Dave Mackay "Three: Vol.2 [Nashville]" (2021)

 
What a delightful stumble upon this has been. The threesome return with another trio of classy Jazz Fusion tracks that revel and ooze within its own exquisite veneer. Prophecies kicks off measured and gradual. Soft, gorgeous instrumentation swelling in harmony as lively shuffling percussion guides passages for all its elements to shine. With melody, texture or sudden roars of synth jive, the subtleties of craft slowly amass as baseline exchanges lead us through a gradual amass of layers that croon together.

Mute echo's sentiments of Vol.1, its dusky contemplative piano refrains balance beauty and tension with an unshakable familiarity. With a smidge of Noir Jazz flavour, the nightly flavour simmers down to a cool, finding a soothing stride, opting for a soft surge in conclusion that dreamily backs out, winding down with Ethereal grace.

Cassette Culture conceptually focuses solely on its lead, a bold, plastic like synth tone, singing a tuneful dance with expressive dynamics. Volume and tone pedals shape its intensity upon a curious, slightly quirky escapade lacking direction as it meanders in the whirling moment. All three tracks are such easy pleasures to enjoy. The short duration and high bar for excellence really empowers this format.

Rating: 5/10

Sungazer "Perihelion" (2021)

 
Kicking off with Threshold to establish a whimsical tone, we embark upon luminous musical crossroads. The duos Jazz Fusion architecture meets modernity as snippets of buzzing IDM energy, tonal Vapourwave synths and a soft Chiptune cheeriness emerges. Perpetually pushed by Neely's peppy basslines and Crowder's ever enthusiastic drumming, the aforementioned accents play second fiddle to their rhythmic powerhouse. The positively charged Perihelion has curious conductive chemistry. This current reflection of electronic trends generates inspired compositions, overloaded by the pairs prime instruments. Songs initially appear to be defined by there synthetic aesthetic but Neely and Crowder end up steeling the show.

Opening instrumentals Threshold and Macchina dazzle but following them, an introduction of pitched Vapourwave vocal snippets sours the rest of the record. Personally I find their moody presence a redundant distraction from the expressive blossom unraveling around their rigidity. Its a personal qualm, one that never quite dissipated. Around these intentionally voiced elements plays an joyous arsenal of ambitious lead instruments and adventurous compositions coming to life. Thicc feels like the one track to embrace it quirky vocal element in a playful cheeky tone. The arrival of that 80s TV talk show Jazz Cheese feels so right for them.

My conclusion lays firmly in the words already written. A fantastic record with a single element that unsettled my experience of a brilliant chemistry. Perihelion unites some trendier sounds with a tried and true sound. Executed by musicians looking to explore their musicality, it plays an animated treat full of twists, turns and adventure.

Rating: 7/10

Gate Master "Relics" (2025)

 
The acute mystic tone struck on In Pursuit Of Forbidden Knowledge seems absent elsewhere in Gate Master's discography. Perhaps the lengthy escaped through cloudy ambiguous fog drenched synths on the closer My Journey To The Stars shares some spirit. However, its dreamy tone and airy hum feels closer to Brian Eno than our cryptic Dungeon Synth. Its also devoid of any progression, just a droning loop glistening in its own reflection, chewing up fifteen minutes of time aimlessly.

This project feels like more of a dumping ground for experimentation. The opening Relics blatantly derivative of Emperor's masterpiece In The Nightside Eclipse. Utilizing the chemistry of its pioneering symphonic extremity, even lifting a riff directly. This imitation however, lacks charm. Following it, a dreary dark ambient piece lacks depth.

Its two other cuts feel like crude experiments with dirty harrowing noise and Black Metal's harsh ugly aesthetics. They seek an abrasive disgust yet perhaps miss the point from this listeners perspective. That darkness needs to be driven by something truly musical, otherwise it remains a bleak noisy mess of discomfort and chaos.

Rating: 2/10

Cult Of The Damned "Simony" (2026)

 
Still topping my "ones to watch" list, UK Rap collective Cult Of The Damned return on auto pilot, dropping a record that mostly serves to house singles Car Park and Sapnin. These are slick numbers, the group fire on all cylinders, delivering aggressive, gritty, unhinged raps spiraling out erratically in wild directions. Predictably unpredictable.

Simony's atmosphere plays dreary, dark, spooky. Instrumentals focus on unsettled scenic sounds and crunching slippery beats to paint gloomy backdrops for mean, dissenting raps, often springing an air of tongue in cheek self depreciation. Dim and Dingy from front to back, drums bring enough punch and power to keep a bounce.

In moments, the theme encroaches on subversive spycraft, a sense of conspiracy and coercion pervades its shadowy ambience. Its driven by BeTheGun's intersecting monologue's. His suggestive lines border brilliance but mostly play dialed in with plain language. Its a missed opportunity to embellish theme and do something unique.

Blackburn's Bill Shakes continues to illuminate. His verses are a routine highlight, the loose vocab rhyme style delights with rhythmic creativity. Unfortunately no one else stood out quite the same. Many of these songs raps feel generalized, with the group kicking in feisty verses linked by tone but lacking a deeper thematic concept.

Ultimately, the bleak and eerie Simony entertains but creates a sense the gang could easily elevate their game. As mentioned, those superb highlights create a gulf from the bulk of tracks. In comparison, those cuts feel routine and unfocused. Despite this, Cult Of The Damned remain thoroughly entertaining and morbidly intriguing. 

Rating: 6/10

Serial Killers "This Thing Of Ours" (2026)

As far as classic rappers past their prime goes, This Thing Of Ours has been reasonably entertaining. Consisting of Cypress Hill's B-Real, MTV famed Xzibit and later entry to the Rap game Demrick. The LA based trio's third outing together catches a spark. Fine beat production provides classic vibes with a sharp snappy edge for the three to exchange verses. There is little lyrical revelation to astonish or challenge anyone seasoned to their tastes. X even revives some of his classic cadences and personal verbage with a wink and nod. Its endearing, fun, showing they can still spit their styles confidently. Levels puts in a cohesive effort to drive a lyrical theme but many of the songs here serve as simple platforms for lyrical braggadocio. Chuck D of Public Enemy gets featured a handful of times, sampling his timeless voice. As well as recycling LL Cool J's classic Mama Said Knock You Out. Other than that, its a group of seasoned heads putting together a fair set of tracks to entertain the old crowd. If you like the mid 90s to early 00s Rap sound, then you'll find a couple of tracks here.

 Rating: 5/10

Dave Mackay "Three: Vol.1 [Los Angeles]" (2019)

 

Dear reader, you'll have to tell me if you've heard this before. I cannot shake this feeling I know the first two cuts from somewhere. My gut tells me these themes have been interpolated into a Rap song, or perhaps vise verse? Either way, from the instance I first heard All The Same, a shudder went down mine spin. Its six minutes of beauty start gentle, steadily crooning into gushing spell of melancholic delight.

Along the path, a matured Jazz architecture blossoms as the talented trio revel in the motifs drama, a radiant sunset, warm, enduring yet a sense of closure lingers in this bitter sweet moment, tilting to the later. Its an exquisite sound informed by deep musical understanding and aesthetic craft. This continues excellence with Outlines, a more subdued number, alluring and dreamy, it kicks off with a prominent rhythmic groove fit for a healthy Hip Hop sampling. The mid section ventures into a quiet realm, its deep hurried baseline murmurs a pacey strut with minimal accents placed above.

Foreign Transmissions has less of this magnificent charm. Its sleepy fundamentals get violently awaken by distortion rock guitar, warbling away with an Avant-Guard flare. This snarky lead is quite the abrasive juxtaposition, peaking with luscious organs synth swells, yet lacking gratification upon that union. Conceptually interesting yet in execution, misses a personal connection for me. Despite that, its first two cuts are ones to remember and enjoy again and again for time to come.

Rating: 5/10

Dance With The Dead "Malombra" (2026)

As a listener for whom lyrics can often fly over ones head, it may seem ironic that my main critique of Malombra is its lack of oral presence. Although this duo flesh out their upbeat numbers with interchanging lead expressions and melodic focal points, the verse-chorus structure sets a limelight for a personality to shine who never emerges.

Armed with lush, oozing nightly synths and rounded Industrial Metal guitar grooves, neither musical mechanism manages to fill that vocal void. These instruments are, however, aesthetically sublime. United with crisp punchy drums executing tight attack tones, a mastery blueprint returns for yet another ghoulish forty minute party.

Despite the excellence, I'm left with little to say given a lack of stylistic divergence from Driven To Madness. Dance With The Dead keep pumping out their nocturnal inspired Synthwave but with a lack of new ideas or progressive song writing it feels like a return to a familiar mood. Malombra is simply a good fun for a fair few spins.

Rating: 6/10

Emyn Muil "Elenion Ancalima" (2017)

Successor to the remarkably delightful Túrin Turambar Dagnir Glaurunga, Italian one man band Emyn Muil pivots their musical approach, searching for an epic adventure that doesn't grip me with the same intrigue. Structured by an intro and outro track, the meat of its thematic concept sits within three lengthy songs that limits the scope and variety explored last outing. With fervent stride, a sense of saga pervades, a struggle between forces climaxing. Uplifting theme of heroism illuminate melodies, tone and temperament resting in highlands stride, as tremolo guitars elongate its main motifs.

The Lay Of Numenore's drama and sense of scale plays vast but drifts from focus into mood and feel as repetition constrains this protracted number from blossoming. Ar-Pharazon offers a touch more as chunky guitar riffs break up the recycling themes. Far Umbar relieves itself of tensions built as the synth interlude doesn't find different grounds to land the song on. In general, the steady atmosphere of these songs simply linger, gradual shifts to subtle for action and theatrics that aid creating memorability.

The opener hits a fantastic note with a powerfully sung melody of adventure awaiting. Its closing track is the records highlight. Again, a voiced melody champions its merits as we slip into an Ethereal realm of sleepy synths and dreamy tunes blessed by misty singing through the distant airy fog, reminded me of Enya's music in ways. Elenion Ancalima is a fine, ambitious effort, unfortunately it didn't quite click with this listener.

Rating: 6/10

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

Gate Master "Gate Master" (2020)

Mightily impressed by In Pursuit Of Forbidden Knowledge's clandestine spell, I had to return to this projects origin four years prior. Sadly, this obscure record doesn't yield much beyond the opening Dungeon Synth track, Tides Of Aeons, a lonesome rumination on esoteric melody, powered by distant drums and a dank airy drone. Its atmospheric spell is intriguing, balancing mysticism with a sense of distant danger. 

Beyond it, the intent feels clear, to use harsh low fidelity aesthetics as its weapon of wonder. The clattering drums and wretched vocals of Sacrificial Summoning come with little musical strength to back it up, simply deploying played out Black Metal tropes. After it, the rest of the music focuses on atmosphere through unsettling noise and dense drone. Obscure fuzzes, obtuse distortions and sizzling static fill out space.

I appreciate the effort but these cheapened sound design choices didn't chime bright. Rather, they become its biggest burden. Exposing a lack of thematic depth to inherently explain these choices. With little to latch onto beyond its strange and soothing opening ambience, I had little investment in continuing to listen.

 

Rating: 3/10

Akercocke "Choronzon" (2003)

Here is a record I would have enjoyed immensely in decades past. Devilishly artistic, its flourishes of darkly esoteric wonder, today plays countermand to a tired breed of blunt Death Metal akin to Dying Fetus. Tight, dry, anechoic drums batter against dense worming distortion riffs. Over top, the narrow guttural belching pig squeals lack that absurd sense of fun they once bestowed in this listeners enthusiastic youth.

Choronzon is a deeply cryptic record, continuously seeking devious creativity. Defying convention, its architecture continuously meanders through a seemingly unending arsenal of riffs and eccentric musical ideas. This theme remains grim and abrasive throughout, almost confrontational in its extremity. Yet frequently does the record find moments of nebulous worldly sound and shadowy acoustics to venture through.

In these expansive strides, melody and tone tilts to the Doom and Gothic Metal sounds of that era. Despite similarities, Akercocke put their fiendish demonic spin on anything familiar. With unpredictable structure, their songs traverse this hellish landscape with sudden pivots and excursions who's excitement rarely fades. Its simply jam packed with bizarre satanic oddities and sinister guitar bending riifs.

These days, I'm instantaneously partial to its lighter touches where raw aggression subsides. The constant scowling and traumatic blast beats taking a measure longer to come around to. Although burned out on this brutal sound, I'd have to admit the record houses some of the genres better riffs, especially when breaking the conventional mold and looking for a vicious, snarkier peruse into that dimension of extremity.

Lurching between its obvious metallic constructs are the keys, either Symphonic or Electronic in texture, they play a fantastic yet easily overlooked role in characterizing its best departures from extremes. I would have loved to hear more of this strand. As the record grows on, its form tends to condense more into that brutal form. However, it closes on Goddess Flesh, a short composition showing off the talents of keyboardist The Rizz. Intriguing record, as already stated, I found it at the wrong point in time.

Rating: 7/10

Nils Frahm "Spaces" (2013)

One for your tone tweaking, mood mellowing, ambience altering playlists, German composer Nils Frahm's "Spaces" turns an approach to traditional Piano music on its side. Harnessing a traditional aesthetic beauty the timeless instrument offers, then yielding its charm through a structure more common to electronic music. With droning repetitions of boldly struck notes and melancholic chords, the music gradually drifts its way through soft lush groans, vivid harmonious blooms and dense emotional swells.

Some of its songs end to applause from a live audience, the authenticity of these performances and analog tape recordings reinforce its organic nature, only amplifying the exquisite performances on display. In dexterous strides of swift complexity, one could mistake the seemingly robotic execution of notes for virtualization. Even within these strides of virtuoso, the endearing imperfections only humanize its dynamic.

Counterpart to its animated flushes, the record will happily croon into elongated explorations of ambiguous sound, where the piano takes a backseat through this unique exploration of sound. The exchange is masterful, never rushed yet can ruminate with class, venturing to all temperaments between. At seventy six minutes, its a rich offering of ideas, feeling more like a compilation of ideas than a full cohesive vision. Give it a spin and within you'll find your moments of magic to revel with.

Rating: 7/10

Angine De Poitrine "Vol.II" (2026)

Striking while the iron is hot, French Canadian duo Angine De Poitrine drop another six Math Rock, Microtonal jams to sway you under their peculiar spell. Although not much has changed to the structure and composition of their loop pedal driven drones, a noticeable elevation in magnetism pervades as these musicians refine their craft.

Most noticeable, thick driving baselines that power these numbers rattle with texture. They lock in with the occasionally intricate and often animated drums, ramping up intensity as the guitar layers stack. Utzp infuses some Eastern Polka-like vibes with its pacey staccato guitar jabs. Apart from that stylistic distinction, its business as usual.

The eventual swell still yields the most gratification, their formula seemingly unable to wrangle much else out of the loop pedals. Opener, Fabienk is by far their best song. Its two halves quell the droning as a midpoint reset sways past their alien voices into the grooviest assemble yet. Groove being key elevation felt across this brief record.

Rating: 5/10

Atlantean Sword "Ironmaster" (2025)

 

Adjacent to our beloved Dungeon Synth niche comes another genre microcosm! Inspired by Conan The Barbarian, we get a stream of Fantasy synth music akin to Might & Magic. Its safe, heroic, triumphant. Honour conquers evil without indulging in the menace of such an infernal foe. So much so that Atlantean Sword's music carves itself a clear distinction. One perhaps overpronounced on this, their latest record.

Ironmaster oozes with heavy layerings of metallic synth. Gleaming horns, militant percussion and organ drones pack together a dense atmosphere. Rigidly marked by the clattering of metal strikes and deep gongs, its aesthetic design lumbers along within its own crammed production. Intention is clear but often feels smothers by its own tone. The finer persuasion of melody struggling to break the massed mold.

Lead instruments do arise, hearty harps and fulgent flutes sparkle animated melodies. There sudden emergences also feel somewhat stiff and cramp. The music ebbs and flows with sudden dramatic shifts that lack a charm despite serving the bigger picture well. Its progressive nature plays into the unfolding Fantasy narrative. Epic chord arrangements can be heard evolving a songs direction yet often competing for focus.

For this sorry listener, Ironmaster never quite pulls one into its clearly vivid, fully realized world. Aesthetic design and musical intent is clear. For whatever reasons, it comes together a touch forceful and overplayed. Hard hitting instruments, lacking subtleties, rubbing up against starkly repetitive percussive strikes. It dispels a magic that could have been. A fair, intriguing listen but not much to return for.

Rating: 4/10

Труп Колдуна "Prophecy Of The Bleeding Bloom" (2026)

 

Труп Колдуна returns victorious with a captivating set of esoteric bedroom composer songs. Split into two distinct halves, Prophecy Of The Bleeding Bloom hits a stride as the quirky Dungeon Synth motif collides with cryptic Fantasy tunes in pleasing union. The record kicks of with a string of alluring mystical instrumentals, unusual and enchanting, almost lullaby like with an undercurrent of daker obscurity yet to unravel.

The glistening Stellar Citadel perks ones ears. Star twinkling melodies bestows the arrival of drum machine percussion. Its pounding bass kicks embus a driving Synthwave alike energy that will frequent the second half of its runtime. On the proceeding All In Vain, scowling howls enter the fold, empowering this lurking dark underbelly to come forth as its final songs lean into this obscure union of sound.

A curious dance energy accompanies the abrasive echoing cries. Melodies melt in its wake. The whole thing feels held together with duck tape, yet it works wonderfully. Exploiting simple rhythmic pleasures, twisting and corrupting tunes in heresy, a charming abomination blossoms. Although I don't feel a sense of lasting impact, this is a delightful, entertaining, yet brief encounter with a truly bizarre oddity of sound.

Rating: 6/10