VARIOUS ARTISTS // THE SLED // MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS
Here I am writing about a compilation album which you cannot buy, but is easy to obtain. Perhaps I had better let Nick Katona explain: “Each Year we host a holiday release to showcase many bands and artists that you may not be aware of; but should be. The album will...
URIAH HEEP // LIVING THE DREAM // FRONTIERS MUSIC
It is hard to imagine in this world of 24/7 connectivity, but there was once a time where there was no such thing as the internet. Consequently, the only way to discover information was by buying books, and I have just gone to a bookcase and brought out ‘The...
CHILDREN OF THE MOON // CHILDREN OF THE MOON // INDEPENDENT
When I started writing some thirty years ago, one of the reasons for doing so was that I was aware of some wonderful music which the mainstream press ignored. Being able to sing and/or play instruments no longer seemed to be as important as it used to be, and the...
ATREYU //IN OUR WAKE // SPINEFARM RECORDS
I first really started paying attention to Atreyu with the release of 2004’s ‘The Curse’, but although I grabbed all their albums up to 2009’s ‘Congregation of the Damned’ I hadn’t realized they had got back together after the hiatus following that to release an album...
THE DAME // LOSING SIGHT OF WHAT YOU WANT // INDEPENDENT
This is the debut album from Dutch neo-prog band The Dame, which as the name might suggest is built heavily around the female lead singer, Marian van Charante. They have been gaining a lot of attention for their image and style, as apparently they aim to convey a...
SHINEBACK // DIAL // BAD ELEPHANT MUSIC // ALBUM REVIEW
Is it really five years since Simon Godfrey (Tinyfish, Valdez) presented us with the debut Shineback album? Unlike the debut this isn’t a concept, but is very much a progression in terms of ideas and approach. "We humans do a marvellous job of failing to communicate...
TEN JINN // SISYPHUS // MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS
Formed in 1991, many progheads became fully aware of Ten Jinn with their second album, 1999’s ‘On A Darkling Plain’. Lead singer/keyboard player John Strauss moved to Sweden in 2001, and although Ten Jinn released their third album ‘Alone’, in 2003, that was also the...
VARIOUS ARTISTS // THE THREE SEASONS // FRUITS DE MER RECORDS
I only recently discovered Fruits de Mer Records, but they are rapidly becoming one of my very favorite records labels as they seem incapable of putting out a bad release. This triple vinyl album came out in October, but the pressing has already sold out, and having...
THE CHEMISTRY SET // FIREFLY // FRUITS DE MER RECORDS
Pre-orders for the next four FRUITS DE MER singles take place as of 19th November, and lovers of late-Sixties style music need to get in there asap so as not to miss out! The Chemistry Set are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, and have provided two brand new...
NICK NICELY // ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER // FRUITS DE MER RECORDS
I must confess not to have heard a version of “Watchtower” quite like this before, as it has been deconstructed yet still contains plenty of guitars. It is as if Hendrix never existed, and someone took Dylan’s classic as a base and wondered just what they could do to...
