Category: Reviews
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The Great Sabatini – Goodbye Audio
On the surface this is a well-recorded and played album of Melvins-inspired music. However, what sets it apart is the fact that the songs are strong. If they were to be played acoustically they would still work – the sign always of a good song. Moreover, the band have their own identity, and I can…
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Kosm – Cosmonaut
Cosmonaut was released on 16th November, the day before my birthday, a time of reflection and change for the future, when I reflect on just how many albums I’ve reviewed that weren’t bad, just generic… which in a way is even worse than being bad. No one ever remembers ‘it was okay’. But Kosm’s Cosmonaut…
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Foghound – Awaken to Destroy
The third album from Maryland heavy rockers Foghound comes out under a cloud of tragedy, less than a year after their bass player, Rev. Jim Forrester, was senselessly murdered on the streets of Baltimore. In that light, one might look for some lyrical tributes on here – say, “Death Will Tremble” or “Gone Up in…
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Virgin Black – Requiem Pianissimo
Requiem – Pianissimo is both opening and resolution. This long-awaited release presents the first section of Virgin Black’s three-part requiem but it also brings the trilogy to a close, completing the two-hour and thirty-three-minute masterpiece more than a decade after it began. Although Pianissimo opens the requiem series, to me this album begins in what…
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Deadbird – III: The Forest Within the Tree
I guess they’re back from the dead? Roughly 10 years since their last album, Arkansas outfit Deadbird, featuring a few guys from Rwake and the current bassist of The Obsessed, has returned with their third full-length installment of southern-fried sludge, offering up eight tracks in a little under 40 minutes. Fans of Rwake, or even…
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Iomair – Iomair
One of the most important elements of music is sincerity, and Iomair have that in spades. Think of a folky Opeth and you aren’t even half-way there. What I like most about this album is its heartfelt emotionality. This is really music for the inner you, not for the face you put on for the world. Strange…
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We Hunt Buffalo – Head Smashed In
As a kid growing up in Calgary, I know I visited Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, in nearby Fort McLeod, at least once or twice. Pretty sure that’s where I had my first bison burger, too. So I am loving the cover of We Hunt Buffalo’s latest album before I even push play. Album number three from…
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Sunrunner – Ancient Arts of Survival
Despite their Native American inspirations, Sunrunner have a lot in common with European power metal bands, in the sense that their music is melodic, well-played and optimistic. This then is a concept album, and an interesting one, though the songs would work equally well on their own. Different, but all the better for it. http://www.sunrunnermusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/sunrunnermusic/…
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Anathema – Internal Landscapes 2008-2018
In 2008, Anathema were one of the first bands to sign to progressive label KScope. Which makes sense as their music has constantly progressed, with founders Vincent and Danny Cavanagh being the constant factors. In 2018, Anathema are very different to the band that signed to the mighty Peaceville Records almost two decades previously. Then,…
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Hamell On Trial – The Night Guy at The Apocalypse, Profiles of Rushing Midnight (LP)
In the spirit of full disclosure, yes – am a fan of Hamell On Trial. I was totally won over by Ed Hamell when the singer’s eighth album, Tough Love, came out in 2003 and have excitedly checked and given consistently positive coverage to each album that has come along since then. I can say truthfully…