The Blessed Beat – ‘MiV’ [Review]

Understatement of the day: Charles Bukowski is a little bit influential. Hailed as a literary hero after publishing his debut novel Post Office at the age of 50, Bukowski’s fingerprints can be found all over Californication (the hit US TV show whose protagonist, Hank Moody, was partially based on Bukowski); legendary journalist Neil Strauss’s disturbing seducer’s memoir The Game; and now, this album of beyond unsettling, straight plain fucked up instrumental jazz-rock.

MiV is primarily influenced by Bukowski’s short story The Copulating Mermaid Of Venice, Calif. – a not exactly family friendly tale about Read more…

Posted on 16 August 2015

Godsticks – ‘Emergence’ [Review]

Godsticks are fast becoming A Name in the prog world, and rightly so. Previous efforts Spiral Vendetta and The Envisage Conundrum have led the three-piece into the world of stages shared with the Aristocrats and the Mike Keneally Band, thanks to a double whammy of pristine musicianship and engaging compositional skill. Over time, Godsticks have edged closer and closer to the guitar-driven world of Fucking Badass Rock & Metal – and on Emergence, they’ve finally and firmly planted their flag left of that territory’s centre.

Emergence has a restless quality to it that reflects its creators’ recent evolution. Stylistically it feels uncertain, as if it’s not quite sure what it’s supposed to be – but at the same time, the musicianship on display is confident and self-assertive. Taken together, these aspects lend a nervous anxiety to Emergence‘s track listing – and if that was the point, then it’s fucking genius.

Below The Belt sets out Godsticks’ stall, with long and winding lyrical roads passing through Read more…

Posted on 14 August 2015

Dorje – ‘White Dove’ [Review]

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A common complaint amongst music fans is that new music sucks, because it all sounds the same as/lacks the passion and energy of music from decades past. The funny thing is, that kind of golden-age thinking is not new in itself. People thought the same way ten years ago, twenty years ago, even a century ago. Golden-age thinking just isn’t valid.

Technically, Dorje aren’t a “new” band. They’ve been around for a good few years, racking up hundreds of thousands of YouTube views for a single video (Aeromancy), and launching one of Indiegogo’s most successful crowdfunding campaigns back in 2012. But, they’re still new enough (and unfamiliar enough to those who only visit YouTube for cat videos) to fall under the banner of “new bands who suck because they’re new”.

Do Dorje suck because they’re new? No. The only downside to mention is Read more…

Posted on 11 August 2015

TesseracT – ‘Polaris’ [Review]

Since 2003, TesseracT have been busy building a monolithic name for themselves in the progressive metal world. Ranked alongside the likes of Periphery and Karnivool and hailed as djent pioneers, it’s safe to say that each and every move they make is made under the joint pressures of sky-high expectations and feverish global-scale anticipation.

The burning question, then, is simple: Is Polaris any good, or have the legends lost their touch?

The short answers are:

A) Yes, of course it fucking is; and

B) No, don’t be ridiculous.

If you’re a TesseracT hater looking for mean words, you’ve Read more…

Posted on 10 August 2015

Jon Gomm – ‘Live In The Acoustic Asylum’ [Review]

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Understatement of the day: Jon Gomm’s CV is quite impressive. The guy sells out gigs across the world, has performed on every continent on Earth, is welcomed at classical, folk, and metal festivals alike, and has won over fans as diverse as Stephen Fry and Tommy Lee. Behind his viral hit Passionflower – a solo guitar-and-vocal tour de force with a view count well into eight digits – lies a sizeable collection of songs guaranteed to both boggle the mind and brand themselves on your memory.

Live In The Acoustic Asylum is a collection of specially-recorded fan favourites. Passionflower is notable in its absence, but this collection doesn’t suffer for that fact in the least. Twelve-year-old instrumental Stupid Blues kicks things off with rugged pulsations and sharp waves of notes before Read more…

Posted on 04 August 2015

Joe Satriani – ‘Shockwave Supernova’ [Review]

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Shockwave Supernova is the definitive modern-day Joe Satriani album. Equal parts catharsis and cool, a seamless blend of contemporary and classic vibes, this is Satriani at his best. The instrumental guitar maestro continues to rule the roost after almost three decades at the top.

Those are big words – but this is a big album. Shockwave Supernova is made up of fifteen tracks, during which Satch never holds back. From a technique perspective, it may be relatively restrained – but in terms of raw, uncensored emotion…man. Sometimes it makes for difficult listening.

True artists, great musicians, communicate the sound of something welling up in the subconscious before finding Read more…

Posted on 24 July 2015

Between The Buried And Me – ‘Coma Ecliptic’ [Review]

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For prog-metal heavyweights Between The Buried And Me, less has never been more. They’ve built a solid career on expansive songs crammed with everything but the kitchen sink – and latest offering Coma Ecliptic sees BTBAM continue, appropriately enough, to progress.

The most immediate sign of forward movement on Coma Ecliptic is the crystal-clear Dream Theater influence that permeates the whole album from second track The Coma Machine onwards. From the clipped and spacious production job to periodically Petrucci-esque guitar work and nods in the direction of DT keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess, it’s clear that Read more…

Posted on 20 July 2015

Seething Akira – ‘Airstrike’ [Review]

Seething Akira are a sick live band – and this tune always goes down explosively when they hit stages across the country.

A super-fat chrome-plated hybrid of metal and drum ‘n’ bass that fans of the sadly defunct Pendulum will find instantly addictive, Airstrike is guaranteed to snap Read more…

Posted on 16 July 2015

Maxi Curnow – ‘Transition’ [Review]

Last year, Maxi Curnow dropped STEM – TMMP’s #2 EP of the year – and it earned that lofty ranking for good reason. This guy is a one-of-a-kind talent – a genius, as overused as that term is today – and when it comes to instrumental skill, compositional nous, and punch-to-the-gut songcraft, Maxi Curnow possesses a perspective all his own. STEM was a unique display of musical Jedi skills, a twenty-minute epic crammed with twists, turns, and tangents – and it fucking blew my mind.

Transition is a different proposition. With this album, Maxi Curnow has everything he needs to go as far as he damn well pleases.

On Transition, the influence of virtuosi as diverse as Tesseract and Guthrie Govan merge with nods in the direction of electronic experimentalist extraordinaire Björk and a lack of trepidation in embracing Read more…

Posted on 27 June 2015

Are We Having Fun Yet? – ‘Are We Having Fun Yet?’ [Review]

Weekends were made for chilling – and this two-track release from none-more-new electronica duo Are We Having Fun Yet? is perfect for anyone who needs to unwind right now. The brainchild of TMMP regular Giacomo Pope and Tom Ridley, AWHFY?’s self-titled debut is a super-cool, ultra-slick, and inventive adventure into minimalist musical space. Yes. Hear it all below… Read more…

Posted on 26 June 2015