Onségen Ensemble 🇬🇧 A Tale

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Onségen Ensemble is a Finnish progressive collective. It consists of a permanent core, joined by different musicians on each release. As a result, every album features different voices, instruments and perspectives. This is also the case on ‘A Tale’, their fifth album; what remains consistent are the intuitive sounds. This thematic album is about peace. … Read more

Embrace Of Souls 🇬🇧 Battle of the Dead

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‘Battle of the Dead’ is the new concept album by the Italian symphonic power metal band. The opening is almost cinematic and very promising. Although the vocals and music are good, the cinematic allure quickly fades.The English (classically trained) vocals are not entirely understandable. The historical aspects come across better in the beautiful lyric booklet … Read more

Kristoffer Gildenlöw 🇬🇧 Humanised

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‘Humanised’ is the new album by singer and multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer Gildenlöw. After a few ‛quieter’ albums, he returns to his (prog) metal roots. The album features, amongst other things, heavy seven-string guitar parts, driving riffs and shifting time signatures. What’s more, there’s a mix of nuances and styles, including sleaze rock, art rock and doom. … Read more

Karmamoi 🇬🇧 Eternal Mistake

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‘Eternal Mistake’ is a love story and philosophical reflection centred on a relationship between a human and a humanoid. Atmospheric elements are blended with powerful guitar riffs and orchestral passages.At the start, I have to get used to the vocals/spoken words, which sometimes sound distorted, and the occasionally gritty sound of the music. But it … Read more

Anthea 🇬🇧 Beyond the Dawn

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The American band Anthea blends progressive, power and thrash metal with symphonic/orchestral music. Most tracks on ‘Beyond the Dawn’ feature a symphonic opening lasting less than 15 seconds, after which the metal kicks in (in a predictable manner). The ballad ‘Whispers of the Heart’ is an exception.There are a number of predictable twists and elements … Read more

Einar Solberg 🇬🇧 Vox Occulta

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The cinematic ‘Vox Occulta’ is Einar Solberg’s (Leprous) second solo album. I’m captivated from the very first second. The intros are all quite unique, and the endings are often abrupt, yet beautiful. Every track is very different, yet they are all complex.Einar’s vocals are incredibly versatile. Both his soft and his loud vocals are at … Read more

Salamirecorder 🇬🇧 Inside The Cage

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The young members of Salamirecorder (Austria) blend various styles and decades, creating a mix that includes garage punk, psychedelia and rock ’n’ roll. Add to that Felix Schnabl’s distinctive voice and the vintage recording gear, and a unique sound emerges.Right from the instrumental intro to ‘Brothers & Sisters’, the vintage (muddy) sound is quite noticeable; … Read more