Now forging ahead through their multi-album suite started with 2009's The Tide Decides, Echo Us continues to introduce intricate, evocative and new sounds for ambient rock music. Set for release March 20th 2012, Tomorrow Will Tell The Story lifts its tale from automatic writing channeled by its creator, Ethan Matthews. The voices call for light and unification- as we continuously create our own realities.

Across the album singer-songwriter Henta weaves duets of dark and light with Ethan, cascading over the harp of Raelyn Olson and meditation canticle performed by hermeticist Rawn Clark. An interview with Ethan Matthews about the creation of the album is available for viewing.

The video animation for the song Mirror In The Window brought much praise in 2011- Its mystical quality being a step outside. Ethan's music has always been unpredictable, but here the entire concept seems to come from a completely alien space-

Darwin's Radio seemed to have it all with their two excellent albums finding the band being lauded by fans and critics as the future of Prog. Whether it was the debut album Eyes Of The World and its mix of short and snappy tracks that captured the imagination, or the longer expanses of Prog to be found on its follow up Template For A Generation which rekindled a love of the epic, the Prog world held its breath to see what the band would do next. Well after a brief sojourn with Jem Godfrey's Frost*, the answer was that singer and guitarist Dec Burke would leave the band, resulting in them going into hibernation. Now having just released his second excellent solo album in just over two years - Paradigms & Storylines, Dec spoke with Sea of Tranquility's Steven Reid to look both forward and back...

Moribund have done it again and discovered another atramentous gem in the underground in the form of Pennsylvania's Pact. Taking traditional black metal and warping it to their own design, Pact's knowledge of the occult, literature, and philosophy forms the foundation for their own golden dawn. Comprised of guitarist Wretch, vocalist Hag and T on drums, the six-year old band describes its music as being "driven by the forces of chaos and death." Having all played in previous extreme metal outfits, sometimes with each other and sometimes apart, the three musicians "throw [their combined tastes] all into the melting pot with a black metal score ultimately in mind" to create the "trance-inducing yet brutal and intense black metal" that is their debut, The Dragon Lineage of Satan, a work they refer to as "a monument of individual empowerment and exaltation."

Flying Colors, the spectacular new virtuoso prog/pop/rock band, featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and guitarist Steve Morse (Deep Purple), will release their eponymous debut album in the UK on Monday March 26th, followed by a US release on Tuesday March 27th.

Since turning professional at the age of 17 Nils Lofgren has enjoyed a lengthy career that has encompassed solo artist, band leader and stints as a member of Crazy Horse, Ringo's All Starr's and the E Street Band. Nils joined the latter when he replaced Steve Van Zandt for the mammoth Born In The USA tour during the mid-1980's and he remains a member to this day. 2011 saw the release of his latest solo album Old School that we described as being "a journey of anger, grief, purpose and quiet contemplation". As a long time admirer of Lofgren's work, Sea of Tranquility's Dean Pedley was delighted to have the opportunity to speak with him about Old School, memories of Clarence Clemons and the upcoming E Street Band tour.

Comprising four aficionados of the extreme metal scene – The Konsortium/Mayhem guitarist Teloch, Nuclear Assault/Brutal Truth bassist Dan Lilker, seasoned vocalist Espen Tørressen Hangård, and The Black/Vinterland's Andreas Jonsson on drums – born out of a heavy night's drinking and named after a computer folder, NunFuckRitual's debut In Bondage To The Serpent was unleashed in October 2011 to much appraisal. Here, Teloch talks to Jason Guest about the writing, recording and production of In Bondage To The Serpent, working around the individual member's schedules and their physical distance, the theme across the album, and the overall aesthetic.

An eleventh hour decision to make the journey down to London for what was billed as Cathedral's 'Last Ever Performance' was one I can say I did not regret for a single second.

As the title suggests there was no support band just two sets of prime Norwegian metal to feast upon the ears. Giving fans the final vote as to which album they would like to hear in its entirety, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant came out on top so the gig began with "Mourning Palace" amid a sea of red light and smoke.

Another packed crowd at Birmingham's LG Arena welcomed back Status Quo for the bands annual December visit. In a bill that also included local veteran rock and roller Roy Wood (The Move, ELO, Wizzard), Quo delivered ninety minutes of their trademark boogie shuffle and even added a couple of festive tunes to the obligatory encore. SoT's Dean Pedley reports from Birmingham on what was dubbed Quofestive 2011.

Damnation Festival is certainly becoming an annual highlight in the 'Metal Calendar'. With numerous bands both established and up and coming descending on Leeds University Campus for a day of brutal, melodic, folk, and whatever other genre of metal you can come up with over three stages crammed into one day.