Mini review

‘Ice And Death’ is Reinforcer’s second album. These Germans play melodic power metal. The historical lyrics deal with topics such as the Black Death, witch hunts, and the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Logan Lexi sings the lyrics beautifully and powerfully. Some of the lines are stacked in a catchy way, inviting you to sing/roar along. … Read more, available in English and Dutch

The French band Edenya plays a mix of (prog) rock, ambient and folk. The first few tracks are mainly calm. However, the tempo in part of ‘The Outing’, for example, is slightly higher, and there are some rocking elements. The differences in volume between the calm and rocking parts are too small. As a result, … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Alcàntara is a progressive/psychedelic rock band from Italy. The Persian album title ‘Tamam Shud’ means “it is finished”. The lyrics are sung in both English and Italian. With no fewer than three guitarists, there is plenty of beautiful guitar playing to be heard. At times, the bass also comes to the fore. The drumming is … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Roxy Passion’ is the new EP from Italian prog rock band Silver Nightmares. They add AOR rock, heavy metal and some light classical influences to their sound. Two tracks are instrumental, while Göran Edman sings on the other two. His rock voice fits the title track perfectly. At times, you hear a pleasant amount of … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Törzs is a post-rock band from Hungary. Menedék is the fourth album by this trio. With their experimental rock, they create complex, instrumental songs to which they add shoegaze elements. The calm intro to ‘Egy pillanatban a végtelen’ (‘Infinity in a moment’) is intriguing. The same goes for the rest of the album. Most of … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Högtid’ (2014) is the debut album by Swedish retro prog band Agusa, the re-release of which is out now. With a mix of Scandinavian folk rock and psychedelic influences, they create their own style of music. You can hear the retro right away in ‘Uti vår hage ‘. The music is fittingly joyful in ‘Melodi … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Beyond’ is Moonlight Haze’s fourth studio album. This Italian band makes symphonic, melodic metal. The catchy rhythm, ‘verse-rephrase build-up’ and fairly uncomplicated lyrics make the tracks accessible. The backing vocals are sometimes a bit predictable, but the combination of voices is fine. All songs are in English, with only ‘L’Eco Del Silenzio’ containing a blend … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Cosmic Cathedral is a new super band. The band members are: vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse, dummer Chester Thompson, vocalist/guitarist Phil Keaggy and bassist Byron House. Their debut album ‘Deep Water’ was largely born out of jam sessions. You can hear Christianity in the lyrics, some more clearly than others. Some pieces are sung with a lot … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Australian composer/multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed is a Cherokee woman. She incorporates her indigenous sovereignty, emancipation and experiences into the (instrumental) music of Divide and Dissolve. ‘Insatiable’ is about Takiaya’s vision of a better world. The drumming is droning, her guitar playing sludgy. Especially with her saxophone playing, and all sorts of sound effects, she creates her … Read more, available in English and Dutch