On 9 July, Johannesburg’s guitar community gathered at Sognage for a night to remember with one of prog fusion’s most compelling voices. While billed as a guitar clinic, Gardiner’s appearance proved to be far more than a technical workshop—it felt like an interactive, intimate gig of sorts and was an insightful exploration of musicianship, creativity, and … Read more
If you’re a fan of nu-metal and think back fondly to the days when those sounds were crawling in your skin and downloading the shockwaves to your brain, then I sure hope you were rocking out with us in Potchefstroom over the weekend.. If not, you definitely missed out! Here’s a breakdown of what was … Read more
It feels like just the other day when I first saw Man as Machine at Oppikoppi Odyssey, when I was blown away by their tight performance and sensational songwriting. More than a decade later and eleven years since we’ve received a full album release from these rock ‘n roll legends, it pleases me; nay, it … Read more
It’s been a while since I’ve ventured into the dungeons and treated myself to some good ol’ psychedelia and doom. So, this is exactly what I did! Last Friday night at Sognage Room 2, Mad God finally released their third album, An Age of Ash, in front of an eager crowd of warlocks, witches, and … Read more
Twelve years after they emerged from the void, Mad God is back with a whole new level of doom-drenched, lysergic sludge. Their music has served as a soundtrack for ancient forgotten forces and has appeased the eldritch entities of old, lifting the veil for their sonic summonings to resonate throughout the realms. Tim Harbour (vocals/guitar), … Read more
Event Review – 29 Nov 2025 Once every Sun cycle or so there comes a day that brings pandemonium, causing the very earth to shift and primordial beasts to awaken from their sleep. These events are known as the Dawn of the Titans and the fourth of these occurrences has just transpired, as November neared … Read more
RAMFest has always catered for more of the alternative crowd, but by combining RAMFest with the residual radiation still residing from recent Halloween celebrations, RAMFest felt more accessible than ever this year. I attended Pretoria’s event, hosted at the outdoor fields of Heartfelt Arena. As a sold-out event, it drew a dedicated crowd eager to … Read more
Radiating sounds from Cape Town’s core, Heartmachine has recently released their first EP, Becoming – dropping heavy riffage and emotive breakdowns throughout the record, this is definitely worth checking out. Heartmachine formed in 2024 and even though this may be a fresh collective, the band consists of talented musicians with experience in the scene. Fronted … Read more
Word has it that from the sweltering pits of underground music, heavy metal maidens Kittie have heaved out a relic that remembers and resonates riffs of historic savagery. Spit XXV, a four-track EP forged to honour the 25 year anniversary of their gold-plated debut crusher, Spit. This beast rages with re-forged anthems—”Brackish,” “Charlotte,” “Do You … Read more
Born in 1998 as Antti-Pekka Meronen’s solo ritual, Relicon started as a one-man vision; crafting all hymns and instruments in isolation. After years of skilful honing and devotion, he unleashed two demos in 2002 and 2003, respectively. By 2005 the project had morphed into a five-piece, dropping a third demo and rampaging through live performances. … Read more