Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

CELAVI – Praelia EP

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Welsh duo Celavi (often stylised as C E L A V I) released an excellent album ‘Dolorem’ in 2023. Its eight songs presented some absolutely devastating alternative metal, blending elements of industrial, nu metal and a pinch of groove, creating something brilliantly heavy, yet packed with great hooks. Their 2026 EP ‘Praelia’ is often cut from a similar cloth, but whether you’re already a fan or about to discover this band, it’s a release that sounds absolutely thrilling.

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JATK – Feel Today! EP

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Following the release of the ‘Ana’ single in 2023 – a track that took singer/multi-instrumentalist Matt Jatkola into hard edged power pop/Weezer-esque territory – all seemed to go rather quiet in the JATK camp. Over the previous couple of years, Matt had shared tracks fairly regularly, and even released an album ‘Shut Up and Be The Light’, but the relative silence from the beginning of 2024 might have led some people to believe that the JATK musical project was no more.

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MINOT – Down & Out At The Thunderbird

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Towards the end of 2025, Minot shared a brilliant 7” release featuring two unreleased tracks. It was a short listen, but the coupling of ‘Walls’ and ‘People Pleaser’ created a lo-fi yet fiery listen that acted as an effective primer for anyone unfamiliar with the band’s previous works. A year on, the full length ‘Down & Out At The Thunderbird’ captures just as much fun and fury, proving that Minot’s power isn’t especially diminished when delivered in a longer format.

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CLEANBREAK – We Are The Fire

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CleanBreak’s self-titled debut album came as a surprise. The teaming of metal vocalist James Durbin with members of Stryper created a very natural musical union. The Stryper guys brought a broad sense of melody to the table that Durbin’s previous solo album (Durbin’s ‘The Beast Awakens’) often lacked, and this seemed to encourage James to find a rock voice that was much more accessible. The album was loaded with old school rock thrills, drawing influence from Stryper and Dokken, even finding time on occasion to nod towards classic Dio and Glenn Hughes inspired material. It was easily James Durbin’s best work to date. It was an album that would be hard to beat, if and when a second CleanBreak release emerged.

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SADHBH KEANE – Anam

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Even before this debut release appeared on streaming services, Irish singer songwriter Sadhbh Keane had been hotly tipped as a “rising star”. The young singer songwriter’s early singles made it clear why: although still in her teens, Sadhbh (pronounced “Sive”) had already shown a gift for a strong melody and an honest yet accessible lyric. Those earlier singles make a welcome re-appearance on this seven song EP, but as the best material on ‘Anam’ shows, there’s even more at stake musically with Keane mixing indie, pop and rock with her Irish roots to create something that’s really rewarding.

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