Melodic death metal band Crocell wull put out their seventh long player, Swarm Of Insects, on May 29th through Emanzipation Productions. Via Bandcamp widget and YouTube player below, you can give a listen to three new tunes from the upcoming music effort. Read more…
French Progressive rock band Nine Skies have announced that Riccardo Romano will be joining the group as its new lead vocalist. He has already collaborated with the band in recent years, being involved in both studio sessions and providing an additional stage presence during live performances.
“I’m honoured by Nine Skies’ offer to join them as a vocalist,” Riccardo Romano said. “Every time we’ve collaborated, whether on individual songs or live performances, I’ve always felt a deep musical and human connection between us.
“My musical expression resonates naturally with them, and everything happens as naturally as strings playing at the same frequency. I’m sure we’ll create something special together.”
Currently, his recent contributions can be heard on songs such as Sweetheart Grips and The Explorer, as well as during live appearances including The Lost, Live at Nice.
This appears to be a positive move for both Romano and the band. He already has a strong reputation as a highly versatile and expressive artist through work with the likes of RanestRane, the Steve Rothery Band, and The David Foster Band.
Recently, Romano announced an upcoming collaborative album featuring legendary guitarists Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) and Steve Rothery (Marillion), which has continued to highlight his growing influence within the progressive music world.
Nine Skies have recently announced the release of Horizons, a limited, 100-copy hand-numbered compilation celebrating their musical journey, which is set for release on 24 April 2026. Pre-orders are now open via the Nine Skies Bandcamp page.
The Paradox Twin is a rock band formed by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Danny Sorrell. The band’s debut album, The Importance Of Mr. Bedlam, caught the attention of renowned producer John Mitchell (Frost*, It Bites, Arena, Asia) during its recording at Outhouse Studios. Mitchell, impressed by the music, recommended the album to Chris Hillman, his partner at the White Star Records label, leading to The Paradox Twin signing with the label.
The band currently consist of Danny Sorrell on guitar and lead vocals, Sarah Bayley, vocals, and Graham Brown on drums. This latest work sees the band further refine their signature blend of atmospheric soundscapes and intricate progressive rock, pushing the boundaries of their storytelling into new, vast territories.
A Romance of Many Dimensions is a cinematic journey that explores complex themes through a lens of layered, technical compositions and evocative melodies.
The narrative centres on a protagonist living a life of loneliness, addiction, and isolation. He finds his only sense of purpose and identity when he logs into his computer, where he views himself as a robot in a vast digital landscape. His only friend is the silent crow from the game, who never speaks but is always there in times of need.
When logged off, he is left with nothing. When logged in, he has a purpose. The album is a poignant journey through themes of escapism, love, and what it means to be human in an age of technological and substance dependency.
Danny Sorrell, the main man behind The Paradox Twin, shares his thoughts on this significant release. “Many months of hard work have finally paid off,” he says. “It’s been worth the wait. There were a few bumps in the road here and there. I have had a very tough few years with mental health, and with the death of my sister, but I always try to channel it into my songwriting.
“I want to thank my wife, kids, and family in general for supporting me. I want to tip my hat to Chris Hillman for being amazingly strong over the past year. Thanks to John Mitchell for once again guiding songs and my craft in the right direction, and finally to you, reading this, who I wouldn’t be able to do this without.”
The Paradox Twin released A Romance of Many Dimensions on 9 April 2026. Currently available on all digital platforms. Pre-orders for the physical edition of the album, available from 8 May 2026, have now officially opened. For more details, visit orcd.co/aromance.
The Paradox Twin – A Romance of Many Dimensions Tracklist
Leading British blues rock lights King King, following their seven date Acoustic tour, will play a hometown headline set at the Glasgow Blues Rhythm & Rock Festival at the Oran Mor on Sunday April 26th. The eighth edition of the twice-yearly event features six bands, including the Scottish tandem of the high-octane Gerry Jablonski Band […]
Poland’s Sacriversum have released “Before The Birth Of Light”, the third advance single and title track off their oncoming studio album that comes out on May 8th. Read more…
Live Review: The Damned – OVO Arena, Wembley, London
11th April 2025 Support: The Loveless, Peter Hook, The Courettes
Words & Photos: Tom Atkin
It is a celebration tonight as punks around the UK descend upon the OVO Arena Wembley for 50 Years of The Damned. It’s a pleasant surprise seeing the mix of the crowd, with the younger generation stood right next to the elder generation, who that looked like they were still living their best lives in that same movement. It is very apparent that this show is going to be full of character! The night was one in which the atmosphere builds throughout and opening up the evenings entertainment were the The Courettes, a Danish, Brazilian duo that bring a delightfully tweaked version of Garage Punk.
As they enter the stage the venues population seemed a bit sparse, people still casually drifting in and lingering around the bars as it all kicked off. That fact did not discourage Falvia Couri, alongsicde her husband, getting their fuzzy, reverbed sound ringing out throughout Wembley, grabbing the attention of the crowd as soon as they walk in. It was an absolutely stellar way to open the show, almost like a spark to ignite what was to come.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
As the arena filled quite nicely, it seems the volume has been turned up a notch to match the increased amount of people and it was Peter Hook‘s turn to take the spotlight. This set is very heavily Joy Division focused, a fact that few in the venue would have a complaint about.
Starting off with the classic ‘Dead Souls‘ was perfection, with an extended intro to it, hearing it in this setting was incredible. That wasn’t the only song that sparked a reaction from the crowd, ‘Transmission‘ with its iconic opening riff providing a kind of pulse that was felt throughout. Each and every song throwing the crowd back to a somewhat simpler time.
It was an extremely dialled performance, and from the looks on people’s faces seeing Joy Division songs performed on a stage of this calibre was not something they ever thought they would experience. The iconic ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was the only way to end their set.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
By now pretty much every seat in the OVO Arena is occupied, just in time for The Loveless to add to the night of nostalgic vibes. Marc Almond is yet another legend that is gracing the stage tonight, shifting the atmosphere to a somewhat darker tone, and changing the type of attention that the crowd gives them. This changed the level at which peoples emotions were at in a way that all good concerts do.
A set mostly made up of covers is an interesting, albeit not disappointing, choice. Marc’s voice hasn’t lost its appeal from when he was a proud member of Soft Cell. Everything is performed with just as much passion and talent as back in the day. ‘Tainted Love’ an obvious highlight of the set list, arguably one of their most famous of the songs this evening, and ‘Heat‘ being the only Soft Cell song that we got treated to.
Mixed into the set were originals as well, ‘Teenage Wildlife‘, ‘Dark Side‘ and ‘Nothing at All‘ provide a glimpse into the genres that influence The Loveless. These originals are welcomed just as much as the more well known covers with heads bobbing throughout the whole crowd.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
And now for the evenings peak, on the LED screen we get the cult introduction to the film Plan 9 from Outer Space, however edited to introduce The Damned. As it does so the band make their way on to the stage, Captain Sensible in his signature red beret looks so impressively happy to be on stage at Wembley. Dave Vanian comes out wearing the most incredible outfit, head to toe in black, leather gloves, a Zorro style eye mask and a matching fedora. This paired with the classic Shure 55SH microphone and it’s a look that is impressive and striking to all.
Fifty Years is no easy feat, especially throughout the early punk rock era which they came out of mostly incident free, retaining (or rehiring) a lot of the fairly original members. With a grand total of thirteen albums, there is no shortage of music to construct a set, so much so that they split the show into two halves.
‘Street of Dreams‘, ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ and ‘Wake The Dead‘ proving that they have stayed consistent throughout time. If you didn’t know any different you would think that they were from the same time frame, when in reality they were written forty years apart. Sure Vanian’s voice has changed a bit, but my god can he still perform the old songs.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Throughout the two segments there was no let up in the performance, ‘Neat Neat Neat‘ and ‘Curtain Call‘ performed with the exact same enthusiasm as songs like ‘Under The Floor Again‘ and ‘Wait for the Blackout‘. Both featuring early int he evening as the band warmed up.
The flow throughout the different eras of The Damned was untouched, feeling like the band was giving everyone a journey through their back catalogue. Each member of the band loving every minute, Captain Sensible did not stop smiling throughout, Monty Oxymoron towards the rear of the stage consistently looking as though he was having the time of his life, Rat Scabies throwing in a drum solo to bridge between ‘Curtain Call‘ and ‘New Rose‘ just for the fun of it. It was non stop great live music energy.
Fifty years down the road The Damned are still relevant, capable and of course as loud as they ever where. The band that influenced some of the greatest punk and rock bands of a generation are still very much here, and the variety of people just proves that their sound has not aged at all.
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
