Martyn Coppack
I was raised out of steel in the swamps of New Jersey, well, at least I like to think so. The reality is a mundane town in North Wales called Wrexham. After years of trying to escape via the means of sex, drugs and rock and roll (well, two of them are right!) I eventually settled down to a life of nappies and office work. This wasn't enough though and that urge to be Keith Richards just kept creeping up…that's when I met Dan. Like a collision of two worlds, a grand meeting of minds or just pure luck, I pestered Dan with my rather basic scrawlings on unknown punk bands only for the reply to be, you are able…join us…and so it was. I love music and I love writing so to do both is a no-brainer really. I may be the resident old school rocker of E&D but the truth could not be further away. Put aside my Springsteen fixation and you will find a nice sweet person who, when put in front of a typewriter, becomes a cross between Bukowski, Thompson and Bangs. Beware any bands who try to mollycoddle me into a good review, I bite. All music is good but in particular it has to be Americana, psych and garage for me. E&D has given me the opportunity to push my beliefs onto other people and I am forever grateful. May this go on forever! As a side note, I stilll to this day do not understand what Post-Rock is. Â
Articles by Martyn Coppack
Whilst Para Bellum may not reach the heights of some of their more recent efforts it’s still another vital release from them.
Thunderous and wrought with emotion, Fælleskab is an album of real intent. Its bleak production echoes the traditional black metal sound.
They are a band unstoppable within metal circles at the moment and whilst their medieval schtick may not pass over to a mainstream crowd, they are sure to be embraced further by that most discerning of music fans, the metalhead.
Feast your ears on the marvels of classic metal delivered under a blackened death metal roar.
Sitting broadly within a now classic metal sound it doesn’t deliver anything new but for those seeking a quick fix of riffs, horror, and old school guitar solos.
By breaking free of their genre restrictions, Lorna Shore have created a modern metal masterpiece which should see them rapidly on the way to becoming one of the essential bands of the moment within the scene.
The Summoning Bell is an album you are going to need to spend time with to really enjoy. The murkiness can feel too much at times but given repeated listens, the music unfurls into something quite dramatic and encompassing.
Progressive, with one foot in the horror genre, and the other in exploring how far they can take the various aspects of death metal.
A Void Within Existence may not break any real genre necessities and ultimately sticks to a USBM template but they do it in a way which deserves attention.
This New York band may only be at the beginning of their music journey but tracks like this demonstrate a mastery of their art already.
Whether this closes a chapter fully on the Mankind theme remains to be seen but in the meantime feed this into your head.
You always come away from FOCUS Wales thinking how on earth can they top that yet every year the organisers find new ways to keep the festival growing. It’s quite simply one of the best festivals out there right now. Until next year!
Totally at ease, in complete control, and knowing exactly when to hit those giddy heights of joy.
Unearthly and unreal, like the music. A completely encapsulating album of proper heavy psych.
Go ahead and try the heavy, heavy monster sound of Amplifier. Sci-fi prog for the masses.
This is the sound of space pirates heading through clusters of stars, playing ping pong with asteroids.
Quiet, yet loud, its stark, bewitching acoustics lulling you into a sense of natural insecurity.
This is just the tip of the surface though, and with over fifty releases to their name you might find yourself in a rabbit hole you might never return from.
Parastatic are riding the crest of a wave of fantastic creativity with new album Concrete Reborn, and have laid out a claim for one of the albums of 2025.
Expect an artist and his band continuing to push his own boundaries and his fans expectations.
Shards of molten guitar feedback streak across the surface, casting flints of aggressive riffs cascading into the abyss of rock and roll.
