New Joke Vinyl & CDs

Review: Swedish multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer Gildenlow is a veteran of the nation's progressive hard rock and metal scene. His track record charts formative years with bands such as Pain Of Salvation, Neal Morse and Kayak, but more recent years have heard him move into increasingly solo, daimonic and personally-expressive directions. Empty is his latest masterpiece; a haunting album of loss, heartbreak, existentialism and grief, centring on the concept of walking wounded, whether in the abstract or concrete. Spoken word segments and softer downturns provide ample contrast, without which the albums more gushing moments, such as 'Down We Go', would not hit as hard.