A Crippled Black Phoenix album is always difficult to approach. The issue is you never get the same line up twice, apart from the ever-constant Justin Greaves.

This means albums ranged from some of my all-time favourites (I, Vigilante) to those that are just OK (Bronze)   

It’s a big old album of over 90 minutes with only 13 songs but it appears Banefyre is in the former category.

The opening track, Incantation for the Different, should immediately put off the casual listener consisting of a monologue about witches and Satan!

Ghostland with its ominous chanting and slow drumbeats sounds downright pagan and likely to summon the dead which I guess is the point  

The slow burning epic Blackout77 shows the best of Crippled Black Phoenix - full of brooding atmosphere, samples and pummeling drums.

Even the fairground organ from the earliest albums makes a brief return.

With three tracks exceeding 10 minutes there is plenty of time to indulge instrumentally and whilst sonically different, the shadow of Pink Floyd still hovers as large as it has ever done over this band. 

Put aside some time and indulge yourself in one of their best albums.

 And so we come to Still, the third album from Bryde – 9 meditations on the nature of love (and an epilogue).

First impressions are the album is less immediate than its predecessors, more downbeat and contemplative. The rock element has been decidedly turned down. 

Further listens reveal more lyrically, especially with some headphones and no distractions – Perhaps love has not always been Sarah’s greatest companion.

There are some great songs to be found - The propulsive Still (shadow) is probably one of my favourite Bryde songs already and the woozy dream like State We’re In (self) is another highlight.

This is an album that will probably get better and better with repeated listens.

I must also mention the artwork for the cover which is fantastic