HOT NEW REVIEWS


UPDATED March 4, 2023

DUPLEX ‘MAELSTROM’ (ARC MUSIC/DISQUES DOM/VEEVCOM/FRANCE IMPORT)

Maelstrom is the new album of DUPLEX, a Belgian band formed around DAMIEN CHIERCHI (violin, composer, arranger), DIDIER LALOY (diatonic accordion), QUENTIN NGUYEN (keys) and OLIVER COX (drums). Musically speaking we are heading into an interesting and quite sensational direction of instrumental music that combines elements of World Music, Jazz and Progressive Rock into an exciting original own style that sounds very fresh and modern. 14 songs are included, and melodies are all over the place, while almost each continent is presented somehow somewhere throughout the CD, and especially the use of the violin and accordion in combination with keys and a drummer who has the jazz/progrock kinda touch, it all sounds very strong and impressive from start to finish. Songs like Magic House, Broken Leaf, Vikhren and the superb O’Mar will appeal to fans of every of the aforementioned genres. It is one of the finest combinations of modern music, world music, jazz and prog I have heard in a long time. Highly recommended and an act that would be at home at North Sea Jazz festival for sure. More info at: www.duplexmusic.be

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

AURELIA NARDINI ‘NENIA IRA’ (VLAD PRODUCTIONS/ABSILONE/BELIEVE/VEEVCOM/FRANCE IMPORT)

AURELIA NARDINI is a very talented French singer/songwriter who delivers a fantastic debut album titled Nenia Ira. She is based in Marseille, and I believe she does everything on her own here with the help of electronic (computer) effects, a shrutibox (an Indian accordion) and the toun-toun Pyrenean string drum, a traditional instrument. While listening to the album you would imagine a full band, but it’s just Aurelia and a couple of instruments she uses, although I did saw some guest musicians on keys, percussion, synths and violin here and there. She is however a gifted singer, because her voice is absolutely beautiful and very pleasant to listen to, and her songs are quite accessible actually, so a song or two could easily become huge pop hits. The songs are sung in French, which gives it an even more authentic and original touch. There’s some FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE and SINEAD O’CONNOR (early days) similarities, yet Aurelia has an own identity, and her music is a sorta World Music meets Pop melodies kinda mixture, and it works really well during the 8 fantastic bombastic songs on this first album. More info can be found at: www.neniaira.fr 

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

WE STOOD LIKE KINGS ‘AWAY’ (KAPITAN PLATTE/CARGO RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Brussels, Belgium comes the piano-based instrumental psot-progrockband WE STOOD LIKE KINGS. They have already released 4 albums, and Away is described as a mix of PINK FLOYD, CHOPIN and MOGWAI. This seems very interesting and thankfully JUDITH HOORENS (piano, synth), DIEGO DI VITO (guitar), COLIN DELLOYE (bass) and LUCAS VANDERPUTTEN (drums) indeed deliver a high quality album here. Their instrumental music is an interesting combination of classical music, cinematic themes and progressive/post-rock, and from start to finish it’s an enjoyable journey through the eyes of WE STOOD LIKE KINGS. Sometimes rocking, at other times sounding calm and collected, then suddenly bombastic, so it’s a diverse energetic instrumental album that live will probably take you into a trance. Definitely a must-have for fans of exciting modern day instrumental music played by real musicians and not programmed on a computer! More info at: www.westoodlikekings.com

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

GAYE SU AKYOL ‘ANADOLU EIDERI’ (GLITTERBEAT RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)

Out of Istanbul, Turkey comes GAYE SU AKYOL, who delivers her 4th album with this Anadolu Ejderi (Anatolian Dragon), an album with beautiful artwork by the way! Her music is an interesting mix of western pop and Turkish Psychedelic Anatolian Pop/Rock, while this new album reveals many more influences (soul, Middle Eastern, African, disco, rock) due to the fact that she had to sit at home for a long time during the corona pandemic. This enabled her to come up with a very diverse strong album in the shape of Anadolu Ejderi. Of course some similarities to ALTIN GUN or TAMIKREST are quite obvious, but thanks to Gaye’s unique way of singing and mixture of other music cultures, this is an album with an own identity. A song like the calmer soulful Bu Izdırabın Panzehiri for example has got a really great smooth vibe that could make her a big superstar in the western world, while the modern Yaram Derin Derin Kanar (even a bit DALBELLO) and heavy desert blues rocker Sen Benim Mağaramsın (fantastic song!) show a complete different side. In Turkey she is already a well-known singer, but after listening to her new album it should be possible for her to gain a breakthrough everywhere. Check out more info on this talented Turkish singer at: https://gayesuakyol.bandcamp.com/album/anadolu-ejderi

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

TAU & THE DRONES OF PRAISE ‘MISNEACH’ (GLITTERBEAT RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)

Although settled in Berlin, Germany, TAU AND THE DRONES OF PRAISE is based around the Irishman SEAN MULROONEY who is also using a lot of Irish elements in his music. The title of the 3rd album is coming from the Old Irish “meisnech” which means courage or spirit. The included music is an interesting groovy mix of world music, celtic, kraut and SLOWER britpop/post-punk, and it is really an unique mixture of styles here with quite strong typical Irish vocals and a catchy vibe, such as can be heard right from the start with the lovely midtempo opener It Is Right To Give Drones & Praise that combines elements and melodies of THE SMITHS and R.E.M. with a certain World Music touch, while the chorus even reveals a touch of TEARS FOR FEARS meets TALKING HEADS! I think you’ll get the picture where this is going to, although on the other hand the 8 songs are very diverse and original sounding, and eventually the Irish/Celtic seem to go upfront during the album, especially during the catchy folky Ceol On Chre (which is a definite festival hit guarantee!). I am somewhat surprised I haven’t seen other magazines raving about this CD, because TAU AND THE DRONES OF PRAISE is definitely a band you don’t want to miss, and the bring something original and new while still capturing an Irish identity. Check them out at: https://tauandthedronesofpraise.bandcamp.com/album/misneach

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

LIRAZ ‘ROYA’ (GLITTERBEAT RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)

As soon as opener and titletrack Roya of Liraz' 3rd album Roya starts, you know you're into something really good, and that is what this basically is all about... the new sensational album of LIRAZ. LIRAZ CHARHI was born in Ramla, Israel, to an Iranian Jewish family. She is an actress, singer and dancer who is very popular in the Arabic world, where she is also fighting for the rights and freedom for all (especially Iranian) woman. Her new album Roya was recorded secretly with musicians from Israel and Iran in Istanbul, Turkey, and released as an album through World Music label GLITTERBEAT RECORDS. I can inform you that if there's one World Music album you need to check out in 2022 it's this new LIRAZ album, because it is one of the finest album to come out of the Arabic world in the past 10 years. If you're familiar with her earlier work and ALTIN GUN, you will more or less understand what this album sounds like, because it is a perfect mixture of traditional Arabic music, Psychedelic Rock of the 1970s with a modern synth/keyboard pop approach, although there are a lot of clear 80s references in a way you would think she's the Arabic version of 80s MADONNA. The melodies of each and every song are stunning and memorable, and it's impossible to mention just one song, because they are all very sensational, such as the aforementioned Roya, Azizam, Doone Doone, and Bishtar Behand. LIRAZ sings and writes most of the songs, while she is helped by a list of musicians (such as URI BARAUNER KINROT on Baglama, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, DANIEL EVER HADANI on keyboards and piano, LIA SHERMAN on violin, drummer ROY CHEN, guitarist GILAD LEVIN and several anonymous Iranian musicians) to come up with this rather catchy sound that just feels very natural and organic. Without a doubt, this album could deliver her hits across the world, because the music is extremely catchy. Do not miss one of the best albums of 2022! More info at: https://www.instagram.com/liraz_naz/ and https://lirazzan.bandcamp.com/album/roya

(Points: 9.0 out of 10)

MATT O REE BAND ‘HAND IN GLOVE’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

I was not familiar at all with this talented guitarist/vocalist until I received a copy of his new album Hand In Glove. MATT O REE from New Jersey has been performing and recording since 1994, and Hand In Glove is his 8th album so far. He met DAVID BRYAN of BON JOVI about 10 years ago, and this friendship led to him joining the touring band of BON JOVI for a short period. Thankfully he also continues to release solo albums, because Hand In Glove is a lovely melodic bluesy rock affair with strong vocals of Matt himself and he is also a gifted guitarplayer. His music is leaning towards the melodic hardrock meets southern rock side here and there, and it sounds a whole lot better than anything BON JOVI has released the past 30 years (!). I have not that much information, but if you have had BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN appearing on one of your albums you can bet this is good stuff for sure. In his band is also a female soulful singer who sings quite a few songs (and does it quite well, reminding of LARKIN POE and YOLA), but when Matt sings his own songs then it is definitely of interest for fans of KRIS BARRAS, WALTER TROUT, ROBIN TROWER, SIMON MCBRIDE, DAVY KNOWLES, BERNARD ALLISON, etc. etc.…  Without a doubt, a highly recommended album to fans of southern friend heavy melodic blues rock! More info at: https://www.mattoreeband.com/band.php

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

SUZIE VINNICK ‘FALL BACK HOME’ (FACTOR CANADA/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

And here we have another talented singer/songwriter from Canada with a strong new album that was funded by the Canadian Government as part of FACTOR. It’s nice there is such a foundation to support the independent artists, and Suzie truly deserves it when listening to Fall Back Home, which is a lovely calmer album that mixes influences of Americana, Country and a bit of Blues, and all of the 11 included songs are written and beautifully sung by Suzie. She has a very pleasant voice and the melodies in her songs are a joy to listen to, with as highlights the country poprock crossover Talk To Me, the bluesy Salt & Pepper (which reminds me a little bit of ALANNAH MYLES), the lovely catchy midtempo Secret and the slow jazzy Let Me Make It Up To You Tonight (in an old school laid-back style of the 1930s-1950s area). This album is quite diverse actually and it is really nice to listen to, so without a doubt also definitely recommended to check out! More info at: www.suzievinnick.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

DON ANTONIO & THE GRACES ‘COLORAMA’ (SANTERIA/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Colorama is the 2022 album from Italian guitar DON ANTONIO, and it features music from the Netflix series Wanna. Wanna is the true story of a TV seller who became a star and then the center of a scam that lasted for years and ended with him in jail. Don composed the original music for the series, which is a mixture of all kinds of styles, perfectly suitable for a TV serie. The theme song Cinque Minuti di Te features Italian singer DANIELA PERONI, while most of the other 13 songs are instrumental and a mix of classic 70s soul, funk, psychedelica and world music. It’s a joy to listen to the beautiful music Don creates with the help of THE GRACES. There are some memories of an act like KHRUANGBIN, with a bit of TARANTINO and some bluesy touches as well, so a real melting pot that is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish! More info at: https://www.facebook.com/donantoniogramentieri

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

TIP JAR ‘ SONGS ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE ON THE HIPPIE SIDE OF COUNTRY’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

TIP JAR is a 3-piece Dutch blues/Americana band whom recorded their new album Songs About Love And Life On The Hippie Side Of Country in both The Netherlands and the USA. The band consists of vocalist ARIANNE KNEGT, pianist/organplayer/vocalist BART DE WIN and guitarist HARRY HENDRIKS, while several other musicians joined them on bass, drums, guitar and additional vocals. The resulting album is a nice bluesy country/folk rock affair with a clear spirit of the American countryside where this kind of music was and still is extremely popular. 12 songs are included, and from the beginning on, we can enjoy the raw bluesy voice of Arianne, and until the end this is how original real music sounds like. It's a touch of blues, Americana, country and even a bit of jazz, so the real American way of music, and TIP JAR are doing it perfectly on this new album. The band has been active for a while now, so let’s hope they will have a much deserved break someday soon. More info at: https://tipjar.nl

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

STEVE KILBEY & MARTIN KENNEDY ‘THE STRANGE LIFE OF PERSEPHONE RIMBUS’ (FOGHORN RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)

All the way from down under comes a new album by Australian musicians STEVE KILBEY & MARTIN KENNEDY. Recorded in Tasmania, Australia, it is a delightful epic progressive rock concept album that takes you into the strange life of Persephone Rimbus. Besides a lot of PINK FLOYDish prog, there are also some influences of 70s atmospheric krautrock (the synth orientated Galaxy) and a portion of early 80s new wave as well (such as the superb catchy uptempo Persephone), which makes it a diverse and very interesting album. Steve and Martin already released an album together (Intriguing Objects in 2020), but this one is definitely sounding much more organic than the previous album, which was a collection of songs recorded between 2009 and 2020. This new album brings quite a few guest musicians and female singers, although the main portion of the music is sung and played by the duo, who are also responsible for writing the complete story of this album. As mentioned, the music is mainly progrock, with touches of kraut, new wave and such here and there. It would surprise me if this is not picked up by the European press someday soon, because without a doubt it’s a strong impressive and original sounding album that screams to be heard by the real music fans out there. Check it out for yourself at: https://stevekilbey.bandcamp.com/album/the-strange-life-of-persephone-nimbus

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

SLIDE MILLIGAN ‘BLOOD RED RIVER’ (FOGHORN RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)

Australian guitarist/vocalist SLIDE MILLIGAN makes his debut with Blood Red River. He got help from drummer ANDY KELLY (and other instruments), GARETH KOCH (bass) and LANI HAMNETT MILLIGAN (backing vocals), and together they recorded a great diverse album that sounds alternative in a way it reminds me of a cross between 90s alt rock, LOU REED, IGGY POP and a band like FATAL FLOWERS or CLAW BOYS CLAW, with also a folky and a bluesy touch here and there. Slide is a great guitarplayer and vocally he has this unique raw tone in his voice that could make him a superstar in the near future. The album starts calm with the folky singer-songwriter piece Comin’ Round, while following Need rocks in the style as described earlier in the review. A song like Feelin’ Fine sounds actually quite relaxed and melodic, with a sorta westcoast touch, yet due to Slide’s raw vocals giving it an almost THE WAR ON DRUGS ish vibe. There is lots to hear and discover on this original sounding album that rocks definitely (especially during the uptempo Gasoline), but also has calmer moments and a mix of both, such as the bluesy rocking After Glow that even reveals progrock influences. Slide is someone to watch out for in the future, because if he’s lucky he will have a much deserved breakthrough! More info at: https://www.slidemilligan.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

STEVE WILLIAMS ‘DEJA VU’ (FOGHORN RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)

Out of Melbourne, Australia comes guitarist/singer, songwriter, producer STEVE WILLIAMS, who was a member of the 80s pop/rock band WA WA NEE. He now has a solo record out entitled Déjà vu. 10 songs are included, and it all starts with Stormy, a strong 90s influenced pop/rocker with really great impressive female vocals. I have no further into sadly, but I think this is a guest singer, because on the following songs Steve himself sings. The music is a mix of 80s/90s pop/rock and modern day pop/rock, sometimes a bit more commercial than on other tracks when it has an alternative kinda feeling. As the CD develops there is also a bluesy and funky touch to be heard on songs like People and the catchy Ronnie, which also somehow reminds me a bit of ROBERT PALMER and DAVID BOWIE, and it also features towards the end a lovely soaring guitarsolo by Steve. Concluded, a really nice album to check out, and for more info please go to: https://stevewilliams3.bandcamp.com/album/deja-vu

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

FIONA JOY HAWKINS & REBECCA DANIEL ‘HEAVENLY VOICES’ (BLUE COAST RECORDS/FOGHORN RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)

Now this is a beautiful instrumental classical music based album that features 2 Australian musicians, namely pianist FIONA JOY HAWKINS and violinist REBECCA DANIEL. Together they recorded 9 songs that are situated around the piano and violin of these 2 beautiful musicians. Clearly firmed in the classical music genre, they should do well worldwide with their gifted talents. More info can be found at: https://fionajoy.com/heavenly-voices.html

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

CHERI LYN 'SAVIOURS' (INDEPENDENT/GERMAN IMPORT)

CHERI LYN is a German based singer/songwriter who started her career in 2017, and so far she has performed as support act for WALTER TROUT, ERJA LYTINNEN and several others, while she recorded alongside DORO, JEFF SCOTT SOTO and ROBIN BECK as part of the CIRCLE OF FRIENDS project. Now she has released her very first solo-CD titled Saviours, which musically is a cross between heavy blues/rock and catchy modern epic bombastic symphonic melodic rock. Together with producer KEVIN NIETSCH and a list of guest musicians, such as guitarist STEVE MORRIS (EXPORT, LONERIDER, HEARTLAND...), she recorded a great strong and impressive album that sounds very professional. 10 songs are included, of which the highlights are the midtempo epic semi melodic rockballad Cold Red Rain, the superb midtempo retro heavy blues rocker Rules Are Meant To Be Broken (a la BETH HART, LARKIN POE...) and the slow bluesy ballad No more Lovesongs (her best vocal performance on the album!). Concluded, this is another nice female fronted rockalbum, which ends a bit on the calm side, but has enough to keep you entertained from start to finish, and you can check out more info on this talented singer at: https://cherilyn-music.com and https://cherilyn.bandcamp.com/album/saviours

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

OSLO 'DON'T TURN YOUR BACK' (METALLIC BLUE RECORDS/REWIND/SONG HAUS MUSIC/USA IMPORT)

A trip down memory lane I would call this OSLO, because that is basically what this for me personally is all about. About 20-25 years ago I traded a lot of rare AOR/Melodic Hardrock (with my American friend Delbert), and one of those bands was this OSLO. They released their one and only album in 1991, which has now been re-released as Don't Turn Your Back. This new CD has been released by METALLIC BLUE RECORDS, whom are always delivering the goods with extensive liner notes, lovely packaging and in this case also featuring 4 additional unreleased bonustracks. Back to the history of OSLO, because it all started when multi-instrumentalist LARS KOLSHUS moved from Oslo, Norway to the USA in the summer of 1986. He attended the famous Berklee College Of Music in Boston, and eventually formed the band OSLO along with guitarist/songwriter MIKE MCMANUS. During the following years they had more musicians on board, some from Norway and others from California where they would eventually settle and built up a name during the early 1990s. The songs on their original 1991 album were sung by PAUL GREGORY, while Lars and Mike played all the instruments, so it was more or less a project/duo kinda release. The 4 additional bonustracks were recorded in 1993 and saw a different lead singer (BRIAN NUSS), Norwegian PER TVEDT playing keys, and drummer MAT DIAZ completing the line up, which gave OSLO a real band kinda approach eventually. Sadly they more or less split up due to a changing music climate in the USA around the mid 1990s, but Lars continued making music, in both Norway and the USA, where he lived again permanently since 2014. In 2021 they were contacted by METALLIC BLUE RECORDS, whom released this CD filled with the original material Lars recorded as OSLO some 30 years ago.

In total 13 songs are included, and opener Don't Turn Your Back is the kind of fluffy uptempo 80s AOR/Melodic Rock like we all love to hear it, including a damn catchy chorus, great vocalwork, a soaring guitar and a straight-forward professional rocking sound. Following Stranger's Eyes is a bit heavier, perhaps uptempo Melodic Hardrock orientated with a DOKKEN/VYPER (Prepared To Strike) kinda approach, yet again featuring a brilliant catchy 80s AOR chorus. Every Time She Cries goes into the 80s Power Ballad direction, reminding of SLYBOYZ and FIREHOUSE, so with an early 1990s Hair Metal/American Mainstream Melodic Hardrock sound like we know it from the 1990s MTV days. Crossfire shows a slight change in style to a more early 90s groovy meets proggy style, yet still melodic, actually reminding a lot of WINGER. The keys go upfront on the following song Running Out Of Time, which is basically pure 80s uptempo fluffy AOR as catchy as you want it to be, kinda like WHITE SISTER, FM, AVIATOR, SHY, SAVAGE GRACE (the Detroit band) and you name it further. Same can be said about the lovely Take Your Time, which also has that pure 80s catchy sound. With Every Beat Of Your Heart is another uptempo tune, a nice melodic rocking piece, although not as sensational as the previous tracks. Why Can't This Night Last Forever is an 80s piano-keyboard friendly AOR ballad with a powerful sound, like SHY meets JOURNEY meets early WINTER'S REIGN, including high pitched vocals and a fantastic classic guitarsolo. Kiss me is the final track from 1991, and this is a QUEEN influenced opera/1930s jazz ish tune, which show a complete different and rather interesting side of OSLO.

The other singer on the 4 bonustracks (Brian) brings a different approach to the AOR/Melodic Hardrocksound of OSLO, less high-pitched, and perhaps sounding better, because I absolutely love his vibe during the sensational uptempo melodic rocker No Way Out (RED DAWN ish). Perhaps the best comparison can be heard during the superb alternate SURVIVOR meets WHITESNAKE ish version of Why Can't This Night Last Forever. The other 2 songs are uptempo melodic hardrockers Play With Fire and Night After Night. Concluded, this change of lead singer and additional musicians joining Lars and Mike marked a very interesting turning point in the history of OSLO, but sadly they were not able to record more in the following years (except an ALICE IN CHAINS ish demo tape in 1993), and eventually they split up. Brian went on to become a pilot, and OSLO evolved into EGODOG with a different line-up, recording material under that moniker, but towards the early 2000s each member went their own way. As already mentioned, Lars returned to Norway, but moved back again to the USA in 2014 and now there is this OSLO CD thanks to him and Mike, and without a doubt, it is a great piece of classic 80s AOR/Melodic Hardrock. This CD is definitely recommended if you're into any of the aforementioned bands. More info at: https://www.metallicbluerecords.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

D.F.M. 'STREETS OF RAGE' (METALLIC BLUE RECORDS/REWIND/SONG HAUS MUSIC/USA IMPORT)

Around 1993-1994 I started a little fanzine called STRUTTER´ZINE, which was focused on mostly independent North American Hardrock/AOR/Glamrockbands, and during those early years I received countless beautiful press maps/info and cassette tapes/CDs in order to review those small town bands. Somehow I must have missed a lot, because back then there was a huge scene in the USA, and it was in those pre-internet days hard to keep up. A lot of bands were sorta mixing the 80s hard rock riffs and melodies with the newly American modern rocksound from Seattle (ALICE IN CHAINS being the most important influence), and that resulted in the 90s independent American Hardrocksound that so many bands adopted during the mid 90s. D.F.M. was one of those bands that recorded material those days, but never released anything official and eventually they broke up in 1994. The band mixed late 80s/early 90s American melodic hair metal melodies (SKID ROW/WARRANT) with some groovy and funky rhythms (EXTREME, EVERY MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE) and also added ALICE IN CHAINS influences to match the sound that was popular around those days in America. The result was a great sound with strong vocals and melodies, and now almost 30 years later 10 of their songs have finally made it onto an official CD release called Streets Of Rage on the METALLIC BLUE RECORDS label. D.F.M. was originally formed in the early 90's, and had several songs featured in movies like Showdown and Double Dragon. The band was formed around Tracy Swider on Lead Guitars, Dana Freebairn on vocals, Adam Shore on bass and backing vocals, Todd Lane on drums, and Jamie Christensen on guitar. Although I mentioned 10 songs are included, 4 of them are actually new tunes, because they were recorded in 2022, while the first 6 songs were recorded in 1993. Musically speaking actually there's no real big changes, and from start to finish this is prime time high quality groovy heavy melodic hardrock with a proggy and alternative metal influence here and there. Songs like Passion, Trash King, Sea Of Faith and especially the superb semi-ballad Starting Over are a joy to listen to and show that D.F.M. could have easily been signed to a major label if they had come around the corner just a few years earlier when SKID ROW, WARRANT, TESLA and such had their records out on major labels. More info at: https://www.metallicbluerecords.com/

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

A.Z.R.O. 'ROCK IN A HARD PLACE' (METALLIC BLUE RECORDS/REWIND/SONG HAUS MUSIC/USA IMPORT)

Formed all the way back in 1978, the Salt Lake City, Utah, USA based band A.Z.R.O. would break up and reform during the following 15 years several times, and eventually record material in 1992, which has now been released on CD as Rock In A Hard Place by METALLIC BLUE RECORDS. The band had several songs placed in the movie Bikini Carwash 2, while several members would also be part of bands like NEWHAVEN and the somewhere else reviewed D.F.M.. Anyway, the band consisted of lead singer RICK MARTIN, drummer TODD LANE, bassist STEVE GILES and guitarist TRACE SWIDER. 12 songs originally recorded in 1992 can be found on this rather strong and impressive album, which basically is pure late 80s/early 90s groovy American Melodic Hardrock/Hair Metal in the style of WARRANT, SKID ROW, EVERY MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE, etc. etc. It might not sound modern and really original, the band's sound was definitely of a very high level, and close to many other bands at the time. A.Z.R.O. could have been one of the major label bands if there weren't so many other bands out there that were just a bit more lucky than them. Anyway, songs like 99 Miles, Down Home and Loaded Gun are the kind of groovy sing-a-long hardrocksongs that will make the fans of SLAUGHTER, WARRANT and early SKID ROW very happy. Of course the classic Power Ballad is also included, such as Tell Me Forever and Lay Your Hands On Me that immediately remind you of the WARRANT, FIREHOUSE, MR. BIG and EXTREME ballads that were on top of the charts in the early 90s. It helps that the band featured a superb lead singer and also instrumentally and production wise A.Z.R.O.'s CD should be in the hands of every fan of the genre that dominated the US of A 30+ years ago! More info at: https://www.metallicbluerecords.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

ESSEXX 'WE MAKE IT ROCK' / STRYDER 'NOTHING AT ALL' (METALLIC BLUE RECORDS/REWIND/SONG HAUS MUSIC/USA IMPORT)

When looking at the frontcover of the CD of ESSEXX, it's like we stepped in a timemachine and went back to 1984! Well, I can inform you the photo was indeed taken almost 40 years ago when rock was king and hairdo was loud and proud presented on most album covers. ESSEXX were from the US state of Utah, and they were active during the late 70s and greater part of the 1980s, also under a different name called STRYDER for a while. Their material has now been released onto CD by METALLIC BLUE RECORDS, the label that is focused to bring us all the rare 80s rock/hardrock from Utah that up until now not many people are familiar with. The band was formed around a sensational female lead singer called LAURIE WELKER, who totally blew me away with her voice when I heard it the first time around. Imagine PAT BENATAR meets ANN WILSON, so with a real tough rock image look and tone in her voice. The music is typical 80s American Hardrock, and despite it might not sound original, they did a great job between 1978 and 1985, releasing a lot of quality songs, which have now been put together on this lovely 2-CD set. 26 songs in total, which are taken from various recordings the band did between the aforementioned period. The band was a six-piece band that also featured guitarists GILBERT RODRIQUEZ and CHRIS CLARY, bassist RON JENSEN and drummers STEVE LEATHAM and KEVIN FREEBAIRN. If we have a walk through the material, songs like We Make It Rock, Rasin' Hell and such might not sound spectacular, you can hear a high quality band performing here, and especially during uptempo melodic hardrock pieces such as Hungry, Got To Be More (even a bit SCORPIONS style), It's Rock & Roll and Jury's Out, and the semi-melodic rockballads Love's The Answer and CD 1 Hidden track Nobody Knows (VIXEN/HEAT/LAOS/IF ONLY/ENVY style) we can hear a superb band that will definitely please all the fans of female fronted melodic hardrock! They even managed to get RONNIE MONTROSE on board to produce several songs, so you can bet this band should have become much bigger than the local independent status they eventually kept after their split in the mid 1980s. The musicians went their own way or worked together in different bands (BAD BOYS), while singer Laurie quit the music business, which is a huge pity, because this girl could really sing like very few are able to do! The STRYDER material was slightly more AOR/Melodic Rock orientated than ESSEXX, with as absolute highlights Nothing At All, Solo and Casualty that remind me so much of that other rare 80s female fronted band called MEGHAN, if anyone remembers them? Anyway, check out this strong compilation CD of all the material these musicians recorded as both ESSEXX and STRYDER. More info at: https://www.metallicbluerecords.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

BENNIE AND THE JETS 'LIPSTICK AND LEATHER' (METALLIC BLUE RECORDS/REWIND/SONG HAUS MUSIC/USA IMPORT)

Lipstick And Leather is a well-known song from Y & T of course, but the original song was written and recorded by the obscure act BENNIE AND THE JETS. This band was primarily active during the 1970s and early 1980s in the Californian area, where they had a clear close friendship with YESTERDAY & TODAY, playing multiple times alongside that band which later became Y & T. The band was formed around lead singer BENJAMIN (BENNIE) LABARGE and played a mix of typical American rockstyles. They recorded several songs between 1978 and 1981, which have now been collected onto CD as a compilation album titled Lipstick And Leather that is released through METALLIC BLUE RECORDS. As with every release, also this album contains extensive liner notes and excellent rare pictures of the original band. It is weird that during their short years of existence, they did not reach superstardom, because they competed with Y & T and MOTLEY CRUE, whom both were directly influenced by BENNIE AND THE JETS. I guess it was all a matter of luck and timing, but thankfully eventually Bennie had a few songs on a later Y & T album, and now there is a CD released that contains most of the material of the band. Besides Y & T also ERIC MARTIN BAND has a connection to BENNIE AND THE JETS (more about that can be read in the liner notes story), but anyway, Bennie himself was a gifted singer who sadly died a few years ago. In tribute to his passing, this CD is a nice memory of his music from 4 decades ago.

In total 18 songs are included, of which opener Lipstick And Leather is likewise the classic tune, but somehow it sounds more authentic than the Y & T version, because this original version is a real strong late 70s uptempo Hardrock tune like VAN HALEN. Next track Say It Again is a sensational classic early 80s AOR/Powerpop influenced uptempo melodic rocker like a mix between early LOVERBOY, STRANGER (1982 same titled release), late STARZ. USA and such. New York - L.A. is the typical early 80s American Hardrock like MAYDAY, NEW YORK FLYERS and countless other underground rockbands from all over the American local radio movement of 40 years ago did create back then. Do You Know later emerged as I'll Keep On Believin' by Y & T again, but this was the original version without the big anthemic chorus of the Y & T version. I absolutely loved this superb AOR tune by Y & T, and always thought it was BERNIE LABARGE from Canada who wrote it, but it was BENNIE LABARGE from California who was responsible writing it! The soaring guitarsolo in this original version is stunning, and so is the song in general, which is a real powerful classic AOR tune. Me And My Car is totally different musically speaking, because this is a punchy uptempo punk influenced rocker that almost sounds like THE RAMONES, and it is really a very catchy tune that also has a slight CHEAP TRICKish Powerpop feeling. Boys With Bangs is a simple but effective catchy uptempo Powerpop influened MOD melodic rocker, while Moi Emmoretta is a lovely catchy early 80s uptempo melodic rocker with a STARZ / PRISM kinda touch. Midnight Rendezvous is another typical early 80s American local rock and roll radio tune. Baby's On The Run is a rather catchy uptempo pomping melodic rocker in the RIGGS style, and Jet Aged Baby is a nice Y & T ish hardrocker.

The remaining 8 songs are rougher sounding demo and live cuts, which once again show that BENNIE AND THE JETS could have easily become a much bigger band in the classic 70s/80s Hardrock dominated era. This CD is recommended to fans of the sound of the late 70s/early 80s hardrock of any of the aforementioned bands. More info can be found at: https://www.metallicbluerecords.com/

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

POIL 'POIL UEDA' (DUR ET DOUX/BROKEN SILENCE/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

This is something very original that doesn’t sound like anything else, kinda in a way like we have seen from acts like WARDRUNA and THE HU in recent years, who combined western music elements with traditional world music from another part of the world, which in this case is Japan. POIL is a French experimental band that could be labelled as a progressive rock act, yet for this new release Poil, Ueda the band is helped by Japanese vocalist and satsuma-biwa player JUNKO UEDA. The band itself consists of keyboardplayer/vocalist ANTOINE ARNERA, guitarist BORIS CASSONE, bassist BENOIT LECOMTE and drummer GUILHEM MEIER. There are 5 songs on the CD, which starts with a very unique intro that is entirely based around the Japanese vocals of Junko. Once the band starts to do their progressive rock thing it all makes sense and comes together very naturally, and the 5 songs are actually spread over 2 concept epic parts that make up the full CD. These epic journeys are called Kujo Shakujo and Dan No Ura, and it really takes some time before you will understand what they are trying to achieve here, because there is so much to discover on this CD. There’s (extreme) prog, world music, some jazzy parts, distorted industrial techno and a lot of Japanese melodies both vocally and instrumentally, which combined makes POIL sound really unique, especially during part 1 of Dan No Ua that sounds completely out of control in a way you might have never heard before! If you’re interested in something totally different than anything else out there, then please make sure to check out this album! More info at: https://poil.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

FRANK POPP ENSEMBLE 'SHIFTING' (UNIQUE RECORDS/SCHUBERT MUSIC EUROPE/THE ORCHARD/MEMBRAN/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Now here we have one of the first great new albums of the year 2023. FRANK POPP ENSEMBLE was started as one-man concept by Frank Popp in 2000, but along the way others joined him, and on his new album Shifting we can hear several guest singers such as JESPER MUNK, ANNA GLAHN, LUCY KRUGER, SAM LEIGH-BROWN and AYDO ABAY. The included is high quality retro 60S/70s soul with a vintage psychedelic garage rock edge, and especially the vocalwork is very impressive, no matter who sings. These are all gifted singers and I could compare the album to BLACK PUMAS, YOLA, DAWN BROTHERS, DE WOLFF, VINTAGE TROUBLE, MONOPHONICS etc. etc., although you can of course also easily trace influences of the absolute classics from the past (TINA TURNER, OTIS REDDING, SAM COOKE, etc), so I think you’ll get the picture what this more or less sounds like. Songs like See It Coming, Torn Up, Save Me Saturday, Born To Lose and the cover of the classic Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City are instant winners and hitsingles if you’re a fan of the aforementioned acts. Frank sings a few songs himself as well, but due to the use of various sensational singers we have a classic in the future to come! There is even a touch of westcoast/melodic 70s singer-songwriter pop/rock to be heard during the songs Frank sings and the sensational Dragonaut (super song, kinda like YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX), so enough variety going on here. Do not miss this masterpiece! More info at: https://thefrankpoppensemble.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

WALKING TALL 'LIFE HAPPENS HERE - REMIXED / REMASTERED' (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)

Out of Roseville, California, USA comes WALKING TALL, a band formed around JAMES TUTTLE (vocals, guitars, bass) and BRET SANTTI (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, Hammond), with as guest drummer on their latest album Life Happens Here JIM RILEY. The album was originally released in 2019, but recently remixed and remastered and therefore re-released on CD. The band’s music is pure 80s inspired American Melodic Rock, not far removed from 90s independent acts like INNUENDO, SURE CONVICTION, 91 SUITE and BLUE RAIN if anyone can remember them! Anyhow, it’s not the big budget major sound of the 80s acts, because it has this nice typical independent melodic rocksound I referred to, but we have a nice selection of songs here,  15 in total. It all starts with the catchy uptempo melodic rocker These Are The Good Times that is totally 80s BON JOVI style, but what follows are a lot of power ballads. Vocally it’s not as strong as I hoped it would be, but the shared lead vocals of Brett and James sound nice for this kind of melodic rock. Next time some more uptempo pieces would be interesting, because most of the songs are slow to midtempo/power ballad orientated and dangerously close to BON JOVI of MICHAEL BORMANN/JADED HEART and PAUL LAINE (yet then less massive production wise), with as highlights the aforementioned opening rocker, the power ballads Life Happens Here and Bleed Your Name (MR. BIG meets NELSON), and the uptempo melodic rockers Is That All There Is and I Wouldn’t Change A Thing. The band also sent a few additional CDRs that contain an earlier album titled Volume 1 and a new Christmas song titled A Time For Love (Merry Christmas), which both are musically speaking a similar mix of melodic rockers and mostly (semi) ballads in the BON JOVI style. Check out WALKING TALL at: https://walkingtallband.com

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

DEATH AND VANILLA 'FLICKER' (FIRE RECORDS/KONKURRENT)

Absolutely beautiful is the music of the Swedish band DEATH AND VANILLA. They hail from Sweden and they have already released 5 albums so far. Flicker is their 6th album, and I have to say it is a sensational and original sounding record that balances somewhere between dreampop, psychedelic 60s folk, westcoast and a bit of synthwave. The melodies are slightly coming out of the book of FIRST AID KIT and TAME IMPALE, although even FLEETWOOD MAC passes by (Looking Glass), but DEATH AND VANILLA do have an own sound. They are a Swedish trio around female singer Marleen Nilsson, and multi-instrumentalists Anders Hansson and Magnus Bodin. The melodies are stunning and very pleasant to listen to, sometimes even a bit like CLANNAD in their heydays, yet instrumentally there are some nice tricks added thanks to the use of such instruments like the vibraphone, the organ and the mellotron, tremolo guitar and Moog synthesisers. All together the 9 wonderful songs that are included on Flicker truly deliver, and if only the playing length would be a little bit longer, then we could have enjoyed much more music of this sensational band. Highlight for me personally is the amazing Find Another Illusion, although each song sounds picture perfect! More info at: https://deathandvanillamusic.bandcamp.com/album/flicker

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

AMBER ARCADES 'BAREFOOT ON DIAMOND ROAD' (FIRE RECORDS/KONKURRENT)

AMBER ARCADES is the stage name of Annelotte de Graaf, a Dutch singer-songwriter from Utrecht. Barefoot On Diamond Road is her 3rd album so far, and I have to say it sounds very professional. Indie-Pop, Dreampop, Synthwave and Pop/Rock are melted very nicely throughout 10 songs, and Amber has a really strong voice. The music is not that far removed from acts like WEYES BLOOD, ANGEL OLSEN, LORDE, ST. VINCENT, LORDE and such, yet perhaps a bit more experimental here and there, such as during the synth krautrock influenced Life Is Coming Home. Job well done, and definitely an album to check if you like the current modern sound of female singers that melt lush calm vocals with a lot of synths, although a beautiful song like True Love also is a throwback to mid 90s female fronted pop/rock. Check out more at: http://www.amberarcades.net/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

BLACK LIPS 'APOCALYPSE LOVE' (FIRE RECORDS/KONKURRENT)

The American band BLACK LIPS have already released 11 albums since 2000, and their latest Apocalypse Love is a very diverse mixture of all kinds of styles that range from soul, hip-hop, indie, funk, rock to pop, and much more. 13 songs are included, and they all sound different musically speaking. A song like Lost Angel is almost reminding of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, while Apocalypse Love is melting THE BEATLES and ROLLING STONES. On the other hand Sharing My Cream takes us into a completely different direction, kinda 90s indie British Pop a la WORLD PARTY, and there's even some rapping going on here and there. Not much Garage Rock left anymore since their early days, while the diversity not always helps to impress, because there are definitely a lot of weak moments on this CD. A song like Among The Dunes has a nice early 90s TEENAGE FANCLUB touch, but Crying On A Plane is quite average, while THE KINKSish The Concurine and also Operation Angela fail I'm afraid. Tongue Tied then again is a nice REM going Country/JOHNNY CASH/NEIL YOUNG meets TARANTINO ish direction, but as you can see I think it's best to check this out for yourself, because there is a lot happening on this album, perhaps too much... More info at: https://blacklips.bandcamp.com/album/apocalypse-love

(Points: 7.5 out of 10)

MEMPHIS SLIM 'ROCKS' (BEAR FAMILY RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

Now this is an extremely interesting selection of songs recorded by the legendary MEMPHIS SLIM. MEMPHIS SLIM was a pianist/singer/songwriter from Memphis who gained popularity in the 1930s as a blues/boogiewoogie pianist in the southern states of the USA, and when he setlled in Chicago in 1937, he started recording his music. 29 songs are on the CD released by BEAR FAMILY RECORDS, and basically what we have here is some of the earliest rock and roll recorded in music history. The included songs on this wonderful new compilation CD were recorded in the 1940s and 1950s, and upon hearing the 1940s uptempo tunes Old Taylor and Rockin' The House, you can hear where THE BEATLES, STONES and ELVIS PRESLEY got their inspiration from. His later material is somewhat slower blues orientated like BB KING and RAY CHARLES. The wonderful booklet and selection of songs on this CD release is unique and highly recommended to people who want to hear the absolute beginning of rock and roll. More info at: https://www.bear-family.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

DRECKIG 'DIGITAL EXPERIENCE VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

DRECKIG comes out of Portland, Oregon, USA, and is a longtime husband and wife duo consisting of Papi Fimbres and Shana Lindbeck whom have come up with a very interesting and original sounding vinyl record in the shape of Digital Experience. The music is clearly influenced by the European dance/Eurodance/Krautrock/Acid/Synthwave movement that existed roughly between 1978 and 1992. With the use of drum machines, synthesizers, percussion and keyboards, they create a very original synth driven big bombastic 80s (and a bit of late 70s) sound that also feature vocals sometimes, which gives it a sorta Latin meets World Music kinda feeling. There is a great vibe going on while listening to the record, as DRECKIG is keen on melodies, and if you like for example ZENOBIA, MAGIC SWORD, HENGE or even ALTIN GUN, you will appreciate this DRECKIG as well. KRAFTWERK is obviously also a close-call to mention as well, and that's when the Krautrock of the 70s influences come around in a song like the fantastic closing track Qo'noS. They sound retro and modern at the same time, with a focus most of the time on that big heavy 80s synth sound that makes them sound really cool (STRANGER THINGS fans be aware!). It's like we have gone back to 1985, yet it still has this refreshing modern vibe and as already mentioned, the vocals capture a World Music kinda approach. All together this DRECKIG's vinyl album Digital Experience is a really great experience that sounds extremely huge on vinyl! The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://dreckig.bandcamp.com/album/digital-exposure

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

YOUR LEADER 'THE STARS ARE A LIE VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Out of Oakland, California, USA comes the instrumental act YOUR LEADER. This band's latest vinyl album The Stars Are A Lie opens with a great instrumental guitar solo orientated piece titled Use The Hours Don't Count Them, while the synthwave influences come upfront during the following song Bonding Over Pizza. As I am a sucker for anything 80s synth/wave orientated or influenced, this YOUR LEADER is right up my alley. Imagine a healthy mix of MAGIC SWORD, HENGE and a bit of KRAFTWERK, then you're quite close to YOUR LEADER, although there's much more to discover here. 9 songs are included in total on the band's 2nd album, with as absolute highlight the amazing 15 minutes counting closing track AKA that reveals a lot of lovely 70s Symphonic/Progressive Rock influences of the RICK WAKEMAN/MIKE OLDFIELD era crossed with Synth-Wave dominated Nu-Disco that might even appeal to the STRANGER THINGS fans from outer space. However, I must also not forget to mention the massive bass synth and distorted guitar sound during the amazing Projectnnn, a song that on vinyl will blow up your mancave in a sec! I couldn't believe what I heard, as it simply is sounding unique and from out of this world! I also love the guitar dominated 80s piece of Thereshopeintheharmonies that makes STEVE VAI sound boring! On the experimental side we find the hip-hop influenced Motherfucking Hill. YOUR LEADER is by the way formed around 2 musicians (I think, as there's not much info on them) called JAKE PALLADINO and ULLOA VICENTE, and this album is just as original as any other BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS release, but I do hope it gets more exposure, because the fans of obscure kraut/synth/wave will absolutely love this YOUR LEADER for sure! The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://yourleaderisyourleader.bandcamp.com/album/the-stars-are-a-li

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

EYE O 'CONTINUA VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Out of San Francisco, California comes EYE O, an instrumental duo formed around JASON SCHWARTZ (guitar/synth/sound design) and KEVIN WOODRUFF (drums, sound design), whom together released the vinyl album Continua back in 2020. It was their 2nd effort, and on vinyl it sounds superb, picture perfect I would almost say, because the fresh modern approach of EYE O is a pleasure to listen to. It combines post-rock, progressive rock and krautrock with a sorta sci-fi movie touch, which can be heard throughout the 6 songs that are included on the album. It is an exciting record where you can experience and discover a lot of new stuff everytime you re-listen to songs like Disembarkment or Ensnared. The past 10 years have been an extremely vibrant period for this kind of instrumental modern post-progressive rock, and I am safe to say that if you're a fan of LONG DISTANCE CALLING, OAK, SLEEPMAKESWAVES, TIDES FROM NEBULA or even PORCUPINE TREE, then this EYE 0 should also be checked out. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://eyeo.bandcamp.com/album/continua

(Points: 8.4 out of 10

TRIP SHOW 'THE FAR EAST IS THE NEAR WEST AND THE WILD WEST IS THE NEAR EAST VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

When you have an album title that says The Far East Is The Near West And The Wild West Is The Near East, then there must be something original going on, and basically like every vinyl release of BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS, also this album of the Honolulu, Hawaii, USA based TRIP SHOW is unique musically speaking. TRIP SHOW is formed around producer John Keaka Friend who is AKA TRIP SHOW, and he has 25 years of electronic music creation under his belt via remixes and releases through Cytrax, Losonofono Records, Select Cuts, Nude Photo Music, BSI, etc. His music is described as being influenced by “1984 Waikiki teen clubs to DJing the San Francisco barscapes, techno happy hours and afterhours”. Basically this means the 8 included songs on this vinyl album are a trip down memory lane, also for yours truly, because it is 80s synth influenced obviously. There's some acid and early 80s disco melted here, but perhaps early Chicago Techno House can also be traced. However, for me personally it mostly feels like a nostalgic classic late 80s/early 90s European trance house club night (the Amsterdam based Roxy was the kind of place where this kind of laid-back lounge house trip was played every night). I also must then do a special mention of the Dutch DJ JAYDEE who had a radio show in those early 90s called For those who like to groove, and in that show TRIP SHOW would definitely have been on the playlist. Anyway, it sounds rather good, and I think you will more or less understand what TRIP SHOW is all about. Highly recommended to the fans of especially late 80s/early 90s Techno/Acid-House of the European kind, yet with a tiny bit of early 80s Chicago House also included. If this record would be played on any club night right now, then the crowd will definitely go wild, because in Europe there has always been a huge market for this of music. Especially in The Netherlands TRIP SHOW could experience major success if played and discovered by the major DJ's over here (TIESTO, ARMIN VAN BUREN, etc.). The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://tripshow.bandcamp.com/album/the-far-east-is-the-near-west-and-the-wild-west-is-the-near-east

 
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

SAGAN 'ANTI-ARK VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

SAGAN is a band consisting of musicians Blevin Blectum, Jason Doerck (Lesser), and Jon Leidecker and video artist Ryan Junell, and they hail from the San Francisco Bay Area. SAGAN released an album in 2004, and this 2 LP set was released in 2021, so it took them sometime to record a new record, although in-between they were all active in other bands and projects. The included music on this vinyl album is an exciting unique weird instrumental cocktail of all kinds of spacey sounds. You might call it 21st century spacey krautrock, but actually it is almost impossible to describe, as there is so much going on here. It does feel like a space adventure that takes you into a different direction everytime. Synthesizers, computers and keyboards dominate here, and just when you think it is indeed CAN, TANGERINE DREAM or KRAFTWERK ish, the sound drastically change into deep house/ambient and then taking a huge dive into something experimental in a way we could also hear on a FROST album, so the absolute open-minded progfans might also want to check this out. On vinyl the sound is massive, and just like any other BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS release, also this album is unique and has a top-notch production, which is really important to make an impact with such underground hi-tech music. On the oither hand, here and there it also could fit a modern day experimental sci-fi movie, so maybe you know get an idea what this more or less could sound like. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://saganmusic.bandcamp.com/album/anti-ark

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

SECRET EMCHY SOCIETY 'GOLD COUNTRY/COUNTRY GOLD VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

SECRET EMCHY SOCIETY is formed around American singer/songwriter/guitarist CINDY EMCHY, and under this moniker she has already released a couple of records. Gold Country/Country Gold is the 4th album as SECRET EMCHY SOCIETY, which musically speaking is described as acoustic gypsy punk, Americana, ghost town country, murder ballads, and drinking songs. Acoustic bluesy country might also be a good way to describe the music, and thanks to the strong vocals of Cindy it is a pleasure to listen to the 13 songs on the new album. Additional musicians are Terri Upton (Backing Vocals), Tolan McNeil (Backing Vocals, Lead Guitar), Mya Byrne (Backing Vocals, Mandolin), Michele Kappel (Backing Vocals, Percussion), Carolyn Mark (Backing Vocals, Piano), Hank Pine (Cello), Dennis Siemens (Double Bass [Upright Bass]), Hans Winold ((Double Bass [Upright Bass]), Marc Atkinson (Drums, Bass, Lead Guitar), Sean Malroy (Fiddle), Andrew Waegel (Pedal Steel Guitar) and Dave Lang (Vocals, Guitar). Favorite songs for me personally are Think I Do, Birch Bones Redux and Something About The Moon. As soon as the album starts with the 1981 NED SUBLETTE cover Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other you can hear Cindy has a lot of talent, both with her voice and playing the guitar. There is something unique going down here on this album, so I will not make any comparisons, and it's therefore best to check it out for yourself. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://emchy.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

CARLTON MELTON 'MICROWAVELENTGHS VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS is a label that has no boundaries, so every release is musically speaking a new adventure that brings new directions not heard before. CARLTON MELTON is an American instrumental psychedelic free-rock jam band that has already released about 15 albums since the mid 2000s, and their 2022 release Microwavelengths is my introduction to them. This is typically a product that needs further investigation and repeated listen to discover what they are trying to achieve. CARLTON MELTON consists of bassist Clinton Golden, guitarists Andy DuVall and Rich Millman (also synths), while the drums are provided by Andy and Brian McDougall. The vinyl album release of Microwavelengths looks and sounds wonderful. Side A consists of 4 songs, of which opener Lions Roar is a high class piece of modern post-progressive rock, while the following Hazel Heat  is a calmer melodic bluesy guitar orientated piece, and Alien Argument is then suddenly a noisy metal distorted guitar overdose. Now Boarding ends the first side of the vinyl album in a calmer direction, but the real highlight of the album can be found entirely on side B that contains the lengthy titletrack Microwavelengths. This epic song is basically 70s Kraut/Psychedelic Progressive Rock at it's best, with a slight bluesy prog change somewhere in the middle of the song. I can imagine fans of HAWKWIND, GURU GURU, CAN, AMON DUUL, and such experimental 70s stuff will like this a lot, although the fans of modern post-progrock will also be interested to check out CARLTON MELTON. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://www.carltonmeltonmusic.com and https://meltoncarlton.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

FULU KOLEKTIV 'LULABA VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Based in the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, FULU KOLEKTIV is a sister initiative to Fulu Miziki, which is a group of musicians that make eco-friendly music in the outdoors by using instruments they made themselves from waste and garbage. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, Fulu Miziki found themselves with very limited access to open spaces, so the whole collective decided to look for alternative ways of making music, which eventually led to them using computers. Lulaba is therefore a pure computer/Techno based product with here and there the typical African rhythms and tribal singing, which combined gives them an own identity. Although one needs to get used hearing a mix of THE PRODIGY and African vocals, it is definitely unique and recommended to people who want to hear something completely different. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://fulukolektiv.bandcamp.com/album/lualaba

(Points: 7.2 out of 10)

ENABLERS 'ZONE VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

ENABLERS are a post-punk band from San Francisco, California, and their 6th album Zone was released in 2019. The band is formed around poetry/spoken word vocalist PETE SIMONELLI. The other members are Joe Goldring – Guitars, Bass, Sam Ospovat – Drums, Electronics, Piano, Timpani and Kevin R Thomson – Guitars, Lap Steel. In another review of a band called TORPEDO I already mentioned the LEFT OF THE DIAL FESTIVAL in Rotterdam where these kind of Spoken Word Post-Punk acts are presented very well, and ENABLERS could easily fit in. They are not that far removed from acts like LIFE, FONTAINES D.C., THE MURDER CAPITAL, TALKING HEADS, BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD, etc. Perhaps a little less Punk orientated, and really focused on the Spoken Word, ENABLERS are doing a great job on this vinyl album Zone. If you're a fan of the genre that once was made popular by the ex-DEAD KENNEDYS singer JELLO BIAFRA (correct me if I'm wrong) and TALKING HEADS in the 1970s and 1980s, I can easily recommend this band as well. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://enablers.bandcamp.com/album/zones-

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

TORPEDO 'ORPHEO_NEBULA VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Out of Lausanne, Switzerland comes TORPEDO, a band formed in 2016 around Carole Obère, on vocals and guitar, Jérôme Diserens, on bass and keyboard, and machines as only companions. In 2018 they released their debut album, which was followed by a live album a couple years later after Dutch drummer Andries Hannaart joined them. As a trio they recorded and released Opheo_Nebula recently on Broken Clover Records. It concerns a beautiful shiny red coloured vinyl edition I received, and the music of the band is melodic alternative rock, kinda like a mix between WET LEG, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, SONIC YOUTH, HOLE and L7, yet with an own identity thanks to the French lyrics. They completely surprised me, because most similar new acts in this female fronted alternative rock genre follow a more or less routine path that was originally created by acts like PATTI SMITH, THE SLITS and JEFFERSON AIRPLANE during the 1960s and 1970s, but TORPEDO introduce different sounds along the way, so they are quite experimental here and there, but on the other hand they are also really melodic and catchy. Carole has a great 'speaking' voice and I think they would definitely earn a place at the LEFT OF THE DIAL festival here in Rotterdam. I saw a similar French band called FILM NOIR over there last year, but TORPEDO sounds more interesting as they are also expanding their musical horizon with all kinds of other influences. Post-Progrock, Post-Punk, Indie-Pop and even some Soul can be traced back in their music. There is no single dull moment to be found here, and it surprises me that this band has not been praised yet, because their album is much better than the overrrated WET LEG of 2022. Let's hope 2023 will bring them more fame and fortune, because they definitely deserve it! The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://arakirecords.bandcamp.com/album/orpheo-nebula

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

SCATTER SWEPT 'UNFOLDING VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Unfolding is the 2nd album of the band SCATTER SWEPT from Oakland, California. They are formed around Ryohei Hinokuma, Matt Holt and Patricia Kavanaugh, who all switch between guitar, bass and drums. Their music is instrumental and of a very high level, and on vinyl it sounds really perfect. They start like a sorta fusion jazzy proggy indie rockband, but slowly develop into a pure melancholic post-progressive rockband during lovely songs such as Minimal Mile and Illogical Philosophy. Although it all sounds minimal and not too experimental, the music gives you a relaxing melodic feeling that just feels very good while listening and everytime you want to listen to the album again, because underneath there is a lot to discover here, especially due to the fact that the bandmembers switch instruments and each individual plays the particular instrument differently. Definitely a band to check out if you're into the instrumental post-prog/indie side of life. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://scatterswept.bandcamp.com/album/unfolding

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

+ OC 'PANDEMONIUM VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Now this is a really wicked album that is impossible to describe, because the Spanish band +OC is as experimental as you can get, starting as a Noise rockband, but on the next track diving into Doom Metal that is completely outta control, so there is absolutely nothing standard about this band. They sing in the Spanish language, and are as alternative and underground as you possibly can get. They are originally a duo based in Madrid, Spain, but are now operating as a trio. Their album Pandemonium is released on BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS, and on vinyl it all sounds even more spooky. The band sounds like you're somewhere in a hidden basement of an underground disco or rock club (CBGB meets THE CAVERN CLUB meets NIGHTTOWN) somewhere in a dirty mean side street of an old city. There is only one way to find out and that is listen to them for yourself and you can do that through: https://tocmusicorum.bandcamp.com/album/pandem-nium, while the album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 7.0 out of 10)

PINK MEXICO 'IDIOT PASS ILLITERATE VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

PINK MEXICO hail from Brooklyn, New York, although I believe they are now settled in Ridgewood, New York. Anyway, Idiot Pass Illiterate is their 4th album, and musically speaking we are diving into some serious classic rock and roll that does have a sorta both 70s and 90s approach. It's the kind of Garage Rock you could hear about 30 years ago in a sorta reaction to the alternative Seattle Grunge movement, yet it sounds quite melodic and catchy with very strong vocals. The band somehow reminds me slightly of BLUE OYSTER CULT, but with a clear 90s alternative touch that even has some psychedelic hard rock influences like we once could hear from bands like TEENAGE FANCLUB, ENUFF'Z'NUFF and KING'S X. On the other hand it is a bit more alternative punky here and there, such as during the uptempo Backhanded Manly Manaroni that also has a Powerpop touch, and Keep It Together sounds like IGGY POP going for a melodic rocking approach. They remind me also of fellow New York rockband BROWER a few times, so PINK MEXICO could easily fit the LEFT OF THE DIAL festival line up here in Rotterdam. I also must not forget the BLACK SABBATHish Not Feeling OK, which is a really cool simple rocking tune, and perhaps the finest song on the album. This vinyl album really surprised me, and I believe the band is able to deliver even more exciting records in the future to come. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://pinkmexico.bandcamp.com/track/pink-mexico-k-hole-lobotomy

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

JUNE OF 44 'REVISIONIST: ADAPTATIONS AND FUTURE HISTORIES IN THE TIME OF LOVE AND SURVIVAL VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

JUNE OF 44 is a band from Louisville, Kentucky, USA that was active between 1994 and 2000, releasing 4 albums before quitting, but since 2018 they have started up again, with as result the new album Revisionist: Adaptations And Future Histories In The Time Of Love And Survival, which has been released on vinyl only by BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS. The band's music is very original and a mix of all kinds of styles, but usually post-prog/indie math rock is labelled to them. JUNE OF 44 consists of Fred Erskine – bass guitar, Sean Meadows – vocals, guitar, Jeff Mueller – vocals, guitar and Doug Scharin – drums, and Revisionist: Adaptations And Future Histories In The Time Of Love And Survival was released 3 years ago. It starts very experimental (on both sides of the record) with a noisy electronic 90s kinda underground (semi) instrumental ambient rocksong (A Chance To Cure Is A Chance To Cut Your Face and A Past to Face), but a song like Rerecorded Syntax is actuallly a beautiful relaxing melodic song that has indie, shoegaze and post progressive rock parts melted together quite nicely. Quite a few of the other songs have that same kinda approach of mixing indierock and post-prog, and it makes this a pleasant listening, especially if you like for example STEVEN WILSON. When the band goes for a more uptempo rockier sound, such as during Post-Modern Hereditary Dance Steps, they actually sound quite catchy and could almost be described as a Post-Punkband from England! As you might have noticed, there is a lot to discover here, because of the diversity of styles, so it is hard to just mention math post prog rock. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at: https://juneof44.bandcamp.com/album/revisionist-adaptations-future-histories-in-the-time-of-love-and-survival

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

DANIELLE DE PICCIOTTO 'THE ELEMENT OF LOVE VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Except for a little help of her husband/guitarist/bassist ALEXANDER HACKE (of EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN), American multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/producer DANIELLE DE PICCIOTTO did almost everything on her own on the vinyl solo album The Element Of Love. She has a rich music history that started in Berlin during the late 1980s, because she founded the well-known Love Parade with her former partner DR. MOTTE and eventually became an important person in the Berlin cultural scene. She released several albums via collaborations, projects, bands and The Element Of Love was her 2nd album, originally released in 2020. The music is a mix of spoken word and experimental new age meets krautrock, and it is actually impossible to describe or compare, so she does something unique for sure. It is an enjoyable journey through the thoughts and landscape of Danielle, and you can hear it for yourself at: https://hackedepicciotto.bandcamp.com/album/the-element-of-love. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

AGRIO WITH PETE SIMONELLI 'THE THIN MAN EP VINYL' (BROKEN CLOVER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

AGRIO is the name of this Spanish duo that consists of drummer JORGE FUENTES and multi-instrumentalist DAVID FLORES. In 2020 2 EP’s were recorded and released as AGRIO. Sadly I missed the other, which featured the late MARK LANEGAN (SCREAMING TREES, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) on vocals. The other EP The Thin Man is recorded with guest singer PETE SIMONELLI. Out of the 3 songs included on this EP, I would like to point out The Scales Of Embrace, which is basically pure progressive rock with an experimental twist and the spoken word/screams of Pete. It is a fantastic and very interesting song that puts you into a sorta trace due to the hypnotic synths by LEO MATEOS. I hope that in the future more full-length albums will be released as AGRIO, because these 3 songs already show that this duo can make some fabulous interesting music. More info at: https://agrio.bandcamp.com/album/the-thin-man-ep. The album is available through https://brokencloverrecords.bandcamp.com/ and more information can be found at:

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

ELUSION 'THE FUNDAMENTAL PARADOX' (INDEPENDENT/BELGIAN IMPORT)

There is so much quality music coming out of Belgium, which if compared to the 1980s is a blessing, because back then only a handfull of average bands was active. Nowadays there is an incredible scene of rock and metalbands in Belgium. ELUSION is one of the bands that started in the mid 2010s, released an EP in 2016 and a first full-length CD in 2019, which is now followed up by their 2nd album The Fundamental Paradox. The band is formed around female singer EVY VERBRUGGEN, guitarist DOMINGO SMETS (who was once part of the legendary Belgian black metal band ANCIENT RITES, which I heard the first time on Studio Brussel more than 30 years ago!) and drummer FREDERIK VAN MIEGHEM. Orchestrations are also done by Domingo, while JOERI HERREGAT fills the bass duties on the album. The sound and production is massive and it is easily a product of the modern age, combining melodic clean vocals and choruses with growling from the classic underground black metal style (ANCIENT RITES), while instrumentally it is a mix of AFTER FOREVER and EPICA, which means melodic symphonic bombastic metal. Evy is an amazing lead singer, who has a beautiful strong clean voice, but also grows like a black metal singer, and that is something only a few are able to do. Songs like Acrimonious, In Balance and Adversity sound really strong and will be right up your alley if you're into any of the mentioned bands. There are countless bands doing this style, and ELUSION is definitely one of the better newcomers. Especially for an independent release it is an impressive album, so make sure to check them out at: www.elusion.be

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

DEZ DARE 'PERSEUS WAR' (CHIMP RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

DEZ DARE comes out of Australia, but is based in Brighton, UK and Perseus War is his 3rd album so far. Musically speaking it’s a mix of Garage Rock and Post-Punkrock, sounding quite raw and underground ish most of the time. Dez has been in the music scene for over a few decades, playing in several bands, but is now on a solo mission. 10 songs are included on his new album, and if you like your music to sound noisy and raw to the bone with that classic punk attitude, then look no further, because  DEZ DARE fulfills all your wishes. This is the way how real authentic rock and roll should sound like. Dez could easily enter the line up of the yearly LEFT OF THE DIAL festival because that is exactly the kind of music you hear most of the time over there each October in Rotterdam. Make sure to check out Dez at: https://dezdare.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

ATSUKO CHIBA 'IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GROWING' (MOTHLAND RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Montreal, Canada comes ATSUKO CHIBA, a band playing a mix of all kinds of music influences, but experimental post-progressive/krautrock might be the best description here. Water, It Feels Like It's Growing is their 3rd album so far, and besides the line-up of Anthony Piazza - Drums, Projections, David Palumbo - Bass, Vocals, Eric Schafhauser - Guitar, Synths, Karim Lakhdar - Vocals, Guitar, Synths and Kevin McDonald - Guitar, Synths, there are a lot of guests on this new album (Vivianne Roy - Vocals, Amélie Lamontagne - First violin, Edith Fitzgerald - Second Violin, Sarah Martineau - Viola, Camille Paquette-Roy - Cello, Etienne Lebel - Trombone, Nicolas Riverin - Trumpet and Philippe Brochu-Pelletier - Saxophone). They give the album a rich diverse sound, and after a few repeated listens I can guarantee you that ATSUDO CHIBA is a band to keep your eyes wide open for. Opener Bozu starts atmospheric with this dark post-prog feeling, kinda ambient, with even a touch of PORCUPINE TREE or OPETH, but next song Perseus # 1985 is completely different as this is a funky groovy piece that is based around the interesting drumwork of Anthony. What makes them still accesible is the melodic clean vocals of Karim, which gives the band a nice sorta catchy touch despite the experimental drift of the band. Myopic Tropic is a brilliant piece of modern post-progrock with ambient trance/70s kraut alike synths and beautiful atmospheric melodies that make this band as unique as for example SOEN or KATATONIA or TOOL or MOTORPSYCHO. In total 10 songs are included, and they do follow the melodic ambient post-prog direction most of the time (Bloodbath-on-HI is another absolute highlight with it's 70s kraut dreams approach), yet here and there also take a different rockier approach. Without a doubt, this band is a must to check out if you care for original and unique sounding prog. More info can be found at: https://atsukochiba.bandcamp.com/album/water-it-feels-like-its-growing

(Points: 8.8 out of 10

JAIME KYLE 'WILD ONE' (I WILL BE KING RECORDS/CARGO RECORDS/UK IMPORT)

It must have been in the mid 90s when I first heard the talented JAIME KYLE. She is a gifted American singer/songwriter/guitarist who released her debut album The Passionate Kind back in 1992, but it's following Back From Hollywood that landed on my desk as a young music reviewer in 1996. This fantastic AOR/Melodic Rock classic was an instant winner, and she was about to do a tour along with DANTE FOX, but sadly had to cancel as her mother was dying of cancer. Anyway, she has built up a succesfull songwriting career during the 90s, 00s and 10s, writing a lot of songs for big artists in the USA. Sadly her solo career was put on hold for over 20 years, but thankfully she now returns with a superb new album titled Wild One. WIth a little help of a lot of guest musicians she recorded 12 new songs she produced herself. Her voice is still amazing, and I am very excited that she made this superb comeback album!

Opener and titletrack Wild One is a wonderful start as this is a lovely uptempo classic AOR/Melodic Rocker in the style of her previous work, which is basically a must-hear to anyone with a heart for 80s female fronted AOR/Melodic Rock. Following song Driving With The Brakes On features punchy guitar riffs by KRIS BARRAS (known for his own KRIS BARRAS BAND) and this is basically a great heavy bluesy hardrocksong in the style of BLUES PILLS, WHEN RIVERS MEET and LARKIN POE. Change is a semi melodic rocker with a 90s kinda female fronted pop/rock twist during the chorus. Blue Night is a beautiful calm pop/rock ballad with a country crossover touch, basically being a typical American(a) orientated piece that should do well on the US radio stations, and here FAITH HILL, JEWEL or ILSE DE LANGE clearly come to mind. Up next is the fantastic groovy bluesy vocal/guitar duet with the legendary DAVE JENKINS (of PABLO CRUISE) on vocals and JERRY MCPHERSON (whom I saw once live in action in a small sold-out club in Rotterdam when he had just released his sensational album Let The Good Times Roll) on guitar. Lie follows, and this is a superb semi AOR ballad with incredible vocals of Jaime. Her voice and music is quite close to ROBIN BECK and FIONA, which can especially be heard during Kiss Dirt, a lovely uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker. The calmer bluesy/jazzy ballad Not About Love follows, and here we can hear a lot of soul that almost touches ADELE! Body Of Gold is another nice dirty mean groovy blues rocker in the style of LARKIN POE, while Dirty Goodbye is a great uptempo melodic rocker. Broken is a nice slowtempo bluesy semi rocker, and Happy Town closes the album in a smooth calmer fun uptempo soul injected poprock style. Welcome back Jaime, and let's hope she will now keep releasing new music, and perhaps come over for a tour, because everyone needs to hear this incredible gifted singer/guitarist! More info at: https://www.jaimekyle.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

THE BLACK CAT'S EYE 'THE EMPTY SPACE BETWEEN A SEAMOUNT AND SHOCK-HEADED JULIA' (TONZONEN RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Frankfurt, Germany comes THE BLACK CAT'S EYE, a band that was formed back in 2018, and they are now making their debut with the full-length The Empty Space Between A Seamount And Shock-Headed Julia. Their line-up consists of Christian Blaser - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards, Wolfgang Schönecker - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Steffen Ahrens - Electric Guitars, Guitar Noises, Jens Cappel - Electric Bass and Stefan Schulz-Anker - Drums and Percussion, and their music is mostly instrumental based with a lot of prog and krautrock influences. Their album was mastered by EROC, who did a lot of prog and krautrock albums in the past, and it all starts with very calm smooth sounds as if you´re in a welness, but it slowly builds up to a more kraut-progrock direction during the 20 minutes counting opener Kill The Sun And The Moon And The Stars. Following song Katla takes you into pure progressive rock territory, sounding quite experimental here and there, while the first time we get to hear vocals is during Winter Song that takes you back to the 1970s when folky acoustic semi prog was made popular by countless bands, although there's also a slight psychedelic rock touch to be heard. Although a song like closing track Lostlostlostlostlostlost is a lovely modern melodic psychedelic garage rocker with a sorta DAVID BOWIE meets SUEDE kinda feeling, including strong melodic clean vocals (!), most of the album is definitely instrumental post-progressive rock orientated, and it's all done at a very high level, reaching the well-known LONG DISTANCE CALLING level. However there is more to discover here as you could already read and thereforet his German band is well worth checking out. More info can be found at: https://www.theblackcatseye.com and https://theblackcatseye.bandcamp.com/album/the-empty-space-between-a-seamount-and-shock-headed-julia?from=hp

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

DOBBELTGJENGER 'THE TWINS' (APOLLON RECORDS/PLASTIC HEAD DISTRIBUTION/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

DOBBELTGJENER are not just another band from Bergen, Norway, because they have quite a remarkable sound. The Twins is their 4th album, and opener Rocket Shoes has a sorta late 80s/early 90s funky hi-tech pop/rock approach in a way it reminds me of KING'S X doing a LIVING COLOUR cover with the guys from RUSH while pretending to be PRINCE (!), so there's both a prog and a catchy funky melody for the radio included, although the funk of the 80s is clearly upfront here. Following Harakiri Witchcraft is perhaps even stronger, while still following the same funky route, and actually the album continues this way until the very end. I must also sometimes think of JETT REBEL, yet DOBBELTGJENGER is more diverse perhaps, because there's also quite some prog hidden in a lot of tracks, and a song like Purplegreenish is extremely catchy and could easily become a huge radio hitsong! I guess by now you will more or less understand what this is all about, although it will still definitely surprise you! More info at: https://dobbeltgjenger.bandcamp.com/album/the-twins-2

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

MOWGLI 'GUEULE DE BOA' (BMC RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

The French band MOWGLI consists of saxophonist/flutist Ferdinand Doumerc (PULCINELLA), drummer Pierre Pollet and keyboard player Bastien Andrieu, and their first album together is titled Gueulle de Boa. Musically speaking we are drifting into the experimental world of jazz and progressive rock, sometimes sounding rocky and at other times jazzy, but almost always breaking the boundaries and challenging each other as a musician to come up with interesting new melodies and complicated structures. From start to finish the 8 songs provide you 50 interesting innovative minutes where you will be surprised a lot of times. This is an album you need to listen to more than once to discover something original everytime you revisit the album. The use of 70s ish sounding keyboards, complicated drumming and a sax that sometimes is completely out of control, this makes the album a must to check out if you're an open-minded jazz/prog fan. More info can be found at:  https://bmcrecords.hu/en/albums/mowgli-gueule-de-bo

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

LAUGHING STOCK 'SONGS FOR THE FUTURE' (APOLLON RECORDS/PLASTIC HEAD DISTRIBUTION/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

LAUGHING STOCK is a Norwegian band, and Songs For The Future is their 5th album so far. Their music is sorta 80s progressive/art-rock orientated and this time they managed to have 3 special guest singers of the legendary bands CAMEL (COLIN BASS), YES (BILLY SHERWOOD) and XTC (COLIN MOULDING). They all sing each on 1 song of the 12 that are included in total. Although the band is named after the TALK TALK song, and it all looks very 80s, the music is not so much 80s uptempo pop/rock, but really calmer progrock orientated in a way that it reminds of a cross between CAMEL and MARILLION/FISH, yet with an own identity. The band does a great job to sound original and forces you to listen to the album over and over again. Everytime you will discover something new, and for the progfans among us this is definitely an album that will end up high in the best albums of 2023 charts. One of the absolute highlights is the superb The Other Side, but every song is a diamond in the pearl. Check out more info at: https://www.laughingstock.no/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

ALLY VENABLE 'REAL GONE' (RUF RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

When you manage to have both of the absolute blues legends JOE BONAMASSA and BUDDY GUY appearing on your new album as guests when you're only 23 years old, then you are definitely doing something in the right direction. Texas, USA born ALLY VENABLE released her debut album in 2016, and Real Gone is already her 5th album so far. She is signed to the well-known blues label RUF RECORDS, and on her new album she comes up with 12 strong new songs that she mostly wrote herself together with producer/drummer TOM HAMBRIDGE and RICHARD FLEMING. Opener Real Gone is a strong uptempo bluesy hardrocksong, but it's the following midtempo Going Home that nails it in being this perfect big sounding midtempo bluesy southern rocker, while Broken And Blue has one of the finest guitar solo's I have heard lately (although this was done by Joe). Nevertheless, Ally is also a gifted guitarist who delivers some excellent riffs and solo's throughout this lovely album, while vocally she has a much sweeter (young soul-pop) tone in her voice that needs to age a bit I think, just to give her music a rawer approach. BETH HART and especially JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR also sound much stronger nowadays than in their early years. Without a doubt the best song on the album is the superb midtempo Hold My Ground that also shows Ally at her very best both vocally and instrumentally speaking, while the melodic chorus is deadly catchy! She is clearly following the path of all the other female guitar slingers in the heavy blues rock circuit of the past 20 years, so better make sure to check out the new album of this talented lady. More info can be found at: https://allyvenableband.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘ECUATORIANA – EL UNIVERSO PARALELO DE POLIBIO MAYORGA’ (ANALOG AFRICA/GERMAN IMPORT)

The German label ANALOG AFRICA returns with yet another highly interesting compilation album of South American music from the past. This time we are heading into Ecuador, and to be precise the Andean city of Quito. This is the Ecuadorian capital and home to the music which makes up this vital collection and which owes so much to the legendary musician POLIBIO MAYORGA. He introduced the modern sounds of electronic equipment and a Moog into the tropical psychedelic sound of the country, and this gave birth to an unique sound that sounds at first sight very South American traditional, but thanks to the electronic involvement, it somehow has a different approach. 16 songs are included, and the quality of the sound is really good, especially when you learn that the music was recorded during the 1970s. Some of them are very catchy and could easily turn into a massive radio hit or club hit, such as the superb Mi Paisa by OLMEDO TORRES. On this particular song Polibio himself also appears. I believe the album is also released on vinyl, so make sure to grab a copy! More info at: https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/ecuatoriana-el-universo-paralelo-de-polibio-mayorga-1969-1981-analog-africa-no-37

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

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