Author Archives: brianmc

Album review: V/A – We’re An American Band – US Hard Rock Scene 1967-73 (3 CD Boxset)

Posted on June 16, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red Records [release date: 23.06.23] This 4 hour, 3 CD, 62 track package ends with Grand Funk’s ‘We’re An American Band’ (1973). A game changing challenge to the music establishment of the time. A band of the people, a … Continue reading →

Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Dream Higher

Posted on June 14, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 16.06.23] Seventh studio album from Pride Of Lions. The “Survivor” name has been purged from all official publicity associated with Peterik for legal reasons, but anyone who is at all interested in the genre well knows Peterik’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged .38 Special, Jim Peterik, Lynyrd Skynyrd, melodic rock, review, Rocky, Survivor, Toby Hitchcock | Leave a comment

Album review : STARDUST – Kingdom Of Illusion

Posted on June 12, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 16.06.23] Hungarian band, Stardust kick off their album with ‘War’ as the opening track. Given current events, there was always someone who’d climb on the bandwagon. Lets move on. There’s a welcome familiarity to Stardust’s melodic rock, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Cinderella, Eclipse, HEAT, Hungary, Kingdom Of Illusion, melodic rock, review, Stardust, WET | Leave a comment

Album review: GARDNER JAMES – No Strings

Posted on June 11, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 09.06.23] Gardner James is Justin James, who has worked with Staind and Tyketto. And Janet Gardner, who was of course vocalist with Vixen. Their history is well documented online. A pithy rock band riff can be just … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues rock, Janet Gardner, Justin James, LA, melodic rock, review, Staind, Tyketto, Vixen, Von Groove | Leave a comment

Album review : FALSE MEMORIES – Hybrid Ego System

Posted on June 10, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 09.06.23] Guitarist, Francesco Savino founded False Memories in 2015, but it was only when he recruited vocalist, Rossella Moscatelli in 2018 that the band’s career gained some momentum. We reviewed the debut, The Last Night Of Fall … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Dark, Francesco Savino, power metal, prog metal, review, Rossella Moscatelli, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Album review: VIXEN Rev It Up (remaster)

Posted on June 6, 2023 by brianmc

Rock Candy Records [release date 18.05.23] Minnesota band Vixen made their major label breakthrough in 1987, after moving to Los Angeles. Two albums were recorded by the original Vixen lineup, Jan Keuhnemund, Janet Gardner, Share Ross and Roxy Petrucci. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Bangalore Choir, Bobby Kimball, Bon Jovi, Diane Warren, Fiona, Harry Paress, Jack Conrad, Los Angeles, melodic rock, Minnesota, Quiet Riot, review, Rock Candy Records, Steve Plunkett | Leave a comment

Album review: NEW ENGLAND – s/t (remaster)

Posted on June 5, 2023 by brianmc

Rock Candy Records [release date : 12.05.23] New England relied not on fate or fashion, but on good old fashioned songwriting and hard work, treading the boards, making their name. Led by the talented John Fannon, and owing a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Beatles, Cheap Trick, ELO, Foreigner, Jimmy Waldo, John Fannon, Journey, Mike Stone, Queen, Raspberries, remaster, review, Sweet, Wizzard | Leave a comment

Album review : V/A Let’s Stomp (Merseybeat 1962-1969) 3 CD set

Posted on May 14, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date: 26.05.23] Heavily influenced by US Blues and Rock, Merseybeat was a sixties pop music phenomenon, originating in Liverpool, that swept all before it. First the UK, then Europe, ultimately invading the USA and the ROTW. Across … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS | Tagged albums, Beatles, Billy J Kramer, Cilla Black, Doc Pomus, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Jackie DeShannon, Joe Meek, Lennon & McCartney, Let's Stomp (Merseybeat 1962-1969), Liverpool, Merseybeat, Mojos, Mort Shuman, pop, review, rock, Shel Talmy, Swinging Blue Jeans, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Searchers, The Sixties, US Blues | Leave a comment

Album review: THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Blu-Ray Edition)

Posted on May 11, 2023 by brianmc

Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red [Release date; 26.05.23] The Turn Of A Friendly Card (1980) was Alan Parsons’ fifth long player, and if you will, a concept album. Parsons and Eric Woolfson, one a producer/songwriter and the other a songwriter/studio engineer, enjoyed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Billboard, Blu-ray, Dark Side Of The Moon, Eric Woolfson, Esoteric Recordings, Lenny Zakatek, Let It Be, Pink Floyd, reissue, review, The Alan Parsons Project, The Beatles, The Turn Of A Friendly Card | Leave a comment

Album review : HANOI ROCKS – The Days We Spent Underground (1981-84)

Posted on May 10, 2023 by brianmc

Esoteric Records/Cherry Red [Release date: 26.05.23] CD1 Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981) CD2 Oriental Beat (1982) CD3 Destruction Blues (1982) CD4 Back To Mystery City (1983) CD5 All Those Wasted Years (1984) In the 4 short years from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Andy McCoy, Bowie, boxset, Buzzcocks, Dale Griffin, glam rock, Gyp Casina, Hanoi Rocks, Kerrang!, LA Rock, Michael Monroe, Mott, Nasty Suicide, Overend Watts, punk, Sam Yaffa, Sounds, The Days We Spent Underground (1981-84), Undertones | Leave a comment

Album review : HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – XIT

Posted on May 6, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 19.05.23] Those melodic rock fans who mainline the uncut version of the brand might not have time for artists who add their own distinctive musical seasoning. But they might just find that this shiny new album from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Eagles, Frontiers, funk, Glenn Frey, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, New Wave, review, Valensia, Valentine, XIT | Leave a comment

Album review : MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – The Love Goes On

Posted on May 1, 2023 by brianmc

The Michael Thompson Band - The Love Goes On

Frontiers [Release date 12.05.23] Michael Thompson may be one of the most gifted, sought after rock guitarists in the business – his pedigree must run to several volumes – but the Michael Thompson Band, known as MTB, will forever be … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Annas Aliaf, AOR, Hans Zimmer, How Long, James Newton Howard, Moon Calhoun, review, The Love Goes On, The Michael Thompson Band, Tom Croucier, westcoast | Leave a comment

Album review: SCREAMACHINE – Church Of The Scream

Posted on April 30, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 12.05.23] While not immediately lovable, Italy’s Metal monsters, Screamachine’s second album, Church Of The Scream inexorably works its way under your skin. And remains there. So, get your headphones on and say a prayer. They band hit … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Accept, album, Alice Cooper, Church Of The Scream, Edoardo Taddei, KROKUS, Motley Crue, Paulo Campitelli, review, Savatage, Screamachine, speed metal, Valerio Carrichio | Leave a comment

Album review : HEAVEN’S EDGE – Get It Right

Posted on April 29, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 12.05.23] Allmusic describes Heaven’s Edge as “an obscure Glam Metal band from the early nineties”. It’s a reasonable observation on the basis of one (self titled) album released in 1990 (just about clinging on to the glam … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, David Rath, Get It Right, glam rock, Heaven's Edge, Jared Gulino, Mark Evans, melodic rock, Motley Crue, MTV, Poison, Ratt, Reggie Wu, review, Steve Parry | Leave a comment

Album review : KING’S X – In The New Age, The Atlantic Recordings 1988-95 (6 CD boxset)

Posted on April 25, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 28.04.23] Anyone who got truly tuned into King’s X will be familiar with words like “memorable”, “original”, “intoxicating”. These and other such qualifiers being liberally used in reviews of the band’s albums down through the years. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Arnold Lanni, boxset, Brendan O'Brien, Cherry Red, Dug Pinnick, Frozen Ghost, In The New Age, Jerry Gaskill, King's X, Our Lady Peace, Progressive Rock, Revolver, Sam Taylor, Sheriff, The Atlantic Recordings 1988-95, The Beatles | Leave a comment

Album review : TRAPEZE – Midnight Flyers (The Complete Recordings Vol 2) 5 CD boxset

Posted on April 23, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 28.04.23] CD1 – Hot Wire (1974) & Trapeze (1976) CD2 – Hold On (1979) CD3 – Live At The Boat Club, Nottingham (1975) CD4 – Live In Arlington, Texas, (1976) CD5 – Live In Fort Worth, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged boxset, Cherry Red, Dave Holland, Deep Purple, funk rock, Glenn Hughes, Mel Galley, Midnight Flyers (The Complete Recordings Vol 2), Nottingham, Pete Wright, Rob Kendrick, Texas, Trapeze | Leave a comment

Album review: ELVENKING – Reader Of The Runes (part 2), Rapture

Posted on April 17, 2023 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date 28.04.23] Heavy metal pirates, Elvenking, set sail again, boldly going where few bands dare to go. It’s no exaggeration to claim that this album is a unique heavy metal experience. Operatic, symphonic, folky, very lyrical, not … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged AFM Records, album, Elvenking, Ensiferum, folk metal, heavy metal, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Leaves' Eyes, melodic metal, Rapture, Reader of The Runes, review | Leave a comment

Album review : ONE DESIRE – Live With The Shadow Orchestra

Posted on April 14, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [release date 21.04.23] Rising Finnish band, One Desire return with a live album. What is it with rock/ metal bands and orchestras? The ambition to match up the two has been realised regularly ever since most of us can … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classical, Deep Purple, live, Metallica, Nightwish, Procol Harum, review, Scorpions, Vassa orchestra Finland | Leave a comment

Album review: MECCA – Everlasting

Posted on April 10, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [release date 21.03.23] First Mecca album to be released in Europe since the Brexit Referendum. And the suitably titled opener, ‘And Now The Magic is Gone’ turns out to be the album’s big moment. Everlasting is not quite as … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alias, AOR, Frontiers, Joe Vana, Marcie Free, melodic rock, review, Signal, Stefano Lionetti, Tommy Denander, Toto, Unruly Child, Vivien Lalu | Leave a comment

Album review : BIOHAZARD – Urban Discipline and No Holds Barred, Live In Europe (2 CD Deluxe Digipack)

Posted on April 7, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [release date: 14.03.23] New York band Biohazard are credited with fusing hardcore metal, punk and hip hop. Five years after formation they signed with Roadrunner Records and released their groundbreaking album, Urban Discipline. Urban Discipline (1992) This influential … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged 2 CD Digipack, album, Deluxe, Fishbone, hip hop, Kyuss, metal, New York Times, punk, review | Leave a comment

Album review: MAGNUS KARLSSON’S FREEFALL – Hunt The Flame

Posted on April 4, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 14.04.23] Fourth Freefall album from rock’n’roll workaholic, Magnus Karlsson. For this, Freefall’s fourth album, Karlsson’s rounded up 11 singers, all of whom offer something different, and we get a few tracks that show every sign that he … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alexander Strandell, Hunt The Flame, Jakob Samuel, Kristian Fhyr, Magnus Karlsson, melodic metal, review, rock, symphonic | Leave a comment

Album review : ARCHON ANGEL – II

Posted on April 3, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 14.04.23] On his second album now fronting Archon Angel, Zak Stevens probably couldn’t tell you how many albums he’s appeared on. We’ll help him out: Since 1993, five as Savatage’s frontman, five up front with The TSO … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Aldo Lonobile, Archon Angel, Circle II Circle, Frontiers, II, melodic metal, review, Savatage, TSO, Zak Stevens | Leave a comment

Album review: KILLER – Hellfire (And The Best of Killer) 2 CD Edition

Posted on April 1, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date: 21.03.23] Belgium: 1980 : 3 respected, experienced, died in the wool rock musicians split with their long time bands, and get together to share a different musical destiny. Paul “Shorty” Van Camp, “Fat Leo” and “Spooky” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Belgium, Cherry Red, heavy metal, Hellfire (And The Best of Killer), HNE, Iron Maiden, Killer, Mausoleum, Metallica, Motorhead, review, Saxon, Shorty Van Camp, Spooky | Leave a comment

Album review: WARFARE – The Lemmy Sessions (3 CD Boxset)

Posted on March 23, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date : 24.03.23] Late on in the last century’s timeline, around 1990, Co. Durham’s one and only anarchic metal band, Warfare, were outselling stablemates, Venom and Raven. On stage and off stage they were living up to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, boxset, Durham, Evo, heavy metal, John Tucker, Lemmy, Motorhead, review, The Lemmy Sessions, Warfare | Leave a comment

Album review: FOGHAT – Road Fever – The Complete Bearsville Recordings 1972-75 (6 CD boxset)

Posted on March 20, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date 24.03.23] 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 the road that … Continue reading →