Reviews

Hawkwind's space crew, led by the indestructible captain Dave Brock, has made one of its best albums since the end of the classic era (the seventies) with »The Machine Stops«.

A crew of seasoned musicians who carefully »felt out« the ground and the music scene's reaction before deciding to release »I Am Co.Da«, a studio debut that's »palatable and agreeable« to that very same scene.

On their debut, Frostbite convincingly and skillfully weave a web of black metal, progressive metal and death metal (mostly of the Gothenburg school), and what they do is distinctive enough, with enough originality, that you can't just…

All in all, it's still a solid album, but it's creatively threadbare and short on real charisma, and not even Joe Lynn Turner, with all his vocal charms, can hide that.

Circus Maximus are still running with the same lineup, and four years after the release of "Nine" the quintet is delivering its fourth full-length, "Havoc". In their own signature style, of course.

Kri is a strong debut that establishes Brezno's identity and leaves a bit of room to grow down the line.

It was only a matter of time before accordionist Marko Brdnik and guitarist Uroš Rakovec merged their instruments and their musical vision into a story all their own.

The sweetest things always happen when you least expect them.

Found in Far Away Places isn't your typical commercially minded release. Sure, it boasts pleasant, catchy melodies, but at the same time the listener gets more complex music, unexpected twists and unusual breakdowns.

»The Defiants« more than deftly stands in for the material of the new Danger Danger album. In fact, that's exactly what it is, just signed under a different act.

Thirteen superbly seasoned tracks of first-rate hard rock preaching don't let up for a second in their message. Treat once again prove their artistic stature, which puts them in a special spot on the world map of hard rock.

»Cargo« is a live album that's played brilliantly. It sounds brilliant, too. But a few other "little things" get in the way.

The title might fool you, but the hearts of these long-running hard rockers, formed in 1992 in Duisburg, Germany, are far from tired.

Refreshed classics from the legendary hard rockers of Ingolstadt, Germany. Newly played. Newly arranged. With the band's new lineup, who mark 30 years in the game with this double compilation!

"Not to be immodest on their behalf, but Prismojeni profesorji bluesa are a band born to rule the stages of the international scene and win over the rest of the world with their music."

The Prismojeni profesorji bluesa (the "Crazy Professors of Blues") are a one-of-a-kind phenomenon and an elusive standout on the Slovenian music scene. "Family" is a pocket encyclopedia of the blues, with captivating songwriting fire and…

The Latin fever in Santana's sound on "Santana IV" is back to sounding just like their glory days, so longtime fans of the legendary guitar veteran who haven't given up on him yet can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Rick Springfield has wandered off into country sounds this time, which might surprise longtime fans, but the music is perfectly decent on most tracks. Unlike the two darker albums from a decade ago, this one is surprisingly sunny and…

»From Stone and Steel« is a nice warm-up for the new studio album, due in May 2016 and titled »Folklore«, which means it'll be another very English-flavored release.

An album that keeps youthful wildness alive well into the band's later years. Recorded with such fire you'd think it was still 1977 for Cheap Trick.

The album »Luni Tuns« is really a compilation of reworked classics, a best-of-the-best pick that delivers 19 freshly re-recorded songs from the band's back catalog.

Top Stripper deliver one of the nicest surprises to the perennially underfed Slovenian hard rock scene. "Luck Don't Come Cheap" is a record that throws the doors wide open for the band to compete on the international stage too.

Just like on their previous albums "Primo" and "2", Calegaria keep a strictly defined focus on "Calegaria & Friends", sticking to the heritage of Istrian folk melos.

A Slovenian-Indian link-up that two singers stumbled into completely by surprise has produced a seriously fascinating album, a big grab bag of experimentation with an incredible fusion of musical worlds.

Deströyer 666 tear through Wildfire as relentless as all four horsemen of the apocalypse rolled into one, leaving behind nothing but pure wasteland, laced with a huge cloud of fiery soloing, merciless riffage and top-notch "sing-along…

Haken show beautifully on »Affinity« how some seemingly incompatible sonic elements from the worlds of progressive metal, symphonic prog rock and eighties new wave/art rock can be combined successfully and innovatively.

Slavko Lebar's solos remain pure poetry and, luckily, the only real bright spot on this album, which in a different story could have shone far more intensely.

So Lačni Franz has been born again. To knock on our conscience once more, to wake us up, rouse us, shake us and seduce us with Predin's wry but down-to-earth poetry. Seduce us into their new picture book of rock'n'roll.

The Flower Kings proved with »Stardust We Are« that dreaming up double albums is no sweat for them. All that music can be a double-edged sword, though: alongside the brilliant moments there are a few utterly forgettable ones too.

The Swedish Vikings of Amon Amarth are back, and this time they've brought a jubilee tenth album!

"Kdo bo pil iz bistrega studenca?" is an incredibly bold and brave move and one of the most beautiful documents out there, one that will irreversibly seduce and enchant even the true folk purist, in a free-spirited reworking of folk music's…

In its warm, soulful, organic world of sonic vitality, the album »Kdo bo pil iz bistrega studenca?« is gentle and fragile, chemically supple and vivid, and the interplay between its building blocks of sound is incredibly tight from start to…

Persons From Porlock are a musically "off-kilter" Ljubljana quartet, sworn to garage and the rock underground. Not that they copy anyone, but they simply conjure up "trip-oid" atmospheres that sound associatively retro, psychedelic.

The result is a more compactly formatted album, one with an even sharper artistic focus on its confessional vision, and one that at times feels more like a "band" record than a "singer-songwriter" one.

With the double-album masterpiece »Subterranea«, IQ created one of the high points of their turbulent career and, at the same time, one of the key concept albums of neo-progressive rock.

Belarusian guitar machine-gunner Victor Smolski is these days one of the most respected names in metal when it comes to songwriting chops. Almanac is his new band, and "Tsar" is its studio debut.

Given the creative bankruptcy and heartfelt emptiness of its predecessor, which is anything but an album worthy of the title »The King of Metal«, "Infinte Entanglement" fixes the taste in a lot of ways and puts Bayley back on…

In their “revitalism,” Deck Janiels go so far that, looking at their devoted repackaging and recycling of the Angus Young riff tradition, I can write here that Deck Janiels have made the 10 best songs AC/DC never managed to record.

With ten tracks, Under the Red Cloud definitely delivers. With their consistency the band doesn't want to let fans down, but they try something new too, though these aren't any wild excursions that would risk losing fans.

Right from the opening moments, Sea of Ignorance shows that in 2016 Brutality are a merciless wrecking machine that mows you down like a Mongol horde or the shockwave of a nuclear blast.

Textures' fifth studio outing may not be a career high, but it's a solid comeback that bodes well for the band's future. The album has everything you could want from them: complexity, punch, melody and atmosphere.

Deathgasm is a glorious continuation of New Zealand's tradition of black-humored grossness, and it's sure to become the go-to Halloween menage-a-trois with BrainDead and Evil Dead (beer and pizza in hand, of course).

This flawless double live treat, »Live in Toronto«, can be declared without hesitation a triumphant return of the most important progressive rock band of all time.

Brimming with youthful verve, »Sacred Blood »Divine« Lies« is clear proof that Magnum, even though their best creative moments are long behind them, are far from being written off.

On »Ever« IQ revived their winning symphonic prog rock formula, gave their sound a fitting modern polish and came up with some seriously thrilling pieces, mostly bursting with melodrama, so it's no surprise this is one of the…

With »Indian Summer«, the masters of Scandinavian gloom and melancholy wrapped up their short but admirable career in fitting style.

Even on their second studio album, Inmate stick to the tried-and-true formula, deviating only slightly from the established playbook of modern melodic metal/metalcore.

After the release of "The Vision Pit," Landmarq parted ways with Damian Wilson with heavy hearts. He was pretty much the main reason their first three albums still hold so much appeal for neo-prog rock fans and progressive metal heads…

Album length: 57:56 Production: V. Santura and Obscura Release date: February, 2016 Label: Relapse Records Rating: 10/10 German progressive death metallers Obscura have been through a lot of changes in the past four years.…

Steffen Kummerer has proven he's the driving force behind Obscura, and Akroasis is proof that he knows exactly what he's doing.

»Talk« was a fitting end to an era, even though within the Yes discography it doesn't hold a particularly distinguished spot next to a whole pile of much better albums.

»Live At The Royal Albert Hall« is a solid live album and one of the few bright spots of the legendary trio's relatively short reunion, which sadly lasted only seven years before the friction between them finally got too big.

»M« is a very nice musical achievement for a studio debut, especially given the impoverished Slovenian hard rock scene, and Matic and the friends who helped him record it can be more than proud of it and can credibly represent it on…

Post Society isn't just a pit stop on Voivod's glorious journey, but a release that easily stands shoulder to shoulder with the band's greatest achievements.

A new record where Bernays Propaganda test-drive some new tricks and work them into their self-made musical catalog with ease and without a single wince.

An excellent album powered by a true blend of unbridled, metallized, high-voltage eruptions of catchy guitar phrases, tightly defined musical forms and white-hot, passionately live performance sound.

»XX« is an excellent live document from the »The Unquiet Sky« tour that Arena fans won't want to miss, a fitting tribute to the twentieth anniversary of these seasoned neo-prog veterans.

A man whose vision surprises at every turn has now taken on an incredibly ambitious and unusual idea. He wrote 14 songs (lyrics included) and handed the vocal duties to 13 different female characters.

Abiotic have set out on the right path with Casuistry. In a good 35 minutes, the band proves they're solid musicians who will try something new rather than just chase trends.

With The Anthropocene Extinction, Cattle Decapitation prove they're still in peak form: dark, merciless, and brutal.

It was kind of to be expected that the virtuoso trio that makes up The Mute Gods would turn their debut into one of the main contenders for the best prog/art rock album of 2016.

“Das Lied der Maschinen” is a polished musical achievement with real artistic intelligence, where a rich message and the musical arrangements stay locked in a superb, clearly audible dialogue of incredibly fitting complementarity.

An exceptionally strong effort that offers a truly authentic look at every chapter of the band's discography. Def Leppard couldn't stand more solidly behind an album title than they do this time.

"The Art of Loss" marks an interesting shift toward greater musicality and a tighter, more defined approach to composing and arranging. The few years' break did the band a world of good, letting them polish the arrangements of the new songs…

It was clear from the release of their studio debut that Sweden's prog scene had gained one of the most interesting bands of the third wave of progressive rock in Anedkoten, and that they were far from just a Scandinavian answer to King…

The debut from Ljubljana atmospheric sludge outfit The Canyon Observer is a half-hour tantric coitus, with moments like gentle lovemaking on the Titanic and moments that are pure BDSM.

The story of the collaboration between Vanden Plas and a huge fan of the band, the acclaimed German fantasy author Wolfgang Hohlbein, now has its second part and its conclusion.

Dystopia is proof that real speed/thrash blood still runs through Mustaine's veins, and it's hard to believe that after long, long years he's finally put out a proper, powerful Megadeth record.

The fourth studio album from Edmonton metal revivalists Striker brings yet another transformation in sound and style. On the new record, the band puts melody front and center.

Label: Roadrunnner RecordsRelease date: 01/29/2016Producer: John PetrucciAlbum length: 130.23 minGenre: Progressive Metal The double concept album »The Astonishing« is the most ambitious project in the history of American prog-metal…

»The Astonishing« is without doubt yet another Dream Theater album that will split the fanbase: some will 'rave it to the stars' for its incredibly rich, orchestra-enhanced, complex sound with a few brilliant moments, while others will…

With "Black Moon", sadly a long way from what ELP were once capable of, though at the very least a decent and listenable effort, the legendary trio announced that they had finally, after almost twelve years, come back from the dead.

»Heavy Crown« is a worthy successor to the classic DIO era in every way, which means Last in Line got exactly what they came for. Sadly, with the late Jimmy Bain gone, the band's story is probably over, so this album will very, very likely…

»The Fall of the House of Usher« is a gloomy prog rock opera made to Hammill's own particular art rock recipe, but when it came out in 1991 it didn't, for one reason or another, reflect the artist's final vision.

An album that awakens, and one full of practical signposts for life: simplify your principles, shake off the shackles of materialism and shine in the original uniqueness of your own callings.

Grave Digger being Grave Digger. What the name says is what you get. It's no longer news that the band bridges the wait for its new studio album, due out in 2016, perfectly with this release! A smart, effective move from a seasoned band!

»Welcome to the Show« was a pretty 'sleepy' album by usual BJH standards, the sound of a cult band chronically short on fresh arrangement ideas, mostly taking the 'path of least resistance' when writing songs just to keep their devoted…

Void, which reflects Within Destruction's maturity, is an intense, uncompromising and brutal release. The Slovenian metal scene can undoubtedly boast one of its most extreme records to date.

"The workaholic patron saint of modern prog rock isn't slowing down. With "4 ½", his fans will definitely find it a lot easier to wait for the maestro's next studio album."

The workaholic patron saint of modern prog rock isn't slowing down. With "4 ½," his fans will have a much easier time waiting for the maestro's next studio album.

»Aladdin Sane«, the next phase of the Ziggy Stardust glam rock saga, is usually one of Bowie's more overlooked albums in critical circles, even though it proved that his newfound stardom hadn't put him to sleep artistically, since he…

The eleventh studio album from Heidenheim's hard-as-nails German power/thrash metal storm troopers Brainstorm, titled »Scary Creatures«, keeps the band's winning streak of excellent releases going strong.

This album is a perfectly "undressed" punk rock'n'roll assault, and in its truthfulness it couldn't be interpreted any more authentically. After 15 years, Indust-Bag are back. Older, crazier. And even better!

A revisit of a compilation first released back in 2001. Now with a thoroughly refreshed sound, marking 45 years of Uriah Heep!

When getting punched in the mouth by such "corrosive" sounds becomes practically an obligation!

The album »Do dna« is a slickly packaged rock product with refined art credentials, one that shamelessly flirts with the tight pop side of things and tries to hit the radio frequencies head-on. With it, Aleksander Novak has become a more…

The concept-album classic »The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars« wasn't just the record that defined the glam rock era. It was also the pivotal work of Bowie's career, turning him into a global phenomenon of…

Phone Box Vandals have always been seen as a band with a distinctive musical and sonic approach, one that set them apart on the alternative rock scene of the former shared homeland.

Label: RCARelease date: April 13, 1973Production: Ken Scott & David BowieAlbum length: 40.47 minGenre: Glam Rock / Hard RockRating: 9.0/10 After the phenomenal success of the cult concept album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy…

With »Hunky Dory«, an enviable stylistic palette, David Bowie created a timeless classic and stepped for good into the elite of rock's most exciting performers.

Label: RCARelease date: June 16, 1972Production: Ken Scott & David BowieAlbum length: 38:29Genre: Glam Rock / Hard RockRating: 10/10 In 1972, the single "Starman" hit the music scene like a bolt from the blue, suddenly became a…

Label: RCARelease date: December 17, 1971Production: Ken Scott & David BowieAlbum length: 41.50 minGenre: Art pop / Pop rockRating: 9.0/10 The art-rock gem “Hunky Dory” may well be the most important achievement in the career of…

Label: Mercury RecordsRelease date: November 4, 1970 (US) / April 10, 1971 (UK)Producer: Tony ViscontiAlbum length: 40:29 minGenre: Hard Rock / Folk Rock / Glam RockRating: 8.5/10This review is dedicated to the memory of David Bowie…

With »The Man Who Sold the World«, the hardest-hitting record of his career, Bowie, already eyeing his next sonic shift, took the first big step toward the glam rock era and shaped the core of his most successful backing band along the way.

Judging by the musicality and arranging style alone, Abadon remind us that they're a distant relic of the eighties, when the lands of the former shared homeland had successful bands that skillfully crossed hard rock with pop.

With »Space Oddity« (the album and the title track), Bowie, bursting at the seams with innovative musical ideas, proved that he was someone to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

Label: PhilipsRelease date: 11/14/1969Production: Tony Visconti & Gus Dudgeon (Space Oddity)Album length: 45.13 minGenre: Psychadelic Rock / Folk RockRating: 8.0/10 Bowie's self-titled second solo album, reissued in 1972 for the…

Bojan Sedmak is a man of solid poetry, stringing together well-read, intricately woven yet approachable, vivid stories full of truthful, rapt attention. Always suitably seductive and captivating, but also playful and lucid.

Bowie's self-titled debut, despite all its fiery ambition and boundless creative energy, was a commercial flop and had no especially thrilling highlights, even if it offered a fair bit of fun and humor.

The compilation of compilations »Klubski Maraton 15 plus« delivers a cross-section of the longest-running music marathon on the Slovenian rock scene, which (as the title itself hints) has been rolling along for 15 years now