Issue 2026-002

Beltane Fire — Different Breed

Andy Read

It was 1985. I was 16 years of age. I had been avidly exploring the racks at my local record stores for the past decade. I knew I had a love of metal. I quite liked the blues, some folk, a bit of pop-rock and the occasional classical composition. But I knew there was much more out there that my ears had yet to encounter. I kept looking and listening. I was always open to some new styles. Always seeking something different.

I was rather fond of the Scottish rock band Big Country. Adam And The Ants were pretty good in their day. I had a Tenpole Tudor record somewhere. A friend had lent me albums by The Levellers and New Model Army. I still enjoy that folk-rock energy today.

With those sort of sounds in my mind, I can't remember exactly how (it was probably a review in Kerrang! magazine or maybe the Friday Rock Show), but anyhow I stumbled across Beltane Fire at some point in 1985.

I'd read that the band was formed out of a neo-rockabilly band called The Blue Cats, formed by a group of south London teenagers who fused their love of old 50s classics with a modern twist.

I'd never come across a rockabilly band before, and I was intrigued by a band having a double bass instead of the usual guitar version. I really liked the singer's distinct voice. It all sounded a lot like Big Country mixed with The Levellers. Plenty of fist-punching choruses and easy to nod-along-to rhythms. The lyrical journey through Arthurian legends, pirates, poachers and fishermen was a bit naff for my 16-year-old cool, but it was original, fun and memorable.

It's remained one of the (many) hidden gem albums in my collection; discs that I have often come back to over the years. Listening to it 40 years later, it still sounds very fresh and genuine. Every single song is a belter and the melodies have really stuck in my head. Their unique blend of rockabilly and folk-rock has never been matched nor bettered.

It's not particularly metal nor prog although a lot of fans from both genres loved this album when it came out. The band even landed a support slot on Marillion's Misplaced Childhood tour, so there must have been some overlap.

The original album was only released on vinyl and cassette. It's long been out of print but if ever you see copy, it is well worth grabbing just for the cover artwork alone.

You had to wait three decades for it to become available on CD. The reissue on Cherry Red Records includes the b-sides of the band's four singles plus three 12" versions of album tracks. It has also been out of print for ages. About time someone produced a fresh version on vinyl and CD methinks.

Sadly Different Breed never troubled the charts and the band was soon dropped by their major label. It must have been fun while it lasted, but it wasn't for long. After failing to get another deal, they went back to being The Blue Cats and are still touring to this day.

Duo Review

Beltane Fire — White Stag

Andy Read

The tracks that you'll be listening to on this album are basically a collection of demo tapes, recorded between 1986 - 1989, that would have formed the basis of the band's second album.

After Different Breed Beltane Fire were unceremoniously dropped by CBS Records. Driven by the optimism of youth, they nevertheless anticipated working with another label pretty quickly. After completing a tour supporting Marillion on their Misplaced Childhood tour in 1986, they began pre-production work and demoing for their second album. Sadly, the new record label never materialised and the band went onto pastures new. These songs have remained hidden ever since.

All the tracks here were produced by the band and have been transferred from the original analogue tapes. The quality of the production varies from track to track. Overall the sound is good, if lacking those little details and the fuller sound that time in a studio would have given the songs.

In the notes in the album sleeve, the band reflects that the problems they faced after the label had cast them adrift were the same as many artists faced back then. "There was no internet community on which to promote and continue our progression. No social media, no YouTube, none of the tools that would have been at our disposal today. This collection of songs is a statement of what could have been, had the wheels of fortune stopped in a different place for us."

There was clearly a big evolution going on in the band's sound. Overall, the music here is a little more Beautiful South meets Simple Minds. A lot of the unique rockabilly influences have been quietened. The addition of a keyboard player offers the band more textures to explore. However, this is often at the cost of the driving guitar lines that were a highlight of the debut.

The songs are generally too light for my tastes. And if the debut album was sat on the outer fringes of the prog world, then there is even less to interest fans of the genre here. The title track would probably hold the most interest for prog fans.

However, what you can appreciate is the quality of the songwriting and performances. The distinct vocals are great throughout, and the pop melodies are pretty memorable. The arrangements are generally of a straightforward, verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, and the arrangements tend to hang around a simple refrain. The band's lyrics again conjure up strong images as a celebration of their country, its people and its history.

My favourite tracks are those that rock-out a little more like Snow Leopard, Earth Mother, Taste Our Fire and Following Ahab.

Living Days could have been a soft-rock hit back in the 80s. Southern Wilds is effectively atmospheric and wouldn't have been out of place on Different Breed. Neither would be the up-tempo rockabilly riff on Long Road Home, although the use of keyboard where guitar would have belted out before, lessens the impact. Same with the electro-pop touch in the chorus of The Rat. Even more so on Running To The Light.

Dust Of The Modern Way goes off in a horrible country rock wormhole. All Things Will Change is way too wet and wimpy for me. Big Blue is a memorable ode to Big Country.

Anyway, it is wonderful that these songs have now been released and it has been nice to revisit Beltane Fire and the memories associated with their music. I'm off to give Different Breed one more spin.

Lunatic Soul — The World Under Unsun

Mark Hughes

It has taken five years for the eighth, and perhaps final, album by Riverside's Mariusz Duda's to complete the last instalment of Lunatic Soul's The Circle Of Life And Death, a conceptual story based on a solitary artist-traveller journey between life, death and rebirth. Although a bold and ambitious idea spread out over 16 years, it is likely that not everyone was aware that such a concept was in play, particularly as the albums did not follow a chronological order. Not that it matters as all the albums are defiantly stand-alone releases that can be enjoyed with no reference, or recognition, of what comes before or after, no doubt helped by the lack of chronology.

For those who are interested then this last instalment fits between 2017's Fractured and 2014's Walking On A Flashlight Beam. The musical and artistic concepts of the previous albums — the so-called "death" albums featuring more organic instruments and a sinuous image on the cover and "life" albums which are more electronic and a sleeve that is more fractured — are both present on this 90-minute double album. However, like the concept itself, the song types are intermingled across the CDs.

The "Unsun" of the album title and title track is the sun during a total eclipse, and the album is the story of a man trying to break free from toxic relationships and repetitive patterns, a story of inner conflict experienced when faced with morally difficult decisions. Hence the combination of "life" and "death" type compositions, an aural representation of the discord. As with the previous album, 2020's Through Shaded Woods, Duda performs most of the instruments on the album contributing vocals, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass, piccolo bass and percussion. The only other contributions are drums on nine of the 14 tracks by Wawrzyniec Drabowicz and saxophone on three tracks by Marcin Odyniec.

One might observe the lack of electric guitar, but don't think that means the album is full of bucolic ambient music. Yes, there is some of that, of particular note being the simply gorgeous Good Memories Don't Want To Die which has an almost Clannad feel and displays Duda's fine vocals to great effect. In contrast, the title track would fit seamlessly on a more recent Depeche Mode album, and Loop Of Fate is an atmospheric tour de force that brings to mind Peter Gabriel's Passion soundtrack.

Although there is only one instrumental track on the album, Parallels on disc 2, there are lengthy instrumental sections throughout, particularly, and obviously, on the four longer tracks. Mind Obscured, Heart Eclipsed is a real slow burn: it is two minutes in before the atmospheric keyboard chords give way to anything more upbeat and nigh on six minutes before the vocals start. Not that the piece drags at all, the composition is such that interest is maintained throughout with new additions and musical motifs appearing regularly.

In contrast, on Hands Made Of Lead the vocals (recited lines would be more accurate) are concluded in the first minute leaving seven full instrumental minutes to relish and enjoy. Things get quite commercial on Ardour, a catchy song with beguiling vocals set to a more ethnic Dead Can Dance-type backing, a musical style which continues and is amplified on Game Called Life which switched midway through to simpler early Depeche Mode style. Have to admit that this was the only place on the album where my attention began to fade as for four minutes or so, things got rather too repetitive but thankfully were rescued by the last 90 seconds.

Without a lead guitar, the main instrument falls heavily on piano, but with tracks in the quality of The Prophecy and Torn In Two that is nothing to be concerned about. Duda has the knack of always making things interesting, be it by his vocal melodies or how he chooses to augment the sound of the piano. Acoustic guitar-based tracks such as Confession add variety and build up to the album's greatest piece Self In Distorted Glass, which combines the various elements of the album, indeed all eight albums, into one glorious conclusion. Well almost, we still have the delightful piano ballad The New End to relish with its plaintive chorus bringing things to a totally satisfying ending:

Even if there could have been a chance for us
I wouldn't want to harm you anymore
Whether you want it or not
You'll always be
A part of my soul

Monograf — Occultation

Calum Gibson

From Oslo comes Monograf. Blending folk music with the sounds of post-metal and lending their talents to an already packed line up of atmospheric and ethereal groups from the land of Norway, Monograf have dropped their second album, Occulaition.

We start with The Prophet, a rolling doom number tinged with folk and pagan elements. Uneasy, brooding atmospheres make up the bulk of the music here, with minimal vocals providing a harsh layer to the track. Cripplegate comes in next. Constantly building and gaining momentum throughout as the intensity grows until we are greeted by the explosive crescendo. The halfway point is marked by the shortest number – the largely acoustic Ashes. Slow, and gentle for the most part. The dark textures enter closer to the end and increase the sense of foreboding to lead seamlessly into Carrion Seller.

This track flows between a few styles, crossing the fine line between post, doom and sludge metal – all tinged with hints of folk. It continues the call and response type of structure between the guitarwork and fiddle playing (as well as the loud/quiet/loud layout) and injects it with an almost occult feel. Finally, we come to the title track and closer for the album. While still following the same pattern as before, it feels more cinematic, intense yet expansive and “epic”.

The main riff is an earworm and sticks with you while everything grows through the textures and layers. The vocals are harsh and add a touch of aggression to the music that has a weight of melancholy and heaviness to it. An outstanding closer for an exceptionally well-rounded album.

The album is good, and I suspect I will come back to it several times and each time I will enjoy it more. While I have tried to describe the stylistic choices, it is difficult to describe accurately. It has elements of all those styles but merges them incredibly well to create something familiar but refreshing and individual.

It is oppressive in its heaviness without leaning into extreme metal and brings a sense of bleakness, despair and a slow burning anger to your ears. Fans of doom, prog, post and drone bands like Sunn O))), Opeth, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Overhead, The Albatross and Ef will likely enjoy this, or at the very least be able to appreciate the craftsmanship.

Obiymy Doschu — Vidrada

Greg Cummins

Obiymy Doschu is a band that was totally unknown to me a few weeks ago. As someone always open to a challenge with new music, when they described their latest album as "one of the most beautiful records you will hear this year, if you give it a chance". I was naturally intrigued to a degree. Described as melodic progressive rock with lush live strings, jazz, pop, post-rock, neoclassical and neofolk influences, a touch of melancholy and poetic Ukrainian lyrics, I thought, OK, challenge accepted.

The band compose highly melodic, melancholic songs that challenge the listener in that the lyrics, being sung in their native Ukranian language, are obviously a little hard to decipher. Where the band succeed, however, is with the musical structures contained within. Containing eight tracks varying in length from just under 5 minutes to a little under 9 minutes, the album delivers a musical message that touches on a raft of emotional topics that confront the world today. Not the least of these is the obvious conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and it is within this construct that the band really shine. Their singer has an incredible set of pipes and is able to impart those deep-felt and emotional messages like so few other vocalists can.

Obiymy Doschu have clearly internalised post-rock dynamics — the rises and falls, the swells that feel like emotions made audible — but they don't live in the generic version of that genre. There's acoustic warmth, melodic patience, and a harmonic richness that feels more classical than what you hear in a lot of the genre's usual guitar-pedal carnage.

Listening to Vidrada with an awareness of what many Ukrainian artists are enduring right now gives it extra gravity. These are musicians creating nuance in the midst of chaos, subtlety amidst urgency, reflection amidst upheaval. It's one thing to pursue a complex sonic palette in the safety of a studio. It's another to do it while your home country is literally in turmoil. Beyond the obvious beauty of the melodies and the emotional weight of the songs, I am particularly impressed with how deeply unified Obiymy Doschu sound. This is not an album where individual musicians are vying for the spotlight. Instead, it feels like a single musical organism, every part responding instinctively to the others. You don't hear players; you hear intent.

The only slightly low point for me was with the song, Truths when the band succumb to the predictable need to use the growler with the vocals. Thankfully, that section is pretty short and is heavily constrained volume wise, so it's deleterious effect on my ears was not that bad. Similarly, I have not detected any really great variety between each song. That may be due to the lyrics being sung in an unfamiliar tongue and not being known as a cunning linguist of world wide repute, it does make the songs a little harder to grab onto something that would otherwise make them more accessible for me.

However, knowing the realities Ukrainian musicians face adds a layer of gravity that's impossible to ignore. What impresses me most is that Vidrada doesn't lean on tragedy — it transcends it. The difficulty of creating art in such circumstances seems to have sharpened the band's focus rather than hardened it. There's something profoundly human about making music this detailed, patient, and emotionally articulate when the world around you is anything but stable. The album feels like an act of quiet resistance — insisting on nuance, beauty, and reflection when chaos would make those things feel impossible.

The band are a little hard to pigeon-hole, but if push came to shove, I would probably liken their sound to a cross between Sigur Rós melded with a slightly less aggressive wall of sound type of effect that bands such as Giant Sky use to great effect. That may seem like a strange type of similarity to use, but it's as appropriate as I can make it. The album has been beautifully recorded and sounds great on a decent system. It also benefits from being produced by Bruce Soord. Not quite a masterpiece, but a nice album with many compelling pieces!

Spectra — Places We Only Dream Of

Ignacio Bernaola

Spectra are an instrumental progressive rock band from Canada, and Places We Only Dream Of is their first full-length album. Instead of focusing on technical fireworks, the band clearly aim for atmosphere, melody, and emotion, and I'm glad they chose that path. I'll be honest: instrumental progressive albums often test my patience. Too many long tracks, too much technical showing off, and not always enough ideas to justify it. That's why Places We Only Dream Of caught my attention in a very positive way. This is an instrumental record that knows when to stop, and that already puts it one step ahead of many releases in the genre.

One of the things I like the most here is that the band keeps the songs relatively short and focused. Most tracks stay around four or five minutes, or less, and that really helps the album to flow naturally. Spectra don't stretch their ideas endlessly, and as a listener, I appreciate that a lot. The album never feels heavy or demanding; instead, it moves forward smoothly and keeps your interest without forcing you to concentrate on every single detail.

Musically, this is clearly modern instrumental prog, but the emotional side is always more important than the technical one. If I had to mention a couple of references just to give you a general idea, I would point to the melodic approach of Plini and the more restrained moments of Animals As Leaders. Even then, Spectra manage to sound personal and avoid the usual genre clichés.

A detail that really stood out to me is the use of brass elements and saxophone, especially towards the end of Lost At Sea. These instruments are not very common in this kind of instrumental prog, and here they are used in a very tasteful way, adding warmth and emotion rather than complexity. That final section, with the saxophone floating over the music, genuinely reminded me of some classic Pink Floyd moments.

Also, the brass used in the song Meridian is a great addition that gives a special nuance. What I also appreciate is that this album doesn't feel like it was made only for musicians. I don't care about complex structures or technical analysis, and I don't need them here. I just want the music to work, to create a mood, and to keep me engaged, and this album does exactly that.

In the end, Places We Only Dream Of is the kind of instrumental progressive album I enjoy listening to at home, without distractions, and that still makes me want to press play again once it's finished. It doesn't exhaust me, it doesn't feel overworked. For me, that's what really matters and that's why this Places We Only Dream Of is a very promising debut. For an instrumental prog debut, that's not a small achievement at all. In fact, it's actually a great place to start dreaming from.