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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Yearly Archives: 2024
Gig review: MALMO MELODIC – Plan B, Malmo, Sweden, 27-29 July 2024
Scandinavia, and Sweden in particular, is the undisputed epicentre of the melodic rock community with a seemingly endless stream of bands emerging. There have been festivals in Malmo pre-pandemic (Melodic Rock Fest and the Swedish AOR Convention) so when last … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7th Crystal, Alicate, AOR, Boys From Heaven, Care of Night, Chez Kane, Dare, Darren Wharton, festival, Gaeleri, gig, Grand, Houston, JD Miller, melodic rock, Nubian Rose, Perfect Plan, Pretty Maids, Remedy, Romeo's Daughter, Ronnie Atkins, Roulette, Streetlight, Transatlantic Radio, Wildness
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Album review : RICHARD PINHAS / HELDON – Le Plan and Winter Music
Other Side Music [Release date 02.08.24] It somehow seems right that “avant garde” is a French language term for something that is aesthetically innovative, especially a “work of art”, which these pieces of music from French musician, Richard Pinhas surely … Continue reading
Album review : GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS I Like It (3 CD Anthology)
Cherry Red [Release date 16.08.24] As the sixties’ “Merseybeat” pop explosion recedes further into the past, ten album, multiple hits band, Gerry And The Pacemakers seem less and less likely to get the credit they deserve. And so this anthology … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 3 CDs, Brian Epstein, Cherry Red, George Martin, Gerry, Liverpool, Merseybeat, Pacemakers, review, Rodgers Hammerstein, Sinatra, The Beatles
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Album review : DANIELLE MORGAN AND FRIENDS – Explore The Layers
Self Release [Release date : 07.03.24] ‘Explore The Layers’ is essentially a double album of catchy pop-rock songs with a reggae and funky influences. Helpfully subtitled ‘Songs About Life & Love’, it’s a concept album of love songs of which … Continue reading
Book review: ULTRAVOX – Every Album, Every Song by Brian J Robb
SonicBond Publishing [Publication date: 26.07.24] Ultravox had 17 UK top 40 singles between 1981 and 1984, yet never had a number one single. ‘Vienna’ was famously kept of the top spot by Joe Dolce’s ‘Shaddap You Face’ (a song that … Continue reading
News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2024)
ATLANTIC Another World (Escape Music) This summer’s AOR album has arrived! Lush keys, harmonies, plenty of lovestruck lyrical themes, soaring guitar solos and the vocals of Mark Grimmett, who adds that extra bit of class to the whole musical proceedings. … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS
Tagged 2024, albums of the month, AOR, April, Atlantic, Big Big Train, Black Country Communion, blues rock, heavy rock, June, May, melodic rock, Nestor, Progressive Rock, rock, Son Of Man, These Wicked Rivers
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Album review: SCARLET REBELS – Where The Colours Meet
Earache Records [Release date: 16.08.24] I was excited to get to review the latest offering from Scarlet Rebels, I have long been a fan of their music and even better I got the opportunity to discuss ‘Where The Colours Meet’ … Continue reading
Album review : NEIL SADLER – Past To Present
Pete chats to Neil Sadler for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio on Sunday 4 August, 20:00 GMT No Machine West [Release date : 01.07.24] Neil Sadler’s ‘Past To Present’ is a guitar friendly rock-blues compilation album which draws on old … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blue Touch, blues, dirge, drone, Gary Moore, Howlin Wolf, Larry Miller, Neil Sadler, Past To Present, production, psychedelia, review, rock, The UK Blues Project, ZZ Top
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Album review : PARALYDIUM – Universe Calls
Frontiers [Release date : 09.08.24] The success of a Progressive Rock album is almost totally dependent on creating a unique sonic landscape. The reviews of Paralydium’s previous release criticised the band’s lack of ambition. That there was no apparent attempt … Continue reading
Album review : JIM PETERIK and WORLD STAGE – Roots and Shoots Vol 2
Frontiers [Release date : 09.08.24] Peterik needs no introduction, but we’ll introduce him anyway. Most famously, he was guitarist and songwriter with Survivor, as well as several other charting bands. It’s all well documented online. But that was then. Nowadays, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Chicago, Frontiers, Jason Scheff, Jim Peterik, melodic rock, Neil Donnell, review, Survivor
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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
