Welcome
There’s a battle raging in the pages of this issue. On the side of good there’s our regular pièce-de-résistance, the Group Test, a cluster of top-notch MC cartridges. Allied to this you’ll find our roundup of 22 of the most promising new albums coming your way in the first quarter of 2022 including Alicia Keys, The Cure and Guns N’ Roses. On the side of evil, and threatening to undo all this anticipated enjoyment, is a very real danger in the ominous guise of a breakdown in vinyl production. As detailed in Nigel Williamson’s Opinion (p89), a dastardly confederation of COVID, Brexit and climate change are conspiring to bring the manufacture, supply and distribution of our vinyl to its knees. It’s a drama that will keep you on the edge of your…