Mini review

Stories and books are the theme on ‘What We Really Like In Stories’. Each song is dedicated to a writer from a variety of time frames. Like Alan Moore (Batman, among others) and Tolkien, and authors from the beginning of the last century.Three of the four band members are multi-instrumentalists. The cinematic opening is very … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Violet Eternal is a new, international national melodic metal band. It consists of guitarist Jien Takahashi (Majustice) and vocalist Ivan Giannini (Vision Divine and Derdian). ‘Reload The Violet’ is their debut album. Guest musicians include guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian (Immortal Guardian) and drummer Ryuya Inoue. The album opens gently, the turn to metal and the ending … Read more, available in English and Dutch

The two-piece band ‘The Mono Kids’ (from Eindhoven) has been around for about one and a half year. But this pair have known each other for decades. They played together in several bands, including ‘The Galactic Lo Fi Orcherstra’.The guys have been featured at Paradiso, at Noorderslag, and in a clip on MTV, among others. … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Pace of Change’ is the second album by prog rockers Catalyst*R. The album has unusual twists, details and sound effects/sampled sounds, as in the opening track ‘Pace of Change’. The difference in volume between the lightly and more heavily played parts is somewhat small. Damien’s (stacked) vocals are mostly in the lighter parts. The drumming … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘For All We Know’ is the project of guitarist Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation). ‘By Design Or By’ hides some “easter eggs”: A few melodies from his two previous albums can be heard here in renewed form. The lyrics deal with a young man’s relationships: with his parents, lovers and with his own children. The album … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘BloYaTop’ fans are used to the “new” band name ‘Baby Killed the Roses’ (BKTR). For their self-titled album, the men collaborated with Mario Goossens (Triggerfinger). They returned to the roots of rock, including analogue recordings.You can already feel the energy on the opening track. The drumming is dynamic, the guitar riffs are delightful, there is … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Early January, Magnum’s guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin passed away. The release of ‘Here Comes the Rain was scheduled for the following week. The band decided to release their 23rd studio album as usual. On this varied album, you will hear rock (‘n’ roll), slightly sugary, melodic and tender songs. Light classical elements return several times. Sometimes … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Elettra Storm is a new powermetal band from Italy. ‘Powerlords’ is their debut album, which will be released 16 February. The two vocalists sing about archangels, moon goddesses and underground civilisations. Daily exhaustion, plus the good and bad things about humans are also mentioned. Singer Crystal Emiliani seems to hit the high notes easily. Her … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Can We Leave The Light On Longer?” is the third (acoustic) album by Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman. Damian sings and plays acoustic guitar. Adam sings, plays piano, Hammond, guitars, bass and percussion. The personal lyrics are, among other things, about how people are connected. This twosome knows how to convey emotion. Adam voices this … Read more, available in English and Dutch

German art/hard rock Polis is influenced by such band as Uriah Heep and Epitaph. The live album ‘Unterwegs I’ was recorded at two different concerts. ‘Tropfen’ has pleasant, extended instrumental pieces. The sound is a little too dull, but well spread over the headset. Both the minimalist parts, and the tempo and volume changes are … Read more, available in English and Dutch