By Maxazine South Africa 
Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review. This ensures that too many albums are left behind, and that’s a shame. That is why today, we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
Yngwie Malmsteen – Tokyo Live
Yngwie Malmsteen needs no introduction, of course. This Swedish guitar virtuoso celebrates his career, spanning more than 40 years, with this live DVD/double-CD package that Music Theories Records will release on April 25. We’re already being teased with the first video from “Tokyo Live,” the song “Top Down, Foot Down,” which comes from the album “World On Fire” released in 2016. The concert was recorded in Japa,n where he played at the Zepp DiverCity Tokyo on May 11, 2024, as part of his “40th anniversary World Tour.” A smart choice since this eccentric Swede is still immensely popular there and draws packed venues. Something he no longer manages on the European continent, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where audiences are somewhat more critical. His oeuvre now includes 22 solo albums and, with this “Tokyo Live” added, 5 live albums. Not to mention the albums he played on as a youngster with bands including Steeler and Alcatrazz, or where he contributed as a guest musician. The songs performed are a combination of old and new work plus “Hiroshima Mon Amour” from Alcatrazz, some interpretations of classical compositions, and a cover of Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water.” The band of his great example Ritchie Blackmore. As expected, Yngwie’s guitar is prominently mixed forward at the expense of the vocals and other instruments. As far as I’m concerned, this live DVD/CD package is a superfluous release which only pleases the die-hard fans. (Ad Keepers) (6/10) (Music Theories Recordings)
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
Bon Iver is back after six years of absence with “SABLE, fABLE,” a double album that is both an inward journey and a plea for life. From stripped-down soundscapes to shimmering soulful jazz, Vernon finds support from Jacob Collier, Dijon, and Danielle Haim, among others. With the single “There’s A Rhythm,” the album sounds most true to itself – a vulnerable mirror for miles to travel before you’ve moved another inch as a human. Vernon’s voice is vulnerable and powerful as he takes the listener on an inner search. Surrounded by songs like “Everything Is Peaceful Love” and “Walk Home,” about the liberating nature of connecting with others, “SABLE, fABLE” is an album from someone who knows how to say it, from someone who has a sense for its poetry, and from someone who is a blending part of a greater whole. A testimony to Vernon’s artistic maturity and his ability to embrace both sharpness and gentleness in a thoughtful narrative about transformation and healing. Small but penetrating, Bon Iver at his best. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (8/10) (Jagjaguwar)
Herman Rarebell & Friends – What About Love?
The now 75-year-old Herman “The German” Rarebell releases an album with his friends featuring songs from the period he has the best memories of and, according to him and many others, when the best music was made. 12 pop/rock, hard/rock songs that are faithfully reproduced. All songs are well-known and we’ve heard them millions of times. The band Herman has been part of for almost his entire life, Scorpions, is represented with two songs, as is Heart. There’s quite a bit to criticize about this album of covers. First, the fact that all songs are played almost identically to the original version. Don’t expect any surprises or musical twists. The second point of criticism is that some songs are too ambitious for some of his friends. Michael Voss is no Lou Gramm, and the songs from Heart and Pat Benatar are vocally of a much lower level than the original versions. To use a metaphor, the songs are now sung by 2 mice instead of a lion. The female vocals lack “balls.” Furthermore, Herman should do his homework better because “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” dates from 1975. Although Joan Jett covered this song in the early ’80s, strictly speaking, this song doesn’t belong on a homage to songs from the 80s. The best track is “Sweet Child Of Mine” because it’s the only song that differs from the original version by Guns ‘n’ Roses. It’s been transformed into a tasteful acoustic version. “What About Love?” is an album that’s easy listening but adds nothing to the original songs. I prefer listening to the original versions. (Ad Keepers) (5/10) (Metalville)
Salif Keita – So Kono
Eight years after his supposed farewell album “Un Autre Blanc,” legendary Malian Salif Keita (75) returns with a surprisingly intimate album. “So Kono” (“in the room” in Mandinka) presents the golden voice of Africa in its most vulnerable form: accompanied only by his guitar, Badié Tounkara’s ngoni, and Mamadou Koné’s gentle percussion. Recorded in a hotel room in Kyoto during the Kyotophonie Festival, this collection radiates tranquility. The simple arrangements allow Keita’s voice – enriched by the years – to shine fully. The album mixes reimagined classics with new songs, all steeped in the timeless wisdom of West African music but without embellishment. What remains is pure emotion, music that’s understood across all boundaries. “So Kono” contains no dance hits but is a quiet document of a master who, instead of saying goodbye, takes us deeper than ever into his musical world. (Jan Vranken) (8/10) (No Format)
SYML – Nobody Lives Here
After two years of silence following “The Day My Father Died,” SYML once again delves into the depths of human existence with “Nobody Lives Here.” An album that breathes like an intimate confession, whispered in the early hours when the world sleeps. The production, under the capable hands of Brian Eichelberger, opts for a more direct approach that places the emotional intimacy of SYML’s voice in the foreground. With “Careful,” it seems as if singer Brian Fennell is sitting beside you, his voice a soft but inescapable presence in the room. The eleven tracks unfold like a carefully compiled collection of letters, with “Please Slow Down” and “Wake” as highlights that weave the characteristic melancholy and hope into a sonic tapestry of rare beauty. This is an album that reveals new layers with each listen. Comparing it with its predecessor would do both works an injustice – this is not an attempt to match but a natural evolution of SYML’s artistic voice. “Nobody Lives Here” is a work that slowly nestles into your consciousness, like a memory that becomes clearer with time. A very beautiful album. (Jan Vranken) (8/10) (Nettwerk Music Group)
Norman van den Wildenberg 
Jeroen Schortemeijer