Since Maxi Curnow dropped the original version of STEM back in 2014, he’s been one of my all-time favourite progressive musicians.
STEM – a through-composed, twenty-five-minute behemoth of a song structured in five movements and home to some of the most original musicianship I’ve ever experienced – was, in a word, immense. In two words: Read more…
With summer finally upon us, people across the world are flocking to gyms and aiming to achieve the ultimate beach body. The big problem with gyms is the music; calling it crap would be an understatement. You can always listen to your own music on portable players and phones – but after a few workouts have gone by, even our favourite playlists and albums tend to sound stale as they soundtrack yet another hour spent pounding a treadmill into submission Read more…
As the world struggles with an onslaught of serious issues, it’s nice to be able to take a break every now and again and just have some fun. CHON provide an ideal soundtrack for said festivities; their back catalogue is crammed with cutesy cleans, playful and mostly instrumental math-based tunes, and good vibes aplenty. Up to this point, these guys have emphasised the clean side of instrumental guitar – but on Homey, their focus has firmly shifted Read more…
In 2017, djent has become less a genre or scene and more a musical ingredient, something to be mixed with other (preferably more diverse) influences in the name of progression. With Different Animals, Volumes have nailed that shift perfectly. As evidenced by previous efforts Via and No Sleep, Volumes know where they’ve come from – and where they’re going is somewhere fresh, new, and intriguing.
The further you get into Different Animals, the better it gets Read more…
Online guitar connoisseurs will doubtless be familiar with Andy James. Having established himself as one of the Internet’s most fleet-fingered go-to guitar teachers as well as a key member of former outfit Sacred Mother Tongue and current band Wearing Scars, Andy James’ solo output has long been slavered over by legions of six-string fanatics. With his most recent solo outing Exodus available to devour in full – and reviewed here – I got talking to Andy about the full story behind said long-player’s origins and the assorted intricacies of life in a working band… Read more…
Listening to The Contortionist is like watching a ball of rubber bands explode in slow motion – and watching them fill the O2 Forum in London with progressive soundwaves was an incredible experience. Before the show – which took place a few days prior to the tragic Manchester Arena bombing, and is reviewed in full here – I got chatting to The Contortionist’s keyboardist, Eric Guenther, about life on the road and his band’s upcoming album and live plans… Read more…
When a band’s legacy and reputation endures for as long as CKY’s has, it’s obvious they’re on to something special. Last night, CKY’s latest tour came to an end with the second of two shows at legendary London rock venue The Underworld – and some 500 residents of the capital’s underground scene watched them close proceedings with a sonically pummelling set Read more…