Loma Vista Vinyl & CDs

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: '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.