Author Andy Pountney
Live albums always divide opinion with the naysayers questioning the need for a rehash of songs already available on studio albums whereas proponents cite a live album as a record of a band’s zeitgeist, a testament to where a band… Continue Reading →
Magnificent, epic, bombastic, opulent, cinematic……I could go on but you get the idea. Jo Quail’s latest offering is stunning and even though her previous releases were well received, this is a whole other level. I’m sure most people are familiar… Continue Reading →
Back in 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” and since then this, and its English translation “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, have been widely quoted and… Continue Reading →
There has been something of an explosion of neo-folk in recent years, and Grift can perhaps be considered one of the leading proponents, having been plying their trade and carving their niche since 2011. When I say “their”, I should… Continue Reading →
Ah, the final day of a festival always brings mixed emotions with another full day to look forward to, but also the crashing down to reality as soon as it is over. However, there were some absolute gems on the… Continue Reading →
I took advantage of the good weather by spending the morning strolling along the Oslofjord and then exploring the museum in the Midgard Viking Centre before heading into the festival site where I caught the Viking battle. Then I tentatively… Continue Reading →
My second day at Midgardsblot began with a walk along the wooded edge of the beautiful Oslofjord and around Borre Park, contemplating the historical significance of the area and soaking up its heritage. Despite plenty of people milling around,… Continue Reading →
Once again, I found myself making my way to the hallowed grounds at Borre for the unique Midgardsblot festival with its diverse combination of extreme metal, nordic folk and so much more. The festival is set within the grounds of… Continue Reading →
Once again I find myself exploring the darker depths of black metal’s underbelly, and finding its cold, claustrophobic embrace familiar and comforting. This month’s offering comes from Voidmilker, a name which will be new to most, as this is their… Continue Reading →
Do you like your black metal polished and symphonic with lots of keyboards and tunes you can sing along to in the car? If so, I suggest you look elsewhere as Finland’s Vonülfsrëich deliver nasty, gnarly low fi black metal… Continue Reading →
There are few things you can rely on in life, but Norwegian black metal seems to be one of those, especially when it comes to bands who don’t stray too far from the blue print. Bergen’s Nattverd are one such band,… Continue Reading →
In a world where every musical subgenre has seemingly been explored, exploited and exhausted, it is unusual and refreshing to come across something which is unique and pushes the boundaries further, and yet that is what Drott have managed to… Continue Reading →