Mick Birchall Reviews | Interviews, Gig Reports & Album Reviews

In the run-up to the new single “Lost In the Highlights”, and before they embark on their autumn UK Tour, I sat down with Ross, guitarist for the Canadian southern rock stars The Commoners . In this interview, we talk about writing new music and nerd out about guitars. This was such a fun chat. Read on!   Mick: You’re coming back to the UK for a decent, lengthy tour, and you seem to be making yourselves quite at home. Is there something special about UK audiences that you really enjoy performing for? Ross: I think they get the rock music that we do, whatever you consider us, southern rock or roots rock. It’s in that world where it’s not the super traditional hard rock bands you see out there. The special thing we do is bring the soul to the rock, with the backing vocals and the grooves we put down, but obviously it’s still rock and roll. I think UK audiences resonate with that more. We’re bringing this cool soul element, and because it originally came from the UK anyway, the audi...

Ahead of their new album,  Identity , releasing on the 16th October 2026. I sat down with the vocalist of Elysion , Christianna Hatzimihali , to discuss the band’s 20th anniversary, the new album, making music videos, the Greek metal world and more.  Mick: First things first, it’s 20 years of Elysion this year. How does it feel that the band has existed that long and you managed to maintain a career in this industry? Christianna: Well, as you said, this year marks our 20th anniversary of the band’s existence. To me, it’s kind of weird because it feels like it was yesterday when I joined the band. It goes to show that time flies, and it just feels so weird for everyone. On one hand, it feels like it was yesterday, and then on the other hand, so much has gone by, and we’ve been through so much, and it was such a journey. So, it’s a mixed feeling of both growth and moving on and stepping up and changing levels, and at the same time, just feeling like we’re still the same, just as...

Spiders have always been one of those bands I’ve tried to keep a close eye on. I’ve loved their music for a long time, and even though I’ve never seen them live, their records stick with me. I remember buying the CD, Shake Electric , and being completely blown away by their 70s throwback sound and rock n roll ethos. They’re just an incredible band, and I encourage anyone reading this to listen to their discography, especially if you’re into that late 60s to early 70s rock sound that seems to have been lost somewhere in the modern-day rock scene. So, after listening to their latest fifth album, Crystal Eyes , and speaking with the lead vocalist Ann-Sofia Hoyles , I thought I’d give you my thoughts on the record and what I feel works about this latest offering. This album feels similar in some aspects but wildly different if you know what to listen to. Opening on the fast and furious “Creature of the Night”, the album starts on the right foot. If you’re new to Spiders, then you’ll be me...

Mick: I was literally just listening to the new album, Crystal Eyes, before I got the call. I've really been enjoying it so far. What differences do you feel between this album and your previous work, in terms of what you’ve taken into writing/recording this record? Ann: I mean, it’s been a very short time between these two albums, Sharp Objects and Crystal Eyes . So it's connected in some way because if you're looking back, it was a bigger gap between Killer Machine and Sharp Objects . So I think we're still in a mood like writing new songs. I mean, I don't know how you listeners feel, but for me, it's like we are in a new mode, like more of a Dead Boy s , The Dictators , Blondie kind of mode. So I think it's like the Sharp Objects and Crystal Eyes is a bit connected to each other, the two albums, because we wrote it in like two years, the two albums.   Mick: You’ve called this your most powerful album yet; could you elaborate? Ann: I mean, it would be w...

You may remember that earlier this year I got to speak with Michael Beck and Paul Williams from the American rock band Escape The Hive . (Click Here to Read the Interview) When we spoke, they were talking about the new record and, from the first single, “Around The Sun”, I was quite excited for the record to be released. Now it’s been released and has been in my rotation for a little bit; I thought I’d follow up on that interview and take some time to share my thoughts. This album, Fight or Flight , is the follow-up record to their 2023 album, This Is Gonna Sting , and you can hear the development from one album to the next. Though they’re sticking to the same genre, there does feel like a notable progression from the first to this new album. I’ve been putting it on and letting it play from start to end, and I have to say, I do think this is an enjoyable listening experience. If you’re into that late-70s to early-80s AOR or glam rock, then I think this is an album you’ll very quickly ...

As It Is & Greywind Gig Report | Venue: District, Liverpool | Date: 13th September 2026 Sometimes the best shows are the last-minute ones. I only learned of the show about three hours before it was set to kick off. I’ve really enjoyed the work of the Brighton pop-rockers As It Is for a while now. Ever since their album The Great Depression , they’ve been a band that has been on my radar. This evening would mark my third time catching them live in concert. The last time I got to see As It Is was at Slam Dunk Festival 2025 , so I was very excited to attend a headline show. Speaking of Slam Dunk Festival, one of my favourite discoveries from that event in recent years has been the Ireland-based emo-rock band, Greywind , who joined As It Is for this evening’s entertainment. I’ve loved listening to Greywind since their album Severed Heart City dropped, and they’re a band that doesn't leave my rotation. So, yeah, I’m really glad I dragged myself to Liverpool for this one. The show...

Have you ever discovered a band that’s been around for a long time and thought to yourself, “Wow, this is really my type of sound”? Well I have just had one of those moments. I have got the new albums from Southern metal act Texas Hippie Coalition , from Denison, Texas, USA. As someone who grew up on southern rock , heavy metal and country, this is a band that I instantly got into. Their sound was almost nostalgic to me, the bluesy riffs, the deep vocals, the vibe of going to a dive bar and listening to the local band with a beer in your hand. Yeah, that kind of band. It was something quite instant. I got quite the introduction as in 2026 the band has put out two brand new records. This is not a double-record, it’s two separate records that they’ve released at the same time. Which, I must say, is an interesting strategy. The two albums are Band of Outlaws and Stoned Cowboys . Which both sound pretty good to me. I know this type of music is not everyone’s cup of tea. To me though, ...

I have had many encounters with the British metal band, Green Lung . Yet, I have never really spoken about them on the blog. They’re a band I have run into many times on my travels and a band that always stays in my rotation. They’re a band that has always stood out to me. I saw them last year at Graspop Metal Meeting , and they were simply spectacular when they took to the stage. So when I got the opportunity to have a sneaky first listen to their new album, Necropolitan , I just wanted to go over why I appreciate them as a band. This album is their fourth record, and it’s been a little while since their previous effort in 2023. So, this is a treat for their fanbase. The band hired producer Tom Dalgety, known for his work with Opeth and Ghost , at Rockfield Studios, to record, mix and master the album. Which makes all the sense when you listen to the album. I would actually say this record is a perfect introduction to the band and their style, which is very reminiscent of old-school ...

Screenshot Taken from  Hypnosaur live @ SoundArt Festival, 14.03.2025, Quantic, Bucharest After I published my editorial about the Polish stoner-rock band, Hypnosaur , and off the back of the release of their second album, Afterlife , I got the opportunity to sit down and chat with the full band: Bartosz Kulczycki (vocals, keyboards), Michał Siedlecki (guitar, backing vocals), Marcin “Farf” Jastrzębski (bass), and Marcin Szóstakowski (drums). In this interview, we spoke about the production of the new album, their songwriting process, and the struggles of being an independent band in 2026. This is a great look into the band and their thoughts. Also, being able to talk to the full band was interesting. This interview serves as a complementary piece to my original blog about them. Mick: Hi, thanks for joining me today. How are you guys doing? Farf: Yeah, we're great, and all of us are here actually, which wasn't the plan in the first place. So, you've got the whole band, whi...