Mini review

The Captain is open-minded troubadour, taking his inspiration from great philosophers, among others. His music contains dreamy verses and beautiful melodies, calm folk and ambient sounds.About two years ago, a driver with a stolen car was on the run from the police, causing The Captain and his family to be involved in a car accident … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Singer AJ Plug’s new album is called ‘Underneath your skin’. She has overcome cancer, but that does not mean it has disappeared from her life. This becomes clear during the opening track ‘Part of me’. The pleasant rhythm provides positivity and strength. ‘Hold me’ is sensitively sung. It starts calm, but gets faster and more … Read more, available in English and Dutch

After leaving Delain, singer Charlotte Wessel released some solo material. But with ‘The Obsession’, she takes her solo career to the next level. In songs that deal with anxiety and obsessive thoughts, among other things, lighter played and sung parts alternate with metal/heavy soundscapes. ‘Dopamine’ (feat. Simone Simons/Epica) is about the insomnia caused by the … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Three of the five band members of The Flying Norsemen come from the band Arabs In Aspic. Their influences from the 70s with stoner, doom and psychedelica, can definitely be heard on debut album ‘The Flying Norsemen’.The first “part” of ‘Norseide’ is calm. The lyrics are in Norwegian, so I don’t understand them. But that … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Drunkelweizen is an American band. They call their style ‘Drunken Folk Metal’. Their debut album, ‘Pioneers of Alcohol’, will be released September 6th. The lyrics are about historical (legendary) figures whose lives were intertwined with alcohol. The instrumental ‘Moonshine Overture’ is followed by ‘Robinhood of Moonshine’, an ode to a folk hero who fought against … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Quantum Fantay recently launched ‘Oneironauts’, this consists of two Greek words: ‘oneiro’, meaning dream, and ‘naut’ meaning sailor. This instrumental concept album is about two lovers, they have the talent to travel deliberately through their dreams. You’ll hear more synthesizers, soundscapes, and sound effects than on their previous albums. But bass and guitar are certainly … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Fans of Swedish metal band Dream Evil have had to wait six years for their seventh album, titled ‘Metal Gods’. This opens with the rousing title track. The backing vocals in particular make you automatically sing along loudly with the words ‘Metal Gods’. There isn’t just delicious screaming guitar playing, the heavier sounds of (bass) … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Spirals in the wider space’ is the fifth prog-rock album by Mindgames (Belgium). The songs are about humanity and the world. Is the urge to want to conquer the world a circle of recurring suffering? Is society becoming more individualistic or are we becoming more caring towards each other? In ‘Godlike Strangers’, among others, you … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Eternal Snapshots’ is the sixth studio album by Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion (HFMC). This time, no gorgeous epic(s) lasting more than ten minutes. This concept album is about whether our personality is predestined, or determined by fate. You might have to get used to one of the opening track’s first unexpected twists. ‘Deserve To … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Multi-instrumentalist Leon Alvarado is also an award-winning designer of album covers/tour posters (for Yes, Genesis et al). ‘The Changing Tide’ features two covers of Pink Floyd. Their influences can also be heard in Leon’s own songs.In the background of ‘The Equilibrium Of Time’, time ticks, in the foreground a clock is striking. There are interactions … Read more, available in English and Dutch