Ultan’s single, "The Tempest," erupts not so much into the room as it does through the floorboards, dragging with it the scent of wet wool and imminent confrontation. This Dublin solo musician, a cartographer of past agonies, presents an energetic rock piece that feels less like a song about history and more like a fragment of it, throbbing and urgent. The main riff careers...

Headmaster recently delivered "Seasons Autumn Vol. 2", the expansive second act of his ambitious four-part tetralogy exploring the cyclical, heavy machinery of human existence. You genuinely have to marvel at the real-world context grounding this record. The London-based multi-instrumentalist happens to be the actual CEO and Executive Headteacher Designate of the Hertswood Academy Trust. He channels his meticulous craft into this dynamic, thundering soundscape,...