTS, which is a new supergroup
of Utah based musicians and also features singer-songwriter RYAN INNES, THE
NATIONAL PARKS frontman BRADY PARKS, the legendary fantastic THE JETS singer MOANA
WOLFGRAMM FEINGA and a few musicians from the band FICTIONIST. They have
recorded a wonderful first album that contains newly written music with an old
school soul/Motown/Detroit/Memphis/Philadelphia kinda feeling. The 15 included
songs were mostly written or co-written by soul fanatics Don Stirling and Sam
Cardon, whom are actually not playing or singing on the album, because they are
songwriters and only wrote all these songs with the spirit and love for the old
Motown music. For the music and vocals they were able to gather all these
musicians and singers to participate in this project. The resulting album is an
amazing record that captures indeed the classic sound of the past. Incredible
how they did it, because if this was released in 1975, it would gain a lot of
hits, such as the uptempo (funky) pieces Meet Me At The River or Thing About
Smokey and ultra smooth R & B ballads like It’s Time and Love Has A Way.
Without a doubt, this could well be the finest soul/old school R&B record
of the past few years. Make sure to check out this album if you’re a fan of AL GREEN,
TOWER OF POWER, DIANA ROSS, MARVIN GAYE, STEVIE WONDER, THE FOUR TOPS, etc.
etc. but also if you like for example DAWN BROTHERS, then this should be on top
of your list! The only thing I would like to remark is that the beginning of
the CD was very sensational and later on the album there seem to be a couple of
tracks that are not that strong, but nevertheless this is definitely a
recommended album! More info at: https://soultownrevivalists.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
RESTLESS SPIRIT ‘AFTERIMAGE’ (MAGNETIC EYE
RECORDS/SUBURBAN)
I
was not familiar yet with the New York based band RESTLESS SPIRIT, but this 3rd
album Afterimage is a serious winner for anyone into classic stoner rock/hardrock
in a BLACK SABBATH direction, yet with a clean Metal singer that has a range of
the 80s lead singers, but also reminds me a bit of the vocalists of Stoner Prog
Metal bands like PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and MASTERS OF REALITY. Anyway, the band consists
of drummer Jon Gusman, bassist Marc Morello and vocalist/guitarist Paul Aloisio,
and this new album sounds massive and is built around immense groovy guitar
riffs, while Paul can easily sing the melodies of the songs, although here and
there he also growls a bit, but thankfully it’s not disturbing at all like the
Metalcore/Death Metal bands. 8 songs are included and from start to finish this
is an enjoyable adventure that is recommended to fans of aforementioned bands.
They have the sound of the HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS bands, so fans of NEBULA and such
will also like RESTLESS SPIRIT. Check them out at: https://restlessspirit.bandcamp.com/album/afterimage
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
BLUES TRAVELER ‘TRAVELER’S SOUL’ (ROUND HILL
RECORDS/SUBURBAN)
The
New Jersey, USA based blues/soul rockband BLUES TRAVELER was formed all the way
back in 1987 and they had massive success during the 1990s. Eventually they
went on releasing records on smaller labels, and their latest album is titled Traveler’s
Soul, which is a tribute to classic soul tunes from the past (or bluesy soul
versions of popular songs such as THE BEATLES ‘We Can Work It Out). The band
nowadays consists of John Popper (vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar),
Tad Kinchla (bass), Ben Wilson (keyboards), and Brendan Hill (drums), and on
this new album there is a long list of guest vocalists (and guest musicians)
whom are doing duets with John. 12 songs are included, and among them are
classics by AL GREEN (Tired Of Being Alone), ERUPTION/ANN PEEBLES (I Can’t
Stand The Rain) and CURTIS MAYFIELD (Fool For You), all performed very nicely
here by BLUES TRAVELER, along with guest vocalists like VALERIE JUNE, PAT
MONAHAN (of TRAIN) and RYAN SHAW. Done really well, BLUES TRAVELER shows they
are a really strong band that can absolutely nail these classics. More info at:
https://bluestraveler.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
BLADE ‘JOKER AND CLOWNS’ (INVERSE RECORDS/FINLAND IMPORT)
Joker
And Clowns is the debut album of the Finnish 80s Hardrock sounding band BLADE.
The band consists of Pepe Tamminen (vocals), Pekka Viljanen (guitar), Jaakko
Paljakka (guitar), Janne Viljakainen (bass & keyboards) and Henrik
Hyöppönen (drums), and the 9 original songs and cover of Maniac (MICHAEL
SEMBELLO) are definitely interesting if you’re a fan of 80s Hardrock like
SCORPIONS, FIST, ACCEPT, VICTORY, etc. etc. Of course it’s not original and we
have heard it many times before, but on the other hand BLADE is quite unique,
because this kind of pure 80s Hardrock is not heard much nowadays since most
bands in the genre have a modern touch. BLADE is absolutely keen on sounding as
authentic as possible, so when hearing songs like Never Stop Rocking and Hot
And Wired, it’s like you stepped in a time machine and went back to 1985 when this
kind of Party influenced Hard Rock was very popular. They were formed during
corona and now already a few years later deliver a nice debut album in the
shape of Joker And Clowns. Check them out at: https://bladefinland.bandcamp.com/album/joker-and-clowns
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
EMIL SIGFRIDSSON ‘BACK TO YESTERDAY’ (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
The
moment you see the frontcover of the 3rd album Back To Yesterday of
the Swedish singer/songwriter EMIL SIGFRIDSSON, you will immediately imagine
this is going to be an 80s influenced adventure. And indeed the new album of
Emil, which is his first sung in English by the way, it is a pure 80s AOR/Melodic
Rock record from start to finish. It might not be really original and labels
like FRONTIERS RECORDS, AOR HEAVEN and ESCAPE MUSIC could have released it, the
CD is definitely a high class piece of AOR/Melodic Rock. Emil has a great voice
and the songs are very catchy, not far removed from the legendary TALK OF THE
TOWN actually. Apparently Emil once participated in some song contest on
Swedish national TV and even was part of the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest, and
his first 2 albums are more in a pop vein and sung in Swedish.
The
new album of EMIL contains 11 original songs and 1 cover of a LADY GAGA classic
(The Edge Of Glory), and it was very well produced by Tobias Wernersson,
guitarist of SUPREME MAJESTY. Tobias also played all the guitar, keys, pianos
and bass parts, while David Hahne is the drummer on the CD. It’s a mix of mostly
uptempo cheerful catchy summer fun 80s Scandi AOR/Melodic Rock (a la TALK OF THE
TOWN/ALIEN/DAVINCI/SNAKES IN PARADISE…) during strong songs like My Life, Can I
Run Away (superb song with also SURVIVOR influences), Spanish Lullaby, Hold On
and New Horizon (SURVIVOR meets early PRIDE OF LIONS), and a few beautiful semi-ballad/midtempo
late 80s/early 90s American AOR (a la ALIAS/SIGNAL) pieces like Be Gentle,
Dancing With An Angel and Raindrops.
As
aforementioned, you can hear that a lot of energy and effort has been put into
making this album sound like a great professional authentic AOR/Melodic Rock
record in classic Scandi style, yet with also an American AOR touch. The
guitarwork of Tobias is also picture-perfect by the way and some of the choruses
are a wet-dream for the fans of memorable 80s AOR (Can I Run Away). This is
definitely a highly recommended album to all the AOR fans out there! I liked it
personally better than for example the solo album of the PERFECT PLAN singer or
the latest H.E.A.T.. This CD of Emil has a more authentic 80s kinda vibe (like WORK
OF ART), so go check it out a.s.a.p. if you’re becoming interested at: https://www.emilsigfridsson.se/
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
MARRIAGE MATERIAL ‘ENCHANTMENT UNDER THE SEA VINYL LP’
(INDEPENDENT/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Berlin, Germany comes the instrumental band MARRIAGE MATERIAL, and they are creating the perfect mixture of prog and jazz, but they refuse to be called fusion. Enchantment Under The Sea is their 2nd album so far, as it is the follow-up to their same titled debut album from 2021. The band consists of Felix Lehrmann (drums) Thomas Stieger (bass, synths) Raphael Meinhart (vibes, marimba, synth) and guitarist Arto Mäkelä (originally from Finland), and the 10 songs on this beautiful vinyl album I received from the band sound absolutely wonderful! It is an instrumental album and the great thing about it is that it never gets boring, because MARRIAGE MATERIAL is constantly changing it’s direction. Sometimes it’s like you’re listening to an old school jazz band, then it suddenly gets a modern slightly experimental jazz touch, while also a lot of songs can be qualified as pure progressive rocksongs with exceptional guitar solos by Arto. The funny thing is that it all is passing by very smoothly and natural, so the diversity and flexibility of the band and it’s members is at a very high level, and their music will appeal to both jazz and progfans without ever preferring a direction. The artwork of the vinyl album is beautiful done, in a gatefold sleeve it provides you also a lot of information. Recommended to both jazz and prog fans! More info at: https://marriagematerial.de/
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
| CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW REVIEWS |
| GO TO THE REVIEWSINDEXPAGE |
| BACK TO HOMEPAGE |
O