Loma Vista Vinyl & CDs

Review: Common and Pete Rock are two towering behemoths in the hip-hop world. Rock is best known for his instinctive and distinctive beat making style and for plenty of seminal tunes which showcase that, while Common is the next level lyricist, rapper and iconic freestyler who paints vivid pictures with his words. The Auditorium Vol 1 is a remarkable coming together of the two which arrives on limited edition coloured vinyl across four sides of wax. The groundbreaking collab blends all their considerable skills into a record that draws on the golden era but also shows a new future for the genre. It's richly layered and hugely rewarding, as you would expect.

Review: Denzel Curry returns with 'King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2,' embodying his alter ego "Big Ultra" in a long-awaited homage to the South's hip-hop heritage. The album blends 90s-inspired beats reminiscent of Memphis legends like Three 6 Mafia, infused with Curry's creative spontaneity and rap power. Departing from his concept-driven albums, this sequel to his 2012 mixtape reconciles his career journey and past relationships. The project features an impressive lineup including fellow Southern rappers Ski Mask The Slump God, Juicy J, and Maxo Kream, alongside non-Southern guests like A$AP Ferg and Ty Dolla $ign. Lead single 'Hot One' ft. TiaCorine and A$AP Ferg shows Curry's big, booming Southern sound, promising an album that celebrates and evolves the regional musical legacy with modern flair.

Review: Opening out with a distorted, but, of course, still recognisable, sample of Jeremy Steig's 'Howlin' for Judy', 'King of The Mischievous South Vol.2' is boldly repping the sound of 90s hip-hop, pulling references from the Beastie Boys (who also famously chopped up the aforementioned Steig flute for 'Sure Shot') and Three6Mafia. Here, we see Curry embody his alter ego Big Ultra in full effect, the head honcho of Ultraground. What to expect? Hardcore flows on full violence, as well as the inclusion of the legend Kingpin Skinny Pimp throughout - one of Three6Mafia's most underrated affiliates, though a host of behind-the-scenes drama got in the way after his mega influential 'King of Da Playaz Ball' album broke the mould. There are also features from 2 Chainz and Juicy J to name a couple - it's a stacked lineup. The LP dips its toes into a host of different genres, even pulling from the recent Brazilian phonk explosion on 'Lunatic Interlude', which is followed by the hard-hitting 'Sked' - a bass-laden cut with a slick Kenny Mason verse over blaring 808s that evoke Playboi Carti and his contemporaries that are pushing boundaries, and speakers, to their limits. He even breaks out a smoother singing passage on 'COLE PIMP', evoking the Outkast-era Atlanta scene that continues to influence all your favourite rappers to this day. Curry is flexing his versatility, as well as his importance in the rap canon as a name to know.

Review: Denzel Curry returns with King of the Mischievous South Vol 2 and in doing so he embraces his "Big Ultra" persona in what is, for fans, an eagerly awaited release. The album combines Southern hip-hop sounds with 90s-inspired beats while drawing influence from Memphis rap styles and iconic groups like Three 6 Mafia. This record shifts away from his usual concept-driven approach to showcase his rap skills and creative spontaneity while reflecting on his own career and mending past relationships. With its blend of nostalgic beats and personal introspection, King of the Mischievous South Vol 2 shows Curry's evolution and versatility.

Review: Phantomimea arrives through Loma Vista Recordings and is a brilliant new five-track cover EP from Ghost. Each and every tune is epic in its own way with material by Television, Genesis, The Stranglers, Iron Maiden and Tina Turner all chewed up and sat out in their own inimitable way. Though some of these sources are rather unlikely given Ghost's style they are all reworked with great respect. Ghost is in a great run of form having just won Best Rock Album of the Year at the iHeart Radio Music Awards, which itself came off last year's international chart-topping success Impera.

Review: Swedish theatrical death-rock icons in the making, Ghost, dropped one of the most ludicrously entertaining metal releases of 2022 with, 'Impera'. Now, while initially released in 2019, Tobias Forge (Papa Nihil during this incarnation) and his horde of nameless ghouls, have opted to re-distribute their excellent (and brilliantly titled), 'Seven Inches of Satanic Panic', EP. Credited as "two special tracks from the 1969 archives", even though the group formed in 2006; both the anthemic crunch of, 'Kiss the Go-Goat', and fan favourite, 'Mary On A Cross', have become essential staples of the Ghost banner, while the project served as a much-needed building block and source of replenishment following 2018's Prequelle.

Review: Taking its name from the 2022 record, Requiem, Korn return one year on from their last LP, finished during the pandemic then held on to until people stopped banging on about viruses and vaccines as much, Requiem Mass is a recording of the band's livestream event from Hollywood's United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. A focal point of which was 'Worst Is On Its Way', arguably the fan favourite track from the most recent studio effort.

Those who were watching, or have seen subsequently, will remember the performance well. That moody, candlelit stage, orchestra set in the backdrop with metal titans front and centre. You might not necessarily see that here, because this is an EP not a visual product. But the sense of atmosphere and listening to one of dark rock's most impressive outfits in full flow is unmistakable.

Review: The Valley Of Vision is the latest project by Manchester Orchestra and one that proves they are focused on making music that has a lasting impact. It comes backed with a virtual reality film that immerses you further into their music and deals in broody ambient, indie and cinematic atmospheres. This is a brave project but one this band has pulled off with real aplomb as they put aside their tried and tested instruments and guitar-driven signature sounds to cook up music that goes way beyond what came before and is laden in textural synth craft.

Review: Following on from last year's excellent statement of intent, 'Nowhere Generation', Chicago natives and melodic hardcore heroes Rise Against return with the companion, sister EP, 'Nowhere Generation II'. Composed of 5 new cuts originally written/recorded during the album process, the band opted to split the 16 full songs into separate volumes, in order to give listeners an opportunity to fully digest the overarching themes of alienation and everlasting political corruption that have become ceaselessly commonplace. Anthemic, ferocious, emotive and cathartic in equal measure, this follow-up continues the momentous energy of its predecessor while putting a definitive full stop on the 'Nowhere Generation' era. Lead single, 'Last Man Standing', is also one of the most vital contributions to their own expansive canon the group have dropped in well over a decade.

Review: Before recording As Above So Below, her second album, Sampa Tembo decided to move back to her native Zambia after years spent living in Australia. Reconnected with her cultural roots, she set about making an album that brilliantly blends hip-hop and 21st century electronics with native Zambian musical forms and hat-tips to psych, blues and folk. It would be fair to say that it works - and then some - with her chosen lyrical themes and an impressive array of guests (Kojey radikal, Chef 187, Witch, Denzel Curry and Joey Bada$$ included) further enhancing the offering. It sounds and feels like a genuinely landmark album - something that creates something genuinely new and fresh out of disparate musical cultures. In other words, it's a triumph.

Review: Sophie Allison returns to the release schedule to follow up her 2018 debut, "Clean", with an album that asks us to consider what is meant by words such as resilience, the nature of finding redemption for oneself and the importance of refocusing as an act of catharsis. It's also packed with the kind of catchy songs that make you want to hit repeat. Musically it's less fraught school run, and more lackadaisical light-footed indie rock that oozes a reflective cool. Timeless stuff, you might say, which calls to mind the likes of Sheryl Crow and other songwriting titans that managed to pluck subtle details of country, blues and pop to create something that's powerful but delicate without being twee. Songs about love that aren't gushing Hallmark romance, tracks about life that avoid the cliches while still ringing true for all in earshot.

Review: 'No Rules Sandy' is the latest indie pop calculation by Sylvan Esso, the duo consisting of Amelia Randali Meath and Nick Sanborn. With echoes of indie future garage production, mixed in with ostensibly fun, party-pop vocals and a lo-fi sensibility, fans are correct to make comparisons to the likes of Stereolab, Jamie xx or Bloc Party. The twist is that it's a post-lockdown album; tracks like 'Didn't Care' and 'Echo Party' channel the essence of post-quarantine rebellion and disaffection, with club-ready structures nearly always glued together by analogue-sounding fuzzes.