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 we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors today, with short reviews.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
Tragik – Propaganda Elite
Lack of inspiration cannot be attributed to the American hard rock band Tragik, or rather to all-rounder and multi-instrumentalist Phil Vincent. With an average of approximately 1 album per year, he has been releasing albums since 2007 that all reach a high standard. On “Propaganda Elite” he is once again assisted by drummer Dirk Phillips and bassist Damian D’Ercole. British guitarist Vince O’Regan can also be heard on this album again as a regular guest musician and is responsible for the recognisable fiery lead guitar solos. All remaining instruments are played by musical workhorse Phil Vincent himself. In addition, he wrote all the songs and is responsible for the excellent sound of the album, which he produced and mixed. Opening track “Bushwacked” may come as quite a shock to fans because of its fiery, almost metal-like pace, but the rest of the album has the well-known Phil Vincent signature. The best track is the more than eight-minute-long “Ego Trip”, in which you can hear everything Tragik stands for. The album also includes a cover version, namely “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. (Ad Keepers) (8/10) (Rock Company)
FLO – Therapy At The Club
British R&B trio FLO release their second studio album with “Therapy At The Club”, and that title is exactly what it promises: sixteen songs that take you through the night from anticipation to the morning hangover. Together with, among others, Amy Allen, Steph Jones and Julian Bunetta, Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer and Stella Quaresma wrote an album that brings together desire, heartbreak and self-confidence in dreamy, dark R&B sounds. Opening single “Leak It” is a confident pop banger that refers to the girl groups the trio grew up with, while the title track “Therapy At The Club”, accompanied by piano, reveals a more vulnerable side behind the bravado of the dance floor. Songs such as “Don’t Break Her Heart” keep the energy high without letting go of the album’s emotional thread. FLO effortlessly combines the swagger of a night out with the honesty of a diary, and that contrast keeps the whole album surprisingly cohesive. “Therapy At The Club” confirms that the group have now found their own sound within contemporary R&B. (Tobias Braun) (7/10) (Republic Records / EMI)
Haken – in a fever dream
Haken’s new EP is called “in a fever dream” (using lower-case letters). It opens calmly, but naturally a number of metal elements follow. The different layers are well distributed across the headset. It seems to come to an end, but it transitions into a minimalist passage. You can hear the emotion in the vocals, and later in the growls. In “delirium” there are alienating elements and sounds in the music, while the vocals sometimes sound distorted. You can feel the struggle of being trapped inside a delirium… impressive. The staccato, distorted vocals in “eclipsed by you” continue for quite a long time, but they suit the strange feeling of fever dreams. In “bleeding sky” it feels as though you are suspended between being awake and asleep. There is an interplay between positive and negative in both the vocals and the music. The transition from sampled sounds to whistling birds is remarkable. The main character in “lotus” sometimes sounds fragile, while at other moments powerful. Several lines are growled. This is followed by a minimalist section with piano sounds. The ‘choral vocals’ add something extra. The build-up towards the ending is remarkable. Afterwards, I let this conceptual EP sink in for a while. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (8/10) (InsideOutMusic)
The Sweet – Live At The Capitol (Hanover 1991)
(The) Sweet are giving us an insight into their past by releasing live material that had remained on the shelf but is certainly worth releasing. We were previously surprised by the album “Sweet Fanny Adams Revisited”, featuring polished-up recordings from the hard-to-find live album from 2012. On this album we go even further back in time. Twenty years, to be precise. The recordings on this album date from 1991 and present a band desperately trying to shake off their glam rock image, while at the same time still reaching back to the glam rock glory days of the early 1970s. As a result, the track selection is somewhat uneven. The album mainly consists of solid hard rock songs, but hits such as “Fox On The Run” and “Ballroom Blitz” are also included, although they are performed more heavily than the original 1970s versions. That is hardly surprising with band members who previously played in bands such as Lionheart and Michael Schenker Group. This reissue also leaves me with a very big smile. (Ad Keepers) (8/10) (Metalville)
The Hu – Hun
With their debut album “The Gereg”, The Hu immediately established themselves on the international stage in 2019. The Mongolian band successfully combined traditional instruments, distinctive throat singing and modern metal in a convincing way. That remarkable blend also brought the group to larger stages outside Mongolia. Follow-up album “Rumble of Thunder” built on that success. Much of the surprise of the debut had disappeared, but the band had grown in both composition and performance. With “Hun”, The Hu continue that development convincingly. The group remain true to their cultural roots while carefully weaving influences from Western metal into their own sound. It is precisely that balance that makes the band stand out within the genre. “Hun” places a strong focus on Mongolian history, the ancestors, and the centuries-old bond with horses and horsemen. Songs such as “Echoes of My Father” and “Horsemen” reflect this. The authentic instrumentation and vocals in their native language give the compositions a distinctive character, with the emotion effortlessly transcending the language barrier. The Hu are still developing and continue refining a recognisable sound of their own without denying their cultural identity. With “Hun”, The Hu prove that they are a band you certainly should not miss, especially live. (Bart van de Sande) (8/10) (Better Noise)
