As with all great trio’s there is a compact sound to them which emanates power and you feel that they are at times poised to unleash an absolute wall of sound.

Denim And Leather is an essential read for any self-respecting fan of heavy metal, and perhaps it also offers some long needed recognition that metal as a genre is so much more than what its critics and dismissers would have you believe.

There is a timeless quality to the music, and it feels shorn of any panderings to the mainstream. It is music made for those who want to go on a journey.

It’s raw and rough, but suitably resonant with the current psych scene, including much that is happening over in Canada right now. If you want to sample the true spirit of punk you won’t go far wrong with this release.

It’s sound harks back to a classic era and makes absolutely no attempt to update it, and why should it when it sounds just as perfect as it is

That it takes someone from the depths of Saskatoon to psychologically link with you and provide respite from whatever fears you may have, even if it is just for a few tens of minutes, is a remarkable feat

Unlikely bedfellows for what has become known as a “lockdown” album, The Janitors may be the truest reflection of the angst and concern that we have all felt over the last 18 months.

It’s not only a souvenir of where the band are at, but also a souvenir of the times.

A superb mix of drone and spaced out psych. It’s the kind that you want playing as you hit your third peak of the night and the music becomes a symbolic cleansing of your fractured mind.

Old friends, new friends, strangers, all together in communion to celebrate the power of music it sounds corny but after 18 months of no music, we’ll take that.

There’s a mellower vibe to this album than previously. That’s not to say that they forget to bring the rock. It’s just found in unexpected places such as the explosive chorus of ‘Under The Wheels’ which sounds suspiciously as if the band have been hitting the bongs to a few Eagles albums

Listen closely and that will be the sound of a typewriter and gravel being scuffed up. It’s these moments that make Meilir such an unusual artist.

An endlessly entertaining book which introduces the reader to a whole new world of music that they may not have even been aware of before

Vanities is the sound of late night Manchester, as skeletal frames throw shapes against a backdrop of electro beats. A city of extremes, all joining together to celebrate the uniqueness of the surroundings.

Paradise is another fine gem in the career of Alex Rex and may be is most fulfilling solo release yet. The music world is so much richer for having Alex Rex in it.

You like to imagine Laird as some cowled, raincoat wearing figure owing a season of cigarettes to Peter Lorre, whilst casually pumping out hallucinogenic mushrooms to a soundtrack of Julian Cope and Syd Barrett, but behind the mask is a musician who is intent on forging his own path.

For those intent of exploring music free of form or boundaries then Mythic Sunship are the band for you.

As I said earlier Future Times was the starting point, and it’s the heart of the album. It’s an expression of not knowing what is coming next. There is tension and uncertainty, definitely some paranoia, but also a determination to confront whatever is ahead of us. In hindsight I guess the idea is if we can get through all this, we can get through anything.

“This has been a time to challenge our species to its core, with the promise of better days and better ways at the end of the tunnel“

Once again Alison has shown what an outstanding musician she is, and suffice to say Only Darkness Now is yet another superb piece of a complex yet intriguing jigsaw of musical pieces.

Alien Mustang may not have pushed the boat out too far but when the music is this good it doesn’t really matter. The album drags a little in the middle section as it tries too hard to seek a darkness which is not there, but when they hit their stride, the highs are absolutely glorious.