Mick Birchall Reviews | Interviews, Gig Reports & Album Reviews

I’ve always had a strange relationship with Kamelot . They’ve always been one of those bands on my periphery. I love power metal and symphonic metal; it’s a core part of my identity. However, for whatever reason, Kamelot has always just been one of those bands that don’t click in my head. Which makes no sense, since I am a fan of the overall genre and many of their contemporaries. However, I can never truly say that I’m a fan. I’ve seen them perform live many times over the years, and I’ll admit, they are impressive. I can’t truly fault them as musicians or songwriters. It’s so difficult to put my finger on it. So, with their fourteenth studio record, Dark Asylum coming out, I thought I would take an opportunity to listen to it and really try to engage with the material. Their longtime producer Sascha Paeth returns to helm the album, also contributing additional guitars, alongside Jacob Hansen, who oversees mixing and mastering. So the band are well within their realm of stability and...

Wille And The Bandits are one of those bands I always feel the need to keep up with. The songwriting genius of frontman Wille Edwards can not be overlooked and, in my opinion, they’re the most exciting rock band to break out of the UK’s illustrious southern rock scene. Their mix of southern boogie, hard rock, blues and country, all brought together in that jam-band style, makes them a specific delight to my ears; a boy who grew up on rock, blues and country music. I knew that the guys were working on new music after speaking with Wille  last year , and I promised myself that I’d talk about the album when it came out. I’m a little behind that promise to myself, but I’m getting around to it now. I have been listening to this album quite a bit, and I’ve been enjoying myself. The new album, Salt Roots , is an ideal example of why this style of music will just never die out. The production is fun, the songwriting is intriguing to take in, and it’s just one of those albums you need to ...

Escape The Hive is an exciting band exploding out of the independent scene and getting ready to take over with their new album coming out in 2026, now signed with Deko Entertainment/Warner Brothers Music. I had the opportunity to sit with band members, Michael Beck (Lead Vocals) and Paul Williams (Bass & Backing Vocals), to discuss the new record, their writing, their live shows and their influences. This is a fun interview with two great guys. It’s gotten me excited for the new album. Mick: Thank you for taking the time to speak to me. So, you have a new album coming out next month. I took a listen to the new single “Around The Sun”, and I really quite enjoyed it. I guess my first question is, what were the lessons you took from the first record into this one? Michael: Paul, you want to take that one? Paul: Well, the first record and the second record are so different, just timeline-wise. The first record was just Michael and me writing the songs. There were just a bunch of riffs,...

So, I have written about Evergrey a few times on this blog now. I don’t think that I’ve ever made it a secret that I really love this band. So, in that case, I don’t know if that puts me in a better or worse position to write about their new albums. As a fan, this might come off a bias. Yet, I think that having a deep love for this band makes me qualified to tell you what works and doesn’t work about their fifteenth album, Architects Of A New Weave . Ever since their 2014 album, Hymns For The Broken , it’s been clear that Evergrey has gone in a little bit of a different direction from their earlier work. They didn’t outright abandon the progressive metal label; however, it does feel that they're chasing that anthemic, stadium rock sound. Big catchy chorus lines and more punchy guitar solos. This isn’t a bad thing per se; it’s just different. The band have been writing for that bigger audience sound. Which certainly fits them, with a sound that hits the rafters and just keeps on g...

Some days just feel special, and I can confidently say that music festivals are those days. This past weekend, I went to the Slam Dunk Festival in Hatfield. Now, I usually go to the North version of the event in Leeds. However, for this year, I made my way across the country to this day out. When the line-up was first announced, I was immediately excited. Some names that I’ve never seen before, and some that I’ve seen all too often, but excited to see again. I was pretty sceptical about the headliner, Good Charlotte . The last time I saw them perform live, they were not great, but I was willing to give them another chance. Some of the big names that I’d never seen were acts like Sublime , Goldfinger , A , Madina Lake and Motion City Soundtrack . I'd like to see as much as possible. I will admit that for a 20th anniversary, the line-up felt like it was missing something. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Anyway, I was determined to have a good time no matter what. Like at any fest...