John’s brand new album was released on the 1st of March. John Illsley, a founder member of Dire Straits, has been making solo albums for several years now and then taking to the road to play the new songs along with the old Dire Straits hits. 2019 sees John with a brand new album, 'Coming Up for Air' and an unusual tour to go with it. Recorded at the beautiful British Grove studios, the new album features Robbie McIntosh and Scott Mckeon on guitars and a host of other exceptional musicians.

With 25 years of searing black metal under their belt, at this point it should be within rights to call Kampfar an institution. Yet the connotation of that word also implies a band so gilded with praise that they might be resting on their laurels — which is not the case with Kampfar, who are still most definitely fighting the good fight and pushing ever forward into the abyss. Kampfar are on the eve of the release of their eighth album, Ofidians Manifest, which is scheduled to drop via Indie Recordings on May 3rd.

The great-great-grand-daughter of writer Leo Tolstoy, Viktoria Tolstoy had been a jazz singer in Scandinavia for over a decade when she recorded Shining on You. Tolstoy has a beautiful voice and can hold notes for a long period perfectly in-tune. This outing really does not give her much of a chance to sing jazz for the emphasis is on her interpretations of the lyrics.