Allan Holdsworth – Eidolon: The Allan Holdsworth Collection
You can read the full TPA Review here
...The package is very nicely put together with some good photos and an in depth essay by Chris Hoard based on an interview with Holdsworth. If you love Holdsworth’s solo work then this is a fantastic overview, but it is also the perfect place to start if you are new to the man and his genius.
R.I.P. Allan Holdsworth
Ale Bruckman’s Zaedyus Project – Patagonia
You can read the full TPA Review here
... this succinct 6-track concept album from Argentina, reissued in remastered form in 2016, will hopefully find its way into a few more ears as it’s a well put together slab of prog metal, with much else besides. From the atmospheric intro it draws the listener in with melody high on the shopping list; the sound is big and hugely enjoyable, with vocalist Augustin Konsol deserving special mention, as does the instrumental and soloing, particularly keyboard. Keys also give the music the necessary sweep and scale as composer/drummer Bruckman successfully incorporates elements of local folk music into his story of discovery. With the acoustic side allowed to shine through the band manage to cram much variety into the 35-minute running time through strong writing and arranging.
TesseracT – Errai EP
You can read the full TPA Review here
... containing 4 tracks from Polaris in radically reworked into reimagined versions, put together by sound engineer Aidan O’Brien, that remove most of the metallic trappings, Daniel Tompkins’ supremely confident yet imploringly emotional vocals escaping the dense backdrop of the originals, supported here by sparse keyboards and largely stripped down rhythms. The effect is a shimmering and brittle listen which is at times enthralling, offering further insights into the arrangement of the Polaris material.
The Bob Lazar Story – Baritonia
You can read the full TPA Review here
... It is music like this that makes me want to keep on hearing new stuff, music inspired by a wide range of influences and processed through wilfully obtuse minds to produce satisfyingly unexpected results. It gets better with each play, a cohesive salvo of accessible (but not TOO accessible!) weirdness that should be available on the NHS, such are its healing properties**.
I just love the beautiful craziness of it all. It’s uplifting and inspiring, and in a world of lies, deception and clusterfuckery on the grandest scale ever, we need this more than ever.
Tervahäät – Kalmonsäie
You can read the full TPA Review here
... Tervahäät have subsequently released the Taival abum, which I will have to seek out, and across four albums they have taken wintry ambient landscapes, industrial sounds and ritual avant garde folk to create songs forged in the countryside of the old region of Savonia in the east of Finland, an area rich with history and spiritual significance. This is not an easy listen but give it the time it deserves and it becomes an enthralling one, the bleakness and austerity of a formidable environment seeping out of every pore.
Naryan – Black Letters
You can read the full TPA Review here
... Give Black Letters a proper listen and it won’t let you down. Yes, it is indeed a solemn and melancholic affair, but the attention to detail, the instrumentation and the determination of the band in making this album the best they can shines through, so hats off to all concerned. Gothic with a small ‘g’, Naryan don’t overplay their hand and the writing, arrangements and performances are all of high quality. This is a band that has real class, the result being an uplifting listen – as long as you don’t stray too far into the lyrics! I understand that the next release isn’t going to be as bleak – I hope that doesn’t diminish their appeal as they have some good stuff going on here.
Marvin B. Naylor – The Spiral Sky
You can read the full TPA Review here
... There’s a genuine quality to Marvin and his music, he’s doing what he does the only way he can and generally the results are a pleasing listen. He can sometimes get a little twee but we can easily forgive him, it’s good to know that he’s out there, playing for the good folk of Winchester who probably don’t appreciate him as much as they should.
Mew - Visuals
You can read the full TPA Review here
... Visuals is smoother and less wilfully difficult than the last couple of release, and whilst upping the quirk factor here and there it successfully works within the Mew blueprint whilst being more accessible than they can often be. It’s a very likeable album and after acclimatising during the first couple of listens it has had me grinning from ear to ear ever since and is still on heavy rotation.
Having returned to releasing their music independently, over the course of 20 years Mew have resolutely adhered to their principles, creating the music that they want to make, when they want to make it. They are to be cherished, a unique proposition that appeals to listeners across a number of styles and genres. Their rare shows in the U.K. later this month are a mouthwatering prospect.
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