Gojira never seemed like a band built for the mainstream. A cult act, yes, but in this century at least perhaps only Mastodon before them have taken a strand of metal so obviously built for the underground and dragged it kicking and screaming into the sunlight. It’s a long while since Gojira could legitimately be called a death metal band, but they’ve retained an uncompromising sense of self that has not always been the most accessible. Dense, complex and oblique, they’ve nevertheless hammered their way to the forefront of modern metal relying on quality and sheer bloody-mindedness.
Fortitude sounds like the album that could propel them the rest of the way to the top. They’re no strangers to melodies and hooks, but they’ve never crafted anything quite like this before…

In 1988, the Ohio Players attempted a comeback with Back, their first album in seven years. Though the influential band hadn't had a major hit in over a decade, their classic funk and soul recordings of the 1970s were continuing to have an impact on black music – anyone who was into hip-hop in 1988 couldn't help being bombarded with samples of "Love Rollercoaster," "Fire," and "Skin Tight." So the Players tried to beat the younger artists at their own game by going for a more high-tech production style, eliminating horns and incorporating elements of hip-hop and urban contemporary.

It was literally "highly virtuosic" when the great composers of the 18th century brought together solo soprano and clarinet trumpet in glorious praise of God. Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen is a prominent example of this. That his courtly colleagues Jan Dismas Zelenka in Dresden and Christoph Graupner in Darmstadt were just as imaginative and effective when composing for their best interpreters is demonstrated by the ensemble Harmonie Universelle with Magdalene Harer (soprano) and Hannes Rux (trumpet) in the breathtaking solo parts.

This might well be the best Funk Unit that Nils Landgren has had gathered around him since 2010: technically outstanding, this is a group of team players who combine well with a great groove connection. James Brown meets Parliament meets Crusaders meets Funk Unit: that's one way you could describe the musical concept on "Teamwork". It is pure party feeling, the notes whirl coolly through the ranks, superb horn sets alternate with ecstatic solos, dance beats, smooth vocals and strong melodies, but there is also time for elegance and heartfelt blues. "Teamwork" is all that and then some, played by a dream team of sweat-inducing funk workers with soul in their blood."I felt that Funk Unit had so much more to give," recalls team captain Landgren, whose funk formation still shows no signs of fatigue.

Not everyone will love this music. It's not jazz, it doesn't exactly swing, and it may be too in-your-face for those who prefer more delicate realms of introspection. People who hate the minimalisms of Reich and Philip Glass may find Bartsch's compositions repetitive. But anyone who is interested in muscular new sounds that seem both timeless and very contemporary should check it out.

The nine-track album pulls tracks from 2003’s Ocean Avenue (title track, “Only One”), 2006’s Lights And Sounds (“Waiting Game”), 2007’s Paper Walls (“You And Me And One Spotlight”), 2012’s Southern Air (title track, “Telescope”), 2014’s Lift A Sail (“Transmission Home”) and 2016’s Yellowcard (“Empty Street”, “A Place We Set Fire”). “It is such an honor to have worked on ‘A Hopeful Sign’ with such talented humans, and this record will be something we cherish forever,” says Ryan.

Decca releases the world-premiere recording of this epic choral work, composed and conducted by the OSCAR, Grammy and BAFTA award-winning and UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun. The monumental work, involving massed choirs, large orchestra, six percussionists and an array of soloists including indigenous singers, traditional Chinese instruments and a dancing pipa player, is the first such ‘Passion’ on a Buddhist rather than Christian narrative. Set at the foot of the Himalayas and inspired by Chinese and Sanskrit texts, the captivating and life-affirming score fuses the ancient wisdom of Buddhism with the musical tradition of JS Bach’s Passions, featuring hypnotic orchestral textures and Eastern vocal techniques. Recorded at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center Concert Hall in 2029 with Orchestre National de Lyon and International Choir Academy Lübeck, conducted by Tan Dun with eminent Chinese soloists.

The three works on this album were all composed between 1943 and 1953. Despite the extreme experiences and difficulties she faced during this undoubtedly most tragic time in Poland’s history, Grażyna Bacewicz managed to compose outstanding works which constitute splendid testimony to the vibrant creative potency for which she was renowned. Until 1939 her career as a virtuoso violinist and an emerging composer evolved naturally.

Soweto-based new indie voice, Urban Village, shares their first album "Udondolo"(Walking Stick).