Monthly Archives: April 2013

Album review: BLONDE BLUES – Envision Nu Blues

Self-released Blonde Blues hail from the  blues heartland of North Carolina and ‘Envision Nu Blues’ finds the band having a decent stab at honing their own style. It’s an album that has its moments, but for the most part flickers … Continue reading

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Gig review: PAIN OF SALVATION – The Relentless Garage Islington, London,15 April 2013

Support Acts: Anneke van Giersbergen, Arstidir Review and photos by Yiannis (John) Stefanis At my age, venturing out on a Monday night to a gig can only be prompted by some pretty special events, among which I count the fact … Continue reading

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Album review: STEVE BONINO – Peace Rocks

 Self release – www.stevebonino.com – out now They say you should always start with your best and balance things out afterwards. Well Steve Bonino obviously missed that initial piece of advice, as this excellent album builds from an inauspicious opener … Continue reading

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Album review: BREED 77 – The Evil Inside

    Frostmetal (Release date – out now) Breed 77 have always been an interesting band, mixing heavy, post grunge riffs with a bit of latin flair to produce a unique sound. This album is the band’s first in three … Continue reading

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Album review: THE RESISTANCE – Scars

earMUSIC [Release Date – 10.05.13] What is heavy music ? A One Direction fan may consider Bon Jovi heavy, whereas a Bon Jovi fan may consider Iron Maiden heavy. He or she in turn may consider Slayer heavy, but what about … Continue reading

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Single reviews: THE LOST SOULS CLUB, THE CRUNCH

THE LOST SOULS CLUB – High Noon www.thelostsoulsclub.co.uk The Lost Souls Club hail from Southampton and have been touring overseas and in the UK building a steady reputation for themselves. Perhaps more NME fodder on first listen (Black Rebel Motorcycle … Continue reading

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Gig review: ANTHRAX, Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC, April 13 2013

I’m back! Well maybe…sort of…I don’t know. Those two or three keeping track will realize that I’ve not been to a show since Raven in November. At that point it was looking bleak that I’d make it to another show … Continue reading

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Album review: THE LIVING – The Jungle Is Dark But Full Of Diamonds

      Self release [Release date: 01.12.12] In their own words,Vancouver band The Living try to: ‘bridge the gap between Western art music and popular styles, mixing traditional rock instrumentation with classical instruments’. Their challenging music and adventurous goals are … Continue reading

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Album review: WANG CHUNG – Tazer Up!

Wang Chung - Tazer Up!

www.wangchung.com [Release date 03.06.13] Blimey here is a blast from the 80’s, a band I knew from the classic 80’s compilation album ‘American Heartbeat’ with their big hit ‘Dance Hall Days’ (although as one of my fellow melodic rock fans … Continue reading

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Album Review: WIDOWMAKER – Widowmaker

Widowmaker

Angel Air Records [Release date 11.02.13 ] Another interesting release from revival specialists Angel Air. Widowmaker were a short-lived ‘70’s supergroup of sorts. Guitarist Luther Grosvenor was fresh out of a profitable stint with Mott The Hoople (and Spooky Tooth before … Continue reading

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Album review: WOLF PEOPLE – Fain

Wolf People - Fain

Interview edit: Jack Sharp, 30 April 2013 First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 5 May 2013 Jagjaguwar [Release date: 29.04.13] Not to be confused with Wolfmother, this four-piece recorded their second album proper in an isolated house in … Continue reading

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Gig Review: SKID ROW – I AM I – BUFFALO SUMMER,Leamington Assembly,12 April 2013

Young Welsh four piece Buffalo Summer opened up the evenings proceedings, a tight, groove packed sound from a band who at times reminded me a little of The Answer with a touch of The Black Crowes and possibly the swagger … Continue reading

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Quick Plays: JESPER LETH, MASQUERAGE

JESPER LETH – Know Thyself www.jesperleth.com Jesper Leth has written and produced this album, previously having worked on an instrumental project called Drome. The album overall is a labour of love and he certainly knows his way around the guitar, … Continue reading

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News: CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE FINAL LINE-UP

25, 26, 27, 28 JULY 2013 CHERRY HINTON HALL GROUNDS NEW NAMES Amadou & Mariam (Fri)  The Staves (Sun)  Tommy Emmanuel (Sat) Thea Gilmore (Sat)  The Rambling Boys of Pleasure (Sat/Sun)  Darrell Scott (Fri) Emily Barker & The Red Clay … Continue reading

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Gig review: MICHAEL SCHENKER – The Picture House, Edinburgh, 11 April 2013

Photo: Steve Goudie I have had a bit of a rant in the past regarding gigs starting early due to venue curfews, tonight though was a new one on me. The doors opened at 6.30, but the first band didn’t … Continue reading

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Interview: VON HERTZEN BROTHERS

Finnish melodic rock sensation, The Von Hertzen Brothers, are back in the UK to do a few gigs and a bit of promotion for their new album, ‘Nine Lives’,  just released through Spinefarm Records . I managed to catch a few … Continue reading

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Album review: DORIS BRENDEL & LEE DUNHAM – Not Utopia

Doris Brendel & Lee Dunham - Not Utopia

Sky-Rocket Records [Release date 07.01.13] www.dorisbrendel.com The late Eighties/early Nineties weren’t a great time for up and coming bands.  Many crashed and burned as the major labels applied the brakes to investment in new talent.  Liverpool four-piece River City People … Continue reading

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Album review: TODD RUNDGREN – State

Todd Rundgren - State

Esoteric Antenna [Release date 08.04.13] Todd Rundgren’s chameleon nature is at once the perpetual conundrum.  A musician who will not be pigeon-holed and as such adored by his loyal fanbase for his constant stretching of the envelope.  For the faithful … Continue reading

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Album review: JEFF LYNNE – Armchair Theatre

        Frontiers (Released 19th April) www.frontiers.it Originally released back in 1990, Jeff Lynne’s first solo album now gets a re-issue with a couple of bonus tracks. The album was a minor success on its release only just … Continue reading

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Interview with blues rock guitarist DANNY BRYANT (April 2013)

Blues-rocker Danny Bryant started playing guitar at 15 years old. He turned pro 3 years later and became Walter Trout’s protégé.  In the intervening years he followed the old school route to build a rock solid fan base on the … Continue reading

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Album Review: DROWNING POOL – Resilience

Eleven Seven Music (Release date – 09.04.13) It’s hard to think of a more resilient band than Drowning Pool. They have overcome tragedy and adversity over the course of their career that would had seen a lesser band fall by … Continue reading

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Album review: SEPTICFLESH – Mystic Places Of Dawn

Season Of Mist – Out Now. Septicflesh (formerly known as Septic Flesh) are one of those bands whose target audience and greater impact was felt in the underground, however, since their reformation and the release of 2008’s magnum opus “Communion”, … Continue reading

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Album review: SATAN’S WRATH – Galloping Blasphemy

Metal Blade – Out Now. Classic, old-school, vintage, retro or whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it Metal has always been massively supported in Greece. I mean, this is the country whose fans covered all expenses themselves just to see bands like Omen and Manilla Road … Continue reading

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Gig review: VREID – Barfly, London, 4 April 2013

Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis Photos by Fabiola Santini I have been living in the UK for a good twelve years now, however, I still find myself somewhat baffled by the state of some venues here in London. Take, for … Continue reading

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Album review: CLIVE NOLAN – Alchemy

      Metal Mind Productions www.metalmind.com.pl www.alchemythemusical.com Clive Nolan (Arena/Pendragon) returns with another musical delight, following on from the well received ‘She’. Clive again returns to the Victorian era as the tale is set in 1842 and is full … Continue reading

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