The album artwork for Who We Are Musical algorithms are tricky business. Sometimes spot on, sometimes terribly off-base, I’m always hesitant when a new artist shows up on a daily mix or otherwise familiar and beloved streaming playlist. As such, my hackles were raised when the new album from Argovia, entitled Who We Are, randomly popped up on my musical radar. Happily, however, the album quickly won me over with its catchy chorus lines, prog-leaning sensibilities and sheer vibes. Another win for the almighty algorithm. Still, it left me wondering “Who is this band and why haven’t I heard fro ..read more

In some of the most remote and unforgiving parts of the world, there are still musical gems to uncover. This is true of Hamferð, one of around ten bands hailing from the Faroe Islands, a tiny settlement of disputed celtic, or perhaps viking origin that has become a self-governing country and may or may not secede from Danish sovereignty, with a modern population numbering in the tens of thousands.  Their third album – Men Gu​ð​s hond er sterk – does retain the core tenets of their prior two records – all songs are performed in Faroese, and feature front and center the vocal pipes of ..read more

The album artwork for See You Tomorrow Baby The best music out there manages to strike a chord emotionally, whether that’s through sadness or anger. Sometimes, it’s good to let loose. Sometimes, it feels good to climb into a little bit of unashamedly unhinged primalism. Enter UK/US-based Weston Super Maim, a transatlantic duo formed from the combined stylistic sensibilities of vocalist Seth Detrick and instrumentalist Tom Stevens. The name of the game is demolition: they self-describe as “if Meshuggah couldn’t count” – and to my ear there’s a little bit of Car Bomb and Strapping Young Lad in ..read more

Whilst it’s always nice to discover something new, a bill stacked with artists you already love is also very welcome in the current climate of rising ticket prices. All three of the bands playing tonight released some of my favourite music of 2023 so I was particularly excited to see much of this new material performed live for the first time. The Callous Daoboys open proceedings and though it is a strong performance, other factors hamper the experience slightly. For starters, the more chaotic and technical sections of their music struggle to retain clarity in a slightly muddy mix. This is pa ..read more

The concept of a seated metal show never entered my mind before An Evening with Haken. If anything, sitting at a metal show felt like a weird formality or, even worse, a sign of disrespect to the band. In a genre so synonymous with the impassioned movement of headbanging, moshing, and jumping around, how would sitting through an entire show affect one’s enjoyment of the music and performance? How would the band react to such a difference in response? These questions were heavy on my mind as I made the last-minute decision to grab a ticket. Not only am I happy that I caught the show, but I’ve ..read more

The album artwork for Child of Bliss Pinpointing the soul of a guitarist can be a greatly difficult task. Canadian guitarist Nick Johnston wears his openly: through the years he’s managed to pinpoint a sense of purpose in his playing and refine it from record to record. Technically, much like contemporaries such as Guthrie Govan or Plini, there’s a good amount of shred, but here the focus is a generally mellower and more melodically inclined approach. Over the last decade, Johnston has released numerous solo albums (plus a brief spell in his acoustic-oriented and vocal-driven Archival projec ..read more

At the start of last year Rick Wakeman did two headline shows in London playing Journey as well as Six Wives in full. And that was clearly a hit as now he’s back by popular demand, deciding to once again tour Journey to the Centre of the Earth with the English Rock Ensemble. Rick also recently announced that he wouldn’t be touring forever (shocker), and that he’s planning his final shows to happen over the next year. The opportunities to see this prog legend perform live are rapidly dwindling, so it was an absolute pleasure to see him tinkle his ivories for us all once more in ..read more

Sammy Boller’s Spotify Bio reads simply “I play completely from the heart.” and nothing else. After seeing him live, I can safely say that nothing more is needed. Boller attempts (and succeeds in) blending multiple instrumental genres together to defy a common label, while sticking to several fundamental, cohesive themes throughout his growing body of guitar-driven work.  At times reminiscent of guitar gods of old like Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Steve Vai, Boller’s sound tends to emphasize the old-school saturated, amp-based distortion tone perfect for soaring leads and often capp ..read more

The album art for Fall What does it mean to be several decades into a career and still be releasing arguably your best material? Best ask Borknagar, the Norwegian progressive black metal band that never seem to stop topping themselves. The band returns with Fall, their twelfth record, and interestingly, the first album the band has released without a lineup change compared to the previous record (of the founding members, only guitarist and primary songwriter Øystein G. Brum remains).  It’s worth noting that across two decades and eleven prior albums, Borknagar have embodied a “who’s who ..read more

Caligula’s Horse on stage Something happens when seeing a band live that you can’t capture from an album recording. The atmosphere the musicians create on the stage, the new context for listening to the music, the sheer visceral experience of engaging with a band’s music in person through all of your senses–all of these factors create a truly memorable moment for the right band at the right time. For the wrong band? It’s dull at best, a dumpster fire at worst. I’m quite happy to report that Caligula’s Horse at Lincoln Hall were utterly superb and memorable in some of the best ways, leaving m ..read more