New and Updated

Updated 28th March:

Limite Acque Sicure (Italy): Limite Acque Secure (Minotauro M 2022-5. CD, with slipcase, 2022)
Progressive
Ambra Bianchi (percussion, flute, harp, backing vocals)
This is classic Rock Progressivo Italiano: richly textured, melodic, atmospheric and stately. But it’s also far more dynamic than the norm, spiced up with lots of tempo changes and some crunchy riffing. The results are frequently remarkable. GRADE: B–.

Puzzlepie (Germany): Sink Or Swim (Whoope WR 61487, CD, 2005)
Rock/Progressive
Sibylle Karpati (joint lead vocals), Fatuma Juma (joint lead vocals), Suzanne von Sicherer (joint lead vocals)
Quite different from their first, this concept album (I think) about the Israel-Gaza conflict consists of a suite of shortish songs covering a wide range of rock and folk territory. It’s all rather good and likely to appeal to fans of high quality neoprog; the only real link with their debut is the distinctly theatrical feel. GRADE: C+.

Stinking Lizaveta (USA): Stinking Lizaveta (No label, cassette, 1994)
Metal
Cheshire Agusta (drums)
This unusual band is basically a power trio, playing instrumental metal with a jazzy edge. Not a progressive or jam band as one might expect from the format, nor demonstrating any grunge or hardcore leanings despite Steve Albini producing, they offer a succession of deft and nimble pieces. Of course, there’s a limit to the variety that can be achieved with just three instruments, and this isn’t the world’s most significant album, but it’s certainly very enjoyable. As a footnote, this was their second demo; I have never encountered their first. GRADE: C+.
Stinking Lizaveta (USA): Live 2023 (SRA SRA061, 2025, recorded 2023)
Metal
Cheshire Agusta (drums)
Despite their instrumental format and jazzy proclivities, thits outfit don’t like to jam, so what does la Stinking Lizaveta live album sound like? A Stinking Lizaveta studio album with a little talking between the tracks, of course. GRADE: C+.

Valtozash (Australia): Wizard-Bird (No label, CDR, with digipak, 2017)
Jazz/Metal/Progressive
Moniqua Lowth (trombone)
Metal has brought us some fascinating cross-genre fusions over the years, but this blend of crushing riffs and big band jazz is something new. Wholly instrumental, Valtozash’s music has a certain early seventies feel: one could imagine much of this music appearing on Vertigo, though of course minus the overt metal elements. If the album has a failing, there’s a limited amount of variety between the tracks – but then that’s often the way with innovative bands who have perfected a particular trick. GRADE: B–.
Valtozash (Australia): Boiling Solitude (No label, CDR, with digipak, 2021)
Jazz/Metal/Progressive
Moniqua Lowth (trombone)
The addition of occasional vocals – of the death variety, needless to say – does them few favours, but otherwise this is little short of astounding. Wilder, more daring and more experimental than their debut, it offers a continuous suite of music that’s always challenging, constantly dynamic and inventive, and remarkable in the confidence in which it melds diverse musical traditions to breathtaking effect. GRADE: B.

Updated 21st March:

Analog Missionary (USA): Transmitter (No label, CDR, with sticker, 2002)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Anstrom
Shorn of their soundtrack ambitions, Analog Missionary deliver a song-based album that’s radically different from their debut. After hearing one or two songs, this sounds like a B– thanks to the hard-riffing guitars, spacy atmospheres, soaring vocals and lashings of melodrama; however, they use the same modus operandi on nearly every track. But if that description makes you think you’ll adore this, it probably will be a B– for you. GRADE: C+.

Black Pie (Italy): Angels (Black Widow BWRCD 271-2, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)
Rock/Metal
Elena Villa (lead vocals, bass, mandolin)
These sorts of retro hard rock albums aren’t exactly uncommon – Italian and Swedish bands in particular seem to love this style and this brings to mind all the usual suspects (Blues Pills, Children Of The Sün and Ramrod are just three names that spring to mind). I love this style too and this is a good example of the style: whilst some cuts are better than others there is a fair amount of variety and some clever production touches, though my B– may be a little on the generous side. In contrast, E– would be generous for the mastering, which is some of the worst I’ve ever heard. GRADE: B–.

Envy Of None (USA/Canada): Envy Of None (Kscope KSCOPE582LP/CD, blue vinyl LP plus double CD, with booklet, UK, 2022)
Rock
Maiah Wynne (lead vocals, keyboards)
Alex Lifeson’s post-Rush supergroup can be summed up in two words: pure Garbage. That’s not a comment on the quality of the music, which is decent enough atmospheric rock, but an assertion that this takes most of its cues from Shirley Manson’s band: the same chunky guitars, sensual vocals, electronic embellishments and mildly trippy atmospheres. It’s a more than creditable pastiche and thoroughly deserving of a C+; had they written a ‘Stupid Girl’ or ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ it might have merited a B–. GRADE: C+.

Updated 14th March:

Mostly Autumn (UK): Seawater (Seawater (Mostly Autumn AUT0359, double CD, with digipak and booklet, 2025)|
Rock/Progressive
Olivia Sparnenn (joint lead vocals, keyboards), Angela Goldthorpe (flute, whistle, backing vocals)
One can’t accuse Mostly Autumn of lacking ambition: this epic double album runs for nearly two hours and includes a 19-minute title track plus another of nine. Their grandiosity doesn’t stop there: almost every song, rocker or ballad, builds to a majestic climax with a passionate chorus and one of Bryan Josh’s soaring Gilmour-esque solos. However, as that description implies one could accuse the band of lacking ideas, though this does help me to place them conceptually. I never really believed they wanted to be Pink Floyd, but now I think they want to be a stadium-rock band – these songs are made to be belted out by the multitudes. Had they formed 20 years earlier, it might have happened for them. GRADE: C+.

Hudson Swan Band (UK): Flyte Of Fancy (Lochshore CDLDL 1278, CD, 1998)
Folk/Rock
Sue Swan (lead vocals), Lindsey Hunt (keyboards, flute, backing vocals)
Whilst this retains some of the delicate acoustic moments and distinctive gauziness of their first, it’s much more rock-oriented, with drums (which mostly sound programmed, although a live drummer is credited) on many tracks plus some electric guitar. Which Swan Band album you prefer will depend on your taste for mainly acoustic versus partly electric folk, but to these ears they’re both excellent. GRADE: B–.

Viper Solfa (Norway): Carving An Icon (Massacre MAS CD0889, CD, Germany, 2015)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals)
This project, led by Trail Of Tears’ Ronny Thorsen, is uncannily similar to Renvåg’s old band Ram-Zet. Whether it’s quite the equal of Ram-Zet’s best work is debatable, but all the elements are here: the combination of blackened and melodic vocals, the same wild tempo changes and the same eclecticism. As with Ram-Zet, it’s all a bit relentless but it’s certainly inventive and bracing. GRADE: B–.
See also Ram-Zet

Updated 7th March:

Funeral (Norway): Gospel Of Bones (Season Of Mist SOM795D, CD, with digipak and booklet, France, 2024)
Metal
Kari Kleiven (occasional vocals), Ingvild Johannesen (strings, programming)
This funeral doom album is certainly majestic, with Ingevild Johanessen’s strings adding considerable gravitas to the proceedings. There’s also a fair level of variety as they’re not afraid to up the tempo when strictly necessary. I’m less convinced by the liturgical, almost basso profundo vocals: whilst well-executed, they make the music a little too gloomy and portentous (though this was probably the point) so the brief soprano contribution by guest Kari Kleiven on the opener lifts the mood significantly. GRADE: C+.
See also Ram-Zet

Grateful Dead (USA): Dave’s Picks Volume 53 (Rhino R2 726975, triple HDCD, with digipak and booklet, 2025, recorded 1976)
Rock/Psychedelic
Donna Godchaux (principal vocals)
This may be from 1976 but it sounds like more like ’77-vintage Dead, with the same metronomic slickness that made the legendary 8th May show so compelling. This doesn’t quite equal that benchmark show, but it’s one of the more impressive Dave’s Picks for some time. As a footnote, the album also includes the ive missing tracks from the 4th May 1977 show, allowing the entire show to be reconstructed. On doing so, I concluded this was another outstanding performance, also meriting a B. GRADE: B.

Grendel’s Sÿster (Germany): Katabasis Into The Abaton/Abstieg In Die Traumkammer (Cruz Del Sur Music CRUZ151, CD, 2024)
Metal/Folk
Caro (lead vocals)
At its best – the beautiful ballad ‘Golden Key (Won’t Fit)’, with plenty of Mellotron, and the majestic ‘The Fire That Lights Itself’ – this is stunning stuff. Elsewhere this sometimes crosses the line between ‘bracing’ and ‘hectoring’, but it’s altogether a more accomplished and confident set than their debut. Once again, all the songs are delivered first in English and then in German, at least in the download CD versions: nine songs apiece, totalling 85 minutes for the former, and eight apiece for the latter, whilst the vinyl has just eight songs in English. GRADE: B–.

Malarchy Band (UK): One Thousand Years From Home (No label malcd4, CD, 2007)
Folk/Rock/World Music
Jane Harwood (bass, flute), Jo Levine (accordion), Nell Farrally (violin)
With both Russ Stanley and Jane Harwood involved, this could more-or-less be viewed as a continuation of the Cheapsuit Oroonies, but with a distinctly different musical style. Dropping that band’s psychedelic elements and surreal humour, this is a virtuosic, intricate set of world music and klezmer-influenced instrumentals with semi-electric arrangements, not a million miles away from, say, Tin Hat. Given the quality of the playing, it feels mean to give this a C+, but there’s not much variety here and with 25 shortish tracks segued together there’s nothing in the way of improvisation either. GRADE: C+.

See also Cheapsuit Oroonies, Oroonies

Second Oracle (Sweden): Second Oracle (Lazy Octopus LAZYORACLE001, with inner, 2019)
Psychedelic
Lisa Isaksson (joint lead vocals, guitar, flute), Rebecka Rolfart (joint lead vocals, bass), Karin Engqvist (keyboards), Josefina Pukitis (drums)
No prizes for guessing that this offshoot from Our Solar System offers spacy psychedelia, with lengthy, drifting organ and flute-led soundscapes. And since I’ve loved just about everything that has emerged from this particular pool of musicians, no prizes for guessing that is a B–. GRADE: B–.
See also Hashish, Laike, Life On Earth!, Lisa & Piu, Lüüp, Me & My Kites, Our Solar System

Jenny Sorrenti & Tullio Angelini (Italy): Néos Saint Just (MoreMusic Momus 015, CD, with digipak and booklet, 2024)
Singer/Songwriter/Ambient
Jenny Sorrenti (lead vocals, keyboards)
Despite the title, this is nothing like Saint Just: it’s essentially ambient music, with Jenny Sorrenti’s haunting voice and piano overlaid with electronics and occasionally other instruments. The results are haunting, beautiful and sepulchral, with a slight psychedelic edge, though with seven songs spanning 31½ minutes the term ‘slight’ also applies in a more pejorative context. GRADE: C+.

Hudson Swan Band (UK): Prospect Lane (Lochshore CDLDL 1239, CD, 1996)
Folk/Rock
Sue Swan (principal vocals), Lindsey Hunt (keyboards, whistle, backing vocals)
This band were from the north of England, but their album reminds me of seventies Clannad, with the same intricate acoustic arrangements occasionally leavened by some percussion to add a little rock energy. With settings based around guitar, bouzouki, keyboards and violin, they achieve a haunting and beautiful sound with lots of classical references, adding a shimmering sheen to the traditional songs and contemporary covers alike. GRADE: B–.

Verdun (USA): Verdun (RCI 829757-81682-1, CD, 2004)
Progressive/Metal/World Music/Avant-Garde
Martha Roebuck (joint lead vocals), Ngoc Hoàng (joint lead vocals)
Crossing experimental rock with Vietnamese music and some electronic elements, this is a thoroughly modern prog album – there are no 10-minute tracks, ostentatious tempo changes or spidery solos here. There is, however, an agreeable level of variety, from hard-riffing passages with off-kilter rhythms to almost ambient sections; they even throw in covers (or, perhaps more accurately, deconstructioms) of ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Stand By Your Man’ to keep us guessing. GRADE: B–.

Updated 28th February:

Analog Missionary (USA): Voyage Of The Demeter (No label, CDR, with sticker, 2000)
Psychedelic/Progressive
Anstrom
The track titles tell their own story: ‘The Black Carriage’, ‘Mina’s Letter’, ‘Passage To Bremen’ and ‘From Flight To Capture’ confirm that this is the soundtrack to a non-existent film rather than an album per se. The music is pitched somewhere between dreamy psychedelia and keyboard-led sympho-prog: I can hear strong echoes of Enya and a few hints of Popol Vuh, though there are several heavy rock-oriented numbers that effectively vary the pace. But whilst the music is well-crafted, atmospheric and absorbing, this suffers from the problem facing many soundtrack albums – it’s all a bit fragmentary and the music occasionally sounds secondary to the (non-existent) film. As a footnote, the packaging is very basic indeed – a slimlime CD case with no booklet or rear tray card. GRADE: C+.

Ava Marie (USA): The Night Of The House Fire (No lsbel, download, 2013)
Folk
Not a female soloist as one might expect, Ava Marie was a band including a female member. She contributes some backing vocals here and possibly some instrumentation, though this 26-minute EP is pretty minimalist – male vocals set against acoustic guitar and/or keyboard plus occasional spund effects, creating a wintry, sepulchral vibe. The slightly mannered, all-American singing style could divide opinions, however. GRADE: C+.

Byron (Finland): The Omega Evangelion (The Goatmancer GR07, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, Italy, 2021)
Metal
Johanna Eteläkari (principal vocals)
My favourite metal is eclectic, experimental or progressive and preferably some blend of all those things. This is none of them, being old-school seventies and eighties-influenced mainstream metal, but it is a particularly good example of the genre – nicely understated, with well-crafted mid-length songs and not a hint of Spinal Tap-esque clichés or histrionics. GRADE: B–.
Byron (Finland): Chapter II: The Lotus Covenant (The Goatmancer GR2401, CD, with gatefold minisleeve, Italy, 2024)
Metal
Johanna Eteläkari (principal vocals)
Despite the majestic title, this is even less substantial than their debut, clocking in at a fraction over 33 minutes. Nonetheless, it’s more confident and varied, with a beautiful symphonic ballad and some well-judged keyboards and cello. More importantly, once the again the melodies, riffs and tempos are spot on, making this as good an example of its style as you’re likely to find. GRADE: B–.

Crash Mighty (France): You Don’t Know Me (No label, download, 2018)
Rock/Metal
Dinny (lead vocals, tambourine)
They describe themselves as ‘math-rock’ and ‘punk’, but whilst the vocals are somewhat punky this is basically good old-fashioned hard rock with supple playing and some excellent leads. Then again, there’s a cliché that much seventies punk was badly played hard rock, so where does one draw the line? GRADE: C+.

Dark Mother (UK): Dark Mother (No label, cassette, 2015)
Metal
Holly Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), Tanya Byrne (bass), Bethan Louise (drums)
Like Tanya Byrne’s numerous other projects, this is sludgy doom metal, in this case with androgynous vocals creating a striking similarity with Windhand. With three songs totalling just under 13 minutes, it’s difficult to come to a definitive assessment of Dark Mother’s musical quality, but this is certainly pretty good (if not particularly distinctive) sludgy doom. GRADE: C+.
Dark Mother (UK): Dark Mother/Shrykull Split (Vedala VET023, 7", 2017)
Holly Johnson (lead vocals, guitar), Tanya Byrne (bass), Bethan Louise (drums)
There’s even less music to judge here: one song apiece from Dark Mother (the five-minute ‘Giving True’) and fellow (all-male) Nottingham band Skrykull (the six-minute ‘The Black Moon’). Again the Dark Mother track is rather good, whilst Shrykull’s contribution is in a doomdeath vein and less to my taste, though still perfectly listenable. GRADE: C+.

Dry Heart (UK): Dry Heart (No label, acetate, with inserts, 1970)
Folk/Psychedelic
Anne Rounce (joint lead vocals)
This actetate, created in a run of 10 copies, has such an incredible atmosphere that it almost acts as a time machine, transporting one back to an era when mournful, mildly trippy folk with an ISB influence was being created in bedrooms and low-budget studios up and down the land. As such, it functions in the same way as, say, masterpieces like Stone Angel or Courtyard Music Group or Caedmon. The only problem is that it doesn’t have great songs like Stone Angel or Courtyard Music Group or Caedmon. GRADE: B–.

Grendel’s Sÿster (Germany): Myrtle Wreath/Myrtenkranz (No label, CD, with gatefold minisleeve and booklet, 2019)
Metal/Folk
Caro (lead vocals)
Grendel’s Sÿster play folk metal, but in a completely different style from, say, Lumsk or Cruachan; despite being German, they also don’t sound like Ougenweide with heavy riffs. Instead they blend folk with power metal, solely using female vocals, electric guitars and drums: the results are often bracing and sometimes quite impressive, so in theory this should be a solid B–. But there’s a slight feeling of something missing, and I suspect that something is variety, in terms of both the arrangements and tempos, not helped by the fact they deliver the same set of songs first in English and then in German. Indeed, the one time they vary their formula, on the acapella closer, the album gets a significant lift and would have benefited from such innovations elsewhere. GRADE: C+.

Naomi (USA): Cottage Songs (Cottage, 1975)
Singer/Songwriter
Naomi Lewis (lead vocals, guitar, clarinet, ukelele, kazoo)
When I first heard this rare and expensive album I was somewhat underwhelmed, but listening to it again I find it genrle, charming and beatific. It's also welcome to find an American seventies singer/songwriter displaying no obvious influences from either Joni Mitchell or Carole King. On the downside, it sometimes crosses the line between delicate and twee, but perhaps that’s only to be expected from an LP with lyrics about love, nature, and occasionally Jesus Christ. GRADE: C+.
Naomi (USA): Seagulls And Sunflowers (Cottage, 1976)
Singer/Songwriter
Naomi Lewis (lead vocals, guitar)
Slightly more varied than her first, this ranges from the straight rock of ‘There Will Be Music’ and ‘Rock Me’ to the delicate instrumental title track. Once again, it’s sometimes a little too sweet and I can’t imagine her figuring among anyone’s all-time favourite singer/songwriters but Ms Lewis certainly had more talent than many of her contemporaries who landed major label deals. GRADE: C+.

Regan & Bricheno (UK): Apparitions (No label, download, 2024)
Folk/Rock
Julianne Bricheno (lead vocals, bass, keyboards, programming)
The big question here is about authenticity rather than a quality – it is possible in 2024 to recapture the unique atmosphere of a band that in the late eighties recaptured the unique atmosphere of the late sixties and early seventies? Apparitions doesn’t really provide a definitive answer: unlike the woeful Iceland this is consistently lovely and consistently true to the spirit of All About Eve. But there’s a still a slight feeling that there’s something missing: only once or twice could I believe I was actually listening to late eighties All About Eve and I’m not sure whether this is due to the absence of Andy Cousin or Paul Samwell-Smith or simply a few truly killer songs. GRADE: B–.

Throbbing Gristle (UK): At The ICA London (Industrial IRC 2, cassette, 1979, recorded 1976)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanni Tutti
This recording of a 1976 gig has both remarkably good sound quality considering its source and remarkably challenging music considering its era. Even in the anything-goes musical mood of ’76, this must have sounded wild beyond belief – a world away from pub-rock-masquerading-as-punk. It still sounds wild and innovative today. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Industrial IR0008, with poster and photo, 1979)
Avant-Garde/Pop
Cosey Fanni Tutti (occasional vocals, guitar, synthesiser, cornet)
Notwithstanding the sardonic title, this adds a sharp electro-pop sensibility to the band’s experimental sound, indicating for the first time that they have a real gift for melody. Their blending of styles remains very weird, which is to the album’s credit, and as a mishmash of the accessible and the forbidding 20 Jazz Funk Greatsinvites regular replays in a way that much of their other work doesn’t. GRADE: B–.

Updated 21st February:

A Brand New Day (USA): A Brand New Day (No label 32365, with insert, 1978)
Country/Pop/Rock
Janine Staniszewski (joint lead vocals, percussion)
Cut by a trio following the Bahá’I faith, this is a charming and very professional rural rock set, with all-original material. As an added bonus, the lyrics are philosophical or whimsical rather than overtly religious and the best couple of cuts are a real delight. GRADE: C+.

Centrifugal Force (Canada): Matter (Uforia UFOCD02, CD, 1998)
Progressive
Jacqueline Sloan (occasional vocals, synthesiser)
This odd project by Colin Doroschuk of Men Without Hats falls broadly under the progressive banner but is far more eccentric than that description suggests. Blending singer/songwriter, post-punk and electronic elements plus a considerable amount of spacy synth-prog, it goes in all kinds of different directions and is frequently startling in its changes of style and oddball sonic stews. Not everything works well and the album takes a few minutes to achieve lift-off, but this is certainly an interesting and radical set. GRADE: B–.

Ram-Zet (Norway): Freaks In Wonderland (Space Valley SVR006, CD, 2011)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (occasional vocals), Karoline Amb (keyboards, accordion, backing vocals)
An impressive swansong from the Ram-Zet crew: like its predecessor, this constantly jars, surprises, wrongfoots and delights the listener. This makes it all the sadder that they split up, but then again it’s hard to see where they could have gone from here. GRADE: B–.
See also Funeral, Viper Solfa

Throbbing Gristle (UK): DoA – The Third And Final Report (Industrial IR0004, with calendar and postcard, 1978)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitar, effects, tapes)
This is far more varied than their previous outings – everything from symphonic synth-pop to mutant rock jamming to snatches of voices over minimalist backing. But whilst frequently fascinating, the set – like a lot of avant-garde excursions – ultimately feels rather fragmentary, with not much to hang onto. GRADE: C+.

Updated 14th February:

Belzebub (UK): Up Jumped The Devil (No label SRTX/82/CUS 1496, 1982)
Folk
Joan Halliday (occasional vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Based on the six tracks I’ve heard, this is pleasant enough traditional folk, with a few minor folk/rock edges, some faint Home Service edges (notably in the occasional use of brass) and an unwelcome vaudevillian edge on the closing ‘Gorgonzola Cheese’. It’s all pleasant enough, but doesn’t exactly inspire me to purchase a copy so I can hear the other four songs. GRADE: C+.

Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (CBS PFC 80047, 1980)
Singer/Songwriter
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (lead vocals, piano)
The former Beau Dommage member’s solo debut consists of sophisticated singer/songwriter music with faint jazz/funk edges. Whilst beautifully crafted, with backing from Québec’s top session players, the results are insufficiently heartfelt to qualify as outstanding singer/songwriter music and insufficiently catchy to qualify as quality pop. GRADE: C.
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Plus Fort (Kébec-Disc KDS-585, 1983)
Pop
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (lead vocals)
‘Moins Fort’ might have been a better title, as this collection of second-rate funky eighties pop songs makes her undistinguished debut sound like a masterpiece in comparison. Worse, this has the thin, trebly sound typical of many late seventies and early eighties Québecois albums, meaning it could strip paint on some of the high notes. What’s more, like many late seventies and early French albums, it’s incredibly short – seven songs totalling little more than 25 minutes – so not only is the food terrible but the portions are small too. GRADE: D.
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (Canada): Aimer Pour Aimer (Polydor 2424 252, with booklet, 1985)
Pop
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (principal vocals)
With a 12-minute closing number, this is considerably more ambitious than Plus Fort and also has much better songs. However, the same eighties high-tech approach to the arrangements and production somewhat negates the improvement. Desrosiers went on to cut several more albums which I haven’t heard, but I’d be amazed if any of them rose above a C+. GRADE: C.
See also Beau Dommage

Ram-Zet (Norway): Pure Therapy (Spikefarm Naula 009, CD, 2000)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (occasional vocals), Renate Grimsbø Kuldbrandstad (occasional vocals)
Blending influences from all different kinds of extreme music – black and power metal, hints of techo, frequent classical and avant-garde touches – and topping off the relentless riffing with death vocals, violin and even Abba-like female choruses, Pure Therapy aims to explore a schizophrenic man’s mind and the results are frequently fascinating, though at times almost overwhelming, meaning many listeners may find this more interesting than enjoyable. GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Escape (Spikefarm Naula 022, CD, 2002)
Metal/Progressive/Avant-Garde
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals), Ingvild Johannesen (violin, backing vocals)
This is more progressive and slightly more adventurous than their first, but there’s not a lot to choose between them. Whilst resembling lots of other bands, Ram-Zet blend their disparate metal influences into a distinctive whole, but whilst they’re admirably bold they may remain too relentless for some ears. GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Intra (Tabu Recordings RUBA013, CD, 2005)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg, Ingvild Johannesen
The final part of the conceptual trilogy initiated with Pure Therapy is probably the best: the music has more stürm und drang and more variety without losing any of its pummelling power. The result is a frequently remarkable slice of experimental metal (or should that be mental?). GRADE: B–.
Ram-Zet (Norway): Neutralized (Ascendance ASC23014CD, CD, UK, 2009)
Metal
Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg (joint lead vocals), Karoline Amb (keyboards)
Whilst this doesn’t add much to the impression created by their first three albums, it’s outstanding in its own right. Throwing everything from church music to classical guitar to world music references into the mix, Ram-Zet deliver another constantly surprising and highly experimental set that’s almost dizzying in its level of eclecticism. GRADE: B–.

Skypark (USA): Summer Days Are Forever (Shelflife LIFE 006, CD, 1998)
Pop
Jen Cohen, Ariadni Londos
Living up to its title, this 15-miinute EP offers nicely trippy if slightly generic indie pop that sometimes resembles Galaxie 500 and similarly displays a strong influence from the third Velvet Underground albums. Most of the members went on to lengthy careers with other bands. GRADE: C+.

Skyron Orchestra (Sweden): Skyron Orchestra (Transubstans TRANS004, CD, 2004)
Rock/Metal
Veronica Lonstjärna (lead vocals), Anna Glans (organ)
From the band name I was expecting this to be space-rock, but it’s actually that retro-styled early seventies-sounding hard rock beloved by Swedish bands. I’m a sucker for this style when it’s combined with convincing riffs and powerful solos – and this case it is. It’s also to their credit that I suspect they were a major influence on the next generation of Swedish bands in this style, from Blues Pills to Children Of The Sün. GRADE: B–.
Skyron Orchestra (Sweden): Situations (Transubstans TRANS018, CD, 2006)
Garage/Rock/Metal
Veronica Lonstjärna (principal vocals), Anna Glans (occasional vocals, keyboards)
Time goes backwards for Skyron Orchestra here: this is late sixties-styled garage rock with lots of trebly organ, though also plenty of the heavy riffing that characterised their debut. The only thing missing is any real jamming; maybe they’d have got to that had they survived to cut a third album. GRADE: B–.

Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Best Of Vol I (No label, cassette, 1976)
Avant-Garde/Psychedelic
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Issued only as a private cassette for friends and contacts, this influential band’s debut consists of scrappy jams with weird electronic effects, stepping forward from the stranger end of Krautrock. The results are fascinating and must have seemed astounding in the very different musical climate of 1976, but there’s very little variety over the album’s 80 minutes. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Best Of Vol II (No label, cassette, 1976)
Avant-Garde/Psychedelic
Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitar, effects)
In contrast to Volume I, this mostly consists of songs – or, more accurately, jams with horror-themed monologues over them. Once again, the group were breaking new ground for the seventies: only Comus had tried anything lyrically similar to this, and once again the music is interesting and unsettling. However, like their first they mostly deploy the same tricks over and over again. GRADE: C+.
Throbbing Gristle (UK): The Second Annual Report (Industrial IR0002, with stickers, 1977)
Avant-Garde
Cosey Fanny Tutti
Even less rock-oriented than the two tapes, the band’s official debut album consists of guitars processed through electronics and frequently intertwined with fragments of speech. The first side compiles live and studio versions of the group’s early standards ‘Slug Bait’ and ‘Maggot Death’ (one of which consists of an argyment wiuth a heckler at a gig rather than actual music) whilst the second features a 20-minute improvised film soundtrack. Both are fascinating, minimalistic and completely unlike anything else released at the time; neither is likely to inspire frequent listening. However, as a weirder step on from the stranger end of Krautrock, with some incredible stereo effects to boot, this is certainly worth hearing. GRADE: C+.

Updated 7th February:

Beau Dommage (Canada): Au Forum De Montréal (Polydor 2424 250, with inner, 1984)
Rock
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers
This band’s seventies studio albums all offered pleasant soft rock with high production values and that typically Québecois breezy feeling, but without the unforgettable songs that would have elevated their music to the level of, say, Fleetwood Mac. This live reunion effort does nothing to change that impression. GRADE: C+.
Beau Dommage (Canada): Au Forum De Montréal Vol 2 (Polydor 2424 253, with inner, 1984)
Rock
Marie-Michèle Desrosiers
Like the first volume – and like their albums in general – this drifts by pleasantly without making huge impression, particularly as their live arrangements are not quite as precise as their studio counterparts. Both volumes were combined as the double CD Beau Dommage Au Forum in 1992. GRADE: C+.

Dismal Euphony (Norway): Spellbound Demo ’95 (No label, cassette, 1995)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
This 17½-minute, three-track demo bfuses various strands of metal, with the whole thing having a slightly impressionistic, mildly psychedelic sound founded upon hazy vocals and shimmering walls of guitars. The results are rather intriguing and mildly interesting, though the band’s distinctive sound isn’t matched by equally memorable songs. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Soria Maria Slott (Napalm NPR 021, CD, Austria, 1996)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
Somewhat different from their demo, this blends black and gothic metal elements (complete with both death growls and angelic female singing), though it throws lots of other elements into the mix. I can hear plenty of references to symphonic prog plus a fair few folky diversions as well and even some mediaeval and world music touches, all adding up to an unusual, rather lo-fi sonic stew that’s strangely mellow and understated for a metal album. GRADE; C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Autumn Leaves – The Rebellion Of Tides (Napalm NPR 033, CD, with digipak, Austria, 1997)
Metal
Linn Achre Tveit (joint lead vocals), Elin Overskott (keyboards)
The low-budget feel and slight sense of awkwardness of their first two releases is gone – the music here is majestic, powerful and beautifully crafted. It's also close to fellow Norwegians Theatre Of Tragedy, who were broadly contemporaneous but got there a year or two earlier and perhaps did it slightly better. However, whilst this is uneven it certainly goes some interesting places, particulartly during the highly experimental 12-minute closer ‘Splendid Horror’. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): Lady Ablaze (Napalm NPR 073, CD, Austria, 1997)
Metal
Anja Natasha Lindløv (occasional vocals)
Anja Natasha Lindløv has a much more dramatic vocal style than her predecessor and this 19-minute EP is rather more direct musically than the band’s previous work, largely focusing on pummelling death-influenced riffing. It’s all invigorating enough, bolstered by an atmospheric closing instrumental, but like everything they’ve done it doesn’t quite cross over from ‘good’ into ‘great’. GRADE: C+.
Dismal Euphony (Norway): All Little Devils (Nuclear Blast 27361 63402, CD, Germany, 1999)
Metal
Anja Natasha Lindløv
Continuing the more direct style of Lady Ablaze, this proves that Dismal Euphony are highly adept at what they do: the music here is powerful, dynamic and atmospheric in all the right places. But it also proves the difference between a C+ and B– album. I enjoyed hearing this and imagine I will enjoy it the next time I play it. I’m just in no particular rush to do so. GRADE: C+.

Kaipa (Sweden): Sommargryningsljus (InsideOut IOM715, CD, with book sleeve, Germany, 2024)
Progressive
Aleena Gibson (joint lead vocals)
Kaipa’s last album turned out to be a B–, much to my astonishment, as I’ve never rated anything else they’ve done above a C+. So does Sommargryningsljus follow suit? In a word, no. It offers pleasant enough symphonic progressive – all mellow and melodic and nicely put together, but somewhat lacking in variety and dynamics. Or as the old lager ads used to put it, it’s good but not that good. GRADE: C+.

Jeannie Piersol (USA): The Nest (High Moon HMR019, with booklet, 2025, recorded 1967-1969)
Pop/Psychedelic
Jeannie Piersol (lead vocals)
Ms Piersol’s sixties discography stretched to just two singles, but she had an interesting pedigree, being a close friend of Grace Slick and at one point co-frontwoman of the Great Society. This fascinating album compiles both singles plus eight unreleased recordings from the same period, most of which prominently feature the Great Society’s Darby Slick. The music here is rather more conventional than the Great Society, though, mixing pop-edged psychedelia with a few more soul-oriented tracks with horns and Minnie Riperton on backing vocals. The result is a charming period piece that’s beautifully presented and packaged to boot, with the better half fully deserving of a B–. GRADE: C+.

Sagitta (South Korea): Hello World (Beatball, CD plus DVD, with digipak, booklet and postcards, 2005)
Folk/Rock/Psychedelic
Lee Jung-eun (joint lead vocals, tambourine)
Lavishly packaged and beautifully presented, this Korean duo’s music refracts late sixties Californian folk/rock through a modern prism, creating a gentle and beatific sound. The DVD features a slightly different set of songs with low-budget visuals, completing a charming and winsome set. GRADE: C+.

Updated 30th January:

All In The Merry Month Of May (USA): At Home (Reverb Worship RW 103, CDR, with minisleeve and booklet, UK, 2010)
Folk
Joëlle Premo (lead vocals, tambourine, accordion, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp)
This is traditional American folk, with a lo-fi vibe. I like American folk a lot less than its European counterpart and I’m not that keen on lo-fi folk either, so this doesn’t really align my with tastes despite being a perfectly decent album. At a push, it could be compared to Shirley Collins’s first couple of albums with a much more basic recording, though unlike Collins’s dulcet tones Joëlle Premo’s singing is quintessentially American. GRADE: C.
All In The Merry Month Of May (USA): Root Bramble Stone (Reverb Worship RW 103, CDR, with book sleeve, UK, 2011)
Folk
Joëlle Premo (lead vocals, percussion, accordion, concertina, banjo, violin, dulcimer)
This is a step up from their/her first, partly because the material is more oriented towards the UK. The lo-fi element again entails some odd artistic choices – we get acapella six minutes of ‘Lord Bateman And The Turkish Lad’ with Premo’s voice solely in the left stereo channel and nearly nine of ‘The House Carpenter’ performed against the rumbling of a building storm – but these eccentricities succeed in adding originality and personality to the album. As a footnote, a later download-only release from the following year, Fun-A-Day 2012, is pure spoken word, with no musical elements whatever. GRADE: C+.

Emerald Stone (UK): Magic Carpet (No label, download, 2019)
Psychedelic
Melanie Sibthorpe (lead vocals, guitar, synthesiser)
This 17½-minute EP offers late sixties-influenced West Coast psychedelia, clearly refracted through a British prism – in fact it reminds me of the early nineties underground more than the sixties, and in this case I mean that as a compliment. In particular, the closing ‘Visions Of A Future’ is outstanding, with its squalling acid guitars, and I would have rated this a B– had it been a little more substantial and demonstrated a touch more personality. GRADE: C+.

Epos (USSR): Rock-Ballad “Ilia” (Melodiya C60 28465 001, 1989)
Folk/Rock/Progressive
Irina Nikolaichuk (joint lead vocals), Anna Dudanova (joint lead vocals), Tatiana Frenkel (violin), Galina Klokar (violin)
Deeply rooted in Russian religious and folk opera traditions, this blends lengthy acapella sections and classical instrumentation with synthesiser and occasional (and very effective) use of rock elements. At times fringing apocalyptic folk, the band offer an unusual blend of the ancient and modern that remains distinctly Russian and highly unusual. They issued a second album two years later, which I have not encountered. GRADE: C+.

Magic Brother (UK): I Don’t Mind (No label, download, 2014)
Garage/Psychedelic
Faye Milton (occasional vocals, flute)
To grade this C+ sounds mean: it’s first-rate retro-rock, effortlessly refracting late sixties and early seventies sounds through a modern prism. It’s also extremely well recorded for such an obscure outfit (whose only physical release was a split 10" EP), with fine arrangements and decent songwriting. It just lacks that indefinable je ne sais quoi to move it up a notch, like many similar (though in most cases, less consistent) outfits from the eighties, nineties and noughties. GRADE: C+.
Magic Brother (UK): Uncooked (No label, download, 2020)
Garage/Psychedelic
Faye Milton (lead vocals, flute)
This 25-minute, five-track EP is clearly a collection of demos as the sound quality is pretty basic, to put it kindly. Once again, there is some good music here, but the sheer rawness of the recording means I’m not likely to play this often – if ever again. GRADE: C+.

Rossington Collins Band (USA): Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (MCA MCA-5130, 1980)
Rock
Dale Krantz (principal vocals)
Following Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fatal plane crash, several members regrouped with Dale Krantz taking the lead vocalist’s position. Her raw, Maggie Bell-esque vocals invite comparisons with Bell’s contemporary project Midnight Flyer, which occupied similar musical territory. The good news is that the Rossington Collins Band do it better – the material here is more melodic, more confident and more assertive. The bad news is that there isn’t another anthem like ‘Free Bird’ or ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ here, leaving the album to get by on atmosphere and swagger. GRADE: C+.
Rossington Collins Band (USA): This Is The Way (MCA MCA-5207, with inner, 1982)
Rock
Dale Krantz (principal vocals)
This is a slight step up from their first, with a more varied musical palette, taking in the acapella ‘Pine Box’ and the folky ‘I’m Free Today’. But when all is said and done, this is just good old-fashioned Southern Rock that doesn’t quite achieve greatness. GRADE: C+.

Updated 23rd January:

Army Of Moths (UK): The Canine Trilogy (No label, CDR, with gatefold minisleeve and insert, 2021)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
Three songs about dogs, all as whimsical and unpredictable and oddball as one might expect – at one point this even made me think of Chas & Dave. As such, this won’t be for everyone, but to my ears there’s not a pup among them. GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): Four By Two – The Chaos Demos (No label, download, 2024)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
If I didn’t know in advance, I’d never have realised that these four songs are demos – they sound like any other Army Of Moths tracks. Is that testament to how fully the band’s vision is realised here or a commentary on the somewhat low-budget nature of their finished albums? Either way, it doesn’t really matter, as all four numbers are excellent and packed with invention and joie de vivre. GRADE: B–.
Army Of Moths (UK): The Chaos Emporium (No label, double CDR, with minisleeves, booklet, autographed certificate and sticker, 2024)
Progressive/Pop
Debz Joy
The 92 minutes afforded by this double album allow Army Of Moths to indulge their widescreen impulses to the full. Although not a concept album and made up mainly of shorter pop-oriented songs, they achieve an organic flow that makes the album feel like a journey – a very scenic journey with lots of places of interest along the way. GRADE: B–.

Big Big Train (UK/Italy/Sweden/USA): A Flare On The Lens (InsideOut 19658890622, Blu-ray plus triple CD, with digipak, insert and slipcase, UK, 2024)
Progressive
Clare Lindley (occasional vocals, violin), Maria Barbieri (guitar)
It's odd to see ‘Wassail’ – Big Big Train’s one truly great song, just as ‘Strange Machines’ will always define the Gathering – reduced to the acoustic medley towards the middle of the set. A second, shorter set is included as a bonus, and is considerably livelier than the main feature, though as a whole this once again confirms my impressions of Big Big Train as a likeable, quintessentially English band (despite the multinational line-up) with great stagecraft, good musicianship and winsome material – though still only one truly great song. GRADE: B–.

Moin (West Germany): Lieder, Tänze Und Balladen Aus Nord-Deutschland (Polydor 2371 792, with inner, 1977)
Folk
Jutta Schmeck (occasional vocals, violin, recorder, whislte)
The title says it all: this is traditional German folk, richly arranged for a wide range of acoustic instruments. The overall result is akin to an unplugged Ougenweide without the progressive elements and should appeal to those enjoy the straighter end of the band’s repertoire. GRADE: C+.

Precedens (Czechoslovakia): …Co Nám Zbejvá… (No label, cassette, 1984)
New Wave
Bara Basiková (joint lead vocals)
Precedens shared vocalist with Bara Basiková with Stromboli, but though there are occasional slight similarities the two bands are generally operating in quite different territory. This is new wave-influenced pop/rock, with lots of odd little proggy references (par for the course for many Eastern Bloc bands) but not enough substance to qualify as anything other than a mildly interesting curio. The album was reissued on vinyl and CD in 1991, credited to PraPrecedens. GRADE: C.
Bara Basiková & Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Doba Ledová (Panton 81 0729-1, 1987)
Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (lead vocals)
The faint symphonic and progressive elements from their debut are much more prominent here, resulting in an odd synthesis of electronic pop and and Stromboli-like high-tech fusion: all detached and minimalist and mildly gothic – and ultimately rather difficult to define. GRADE: C+.
Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Věž Z Písku (Panton 81 0868-1, 1988)
Pop/Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (principal vocals)
Whilst this is perhaps a touch more pop-oriented than its predecessor, there’s not much in it. Once again, their blend of electro-pop, symphonic textures and gothic elements, underpinned by very faint jazzy edges, is odd through and through but not displeasing for all that. GRADE: C+.
Precedens (Czechoslovakia): Pompeje (Panton 81 0879-1331, 1990)
Rock/Progressive
Bara Basiková (joint lead vocals)
The excellent instrumentals ‘Archa Bláznů’ and ‘Pompeje II’ are the obvious highpoint here, raising the prog quotient with their rich neoclassical flavour and some spidery lead guitar work on the former. Elsewhere, this is a touch darker than normal, whilst offering the band’s unusual mix of proggy, electronic and pop/rock touches. Bara Basiková subsequently went solo before reuniting with the band many years later. GRADE: C+.