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The Paradox Twin

South Street Arts Centre, Reading Thursday 20th June 2024 I can’t believe it was 2018 when I first encountered (and reviewed) the enthralling debut album, The Importance of Mr Bedlam. The scintillating fusion of intense musicianship with captivating storytelling creates…

Airbag – The Century Of The Self

Since I started this hobby 18 months ago, I have been dreading this moment coming. It is probably because I am not musical in the slightest, I just love listening to music, that I tend to be in awe of…

Adult Cinema – 365

365 is the seasonally inspired release from Adult Cinema, the remarkable one-man project created by multi-instrumentalist Mike Weston, following on from his third album Hot and Cold in 2020. Weston displays an impressive multi-instrumental talent in four extended pieces based…

Winter’s End Progressive Rock Festival: Day Four

The The Drill Hall, Chepstow Sunday, 14th April 2024 GLEN BRIELLE Aka Hugh Carter, founder member of Abel Ganz. His side project with solo keys and fellow Abel Ganz guitarist Malcolm McNiven was a lovely way to start off the…

Winter’s End Progressive Rock Festival: Day Three

The Drill Hall, Chepstow Saturday, 13th April 2024 DOMINIC SANDERSON My discovery of the weekend! This was, for me, the most ultimate progressive performance of the festival! I was a tad late for the start, as I’d left my camera…

Winter’s End Progressive Rock Festival: Day Two

The The Drill Hall, Chepstow Friday, 12th April 2024 ‘Winter’s End’ is a lovely little festival in the picturesque town of Chepstow just on the Welsh side of the River Severn, held normally in March/April. Fully indoors, it doesn’t matter…

Focus – Focus 12

CONFUSINGLY, Focus 12 is the veteran Dutch proggers’ 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th or 17th studio album, depending on how you count them. As an additional headscratcher, the track named after the band (there’s one on nearly every album) is…

Returned To The Earth – Stalagmite Steeple

Stalagmite Steeple is the latest album from Returned To The Earth, releasing on 14th June. It is a stunningly beautiful album featuring rich and evocative instrumentals and expressive vocals that cut through to the soul. Listening to it is like…

Nefarious Industries – Burn After Hearing

Nefarious Industries’ describe themselves on their Bandcamp page as: “(an) independent label & music collective extending its tentacles into far-flung regions of the musical spectrum… …home to crime, slime & grime since 2010”. Home to crime? Isn’t that prison? And…

Kavus Torabi – The Banishing

“With every passing day it gets harder They tell you it’ll change, how can they know?” Borne from much turbulence in the form of the pandemic and a concurrent domestic upheaval resulting in estrangement from his family, this album has…