ALBUM REVIEW: Ayron Jones – Chronicles Of The Kid


 

Ayron Jones delivers blockbusting, heartbreaking, beautiful, and bluesy rock ‘n’ roll on Chronicles Of The Kid (Big Machine/John Varvatos Records). “I came for the title,” he sings. “I got a word to my rivals.” The verdict? If it’s a matter of survival, this kid’s still standing.

 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Royal Thunder – Rebuilding The Mountain


 

This band from Atlanta transcended the vest metal tag assigned to them early on, to become one of the most underrated new acts to coast under the radar of mainstream rock. The lengthy seven-year break since their last album did not help this, but Rebuilding The Mountain (Spinefarm Records) finds the band taking inventory of their demons before returning, reconfigured, with drummer Evan Diprima back in the fold.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream…


Avenged Sevenfold are potentially one of the most divisive metal acts out of the US since Metallica. All you need to do is look at their previous two albums, 2013’s Hail To The King & 2016’s The Stage to see the extreme polar oppositions these albums created. The former for how the band wore their Metallica influence on their sleeve, creating their own version of The Black Album, and then the following 2016 release throwing all of their previous influences and sounds up in the air, bringing in outside sources from the likes of Pink Floyd, and creating a wholly new progressive rock/metal experience.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Ceremony – The Old Ways Remain


 

After a seven-year wait, psychedelic rockers Blood Ceremony are back with their new album The Old Ways Remain (Rise Above Records). This is their fifth record and it sees the Canadian quartet successfully add Folk, Pop, and Jazz elements to their already multifaceted, woozy psychedelic rock.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Dorthia Cottrell – Death Folk Country


 

There is a rich tradition of Doom musicians releasing stripped-back acoustic affairs as the likes of Scott Weinrich, Tony Reed, and Mike Scheidt can attest to. Windhand‘s Dorthia Cottrell is no exception and Death Folk Country (Relapse Records) marks her second solo effort to date following a self-titled debut in 2015.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Steve Vai – Vai – Gash


 

As one of the most acclaimed guitarists and artists we have seen, Steve Vai has achieved a lot in terms of success and styles. Even so, it’s perhaps unusual to associate him with the image of Biker gangs and riding Harleys, yet this is exactly what is conjured by Vai/Gash (Mascot Label Group). Recorded around thirty years ago with his, sadly departed friend Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto, this collaboration now sees the light of day.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Jared James Nichols – Jared James Nichols


 

Critics who claim Rock And Roll is dead have not listened to Wisconsin native Jared James Nichols’ self-titled third album (Black Hill Records) which is filled with twelve pieces of evidence to the contrary. Nichols is known for his signature pick-less style and is one of only four global ambassadors for Gibson Guitars, which certainly sets expectations high for what you are about to experience.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Isafjord – Hjartastjaki


Hjartastjaki (Svart) is an almost cinematic experience, as Isafjord create bleak and desolate landscape pictures with their sombre atmospheric music. The duo of Solstafir vocalist Addi Tryggvason and multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Zolberg (Sign) wrote the album while holed up together in an old house, during the depths of an icy winter and using a broken piano to start many of their ideas.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Mother Vulture – Mother Knows Best


 

The boisterous Mother Vulture have created quite a stir, and judging from their debut Mother Knows Best (Lockdown Records) it is very easy to see why. The Bristolian four piece are a whirlwind of different sounds – punk, metal and Royal Blood like rock rolled into one rowdy whole.

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