Raven 1996'

Complete Sessions 1971-72 gathers together all of Fraternity's recordings, most of which feature Bon Scott, who would later gain fame as the lead singer of AC/DC. Fans of that hard-rocking group will be disappointed if looking to find kindred spirits here though, as Fraternity was a hippie band inspired by rock of the prog, country, and boogie variety. And while Scott's vocal is unmistakable, there is a vibrato present that was ultimately shaved off for the stripped-down AC/DC. Oftentimes Fraternity sounds like a group unable to decide if they wanted to be the next Procol Harum or Australia's version of the Band, resulting in an unusual hybrid of prog rock and country-rock. They would also delve into the blues on occasion, which is when the closest comparisons to AC/DC can be made…

Irreligious is the second full-length studio album by Portuguese gothic metal act Moonspell. While there are still hints of Moonspell's black metal past on Irreligious the music on the album is largely a departure from that sound. The goth rock/ metal elements that were already present on the debut album Wolfheart (1995) are much more pronounced on this album. The closest musical reference is probably goth/ doom metal act Paradise Lost (from One Second (1997) onward) but Moonspell definitely have their own sound. Goth rock bands from the eighties like Sisters of Mercy and The Mission also comes to mind. The vocals are deep and occasionally semi growling with an obvious accent which in this case actually gives the music an exotic twist. It could have been a problem but isn't. There are lots of keyboards in the music and they work to create a dark atmosphere.

A sprawling masterpiece, akin to the Beatles' White Album, the Stones' Exile on Main St., or Wilco's Being There in its makeup, if not its sound. Rock, folk, blues, country, Latin, and bluegrass have all been styles touched on in Stephen Stills' career, and the skilled, energetic musicians he had gathered in Manassas played them all on this album. What could have been a disorganized mess in other hands, though, here all gelled together and formed a cohesive musical statement.

Californian whose sensual, ethereal piano & guitar compositions explore spiritual and emotional realms.

The Stranglers worked better as a singles band than they did as album artists, but that doesn't mean that the double-disc, 43-track retrospective The Hit Men 1977-1991 is consistently engaging. Considerably older than their punk peers, the Stranglers nevertheless knocked out several terrific songs in their first records, including "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" and "Hanging Around," but by the mid-'80s they had become a little bland and predictable, as evidenced by covers of "96 Tears" and "All Day and All of the Night."…

Lars Lach'n Jonsson is a quintessential "renaissance man" from Sweden whose creative inspiration leads him in a seemingly infinite number of different directions. He is a multi-instrumentalist who sings, plays strings, keyboards, guitar, drums, tuned percussion and so on. He is a composer and producer, a teacher of soundculture, a music critic, and an arranger concerts and festivals in his native region of Östergötland. He owns The Forest Studio and runs Bauta Records. Lach'n Jonsson has released two solo albums and is also a member of the groups Ur Kaos, Zut Un Feu Rouge, Songs Between and Prima Virga, an ensemble for medieval music. Lach'n Jonsson's solo albums, Music For The Dying Forest released in 1985, and Songs From Cities Of Decay in 1989, have an exceeding distinct voice all their own…