Some of you may not recognise my name on this website, some of you may, but I won’t be surprised if you don’t. I’ve been away for quite some time. 2015 has been… a challenge to say the least, as technically my first year…
Continue reading →

When longstanding friend and bassist Tommy Atkins of Ft. Worth, TX trio The Great Tyrant took his life in 2010, surviving members Daron Beck and John Teague adopted the new name Pinkish Black (the unique color of drying blood) as a tribute to his…
Continue reading →

It’s been an honor and a privilege writing for The Shaman for the second year running; tons of great writers/contributors with the passion to match – I can always count on this site to steer me in unexpected directions – new bands, new gigs…
Continue reading →

This has been a strange year for me as the majority of it has been occupied by moving and renovating a house and the birth of my little boy so for the first time ever, music has very much taken a back seat and…
Continue reading →

All right, let’s get one thing out of the way:  Chron Goblin offer nothing new, nothing that hasn’t been done before. However, even though they lack originality, they are simply perfect for anyone who enjoys loud guitars, pounding drums and a good old rock’n’roll…
Continue reading →

What a year, some amazing editions of great festivals, good releases and overall an intriguing time to live and enjoy music. Though my aural experience this year was largely defined by listening to an intense amount of black metal, I’ve tried to put together…
Continue reading →

How many lush records do you own? Do you need another Air? Another Zero7, fit for sparking romantic interests and long summer nights? Maybe you need something to replace your dusty and scratched copy of Welcome To Sky Valley, its fifth track Space Cadet…
Continue reading →

I wasn’t sure what to do when asked to come up with my top ten for this year…I wasn’t even sure if I’d heard ten albums this year if I’m honest as I haven’t really paid much attention to what’s happening in music for…
Continue reading →

Dry Cough Records, De Graanrepubliek Records, Box Records, Viral Age Records and Tartarus have all come together to make this release possible, which should give you some indication of how special it is. This is the Nottingham-based duo’s first full length record, with their…
Continue reading →

10. Svalbard ‘One Day All This Will End’ My first experience with this band was seeing them support Celeste at The Underworld, back in August. I was immediately blown away by their passion and the dual vocals were certainly a winner. Aside from liking…
Continue reading →