Reviews archive

May 2024

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62 articles

May 31
- "It’s incredibly refreshing to hear Thou cutting loose and just rocking out with such gleeful enthusiasm." Umbilical proves Thou are still one of sludge metal's most adventurous and innovative bands
- “Instrumentation and structures are engrossing… A deep delve into Nordic mythology and soundscaping which absolutely bleeds passion and integrity”: Kati Rán’s Sála
- “It ought to be heart-shattering; but instead, it feels full of hope… absolutely gorgeous”: Marjana Semkina’s Sirin
- Ozzy Osbourne, Cory Taylor, Billy Idol, Linda Perry and more fill the guest list as Billy Morrison bangs out the punk and electro rockers on The Morrison Project
- "Pianos play by themselves and dark forces conjure suspicious shadows": Crowded House make for uneasy listening on Gravity Stars
- "Climaxing with a fearsome guitar squall midway between Jerry Garcia and John Frusciante": Richard Thompson's Ship To Shore is his most rumbustious album in years
- "Continuing to sound just as fresh as they did when the band first formed 40 years ago": Buffalo Tom maintain their haunted, bluesy groove on Jump Rope
- "An intensely creative chapter of Sabbath history": Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath rise again on Anno Domini 1989-1995
May 30
- "Bad Omens are the real deal – they sound spectacular." Concrete Jungle [The OST] confirms that the argument over who will be heavy music's next superstars is done and dusted
- "A crowd that likes the idea of The Big Rock Show but find Foo Fighters a bit shouty." Nickelback do exactly what Nickelback do at Birmingham's Utilita Arena - and their fans wouldn't have it any other way
- “With one eye on MTV and another on film soundtracks, big choruses with star-turn assists are go”: Steve Hackett’s Feedback ’86 and Till We Have Faces vinyl remasters
May 29
- Portals Festival 2024 review: a triumphant weekend of post-rock, black metal and everything in between
May 28
- "The Battle Of ’89 still rages 35 years on." Exodus' new live album gives us a rowdy glimpse into the golden age of thrash
- “An enchanting brew of grunge and shoegaze with the DIY attitude of riot grrrl punk.” Twin siblings Softcult continue to evolve in thrilling new ways on Heaven
May 27
- "The man once known as Vincent Furnier was struggling during Flush The Fashion, but his alter ego was still snapping and snarling": Alice Cooper embraces new wave on Flush The Fashion
May 25
- “Perpetually overlooked… the right album at the wrong time. It’s fascinating to hear Jon Anderson’s voice sounding rather throaty and, well, dirty”: Yes’ Talk 30th Anniversary edition
May 24
- Desertfest 2024 review: sludge, thrash and hair-raising volume at London’s stoner rock gathering
- “Meditative passages that are bravely expansive… Steven Wilson continues to deconstruct sound as much as he makes it”: Bass Communion’s The Itself Of Itself
- “Conceptually elaborate and packed with easter eggs that will delight their hardcore fans.” Twenty One Pilots close out their multi-album saga with Clancy
- "Bring Me The Horizon don’t care about the expectations of metal – if anything, the guidelines are there to be ridiculed." Post Human: Nex Gen is long, chaotic and antagonistically weird
- "A typically diverse collection pulsating with positive energy": Lenny Kravitz's sings of love and libido on Blue Electric Light
- "Sounding as pristine today as it did in 1994": Trevor Rabin and Jon Anderson shine on their final Yes album together, Talk
- "Weller's surprising but very welcome space-rock odyssey continues": Paul Weller continues the creative hot streak on the kaleidoscopic 66
May 22
- Meze 99 Classics review: Brilliant value for money with knockout performance
- “It may not possess the distorted riffs of their earlier work, but the sense of drama and dynamics remains intact”: Maybeshewill’s remix of Fair Youth is bright and articulate
May 21
- "A testament to the power of art to navigate the soul’s depths and emerge tranquil and whole": Nordic folk artist Kati Rán explores feminine themes in Norse mythology on long-awaited second album Sála
May 20
- House Of Marley Get Together Solo speaker review
- "Their evolution from anthemic, synthy post-hardcore heroes to slick alt-pop machine is laid bare." Pvris show few signs of looking backwards as they bewitch London's Troxy
- "These songs are so good that even a band called Rotting Christ should be able to capitalise." With Pro Xristou, Greece's premier extreme metal band have just crafted their most accessible - and perhaps most magnificent - album yet
- "Robin Trower taps into the ethereal magic that made Jimi Hendrix's playing so forward-thinking": Procol Harum's tribute to the departed shines on Broken Barricades
May 19
- “It throws up the confounding realisation that the world’s most famous fusion violinist is au fait with drum’n’ bass”: Jean-Luc Ponty’s Life Enigma reissue
- “The band start to sound like the musique concrète pioneers they were, rather than keepers of a farmful of flatulent quadrupeds”: Pink Floyd’s Animals – Dolby Atmos Edition
May 18
- “The comeback few expected but everyone wanted”: AC/DC’s Power Up tour – the first review
- Talking Heads tribute album Everyone’s Getting Involved is well-produced karaoke, but the joyous experimentation which fuelled David Byrne's iconic band is only fleetingly present
May 17
- “A funny crossover of styles… interesting, but only partially successful”: Jon Anderson’s In The City Of Angels reissue
- “The most bittersweet listening experience of the year cuts close to the bone.” Shellac's To All Trains is Steve Albini's epitaph, and it's as thrillingly intense, darkly amusing and pleasingly unsentimental as expected
- "Effortless virtuosity": Little Feat's timeless sound on Sam's Place is oddly reassuring in these turbulent times
- Kerry King's From Hell I Rise: The best Slayer album Slayer never made
- "Slash is the star of his own show, and he's chosen material to showcase his guitar pyrotechnics": Slash gets the world to sing on Orgy Of The Damned but it's the guitar that truly sizzles
May 16
- “Instead of conjuring the spirit of good craic, the pervading mood is overwhelmingly maudlin”: Oliver Wakeman’s Anam Cara is an admirable attempt to do something new
- "Dark Superstition is the moment where Gatecreeper become a more well-rounded and versatile heavy metal band." Gatecreeper confirm their status as one of the most exciting bands in death metal with album three
- “Possibly the nearest Tillison has ever come to prog metal, with a punchy bass riff that could be a Drama-era Chris Squire outtake”: The Tangent’s To Follow Polaris
May 15
- Heavys H1H headphones review
- “The promoter came in and told us a bomb threat had been called in.” Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna lays bare the violence, abuse and misogyny directed at her fearless feminist punk band in brutally honest memoir Rebel Girl
- "You really can’t exhort The Man to ‘Suck my *****’ without the spectre of Eric Cartman demanding that you respect his authority": Peter Tagtgren's electro-metal side project Pain embrace sardonic gothic fun on I Am
May 14
- "Thumps to the back of the head are tempered by prog, synths, sax and slowcore." Doom champions Pallbearer branch out on emotionally devastating new album Mind Burns Alive
May 13
- "The most aggressive thing Kerry King has produced since God Hates Us All": Kerry King's solo debut From Hell I Rise sees the thrash legend at his tooth-gnashing, head-banging best
May 12
- "Ten Years After are still partying like it's 1967 even though it's 1971": Ten Years After discover a glitch in the blues rock matrix on A Space In Time
May 11
- Ville Valo at the Royal Albert Hall: “Whatever he does next will need to be special to upstage this”
May 10
- Kings Of Leon don't let songs of "confusion, bewilderment and anxiety" get in the way of the good times on Can We Please Have Fun
- "An unapologetic celebration of what he does best": Sebastian Bach appears ageless on the bombastic and sonically monstrous Child Within The Man
May 9
- "The mainstream has no idea what’s about to hit it." Demi Lovato and Billie Eilish might love them, but Knocked Loose haven't cashed in on You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To - they've made their heaviest album ever
May 8
- "Phantoma is a rare beast - a concept album both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant." Unleash The Archers prove they're one of the most vital power metal bands in the game right now
May 7
- Party rockers The Karma Effect get a powerful second wind on Promised Land
May 6
- "The musicianship just isn't on display, which is astonishing - bordering on criminal - given the talent involved": Calling All Stations by Genesis fails to improve with age
May 4
- “A plaintive joy throughout, informed by painful experiences… not an album that feels sorry for itself”: Kavus Torabi’s The Banishing
- "It's wonderful, a big warm hug of a record": The Lemon Twigs create something timeless on A Dream Is All I Know
- Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse defy expectations and boundaries on tour de force third album Hot Nostalgia Radio
May 3
- “Heavier and weirder than its predecessors… they’ve struggled to shake off Tool comparisons – but now they sound far more like themselves”: Wheel’s Charismatic Leaders
- "A glistening benchmark for melodic rock excellence since the mid-80s": FM continue to glisten on Old Habits Die Hard
May 2
- "Music to stop you in your tracks": Mdou Moctar pulses with a fiery momentum on Funeral For Justice
May 1
- “A salve against, or a product of, seasonal affective disorder during the Norwegian winter… light years away from later works”: White Willow’s Ex Tenebris puts their roots on display