One of England’s most tormented singers returns yet again after leaving us with a heart-breaking myocardial infarction in 2013. I mean this in a figurative way of course because in real life Matt Elliott is healthy as a horse. How else could The Calm Before be his seventeenth (!) album to date. Now let’s hear what this veteran of agony brings us this time, shall we? Continue reading
[Live Review] Ennio Morricone – 60 Years of Music – Ziggo Dome Amsterdam
Everybody and their aunts know the theme to The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Sergio Leone’s seminal spaghetti western masterpiece. It’s also the main draw for most of the people attending Ennio Morricone’s 60 Years of Music tour, as becomes apparent on Sunday night in Ziggo Dome. But there was more, much more to enjoy. Continue reading
Rhapsody of Fire – Into the Legend
Since Italian cheese metal mongers Rhapsody (with or without Fire) split up into two Rhapsody’s (one with, one without Fire), we’re getting a whole lotta Rhapsody on our plates. After Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody (sans Fire) last year, now it’s the semi-original Rhapsody of Fire’s turn with Into the Legend. Continue reading
Hinds – Leave Me Alone
Obviously Bowie’s parting gift was last week’s main talking point. Blackstar will probably, and justly, leave deep imprints on the year that lies in front of us. However, the wheels of the industry keep on turning and forces us to look beyond all sobbing. Luckily the Madrid based indie rock chicks of Hinds offer us 2016’s first bright welcoming gift. Continue reading
David Bowie – Blackstar
Who would have thought Blackstar would turn out to be David Bowie’s final album? As it turns out, not many, other than Bowie himself. Here, we take a long, hard look at the man’s parting gift to the world. Continue reading
Album Year List (2015)
Happy belated non-denominational winter holiday of your choice, everyone! We’re back with another tombola filled with musical endeavours of our choosing. Round and round it goes, where it stops, no-one knows. Except we do, and here are what we thought were the best albums of 2015. Enjoy.
Gloryhammer – Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards
If you would have told me that one of my favourite albums of the year would be a power metal album by what’s essentially a joke band, I would have scoffed at you. As it stands, however, Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards is just that: one of the best power metal albums of the year. And yes, I know I’m late to the party. Continue reading
Meridian Brothers – Los Suicidas
It didn’t took the Meridian Brothers long to drop a new release after last years “alright” Salvadora Robot. The ensemble’s search to deepen their distinctive tropical sound is of an exhaustive kind. This time around Eblis Álvarez et al got inspired to set up an organ-inspired trilogy and Los Suicidas serves as its first part. Indeed, all of this essentially means that you will have to get ready for a fever pitch all over again. Get set and let’s plunge into all out blurriness at the end of the year, shall we?
Continue reading
Ulysses – #eMotion
For all Ulysses does right on #eMotion (and they do a lot of things very right indeed), they do start out with what might be the most annoying opening riff I have heard in a very long time. It’s almost annoying enough to turn the album off and do something else. Almost. Because if you did, you’d miss out on an hour of extremely good progressive metal.
Kurt Stenzel – Jodorowsky’s Dune OST
First thing that pops into my mind when thinking of Dune is the conversation between Paul Atreides and Reverend Mother Mohiam about prospective Kwisatz Haderach’s who underwent the spice trance. “They tried and failed?[…]”, he asked. Mohiam replied: “They tried and died”. In a way this conversation parallels Alejandro Jodorowsky’s attempt make movie out of the book in 1974. He tried, he failed… but didn’t die though. Continue reading
soundsfromthedarkside 