Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Never dismiss the humble acorn, never turn that opportunity to see a band start out, for the mightiest of trees turn out like that band that you cannot get tickets for as they take their music out on the road and become a truly great success; to have the feeling of nurturing a group in your heart of see the first signs of life evolve from the ground, it is something to behold, it is something proud to have Felt.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The intro perhaps says it all, “Welcome back my friend, yes, it’s been too long…”, arguably a truer set of combined words never more uttered in the realms of the distinguished career of Skyclad.
Of course the band have been missed, the eight years in between album enough to tear the hair out of any long term fan, those who migrated from the days of Sabbat and the incredible fusion of Heavy Metal with superb allusions to the Folk genre, those who have not been able to see the band on tour for what perhaps seem forever; missed? There have surely been fans who have pined themselves into a state of unearthly unease as Time has flown by and now feel the relief of the checked mark of the clock as the band return to go Forward Into The Past.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
There is a kind of reflection that requires no mirror, that needs only the seeds of an artist or a group of like minded individuals to prove that the world is as insane, as bitter and reclusive as you believe, that the resentful have control, that the compassionate have been locked away and the embittered, sulky one track minds full of greed and power are somehow chipping away at the last vestiges of decency to be found in society and soon they will be coming for you. It is enough to shout out to the remains of humanity, World Be Gone, enough to wash your hands off the pungent and festering remains which used to be sweet.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
There is something very comforting in realising that Paul Wilkes has returned from the studio, armed with new songs, possessing stunning arrangements and taking on the world once more.
Not that the world would argue, they would applaud, holler, whoop a while and then sit back and let the words of a genuinely wonderfully lyricist and observer of the human condition take his stance, put his name out before the song and then let the music roll; it is in that comfort that such an artist strives for, that no matter the lyric or the song’s intention, the last thing they desire is to take away someone’s hope, for in hope there is always still a chance of love.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
There are souls out there that can captivate you with their wit and unassailable charm, that just seem to have the ability, the passion, to find the best way to turn art into majesty, into the unconsidered desire and one that will make anyone reflect upon the music as a skill as much as they would going into the finest art gallery and contemplate the meaning and the purpose of life as they stand infront of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
It really is a blurred line that makes the properties of Truth & Fiction such a divisive and talked of machine, both used to the same effect, both used to either subjugate or release the listener, both designed to either control or free the willing recipient, after all people hear what they need to and mainly the open mind gets allowed to wallow in the cell of its open making because facts are manipulated and lies are watered down to make them palatable.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * *
The willing is there, you would obviously expect nothing less than that from the woman who dominated iconography and pictures on many a teenage wall across the generations, yet sometimes the final product is not enough to make up for the lack of enthusiasm a fan or a listener might appreciate that comes across in less than exciting, less than fulfilling terms as they take in the latest album by Blondie, Pollinator.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The Suns return to the thoughts of Liverpool’s music loving public with a superbly arranged track which does wonders for the senses and for the craftsmanship of song-writing; one that really does showcase how a group or a duo can take their songs to a different level and perspective without losing quality and the prospects of who they are or what they stand for. It is a song that you find listening to more than just a few times in a row and one that you will find difficult to tear yourself away from.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
There is no flaw that cannot be overcome, there is no praise that should be anything but sincere, to deceive in such actions, to neglect both yourself and the object of your applaud is to do disservice to the world. In such actions the beauty of Roxanne de Bastion’s Heirlooms & Hearsay only stands taller, it is not so much a moment of beauty that captivates and spreads the sense of optimism, of joyful response to the questions that unfold but also one that frames how deep seated the artist’s thoughts go when they see parallels between the world they see and that in which their grandparents witnesses.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
A certain age, a certain place in time and in your life, it can feel like the pinnacle of your achievements have been reached, the goals you set yourself or the dreams you may have once harboured with passion, suddenly fade, unexpectedly and forever, the seriousness of life sets in and the trudge towards home ownership, towards fiscal responsibility and other people’s aspirations suddenly become more daunting and demanding that your own.