By the end of the 1970s, the original triumvirate of hard rock heroes Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath had either graduated to the arenas of the world, or even split up, whilst the second wave of British heavy rockers, including UFO, Motörhead and Judas Priest, were beginning to fill theatres across the land. Punk exploded in 1976 and 1977, and the DIY ethos that sprang up in its wake soon influenced the grassroots metal bands who had yet to leave their local bars and clubs. Often independently released, some of the bands in this set never made more than one now highly prized and collectable 45 or one-off EP.
The Enid, Antimatter, Big Big Train, Aisles, Mystery, Panic Room, Galahad, Deus Ex Machina, Gandalf's Fist, NoSound and many more…
Ryley Walker currently resides in New York City. But his latest LP is a Chicago record in spirit. The masterful Course In Fable, the songwriter’s fifth solo effort, draws from the deep well of that city’s fertile 1990s scene, when bands like Tortoise, The Sea and Cake and Gastr del Sol were reshaping the underground, mixing and matching indie rock, jazz, prog and beyond.
95 Nuggets From The Lone Star State. The Lone Star State was home to a disproportionate number of fine garage, psych and punk bands in the 1960s. This stupendous boxed set gathers together no fewer than 95 of their greatest moments, culled from some of the rarest singles ever issued. Complete with a packed 32-page booklet (featuring discographies, rare pictures and background info) it's a truly essential purchase for all fans of snarling, snotty, sneering rock and roll. Digitally remastered using 42-bit technology.
A riddle wrapped in an enigma dressed up in leather and studs, Germany's Mekong Delta perplexed the heavy metal world both by playing an unconventional brand of progressive thrash and by keeping the identities of the bandmembers secret for the first five years of a career starting in 1987…