The magnificent second album from Halifax’s post-rockers L.O.E is a tale of turning adversity into triumph, because when facing uncertainty, doubt and pain, sometimes the best thing to do is plug in, crank it up, and get lost in the music. But does Chiaroscuro mark the height of their powers or is their room to grow? We caught up with the band to find out.

A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most

F OR much of her career, Alice Coltrane ...

Had Robin Holloway published Music’s Odyssey—described by its author as “an invitation to the glorious long voyage of Western classical music”—30 years ago, he might well have got away with it. By day

Joyce DiDonato (mezzo), Time for Three Platoon PLAT29101 65:05 mins Is it a song cycle? An opera? Musical theatre? Kevin Puts’s new work Emily – No Prisoner Be, based on texts by Emily Dickinson, is a

Recorded at Edward Van Halen’s fabled 5150 Studio, the latest album from Alter Bridge could very well be their most riff-laden to date