Reviews archive

November 2023

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44 articles

November 30
- “Great fun… lovingly dashed off in a few hours, in homage to the way library musicians had to work”: Matt Berry’s Simplicity
November 29
- “The esteem in which his talent was held is reflected… Yet some of the most fascinating tracks here are by his pre-fame 60s bands”: Greg Lake’s Magical box set
November 27
- "There has rarely been a band that has thrived when their backs are so far up against the wall as The Prodigy": Liam Howlett's electronic punks smash out their greatest hits at The People's Palace
- "The cold, hard truth is that, for all the hard luck stories, they simply aren't that great as a band": Metal On Metal by Anvil - Album Of The Week Club review
November 24
- The long wait is over: Jethro Tull's Warchild II is finally available on vinyl
- "Where all this repackaging and repurposing is headed is anyone's guess, but we're surely beyond the point of diminishing returns": The Yes Album (Super Deluxe Edition)
November 21
- "Riluo’s true success lies in how genuine its emotions feel." Taiwanese symphonic black metallers Laang have channelled a horrendous, life-changing event into one of this year's most compelling albums
- "Every second of this debut album has something to say and ensures you remember the message long after it meets its squalling end." Hawxx's Earth, Spit, Blood And Bones is the righteous racket heavy music needs right now
November 20
- “He may be lauded by some as a genius, but without this team’s heavy lifting, these pieces might fail”: Frank Zappa’s Over-Nite Sensation 50th Anniversary Edition
- “A plan to work with guest contributors has resulted in a fairly tortuous journey… but the struggle has been worth it”: Earthside’s Let The Truth Speak
- "An eye opener for those who think Elton John and Bernie Taupin are a trivial pop act": Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John - Album Of The Week Club review
November 19
- "Their eye-catching if shamelessly transparent spin is to dress as sexy undead fetish nuns while churning out 80s-inspired Euro-metal": Dogma by Dogma
November 17
- "There's no denying the impact when Shepherd does let the blues off the leash": Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 1
- "If an apocalypse is on the horizon, this is one album that should be turned up loud before our time runs out": Muse's Absolution (XX Anniversary Edition)
- "Hardly likely to convert Dylan doubters, but it's an interesting curio all the same": Bob Dylan: The Complete Budokan 1978
- "A towering wedding cake of syrupy excess and Elvis-in-Vegas naffness": Dolly Parton's Rockstar is monumentally hideous, yet strangely glorious
- "Musically it didn't match its predecessor but Vs. had its moments": Pearl Jam's Vs. (30th anniversary edition)
November 15
- “Served up as ‘hi-def’ – but should that be hi-deaf? The raw, frantic energy might be too much for some”: Meshuggah’s Chaosphere 25th Anniversary edition
November 13
- "I've seen them and loved every over-the-top minute of it... but this album just doesn’t cut it": Alive II by Kiss - Album Of The Week Club review
November 12
- Tesseract’s cinematic live show just proved that, 12 years since debuting, they’re in the finest form of their lives
November 10
- ”It could have made for a disconcerting experience, but her ethereal vocal presence binds it all together”: Myrkur’s Spine
- "It’s certain that they aren’t going to be contained in venues this small for much longer." Creeper soak Manchester's Academy in buckets of blood, brilliant songs and one hell of a stage show
- "A rush of almost spiritual ecstasy": Death Cult find joy in dragging skeletons from the closet on 40th anniversary tour
- "Their detractors slapped them down as cynical bandwagon jumpers... A great primer for a band who eventually proved their worth": Bush's Loaded - The Greatest Hits
- "The sheer firepower of the Jimi Hendrix Experience is palpable throughout." The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Live At The Hollywood Bowl, August 18, 1967
- "A love letter to the bravado and larger-than-life swagger of 80s rock... with a bevy of 21st-century rock singers": Sophie Lloyd's Imposter Syndrome
- "Guitar subtleties astound and vocal harmonies soar in surprisingly spacious mixes leaving 2009's stereo remasters sounding weedy and gutless": The Beatles' Red and Blue albums
- "A young buck trying to find his musical feet as he flits through styles": Neil Young's Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972)
- "Still making music that could have appeared any time between 1971 and now": Foghat's Sonic Mojo
November 9
- Spiritbox released the hottest metal debut of 2021. The Fear Of Fear EP shows they're only just getting started
- Forget Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More: Helmet are nu metal's unsung architects and Left is the best record they've done in nearly 20 years
November 6
- "Sophie Lloyd is now unleashing what so many of her peers are unable to: a well-produced full-length, taking her career to the next stage." Sophie Lloyd's Imposter Syndrome: the Metal Hammer review
- “The rise of a fledgling group, but a collapse of an old one… A forensic timeline of how prog turned into punk”: Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries
November 4
- “Not just an amorphous stream of swirly pothead trance rock… In fact, this album feels more focused than its predecessor:” Gong’s Unending Ascending
November 3
- Fall Out Boy at the London O2: emo's poppiest graduates have evolved into a slick, showy, hit-stacked rock 'n' roll machine
- "Morrison is like a guest on a musical chat show, turning these songs into musical anecdotes": Van Morrison's Accentuate The Positive
- King Crimson: Music Is Our Friend album review
- "Wrapped up in a black cloak of thunderous doom rock, full of spectacle, bombast and fog-choked atmosphere": Green Lung's This Heathen Land
- "Like mid-70s Aerosmith with a dash of Led Zeppelin": Dirty Honey's Can't Find The Brakes
- "Epidemically catchy, fearlessly camp and glam, air-punch anthemic and just the right level of daft": The Struts' Pretty Vicious
November 2
- "As unmistakable contemporary backing vocals from McCartney intertwine with Lennon, an involuntary emotional response is utterly inevitable." Classic Rock's Reviews Editor and biggest Beatles fan gives his verdict on Now And Then
November 1
- “A serene and soothing affair – a kaleidoscopic rush of instrumental escapism with nothing but good intentions”: Ozric Tentacles’ Lotus Unfolding
- Green Lung's This Heathen Land: London's stoner-doom heroes have brewed up a beguiling, surprisingly diverse concoction of killer riffs, bewitching folklore and knockout songs
- “Like the Velvet Underground playing an early Black Sabbath riff, but in the desert. At night… it’s bonkers. And it’s also rather beautiful”: Goat’s Medicine