Alter Bridge - Textures - Under - Wolverine

We are already in March, about time I start recommending some CD's/ Soon more to follow.

Alter Bridge - Alter Bridge

Alter Bridge are much bigger than the fan in me of them is. For years I heard and read how nice they are, but I never was bothered to dive into their discography. I picked up Blackbird at a metal market and that was about it. When I understood they would play in Lisbon when I was there I decided to check out their latest self-titled album. That was a nice surprise as this is easy listening hard rock performed very well. Myles Kennedy is one of the great voices in current hard rock and the guitar work of Mark Tremonti is nice too. So where I read some reviews statiing the surprise is gone, that is not valid for me, as I  just found out how nice they are. Live was good on album pleasant too.

Textures - Genotype

With Textures it is the opposite as I was there with them since their debut Polars. I even saw them live when OLS was still called OLS. I don't have all their albums, but often saw them through the years. Last time live was at Progpower, when they were touring goodbye. And now they are back with Genotype and more accessible than ever before. To me this means their best album ever (I think) The whole band shines here and Daniel de Jongh matches his vocal performance from last year'sTiktaalika. Very catchy songs and this new Textures should be able to attract even more fans.

Under - What Happened in Roundwood

Now here is a weird band. I discovered them when going through my bandcamp app under the tag progressive rock. The cover spoke to me, so I tried them and heard anything apart from traditional progressive rock. This trio play noise or sludge of the very uncomfortable kind. Still as from first listening this album clicked with me. The shouted vocals telling the story of Isaac in Roundwood is an album I shall return to several times. Definitely not for every moment, but when in the right mood it shall put a cynical smile on your face. Regarding live shows this band screams Complexity Fest.

Wolverine - Anomalies

Staying in the area of bands making a comeback I present Wolverine. Anomalies follows ten years after last album Machina Viva. The grunts from their earlier years are long behind us. Wolverine play nowadays melancholic rock with a few heavier outbursts only. Moody and beautiful their music is and in a way you can compare them with latter day Anathema on the moods. So on Anomalies I won't get surprised by the songs on offer, but they all sound so damn fine. As they are the Progpower houseband through the decades and the line-up is far from closed I would say why not again in 2026.