The arrival early last year of the debut album from Nick D’Virgilio, Neal Morse and Ross Jennings, Troika, was a breath of fresh air. The three progressive rock icons put aside the bombast and the complexities to channel their inner…
View More D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings – Sophomore
2023 marks 20 years since Opeth released the Damnation album. At the time it was viewed by many as a big change in direction, although in essence it still contained a lot of the softer musical attributes which the band…
View More Opeth – Damnation: 20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition
Myrkur (aka Amalie Bruun) is an interesting character. With her first two full length albums, M and Mareridt, she invented her own sub-genre of black metal, combining it with Danish folk to produce something unique. Indeed, Mareridt (‘Nightmare’) from 2017…
View More Myrkur – Spine
A great man I was lucky to call friend, but no longer with us, recommended I listen to an album by a band called Soup, as he was sure I would like them. That album was Children of E.L.B., which…
View More Giantsky – Giant Sky II
Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Newcastle Tuesday, 21st November 2023 A Tuesday night in North Tyneside, why not go and see some live music? So off to the Innisfree, a working men’s club located right next to Longbenton Metro station,…
View More Tanith / Ma Kelly’s Boys
Peter Hammill is in my opinion, one of the giants of music, highly influential throughout nearly all genres with a huge catalogue, be it solo, with Van der Graaf Generator or in collaboration with other artists. These two albums, originally…
View More Peter Hammill – In A Foreign Town / Out of Water 2023
Trading Boundaries, Fletching Saturday, 18th November 2023 A few years ago I commenced a review with the following lines: “Every now and again in the grind of ‘Real Life’ something special happens and it makes you think to yourself, ‘That’s…
View More Barock Project / Peter Jones
Cellist and composer Jo Quail has been wowing live audiences with her solo shows for a number of years now – with particular love coming from the metal community, for whom she plays regular festival shows. Her new release, Invocation…
View More Jo Quail – Invocation / Supplication
Life In Digital are duo John Beagley and Robin Schell, their music being reminiscent of Buggles’ era Yes with a modern twist and it’s easy to make comparisons at times as the vocals also sound very much like Jon Anderson,…
View More Life In Digital – None of the Above
I struggle to believe that it’s been 25 years since Devin Townsend released this landmark album that greatly showcased his musical genius. I remember getting it as soon as it was released back in 1998, as I loved his previous…
View More Devin Townsend – Infinity: 25th Anniversary Edition