Album review
Beyond the Reach of the Sun
Anciients
Beyond the Reach of the Sun finds Anciients making ambitious metal with a strong melodic centre. The guitars move between heavy riffs, flowing leads and quieter detail, while …
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Reviews
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Album review
Towers of Gold
Sacred Outcry
Daniel Heiman gives Towers of Gold a voice to match the scale of its music. He can sing with enormous force, but the movement between power and quieter passages makes his cont…
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Album review
Point of Know Return
Kansas
Point of Know Return brings Kansas's melodic rock songs and progressive arrangements into a more consistent shape. The playing remains busy, with keyboards, violin and guitars…
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Album review
The Inevitable and I
HRVRD
The Inevitable and I makes a wide, atmospheric sound feel closely connected to melody. HRVRD, recording here under their earlier name Harvard, combine flowing guitars, active …
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Album review
Don Caballero 2
Don Caballero
Don Caballero 2 is heavy and restless, but its many changes are more connected than they first appear. The guitars can push hard while the drums keep adding details and adjust…
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Album review
Relayer
Yes
Relayer brings a sharper edge to Yes's progressive rock. The guitar sounds more forceful, the rhythm section is highly active, and Patrick Moraz's keyboards give the arrangeme…
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Album review
Aégis
Theatre Of Tragedy
On Aégis, Theatre of Tragedy move away from many of their harsher contrasts. Deep growls largely give way to a low voice between speech and singing. The music shifts too, movi…
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Album review
Tired Of Tomorrow
Nothing
Tired Of Tomorrow gives Nothing's guitar sound a softer outline. The distortion is still present, but the melodies are easier to find, and piano and keyboard colours make the …
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Album review
Sidelong
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers
Sidelong finds Sarah Shook & the Disarmers making country music with a rough voice and little interest in hiding its flaws. The songs deal with drinking, damaged relationships…
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Album review
Spooky
Lush
Spooky has strong pop songs that sometimes hide themselves a little too well. Lush let clear guitar melodies and high vocal harmonies merge into a dense, wavering sound. The v…
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Album review
Kill or Be Kind
Samantha Fish
Kill or Be Kind gives Samantha Fish's blues playing a lively soul setting. Horns, keyboards and backing voices bring more colour to the arrangements, but the songs remain clea…
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Album review
World on the Ground
Sarah Jarosz
World on the Ground gives Sarah Jarosz's precise, gentle music a clear focus: the people who leave a place and the people who remain. The songs draw on her Texas hometown with…
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Album review
Life Under the Gun
Militarie Gun
Life Under the Gun makes a strong introduction to Militarie Gun by keeping the songs short and the hooks close. Ian Shelton's voice has a damaged edge, but the band give it me…
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Album review
Virus
Haken
Virus keeps the heavy guitars of Vector but gives them a more balanced setting. The melodies have room to make their mark, the rhythm section adds detail beyond the main riffs…
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Album review
In the Land of Grey and Pink
Caravan
In the Land of Grey and Pink brings a light touch to Caravan's progressive rock. The songs have catchy melodies, a relaxed sense of humour and enough jazz influence to keep th…
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Album review
Eternal Return
Windhand
Eternal Return makes Windhand's heavy guitars easier to follow without losing their rough edge. Dorthia Cottrell's voice stands more clearly at the front and the riffs have a …
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Album review
Mood Swings
Marcus King
Mood Swings takes Marcus King towards a quieter, more soulful sound. The forceful guitar approach of Young Blood gives way to slower grooves, carefully placed instruments and …
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Album review
The Height of Callousness
Spineshank
The Height of Callousness combines Spineshank's heavy guitars with electronic detail and a strong sense of momentum. The songs are compact, forceful and usually clear about wh…
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Album review
At Sixes and Sevens
Sirenia
Sirenia begin At Sixes and Sevens with a full sound. Choirs, keyboards and several different voices give the debut a large scale, but the guitars retain enough room. Morten Ve…
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Album review
A Snow Capped Romance
36 Crazyfists
A Snow Capped Romance gives 36 Crazyfists' heavy music a stronger melodic centre. Brock Lindow's voice remains distinctive, moving between rough screams and a more open singin…
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Album review
What It Is to Burn
Finch
What It Is to Burn brings together bright melodies and a much rougher edge without losing its sense of direction. Finch give their pop punk enough heavy guitar and shouted voc…
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Album review
Wanted
RPWL
Wanted gives RPWL a stronger attack without abandoning their melodic art rock. The German band move from forceful instrumental passages to quieter songs, with Yogi Lang's voic…
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Album review
Ramagehead
O.R.k.
Ramagehead is a dark, tightly arranged rock album with more going on than its short songs first suggest. O.R.k. combine restless guitar work, electronic percussion and express…
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Album review
Lateness of Dancers
Hiss Golden Messenger
Lateness of Dancers gives Hiss Golden Messenger a warm, clearly arranged band sound. The music moves between country, folk, blues and soul without making the shifts feel force…
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