Yossi Sassi – ‘Desert Butterflies’ [Review]

yossi sassi desert butterfliesIn an endless ocean of heavy-shredding soundalikes, instrumental rock guitarist Yossi Sassi stands out a mile. Fusing impressive compositional skills with masterful technique and no small amount of hard-earned feel, Sassi quickly dives into subtle time signature changes on the mellifluous Marty Friedman collaboration Orient Sun before Read more…

Posted on 10 February 2015

Incubus – ‘Absolution Calling’ [Review]

incubus absolution callingIncubus are one of my favourite bands of all time – and so this review is subject to a certain level of overexcited-fanboy bias. Oh well. One of my favourite things about Incubus is their willingness to challenge Read more…

Posted on 06 February 2015

Red Seas Fire – ‘Blood Bank’ [Review]

red seas fire resolutionIn an age of unrelenting retromania, music desperately needs to move forward. In the rock and metal underground, we’re lucky to be a part of that movement in supporting bands like Red Seas Fire. Massively syncopated, sensorily hyperstimulating, and modern yet emotive and non-clinical, Blood Bank forms just one quarter of Read more…

Posted on 06 February 2015

Jamie Lenman [Interview]

jamie lenman press shot

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Of all the shows I caught during Independent Venue Week, Jamie Lenman’s Saturday night acoustic set at the Boileroom in Guildford most effectively captured the community spirit celebrated by IVW. Intimate, emotional, and packed with Lenman fans old and new, it was a genuine experience made truly special by Read more…

Posted on 03 February 2015

Black Peaks – ‘Glass Built Castles’ [Review]

black peaks glass built castles

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Genres and scenes can be separated into three groups: those who lead, those who follow, and Read more…

Posted on 03 February 2015

Jamie Lenman / Lindsay West / Lee Martin [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 31/1/15]

jamie lenman press shotAfter the previous evening’s You Me At Six-centric pop-rock extravaganza, Guildford was in need of something a little more low-key this past Saturday night. Fortunately the Boileroom’s booking team had it covered, offering acoustic vibes from two underground talents and one certain legend; a perfect contrast to the full-on mainstream rock angle taken just 24 hours before.

Lee Martin got things off to a quirky and passionate start with Read more…

Posted on 02 February 2015

Almeida / Atiptoe / Parachute For Gordo / Throatpunch City [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 27/1/15]

boileroom label shocase almeidaFuck Suzuki. Their cars are crap. My formerly faithful four-wheeler failed at completing a function even more basic than going forwards, and refused to even start. While Throatpunch City were getting through their set, I was pretty much doing this:

One train journey later, and Parachute For Gordo were, as always, goddamn incredible. Few instrumental post-rock bands infuse their music with Read more…

Posted on 28 January 2015

Periphery – ‘Juggernaut Alpha / Juggernaut Omega’ [Review]

periphery juggernaut

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As I write these words, the internet is exploding. To say that this concept double album has been hotly anticipated is a major understatement; to judge from all the hype, Juggernaut is nothing less than the metal world’s equivalent of a cancer cure.

Well, is it?

I’m glad you asked. Read more…

Posted on 27 January 2015

Project RnL – ‘Twisted Truth’ [Review]

project rnlThis song brought a Halloween-pumpkin grin to my face before the first bar was even through. As a long-time Project RnL supporter, I have to say that Read more…

Posted on 22 January 2015

Speaker Face feat. Rachel Sermanni – ‘Vertical’ [Review]

Screen shot 2015-01-16 at 13.19.53I’ve never heard anything quite like this.

The automatic response to the unfamiliar is often to find a quick way to dismiss it, to chuck it in the metal box labelled Read more…

Posted on 16 January 2015

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