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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2027
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2027)
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2027)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2027)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : HARMONY IN MY HEAD – The Music That Inspired The Genius Of Brian Wilson
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Album review : ASIA – Indigo
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Quick play reviews: CHRISTOPHER GORDON, AVRAK
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Album review: THE PINEAPPLE THIEF – Far And Wide
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Album review: PURE REASON REVOLUTION – Terrifying Angels
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Album review : NEAL MORSE & THE RESONANCE – River Of Light
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Latest Gig Reviews
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
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Author Archives: brianmc
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
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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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Album review : BARRIE JAMES – Strange Desire
Vacancy Records [release date 12.11.21] Strange Desire is the third solo album from Glasgow’s ex Kassidy frontman, Barrie James O’Neil (now minus the surname). Barrie decamped to LA in 2016, motivated by the usual young-artist-seeks-wealth-and-fame ambition. A handful of years … Continue reading
Album review: ENUFF Z’NUFF – Hardrock Nite
Frontiers [Release date: 12.11.21] Enuff Z’Nuff do an album of Fab Four covers, at last. We used to think it was a given, but it never happened. There’s distance now, and with that comes perspective. Arguably, only Wilson Pickett (Hey … Continue reading
Album review: MEMORIA AVENUE – Memoria Avenue
Frontiers [Release date 05.11.21] Debut album from Memoria Avenue, a collaboration between talented writer/ guitarist/ Producer, Tor Talle, and up and coming vocalist, and fellow Norwegian, Jan Le Brandt. A polished production and neatly tailored arrangements define the early part … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, James Reyne, Jan Le Brandt, melodic rock, Memoria Avenue, review, Tor Talle
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Album review: ORANGE GOBLIN – Rough and Ready, Live and Loud, 25 Years of British Rock and Heavy Metal
Dissonance/Cherry Red [Release date: 5.11.21] Counting back to 1995, Orange Goblin are a ten album band, whose latest live recording was available only as a digital release in 2020, due to the unforseen circumstance we call Covid. Now it’ll … Continue reading
Album review: FANS OF THE DARK – Fans Of The Dark
Frontiers [Release date: 05.11.21] Fans Of The Dark are a new Melodic Rock band formed by songwriter / drummer, Freddie Allen, the driving force behind AOR legends-in-the-making, Houston. He’s brought in Alex Falk on vocals, with guitarist, Oscar Bromvall and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Fans of the Dark, Frontiers, Hollywood, Houston, melodic rock, Movies, Norway, Oscar Wilde, review, Tor Talle
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Album review: LOVERBOY – Loverboy and Get Lucky (Remasters)
Rock Candy Records [release date 24.09.21] Selling 6 million between them, Loverboy’s self titled debut (1980) and follow up, Get Lucky (1981), have now had the treatment from Rock Candy Records. Forty years of remastering evolution has brought us to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bob Rock, Bruce Fairbairn, Canada, Get Lucky, Loverboy, melodic rock, remasters, review, Rock Candy Records
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Album review: BURNING POINT – Arsonist Of The Soul
AFM Records [Release date: 22.10.21] Finnish band, Burning Point have never found their way into the vanguard of European Power Metal. To their credit, despite being handicapped by lacklustre albums and personnel changes, they’ve kept moving forward. Now, five years … Continue reading
Album review: LEVERAGE – Above The Beyond
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] AOR, Melodic Rock, Power Metal, Progmetal … Leverage are none of these yet they are all of these. On their 5th album now and the music gets harder to define and easier to admire. It’s perhaps … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Brother Firetribe, heavy metal, Kansas, Kimmo Blom, melodic rock, progrock, review, Robbie Steinhardt, Tyketto
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Album review: THE GRANDMASTER – Skywards
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] Grandmaster is vocalist Nando Fernandez of Brazilian metal band, Sinistra, paired with incomparable metal guitarist Jens (Edguy) Ludwig. It’s a match made in Frontiers’ HQ. The songs have been written by, and the album produced by … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Alssandro DelVecchio, Edguy, Frontiers, Jens Ludwig, Nando Hernandez, power metal, review, Sinistra
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Album review: LORDS OF BLACK – Alchemy Of Souls II
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] Fifth album from metallers, Lords Of Black, the Ronnie Romero/ Tony Hernando band. They brand themselves as a “Progressive” Power Metal band. You can see strong hints of how this plays out when first viewing the … Continue reading
Album review: ALCATRAZZ – V
Silver Lining Music [Release date: 15.10.21] Now that Doogie White and Joe Stump are onboard, Alcatrazz have abandoned all that wimpy rock stuff, and mainlined themselves into the world of heavy metal, on this, their second album with Silver Lining. … Continue reading
Album review: JOSH TURNER – King Size Manger
Spinefarm Records [release date 08.10.21] On his latest album, King Size Manger, Josh Turner has put his own self penned/co-written material up against famous 19th century Christmas Carols like ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’, ‘The First Nowell’ and ‘Silent … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Christmas, Church, Classic Carols, Country Music, review
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Album review: ALCATRAZZ – The Best Of and Live In The USA (2 CD set)
Store For Music [Release date: 08.10.21] It’s not the first time this Best Of Alcatrazz collection has been available in CD form, so the additional CD of live material is very welcome. Winnowing down Alcatrazz’s “best songs” from three eighties’ … Continue reading
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Tagged album, best of, Danny Johnson, Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo, live, Lizzy Border, Malmsteen, Michael Kiske, review, Tomorrows Outlook, Vai
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Album review: SPIRIT – Sunrise And Salvation, The Mercury Era Anthology (Remasters, 8 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [release date: 08.10.21] Accidentally or on purpose, Spirit managed to avoid true success, giving the firm impression that if their career ever got anywhere near the glittering shop window of fame, they put the pedal to the metal, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, boxset, Dylan, Hendrix, Jay Ferguson, live, Mick Skidmore, Randy California, review, seventies, sixties, Spirit, studio, unreleased, Zappa
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Album review: PAUL McDONALD – Modern Hearts
Vacancy Records [release date 01.10.21] Alabama native and American Idol finalist, Paul McDonald was voted through to the Hollywood “play off” by no less than Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. It was a mark of the man. Where … Continue reading
