Robert Strum

Sombre Reptile is a Progressive rock band from Bordeaux, formed by the brothers Jean-Paul & Michel Dedieu in 1977. Even if a trace of their music appeared in the sampler "Enchantement", produced by the Musea label in the Eighties, some twenty five years would be required before they released their first album "In Strum Mental" (2001). Firstly influenced by King Crimson ("Red" period), Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, the trio developped there quite more personal views. The rhythm base was strongly "ethnic" sounding and proved to be as enchanting as original. Dialogues between keyboards and guitar came in foreground of these seven medium-length, very dense and inspired instrumental pieces.

Does that high-pitched wail sound familiar? Well, odds are if you're reading this, you should know it. For Vinnie's second album, good ol' Mark Slaughter (who would soon – with Invasion bassist Dana Strum – form the even more successful and creatively named hair metal band Slaughter) takes over vocals from the departed Robert Fleischman, and while his high-pitched wails are a bit hard to take, his vocals give this record a bit more consistency than the debut. Outside of that it's kinda just more of the same. Unfortunate for Mr. Vincent given his obvious talents, this sort of "metal" that somehow thrived from 1985-1990 (or so) wasn't the type of rock that was open to too much experimentation. So what you get here is a pretty run-of-the-mill hair rock album: rockers, ballads, solos, etc.

An album of folk songs that embraces the theme of travel and journeys seems entirely appropriate. So much of our traditional song has travelled all around our islands, and far beyond, it makes perfect sense to collate some of those where the characters who populate the stories are on the move. Scots singer/song writer Claire Hastings has done just that, in Those Who Roam.