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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – The Grace, London, 26 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: KAPREKAR’S CONSTANT – Fate Outsmarts Desire
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Album review: HARMONY – Theatre Of Redemption
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Album review: RAMMSTEIN – Rammstein
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Album review: COLLATERAL – Collateral
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Album review: SIMPLE MINDS – Sparkle In The Rain (box set)
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Album review: 25 YARD SCREAMER – The Memory Cheats (The Pictures Within 2023)
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Monthly Archives: July 2024
Album review : BLUES PILLS – Birthday
Pete Feenstra chatted to guitarist Zach Anderson and drummer André Kvarnström for his show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 28 July 2024. Throwdown Entertainment / BMG Rights Mascot [Release date : 09.08.24] Swedish rock band Blues Pills have … Continue reading
News: STEEL PANTHER, FLEETWOOD MAC, VON HERTZEN BROTHERS (August 2024)
Photo: Steve Goudie Bryan Adams (pictured) has launched his own label Bad Records with the release of two songs – ‘War Machine’ and ‘Rock And Roll Hell’ – both of which were written by Adams alongside Jim Vallance, and Gene Simmons for the KISS album … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions
Tagged albums, AOR, blues, Fleetwood Mac, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, re-issues, RIP, special editions, Steel Panther, tour dates, Von Hertzen Brothers
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Album review : ROBIN BIBI BIG BAND – Blowing A Storm!
Self release[Release date 02.07.24] Robin Bibi Big Band’s ‘Blowing Up A Storm!’ is a celebratory, high energy horn infused album. It extends Robin Bibi’s big band vision, last glimpsed on his 2016 ‘No More A Secret’ album. The album effortlessly … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, B.B. King, Blowing A Storm!, blues, Craig Bacon. John O'Neil, Cream, Dave Priseman, funk, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Green, review, Robin Bibi, Robin Bibi Big Band, rock, soul, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Beatles, Tom Kleyn, Yes
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Album review : BLUE OYSTER CULT – 50th Anniversary Live : Second Night (2CDs+DVD)
Frontiers [Release date : 09.08.24] BOC’s 1972 album, Tyranny And Mutation (their second), continues to get 4 and 5 star reviews in the mainstream music media in its many reissued forms… special vinyl editions, special Japanese releases, 1990 and 2001 … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 50th anniversary, album, Blue Oyster Cult, Buck Dharma, CD and DVD, Eric Bloom, Frontiers, live, review, Sony Hall New York
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Album review : MISTER MISERY – III
AFM Records [Release date : 02.08.24] Looking like a reimagined Kiss in a Gothic horror movie, Mister Misery’s dress and music sense could not be more theatrical. Nor could it fit the music any better, and vice versa. On III, … Continue reading
EP review: FORLORN HOPE – Valour Part I
Website [Release date 30.08.24] Historical metal band Forlorn Hope are back with an ambitious new album ‘Valour’. This EP is the first part of ‘Valour’, which tells the stories of fifteen Victoria Cross winning actions from Crimea to the Second World … Continue reading
Album review : PRODUCERS – self titled (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 26.07.24] To call them a Supergroup would be a cliché. This collection of musicians transcends tired headlines. Chris Braide, Trevor Horn, Steve Lipson, Lol Creme and Ash Soan need no introduction to tuned in music … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Ash Soan, boxset, Cherry Red, Chris Braide, Daryl Easlea, Lol Creme, Princes Trust, Producers, review, Stephen Lipson, Trevor Horn
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Rising Stars interview: TBH BIBI
New artist TBH BIBI is an eighteen-year-old British non-binary musician who draws inspiration from early 2000s pop-punk and alternative music genres. They bring these influences to life through their fresh and raw new songs. TBH BIBI’s debut single ‘I Don’t … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars
Tagged alternative, I Don’t Care, indie, interview, punk, Rising Stars, rock, single, TBH BIBI, TikTok
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Gig review: THE COMMONERS – Arlington Arts Centre, 25 July 2024
Back at the lovely Arlington Arts Centre for a night of blues based rock. A decent sized crowd, which had me pondering that the artists on stage are looking younger each time, yet the audience is definitely getting older… Shout … Continue reading
Album review : TORME – The Bernie Torme Archives 1985-93 (5 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date : 26.07.24] A second volume of remastered material taken from Bernie Torme’s extraordinary career. He was a guitarist and a songwriter whose personality and positivity affected everyone he worked with. A musician with “lightning in his … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Archives Vol 2, Back To Babylon, Bernie Torme, Dee Snider, Demolition Ball, Gary Owens, John McCoy, LA Guns, Phil Lewis, review, Samson, TNT
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Album review: FALCON TRAILS – Coming Home
Metalville Records [Release date 19.07.24] Having a lifelong love of all things VW Campervan, the cover alone was enough to pique this reviewer’s interest! Falcon Trails features vocalist Lee Small (Sweet, Lionheart, Phenomena), composer/lyricist and mutli-instrumentalist Mika Grönholm (who released a couple of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, Coming Home, Falcon Trails, funk, Lee Small, melodic, Mika Grönholm, review, rock, soul
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Gig review: AC/DC – Wembley Stadium, London, 3 July 2024
Over recent years, AC/DC seem to have transcended our own world of rock’n’ roll to have a wider cultural resonance. Fans range from Prince William who allegedly works out to Thunderstruck’ to Ally McCoist whose wide-eyed ‘is that AC/DC?’ enthusiasm … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AC/DC, Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Chris Chaney, gig, Matt Laug, Pretty Reckless, PWRUP, Stevie Young, Taylor Momsen
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Album review : THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS – Rise Above It All
Mascot [Release date : 23.08.24] The Georgia Thunderbolts are an unapologetic retro band with a Southern rock meets early 70’s British blues-rock feel, which will hold wide appeal for heritage rock fans. ‘Rise Above It All’ is a suitably titled … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, Bad Company, blues, Bristol Perry, country, David Bowie, Frankie Miller, grunge, John Fogerty, Logan Tolbert, Paul Rogers, review, Rise Above It All, rock, Ron Davies, Simon & Garfunkel, T.J. Lyle, The Allman Brothers, the Georgia Thunderbolts, The Outlaws, The Rolling Stones, Zach Everett
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Album review : THE CHRIS SLADE TIMELINE – Timescape (2 CDs)
Brave Words [Release date : 19.07.24] There’s drummers and there’s Chris Slade. Rock royalty. A musician who knows no boundaries. One who fits seamlessly into most any genre. His CV includes 6 years with Asia, 5 years with AC/DC and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, album, Chris Slade, Genesis, James Cornford, Kansas, Manfred Manns Earthband, Timeline, Timescape, Uriah Heep
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Album review: STEVIE JONES & THE WILDFIRES – Getting There
Website [Release date 16.08.24] Stevie Jones (vocals, acoustic guitar) is joined by the three piece Wildfires – Alfie Dabrowski (guitar), Bob Dabrowski (bass) & Dave Carter (drums) – for album number three under this name. They are joined by special guests … Continue reading
Album review : UNCLE SLAM – Will Work For Food and When God Dies (2 CD Reissue)
Cherry Red [Release date : 26.07.24] Uncle Slam’s roots grew and blossomed in the fertile ground of Punk and Thrash, California style, in the late 80s, taking shape initially in the form of Suicidal Tendencies. Then splintering off into various … Continue reading
Album review: TUK SMITH & THE RESTLESS HEARTS – Rogue To Redemption
Gypsy Rose Records [Release date 30.08.24] Second album by Tuk Smith & the Restless Hearts, who are fronted by ex-Biters frontman Tuk Smith. Produced by Tuk and mixed by Chris Dugan (Green Day, Iggy Pop, U2), the album was written over the last three years … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 70's rock, album, hard rock, melodic, pop rock, review, rock, Rogue To Redemption, The Restless Hearts, Thin Lizzy, Tuk Smith
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Album review: ELLES BAILEY– Beneath The Neon Glow
Cooking Vinyl [Release date 09.08.24] Elles Bailey represents different things to different people. She schooled in roots, rock, blues and Americana. And it’s the latter genre along with her openness to song writing collaborations which gives ‘Beneath The Neon Glow’ … Continue reading
Gig review: TOWER OF FIRE FESTIVAL – Rebellion, Manchester, 29 June 2024
Although the UK live scene is thriving, thanks largely to the efforts of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement, those of us with a specific interest in the melodic rock and AOR scene, weaned on the glory years of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Atack, festival, Gabrielle de Val, gig, melodic rock, Nitrate, Remedy, Saracen, Tower Of Fire, White Skies
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Album review : JOHN MILES – The Albums 1983 – 1993 (3 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date : 19.07.24] Behind the John Miles’ name and his launchpad hit single ‘Music (Was My First Love)’ in 1976, there lay a musician whose full-on career in music can barely be crammed into a Wikipedia page. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, AOR, Jimmy Page, JOE COCKER, John Miles, Night Of The Proms, Play On, review, soft rock, Tina Turner, Transition, Upfront
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Album review: KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Back With A Bang
Napalm Records [Release date: 05.07.24] German rockers Kissin’ Dynamite have been pounding away since 2006 but their current mission statement is simple: Bring Back Stadium Rock. ‘Back With A Bang’ supports their strategy with a series of hard rock anthems … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Back With A Bang, hard rock, Kissin’ Dynamite, melodic hard rock, review
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Album review : PAUL DI’ANNO’S WARHORSE
BraveWords Records [Release date : 19.07.24] The music here serves as a fully realised reminder of the gifts that vocalist Paul Di’Anno has displayed numerous times, originally with Iron Maiden, and then anything he’s been involved with since. Despite (or … Continue reading
Album review: NEKTAR – Mission To Mars
Deko [Release date 30.06.24] And so Nektar are back with another new line-up, but without keyboard player Klaus Henttatch, the last mainstay of the band since the passing of Roye Albighton. Sadly drummer and founder member Ron Howden also passed … Continue reading
Gig review: SHANIA TWAIN- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 7 July 2024
Shania Twain being reviewed by a website devoted to rock music? Hear me out for a moment. Her multimillion selling ‘Come On Over’ album changed the relationship between the previously insular world of country and the wider rock and pop … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged British Summer Time, country, country rock, gig, Hyde Park, Shania Twain, The Corrs
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Album review : NIKOLO KOTZEV – Nostradamus, The Rock Opera – studio album version and Live In Sofia version
Frontiers [Release date : 19.07.24] Writing and producing Nostradamus, the Rock Opera, was a hugely ambitious undertaking and took its architect, Nikolo (Brazen Abbot) Kotzev, 3 years to complete. Released in 2001, it sold 50,000 worldwide. A significant achievement for … Continue reading
