Author: Team Uber

Everdawn – ‘Cleopatra’ (Sensory)

Everdawn – ‘Cleopatra’ (Sensory)

Posted by | Feb 2, 2021 | ,

Symphonic metal is a particular favorite of John B. Especially when there is heavy use of operatic vocals. There is something about the genre that just feels so epic and bigger than everything else. With the big musical movements and the powerful vocals, it is a genre that can both dominate with an epic score washing over you or lighten into a soft soothing melody that tells you a story either directly or through the instrumentation. When done well it can totally draw you in and demand your attention. It can be an experience that requires reflection and reward you for the endeavor. So, the question is where does ‘Cleopatra’ stack up in this genre of giants?

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Old Selves – ‘Two Minds’ EP (Self-Released)

Old Selves – ‘Two Minds’ EP (Self-Released)

Posted by | Feb 1, 2021 | ,

The past 11 months, during which the rebranded beer bug has virtually become a synonym for negativity, have presented enormous challenges, not least for the music industry. It is a period that has been epitomized by how people have risen to those challenges: many have buckled under the strain, others have found themselves energized and, in turn, taken on new challenges. An example of the latter attitude are Old Selves: despite their name, a bunch of relative youngsters from the greater York area, this quartet of rising riffmeisters used 2020 as an opportunity to remodel themselves, from a garage band hammering out cover songs with cheap beat up guitars, honing in on their musical values to forge a sound, and an identity of their own, resulting in this, their debut six-track EP, released at the start of this year – one which, to date, promised much but so far has failed to deliver… although, it has to be stressed, not on the musical front, given the amount of quality releases which so far have fought their way onto the playlists here at ÜRHQ…

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Lucero – ‘When You Found Me’ (Thirty Tigers)

Lucero – ‘When You Found Me’ (Thirty Tigers)

Posted by | Feb 1, 2021 | ,

This one is pretty surprising for John B. He fully expected to not be a big fan of this one. He lives on the border with Tennessee and because of this has not turned on the radio in approximately ten years. Pretty much everything played on the radio this close to music city is not his style. Needless to say, our man in Kentucky’s expectations were low. That being said, once he hit play he loved it. He found himself listening to the album over and over, beyond what he normally does for a review. Even to the point of learning the lyrics well enough to sing along at times. Every track is a hit in JB’s book…

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Dreamslain – ‘Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds’ (Self-Released)

Dreamslain – ‘Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds’ (Self-Released)

Posted by | Feb 1, 2021 | ,

Every so often, an album will surface at ÜRHQ that promises to combine two of Jonny B’s favourite things in a tantalizing mix. And on occasions like this he simply has to pick it up and give it a spin because the opportunity is too good to miss! This is how he felt when he stumbled across ‘Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds’, on which Dreamslain have promised that “epic metal meets prog rock”, which is definitely enough to grab JB’s attention!

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And Now The Owls Are Smiling – ‘Dirges’ (Clobber Records)

And Now The Owls Are Smiling – ‘Dirges’ (Clobber Records)

Posted by | Feb 1, 2021 | ,

And Now The Owls Are Smiling, the collective name for north Norfolk based musician Nre. Having already made a mark with the release of 2019’s ‘The Comforting Grip of Misery’, Nre has returned to embark once again on a twisting and evocative path of atmospheric black metal. The result is the eight-track ‘Dirges’. A collection of music that works together to hold onto a grip of winter and enthral the listener into a whirl of sombre, emotionally charged darkness.

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