Mini review

‘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

Young American Evan Nicole Bell is a songwriter, singer multi-instrumentalist and producer. She plays a mix of (timeless) blues, rock, funk, soul and pop.’Runaway Girl’ is her (digital) debut EP. Jimi Hendrix was one of her sources of inspiration. This can be heard in ‘Catfish Blues’, among others. Evan’s guitar playing is cool, the rough … Read more, available in English and Dutch

Apogee is a German two-man formation. The new ‘Through the Gate’ is even more diverse than its previous albums. The tracks contain a mix of styles, such as classical, folk-heavy rock and jazz. There are also unusual twists, rhythms and details. At times, the tempo is quite fast. You sometimes need the spherical and/or minimalist … Read more, available in English and Dutch

On debut album ‘Monochrome’ (2022), multi-instrumentalist Sammy Wahlandt played everything himself. For the new album ‘The Dream’, he handed over everything except the drums. The metal start of the album sounds a bit dingy. The turn to a smaller played part is unexpected. Vocals and music are balanced: Stella Inderwiesen has a rather soft (sometimes … Read more, available in English and Dutch

‘Here to Stay’ is the new album by multi-instrumentalist Ron Coolen. The 13 tracks are full of delicious and very varied guitar playing, frequently you can hear several guitars at once. This comes from Ron, and from seven guest guitarists who play the wonderful solos. Ron plays the other instruments, his dynamic drumming positively stands … Read more, available in English and Dutch