An ominous drone, a piercing sound from a synth and a feeling of rising tension create the ideal way to introduce Shadowborn’s debut EP. In just a few seconds, this gives ‘Through The Hourglass’ a feeling of unease, and the quiet but dark sounds also have the effect of making the subsequent riffs come through with a much bigger punch.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
YEAH, SICK! – Your Herbs And Spices Won’t Save You Now! EP
Australian “genre-bending” act Yeah, Sick! formed during the lockdown era as a “tongue in cheek experiment that grew into something bigger”. Their debut release ‘Set To Devour Us All!’ presented a wealth of slap bass sounds colliding with muddy guitar work that set up a heavy but very rhythmic sound. The mixture of early 90s funk metal influences and nu-metal ugliness resulted in five tracks that were, at best, hard going. The music might’ve been a little more palatable if Yeah, Sick! were better songwriters. The material felt too frivolous to be taken seriously, but nowhere near amusing enough to sit with any genuine comedy themed acts. Beyond a couple of very easily pleased Mr. Bungle fans, it’s not entirely clear who might have found the EP interesting.
IQ – Live From London: Camden Palace 1985
In the 80s, it was common for music shows on TV to be hidden away in a graveyard slot. With almost every household owning a VCR, such things were no longer missable, and for rock fans it became common practice to record shows like The Power Hour and Live From London for weekend viewing. Live From London was particularly interesting. Running between1983-1985, it would show footage of all manner of rock bands – ranging from Husker Du to Uriah Heep – captured at the Camden Palace (now Koko).
THE PAPER KITES – If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Australian band The Paper Kites released an impressive run of albums over the decade leading up to their 2026 long player ‘If You Go, I Hope You Find It’. Although often billed as an indie-folk band, the core of their best material draws from something far richer, and much older sounding, often drawing more from Americana influences. The highlights from their 2023 LP ‘At The Roadhouse’ more than amplified this, with a prominent use of banjo on ‘Hurts So Good’ and a crying steel guitar heard throughout the brilliant ‘Till The Flame Turns Blue’, a number with an aching melody that, in a couple of places, appeared to give faint melodic nods to Van Morrison’s classic ‘Into The Mystic’.
Charlie Nieland shares new video for ‘Today’
Charlie Nieland’s ‘Stories From The Borderlines’ was one of 2025’s best albums. Nieland’s willingness to jump between genres and blend styles created an always interesting listen, and whether he was heard channelling 80s goth and indie sounds or paying tribute to 70s glam, the amount of love he applied to the record’s creation was more than clear.