Arcanist "Zothique" (2026)

 
Despite a misfire on an unusual Avero​í​gne, French duo Arcanist return to form as one of the most exciting Dungeon Synth artists of recent years. Their Berlin School synth and visionary atmospheres spark again as familiar instruments conjures familiar mystiques. Xeethra opens up the record dense and mysterious. Its swirling winds shroud subtle percussive lines that give way to an ooze of lead melody. Exotic and grand, we glimmer upon an advanced paradise often secluded by desert winds.

The Death Of Lliotha and The Master Of Crabs play as otherworldly melodies, transcendent tunes evoking esoteric adventures through lush arrangements where every note feels intentional upon the next. Placed around Zothique's two ten minute plus epics, they provide a change of pace from these ambitious compositions.

Empire Of The Necromancers is a brilliantly suggestive title. Around the three minute mark, a sense of arrival meets a gruesomely sluggish, grisly set of dark synths. The deep pounding below seeding dread. At its peak we mellow into a curious game of avoidance, as if attempting to penetrate undetected. The aesthetic could be a snug fit for Synthwave. Visions of dystopian 80s movies come to mind. Sadly though, it never concludes this direction and fizzles out to recycle the atmosphere heard at its start.

The Dark Eidolon is the albums crown jewel. Starting with distant thunderstrikes, It's eerie crawl towards a menacing buzzsaw synth is utterly foreboding, foreshadowing the coming crescendo. Its midsection promotes its most engaging Berlin school drive. The energy is almost danceable. After some brief theatrics, a swift transition occurs. The beast has arrived! Mustered along by a spacious drum beat, that buzz saw riff reappears a scowling cry of graven Doom Metal riffage. After some punishing repetitions, It swiftly subsides into an acoustic echo of that lurching menace, feeling as if it might return again, but the beast retreats into its hole.

This is the Arcanist I adore! Although this may seem like a "safe" return of sorts, the familiar motifs and techniques carry such vivid power. There is much yet to be explored and Zothique does that again, another adventure into the enigmatic!

Rating: 8/10

Willow "The Thread" (2026)

 
After a brazen foray of experimentation with Petal Black Rock, Willow bridges the gap between those Avant-Garde impulses and her prior personal peak Empathogen. The brief structures and short lived chemistries mostly felt unfinished, yet still charmed curious spells. The Thread unravels those intuitions, returning to conventional forms.

Finding itself in a stride of maturity, this newest chapter feels familiar and comforting, almost expectant at times, yet still excitable. Its magnetism often emerges from swells of entanglement. Momentum builds, her voices melt magic as layers of swooning vocal tones layer up, meeting the music's moment. This motif is becoming a signature.

Accompanied by warm soothing basslines, roomy acoustic guitar plucking, bright jazzy pianos and consistent percussive intelligence, a cohesive unity dazzles in its best strides. Whatever intensity a song strikes upon, all elements align to deliver Willow's voice through a collective guidance. It makes for such easy listening.

Although The Thread's creative peaks lean upon those unusual, experimental chemistries, this matured progressive refinement structures the music with an inviting, accessible tone, making the experience a simple pleasure with depth throughout. Perhaps that's its key takeaway, the brilliant songcraft housing her lyrical musings.

Once again, words fly over this humble listeners head. Despite that, I picked up a reflective nature towards relationships that sounded both therapeutic in expression and matured with age. Highlights included the title track, single song and lead out starting with Crush On Eternity. I especially enjoyed The Present Moment, something about the arrival of that song always signaled a timely feeling of finality to me.

Rating: 8/10

Olivia Rodrigo "You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love" (2026)

 
Going three for three, Rodrigo returns upon intrepid stride. With no shortage of inspirations, this latest chapter documents her life's adventures, mainly dating, relationships and there emotional ups and downs. Opening numbers lean on this infatuated motif through airy upbeat, light hearted Pop Rock romps. A touch to sappy for my appetite but tolerable given how fruitful her collaborations with Daniel Nigro are.

For my liking, Maggots For Brain is where this record finds its voice. In come spangled 80s guitar licks, a strong hint at where things are heading. Olivia explores her relationship vulnerabilities candidly with poetically self depreciating lyrics to romanticize moody longings. From here that broad Post-Punk umbrella, Dream Pop, Shoegaze, New Wave, Synthpop, influence this current craft of intelligent songwriting.

In particular, the guitars take on this chorus tinged broody aesthetic, playing warm soulful melodies and gentle chord strumming. A beautiful resonance is struck, soft melancholy lingers never intruding on an upbeat underbelly. Every downtrodden notion feels as if resolution is insight. Olivia's words and voice carry a soft catharsis through this exercise of musical exorcism. Her lyrics expressed relive the burden.

A fascinating stride of songs bloom as Purple's playful vocal inflection's conjure favorable impressions of Elizabeth Fraser. The magnetic The Cure swoons. Surely an intention nod to the act with Robert Smith appearing on What's Wrong With Me, a dreary minimalist number for rainy days. Between them, a beautiful vocal oriented song, showcasing Olivia's talents, her voice holds a limelight harmonizing with herself.

It sets up a beautiful stride to the records dramatic conclusion. Expectations proves relief, a fun, quirky number with punchy chiptune baseline. Its playful, cheeky, chirpy, a bright radio track similar to My Way earlier in the track listing. In fact, there's a handful of song styles here that are on rotation from front to back. Together, they signal obvious 80s influences and structure a cohesive fifty minute album experience.

This third installment, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, gracefully moves forward feeling fresh, fun, and interesting. Although I've only spent a few weeks with it, it already feels like the soundtrack to my summer. Each returning spin a delight, despite being lukewarm on the first couple of tracks. Unlike Guts and Sour, it seems to lack that one killer track. A mild critique, given how much this one offers.

Rating: 8/10

Slipknot "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." (1996)

  
Once their debut album, now retroactively labeled a demo album. Slipknot's original incarnation was a curious machination of Death Metal and the emerging Nu Metal groove. If their masked avatars weren't wild enough, the band periodically burst into bizarre tangents of Funk Metal and Disco. Echo's of the early 90s Alternative linger but MFKR is mostly a dark mysterious beast born of loose experimentation.

With original bandmates Shawn Crahan, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray and Craig Jones all present, its an interesting observation that so much of the identity defining guitar work is present. Josh Brainard and Donnie Steele deserve much credit for laying down those darkly brutal riffs. A lot of their material ends up spread over Slipknot's next three albums, often reshaped, the self titled number sped up for the classic Sic.

Yet to find Corey Taylor, the band have a fine frontman in Anders Colsefni, who introduces those little Rap Metal verses, alongside barrages of brutal guttural vocals and raw throaty screams. His cheesy opening lyrics vent frustrations around the game Ultima Online But beyond this silly oddity, the themes get dark and serious swiftly. Gently, heard later on Iowa, has its meditative catharsis, swaying between calm and unease on the march to its grandiose riff that marks a peak as the song closes.

Do Nothing Bitchslap Is the first song to really test the limits. Dropping into a sly Lounge Jazz Funk groove, the song plays a game of pivoting between Death Metal and this easier temperament which gradually shifts into a disco groove. So too does its heavier end sway into manic guitar discordance and feverish grinding intensities. It plays like a bad acid trip walking among the halls of a carnival house of horrors.

Only One and Tattered & Torn are much like on the self titled record. Both fully written, here they just have a rawer edge which Anders does justice too. Confessions has to be my favorite song. Me and a friend used to listen to its, joking about these masked villains would wear their masks, dressed up in with fancy suits, dancing like it's MJ's smooth criminal video. The song beautifully transitions from woeful expressions to a dancey emotive number with spirited singing and a very 80s guitar solo.

The affair ends with Killers Are Quiet and the hidden track Dogfish Rising. Nineteen minutes of brutal downtrodden Metal that ventures into bizarre realms of experimental Industrial Noise. Atmosphere is the key word. This song really showcases Slipknot's unique yet deranged spirit. It's that side of the band we hear in its rawest form, yet to become the mainstream Metal juggernaut that would dominate this alternate culture.

For me, MFKR was a peculiar entity. A band I adored had sequestered a mysterious history. Back then, it was difficult to learn about and get your hands on. Now it's very accessible. But that mystique I experienced really let me connect with this album's strange character and appreciate its experimental approach. What Slipknot would become to be is genius in its own right, but so too is this alternative universe record where the band could of headed on a different trajectory. A cult like, underground act.

Rating: 8/10

Karnivool "In Verses" (2026)

 
Having been turned on to these fluid branches of expressive Alternative Metal by pioneers Tool, In Verses strikes as a delightfully indulgent yet familiar journey within expansions and contractions. Venturing though rumbles of textural guitar aggression and emotive melodic lines, I hear echo's of Adam Jones' organically moving guitar riffs and Maynard James Keenan's tendered personal vocals. It’s my own narrow point of reference but I’m absolutely loving the exploration of this matured sound.

New to Aussies Karnivool, this is actually their first batch of songs in thirteen years! In Verses being only their fourth album. It seems the lengthy wait is one of authenticity. Nothing about this record feels forced or even rusty, given the time passed. Rather, the lyrical expressions of frontman Ian Kenny has its purpose met by the gravitas of musical swells and flourishes of color his band mates offer instrumentally.

Thus, the elements align for music traversing nurtured dynamics as serene and contemplative acoustics gracefully descend at apt intervals to explore the darker, aggressive side of these themes. I'm fairly sure these worded motifs align across songs with intent. Either as poetic releases of bottled troubles from life's path or something deeper, interconnected, given the grander sentiment of some sentences.

As touched on already, these often repeated lyrical touchstones appear like the driving point of a song. Its a dance that illuminates these songs. Kenny is quite understated in his competency. Its the instrumental unity that elevates his presence. A consistency through a record traversing similar temperaments that are always in motion. It makes every inch of this rich music feel worthy of more attention than your actually giving it. Most lovable are the little creaking's of guitar feedback and acoustical drum stick clicking among other intricacies. Bespoke noises detailing a steadily blooming tone.

In verses has a lot of musicality, flowing like a river, gushing forth with expression, often sombre, melancholic yet never sullen. Rays of light pierce the cloudy skies in the distance. A lingering hope, colorful and tuneful. Most songs find the connection to this mood through moments of swelling gratification. I'm left with some lyrics stuck in mind. “Feeling alone in a crowded place”, “If i could have one more day”. Universal themes, yet personal. Its a connection I found for much of this fantastic record.

Rating: 8/10

Emyn Muil "Afar Angathfark" (2020)

 
Emyn Muil's own epic Middle-Earth trilogy ends on a high note, coming full circle in a feat of utter mastery. The stars align as spirited composition and aesthetic vision converge across a mighty sixty eight minutes of galvanized Summing inspired magic. Making no strides to escape their shadow, the record revels in that Tolkien vision, perhaps giving melody a more luminous presence for most of these lengthy tracks.

With measured pace, carried along by the grandiose thunder of tom drums, these songs brood a steady intensity. Straddling orcish howls and snarling tremolo guitar, the clouds of darkness frequently part for good and glory to victor. Firm strings set a tone for triumphant horns to pierce the sky, as a whole cast of instruments dampen the rains with their uplift. Bells, Harps, Flutes paint warm color over grim Black Metal.

Infrequent but adored upon each arrival, a warm effeminate voice invokes a subtle natural crescendo. Her arrival often plays conclusively, at the end of a song or as resolution to the melodic emergence from darkness. Its a keen highlight alongside the adorning string sections which lay foundational chords for the fantasy to unravel.

Afar Angathfark is a stunning listen but does wear itself out with a couple of weaker tracks towards the end. It may suffer a lack of transitions and bold pivots, lacking events and theatrics beyond its musical foundations. Songs tend to stay fervent in stride, same pace, same shifts between the sides of its casts, often leading to fade outs. Despite that, its rich dramatic atmosphere reigns supreme. A peak achievement.

Rating: 8/10

Plini "An Unnameable Desire" (2026)

 
Plini's unrelenting mission to seek out utterly gorgeous music and push themselves as an artist is still firmly intact. An Unnameable Desire has been well worth the wait. Although drips and drabs trickle from his well of creativity, the arrival of this third full length solidifies the significance of its format. Clutched by the grip of its stellar forty minutes, we are spoiled to a melodic ooze of spellbinding songcraft. Spinning a dazzling harmony across many lavish instruments, Plini manages to tie core theme and lead voice together, guiding us through dense soundscapes of emotional swells.

Although much of his virtuoso voice remains expressive upon similar motifs, the avenues taken still feel fresh and vibrant as this colorful Progressive Jazz Fusion Djent returns with only a couple of embellishments. A notable lean into an aggressive metallic side sees restraints lifted. Harder grooves, denser walls of sound and the occasional purely riff driven momentum, like the opening of Manala, catches ones ear keenly. So to does a deeper layer of sound emerge. Quite often subtle electronics and arpeggio alike guitars nestle themselves into the quieter spaces. Among with an expanding arsenal of instruments, it feels like an extra layer of gloss has been applied.

If the record lacks anything, perhaps a surprise beyond the anticipated scope of Plini's style would have been nice. That lean into harder metallics was nice but also an area I'm all to familiar with. Lead guitars felt a touch flashier than usual. More moments of synth and strings would have been welcome. They are often used as bridges between the main themes. All this is said with tounge in cheek, seeking minor quibbles among a sea of resonant excellence. An Unnameable Desire simply does it yet again. 

Rating: 8/10

Sungazer "Against The Hall Of Night" (2024)

Late to the party but happy to have finally arrived, my years spent following Adam Neely's explainer videos and showcasing of prodigy percussionist bandmate Shawn Crowder seem unforgivable in the wake of such a delightfully warm and musically riveting record. Perhaps its this latest chapter of bright, cheery Jazz Fusion that lured me in. Armed with an arsenal of well educated professional musicians, Against The Hall Of Night sails through vibrant excellence, a gorgeous aesthetic production, dazzling one with a snug fit of crisp instruments expressing emotions boldly.

Earmarked by intravenous illuminations from lead solos, song directions house these expressive delights through intriguing foundations. Experimenting with odd grooves, time signatures and an adventurous opposition to popular convention, song structures bustle from their power house rhythm section, gushing forth with stellar musical ideas. Crowder's crisp and clean drumming a continuous pleasure, as no beat ever seems to rest on its laurels, always finding a angle from which to spice up the pizzazz. 

On the journey of its nine chapters, familiar themes of bold, cheesy 80s gameshow Jazz "done right" frequently emerge, alongside other motifs within a broader Jazz Fusion landscape. Always seeking to expand horizons, much of the music has room for modern Electronic key tones, delving on occasion into the Synthwave style, retro Chiptune 8bit melody and in another realm of the spectrum, crunches of Metal groove. All classy and well executed, every idea feels fully fleshed out, expressive, matured, yet most of all, emotionally entertaining, gratifying and endearing.

To layer on at least some critique in the wake of my applause, the record does feel somewhat front loaded. Its opening half feels a grade above what proceeds but that could be personal preference. The latter songs seem to lean more into the Jazz side of the project. Lead instruments dance out melodies with less personal resonance. Even so, I like these numbers very much. What a cracking record, Bravo!

Rating: 8/10

Emyn Muil "Túrin Turambar Dagnir Glaurunga" (2013)

For fans of the Austrian visionaries Summoning, here plays a love letter to their cast of Tolkien led Black Metal. With passion and talent in stride, originality is not of question. Embracing the blueprint of metallic extremity, keyboard symphonics and synthesized percussion, Italian musician Emyn Muil dispatches us upon an epic voyage across Middle Earth. With triumphant roars from shrill guitar leads and mighty horn sections, we frequent triumphant emergences from the guttural howls and bleak tremolo guitars that bark through nostalgic low fidelity origins. This genial balance is striking, as songs command the horrors of this fantasy realm, yet offset it in stride when gleaming Fantasy melodies arise, trumping the burdensome mood with majestic narrative. 

The record rarely falls a spell to its sullen side. Darkly twisted distortion guitars lurch in narrow spaces, wretched screams flail above. A heroic element always accompanies. Colorful keys singing noble war songs, the marching drums of battle hang the struggles of good and evil in balance. Delightful passages frequently develop out of different origins. My personal favorites include the warmly embraced drum machines with deep reverberated floor toms. The music can seamlessly weave between them and traditional drum patterns for the genre. As an album, it thoroughly entertains.

Its ten songs naturally ebb and flow with varying intensities and many melodic themes enchanting along the path, yielding much joy. As its stride concludes, Path Of The Doomed and Death Of Glaurung are gems providing much gratification as finality approaches. They soar to new heights in gallant stride. I'm left invigorated by the revival of a sound I loved decades back. The fantasy realms of Middle Earth are brough to life again in this flavor I adore. Excited for the next chapter, this is just the first of three!

Rating: 8/10

Allan Holdsworth "Secrets" (1989)

Here's one for the record keeping, an entry which I couldn't possibly comment on its relevancy to late 80s Jazz Fusion. As a passing fan of the genre, Secrets has been a pleasurable soothing mood setter, one I discovered through reading on Fredrik Thordendale of Meshuggah. You can clearly hear a bold influence on his zany alien guitar leads. Allan lays a foundation for the dexterous dance of swift notation, a flashy guitar virtuoso seemingly orchestrating its charm through an arcane balance of tension and resolution in motion. Melodies drift by, casting spells through norms and a familiar charming dissonance that Jazz music loves to explore in earnest.

Allan finds a particular curiosity theorists could easily dive deep on, exploring odd tensions and easy tunefulness across eight tracks fitting of the decade. Slightly cheesy in its glossier incarnations, yet devilishly engaging from a performative perspective, these are dazzling displays of creative genius simply swirling in the magic of the moment. Its softer touches lull into the decades tropes whilst its musters of momentum mesmerize on a rousing journey to the unworldly stars above.

The record has variety within its tone, lending the spotlight to other instruments and singers on occasion, keeping dynamics in healthy motion. Opener City Nights is the standout track, one that packs a heavy lead guitar punch. A self evident influence on the aforementioned, as well as some bands I've listened to in the Progressive Death Metal scene. Secrets has been an impressive find to treasure, one that suits my tastes and further illuminates the rich tapestry of music and its many, many overlaps.

Rating: 8/10

Matte Blvck "Vows" (2024)

 

My allure to this record arrived through Midnight & Angel. With tender voice, tight electro percussion and nightly synth melodies, this song conjured a kinship to Black Celebration, a record I adore and have always wanted to hear more of. Vows delivers that magic in moments but between its flushes of human emotive touch comes a mechanized industrial delve into aesthetic and groove that leaves a bold impression.

From Electro-Industrial to Noise, Synthpop to Darkwave, the California trio Matte Blvck command a spectrum appealing to both pop sensibilities and challenging aggressions. These songs revel in sharp potent synthetic aesthetics, assembling a gorgeous yet dystopian soundscape. Its vivid, striking, a crystal clear exploration of darkly futurist sci-fi imaginations, reflective of the modern state of music production.

The records structure is impressive, voiced tracks alternate with instrumentals that lean on percussive might and groove. Serving as shows of force, they signal talent, craft and care as its magnitudes shift focus. As a result, the album experience wins out. On the journey through its visions, strong touches of Synthwave, Techno, Trance and even a whiff of 90s Big Beat emerge. Vows is simply a delightful exploration of expression. A trove of treasures to return to and enjoy again. Truly impressive.

Rating: 8/10

Master Peace "How To Make A Master Peace" (2024)

 

Cruising by on sing along anthemic vibes, Master Peace's debut delivers a riot of carefree youthful energy, an unapologetic love letter to the highs and lows of responsibility free young adulthood. Powered by gritty baselines, sharp rhythmic chops and catchy guitar riffs, their brood of Indie Rock echo's a spirit the best of Britpop once had to offer. Blur's Park life comes to mind, with many of these lyrics cutting resonate insights into modern British life. So to do melodies and grooves also evoke vague memories from our countries musical history. More notably, a few familiar The Prodigy synth tones crop up on its aptly integrated Dance Rock numbers.

This is all high praise, without a touch of plagiarism, Master Peace writes a new chapter of British Rock, every track hitting with an infectious intent. The song-writing is class, tight catchy songs with purpose. On occasions they play rough around the edges, peaking instruments ruffle the feathers with a shirty attitude. As the singer, Peace handles the grit and sleaze of shouty, loud speaker hooks, pivoting to smooth tuneful singing and all in between. Swaying between obvious influences, Indie Rock, Punk, Dance Rock. Soft flashes of Shoegaze, EDM and UK Hip Hop add to the mix, a fun upbeat party concoction, both serious and cheeky. A good listen front to back.

Ones personal taste will influence the album experiences topography. The warmth of Panic101, Start You Up and Happiness Is Love were peaks. Shangaladang and its reprisal Santiladang were valleys. I could see what they were going for, just not quite my cup of tea. How To Make A Master Peace is a fast and brief record, a half hour of power totally worth checking out if you're fond of British sounding music.

Rating: 8/10

Soul Blind "Feel It All Around" (2022)

 

Stepping back from the metallic grungy raptures of Red Sky Mourning, Feel It All Around plays rather unsurprisingly like its natural predecessor. With less bombast, more shoegaze, fewer grooves and added wallow, the initial shift in intensity ends up churning out a similar emotive tone. Soul Blind have a unique voice emanating through influences from the foundations of well executed songwriting fundamentals.

Similar comparisons to Alice In Chains and the broader Grunge and Alternative Metal scenes can be drawn but within this chapter, their focus turns to dreary downtrodden revelry. Moody, sombre affairs flirting with with both a glum dark and momentary light as chunky power chords inject rhythm between bluesy shoegazing indulgences.

Slower in pace, less theatrical in nature, its songs roll one into the next, each feeling cohesive as its muddy wall of guitar groaning doesn't venture to far from home. Stuck In A Loop and Everyday play as brighter sparks on the journey. Its three closing tracks show the bands hand somewhat. Lead guitar boldly echo The Smashing Pumpkins. Its execution is timely, a fond reminder of the 90s in which these vibes originated.

Rating: 8/10

Author & Punisher "Nocturnal Birding" (2025)

 

Contender for album of the year, Nocturnal Birding leaves me with a sense of guilt. As a renewed appreciation of brilliance settles in, I ask, how is it I don't return to their records? Once again, an uncompromising pursuit of crushing expression transfixes. A unique, dystopian breed of imposing brutality. A harsh design melding bleak aesthetics and rhythmic led musicality. Every aspect of this witchcraft serves its purpose, to burrow into the darkest recesses of ones mind and expose the suffering.

Achieved through dense industrial slabs of distortion guitar and bleeding synth, the battering drums perpetually bang and crash with such momentous force, a sluggish beast of enormity crushing all in its path. Most its pacing tends to be mid-tempo, feeling slower, with spurts of collapsing pulse like on the devastating end to Titmice.

Textural pleasures emerge as crashing walls of sound bend with malice, intermittent with quirky, unhinged melodies lurching in the spaces between. Overtop, siren synths cry out in pain, danger imminent. Through it all, ferocious screams and brooding shouts of anger shimmer in what little space this claustrophobic wall of sound offers.

Nocturnal Birding is a gripping experience, bleak visions exhaling demons brought to life in its unrelenting intensity. Author & Punisher continues on a predictable path yet finding the fruits of creative labor as the resulting songs bewitch once again. At thirty five minutes its a perfectly lean slice of mania served on a hot plate. Just stunning!

Rating: 8/10

Old Sorcery "The Escapist" (2025)

 

One of the greatest artists to emerge from the bloated Dungeon Synth scene, Old Sorcery blazes a trail of excellence, transforming decrepit dusty nostalgia and esoteric ethereal fantasy beyond the bare bones bedroom composer of contemporaries alike. From the impressive Berlin School tinged origins of Realms Of Magickal Sorrow to a visionary Dragon Citadel Elegies, Old Sorcery has been a delight to venture with.

Highly anticipated yet a curiously slow burn, The Escapist arrives as another exploration of familiar realms whilst not trying to repeat oneself. Its a quality I admire, each new record feels like a transformative step to new territory, without shedding ones admittedly amorphous identity. Old Sorcery has a distinction learned through repetitious indulgence rather than overt aesthetics or musical particulars.

This "slow burn" comes fueled by its atmospheric beginnings. Dethrone Reason, Crown My Heart opens, setting lofty goals. A grand yet sluggish snare kick groove ushers in epic, alongside salient guitar leads and quirky esoteric synths. Proceeding, the next few tracks delve into various sculptures of immersive aura. Ambience reigns supreme, as sound design and aesthetic craft mesmerize with ambiguous intent.

Gem Hoarder Goblin shifts gears. Its toying melodies conjure mischief and mystique, befitting of its title. From Dungeon Synth to Orchestra, its second act switches up the instrumental pallet for a scenic painting of animated events. A dazzling set of classical instruments transmit the intentions of this cave dwelling beast. One can almost see a stage inhabited with actors performing a play. Its a wonderfully vivid moment.

At The Wayfarer's Lantern shows off an impressive step into nostalgic rural Folk, eventually melding its pastoral antiques with otherworldly synths, orchestrating enchanted magics into the past. Starlit Belfry Tower comes with a touch of dreaminess through its bells and lullaby nature. Again the progressive touch never settles for repetition as the song broods through a quirky synth phase so distinctly Old Sorcery.

The we close with Immortal Passion. A gentle build to distant yet mighty adorning synths casts a spell. Like a timeless sunset, the last inches of light reach before an enteral night. The composition is wonderful, venturing us into dusk, building through familiar motifs. Then the sudden pivot, we are lunged into a soft Black Metal conjuring of dual tremolo guitar distortion tension that never finds the shift it suggests is coming.

Instead we fade out to a few audible moans and groans, suggestive of a characters perspective. Its a strange ending, not quite gratifying yet immense in its build up. It suggests a missing piece where Dragon Citadel Elegies hit every beat perfectly. Another brilliant record however, I will enjoy this for many moons to come.

Rating: 8/10

Enya "The Memory Of Trees" (1995)

This could be my now established familiarity with Enya's remarkable music but The Memory Of Trees has a touch of "by the numbers" to it. The overall flow reveal a familiar structure, uniformity and similarities in songwriting find footing in cadence to that of other records. Anywhere Is has that playful tropical jollity to it, a charming track none the less. Pax Deorum takes an early dive into the dark side, conjuring echoes of Mordor war drums in the deep to guide its foreboding menace. A brief resolution of angelic respite emerges before plunging back into the fantastical devilish demeanor.

From there, the album drifts through its calmer sentiments. Endearing voice and string harmonies, emotive piano compositions and touches of childish joy on tracks like Tea-House Moon. That familiar mix of English, Gaelic and wordless singing guides the way. Ending with On My Way Home, that and the hymn-like Hope Has A Place strikes with an uncanny sense of Deja-vu. Surely I've heard these exact ones before?

Its a strange sentiment to emerge from an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable record. A stagnant moment from a musician in peak stride. Not something to complain about. The Memory Of Trees is a luscious listening experience, a craft of pure inspiration but seemingly the same inspiration, leaving me with a lack of fresh vocabulary to expel despite being enthralled once again, another wonderful chapter.

Rating: 8/10

Enya "Watermark" (1988)

 

A Day Without Rain made quite the impression, Watermark has a similar revelry in the sublime. Released twelve years prior, Enya's musical philosophy seems more remarkable for a decade often marred by cheesy Glam and cheap Synthpop. Her adoration of harmony through voice and traditional instruments plays out on contemplative compositions. Performed via keyboards, the production handles their synthetic nature expertly, one could be fooled into picturing her with an assemble of trained musicians orchestrating these deeply emotive songs.

Swaying from the imaginative, colorful throws of New Age, into cinematic scores of sentimental stirrings, Enya graces us with a range of humanist emotions. Evoking sentimental pondering, themes of beauty, love and warmth caress by. With ambience and a touch of gloom the scenes painted occasionally slip into a melancholic haze, a curious space of gently handled sorrows. So to our there flushes of exuberance as worldly sounds usher in colorful strides of adventurous melody.

Each idea feels nurtured and understood, expressed expertly as dense orchestrations of instruments play alongside lone piano pieces and minimal compositions. Through it all, her soft soothing voice sings as a guiding light. Occasionally drifting into the scenery itself, she becomes more of the melody than words uttered. Its a delight how she is always in equilibrium with the varying temperaments explored.

Then there is the case of Orinoco Flow, an explosion of exotic, tropical delight. This song was a huge hit and still sounds fantastic today, as if it exists in a space of its own. Interestingly, the dialed down, meditative ambience of River with its quirky bass aesthetic almost sounds like an echo of that track. Perhaps the link between these two songs lies in a similar aquatic sentiment felt.

Other highlights include the dramatic The Longships and a darkly epic Cursum Perficio. Giving the track listing a little more attention in my closing remarks, the oceanic theme seems all to obvious now. No doubt I'll give it more attention on future listens. This ones a gem I'm sure will only grow closer to the heart with time.

Rating: 8/10

Deftones "Private Music" (2025)

 
Now over thirty years deep, the Deftones' tenth record packs little novelty for old heads, yet will enthrall the recent surge of new TikTok fans. Private Music's carefully measured cuts of revelry delve into the many fractions of their motifs established over the past two decades. Handled with love and care, the band's production alongside Nick Raskulinecz delivers a gorgeous indulgent guitar tone. Dense and crooning, a chromatic aesthetic resonates full of expression. Its a foundation fit for Moreno to swoon in with his range of sensitive softness to shrill screams. Drums and bass fall into place around the duo, who in tandem make up a majority of the musical magic.

In peculiarity, its clearest reminiscent tracks seem to hit hardest. Cut Hands echo's Goon Squad pivoting act between meat head brutality and Moreno led emotive obscurity. Ecdysis' tight and choppy metal guitar riffs echo's moments on Ohms. The opening rhythmic spasm and atmospheric lunging riffs of My Mind Is A Mountain has that distinct familiarity too. Milk Of The Madonna strikes me as the standout track, sustaining tensions of its speedy tempo through transitions of bouncy grooves and power chord shoe gazing. It too is a welcome yet accustomed temperament.

Where the lines muddy, the band don't exactly encroach on new territory bar a few minutes of indifferent synth noodling. Enjoyable but not quite as memorable, they do emphasize how good this records texture is. Flicking back through the catalog, comparison highlights how each record felt like a step forward in aesthetic evolution. This time, the distance feels like a leap into an ocean of clarity. A dense and rich sound, including plenty of acoustic guitars. So to do the synth play a subtle yet pivotal role, weaving their grain into the mix, yet brilliantly breaking into the light on occasion.

Private Music feels like the bands yet classiest effort to date but fails to conquer fresh ground in terms of songwriting. Its the perfect record to satisfy fans old and new yet may loose it potency with time as a record like Gore did. I'm doubtful, my gut says this one will stick. I'm still really enjoying each and every spin!

Rating: 8/10 

Enya "A Day Without Rain" (2000)

 

Enya! A name known far and wide across the musical realm, yet for why I wouldn't of been able to tell you, until recently. Hearing Orinoco Flow again, for the first time in decades, that sublime imaginative piece turned me onto her genius. Learning this record is one of the millenniums best selling, I've been set loose on a new journey.

A Day Without Rain strikes me as a union between classical instrumentation and modern convention, her voice arriving as an added dimension of charm, chiming in among the cast of apparatus making up an orchestra. Its mostly the staccato strings offer a melodic focus, as Classical grandiose arrangements are simplified into repetitive sections mimicking Pop music's verse chorus structure. The rest of the aesthetic range nestles into soothing ambiences, soft and gentle, giving space for the character of her subtly understated yet powerful voice to breath its life.

At times her exquisite tone takes on temperaments akin to a lead voice in traditional church music, hymns and psalms evoking rural echo's of Ireland and Wales. In these songs a deeply human empathy and sense of natural beauty emerges. One can almost see the rolling green hills of endless countryside and rural life that comes with it. Somehow, these moments flow perfectly with another half. Voice and instruments take on an adventurous, playful quality, exploring into fantastical spaces.

I couldn't talk about this record without mentioning Tempus Vernum. Led by Timpani drums and cold bells, Its cautious venture into stormy temperaments yields a danger from this orchestral setup I simply adore. This explains a curious bridge to the fantastical realms of war and darkness explored by the likes of Emperor's keyboard section and Glenn Stafford's medieval battle music heard on Warcraft II.

On some level, similar themes that evoke agrarian, un-urbanized, primitive yet spiritual emotions exist both here and in Fantasy music and Dungeon Synth among others from the more esoteric and obscure side of music I am usually indulged with. Enya is a refreshing take on that territory, making those connections without venturing into the abstract. Her older music however, might take a different direction.

Rating: 8/10

Turnstile "Never Enough" (2025)

 

Dissecting sounds with an analytical scalpel, one can cut critiques upon a lack of overt musical progression. Deploying another bout of their softened hardcore power chord strum sections, recycled riffs and gently expanding the textural pallet their ever emerging keys offer, do Turnstile hit upon a moment of stagnation?

The answer is a firm no, familiarity its welcome weapon. Upon initial impact, the persuasive power of its uplifting dreamy sun soaked moods settle in. The analytics of its simplistic appeals are an after thought. Where Turnstile have excelled is reveling in the vibe, as if they have dug deep to unearth a charm that was resonating all along.

Masked by established conventions, each songs character emerges from its subtle sways of 80s nostalgia. Dream Pop and Shoegaze play on obvious veneers, with other flavors of the era woven in through additional instrumentation. Saxophones and Trumpets occasion between the dazzling shimmer of pedal driven guitar chords.

Never Enough is a familiar beast dialed down to linger on these influences and the vocal energy of Brenden Yates’ soaring soft-side. He frequently charms, his words oozing off a cruising, catchy deliveries that reinforce the feel good sentiment. Oddly, its bursts of raucous Hardcore energy serve to break up the calmer tangents.

The records pacing is sublime. Tracks flow from one revel to another, continually refreshing its breezy tone that sails between those Hardcore sprints and shoegazy bursts of beachy surf rock guitar chords. These musical ideas never complicate and thus simple tunes, melodies and chemistries get to linger briefly at our pleasure.

Vibes is the word of this album. The power of simplicity its champion. Everything feels like a bottled moment in time. Turnstile in a stride, yet pausing to capture the magic. From first spin it won me over. Now on a binge, I feel Ive found the soundtrack to my summer. Heart felt expressions, cozy feel good vibes and bursts of manic energy.

Rating: 8/10