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Kevin Kastning - 2026 - Codex III / Codex IV

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(42:31 / 39:38; Greydisc) Kevin’s ninth and tenth solo albums are a continuation of his last two, being the third and fourth in the Codex series. In each case he is playing either 36-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar, 30-string Double Contraguitar, 24-string Double Sub-Contraguitar or 6-string guitar, and when it is the double necks, he plays with one hand on each and they have been recorded in that manner. This means that when playing on headphones it is possible to hear the two necks on separate channels so the listener can understand a little more of what Kevin is doing. There are no overdubs, everything was recorded live, and knowing Kevin it is probable that he was live composing at the time, going where the music took him as opposed to being fully scored and composed ahead of time. I have lost count of how many of his albums I have listened to and reviewed, and there is always that initial wonder on how he can play so many strings yet always know where ...
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Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins [Live 1977] (2026)

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(47:04; Atomhenge) While 1977 was the release of one of Hawkwind’s most important albums, ‘Quark, Strangeness and Charm’ (which was actually the first album of theirs I heard), it also saw the band having some issues with more line-up changes, a poor American tour, and Calvert collapsing onstage suffering from mental issues. Hawkwind stopped touring for a while and Calvert was recovering, so Brock’s thoughts turned to having a side project for a while. He had built a relationship with local Devon band Ark, some of whom had played with him and Calvert at the Stonehenge Free Festival the previous year, so not why do something with them again. Brock and Calvert contacted three members of that band, bass guitarist Harvey Bainbridge, drummer Martin Griffin and keyboard player Paul Hayles, and as Sonic Assassins they played Queen’s Hall Barnstaple on 23rd December 1977. It was recorded for posterity, and three tracks were released in 1981 as the ‘Sonic Assassins’ EP, but it is only now that ...
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Hawkwind - 2026 - Psychedelic Selection

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(72:00; Cherry Red) I am not quite sure as to whether to view this as a new studio recording or a compilation, or both, as what we have here is a combination of unheard recordings, newly reworked classics and fresh material from the current line-up, and I am not sure exactly who plays on what. I am aware that the vibrant and upbeat “Hurry On Sundown” is the final recording to feature Huw Lloyd- Langton, who left the band in 2002 and died from cancer in 2012, but have no information as to where and when it was recorded. Hawkwind as a band have probably suffered more than most from having compilations released over which they have had no control, along with many live recordings (some of which have poor sound quality at best), so much so that anyone who says they have a complete collection is either lying or demented, which means that there is always a certain level of trepidation when approaching any of their albums which have been compiled. However, this is a fascinating viewpoint into ...
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Eaten By Sharks - 2026 - The Undertow Of Hate

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(34:03; CDN Records) I must confess I knew nothing about this band prior to grabbing the album, which I did just because I thought the name was great (and I also love their logo, the shirts look amazing). Of course, this meant a large part of me thought I was possibly opening myself up for some disappointment, but I am truly glad to report that is not the case. I have never been the biggest fan of pure deathcore, but these guys are technical deathcore combined with progressive death metal, and that makes a huge difference as one truly never knows what is happening next.  It could be quick riffs, some highly complex leads which come in and out, some melodic switches, change in tempo, a totally different drum pattern or vocals which switch between styles. Apart from singer Matt Sherriff who joined in 2018, all the band have been together since their formation in 2012 which means that Tyler Abrams (bass), Justin Whitehead (drums), Chris Chaperon (lead guitars) and Dan Oko (rhythm guit...
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Various Artists - 2026 - Hear No Evil

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(153:40; Friends of the Fish) There are only a very few labels I deal with where I always grab everything I am offered as I have such high respect for what they do, and Fruits de Mer are very much part of that select list and this double CD (gatefold cardboard sleeve) really epitomises what they are about. Firstly, this album is not for sale, it was sent freely to FdeM club members who bought the early June commercial releases. Secondly, this 2½ hour set was funded by the label, not the bands featured, as the label was keen on  bringing new music and new artists, to the attention of fans of the label. Most of the artists featured are new to FdM found by chance, by searching social media, by recommendations, or by the bands finding FdeM and then Keith Jones thinking that regular customers would like them and may want to investigate further. If that is not enough, on the CD it says clearly where each song is taken from, as well as where to be able to purchase it from. For example, th...
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Z Machine - 2023 - Merging Worlds

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(39:56; Z Machine) It is not unusual for me to do things in a strange manner, so having heard Rob Harrison’s second album I then listened to his debut, and it is only now that I am moving onto the first Z Machine album which was released in 2023 (I hear the second is due soon). What we have here is a Welsh jazz rock/progressive rock quintet featuring Lester Greenhalgh (drums & percussion), Rob Harrison (saxophone, flute), Kristian Rees (bass) and guitarists Gareth Piper and Owen Rosser. The first thing that stands out from their sound is that there are no keyboards (which is not a total surprise in that these guys are so tight they could not fit in another instrument) and that they have far more in common with a “straight” jazz band than rock, but they are very much a rock group. It is not unusual in jazz for a saxophone to be the main melodic lead working with a very technical rhythm section who do way more than just provide a foundation, but what is unusual here is the use of twi...
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Yes - 2026 - Aurora

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(59:32; Inside Out Music) There was a time when a new Yes album was a cause for great celebration, but I must confess that like many I have become somewhat jaded over the years and there is a large part of me which thinks that Yes without Anderson isn’t really Yes at all, especially with Chris Squire no longer around either. But, although I may not have been a huge fan of the recent albums, I did enjoy Davidson singing when Yes came to NZ twice (when both Squire and White were still there), and thought he was great in Glass Hammer so maybe it was just me? I think, and I could well be wrong as I often am, that this is the first time in nearly 40 years when there has been a line-up which has produced two albums together, and I am sure that has greatly helped in what is easily their most consistent and enjoyable release since 2011’s ‘Fly From Here’. Is it the Yes of the Seventies? No, of course not – none of the bands from that era are the same, either in line-up or musical style, but is ...
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