SM Noise [Release date 21.01.21]

Andy Susemihl’s last album ‘Elevation’ was my “Best of 2018″ – perhaps it should have been called “revelation” such was the surprise at a seasoned pro – and a relatively unknown one albeit with an interesting  backstory – unleashing one of the year’s best albums by anyone’s standards.

In the interim Andy has released an EP but ‘Alienation’ is a fine follow-up to the previous album if perhaps not quite topping it.  When I interviewed him following the release of ‘Elevation’ he kindly sent me a selection of his previous solo albums, all had merit but sadly all were on fairly low-key labels and would have received little promotion outside of his homeland.

For those with a weak spot for shortish (sub-four minute), melodic, pop rock tunes embellished with immaculate guitaring and great choruses look no further.  Whilst fellow countryman Michael Schenker has been a big influence, stylistically the songs are more West Coast AOR reflecting that Susemihl lived in California for ten years.  Before that he was in German hard rock band Sinner and then with Udo Dirkschneider’s band U.D.O.

The album ramps up from the half-way mark including the standouts ‘Common Sense’, ‘Medicine Wheel’, ‘The Game’ and ‘Over My Head’.

If some of the lyrical content seems to be derived from a world weariness with the music industry in general (‘Monkey Time’, ‘Billion Dollar Light Show’) this doesn’t come as a surprise because these observations were also present on previous tunes. Maybe Andy should just shrug his shoulders and move on.

And as an aside, GRTR! gave ‘Elevation’ such a great write-up but we never received the EP ‘Burning Man’.  There’s something amiss there?

Let’s hope ‘Alienation’ is not a by-word for the future and that this latest offering – and with the previous album -  sees Susemihl entering the mainstream.  He certainly deserves it.  ****

Review by David Randall

Album review (Elevation, 2018)

---

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

---

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

---

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

---

---

Popular (last 10 days)

---