Thirty-five years and over thirty albums in, Motorpsycho’s Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan and Bent Saether enter a new era as a duo, embracing full creative freedom on their epic, self-titled album. As a band enthusiast, it’s thrilling to hear Ryan and Saether deliver the full spectrum of the Motorpsycho sound—from tight pop-rock tracks to sprawling prog epics, acoustic meditations, and psychedelic explorations.Their first double album since the Gullvåg Trilogy, Motorpsycho is both a return to form and a step forward, proving that even in a leaner form, their ambition remains limitless.
More than just another entry in their vast catalog, Motorpsycho feels like a statement of intent—a reinvention that embraces the past while carving out some new ground. Across 81 minutes, Ryan and Saether sound as vital and adventurous as ever, pushing their sonic boundaries with the same restless creativity that has defined them for decades. This is Motorpsycho distilled to its purest essence—uncompromising, immersive, and utterly their own.
Greenleaf, the heavy rockers from Sweden, return with a fantastic ninth album, The Head & The Habit. For almost a quarter century, the band has been offering up their '70 hard rock influenced music. And The Head & The Habit is no exception. Showcasing their confidence in how to rock stronger, harder, and with more cohesion than ever before, the Swedes melt thunderous riff-magic, enrapturing and soul-heavy vocals, frenetic rhythms and driving attacks into an ear-catching, sparkling alloy of hard rocking anthems. It's the kind of album that gets the blood pumping and is just a great ride.
"You Know, you put a Les Paul through an old Marshall and you crank it up and you get the sound that doesn't go stale."
Tyler Baker, lead guitarist, Goodbye June
A classic rock revival is well underway over the past few years and Goodbye June is definitely helping lead the way. Fans of nasty, dirty rock 'n'roll, the band has said that they set out to take a lot of changes and swings on their fourth album, Deep In Trouble. And boy did they. This is a highly charged album with loud guitars and a hard hitting rhythm section to match. And it just plain rocks.
When Greta Van Fleet arrived on the scene in 2017 with their debut album From the Fires, they were hailed and celebrated as a hard-rocking, Led Zeppelin-esk sounding band that was here to save rock music. I thought that the album and the band were fine. But to me, lead singer Josh Kiszka had not yet figured out what to do with his voice. And twin brother Jake (guitar), younger brother Sam (bass), and Danny Wagner (drums), as good as they were as musicians, had not landed on a signature sound. They sounded too much like a Zeppelin knock-off and lacked originality.
2021's The Battle At Garden's Gate, their follow up album, found the band stretching in new directions while toning down the Zeppelin influences. The results were mixed. There were moments of brilliance, exemplified best on the album's closing, The Weight Of Dreams, a monster of a song with one of the greatest guitar solos of the past decade. But there were others that fell short.
All of this brings us to Starcatcher, the Band's third album. In a press release, brother Sam, said that with this album they wanted something 'raw around the edges'. Something that represents them going 'back to their roots' while also moving them forward at the same time. I think that the band realized that they will never out run their Led Zeppelin influences and that 'going back' was a decision to embrace it. It was the right move. Taking this and a decade's worth of playing together and growing as a band, as song-writers, and as musicians, Greta Van Fleet has finally landed on something that successfully fuses it all together. For me, Starcatcher is their most successful and best album to date.
Ferocious, fearless, and soulful noise. Texas rocker's Smokey Mirror have said that they have dedicated themselves to spreading a gospel of scorched-earth riff worship and wild, psychedelic abandon. Check and check. They have said that their musical masterplan is to write songs that blend energetic heavy blues rock with elements of progressive and freeform styles of music. Check and check. And ultimately, they want listeners of their debut album to walk away in a sweaty, euphoric heap. And....check.
Recorded using all vintage analog equipment, the band's sound and soul is a throwback to a time when hard rock was still coming into its own and there seemed to be no rules or boundaries to what was right or wrong. Smokey Mirror is a breath of sweaty, dirty, and not very fresh air to take in. Which is just right. So sit down and strap yourself in for one of the hardest rockin' albums that you will hear this year.
What I love about music is its power to transport me. Sometimes it’s unexpected, sometimes it’s exactly where I want to be. A single melody can unlock memories I didn’t realize I still carried, while certain chords or lyrics take me to another time or place. Some songs feel like home, offering shelter, while others deliver me to an unknown place or space, stirring emotions I can’t quite name. In this way, music isn’t just sound—it’s a sonic subway, delivering me to a station of refuge or one I never knew existed.
Music has always been an important part of my life. My family and friends knew this well, often asking me what I was listening to and what I liked. It was always humbling to be asked, and eventually, I gathered the courage to create this music blog—to put into words what draws me to certain music and why.
Over the years, my passion for writing has grown, along with my excitement for sharing musical discoveries. I hope your time here sparks excitement and leads you to a musical discovery of your own. More than anything, I hope your visit brings a little joy to your day.
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