_{We’ve got to that point of the year where there seems to be an over-powering urge to list our favourite albums from the past 12 months and rave about how many gigs we’ve been to and which were the best. To be honest, I tend not to read other people’s lists or reviews and I’m not going to be presumptuous enough to think you want to read mine! If you’ve started reading this to find out my top ten anything then you have my apologies! What you do have are my brief reflections on the past year and a few words of thanks.}

_{Symphonic metal is one of those rock genres that I sometimes struggle with; however I found enough to like in the latest album from Italian band Rhapsody of Fire to warrant putting pen to paper / fingers to keyboard. “Into The Legend” is released through AFM Records on 15th January. The album’s title track is the lead-off single and a video was released for it in November. “Into The Legend” is included on the Friday NI Rocks Show broadcast on 1st January.}