Below are the text files of my contributions to my local newspaper, for which I reviewed music albums and concerts in the town. While I enjoyed writing for the paper, I sometimes found that I had to dilute my writing and speak in broader tones, as I wasn’t writing for a specialist audience. You may notice a difference between these reviews and other articles on this site.

AC/DC – ‘Black Ice’
(179 words)
The most common stocking-filler for any rock fan this Christmas was undoubtedly ‘Black Ice’, the fifteenth studio album by Scoto-Australian legends AC/DC. With a completely sold-out European tour on the horizon (every ticket for a date at Glasgow’s Hampden Park being gone within an hour) and countless features in magazines, anticipation of the band’s comeback is bordering on hysterical. However, this is before one takes into account the actual quality of the album – is it worthy of such attention? The answer is yes, and no. Tracks such as lead single ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Train’ and funk rock number ‘Money Made’ are destined to be immortalised in AC/DC’s catalogue of hits, but much of the album is typical AC/DC cannon fodder which can be a chore to listen to in longer listening sessions. It is, however, just that – typical AC/DC. Thirteen-minute epic ballads cannnot be expected from this band at this stage in their career, and that the Aussies are still capable of producing their trademark fiery sound after thirty-five years is reason enough to celebrate their return.

Alestorm – ‘Captain Morgan’s Revenge’
(195 words)
Scotland has been well-noted for its continuous musical exports, from the Bay City Rollers to Franz Ferdinand, but our latest offering comes in the form of something a little bit different. Hailing from Perth are Alestorm, a four-piece who play a combination of Scottish folk melodies and heavy metal, conveniently dubbed Scottish Pirate Metal. The ten tracks on this debut album (available now) cover a range of themes all associated with the pirate life – mainly treasure – through an epic, grandiose sound that one wouldn’t think could possibly be made by four young Scotsmen. The level of musicianship is stunning, the instrumental duels between guitarist Gavin Harper and keyboard player Christopher Bowes being particularly impressive, not to mention the rich grooves present courtesy of bassist Dani Evans and thundering drumwork of sessionist Migo Wagner. It’s certainly something different, and love it, hate it or laugh at it, it’s certainly entertaining and a breath of fresh air from the recent wave of indie bands coming from the country. Tours with established acts and slots on many international festivals should ensure Alestorm keep Scotland on the map in terms of musical produce for the foreseeable future.