Megadeth's 13th studio album, and first since 2001’s The World Needs a Hero to utilize the talents of bassist/founding member Dave Ellefson, was produced by Johnny K (Staind, Disturbed) and features a combination of newly composed tracks, along with older cuts written years ago but never put to tape. Darker, heavier, and more immediate than 2009's Endgame, Dave Mustaine's snarling vocals ride higher in the mix this time around, but fans need not fear, as his fleet fingers are still possessed with the power to conjure the dead. Much of the aptly named Th1rt3en feels vintage, from the familiar political themes on “We the People” and the tightly wound, Dio-esque riffing on “Public Enemy No. 1” to the soft, melodramatic military snare intro of “Never Dead,” which eventually explodes into a wicked blast of retro-thrash that feels positively invigorating, not redundant…

Polonaise: almost always, as soon as the word is uttered, it conjures up the name of Frédéric Chopin. And what could be more natural with a creative genius who was constantly attracted to the genre? His first work, published in Warsaw, was entitled `Polonaise for pianoforte dedicated to her Excellency the Countess Victoire Skarbek by Friderik Chopin, aged eight years'; and right up to the concluding Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op.61, fourteen other similar compositions had punctuated the all-too-brief career of the Polish maestro.

Paolo Pandolfo is a virtuoso on the viola da gamba, and his usual repertoire includes the Bach cello suites. But he is also a passionate advocate of the art of improvisation, and this CD is devoted to 15 pieces that he and an ensemble including harpsichord, organ, theorbo, vihuela, violone, and voice improvised together. The concept of a classical musician improvising in this day and age is, if not unheard of, extremely rare.

The debut recording by the award-winning Ensemble Meridiana. A scintillating programme of Telemann leading the listener on a musical jouney through Europe in the Baroque period. On this beautiful recording, Ensemble Meridiana explores a variety of Georg Philipp Telemann's chamber music. The pieces chosen highlight the mastery of Telemann's 'mixed taste' writing style and are a perfect display of Baroque influences from France, Germany, Italy and Poland.

Paul McCreesh is one of the better-known figures in London's active early music scene, particularly as a conductor of small ensemble music of the Baroque. He grew up playing the cello. While at Manchester University, he formed a student chamber choir and ensemble of period instruments. In 1982 he organized it formally as the Gabrieli Consort and Players. .

Franz Krommer was Czech by birth but spent the major part of his career in Vienna; he was the last official court composer in the Habsburg court. A violinist, Krommer wrote mostly orchestral and chamber music, including at least six dozen string quartets. Born less than four years after Mozart, he outlived Beethoven, but his style is firmly based in the 18th century. The Clarinet Concerto, op. 36, was composed almost exactly midway between those of Mozart and Weber; a fairly ambitious work, it features a large orchestra including trumpets and timpani. It is certainly a virtuoso showpiece, but well written for the instrument; everything fits well under the fingers.

Japanese original greatest hits album from ABBA includes 40 tracks total selected based on a fan vote. Comes with a booklet with message from the members to fans in Japan. Universal Music Japan are celebrating ABBA's 40th Anniversary in their own way with the release of a unique compilation 40/40 The Best Selection. Japan are arguably doing something more interesting since 40/40 The Best Selection has a track listing that was based on votes from over 9,000 Japanese fans.
Perhaps not unexpectedly Dancing Queen came top and while it’s still a very mainstream selection (see track listing below) the 40-track two-CD collection does at least include Slipping Through My Fingers which there was no place for across the three discs of the new ABBA Gold.

Who better to initiate the rebirth of Impulse! Records than Henry Butler? After all, the first time the label was given a new life in 1986, their first recording was Flyin' Around, his debut album as a leader. Viper's Drag is a collaboration between the pianist/composer with in-demand trumpeter and arranger Steven Bernstein (Sexmob, MTO Orchestra), surrounded by an all-star cast including drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Reggie Veal, saxophonists Michael Blake, Peter Apfelbaum, and Erik Lawrence, violinist Charlie Burnham, clarinetist Doug Wieselman, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, and guitarist Matthew Munisteri. The set features readings of Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton tunes, three Butler originals, and two other classic pre-War numbers…

A tenacious Swiss melodic hard rock/heavy metal crew, Shakra emerged in the late '90s and found success in Europe in 2001 with their third full-length effort, Power Ride. Despite enduring multiple lineup changes over the years, the band has endured for over two decades, releasing dozens of well-received albums like Everest (2009), Powerplay (2013), and Mad World (2020) that balance blazing riffs, fist-pumping melodies, and crisp production with plenty of attitude.

André Messager (1853-1929) studied with Fauré and Saint-Saëns and went on to become one of the most celebrated composers of operettas of his time. Fortunio, however, is a genuine opera. Messager of course utilized his skills as an operetta composer, and Fortunio is generally light and tuneful, but far more robust than most operettas. It is dramatically effective, beautifully scored, and contains magnificently written vocal lines and resourcefully developed dramatic climaxes. It is, in short, a very fine, often enchanting work that really deserves to be heard by fans of French opera, as well as a life in the opera house.

BIS have come up with that seasonal rarity: the intelligent, considered and beautifully presented Christmas album. Emma Kirkby's pure tone, keen intelligence and utterly natural musicality need no introduction - she has, after all, been delighting us all for decades now. No admirer of either baroque music or Emma Kirkby will want to miss this impeccably programmed disc. The short Böddecker piece acts as a perfect warm-up. It is gentle and pure - the ideal vehicle for Kirkby's voice. Listening to the Cantatas of Alessandro Scarlatti takes us to another, altogether more exalted world.

Arc Of Life is a band of musicians all with ties, to varying degrees, to Yes. Billed by their promoter as a supergroup, their ties to numerous progressive rock artists and bands (as well as other genres of rock) demonstrates that this label was not given frivolously. In order of fame: Jon Davison (Yes), Billy Sherwood (Yes / World Trade), Jay Schellen (Unruly Child), Dave Kerzner (Sound Of Contact) and Jimmy Haun (Air Supply / Circa). There’s a lot of intersection going on there. For example Billy Sherwood and Jimmy Haun are bandmates in the Prog band, Circa; Jay Schellen is Yes’s touring drummer, and so on.
If you enjoy classic and technical, English-style, melodic progressive rock (and similar to Yes), you will enjoy Arc Of Life's well-crafted and entertaining exploration and rendition within Don't Look Down.