Mick Birchall Reviews | Interviews, Gig Reports & Album Reviews

A few years back I was looking for a concert to go to while on my vacation in Canada. When I found a gig that looked promising. I took one listen to the single, from that band called “Distance” and I knew that I wanted to go. That band being Evergrey . I clicked purchase tickets so quickly that I thought my hands would fall off. I also bought their most recent albums of the time; Hymns For The Broken and The Storm Within , which I instantaneously fell in love with. Getting to see them live in Canada was such a treat as well. They put on an absolute clinic of a show. Ever since that holiday, I have been in love with the band and their music. I've seen them live on several occasions and purchased every new album since. Their music has been a special part of my life for quite a while now. As it turns out in 2023 they are marking 30 years in metal! To commemorate this huge milestone and to celebrate their momentous career up to now, they have released a new collection of recordings on...

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...

Original Site Posting: 5-Jun-2017 Going into this gig was a bit of a weird experience. I really didn’t know any of the bands playing but hey, I was only in Canada for a week so I thought I’d check out a gig while I was in Toronto. The only band I was aware of was Need, as I reviewed their latest album “Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom” earlier this year. I did look up a bit of Evergrey’s music and I really like their music, I also listened to some Seven Kingdoms on spotify on the flight over. So it was fair to say I was really looking forward to this night. It was definitely a highlight of my trip to Canada. This was a great chance to see what the metal scene in Canada was like and I was not disappointed. The fans were rearing to go, the atmosphere was truly excellent. The Mod Club Theatre itself was a really nice place with a great set up. The acoustics were pretty damn nice and the sound system sound really damn nice for the whole night. Every band brought their A game and it was ...

  Oh, 2022. What can I say about you? The year I turned 30. The year I went to my perfect holiday destination (don’t worry we’ll get to that). However, the most important to me that was the year I returned to going to gigs. Being a part of a live crowd again has meant the world to me and I have seen some pretty epic gigs this year. There’s also been a tonne of albums to boot. Like, I think there has been a little something for everyone this year. There’s been a tonne of great rock, metal, and country music this year to get my ears to. I didn’t know how to approach this year. Usually, I make a top-something album of the year list. Last year I shook things up with an album award blog. However, in all honesty, I didn’t like how that turned out. How about we reinvent the wheel again for 2022? Let’s summarise some of my favourite moments in music this year: my favourite albums, my favourite gig memories and other things. I was getting a bit bored of these blogs going amiss. Sometimes, a...

For a while now I've had a great affinity for the band Evergrey . I first listened to them with their 2016 release, The Storm Within . Which completely blew me away, after that I started to listen to everything in their discography.  I was so impressed with their complex songwriting and rich sound that I really wanted to see them live to see if they were that good in a live setting. I got that chance when I went on holiday to Canada, as they were touring around the same time I went to the Toronto show and... Yeah, they were pretty amazing. I really just wanted to put that in context as for this first review in 2019, I'm taking a listen to their new album, The Atlantic . Which I have to admit, I've been waiting for since they announced that they were working on new material. So it was a treat to have the chance to listen to it prior to its release. The Swedish five-piece outfit waste little time on this record. Every moment matters and there isn't a single song that ...

This year has been incredibly eventful for the Italian heavy metal band  Virtual Symmetry . After countless miles travelled on tour and the much-anticipated release of their latest album, Veils of Illumination , they are now taking a well-deserved breather as 2024 draws to a close. I  had the pleasure of sitting down with the charismatic frontman, Marco Pastorino , who shared insights about the creative process behind the new record, the exhilarating yet challenging life experience on the road, and how he juggles his myriad of diverse projects while maintaining his passion for music. Okay, so you've been on the road with this new record, Veils of illumination . How do you feel the general audience response has been to the new songs? The feedback so far has been great. I mean, we just released the album a couple of weeks ago, but since the tour at the beginning of November the couple of tracks from the new album we have played have been received well. We’ve started to sell the ...

Another year goes by and once again, I have catalogued my top 20 albums of the year. I thought it was going to be a lot harder to make my list this year, but when it came down to it, it really wasn't much of a decision. I mean there have been many times this year where I have said that a certain album was the best of the year, but when I really thought about it, my album of the year is the one I listen to the most. Something so captivation that it rewards repeated listens. So, that's the criteria I judge on. 2019 was a year filled with some amazing music. The records I have been listening to are one with excellent songwriting, brilliant musicianship and a lot of powerful emotions. Now, this is purely my own opinion and obviously, you are free to your own opinion, I just wanted to get my favourites out there. As always, if you haven't listened to any of the below, then please take the time to listen as it's all good music. 20. Swamp Born Assassins - Dead Man's Tr...

  Another year gone alredy! I know, I know I have posted this year. This blog has lay dorment as life kinda got in the way 2021 has been yet another difficult year for many and I know not many people will care about a silly blogger not making his usual reviews. However, I really do apologise for not keeping up my usual schedule. Especially since this year kicked a whole boat load of ass with releases. Honestly, there was so much good music this year from all corners and from all genres! So much so, that I couldn't, in good concience, just do a traditional ranking of my favourite albums. At the same time, the year just wouldn't feel complete if I didn't acknowledge the amazing year of music that we've had. So, as a super-special mega blog. I going to do something new! Something, I've never done before. So without further adue allow me to present the first annual 2021 Birchy Awards . So... what do you say? Shall we get this rocky show on thr road! By the way, I will ...