Reviews

A 22-track package of full-on eruptive detonation from a Y&T gig, the kind of unique hard rock school that'll make you itch to catch the band on stage as soon as humanly possible. A band that got going way back in 1974!

Three CDs and a DVD! This well-stocked musical sandwich celebrates the 20th birthday of Danish symphonic hard rockers Royal Hunt, and it'll be most interesting for anyone just getting to know the band.

DiCose are Calabrian punk rockers with a dash of hardcore, and their nihilism can now and then, in a psychedelically rasping hit-or-miss way, channel the old-school templates of Nirvana or even Alice In Chains.

Noi is built on solid foundations, the kind you sometimes need to escape the dark grind of everyday life. Some people think of freedom as a fat wallet that can buy anything money can buy, but here Ramazzotti is talking mostly about a…

»Rising« was recognized as a heavy rock masterpiece the moment it came out, and its standing has only grown over the years, so it's only right that one of Rainbow's two best studio achievements gets properly celebrated at every opportunity.

With »Songs For The End Of The World«, Rick Springfield has wrapped up the story his predecessor »Venus in Overdrive« (2008) started in the most elegant way possible, delivering one of the best rock albums of 2012 to…

A game of chess has never sounded as good as it does on the Gryphon masterpiece »Red Queen to Gryphon Three«, their finest achievement and a classic of minstrel-flavored progressive folk rock.

"A Perfect Day" is what you get when you build a melodic hard rock album and add the bombast of Italian symphonic power metallers Labyrinth on one side and the sonic production of modern-day Alter Bridge on the other. A very solid release…

»Midnight Mushromps« was a true musical gem when it came to blending medieval-Renaissance romance with traditional British pastoral, groaning under the weight of ceremonial arrangements of the kind we most often hear these days in epic,…

Aimee Mann delivers an exceptionally sensitive album of pop art psychedelia, tailor-made for mature listeners who crave production and melodic polish. Aimee Mann hasn't served up this much listenability and expressive charm since the 'Til…

For reasons that were never quite explained, »Cunning Stunts« often gets overlooked when people list the best studio achievements of the Canterbury greats. Caravan were still at their artistic peak back then, cementing their position.

"Never Too Late" is a notch different in style and sound from its predecessor "Crossroads Moment" (2008), but it's proven to work. Just what you'd expect from Jamison and from a vocalist of his caliber. Another full-blooded AOR release,…

The "unplugged grunge prism" reading suggests itself, especially given the alienated, depressive content of Kukuljan's vocal character, and the guy adds one more distinctive piece of indie folk messaging to the colorful mosaic of Rijeka's…

A good three years after their well-received debut Lifeless Paradise, Eruption are back with the new album Tenses Collide, which tops its predecessor in more ways than one!

What do you get when you combine a quartet of sweet little bunnies from Croatian vocal fiction in skin-tight outfits with lap steel and the producer's arranging touch of a legendary Laufer guitarist? A fun EP. But nothing more than that.

Label: AFM RecordsRelease date: 14. 12. 2012Production: V. SanturaAlbum length: 54.58 minGenre: Thrash MetalRating: 9.0/10 Charly Steinhauer is without a doubt one of the most tenacious figures on the German metal scene. In 1986…

Paradox pulled it off again with Tales of the Weird - they've released one of the best records of last year!

This record proves that the Slovenian musical mind is remarkably broad, and that its reactions to the original message of tango are remarkably supple. That's what happens when Vesna Zornik's unique vocal passion and the heritage of…

Label: CelinkaRelease year: 2012Production: Aldo IvančičAlbum length: 38.32 minGenre: tango A little late to the party, but here we go anyway. This record deserves your full attention, no question. It's a head-on collision of tango…

And so Germany's legendary Wacken Open Air has finally joined Motörhead's never-ending series of live releases.

A solid start for Slovenian-Croatian "sweethearts" Zebra Dot, and promising prospects for the future.

You've got a triple dose of hearty gnawing on rock n' roll's huge legacy ahead of you, plus a great chance to upgrade your collection of The Rolling Stones compilations, which spans releases from "Made In The Shade" (1975) to "Forty Licks"…

Experimental, strictly disharmonic jazz that looks for order in the beauty of chaos and vice versa, with a form that's loose, or maybe not there at all. Hints of the avant-garde are all over music that rewards those who muster enough…

Coldplay's third concert release, simply titled "Live 2012", is their first in nine years and captures the band's current live spirit as they wrap up promotion for their latest studio album, "Mylo Xyloto".

Hardly any comeback by a commercially successful 90s band pays off after a deep, long stretch of hibernation. No Doubt's new album is one of the rare ones that does.

Novi Sad's alternative metal collective Pry courts both grunge melancholy and progressive elements. This ambitious serving packs in a bit of everything, but the question is how much of it is truly homegrown and authentic.

»Genesis Revisited II« is a real treat for longtime fans of Mr. Hackett's musical legacy, and above all a warm trip down memory lane to his days with the legendary Genesis, who spent their 'golden era' with the guitar maestro in the lineup…

»Restless Heart« is a one-of-a-kind record that marked a hugely successful return of the 'white snakes' to their r'n'b roots, so it's a real shame it gets overlooked today, even by Coverdale himself.

»Slip Of The Tongue«, the not-so-successful follow-up to the famous »Whitesnake« album, was a commercial letdown for Coverdale, since it failed to repeat its predecessor's success, but apart from three total misfires, it's a thoroughly…

Americana in the »back to the roots« tradition. The Lumineers - a sort of link that has merged indie and folk - are very good at it. In its sincerity, the debut is still naive, vulnerable, genuine and therefore authentic. Bob Dylan is sure…

»Whitesnake« a.k.a. »1987« was a huge triumph for the 'American-flavored', hard-rocking version of Coverdale's 'white snakes', and with a pile of big radio hits led by the freshly re-recorded »Here I Go Again«, it finally shot them into the…

On »Daljina, dim i prašina«, Bajaga i Instruktori add a strong emotional undertone to their trademark recipe of carefree genre-blending, and the result is their tenderest album yet

The album keeps the best of the new and old punk rock/indie scene. That original indie approach that calls for hunting down new sounds, and that energetic punk rock way of delivering – music. It's an incredibly simple formula, built from…

Niet have briefly morphed into Jurčič's "Rokovnjači" and delivered a connecting piece that musically deepens the art-rock direction of the album "Trinajst", even though it's not a studio album but the musical backbone of a theater play.

With their studio debut, Niet have put out an album that's, first and foremost, a very cautious one. It's a quality testament to a comeback that settled things with the past with some elegance, so the band can now look ahead to the road in…

»Slide It In« in its authentic, more heartfelt British version is still recognized today as a masterpiece, the successful meeting point of two different eras of a legendary band, one that Coverdale's ego tore down to its building blocks so…

Mumford & Sons, the band that knew exactly how to hit the Brits right in the feels, keeps running its tried-and-tested formula on the new album "Babel".

»Saints & Sinners«, which holds the original versions of the most famous songs of their career, was one of the best moves of Whitesnake's blues rock era and a more than fitting farewell to the most stable lineup in the band's story.

How can Kronika's vibe make your mouth water for the golden days of carefree abandon, when the old yu rock bands Električni orgazam, Azra, Partibrejkers and Majke roamed the Balkans? The album's telling title, "V napačnem letu", holds the…

»Come an' Get It« was a tight blues/hard rock gem that isn't without a few less inspired moments, but all in all it ranks among the better achievements in the career of the singing snake charmer and his technically gifted…

On »Ready an' Willing«, Whitesnake hit a rare moment of stability in their career and made one of their most well-balanced records, with plenty to enjoy for any fan of hard rock sounds with a bluesy glaze.

With their new album, The Killers remain The Killers. They only deepen the legacy of their previous three records, and it's fair to say that with "Battle Born" they've driven their eight-year, phase-by-phase confession up to the peak of…

On "Lovehunter," the passionate Coverdale lived out a hefty chunk of his musical-erotic fantasies through a run of excellent songwriting achievements, best reflected by the controversial, now long-legendary cover.

»Trouble« showed off a hard-hitting blues rock outfit in full flight, brimming with passion on the wings of David's always emotionally rich vocals and a burning desire to prove their chops as songwriters and players.

Unlike on »Keep It Simple«, Van Morrison went back to his roots for the new album, drawing on his primal love for the starting points of blues music. This time the man set himself no arrangement barriers, hence the telling…

»Snakebite«, which first came out as an EP under the name David Covedale's Whitesnake, was a quality warm-up ahead of their first LP, »Trouble«, on which Mr. Coverdale was joined by his former Deep Purple partner in crime, the legendary…

On the excellent »Northwinds«, a major step up from his debut, Coverdale shone as a first-rate solo artist. He tired of that quickly, though, and the same year he teamed up with Moody to found Whitesnake instead, kicking off the…

»Še ena pomlad« is essentially the poetry of the great Fran Milčinski Ježek set to music by his granddaughter Nana. Judging by what she delivers on the album »Še ena pomlad«, it's clear as day that Nana should stick with this musical niche,…

Label: ZKP RTV SlovenijaRelease year: 2008Production: AvtomobiliAlbum length: 68.35 minGenre: Art Rock / Pop Studio 14 rarely lets a Slovenian act slip by, as long as they've brushed up against the airwaves even a little in their…

“Nothing more” than an innocent radio exercise in running through fifteen original songs, is how Avtomobili like to modestly put it, but it gave us the first official live document from one of Slovenia's most refined art pop rock bands.

»White Snake« was the cornerstone without which Coverdale's later famous exploits with Whitesnake would never have happened, so it more than deserves a lot more attention today from every fan of quality blues/hard rock.

Moskva are a continuum of the Rijeka new wave for new times. "Poligraf" is a gorgeous piece of work, full of creative insight and polished art charisma, which we hope the band will keep nurturing and deepening in the future.

With »Rapture of the Deep«, Deep Purple convincingly proved they're nowhere near ready for the scrapheap. There's a lot more life in them than in plenty of their 'old-school' peers, who tend to spend their later creative years either…

Even after the test of time, »GTR« remains a hugely controversial achievement that still divides plenty of prog rock fans of both guitar masters, who, against all expectations, ended up making a great AOR album instead of a progressive rock…

»Caravan and the New Symphonia« is pretty much the perfect marriage of the unforgettable fusion wizardry of a legendary prog rock quintet and a symphony orchestra.

The very solid »Glorified Magnified« marked the next evolutionary step in the slowly developing sonic legacy of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and it still deserves a spot in the collection of every fan of quality progressive rock and hard…

The Slovenian-language tracks on this debut have character, with a touch of punk rebellion, stripped-down rock attitude and adrenaline rush, plus fine detail that hints Big Addction know how to play the arrangement game very artistically.

With a little help from his son, three new pals and the Frankfurt orchestra, Ian delivers yet another eloquent piece of proof that Jethro Tull classics have always blended beautifully with orchestral arrangements. No surprise there, since…

Mexico's garage answer to The Hives, New Bomb Turks and Crypt Records is back after five albums! Raw, unrefined garage rock built to scratch your itch for noise, and this time Slovenia had a hand in it too!

The best thing the Czech metal scene has to offer is the Brutal Assault festival, hehe. Well, there are a few bright exceptions, and one of them is Prague thrash metal outfit Spreading Dread, who put out their debut earlier this year ……

The Sticky Licks aren't reinventing the wheel. This is stripped-down, authentic garage-living rock 'n' roll rush that sounds catchy and likeable enough and carries that note of appealing authenticity, even if authenticity and…

La session cubana is perfect for New Year's parties, picnics in the great outdoors, or a carefree drive through the countryside (and through time). Zucchero has given the familiar material a fitting makeover and a fresh twist, and for…

»Made Again« is a terrific double live document that still offers a near-perfect window into Marillion's live scene in the first half of the nineties, the early era with Mr. H in the lineup.

Robert Jukič's album "Dobrote iz skirnje zarote" now has a live imprint in the form of "Kramp"! It captures the winning stage formula of Robert and his crew, which crawls deep under your skin, speaking the language of authentic chemical…

A record this masterfully polished can't help but give you the feeling that Ivanušič weighed every arrangement move and every adaptation of Brel's poetry for a long time, thinking it through, and in doing so showed the giant of chanson a…

»Val 012« is one of the most vivid compilations in the »Imamo dobro glasbo« series, and it serves up one of the best "vintages." Kühlschrank, Grega Korošec, Blu.Sine and Šansongaraž show the most confident originality on it!

»Rudi Bučar & Istrabend« is the natural next step after its two predecessors. It shows a bigger leap toward a singular authorial voice and an artistic maturing, with a more intense charge of sensitivity that really sparkles on the…

Chapter II: These Binds Will Set You Free picks up the story the band started with their debut, and carries the band's own evolution forward too. The heart of what the band is about stays the same, but countless nuances have crept into…

French funk'n'roll brings a fresh breeze and a high level of quality music, and you won't be short on either funk or that tweaked punky DIY edge. Gascony is the new epicenter of funky rebellion!

We can finally say it: at last! An album of pure art brilliance. It's been a long time since a Slovenian band pulled off a blend of jazz, blues, rock, world music and the occasional pop sheen this infectious yet eclectic, with such a…

Back in this acoustic setting, Elevators sparkle as they serve up that sense of wryly sarcastic cheek, you could even say wholeheartedly infectious mischief, which is a rare trademark among Slovenian bands.

Thirty juicy years of experience have forged Demolition Group into the concert gem of Slovenian stages, and the double album Na živo is the first officially documented audio proof of just how outstanding they are.

With Belo Dunum, Echoes From the Past, Delirium X Tremens have completely overshadowed and outdone their debut in every way, and more importantly, they've managed to build a musical identity all their own

»Real to Reel/Brief Encounter« is an important historical compilation for all longtime Marillion devotees, especially those who fondly remember all their classics with the unforgettable Scottish giant on vocals.

»Popular Music« is a double live treat aimed first and foremost at longtime fans of every chapter in the thrilling career of 'Britain's best-kept musical secret'.

An album lost in time that has, once again, happily found its owner. No standouts. Moderate, predictable, relaxed, easygoing - a typical Plavi Orkestar album, in other words, tailor-made for the band's fans.

The masterpiece »You Are the Music…We're Just the Band« still stands as the peak of Trapeze's discography, the one and only time they could go toe to toe, quality-wise, with the best hard rock bands of their day.

"Medusa" was a top-notch document of Trapeze on the slow climb up, a band that made a remarkable leap in maturity in just a few months, going from an obscure outfit still searching for its style to an energetic hard rock band with heart.

Despite its youthful naivety and a band still hunting for its own sound, Trapeze's debut was a decent start for this cult, instability-plagued outfit that gave rock music, especially hard rock and heavy metal, some of its biggest talents.

Few Slovenian musicians take the approach Tinkara Kovač has chosen, Laibach aside. And the mission is accomplished. Tinkara has grown a little more and masterfully turned some well-known songs by Slovenian and ex-Yugoslav bands, the ones…

On »Kites« Jade Warrior reached yet another level of maturity, once again proving themselves the great progressive rock innovators of instrumental ambient rock with world music elements.

When Italians mash up Poland's beast Behemoth with America's pharaoh Nile!

»Fire of Unknown Origin« was the crown jewel on top of the Kronos sickle of masters of sophisticated heavy rock variations and keepers of conspiracy theories, so it's no surprise that it's still one of their most beloved records among fans…

Epicloud is a brilliant retrospective of Townsend's career that needs to be played loud, and you won't easily find a more epically joyful musical experience.

Even though it didn't reflect the far more sophisticated and complex sound the band would develop later, the solid debut Manfred Mann's Earth Band, through its most interesting pieces, already foreshadowed the long and successful road ahead…

»Waves« was the peak of the gorgeous ambient journeys through world music from the one-of-a-kind Jade Warrior, one of the most fascinating and most often misunderstood progressive rock collectives of all time.

»Floating World« was one of the defining achievements of these cult pioneers of world and ambient music, and the start of a whole new chapter for Jade Warrior, who were always masters of richly complex, stylistically varied music that is…

With their arrival, the band has already lifted the bar for symphonic gothic power metal in Croatia a few notches higher with their debut. A definitive standout for a first album. Let's hope a foreign label discovers Downcast Art!

Despite the title of the album "Live", it's almost more fitting to call it the band's second proper album. Even though it was played live, it has five tracks that appear on neither the first nor the third album, making it a separate chapter…

The final studio act from the musical wizards Miladojka Youneed is marked by an outstanding lineup, a record that's way above average, and the feeling that there was simply nothing left to add to Miladojka's story.

From the British pop rock star who dazzled in all his glory at the turn of the millennium, we're used to unpredictability, and above all to the rollercoaster ride he's staged throughout his entire musical career.

After sixteen years of downtime and recharging, Soundgarden are back with a fresh, even better batch of punchy alternative bangers, and after all the appetite-teasing they already look like serious album-of-the-year contenders!

After last year's dance with Tango revolucioner, the Macedonian trio of rebels has made a record for good reason: one that beautifully sings the praises of the "brave new world" and stirs up the urge to rise up.

The heirs of Novi Rock have served up a new, already twelfth harvest of a hand-picked cluster of Slovenian alternative, and apart from a few exceptions, there's precious little that's revolutionary here.

»Sonic Motion« is an excellent jazz album, marked by outstanding dynamics in the way things unfold and by the full-blooded emotional expression of the trumpet's voice. With its liveliness and a hefty dose of experimental edge, it gives Igor…

Draped in pastel ambient colors, the masterpiece »Flesh And Blood« was an art rock gem that marked the unexpected comeback of Roxy Music, a band written off more than once but brilliantly in tune with the musical trends of the…

Label: CelinkaRelease date: April 11, 2012Producer: Igor MatkovićGenre: JazzRating: 9.0/10 A familiar face at the Ljubljana music conservatory, a trumpet professor, composer, arranger, pianist and above all trumpeter, Igor…

A first-rate handbook for fusing Balkan "ciganology" with jazz!

With their self-titled debut, a surprisingly good document of epic sensibility, artistic innovation and solid technical chops all working together, Renaissance proved that even in their earliest steps they could go toe to toe with the best…

With "The Prodigal Son," Nektar rose from the dead at the turn of the century in convincing fashion, after more than twenty years of total studio hibernation, proving that their musical language is still relevant in the 21st century, even…