Monthly Archives: February 2013

Gig review: VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS – RNCM,Manchester,23 February 2013

Virgil & The Accelerators - Manchester, 23 February 2013

RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) was rather a strange venue for what could potentially be a lively gig. While the sound was excellent and the lighting was perfectly acceptable the layout was for a theatre and an all seated … Continue reading

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Album review: MIND THE GAEP – Get Ready For Tonight

        Leo Skull  [Release date 23.03.13] Mind The Gaep is a powerful hard rock band with metal pretension, but it’s their softer underbelly that more accurately reflects their true calling. Scratch below the stunt guitar parts and … Continue reading

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Album review: THE PETER ULRICH COLLABORATION – The Painted Caravan

The Peter Ulrich Collaboration - The Painted Caravan

Market Square Records [Release date 11.03.13] www.marketsquarerecords.co.uk There is a certain ethereal quality in this album, an eclectic mix for sure from the percussionist Peter Ulrich who featured in cult bands Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil. If Ulrich’s … Continue reading

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Album Review: TIR NA NOG – Strong In The Sun

a tear and smile

Esoteric Recordings Kicking off with a rigorous, up-tempo take on Nick Drake’s ‘Free Ride’, Irish multi-instrumentalist duo, Leo O’Kelly and Sonny Condell (augmented by producer Procul Harum’s Matthew Fisher on keyboards amongst others) embark on their most ambitious work, segueing … Continue reading

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Album Review – THE KISS THAT TOOK A TRIP – How The Mighty Have Fallen

    Cheap And Pretentious ( Release date – Out now) Music comes in many forms and I like to think I have an open mind when listening to something new for the first time, hence the reason I got … Continue reading

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Album review: TRIGGERFINGER – All This Dancin’ Around

Dramatico www.triggerfinger.net Released April 15th       Three piece band from Belgium featuring guitarist/vocalsit Ruben Block, drummer Mario Goossens and bass player Paul Van Bruystegem (aka Monsieur Paul). The album was produced by Greg Gordon in the famous Sound … Continue reading

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Album review: CLIMAX BLUES BAND – Drastic Steps

      Repertoire Records [Re-issue 2013] Arguably one of the best albums of Climax Blues Band’s later FM rock career, ‘Drastic Steps’ is an overlooked gem and a prime example of being in the right place at the wrong … Continue reading

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Gig review: UFO – Oxford Academy, 24 February 2013

UFO - Oxford, 24 February 2013

Never the most prolific of touring acts, when UFO announced a full tour less than a year after their last one, it was a no brainer to go, even if a clash with the London date sent me 60 miles … Continue reading

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Gig Review: SNAKECHARMER, Islington Assembly Hall, 23 February 2013

Snakecharmer - London, 23 February 2013

Here’s a turn up for the books. When Snakecharmer first formed as Monsters of British Rock there was some cynicism at the latest version of ex- Whitesnake members Micky Moody and Neil Murray once again reliving the days of what … Continue reading

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Album review: JADE VINE – Nothing Can Hide From Light

(Self-released: 7.1.13) There is an old adage that states that you should never judge a book by the cover. I think another maxim should be never judge an album by its first track. ‘Last Day Of Apathy’, the opening track … Continue reading

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Album review: KING KING – Standing In The Shadows

        Manhaton Records [Release date 25.03.13] The award winning King King’s second album isn’t so much a problematical second album as a honing of their style, a polishing of their craft and a confident step towards a … Continue reading

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News: RINGO STARR ‘Ringo At The Ryman’ DVD out in March

ANNOUNCING “RINGO AT THE RYMAN,” DVD OF RINGO AND HIS ALL STARR’S PERFORMANCE AT NASHVILLE’S HISTORIC RYMAN, FILMED JULY 7, 2012 DVD TO BE RELEASED MARCH 18th 2013 Ringo Starr is a living legend whose contribution to the roots of … Continue reading

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Album review: ERIC BURDON – ‘Til Your River Runs Dry

ABKCO Records/Universal Released April 1st Eric Burdon is of course famous as the frontman for the Animals, who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year and there are plans afoot for a special box set to celebrate this significant anniversary. It … Continue reading

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Album Review: WIZZ WIZZARD – Tears From The Moon

      Rocksector Records [Release date 18.02.13] This album is the debut release from Belgian hard rockers Wizz Wizzard. Formed back in 2008 by frontman and pirate DJ, Wizz, the 5 piece have developed into a tight unit and … Continue reading

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Album review: DARKTOWN JUBILEE – The World, the Flesh & the Devil

Parade Recordings www.darktownjubilee.com         Manchester based Darktown Jubilee release their debut album, an album that recalls many other bands, although with vocalist David Boardman they retain their own sound. The album has a good mix of tempos … Continue reading

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Single review: JONNY COLA & THE A-GRADES – Straight To Video/Marlborough Road

Double A-side released April 4th Single trailer: The back story to this band would make a movie itself as lead singer Jonny Cola was diagnosed with kidney failure last year. He carried on though and his fiancee became a living … Continue reading

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Album review: GATE 6 – God Machines

. (Self-release: September 2012) What is it about Europe and fine progressive rock music at the moment? The likes of Poland (with Riverside, Believe, Satellite et al), Sweden (with Airbag, Katatonia, Aoria, etc.) and Germany (Frequency Drift, InVertigo, etc.) are … Continue reading

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DVD review: BUSH – Live!

DVD/Blu-Ray A lot of bands seem to be doing comebacks this year, and for those of you who maybe aren’t too excited about the Destiny’s Child or Fall Out Boy reform, it’s great to hear that 90’s alternative rockers Bush have been … Continue reading

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Album review: PLAYER – Too Many Reasons

Frontiers www.frontiers.it         Player return with their first album in over ten years and this full album follows an EP released last year on Frontiers. The new lineup features original members Peter Beckett and Ronn Moss along … Continue reading

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Interview with Peter Tagtgren (Pain)

Peter Tagtgren is a very important figure in extreme Metal both as a recording artist and a renowned producer. Following the release of the quite successful DVD/Blue Ray “We Come In Peace”, Peter decided to bring his Industrial/Electronic Metal project … Continue reading

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Album Review – PSYCHOPUNCH – Smakk Valley

    Steamhammer/SPV  (Release date – 25/02/13) Psychopunch describe themselves as ‘Swedish, no bullshit punk ‘n’ rollers’ which really tells you all you need to know about the band. Hailing from Vasteras in Sweden the guys have been influenced by … Continue reading

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Album Review – STICK IT OUT – Today’s Dump

    Valery Records ( Release date – Out now) ‘Friends, Romans, countryman, lend me your ears’ a quote attributed to one of Rome’s most famous sons and one that Rome based rock ‘n’ rollers, Stick It Out, hope to … Continue reading

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EP Review – EXALT CYCLE – Revelations

    Valery Records (Release date – Out now) Exalt Cycle have been producing metal from their home city of Milan since 2006. Revelations is the band’s second EP, the last being released in 2009. Combining the heaviness of Machine … Continue reading

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Interview with blues rock guitarist ROBIN TROWER (January 2013)

‘Roots and Branches’ is a Robin Trower album with a difference. Conceptually, the ‘Roots’ side of things refers to his blues antecedents and some of his favourite songs that comprise the covers on the album. The ‘Branches’ section refers to … Continue reading

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Album review: DIO – Dream Evil

Universal  (2CD)         Fourth album from legendary classic metal band fronted by Ronnie James Dio, originally released in 1987, and what a classic it is. Featuring the studio debut of guitarist Craig Goldy, the album sadly gets … Continue reading

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