The violin is Penderecki’s own instrument (he studied it during his youth), it can therefore be argued that he has a special relationship with the instrument, perhaps it was this relationship that was the spark of inspiration that led to him writing the Concerto after he and Anne-Sophie Mutter performed the Violin Concerto No. 1 of Prokofiev together in 1988, with the resulting Concerto described as creating an “impression of a vast labyrinth” in the booklet notes.

Little is known about Léonin beyond the fact that he seems to have had a bent for composing erotic poetry. The somewhat unhelpfully named 'Anonymous IV', a monk from Bury St Edmunds, tells us of two 'masters'—Leoninus and Perotinus—who dominated the twelfth-century musical world. Both were reputedly based at Notre Dame in Paris, and Leoninus was responsible for the Magnus liber organi, the 'Big Book of organum' (an organum being a polyphonic setting of plainchant), which is widely regarded as the single greatest achievement in the development of early polyphony.

Queen were straining at the boundaries of hard rock and heavy metal on Sheer Heart Attack, but they broke down all the barricades on A Night at the Opera, a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece. Using the multi-layered guitars of its predecessor as a foundation, A Night at the Opera encompasses metal ("Death on Two Legs," "Sweet Lady"), pop (the lovely, shimmering "You're My Best Friend"), campy British music hall ("Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous"), and mystical prog rock ("'39," "The Prophet's Song"), eventually bringing it all together on the pseudo-operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody." In short, it's a lot like Queen's own version of Led Zeppelin IV, but where Zep find dark menace in bombast, Queen celebrate their own pomposity.

April Moon is the second studio album by the English female singer-songwriter Sam Brown. It was originally released in 1990, on the label A&M. The album was produced by Sam Brown, and her brother Pete Brown. On release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. Brown's last commercially successful solo album, it went on to peak at #38 on the UK Albums Chart and reached #30 on the Australian ARIA Charts. The album launched three charting singles in the UK. "With a Little Love" peaked at #44 on the UK Singles Chart; "Kissing Gate" at #23; "Mindworks" at #77. Then-Pink Floyd member David Gilmour sang backing vocals on the track "Troubled Soul" (he had also appeared on Brown's debut album, Stop!, in 1988).

Since their formation in Mechelen, Belgium at the dawn of 2008, Marche Funèbre have carved their own indelible mark into the annals of heavy music. Originally inspired by the renowned triumvirate of Peaceville bands - My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and Anathema - Marche Funèbre have long since shaped those influences into a sound that is all their own, a unique distillation of melancholy, atmosphere, beauty and soul crushing heaviness. With revered albums like 2017s "Into The Arms Of Darkness" and 2020s "Einderlicht" they have risen to a place of prominence within the mournful ranks of doom metal’s elite - and still their creative star continues to rise. With a new deal in place with Ardua Music, Marche Funèbre are ready to unveil their fifth full length album, After The Storm - the most impactful and emotive set of songs to bear their name…

Ten on One (The Singles) is the first Greatest Hits album from German singer Sandra, released in 1987. Two singles were released for this compilation. This compilation includes songs from Sandra's debut studio album The Long Play (1985) and her second studio album Mirrors (1986). It was produced by Michael Cretu and Armand Volker. Sandra Ann Lauer, commonly known under her stage name Sandra, is a German pop singer who enjoyed a mainstream popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s with a string of European hit singles, produced by her then-husband and musical partner, Michael Cretu, most notably "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" (1985), "In the Heat of the Night" (1985), "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Secret Land" (1988), "Hiroshima" (1990) and "Don't Be Aggressive" (1992). Her albums Into a Secret Land (1988) and Close to Seven (1992) have won Sandra high critical acclaim.

Men Without Hats broke big with their 1982 debut, Rhythm of Youth. Though they never maintained that level of success, their third album Pop Goes the World was a smart, well-crafted, woefully underrated offering. The album chronicles the quest for and backlash of fame on songs like the title track, on which Ivan sings "Johnny and Jenny had a crazy dream/See their pictures in a magazine." Perhaps it was a way of dealing with the band's sudden success/failure, particularly on "Lose My Way" and "The Real World.." Thankfully, a wild sense of humor and a heartbreaking poignancy keeps the album from becoming too serious. Additionally, each song is vastly different: there are some lullabies ("Moonbeam"), some anthems ("Jenny Wore Black"), and some dirges ("Bright Side of the Sun" - which is criminally short, adding to its power)…

Sanctified, indeed - and just the kind of record to show why Slide Hampton was unlike any of his trombone-playing contemporaries! The set's got a tightness and punch that's really unique - not the compact quality of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, but also not the hardbop of Curtis Fuller either - instead king of a rousing approach to jazz trombone that really makes Hampton the kind of the soul jazz approach to the instrument! Slide's working here with a cool octet that has the focus of a group half their size - a really well-chosen lineup of young, hip players that includes George Coleman on tenor sax, Hobart Dotson and Richard Williams on trumpets, Larry Ridley on bass, and additional trombone from a y oung Charles Greenlee!

ProtoU & Oljus join forces on this Viking inspired dark ambient album. Ritual drumming and deep drone echo through dark forest and underground caves.
Welcome to the heart of the Nordic forests, where the rustling of leaves and the cool breeze fill your senses. You breathe in the rich, earthy scent of pine, as you survey the towering trees that surround you. The night sky is a deep, velvet black, punctuated by the glimmering of stars. They cast a soft, ethereal light on the clearing, as if observing the mysterious events about to unfold. The forest is alive with the sound of chanting, a distant hum, growing louder and more intense as it approaches. Drums join in and reverberate through your chest. You watch, mesmerized, as the elders perform the ritual, their movements fluid and otherworldly…