Mick Birchall Reviews

At the start of this year I was acquainted with the blues rock stylings of The Zac Schulze Gang . Their music sent shivers down my spine when I first listened to them. The technical abilities of the three members blew my socks off. To the point where I was genuinely impressed to find that there are only three members. I took a listen to songs like “Woman” and their new single “I Won’t Do This Anymore” and, whoa, that was something else. So when I got the opportunity to check out the band on their UK tour, you bet I was going to get my butt out to the show. As an added little bit of specialness to this event, this was going to be their first time in Manchester. For this gig, I ventured into the Northern Quarter and made my way to Gullivers . Tucked away the bar and gig venue has been home to some amazing shows over the years. I have had the pleasure of seeing some iconic rock bands here and this was going to be another one for the ages. As the room filled, the lights hit the stage and M...

For a while now, I have been skirting the edge of the heavier aspects of heavy metal. Simply because I don’t feel like I can fully appreciate the full weight of the brutal tones and heavier aspects. However, I’ve been actively trying to understand the parts of the genre that have left a bad taste in my mouth previously. I’ve been digging into the depths of the Greek heavy metal scene and today’s band has something that speaks to me. The music that Euphrosyne play is not my usual cup of tea, but their debut album Morus has fascinated me no end! For a first record they already boast an impressive aptitude for the craft of songwriting and have crafted a concept album that tackles are pretty hefty subject, the death of a loved one. This record not only displays their musical talent but also their understanding of production, making the best listening experience possible. I feel for a debut album, this is such a solid piece of work that has made me deeply invested in them. From a lyrica...

It’s been a long time since I set foot in the iconic Deaf Institute in Manchester, it’s also been a long time since I got to see the dynamic talent of Wille and The Bandits . So tonight was a night to make things right and experience both. It’s getting to that time of year, it’s getting a little warmer and the evenings are a little better for going out into the city centre. So I was in brighter spirits and getting out to a gig felt like the best way to celebrate. Any time you get to listen to live music is always a good night. Wille and The Bandits, hot off the heels of opening for Beth Hart in Europe, have embarked on their headline UK tour and this Manchester date was night number two of the whole thing. So a fresh sounding band and you could tell they were ready to hit the road and perform for the fine people of Manchester. The venue felt like a small theatre, located upstairs, the room was wonderfully open with seating and a viewing balcony. So like a compact amphitheatre. Which s...

It’s been a while since I took a good long listen to the weird world of Avantasia . Tobias Sammet ’s enchanting symphonic metal powerhouse is always such a pallet cleanser for me. There are always three things you’re guaranteed going into every Avantasia album: Wonderful vocals, epic orchestration and infinitely creative imagination. Their new album Here Be Dragons is yet another notch on the belt of Sammet’s ever-expanding career and I am so here for it. This album is jam-packed with inventive writing and each song has just the right amount of that over-the-top quality that we all love from them. The 10-track offering in its entirety was written and composed by Tobias Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Sammet together with Sascha Paeth , mixed by Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg . This is the tenth record from the band and man it feels like they reinvent themselves with every release, yet somehow they keep that core that makes the Avantasia experience unique.  Like a...