Artbook: Bleach All Colour, But The Black

The Black Tornado is the supporting band of Thorbjørn Risager, a Danish blues musician who first came onto the scene early in the 2000s. A fan of Southern soul and Chicago blues, he fused the two sounds, something that was evident his 2004 debut, Live 2004. This record also showcased the skills of Black Tornado, a group he assembled in 2003 to articulate his artistic vision. Risager and Black Tornado signed to Cope Records, an imprint run by the band's trumpet player, in the mid-2000s and from that point on, he's worked regularly – albums have appeared every other year, and he's toured often – and he started to get international attention in 2014 after the release of Too Many Roads. This was their first record to appear on Ruf Records but it wasn't the last – Songs from the Road followed in 2016 and Change My Game appeared in early 2017.

Take Mostly Autumn, pick off the celtic stuff and the female vocals but add a touch of Porcupine Tree or heavy prog in general. Looking at Pink Floyd add a bit of Roger Waters of the early period and remove a bit of David Gilmour, but not too much. Mix all the ingredients and you'll have an idea of what this album is about.

The German symphonic metal band Beyond the Black return with their fifth full length record, the self-titled Beyond the Black. German Symphonic Metal shooting stars Beyond the Black look back on a stratospheric success story. Already their 2015 debut album hit like a bomb in their home country. Songs Of Love And Death besieged the German Top 15 for weeks and lead up to the band being awarded the Metal Hammer Award 2015 for "Best Debut". It's successor Lost In Forever (2016) entered the German charts on #4 right away and paved ways for a huge tour from Germany over countries like UK, Russia or Japan. Since the band's live debut in 2014 they have played the world's biggest Metal festival Wacken Open Air several times and toured as a support act for heavyweights such as Aerosmith, Korn, Scorpions, Saxon or Within Temptation.

Ohio Players is the twelfth studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was released on April 5, 2024, by Easy Eye Sound and Nonesuch Records. The album currently has a Metacritic score of 76 indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Rolling Stone stated the presence of guest musicians such as Beck and Noel Gallagher made Ohio Players "one of their best LPs". Several reviews positively noted the Black Keys' ability to reinvent their sound while remaining in touch with their garage rock and blues roots. A positive review from Pitchfork called the album "lively, fresh and colorful." A mixed review from Slant Magazine felt the guest musicians caused The Black Keys to be lost in their own album, and criticized the song "Beautiful People (Stay High)" for sounding as if it was AI generated and trying hard to appeal to "lifestyle brands".

The Black Noodle Project is a French band that has actually been around for some time, releasing their demo in 2003. There used to be more members, or maybe they just sort of come and go as the winds of life steer them. I’m not sure. Right now, there are two members: Sébastien Bourdeix on guitars, keyboards, bass, and vocals; and Tommy Rizzitelli on drums. For this record, vocalist Sab Elvenia of the band The Fundamental Wisdom of Chaos guests on three tracks. I should say that, if you haven’t already, you should check out Sab’s band—they are quite unique.

The Black Crowes’ 1992 album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion has been remastered and expanded for CD and vinyl reissues next month. The reissue has been overseen by Chris and Rich Robinson and album producer George Drakoulias. A 3CD super deluxe edition box set features 14 unreleased tracks including two studio recordings,a live February 1993 concert, and the never-before-heard live in-studio performances at the end of the Southern Harmony session – along with B-sides and the original album (which was remastered from the original 1/4″ production master tape). This box also comes with ‘stuff’ which includes a “hymn book” with insights from both Chris and Rich Robinson, sheet music and four lithographs.