Mel Allen

Pixie Ninja – Ultrasound

The flow of great music coming out of Norway continues with this excellent debut release from Pixie Ninja, who hail from Rognan in the north of the country. OK, let’s deal with the name first; it is a strange but…

Colosseum – Valentyne Suite

What more can one say about Colosseum? Their place in the history of jazz rock fusion is well known and deserved. Esoteric Recordings continue their re-releases of classic albums with Colosseum’s highly praised second album, Valentine Suite; re-mastering the main…

Isildurs Bane – Off the Radar

Off The Radar is the fourteenth studio album from Isildurs Bane, and that title could reflect how they have gone about their musical vision these last forty years; quietly, evolving, changing direction, all the time maintaining their integrity. From my…

Unitopia – More Than a Dream: The Dream Complete

Unitopia are one of the finest bands to come out of Australia, formed by Mark Trueack and Sean Timms in the late Nineties, they surrounded themselves with like minded musicians, releasing their debut More Than a Dream in 2005. This…

Nordic Giants / Koyo / Chiyoda Ku

The Globe, Cardiff Tuesday, 7th November 2017 After recently reviewing Nordic Giants’ new album, Amplify Human Vibration I was pleased to get the chance to see them live in a venue not far from my home. So on a crisp…

Samuel Hällkvist – Variety of Rhythm

Two years ago I was pleased to discover the music of Swedish guitar player Samuel Hällkvist when I reviewed his Variety of Live. This current release Variety of Rhythm completes a cycle that began with 2012’s Variety of Loud, intended…

Nordic Giants – Amplify Human Vibration

The Brighton post rock duo, famed for their immersive, all engulfing live performances, are releasing a new documentary film and soundtrack this month, the project supported by a hugely successful crowd funding campaign. They set out to create a film…

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Author: Mel Allen