Despite what some outside the scene may think, Doom covers a wide range of sounds and speeds. From the punk tinged angry bark of Saint Vitus, all the way to the near operatic storytelling of Candlemass, there is a wide spectrum. Chile’s own Capilla Ardiente, (Burning Chapel in English, just to annoy those full of religion and lacking in humour), fall solidly at the Candlemass end of that scale, not changing their style to follow fashion on this, their third album, ‘Where Gods Live And Men Die.’
For those who want to bang their heads and pump their fists into the air in a display of metal that is a marathon rather than a sprint, Capilla Ardiente have you covered. Whilst there is no urgency in any of the tracks, there is a crushing inexorability in the delivery of ‘Where Gods Live And Men Die’…

A well-rounded pianist, John Hicks' music on this set ranges from swing (Billy Strayhorn's tender "Star-Crossed Lovers" and "That Ole Devil Called Love") to Walter Davis' hard bop classic "Gypsy Folk Tales" and Hicks' intense "For John Chapman." This album has four trio numbers with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and bassist Walter Booker, a trio of unaccompanied piano solos, and a piano duet version of the leader's "After the Morning" which teams Hicks with his wife Olympia.

Another gem from the creative Beegie Adair and her trio. This time, she is accompanied by Jeff Steinberg and his orchestra. A loving tribute to Tony Bennett and his illustrious career. As usual, Beegie includes one selection on the album where she plays solo piano and she picked 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco'. A beautiful rendition. This is a great album tinged with jazz overtones without losing the melodic memories of Tony's original sound. The orchestra is perfectly balanced and adds just the right touch while still allowing the familiar Beegie Adair Trio sound to shine through. If you are new to Beegie's music, this album will make you a convert to her impeccable sound and those like myself, have added it as another gem to her large catalog of great music.

Featuring 45 minutes of material that’s previously completely unreleased, this box set contains everything Finnforest recorded in the studio. It has the three rare studio albums originally released on Love Records in 1975, 1976 and 1979, plus all non-album tracks from singles and compilations. But we didn’t stop there: we dug through the band’s archives of tape reels and found some completely unreleased music. These sessions are compiled on the fifth album: first is the band’s debut studio session from 1973 and the flipside has four songs the band managed to finish during studio sessions for a planned fourth album in 1980 before splitting up.
Finnforest were formed in the mid-70's by Finnish brothers Pekka (guitar, bass) and Jussi Tegelman (drums) with synthesizer and keyboard player Jukka Rissanen. Mostly influenced by the Mahavishnu Orchestra…

"Regeneration Mode" is an album by the duo Chuck van Zyl and Peter D. Gulch (both known from the project The Nightcrawlers) filled with vintage, but most of all adventurous and future electronic music. It’s cosmic music pur sang, now and then briefly tapping in the heritage of the Berliner School style of the early '70’s while taking the listener out on a 60-minute atmospheric trip through the vast unknown. The highly cinematic outcome though is less traditional. A deep sense of mystery already announces itself on the strong, almost 30-minute album opener "Sector Zero Zero One". It’s a beautifully moulded sonic sci-fi story through dense soundscapes with quite some turns and twists along the ride.
The album continues with four shorter pieces that keep immersing in darkening, dense atmospheric moods…

Kim Simmonds' outlet for his electric blues-rock remains the on-again off-again Savoy Brown. Therefore he uses his solo albums, of which this is the third, to elaborate on the acoustic Delta blues generally ignored by his full-time outfit. Unlike Eric Clapton, who has consistently returned to this unplugged music throughout his career, Simmonds seems driven to explore his acoustic blues roots only since 1997. Simmonds uses this outlet to play predominantly self-penned material, with a few obscure covers thrown in. Accompanied by subtle piano, bass, and drums, the guitarist/vocalist commands center stage with his dusky yet emotional, talk-sung vocals, somewhat like J.J. Cale. Simmonds' guitar work is consistently classy, substituting the flash and boogie impulses of his extensive work as leader of Savoy Brown with a more thoughtful, measured playing that perfectly fits these terrific folk-blues tunes.

Not that there is an abundance of progressive rock-tinged acoustic guitar trios among the ranks, but this aggregation stands tall among its peers as the guitarists' inventiveness surges forward with this altogether warmhearted reckoning of Christmas carols and other pleasantries. The guitarists' nimble yet at times forceful approach is wholly evident during their highly rhythmic spin on "Jingle Bells." They perform the classic "Greensleeves" with a sensitive, chamber-like approach while also tackling the Lennon/Ono favorite "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)." However, part of the magic resides within the trio's ability to delve into the inherent frameworks of each song, while also reformulating themes and rhythms into personalized statements. Essentially, the artists have produced a rather poignant Christmas outing, awash with interweaving lines and lilting harmonies, as they complement their superior artisanship and forward-thinking deployments with a cheerfully rendered collection of holiday favorites.

After decades of recording for RCA Victor, Atkins switched labels; this 1985 effort is a summit meeting of sorts with young guitar hotshots like Larry Carlton, George Benson, Mark Knopfler, Steve Lukather, and Earl Klugh, plus session A-teamers like Boots Randolph, Larrie Londin, David Hungate, Mark O'Connor and others. Atkins' tone is, as usual, faultless, and his playing superb. If the "meetings" don't always come off, it's usually due to the overzealousness of the other guitar players (Lukather's over-the-top style screams '80s big hair, for instance), not Chet, whose playing always exercises the utmost in restraint in every situation. All in all, a good modern-day Chet Atkins album, but not the place to start a collection.