Reviews

Wyatt's 'second birth', both musically and personally, began with »Rock Bottom«, which still ranks among the best achievements of the so-called Canterbury scene and at the very top of Robert's rich solo career.

"Katalena needed an artistic about-face after their previous album, and with that move they've once again delivered a one-of-a-kind record that is, head to toe, 100% Katalena"

In its very core, "Človek ni zver" is a theater of deeply perceptive confessions that grabs the listener at once and holds them in suspense right to the end. That's how real its content feels. Your blood will run cold.

The sixth crown jewel from top Slovenian guitar virtuoso, composer, arranger and producer Grega Habič is another brilliant display of the artistic freedoms the musical universe has to offer.

»Plameni v raju« is yet another really nice, high-quality record from the band, one where they once again deftly put their tried-and-true musical recipe to work.

"The album has a dash of eclecticism, and that's exactly what we've been missing for the last four years. Grega Habič Band from head to toe. A brilliant piece of work in every respect, one of the highlights of Slovenian music for 2018."

»Radio Voltaire« is a triumphant return for Kino to the neo-prog rock scene and a major step forward from their debut, even if, as expected, it doesn't bring any particularly innovative tricks to the table.

Gong's debut »Magick Brother« was a solid start to a long and turbulent musical journey for Allen's psychedelic crew, even if it was still a relatively simple affair compared to their later space rock-flavored adventures.

Trivium are clearly back on track. Whether they'll manage to stay on it or wander off into some other phase again is anyone's guess. But it turns out a great drummer is pretty essential for Trivium.

Even in the adventurous world of progressive rock, there aren't many records that can match the complexity and avant-garde spirit of albums like Wyatt's free jazz debut »The End of an Ear«.

Another crowning jewel in the band's rich discography, and of course a fresh masterclass in writing and producing AOR!

That's it. A revived Michael Schenker, with newfound inspiration and a barrage of swaggering riffs and solos, in the company of old colleagues.

A sly album, then.

Compared to the more hyped debut, »Little Red Record« had tighter arrangements and more cohesion within the band. The album as a whole is a touch more accessible, though it was still an uncompromising experimental merry-go-round driven by…

»Five Bridges«, a not overly thrilling orchestral project in which Emerson did most of the shining, was one of The Nice's last live outings.

»Earthrage« is already being hailed, right out of the gate, as one of the best old-school AOR revival albums to come out this year. It's a fresh gem of melodic rock revitalism that keeps up the exceptional quality set by its predecessors…

Two music veterans with a thousand stories to tell have made an album with »Another Day« that will go down a treat with most King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator fans, while reminding them which sonic elements they miss most in the new…

What's new compared to its predecessor "Game of Sins"? Heh, that's down to each listener's ears. To this reviewer, it sounds a touch more mysterious and mystical, for instance. Stylistic departures are about as likely as a divine genesis.…

Axel Rudi Pell, Germany's wizard of epic, bombastic classic metal and hard rock songwriting, is back with his seventeenth studio album, »Game Of Sins«, and as always, it's a textbook Axel record.

»The Answer« boasts exceptionally high-quality consistency and a mature step up in songwriting, and with it Killcode have chiseled and polished their musical dossier even further, honing it into striking recognizability and distinctive…

»Sintur« is an album that speaks up with even more daring experimentation than the band delivered on its 2014 studio debut. If you enjoy musical oddness that boldly marries tradition with experimental adventurism, »Sintur« is your album.

"Expect the unexpected." »Sintur« will cast a spell on you, just like džeZZva enchanted us with their 2014 debut. But »Sintur« is a different kind of record, one that keeps the band's trademark daring, adventurous, exploratory jazz spirit…

Šalamon and Levy have come up with a one-of-a-kind fusion of two musical worlds, reflecting the equal expression of both instruments and of the two musical geniuses whose names are on this album. »Peaks Of Light« is inimitable, singular and…

"Šalamon and Levy have reached for a one-of-a-kind fusion of two musical worlds, one that reflects the equal expression of both instruments as well as of the two musical geniuses whose names are on this album. At the same time, »Peaks Of…

»Hadeon« isn't an old-school death metal blast with technically complex adventurism that would serve up a fresh evolutionary flash from the band, which is what all fans of old Pestilence dream about.

Gizmodrome is a brilliant new supergroup project that every art rock gourmet will devour, especially anyone who treasures musical perfectionism, virtuoso spontaneity, witty arrangements and cheeky, mischievous lyrics.

After ten years, Cosmosquad have dropped a top-notch album with a unique, instantly recognizable musical character, and one of the best jazz-rock fusion records of 2017.

»Aerobat« is an album that surprises and entertains with its modest sonic minimalism, spontaneous development and unexpected artistic moves. And when it comes to accessibility in a progressive setting, it's an extremely welcoming way to…

One of the best moves former Accept and Bonfire vocalist David Reece has made lately on his musical journey is putting together his new hard rock band, Sainted Sinners.

Anyway, if you're a fiery power metal devotee whose "undecayed metal heart" nothing can crush, you'll find plenty on this release to make you happy and satisfied. Otherwise, take a detour, because life is too short and there's too much good…

Signal Red are another hugely successful story of transforming old-school AOR and hard rock into a melodic rock dossier for new times, with prominent guitar phrasing and another brilliant vocal performance from the outstanding Lee Small

If you're a hardened old-school rocker, this album was made for you. Aces like Mendoza know exactly how to handle the magic of rock'n'roll so it catches fire with full blood.

»Walk Between Worlds« is yet another album full of songs that reached their final stage of composition over a span of several years. In terms of artistic statement, it most obviously follows on from its predecessor "Big Music"

So Angra remain the very definition of quality, and they're not letting up. With "Ømni," an era has come to a close for the band. The album really is "everything" that Angra were, are, and will keep being. Perfection and musical uniqueness,…

»The Redemeption of William Black« is a solid album, but like its predecessors it leaves a bitter aftertaste: it could have been a whole lot better.

Gritty German focus that Beyrodt and company don't budge from by an inch, and that, apart from a few "borrowed and repackaged" old-school ideas, makes them effective once again at what they do.

»Rule the World« is a great send-off ahead of the upcoming new studio album and the 2018 European tour, on which Tears for Fears will play all their biggest hits.

Chicago's The Cyberiam are a pleasant surprise, in the sense that their prog-rock "policy" doesn't really leave room for any real musical innovation, yet they still follow the footsteps of the 1970s prog-rock pioneers in a seriously…

On »Age of Absurdity«, Phil Campbell stays Phil Campbell, even in a new musical environment and surrounded by new buddies. The sound itself, meaning the guitar gear, the shorter "decorative" passages, the solos and of course the guitar…

This isn't an album that's some distant stylistic echo of all the bands Phil has played with over the years (Uriah Heep included). It's a hugely colorful, varied set of ten carefully composed tracks, seasoned with subtle, refined…

So Night Demon aren't bringing a revolution. Given the band's musical stance, we shouldn't expect one anyway. What they do bring is a seriously biting, blasphemous take on their own refresh of the old-school heavy metal archive.

So this is a pairing of two old buddies who, with their studio debut, bring back the sonic essence of the early eighties, the era in which both musicians kicked off their successful careers.

"Every time you spin it in the CD player, Lanzon's perfectionism and his layered musical polish will keep you busy, gratefully, and suck you right back in."

"Dukes of the Orient" is the legitimate heir to the musical legacy of GPS and Asia between 1992 and 2006, the years John Payne was in the band!

As expected, »Revertigo« is the record that sounds most like what Treat have been doing on their albums in recent years.

The new album is really a kind of return to »Paradox« and »Moving Target«, though it's clear that, seen across the whole Royal Hunt career, »Cast In Stone« is yet another typical record from this band. Production-wise, it's a harder-hitting…

Taking well-known traditional tunes and melodies as raw material, the trio shrewdly stamps its own expressive signature on them. The result is an album that belongs in the league of those special musical documents with a one-of-a-kind…

What you see and hear is what you get. No beautifying reality here. The production is part of that, keeping plenty of organic studio feel and live-gig pulse, and showing in its own way that behind everything Pigs Parlament take on stands…

»The Total Experience – Live in Liverpool« gives you the full experience of a show by the only (former) Genesis member who diligently looks after their priceless musical legacy, keeping it alive with excellent live performances alongside…

With Catharsis, an album of ups and downs, Machine Head took a big gamble. The band didn't rerun its previous album. It tried something new and different, and plenty of people aren't buying it. Catharsis can be read as a misstep or as a…

Fans of the melodic rock titans will of course want to add this collection of their most beloved evergreens, which Toto put together as a fitting nod to forty years in the game, to their shelves, and the three previously unreleased tracks…

SkyEye's debut is something the Slovenian scene has been missing ever since the premature end of Dawn Patrol, and honestly the only flaw I can find in Run For Your Life is that twenty minutes simply fly by way too fast.

Songs of Experience is the work of a seasoned band. It stands comfortably next to everything they've done in the last two decades, but it's still a long way from a masterpiece.

A very well-crafted, slickly packaged take on the new EP, hinting that Crossfaith could be heading back toward the sound of their first two studio albums on their next full-length.

Panzerballet remain musical lunatics without equal. This time they've set out to wreck the pre-Christmas mood completely and breathed new life into eight "sweetly jingling" Christmas standards.

With »Lost on the Road to Eternity« Magnum have pleasantly surprised everyone who felt that, over their colorful career, they'd 'said everything there was to say' and were just rehashing the remains of their former glory these days.

With »Rise to Glory«, Loudness keep the quality high and the creative fire burning, while holding on to the unmistakable character that put them on the metal pedestal back in the eighties.

With »Rise to Glory«, Loudness keep the quality high and the creative fire burning, while holding on to the unmistakable character that took them to the top of the metal pedestal in the eighties.

a-ha's first-ever acoustic live album is a fascinating listen for anyone curious how their biggest hits and a few newer tracks sound reworked for acoustic guitar and piano.

Unbelievable! Instead of staying home to babysit their grandkids, they keep on recording new studio albums. In short: »Thunderbolt« is packed with orthodox Saxon nomenclature.

A kind of romance that's hard to come close to these days. The recording techniques Thunderstick and his crew used on this album must surely have been the same as 35 years ago (and more).

Adams' most devoted fans will definitely want this best-of in their collection, if only because it includes two new tracks that work as a 'warm-up' for the next studio album.

With "Chicago V" in 1972, Chicago sat on top of the American jazz rock scene. It was, without a doubt, one of their finest moments.

In 1972, Chicago hit the top of the American jazz rock scene with »Chicago V«. It was without a doubt one of their finest moments.

The eternal innovator and visionary Frank was never keen on 'best of' projects, and the release of the compilation "Mothermania" was no different: he did it purely to fulfill his contractual obligation to his label at the time, Verve.

"Bella Insania" sounds truly "British".

An exceptionally lovely album full of rich, bold instrumental "comedies," carved out with a sacred oath to the jurisdiction of guitar rock, the kind that hardly ever comes out of the Slovenian music scene. Which makes its value that much…

The old familiar faces are back, serving up an incredibly varied mix of genres, with cross-genre fusion in the expression of individual acts becoming almost proverbial. The Kočevje region remains musically exceptionally rich and colorful.

»Black blues,« but infused with the patina of alternative-rock sheen, that art contour derived from the finesse of simple, relaxed yet highly concise strokes, with the trio's clear compositional focus standing firm behind it all.

Internal Waves of Love is the second solo effort from Sead Lipovača, known to everyone as »Zele«: the legendary leader, founder and famed guitarist of hard rock outfit Divlje jagode.

»Chicago at Carnegie Hal« is a great time for anyone who wants to relive early-days Chicago, back when they weren't yet over-commercialized and still had plenty to offer even the more demanding music fan, especially those into…

On this record Satriani serves up twelve new tracks written in a stripped-down rock style, keeping things direct and winning us over with the glow of holy rock simplicity.

Label: Sony MusicRelease date: 12.01.2018Production: Mike FraserAlbum length: 51.16 minGenre: Instrumental Rock / Art RockRating: 8.5 / 10 Joe Satriani is a legend of the genre-coined "instrumental guitar rock" variety. The man who…

The batch of recordings is impressive, showing a young, at times slightly cocky band on its way to fame.

»From the Trees« is the kind of album we sort of expected from Mr. Hammill in the autumn of his career: a deeply reflective, personal record with a remarkably mature stamp, but on the other hand not nearly as thrilling, let alone…

Listening to "Leftoverture Live & Beyond," you'd never guess you weren't hearing the classic Kansas lineup with Walsh and Livgren, but the newest seven-piece incarnation, which got a whole new lease on life after "The Prelude Implicit."

With Gods of Violence, Kreator show they're enjoying their comfort zone like plenty of metal veterans who, after an experimental phase, found their core and simply won't stray from it anymore.

The fourth chapter of Protocol, the project commanded by the legendary drum wizard, the one and only Simon Phillips, is another first-rate instrumental odyssey into the world of jazz-rock fusion. It's full of new freshness and "gems" of…

Spock's Beard fans need this brilliant double live recording in their collection, if only for its historical value. Who knows when the 'past and present' of this cult band, in the form of two incredibly charismatic former members, will…

Metalsteel have once again proven they're masters of their craft, and, true to the concept, reminded us that their evolution is still underway, with a curve that has pointed steeply upward from the very start.

A nostalgic mash-up of "Motorheadized" rock and metal standards, which every true defender of rock and roll and of the Motorhead legacy will go hunting for, especially if they haven't already snapped up most of these covers in the past!

A direct continuation of »Babylon A.D.« and »Nothing Sacred«, with one (important) difference: alongside its considerable musical melodiousness and hunger, the new material leans much harder into a hard rock attitude.

Soto is also far too seasoned to pull off any artistic deception. The man is wide open to all kinds of musical and artistic challenges, but he keeps his solo career firmly on the reconciliatory tracks of melodic rock expression, and this…

Interesting thing: despite the two guitars, »Fatal Command« doesn't feel quite so »rabid and unhinged«. Let me tone that down. The new album isn't as sharp, honed and sonically or stylistically uncompromising as its fine predecessor

You can safely call the new Boulevard album one of the best 100% AOR records to come out, not just this year, but across the whole past decade.

Given how high expectations run whenever Steve Howe steps into a studio, »Nexus« delivers nothing beyond strong musical appeal and, as a result, very agreeable listening.

Istrian folk rock attaché Rudi Bučar is back with his fifth full-length studio album. This time his motto is emotion, and more than once Rudi gets to the listener in a genuinely touching way.

»Superhuman« sounds noticeably more mature and wiser than its predecessor »Existential«. This year, the new NoAir album counts as one of the finest musical achievements on the Slovenian alt-rock scene.

Instead of beating the expected path toward a musical vision ruled by electronic sound pastels, Bowrain has come up with a surprising album built on a balanced collision of the electronic and the organic.

On "Reforged - Riding On Fire" everything is exactly where it should be, and at times it's even better than on the originals. Piet Sielck knows, can, gets it and, of course, delivers. A career cross-section of the first four Iron Savior…

"Everything on "Reforged - Riding On Fire" is exactly where it should be, and at times even better than on the originals. Piet Sielck knows, can, understands and, of course, delivers."

Klubski maraton 2017 is back in a fresh edition, introducing six new acts from the Slovenian rock underground, and once again it hasn't forgotten to put the nerves of every listener of this compilation through a few »stressful« endurance…

The fifth studio album from Gautier Serre. A record that turns the metal sound we're all used to on its head.

Ivansson is none other than Jernej Zoran, a Slovenian through and through and a hell of a guitarist, who's carving his path toward the international rock 'n' roll stage with the all-instrumental guitar rock EP "Gotcha!".

"With the EP »Gotcha!«, Jernej now steps onto the international music scene under the moniker Ivansson. He picked six instrumental tracks, tweaked their titles a bit, packaged them up skillfully and offered them to the music crowd, and the…

A soulful, thoroughly Slovenian art pop rock album from head to toe, backed by a seasoned crew of superb musicians, and a monument that accidentally became Primož's last rock'n'roll requiem.

The second album from Stane Bakan, the Slovenian guitar icon from the Primorska coast.

Styria has always been a breeding ground for really solid, high-quality rock. Radio Jam, as musicians of the new rock generation, are deftly following in the footsteps of Slovenian rock'n'roll's legacy.

These girls are not messing around. They know exactly what they're doing and what they want. Their musical vision is clearly defined and laser-focused. The new album is another step forward in the homegrown evolution of this utterly…

Indie folk rock steeped in alternative rock sentiment. That sentiment is really a kind of distant echo of Ščapec's work among the sonic terrorists of Vlasta Popić.