Category: Album Reviews

Beth Hart ‘You Still Got Me’ (Provogue/Mascot Records)

Beth Hart ‘You Still Got Me’ (Provogue/Mascot Records)

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David O’Neill reviewed Beth Hart’s album ‘War In My Mind’ for ÜR way back in 2019 and was immediately hooked by the power, soulfulness and sheer emotion expressed in it. Having followed this review with the one for her ‘Tribute to Led Zeppelin’, it placed her firmly in his regular listening to music that impressed him. But, does she still got him under her spell?

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Hermano ‘when the moon was high…’ (Ripple Music)

Hermano ‘when the moon was high…’ (Ripple Music)

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Hermano, fronted by John Garcia of Kyuss, were one of the coolest purveyors of stoner/desert rock in the Noughties. Their debut album, 2002’s ‘Only A Suggestion’, is a bona fide classic of the genre. Now they’re back with new album ‘when the moon was high…’, a mixture of unreleased live recordings, plus the first new studio music from the band since 2007’s final album ‘Into The Exam Room’.

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Astral Doors ‘The End Of It All’ (Metalville)

Astral Doors ‘The End Of It All’ (Metalville)

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It’s been five long years since we last opened the Astral Doors and transported ourselves into the power metal Überverse of these Swedish genre veterans, a hiatus which perhaps inevitably had us questioning if it indeed was #TheEndOfItAll for this project fronted by powerhouse vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson. But, we need not have feared the worst as, while the various band members have been off doing different things over the past half a decade they have now reunited to celebrate their coming of age with this, their ninth studio album in their storied 21-year career.

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Dirtbag Republic ‘Bad Decisions’ (Self-Released)

Dirtbag Republic ‘Bad Decisions’ (Self-Released)

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Life is defined by it’s decisions, good, bad or indifferent. Well, while the band themselves may be declaring otherwise, following the career of this motley crüe of dirtbags (sic) from the dirty back alleys of Vancouver and listening to their heady brüe of seedy, sleazy rawk ‘n’f’n’ roll since they took Monk on a trip ‘Downtown Eastside’ back in 2017 is definitely one of the better ones the boss man has made in recent years – and continues to make on the basis of this rambunctious slice of rowdiness.

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Forsaken Rite ‘The Forgotten West’ (Self-Released)

Forsaken Rite ‘The Forgotten West’ (Self-Released)

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There’s something about Canada at the moment that is resulting in some pretty epic sounding metal becoming a national export. Perhaps it’s the combination of stark mountains and sprawling forests that breeds creativity, or maybe there’s just something in the Tim Horton’s coffee. Regardless of the reason, some of the bands to emerge out of Canada in recent years really do rival those in the well established European metal scene. So when a new Canadian folk metal EP dropped into the ÜRHQ inbox,Jonny B simply had to measure it up against the likes of Eluveitie and his other favourite Euro equivalents!

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The Courettes – ‘The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes’ (Damaged Goods Records)

The Courettes – ‘The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes’ (Damaged Goods Records)

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Danish-Brazilian rock’n’roll sensations The Courettes are back with their fourth album to date – ‘The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes’. And this time, they’re bigger, wider and deeper than ever before. Straddling garage rock, girl groups, doo-wop harmonies, heartache and all points in between, the slick, sassy and ultra-cool husband-and-wife duo, with numerous guests and helping hands, build on the momentum of predecessor ‘Back In Mono’ with a collection of songs that opens up their sonic scope like never before.

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Asian Dub Foundation ‘94 – Now: Collaborations’ (X-Ray Production)

Asian Dub Foundation ‘94 – Now: Collaborations’ (X-Ray Production)

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Almost a genre unto themselves, mixing up jungle, dub, Asian and rap with wild rock guitars and a punk rock attitude, London’s Asian Dub Foundation have been doing their thing for 30 years now, and have shared stages with the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Primal Scream and countless others over that time. To celebrate that milestone, they release ‘94 – Now: Collaborations’ this month, a compilation of some of their best collaborations over the years, featuring Iggy Pop, Sinéad O’Connor, Stewart Lee, Chuck D and many more.

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Nightwish ‘Yesterwynde’ (Nuclear Blast)

Nightwish ‘Yesterwynde’ (Nuclear Blast)

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When Nightwish headlined Bloodstock in 2018, Jonny B’s mate took great pleasure in telling anyone that would listen that “Nightwish have done more for music than The Beatles”, which naturally invoked quite a reaction. But there’s some logic behind that argument… Nightwish have certainly made great use of folk instruments and taken the bombastic elements of classical music weave into their music, whereas the Beatles pretty much just used guitars and drums. Also the members of Nightwish are spread across three countries; Finland, The Netherlands and the UK (Cumbria, no less!) yet The Beatles were just four lads from Liverpool. Anyway, we digress… why this is important is because it’s finally time for a follow up album to 2020’s ‘Human. .II. Nature.’ and the third instalment of the Floor Jansen era. That’s right, Nightwish are back with another symphonic masterpiece, ‘Yesterwynde’…

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Delilah Bon ‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ (Self-Released)

Delilah Bon ‘Evil, Hate Filled Female’ (Self-Released)

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Delilah Bon – the latest alter ego/incarnation/nom de plume/personification of the multi-faceted, multi-talented, multi-voiced Lauren Tate – wears the title of this declarative album on both her sleeve and her heart as a symbol of defiant self-declaration. The descriptive ‘Evil Hate-Filled Female’ was originally hurled her way as an insult by an online troll, but Tate has taken that insult and turned it back on itself, adopting it as a clarion call of confident “fuck the haters” self-belief.

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