How much you welcome this little thematic innovation depends very much, one would suspect, on whether you’re reading this in the Camden Underworld or The Slaughtered Lamb. If it’s the former - knock yourself out. If the latter - apologies and we promise to overdo the lutes and Eskimo whale-chanting next month.

Hard Rock is a broad church and we’ve tried to peer down as many pews as possible for this edition, but one trend has been impossible to ignore: it will depress many of you to learn that the revival of Prog Rock is well underway (Dream Theater pictured, by way of proof...).

Take heart though, Slaughtered Lamb, Rick Wakeman is not involved; no ice skating rock operas or crushed velvet loon pants here. But, in both large arenas and grass roots venues, 20-minute guitar solos are being heard again, although the sounds are fresh and the ideas are forward-looking, not retrospective. Blimey.

Lots of other good stuff this month, also. And we promise not to smell so badly of patchouli oil next time. Rock on.