CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX - Northern Comfort (6:02)
Album: White Light Generator (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: COOL GREEN/MASCOT/ROUGH TRADE
WWW.CRIPPLEDBLACKPHOENIX.CO.UK
Quiet moods. Majestic hymns. Powerful, hard guitars. Grooves to bounce with. Melodies to sing along to. No doubt about it, CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX stick to their very own version of Artrock and tie up stylistically and qualitatively to the milestones of their past. The British can now be relied upon unreservedly.
RPWL - Swords And Guns (8:48)
Album: Wanted (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/SOULFOOD
WWW.RPWL.NET
The people of Freising continue their philosophical art rock. Now it is about a world of absolute freedom in the sense of Plato. The rulers don't like this at all, which is why our heroes have to go underground. There they do Artrock with Manfred Mannschem Moog-Solo, Led Zeppelin's oriental harmonies and floydy guitar turns. Exemplary! (Review: eclipsed 3/2014)
MAGNUM - Unwritten Sacrifice (5:25)
Album: Escape From The Shadow Garden (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: STEAMHAMMER/SPV
WWW.MAGNUMONLINE.CO.UK
For decades, the Middle English quintet MAGNUM has stood for not leaving their fans out in the rain. On "Escape From The Shadow Garden" they perform at the usual high musical level. Hardrock, which sometimes gets melodic-proggily out of hand, but basically always ends up in a cosy melody port.
WISHBONE ASH - Take It Back (edit) (4:47)
Album: Blue Horizon (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: SOLID ROCK HOUSE/INTERGROOVE
WWW.WISHBONEASH.COM
The British-Finnish band present themselves in excellent condition on their album "Blue Horizon". Their trademarks, the subtle, doubled lead guitars are represented as well as the withdrawn vocals. Melodic classic rock that has lost none of its charm even four decades after its "invention".
MOTORPSYCHO - Cloudwalker (A Darker Blue) (6:02)
Album: Behind The Sun (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: STICKMAN/SOULFOOD
WWW.MOTORPSYCHO.NO
If it says MOTORPSYCHO on it, it also says Motorpsycho. "Behind The Sun", the latest studio work of the hard-working Norwegians, again offers the finest material for hard rock, psychedelic and prog fans. Particularly successful is the supernatural opener "Cloudwalker (A Darker Blue)" with the memorable line "I like the gospel better than the church". (Review: eclipsed 3/2014)
KAMCHATKA - Somedays (4:29)
Album: The Search Goes On (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: (DESPOTZ/CARGO)
WWW.KAMCHATKA.SE
With the motto: "More Rock than Blues" the Swedish trio KAMCHATKA went to work on "The Search Goes On". Although the bluesy part is not completely swept under the carpet, it usually goes more violently and directly to the point. Then "Juneor" and Co. look around in Grunge or Heavy Rock areas. (Review: eclipsed 3/2014)
MESSENGER - The Return (5:56)
Album: Illusory Blues (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: SVART/CARGO
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MESSENGERBANDUK
The British quintet MESSENGER presents a fantastic album debut with which it catapults itself into the first league of psychedelic art rock. Finest harmony singing and lots of ideas and moods can be found in each of his songs. And yet everything flows harmoniously into each other. Transatlantic Cinema-Folk-Psych-Artrock at its best! Album of the month!
SPACE DEBRIS - Phonomorphosis (edit) (12:21)
Album: Phonomorphosis (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: BREITKLANG/WWW.GREEN-BRAIN-KRAUTROCK.DE
WWW.SPACEDEBRISPROJEKT.DE
The new work by SPACE DEBRIS consists "only" of four longtracks of about 20 minutes, which offer a lot of space for instrumental rock. The German quartet uses this to present sweeping organ and guitar solos in abundance. A good example is this 12-minute edit of the title track "Phonomorphosis".
SUPERDRAMA - Turn The Stone (10:51)
Album: The Promise (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: PROGRESSIVE PROMOTION/WWW.PPR-SHOP.DE
WWW.SUPERDRAMA.DE
On their ambitious, excitingly staged album "The Promise" the German proggers SUPERDRAMA explore the big questions of human existence: Where do we come from and why are we here? "Turn The Stone" is about the fact that in the course of one's life man has to permanently overcome self-doubt and external obstacles - a real Sisyphus work! (Review: eclipsed 3/2014)
GLASS HAMMER - Misantrog (9:57)
Album: Ode To Echo (2014)
LABEL/Distribution: ARION/JUST FOR KICKS
WWW.GLASSHAMMER.COM
With their 14th album, the American prog heroes of GLASS HAMMER have actually reinvented themselves. And thus probably finally says goodbye to their reputation of being the most industrious Yes imitators. Other, but equally exciting song structures and vocal harmonies make it possible. A successful relaunch with the best cast.
