Juvenile Fish Tales is the latest album from Barend Tromp, an envelope-pushing guitarist, bass guitarist and sitar player from the Netherlands. It’s an instrumental album inspired by a book he received as a child which explored the undersea world and…
View More Barend Tromp – Juvenile Fish Tales
I first came across the core of this band when they were known as Metaphor, a rather quirky prog group with unusual songs, and their fourth album, The Pearl was very enjoyable. Just as I was getting interested, they split…
View More Isobar – Isobar III
Boston Music Room, London Wednesday 15th February 2023 It’s been a ridiculous seven years since Long Distance Calling last played in the UK, and it was at this venue, the Boston Music Room in London. There are probably a number…
View More Long Distance Calling / Pil & Bue
Islington Assembly Hall, London Wednesday, 8th February 2023 Midweek gigs in London in February need to be a bit special to tempt out a decent crowd, and as support act Quantum Pig hit the stage, the signs weren’t very good…
View More Lonely Robot (An Evening with John Mitchell) / Quantum Pig
This delightful album was unleashed on the world via Bandcamp last November, but to very little fanfare, perhaps because of its Russian connection. But if that’s the reason, it’s a shame, because it really deserves to be heard. Gleb Kolyadin…
View More Gleb Kolyadin – The Outland
At the start of 1976, UFO were a band on the way up. Since acquiring the services of the young guitar maestro Michael Schenker in June 1973, they had recorded two well received albums, Phenomenon and Force It, produced by…
View More UFO – No Heavy Petting [Deluxe Expanded Edition]
Released towards the end of last year, Oak’s The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise wasn’t an album I considered for my picks of 2022, simply because I hadn’t listened to it enough. Having immersed myself in its riches many times now,…
View More Oak – The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise
The rather oddly named Wizrd are another interesting bunch from Norway who are hard to pigeonhole, and that’s nearly always a good thing in my book. Sonically they employ retro-sounding instrumentation, but what they do with those instruments is more…
View More Wizrd – Seasons
Montrose were formed in 1973 when hot shot American session guitarist Ronnie Montrose quit the Edgar Winter Group and teamed up with Sam Hagar (as he was then known) and drummer Denny Carmassi, who had been playing together in cover…
View More Montrose – I Got The Fire: Complete Recordings 1973-1976
It’s rather nice to welcome Flamborough Head back with this new album, Jumping The Milestone. The last album, Lost In Time was released nine years ago. In the intervening years, the band have undergone line-up changes, and were of course…
View More Flamborough Head – Jumping The Milestone