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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: PAUL McCARTNEY- 02 Arena, London, 18 December 2024
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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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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review: FASTER PUSSYCAT – Babylon, The Elektra Years (4 CD boxset)
Cherry Red [release date: 25.02.22] Faster Pussycat were one of a number of apparently identikit Glamrock bands who emerged from the LA Club scene in the mid eighties. Many fell by the wayside, but some stood out. Faster Pussycat … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, boxset, Bret Muscat, eighties, Faster Pussycat, glam, Greg Steele, LA Club scene, metal, review, sleaze rock, Taime Down
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Album review: LANA LANE – Neptune Blue
Frontiers [Release date: 28.01.22] Neptune Blue is Lana Lane’s first album release since 2012. The close knit band that surrounds her includes her husband/ producer/ keyboard player, Erik Norlander, with Jeff Kollman on guitar and John (Asia) Payne on vocals, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, album, AOR, Asia, Erik Norlander, Frontiers, Jeff Kollman, John Payne, Lana Lane, melodic rock, progrock, review, symphonic rock
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Album review : GIRLSCHOOL – From London To Nashville (2 CD Set)
The Store For Music [Release date: 21.01.22] Girlschool experienced their share of heartache… label let downs, revolving door membership issues, conflicting views on musical direction and the struggles to sustain their ambitions in the face of all of the above, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 2 CD Set, albums, Biker Rock, Camden Palace, garage rock, GIRLSCHOOL, live, MTV, Nashville, Radio Rock, review
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Album review: TOKYO BLADE – Fury
Dissonance/Cherry Red [Release date: 21.01.22] It’s interesting to note that Tokyo Blade’s current members, including guitarist Andy Boulton and vocalist Alan Marsh, were with the band almost from the beginning, but left and rejoined at various intervals since the band’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Marsh, album, Andy Boulton, heavy metal, lockdown, power metal, review, Thin Lizzy, Tokyo Blade
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Album review: GRAHAM BONNET – The Historic Collection (2 CDs)
Store For Music [Release date 21.01.22] Graham Bonnet needs little or no introduction. His 5 decade back catalogue is a rich and constant source of reissues and expanded versions. This double CD package sees his 1991 album, Here Comes The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Denny Laine, Graham Bonnet, James Brown, Lieber & Stoller, live, melodic hard rock, Ray Davis, review, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison
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Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Seminole
Frontiers [Release date 21.01.22] Edge Of Forever’s mainman, Alessandro Del Vecchio’s description of the band’s fifth album is worth reading. You get the gist, but its over the top, disconnected language gives the impression it’s an outtake from Spinal Tap. … Continue reading
Album review: THE FERRYMEN – One More River To Cross
Frontiers [Release date: 21.01.21] The Ferrymen are Magnus (Freefall/ Heart Healer) Karlsson, Ronnie (Lords Of Black/ Rainbow) Romero and Mike (Rage/ Axel Rudi Pell) Terrana. One More River To Cross is their third album on Frontiers, and this is a … Continue reading
JOE LYNN TURNER – Rescue You (Remaster)
Rock Candy Records [Release date 17.12.21] 1985, and the first of Joe Lynn Turner’s ten solo albums over the last 20 years, Rescue You, is released to huge acclaim. He’s clearly decided to distance himself from the rock/metal approach of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Al Greenwood, album, AOR, Bobby Messano, Chuck Burgi, Foreigner, Joe Lynn Turner, Lou Gramm, melodic rock, Rainbow, review
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Album review : LYNCH MOB – Lynch Mob (Remaster w/bonus tracks)
Rock Candy Records [release date: 17.12.21] Lynch Mob, the album, came two years after the 1990 debut, Wicked Sensation. This was more of a band effort, with all members collaborating on the songwriting. Oni Logan had gone, and the superb … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, bonus tracks, Dokken, George Lynch, hard rock, Keith Olsen, Lynch Mob, Mick Brown, review, Robert Mason, Rock Candy Records
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Album review: LOVERBOY – Keep It Up/Lovin’ Every Minute Of It (Remasters)
Rock Candy Records [release date: 17.12.21] The remasters of Loverboy’s third album, Keep It Up (1983), and their fourth, Lovin’ Every Minute Of It (1985) follow hard on the heels of the first two, Get Lucky (1981) and the self … Continue reading
EP review: CUSTARD DREAM – Blue Wave
3MS [release date: 17.12.21] Custard Dream is Ryan Davies, a young man who’s written, produced and performed everything you hear on this 6 track EP, Blue Wave. The label, 3MS, could be stylised as the gambler who likes to take … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Custard Dream, EP, Hall&Oates, Led Zeppelin, New Wave, review, Ryan Davies, Synth poprock, WANG CHUNG
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Album review: DIRTY WHITE BOY – Bad Reputation (Remaster with bonus track)
Bad Reputation Records [Released 16.12.21] Dirty White Boy originally released Bad Reputation in 1990. Melodic hard rock had entered the new decade unconvincingly, and was rapidly evolving into a bloated, corporate rock cliché. Bad Reputation was a significant exception. The … Continue reading
Album review: STEVE GIBBONS BAND – Rollin’-The Albums 1976-78 (5CD boxset)
Pete Feenstra chatted to Steve Gibbons for Get Ready to ROCK! radio. First broadcast 16 January 2022. Cherry Red [Release date 07.01.22] The Steve Gibbons Band family tree has so many branches, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s an … Continue reading
Album review : ZELBO – In My Dreams
Frontiers [Release date 10.12.21] Melodic Rock/AOR band, Zelbo is named for keyboard player and founding member, Dag Selboskar. This relatively unknown Norwegian musician in fact has quite a pedigree. He debuted with the legendary Da Vinci. His DV bandmate, Bjorn … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bjorn Boge, Da Vinci, Dag Selboskar, Frontiers Records, In My Dreams, Ken Ingwersen, melodic rock, review, soft rock, Street Legal
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Album review: MINISTRY – Bad Blood, The Mayan Albums, 2002-2005 (4 CDs)
Cherry Red [release date: 17.12.21] There are Industrial Metal bands and there is Ministry. After the breakthrough in 1983, Al Jourgensen’s minimalist metal-in-extremis became the benchmark for the genre pretty rapidly. You could argue that this 4 CD snapshot, originally … Continue reading
Album review: THE MURDER OF MY SWEET – A Gentleman’s Legacy
Frontiers [Release date: 10.12.21] The Murder Of My Sweet’s latest release, A Gentleman’s Legacy, is a concept album, with a plot worthy of some of the better psychological thriller writers we may have encountered over the years. The band is … Continue reading
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Tagged Abba, album, concept album, Dan Brown, Daniel Flores, Frontiers, Genesis, MURDER OF MY SWEET, Phil Collins, progrock, review
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Album review: CAP OUTRUN – High On Deception
Frontiers [release date 10.12.21] Swedish rock band, Cap Outrun’s debut album integrates Progrock with Melodic Rock. A bold mix of nostalgia and modernism. One of the prime reasons for Progrock’s popularity is the music’s illusion of improvisation. You’re not quite … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Chandler Mogen, Denis DeYoung, Lou Gramm, melodic rock, progrock, review, Steely Dan, Toto, Von Hertzen Brothers
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Album review : STAHLMANN – Quarz
AFM Records [release date: 10.12.21] 7th album from German band, Stahlmann. When Rammstein released their first album, in 1995, the German music press coined a new phrase, Neue Deutsch Harte. NDH became a cutting edge calling card for other bands … Continue reading
Album review: MERCURY X – Imprisoned
Frontiers [release date 10.12.21] In straddling the border between Progmetal and Symphonic Rock, Swedish band, Mercury X have staked out a fertile chunk of territory. This is their debut album (excluding two independent releases). It remains to be seen if … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, Marillion. Pink Floyd, Mercury X, prog metal, review, Sweden, symphonic rock, The Flower Kings
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Album review: MANIMAL – Armageddon
AFM Records [Release date 3.12.21] Armageddon is Swedish Power Metal band, Manimal’s 6th release. What it lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in bravado and sheer power, with the rough edges sanded down by a bunch of resilient, tough … Continue reading
Album review : CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – Sleeping Martyr: 2000-2005 (3 CD digipack)
Cherry Red [Release date 26.11.21] The Sleeping Martyr digipak is a cleverly selected three album package from one of the world’s coolest metal bands, Corrosion Of Conformity. All three – America’s Volume Dealer (2000), Live Volume (2001) and In The … Continue reading
Album review: ASIA – The Official Live Bootlegs (10 CD Boxset)
BMG UK [release date 26/11/21] Asia : In 1997, Paul Stump wrote in “A History Of Progressive Rock” that the band’s “links with the genre were as tenuous as George Formby’s links with Mozart”. It is a memorable quote. And … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, AOR, Bootlegs, boxset, Carl Palmer, ELP, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, King Crimson, live, progrock, Steve Howe, Yes
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Album review: BRITNY FOX – Britny Fox and Boys In Heat (Remasters)
Rock Candy Records [release date: 29.10.21] Britny Fox’s first two albums at last get the hi-tech treatment from the UK’s reissue/ remastering specialists, Rock Candy Records . Thirty years later it’s not easy to look behind the band’s glittery Glam … Continue reading
Album review: INSANIA – V Praeparatus Supervivet
Frontiers [Release date 12.11.21] Few bands get back together after a 14 year breakup, but that’s what Sweden’s Power Metal band, Insania have done. Twin vocalists, twin guitars, bubbling bass and ahhh… that double kick bass drum thump on the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts)
Tagged album, Frontiers, Helloween, Insania, Iron Maiden, power metal, review, Sweden
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Album review: ALAN PARSONS – The NeverEnding Show, Live In The Netherlands (DVD + 2CDs)
Frontiers [Release date 12.11.21] Lets face it, Alan Parsons showed good judgement and exquisite taste by recording with legendary bands, Ambrosia and Pink Floyd (but not together, though that would have interesting), back in the seventies. He could probably have … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, album, Ambrosia, DVD, Frontiers, Jason Mraz, live, Lou Gramm, Mark Mikel, Netherlands, Pink Floyd, Progressive Rock, review, Utrecht
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