Reviews

Fallen Angel is an upgrade on Zadnja molitev in every way, and a record that shows Requiem in the form of their lives!

»Seven Deadly« is a renegade of an album with a temperament all its own. And UFO are springing a surprise with it. Yes. They're still surprising us after more than 40 years of defiance. With the power of unbroken stallions!

An Italian charmer for the new millennium, with his fifth record.

On their debut Ghost Asylum, the symphonic black metal duo from Novo mesto drenches us in a masterful atmosphere of dread behind the walls of an asylum of ghosts!

In recent years, Dallas Records has been making sure that many names from the once-colorful Yugoslav music scene don't end up in the graveyard of history, reissuing gems from the rich vault of Yugoslav rock.

The familiar flock is back in the air!

With "The Electric Age," New York's Bats march down the well-trodden path of the rock-solid old-school thrash metal school. Naturally, you can't (and shouldn't) expect anything else from them in 2012.

Siddharta's huge concert at Stožice Stadium on June 18, 2011 has finally gotten its epilogue in the form of a double DVD release.

Almost There.. is the debut where Almost Rage managed to capture the tearing force of a hurricane-strength bora wind and skillfully weave it together with melody and variety.

VI came out remarkably fast after Saga. In a bizarre, caricature-like way, it's basically a stripped-down, rock-cranked, less eclectic version of Saga, recorded in a single take in front of a 10,000-strong crowd.

"Tist` dan v tednu" is a Slovenian rock film that doesn't force-feed the viewer the stereotype of a falsely manufactured myth of godlike untouchability. The story of a "twenty-something" and the flagship band of the Slovenian rock…

"Memories of a Time to Come" is a superb best-of compilation, offering a comprehensive look at the colorful career of one of the most creative and innovative bands in Teutonic power metal.

A compilation of the best-known songs Belan wrote over the last decade of his rich musical career, made for his appearances at the yearly Dalmatinske šansone festival.

The third studio album doesn't hide its step up in maturity, but it doesn't go out of its way to win over wider crowds either, and it digs even deeper into the retro nostalgia of the synth-pop sound inherited from the '80s.

"Ima li budnih?" is a shift into art alter rock. It's a deeply moody album that keeps the great production partnership from the previous record "Sputnik" and puts it to full use in a new arrangement sphere.

Penetrator knows no boogie, so here's the deal: what Judas Priest are to Britain and what Accept are to Germany, Lene kosti are to Slovenia!Lene kosti kept their uniqueness in the devilish fury of heavy metal!

Kajagoogoo are back among us, stronger and more confident than ever, and "Gone to the Moon" is the crowning proof that you can make a masterpiece even after more than twenty years of total studio hibernation.

XI: The Days Before Tomorrow is the album where the reborn Lillian Axe bring their stylistic transition to its conclusion. Once a glam party band, now eclectic rockers carving out a sound that's entirely their own.

As long as the spirit of rock n roll lives, so will the spirit of AC/DC, its immortal promoters. The latest proof is none other than "Live at River Plate".

Unisonic's arrival can be seen as a welcome band-aid for all of you disappointed fans waiting for today's Helloween to maybe wake up from their creative and live apathy. Let's wait for the album.

After ten years together, ska reggae punk rockers Sell Out from Kočevje have finally managed to hatch their studio debut. It was worth the wait. With this release, the genre gets an important boost of recognition in Slovenia

A step forward in maturity compared with the debut album "The Cage" (1999) / This is step forward in musical maturing when compared with debut album "The Cage" from 1999.

"The too-often unfairly overlooked "Seventh Star", the would-be solo debut of a lonely Iommi who got played by a greedy label, still ranks among the brightest gems in the mighty Black Sabbath legacy, and even the most die-hard Ozzy era…

Often unfairly overlooked, "Seventh Star" was meant to be a solo debut for a lonely Iommi who got played by a greedy record label, but it still ranks among the brightest gems in the mighty Black Sabbath legacy.

In the 14th century, Dante found his inspiration for the Inferno in Tolmin; in the 21st, death/thrash outfit Devil`s Bridge step into its abyss with their debut He Is Crossing.

The masterpiece "Over", another superb entry in Hammill's solo legacy, presents the legendary herald of the post-apocalypse in an unusual role for him: a disillusioned poet with a heart that hasn't gone stale.

The classicist masterpiece "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" still deservedly ranks as one of the best works in the career of this keyboard grandmaster and compositional genius.

Poke in the eye!!!

With their comeback album, Iced Earth literally crush a totalitarian, anti-utopian regime to dust and prove that a few weaker albums are far from the end of the road.

»No One Can« is a full-blooded display of artistic finesse, the kind only top-tier bands can conjure up, and 'Britain's best-kept musical secret' definitely belongs in that league.

If you're one of the handful of surviving die-hard AOR devotees, and you're hunting for the finest AOR album ever released on Canadian soil, your search will undoubtedly stop at Boulevard's second record, "Into the Street".

»Cover My Eyes«, the ultimate pop-rock revelation of the most sensual fantasies, is one of those radio hits that never actually became hits, even though they deserved to.

"The moment we hear Sharp's vocals, we get amnesia and all that's left is Wolf People." | "As soon as Sharp's vocals kick in, we get amnesia and all there is left is Wolf People."

Friendly, pleasant, brilliantly played and produced pop rock.

"Easter", one of the most beautiful ballads in rock history, cemented Steve Hogarth once and for all as a truly one-of-a-kind vocal authority.

Mr. H may have shown up at Marillion as an uninvited guest, but in less than a year he'd become a warmly welcomed local right in the middle of this legendary art rock collective.

When it dropped, »Hooks In You« was a huge shift and a straight-up shock for fans of Fish-era Marillion. Today it's recognized as an energetic catalyst that showed off their versatility and their freedom from genre constraints.

You could say "Freaks (Live)" is a symbolic farewell to the Fish era, since at the time of release it was the last official release featuring the charismatic Scottish giant up front.

The new The Human League record has been pulled out of the deep freezer like some top-secret band relic, a dish served cold for new times that once felt fresh, defiant, avant-garde.

"Warm Wet Circles" is yet another "Clutching at Straws" classic that has aged beautifully and neatly sealed the final studio chapter of the Fish era.

Fish's ode to "sugar mice in the rain" is one of the loveliest ballads in the Marillion story, from the moment the legendary singer already had one foot at a career crossroads and the neo-prog champs were staring down a dramatic change in…

The Monty Python-style romp "Incommunicado" has stayed one of the most beloved evergreens of this legendary prog rock band from Aylesbury to this day.

"Welcome to the Garden Party" offers nothing you can't find on other Marillion releases, but as one of their biggest rarities it's seriously interesting to collectors these days.

"Lady Nina" is the weakest single in the history of the neo-prog rock champions, but that only makes it all the more sought-after as a big rarity, which is cold comfort for anyone who happened to be expecting another Marillion classic.

On Welcome to My World, Domen "DYZ" Justin throws the doors to his world wide open. It's a world full of jaw-dropping surprises that nobody would have expected from the former Negligence guitarist.

"Heart of Lothian", another key building block of the "Misplaced Childhood" success story, may not enjoy the same popularity as "Kayleigh" and "Lavender" among the radio-hit gobblers, but all the more reason for prog rock connoisseurs to…

Even though "Lavender" lives in the shadow of its more famous sibling (or sister, rather), it's yet another dazzling jewel in the crown of the incomparable "Misplaced Childhood" brilliance.

The Runaways were the girls who gave a rock world full of strutting macho egos an adrenaline-fueled rock'n'roll kick straight to the groin.

What do the psychedelic rhythms and sounds of an ever-fresh Hendrix sound like when a bunch of London youngsters in the nineties write them under the tutelage of George Harrison, his mysticism and his spirituality? Bold!

"Kayleigh" is an evergreen that plenty of people know even if they have zero clue about Marillion or prog rock in general, which means it did an enormous amount for the visibility of a genre that was fairly run-down in the eighties.

Of all the classics from the Fish era, "Assassing" is easily the most overlooked, which goes for the whole "Fugazi" album, since it hasn't been played live since the late eighties.

A trip into the unknown that sticks to the laws of tasteful arrangement and sonic perfectionism. Even though it isn't released under the main brand name, the journey through the labyrinths of sin turns out even better than expected.

"Punch and Judy", one of the most vivid and entertaining moments on the cult album "Fugazi", still delights today in single form too.

"Garden Party" stands out among the "Script For a Jester's Tear" classics. Against the dark nature of that cult album, it has a markedly upbeat, party-loving spirit.

Time is a merciless judge, but it's been pretty kind to this music.

After the sudden clinical death of Sheeva, a new chemistry awoke, full of testosterone and fresh ideas. An age of transcendence has dawned in the world of Cosmo Daivat.

"He Knows You Know" really comes into its own as one of the building blocks of the masterpiece "Script For a Jester's Tear", but it's also a Fish-era classic in its own right.

"Market Square Heroes," the opening act of a magnificent career, enjoys cult status as a neo-prog evergreen and as a single, which meant that from the moment it came out it was a must-have in the collection of every loyal follower of this…

They're not revolutionary, but they're damn polished and a blast to listen to. This third round of swinging, Ska-flavored, punky Latin-tinged treatment of the stages of modern Babylon is seriously enjoyable, and the red five-pointed star…

Even though Time doesn't hide its qualities and the eclecticism that springs from the authentic musical vocabulary of "Mr. Owl," it's not an essential release, because it offers nothing new and nothing special.

"Unbreakable" is no surprise. Nothing new. It's a return to the sound and style of the older Primal Fear albums. Fans have undoubtedly been craving an album like this, and in terms of energy it lands in the band's top five.

"Imaginaerum" is the most ambitious and eclectic-sounding studio effort from Finland's Nightwish to date. The band's seventh studio album was developed hand in hand with the concept of a film script.

As a release made up of covers, rearranged solo material and one new original song, meant to ease the wait for the new album among Houston fans, this EP is a very effective move, but a completely optional one.

The album confirms that after the disastrous Perfect World, Strangeways are wading even deeper into off-the-path sonic experiments for the new era, undermining the credibility they earned in the eighties.

The excellent Prince Of Paupers is the benchmark its successor will be measured against, the album that will show whether Grand Illusion can hold on to the high-quality form they've reached with their newfound inspiration in this new era.

“In Concert” lands squarely in the middle of the official live albums released so far by the prog folk rock legends, which means it's only of interest to the most devoted Jethro Tull fans.

"The debut "Dubzilla" is one of the best albums to come out in Slovenia in 2011."

Dubzilla is one of the best albums to come out in Slovenia in 2011. It rests on a foundation of high-level songwriting insight and a pronounced touch of avant-garde authenticity that defines the band's clear art charisma

The new wave masterpiece "Rage in Eden" is, in every respect, a timeless showcase of outstanding artistic creativity, the kind that defined Ultravox at the peak of their creative powers.

An album taking Royal Hunt's sound back to the nineties, with D.C. Cooper returning on vocals, is a double-edged sword, and the band had to sacrifice some of its current creativity for it.

The album "X" keeps Royal Hunt's trademark hallmarks. It's an easier-access record: thanks to the simplified arrangements it feels retro-rock, compact and more tempting in melodic terms.

This is first and foremost a "cautious" album that doesn't squeeze out any special note of uniqueness. Instead, it spins tried-and-true in the waters of classic eighties AOR, while bringing Alfonzetti back, expressively, to his studio…

No snow? Mrs. Bush will conjure some up for you.

The Scourge Of The Light is Jag Panzer's closing document of great distinction, or as Judas Priest would put it: "One Shot At Glory". Let's hope the band's official retirement after this release is just a longer break!

"A band drops a killer new album at the start of the year, then announces its official retirement in the middle of summer."

The document of the first leg of the "The Wolrd Is Yours" tour, caught at the iron trio's stop in Chile and subtitled "Everywhere Further Than Everyplace Else!", hints that part two will be shot in outer space!

"The Landing" is an incredibly mature new studio album from Iron Savior, and it ranks among the best things they've ever done. It sticks effectively to the blueprint of the German power metal tradition and squeezes everything out of it.

""The Landing" is an incredibly mature new studio album from Iron Savior. I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best things this band has ever put out in its career."

»Shine on Brightly« was another step forward from the cult debut for this legendary band, and it's also one of the key albums for understanding the embryonic forms of progressive rock.

This is a record packed with overflowing emotion and a love for life and for fellow human beings. And that's not something we feel with every musician, no matter which era they were or still are making music in.

We Are the Brokenhearted is the triumphant return of a classic AOR/melodic rock outfit, proof that you can hold on to your own authentic originality while still keeping up with current sound-production trends

When John Pratt dug through his hidden archives to put together a solo album, he honed those ideas into a manifesto of supreme flexibility: a splendid marriage of melodic rock fundamentals and pop polish.

If you're into the real, endlessly arrogant kind of weirdness in rock n' roll, getting to know the music of The Hoax Program, those stoner/r n'r-fueled dirtbags from Ajdovščina, is mandatory homework.

With Elegant Stealth, Wishbone Ash have closed their circle of development and come closer than ever to the original artistry that was all their own in the golden age of the seventies. It's the best Wishbone Ash album of the new millennium.

"“Plains of the Purple Buffalo” is an album with some of the most emotional musical moments I've ever heard."

If Grave Digger and Helloween chipped their teeth ages ago and are now snoozing pompously on the laurels of the past, there's no fear Brainstorm will leave you in the lurch with a top-notch new album.

"The Power Of Eternity" doesn't ignite quite as convincingly as its predecessors "Clan Destiny" (2006) and "Bona Fide" (2002), but it still holds a quality level worthy of the real Wishbone Ash standard.

The "Val 011" compilation hits the required level of vivid colorfulness, proving that the class of 2011 in Slovenian music stands head and shoulders above the previous three years.

The most notorious pirates in metal sailed into the port of Port Royal laden with loot and made the first masterpiece in the band's story, one that's bursting at the seams with all sorts of epic historical themes.

The first live album from one of Germany's most unique classic metal bands turned out surprisingly good, despite the relatively limited pool of studio material to draw from.

An unforgettable live document from Rush that captures the essence of the "synth era" of their studio releases between 1982 and 1987, when synthesizers and electronic drums shaped the band's sound just as much as everything else did.

An obscure band that looked doomed to drown in metal clichés and gray mediocrity finally found its own soul on "Under Jolly Roger", and with its new pirate look it stood out from its metal cousins from a mile away

Not pretentious at all, unlike its bombast-stuffed predecessor, but different, and every inch a Coldplay-sounding album, delivering the sonically most polished record in their discography.

»Branded And Exiled« already had a few moments hinting that a band with a soul of its own was slowly coming to life. On the other hand, the production still left a lot to be desired.

In the end, »Gates To Purgatory« was a relatively modest but still decent start to a long and successful pirate-metal career.

"Grace for Drowning" is not a progressive rock album. "Grace for Drowning" isn't even a music album per se. "Grace for Drowning" is simply art. Art of sounds, letters and, last but not least, images.

"Grace for Drowning" isn't a progressive rock album. "Grace for Drowning" isn't even a music album "per se". "Grace for Drowning" is simply art.

Evolution is a "best of" indulgence that Magnum use to mark 10 years under the SPV Records banner, and it bridges the wait for their next proper studio album nicely.

People often say that "every beginning is humble." That's definitely not true of Wishbone Ash's self-titled debut, which still ranks among the best albums by these legendary British art rockers.

"Empire In Ruins" is ShadowIcon's bold studio debut. It lays the cornerstone for symphonic power metal in Slovenia and, with its polish, takes on the best the genre has to offer on the international stage.