Mick Birchall Reviews

It’s fair to say I’m walking into this review with the slightest amount of bias. I discovered Liverpool rockers, Attic Theory on one of the best nights of my fandom. They opened for my all-time favourite band, Tantric in Manchester so, in all honesty, they could have been the worst band in history and I still would’ve had a great night. Luckily, they’re pretty damn good and put on an absolute belter of a live show. So, naturally, I kept tabs on them and stayed in touch with them as they seemed to be an interesting group of people with a voice. I liked their 2020 EP The Sign of an Active Mind and I was eagerly awaiting their upcoming album. So, when I got an early copy of the record I knew it was one to go on my playlist and was going to be one to look out for! The new album What We Fear the Most has been an album is an absolute joy to listen to. As a lifelong fan of the genre, this was a real treat. If you’re into early 2000s post-grunge alt-rock, then I have the album for you, dear

I always get super proud when I see musicians from my hometown become well-known. More so when they’re passionate about repping the flag of the town. Local blues guitar hero Laurence Jones has been one of those shining stars in the music world for the last 10 years. Racking up critical acclaim and audience approval. His stylistic guitar skills and affable attitude have won him the hearts of many blues fans. 2023 saw Laurence drop a new record Bad Luck and The Blues . A record that I feel put him out there. It was a much more rough and raw record that sounds simply amazing. As Jones takes more of a jam-band feel to the album. Big meaty solos and catchy hooks that keep you invested in the record. This tour in support of that record has taken the young blues man far and wide, but on this night, he comes home to a stage that he’s graced in his younger days. The Citadel Theatre has been in the heart of the St Helens town centre longer than I’ve been alive. It’s a venue that I’ve always kno

Some combinations in music just go together so seamlessly. Certain subjects match certain tones so well. I think that the subject of swords, sorcery and medieval knights blend so well with symphonic and progressive rock. Something about the folky yet grandiose sounds of the genre matches the setting so well. I’ll tell you something, there are so many bands and artists out there that are so imaginative and creative when it comes to this. When I first came across the band Knightfall , the latest project from Keith Dombrowski and is something that is completely within my taste of music. I love this high-concept heavy metal that allows for imaginative ideas to flow and you, as the listener, can just take in the lyrics and music combined and just become lost in the sound. The album Destiny Calling is a fun and engaging album with lots of interesting concepts, ideas and themes that I have been enjoying. It’s been an album that I’ve been able to put on and go and walk through my local park a