Nick Johnston – ‘Remarkably Human’ [Review]

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Is less more?

It’s a question as old as time itself. Modern guitar music tends to reflect the more-is-more mentality. Today’s axe-slingers generally aim for more technique, for more notes in less space, to add more gymnastic tricks to their arsenals.

Sometimes, more really is more; see the likes of Steve Vai and Levin Minnemann Rudess for proof. Most of the time, though, it isn’t. Do a few guitar solo searches on YouTube, and it won’t be long before you get sick to death of the sound of a million wankers wanking, saying literally fuck all Read more…

Posted on 04 August 2016

Carina Round – ‘Deranged To Divine’ [Review]

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Listening to the career retrospective of an artist you’ve only just discovered can be a dangerous proposition. If it sucks, you’re fine; life continues as normal. If it’s great, on the other hand, you may be at serious risk of kicking yourself half to death for your ignorance.

So, if you’ve never heard of Carina Round before now, you’ll need to focus in order to keep your feet rooted to the floor rather than buried in your own backside. Deranged To Divine covers fourteen years of temporal ground, collecting cuts from four solo albums and an EP alongside two previously unreleased recordings (namely Gunshot and an alternate take of Want More), totalling nineteen tracks if you buy it on iTunes. It is also, to say the least, pretty fucking good.

As well as counting herself a member of Puscifer – the electro-industrial brainchild of Tool’s Maynard James Keenan – Carina Round has collected her fair share of legendary fans, among them Lou Reed, Ryan Adams, Billy Corgan, Dave Stewart and Brian Eno. You don’t get to that level of respect without demonstrating exceptional dedication to your art. But if Carina Round’s credentials aren’t enough, the music contained within Deranged To Divine is Read more…

Posted on 28 July 2016

Periphery – ‘Periphery III: Select Difficulty’ [Review]

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They say that when you hit the top, it’s all downhill from there. Holding on to peak position rarely lasts forever. Sooner or later, a new challenger appears, and overtakes you.

That may be the case for most bands, but Periphery are not your average metalhead collective. From the first note of their eponymous debut, released back in 2010, Periphery have established themselves as one of a kind. You can compete with technique, production value, and marketing, but you cannot compete with originality.

Their unique voice aside, Periphery remain one of the metal world’s most respected bands because they’re fucking ambitious. Whether focussing on a more organic sound for Periphery II, showcasing each member’s individual songwriting skills on the gorgeous Clear EP, or diving into full-on prog territory with Juggernaut Alpha and Juggernaut Omega (both released only last year)…man alive. These guys just don’t know how to slack off – and thank God for that Read more…

Posted on 22 July 2016

Needtobreathe – ‘Hard Love’ [Review]

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When you have five albums, a Grammy nomination, and sellout arena shows behind you, where do you go from there? How do you propel yourself over those final few hurdles and hit that next level? Needtobreathe now face that problem – a quality problem, sure, but a problem nonetheless Read more…

Posted on 12 July 2016

Biffy Clyro – ‘Ellipsis’ [Review]

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Back in 2002, few people would have predicted that Biffy Clyro would reach the heights they have today. Thousands hoped that success would rain upon the Scottish trio – but on paper, it still seemed unlikely. Biffy have always been a complex, intricate proposition, no matter how many great hooks they proved capable of conjuring up – and the Number One spot is generally reserved for those who appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Of course, Opposites – a double album, no less – proved past doubters, myself included, wrong. Despite my love of prog and long-term Biffy fan status, Opposites still flew over my head, although I still got a warm fuzzy feeling from watching them finally make it. Read more…

Posted on 08 July 2016

In Dynamics – ‘Everything I See’ [Review]

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When I first heard In Dynamics’ second EP Questions back in 2014, I was floored. Few bands are that on it so early on in their recording careers. In Dynamics were a hot prospect then – and over the past two years they’ve been hard at work crafting this full-length alongside Chris Coulter, the production mind behind releases from Arcane Roots and Jamie Lenman.

Fans of the above and Biffy Clyro should probably get a bucket before listening to Everything I See, because they will be salivating for the duration – and nobody wants drool drying into their carpet Read more…

Posted on 06 July 2016

Steve Vai – ‘Modern Primitive / Passion And Warfare’ [Review]

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Ask any instrumental guitarist who their key influences are, and you can safely bet that Steve Vai’s name will appear somewhere on that list. A former Joe Satriani student, Frank Zappa stunt guitarist, and alumnus of David Lee Roth’s post-Van Halen solo band as well as Alcatrazz and Whitesnake, Steve Vai’s style merges the virtuosic gymnastics, freaky weirdness, and rock star flamboyance required to survive and thrive during his enviable first-hand musical education. Since the 1980s, Vai has climbed every peak the rock world set before him – a fact that’s earned him the respect of peers and fans alike.

Modern Primitive is a career retrospective, Vai-style. Steve Vai is not known for thinking inside the box or doing anything half-assed, preferring instead to constantly immerse himself in a hands-on approach to every detail of every song, album, and show. The results are consistently one of a kind, and Modern Primitive is no different in that regard Read more…

Posted on 24 June 2016