-
The Pretty Reckless – Other Worlds
This latest offering from American post-grungers, The Pretty Reckless, comprises an eclectic mix of covers, collaborations, remixes and more. With contributions from Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron, multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes and pianist Mike Garson, The Pretty Reckless offer up a unique take on both their own and other’s music. From the opening track, the stall is set…
-
Cult of Luna – The Long Road North
Following on from the success of Cult of Luna’s 2019’s A Dawn to Fear and the 2021 EP, The Raging River comes their latest studio album The Long Road North. Opening with the rhythmic Cold Burn, this album marks the end of the musical journey the band began with A Dawn to Fear. The first…
-
The Darkness – Motorheart
It’s been nearly twenty years since I first heard a demo EP for The Darkness and booked them to play at a club night I was then running in Oxford. They played to a little over a hundred people and, as they have continued to do, completely split the room in terms of audience reaction.…
-
Epica – Omega Alive
Back in February this year, EPICA released the third part of what has become a metaphysical trilogy of the last three studio albums with the release of Ωmega. Unfortunately, in what has been a common theme these last eighteen months, they were unable to tour the album as they normally would due to some global…
-
Nightwish – Once (Remaster)
A little over eighteen years ago, Finnish Symphonic Metal Band, Nightwish, released their fifth studio album, Once, into the world. I remember listening to it maybe a year after its release while exploring the genre for the first time and being utterly blown away. If I recall correctly, the first track I heard was ‘I…
-
Foreignwolf
Irish alt-rockers ForeignWolf get up close and personal with their new EP, Your Weapons, Your Words. Four riff-packed tracks detailing the band’s experiences over lockdown begin with their latest single, Alone, evoking the likes of Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle with its hooks and harmonies. Up tempo Afterthought is very much more than its namesake with…
-
Oscars Roundup and Highlights
So, here we are… A couple of month’s later than usual and a very different ceremony to normal. But it is Oscar time once again. On a personal note, this year is very different for me, as I was given authorised press credentials for the first time ever and given access to the Virtual Media…
-
Christopher Nolan Welcomes Us Back to the Cinema with Tenet
When 2020 began the slate of film releases was looking impressive. As well as the usual franchise entries (Fast and Furious, DC, Marvel), there were also a few returning favourites (Bill and Ted, Halloween) but the one that had me most excited was an original concept by Christopher Nolan. Beyond the title ‘Tenet’, very little…
-
The Last Of Us Part 2 *SPOILERS*
Initial thoughts: It’s a wonderful coda to the original game that expands upon the narrative and gives us a perspective from several characters we know and love, as well as a few fresh ones. It seems to rely very heavily on the trope that Revenge Is Not Enough…. At several points throughout the game, I…
-
Ready Player One
It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been talking about this film for several years now, and the book for even longer. We even went as far as to compile the Ready Player One Film Challenge which we attempted and failed not once, but twice. So, it’s fair to say that we’ve been anticipating this…
