A new vocalist has breathed some new life into the band and at the same time brought back the short, sharp and aggressive sound from their earlier work. It’s a fun album. It would be good to see this band get some more exposure and a band that I am looking forward to seeing live.

Conan have proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with in the doom/sludge scene. Consistent but not dull and they continue to produce albums that are not only familiar but also move the genre forwards and keep things interesting for the listener.

Seeing these two musicians in such a venue was, in short, a wonderful experience. The crowd were respectful and totally absorbed by the music. Both acts were faultless, despite them both playing different sets in a very different setting than they are probably used to. It was intimate, very personal and a pleasure to be able to spend a few hours enjoying the music.

This is exciting, emotive and extremely enjoyable. If you have an hour spare, give this a listen and you will be handsomely rewarded. If there is any justice in the world this album should get DVNE a much wider fan-base.

Alpha Male Tea Party have used the pain and strong emotions they undoubtedly felt and ran with their emotions to create something that is familiar but different. Heavier than their previous work but also creative musically, mature and well-executed. 

It’s a finely crafted, frankly, very good album. It shows a band on a journey and not afraid to experiment. There is everything from heavy as hell, thick riffs to melodic piano and brass. I truly hope there are some music venues to go back to hear this music live

Beneath a Steel Sky is an interesting album and they touch on a variety of different styles and emotions in a short album. I hope the band can build on the work they have done here and really explore and build on the roots of what they have created. There is depth to their music and despite the isolation some mutual understanding of each other.

The album is wonderfully recorded, there are not many places to hide with only a nylon string guitar and vocals but the warmth comes across and it’s very intimate. Might not be one for everyone as it is very different from the bands previous work, however, it is an interesting and very personal peek into Magnus Pelander’s soul.

Rosy Finch deserve to be far more recognised than they are, their lineup have breathed new life into the band and their take on sludge, stoner and grunge is expertly done and although the listener is probably reminded of their many influences their particular sound is quite unique.

1692 is an excellent debut, the band have taken from a wide variety of influences to create something quite unique. This is music to get lost in, it is passionate but restrained and probably best listened to in a dark, possibly haunted, castle, during a thunderstorm.

A patient listener will be rewarded with dense and wonderful soundscapes and some genuinely exciting and emotive music.

I can’t imagine many bands would like to follow Birds in Row but Alcest managed it with ease; they played a varied set with a good balance of old and new, showed some versatility and somehow, after all I have said, remained slightly understated. Highly recommended.

Silence is an interesting, innovative and ambitious EP and it will be really interesting to see where they take the music in the future.

Human Intricacy is an interesting album, worthy of a place amongst the various modern, British, heavy bands.

Arka Morgana is an ambitious piece of work and the band should be applauded for trying something a bit different. In places, the band create a stunning and wonderful soundscape. In just under an hour the band range from sparse to melodic to frantic and heavy.

It’s flawlessly carried out and a refreshing change from a lot of, shall we say, predictable, more of the same old, same old that passes off as heavy music recently.

James, Anya & TIna from Sœur spoke to Echoes and Dust before a live show at Soup Kitchen in Manchester, March 15th 2019

Sœur are an unconventional band (dual guitars and vocals and drums with no bass) with an unconventional approach to songwriting; however, it just all sits perfectly together.

Suspended in Reflections is a really stunning piece of work, it’s dense, multi-layered and full of twists and turns. Patient in pace, occasionally exploding but it’s never overused. The band really show some musical talent, adding organ, strings and piano to what in places might be more straight forward post-metal.

Boss Keloid, are a heavy, progressive, stoner-influenced band that’ve created a name for themselves with relentless touring and a blistering live show. After two critically acclaimed albums, The Calming Influence of Teeth (2013) and Herb Your Enthusiasm (2016). This year seems them expand their line-up, adding keyboards and a new bass player, signing to Holy Roar Records and releasing their new record, Melted on the Inch.

Jody Dunstan had a chat with ex-Reuben frontman and now solo artist Jamie Lenman before his storming set at ArcTanGent 2018 to talk about his creative process, life after Reuben, his live show and what keeps him creating music.