Yearly Archives: 2020

Gig review: GIANTS OF ROCK – Butlins, Minehead, 24-27 January 2020

Posted on January 28, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Praying Mantis - Giants Of Rock, Butlins, Minehead, 27 January 2020

Another Cold January and another Giants Of Rock. Enough to warm the cockles following a respectable respite after Christmas and New Year. This was our fourth Giants, although intrepid GRTR! reviewers have reported since the festival’s inception in 2014. After … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 24-27 January 2020, Bernie Marsden, Butlins, classic rock, Diamond Head, Hawkwind, heavy rock, Hollowstar, Minehead, Quireboys, Review of Giants of Rock festival, Rock Goddess, space rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: GREAT BRITISH ROCK AND BLUES FESTIVAL – Butlins, Skegness,17th to 20th January 2020

Posted on January 27, 2020 by david.wilson

Skegness in early January is a bit of a strange place. Row upon row of empty caravans lie in wait for warmer weather and better times. When once again the sound of laughter and the smell of stale beer, cigarette … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 17th to 20th January 2020, AC/DC, Atomic Rooster, Bernie Marsden, blues, Burnt Out Wreck, Butlins, Chris Bevington Organisation, Chris Slade Time Line, Clearwater, Crow Black Chicken, David Coverdale, Gary Moore, Geordie, gig, Great British Rock And Blues Festival, Hollowstar, James Oliver Band, Joan ov Arc, Killit, live, Matt Pearce and the Mutiny, Mike Farris, NINE BELOW ZERO, Pete Feenstra, Peter Green, Redfish, Rhinos revenge, rock, Savoy Brown, SKAM!, Skegness, The Animals And Friends, Vambo, Whitesnake, Zoe Scwarz Blue Commotion | Leave a comment

Gig review: BERNIE MARSDEN/Deborah Bonham – Under the Bridge, London, 24 January 2020

Posted on January 27, 2020 by andynathan

You might say it was a case of ‘Blues is the colour’ as Under the Bridge, located beneath the East Stand at Chelsea FC, played host to one of London Blues Month’s highest-profile gigs. It lies squarely within the wealthiest … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 24 January 2020, Bernie Marsden, blues, blues rock, Bob Fridzema, Deborah Bonham, gig, Joe Bonamassa, London, London Blues Month, Peter Bullick, Under the Bridge, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Cult Classics

Posted on January 27, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] Surprising and exciting news was announced in the autumn of last year in that Frontiers have signed Blue Oyster Cult for a series re-issues (including their hard to find 1998 album ‘Heaven Forbid’ which is re-issued … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Blue Oyster Cult, Buck Dharma, classic rock, Cult Classics, Eric Bloom, hard rock, melodic, reissue, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: JORN – Heavy Rock Radio II

Posted on January 27, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] Jorn Lande is back with his second volume of songs he grew up with or influenced him – making this his fourth covers album to date. These songs get the Jorn heavy rock treatment or as … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Black Sabbath, classic rock, Covers, Deep Purple, Dio, Eagles, Foreigner, Jorn, Jorn Lande, pop, review, rock, Russ Ballard, Trond Holter | Leave a comment

Album review: GLENN HUGHES – Justified Man

Posted on January 26, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red Records [Release date 31.01.20] Part One: Feel (CD1), Addicted (CD2), The Way It Is (CD3) : This clydebuilt boxset plugs into Glenn Hughes’ solo career in 1995, kicking off with his fourth solo album “Feel” (CD1). It’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Addiciton, album, box set, Building The Machine, Cherry Red Records, classic rock, Deep Purple, Feel, funk, Glenn Hughes, JJ Marsh, Justified Man, Pat Thrall, Return Of The Crystal Karma, review, rock, Songs In The Key Of Rock, soul, The Way It Is | Leave a comment

Album review: JACK BRUCE & FRIENDS – The Bottom Line Archive

Posted on January 26, 2020 by petefeenstra

Jack Bruce & Friends - The Bottom Line Archives

The Store For Music [Release date 29.11.19] This double live set from March 1980 is a welcome return to the catalogue for a jazz fusion supergroup with blues edges and occasional folk into artsy tinged vocals from Bruce. The important … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Billy Cobham, blues, Clem Clempson, Cozy Powell, Cream, David Sancious, folk, fusion, Harmony Row, Jack Bruce & Friends, jazz, live album, review, rock, The Bottom Line Archive | Leave a comment

Album review: EDDIE MARTIN – Thirst

Posted on January 26, 2020 by petefeenstra

Blueblood Records [Release date 06.12.19] Eddie Martin’s ‘Thirst’ is an excellent contemporary blues album with strong songs and inspired playing sparked by a sense of adventure. He is one of the UK most underrated blues artists. Were he a footballer … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Blueblood Records, blues, Dan Moore, Eddie Martin, Elmore James, funk, gospel, guitar, harp, Joe Garcia, Jonny Henderson, Mahalia Jackson, New Orleans, Nick Cave, review, Richard Johnston, rock, Ry Cooder, Thirst, Tom Gilkes | 1 Comment

Album review: FRANK WYATT & FRIENDS – Zeitgeist

Posted on January 25, 2020 by alanjones

Self-released [Release date: 01.11.19] Frank Wyatt was a founding member of noted American band Happy The Man – who got together through a shared love of British progressive rock way back in 1973. A series of prog albums followed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Frank Wyatt, Happy The Man, Progressive Rock, review, Zeitgeist | Leave a comment

Album review: GIRL – Wasted Youth

Posted on January 24, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red Records [31.01.20] Arguably, Girl was simply the launching pad for Phil Lewis – later to join The LA Guns; Phil Collen – later to join Def Leppard, and Gerry Laffy – later to carve out a significant career … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, box set, classic rock, Def Leppard, Gerry Laffy, Girl, LA Guns, Phil Collen, Phil Lewis, reissue, review, rock, Russ Ballard, Wasted Youth | Leave a comment

Album review: SERPENTYNE & OPEROSE

Posted on January 24, 2020 by jason

Hell Fury Records [Release date 21.11.19] There is always so much to explore in music, as you explore every sub-genre of a sub-genre. Modern Symphonic Metal is a good case in point and, what was once just purely the domain … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged albums, Angels of the Night, Jennifer Coleman, Lion Music, Maggiebeth Sand, melodic, metal, Oceans Of Starlight, Operose, review, Serpentyne, symphonic metel | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVE KERZNER – Breakdown – A Compilation 1995 – 2019

Posted on January 22, 2020 by alanjones

Cherry Red [Release date: 22.11.19] Dave Kerzner is a deservedly celebrated musician and producer who has had a long and varied career both as a solo artist and as a member of a number of excellent bands. Starting out with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Breakdown, Dave Kerzner, Francis Dunnery, Heather Findlay, Jon Davison, Marco Minnemann, Progressive Rock, Randy McStine, review, Steve Hackett | Leave a comment

Quick plays: KIWI JR, OF MONTREAL

Posted on January 22, 2020 by jason

KIWI JR. – Football Money Persona Non Grata [Release date 17.01.20] Kiwi Jr. hail from Canada and feature Alvvays’ guitarist Brian Murphy amongst their ranks, with the group’s main songwriter being Jeremy Gaudet. They pack it in with ten songs … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Alvvays, Football Money, indie pop, Kevin Barnes, Kiwi Jr, of Montreal, pop, quirky, review, synth pop, ur fun | Leave a comment

Gig review: SAVOY BROWN – 100 Club, London, 18 January 2020

Posted on January 21, 2020 by andynathan

The marketing for the now traditional January London Blues Month is a mocked up, retro-style handbill. Someone who can remember those days is Kim Simmonds. He may not have the high profile of other guitar contemporaries of the British blues … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 100 Club, 18 January 2020, blues rock, Garnet Grimm, gig, Keith Boyce, Kim Simmonds, London, London Blues Month, Pat DeSalvo, Savoy Brown | Leave a comment

Gig review: INTERPLAY – Le Chaudron, Montignac, SW France, 17 January 2020

Posted on January 20, 2020 by petefeenstra

Jazz is alive, well and prospering in the inventive hands of a French modern quartet called Interplay. There was once a time when jazz fusion and rock almost coalesced and took the music beyond its historical antecedents. And while Interplay … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Photo Galleries | Tagged blues, Charles Mingus, Chic Corea, Dave Brubeck, Denis Gautier, Didier Villalba, Dore, Ella Fitzgerald, Emilio Fabrice Leroy, Franck Mathieu, funk, fusion, Herbie Hancock, improvisation, Interplay, jazz, Le Chaudron, Lee Hazlewood, live gig, Miles Davis, Montignac, Pink Floyd, review, rock, SW France, Wayne Shrter | Leave a comment

Album review: LORDI – Killection

Posted on January 18, 2020 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 31.01.20] Finnish monsters Lordi have been rampaging through the planet since the first emerged from the deepest darkness in 1992. Over the years their own brand of twisted melodic and theatrical hard rock has won them … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM Records, album, Alice Cooper, glam, hard rock, Killection, Kiss, Lordi, melodic, pop rock, review, rock, shock rock | Leave a comment

Album review: BLIND EGO – Preaching To The Choir

Posted on January 17, 2020 by alanjones

Gentle Art Of Music - [Release date: 14.02.20] German progressive rock titans RPWL have been ridiculously busy lately, both collectively and individually. Their ‘Tales From Outer Space’ album from early 2019 was deservedly five starred, as was their double live … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Blind Ego, Kalle Wallner, Preaching To The Choir, progressive metal, review, RPWL | Leave a comment

EP review: MOLLY KARLOFF – Supernaturalation

Posted on January 17, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

MOLLY KARLOFF – Supernaturalation Coming on with the force of a wrecking ball, Molly Karloff play the sort of gloriously scuzzy rock ‘n’ roll that your mother warned you about. With an excitement not seen since the early days of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, hard rock, heavy rock, Molly Karloff, review, Supernaturalation | Leave a comment

Album review: ANCHOR LANE – Casino

Posted on January 16, 2020 by jason

R7 Records [Release date 31.01.20] Young, gifted and Scottish, What more could you want? Anchor Lane – Connor Gaffney, Scott Hanson, Lawrence O’Brien and Matthew Quigley – are a Glasgow band who came to the attention of the rock’n’roll world … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Anchor Lane, Casino, debut, hard rock, review, Ricky Warwick, rock, rock 'n' roll, Toby Jepson | Leave a comment

Album review: FOGHAT – Fool For The City & Foghat Live (2019 Remasters)

Posted on January 15, 2020 by jason

Rock Candy Records [Release date 06.12.19] Britband Foghat clocked up a considerable number of tour miles after relocating to the USA in 1970, road testing their material, looking to kickstart their career. It worked a treat. . . it’s on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged albums, blues rock, boogie, classic rock, Dave Peverett, Foghat, Foghat Live, Fool For The City, re-issue, review, rock, Rock Candy, Roger Earl | Leave a comment

Single reviews: SHADES OF GRAY, KOBURG, THUNDERSTICK

Posted on January 15, 2020 by jason

SHADES OF GRAY – I Get Up In a dark world, there are few things that unite us and raise our spirits more than music. Not many people understand this as fully as Myke Gray and the guitar guru/songwriter/producer offers … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged alternative, Bastette, Derange, indie, Junk Food Death, Koburg, metal, Molly Karloff, Planet Rock Allstars, Powderhead, review, rock, Shades Of Gray, singles, Thunderstick | Leave a comment

Album review: FERNANDO PERDOMO – The Crimson Guitar

Posted on January 14, 2020 by alanjones

Forward Motion Records – [Release date: 8 November 2019] Fernando Perdomo’s day job is as the guitarist and bass player for the excellent Dave Kerzner Band but he has spread his solo wings quite frequently in recent years, to mixed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile) | Tagged album, Dave Kerzner Band, Fernando Perdomo, Jakob Dylan, Progressive Rock, review, The Crimson Guitar | Leave a comment

Album review: HUMANIST – Humanist

Posted on January 14, 2020 by jason

Ignition Records [Release date 21.02.20] Humanist is an ambitious project orchestrated by guitarist and producer Rob Marshall, who has worked with the likes of Mark Lanegan (who guests on four songs on the album). He has assembled a starry cast … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alternative, atmospheric, Dave Gahan, Depeche Mode, Gavin Clarke, guitar rock, Humanist, Industrial, Mark Lanegan, review, Rob Marshall | Leave a comment

Album review: SERENITY – The Last Knight

Posted on January 13, 2020 by jason

Napalm Records [Release date 31.01.20] Austrian symphonic metal band Serenity are back and I seemed to have missed 2017′s ‘Lionheart’, having enjoyed the previous year’s ‘Codex Atlanticus’. That’s the trouble sometimes with so many bands around it is hard to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, melodic metal, Napalm Records, power metal, review, Serenity, symphonic metal, the Last Knight | Leave a comment

Gig review: COLLATERAL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 10 January 2020

Posted on January 12, 2020 by andynathan

2020 promises to be a big year for Collateral, with their debut full-length album out in February to capitalise on the growing buzz around them. Indeed GRTR!’s writers voted the Kentish rockers the breakthrough act for 2020 in our end … Continue reading →