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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: MATT PEARCE AND THE MUTINY /JACK J HUTCHINSON- The Grace, London, 12 April 2025
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Gig review: SWEET – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 April 2025
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Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER- The Garage, London, 28 March 2025
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Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025
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Gig review: JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE – The Underworld, Camden, March 13 2025
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Gig review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Cadogan Hall, London, 20 March 2025
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Featured Album Reviews
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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : HAREM SCAREM – Chasing Euphoria
Frontiers [Release date : 25.04.25] Melodic Hard Rock heroes, Harem Scarem are back with their 16th album. Harry Hess and Pete Lesperance still form the core of the band, with Creighton Doane and Mike Vassos providing a rock solid rhythm … Continue reading
Album review : SICK’N'BEAUTIFUL – Horror Vacui
BLKIIBLK/Frontiers [Release date 18.04.25] Sick’n’Beautiful’s fourth album and their first release on Frontiers’ debut “heavy music imprint”, BLKIIBLK. Horror Vacui is an artistic concept, roughly translated from Latin as fear of empty spaces. Fronted by the sexually alluring Herma Sick … Continue reading
Album review : LAURENNE / LOUHIMO – Falling Through Stars
Frontiers Music [Release date : 18.04.25] We reviewed Laurenne / Louhimo’s “the lockdown made me do it” debut album in 2021 (obviously). For the uninitiated, L/L is a musical marriage of Smackbound’s Netta Laurenne and Battle Beast’s Noora Louhimo. Netta’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, Laurenne Louhimo, melodic metal, Nino Laurenne, review, symphonic rock, Thunderstone
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Album review : ROCK-OUT Let’s Call It Rock’n’Roll
Frontiers Music [Release date : 11.04.25] Third album from Swiss band, Rock-Out. I know, let’s sign a band who sound a bit like AC/DC, a bit like Accept, and a lot like Krokus. It’s a pretty limited soundscape, especially as … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Accept, Frontiers, hard rock, KROKUS, review, Swiss
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Album review : JON PARDI – Honkytonk Hollywood
Capitol Records/Snakefarm [Release date : 11.04.25] Not for nothing is Jon Pardi one of Nashville’s pre eminent country artists. He was Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2023, thanks to a quartet of best selling albums and numerous hit … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged country rock, Grand Ole Opry, Jackson Browne, Joe Walsh, Jon PARDI, Nashville, review
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Album review: ALLIANCE – Before Our Eyes
Frontiers Music [Release date: 28.03.25] Before Our Eyes is the new album from Alliance: Robert (3, GTR) Berry, David (Sammy Hagar) Lauser and Gary (Boston) Pihl. It’s their first on Frontiers, and only their sixth in 30 years. The band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alliance, Boston, David Lauser, Gary Pihl, GTR, Hagar, melodic hard rock, review, Robert Berry
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Album review : STONE FOUNDATION – The Revival Of Survival
100% Records [Release date : 28.03.25] Eleventh album from English 8 piece soul band, Stone Foundation. It’s said that you should judge people by the company they keep. If four time Grammy nominee, Melba Moore; Nina Simone soundalike, Sheree Dubois; … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged funk, JP Bimini, Omar, Paul Weller, review, Revival Of Survival, soul, Stone Foundation
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Album review : CARE OF NIGHT – Live At The Sweden Rock Festival
Frontiers Music [Release date: 28.03.25] With three highly rated Melodic Rock albums under their belt, Sweden’s Care Of Night were a welcome act at their home country’s annual Rock Festival last year. Along with others on Frontiers melodic rock roster, … Continue reading
Album review : THE QUIREBOYS – Hey You! The Parlophone Years 1989-93 (4 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.25] From Choirboys to Queerboys to Quire Boys. This 4 CD set is a compact quartet of Quireboy’s music, comprising their first two charting albums, with bonus tracks, plus an album of demos and an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Guy Bailey, Kevin Savigar, Parlophone Years, Quireboys, review, Sharon Osborne, Spike
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Album review : W.E.T. – Apex
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.03.25] Fourth album from WET, whose ranks have swollen from three members to six. What was once Robert Sall (Work Of Art), Erik Martensson (Eclipse) and Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman), is now those three plus … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)
Tagged Apex, Eclipse, Frontiers Music, melodic rock, review, Talisman, W.E.T., Work Of Art
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Album review : GINEVRA – Beyond Tomorrow
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.03.25] The name of Swedish “supergroup”, Ginevra has its origins in the Celtic, Norman and Italian languages. Sources seem to settle on “White Phantom” as its meaning. This is the band’s second album. The band: … Continue reading
Album review : JINGLE JANGLE MORNING – The 1960′s US Folk Rock Explosion,
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.25] From the beginning to the end, this is five star stuff. Heavily influenced by The Beatles “invasion” of the USA in the sixties, electrified Folk Rock became the currency of US rock’n’roll. This 3 … Continue reading
Album review : CRIMSON GLORY – The Roadrunner Years (3 CD)
Cherry Red [Release date 21/03/25] The Cherry Red label is currently on a run of highly compelling Heavy Metal reissues. We’ve had Wrath, Tigertailz, Barren Cross in only the last month, and very recently, the superb Vision Of Disorder. This … Continue reading
Album review : CLIMIE FISHER – Everything (Deluxe 5 CD boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 21.03.25] Cherry Red released a hugely expanded version of Climie Fisher’s second album, Coming In For The Kill, last year. They’ve now totally outdone themselves with this 5 CD boxset of the duo’s preceding (and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged boxset, Cherry Red, Climie Fisher, Everything, review, Simon Climie, Stephen Hague, Steve Lillywhite
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Album review: JON ANDERSON & THE BAND GEEKS – Live, Perpetual Change
Frontiers [Release date : 14.03.25] We reviewed Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks’ debut album, True, last year. For the Geeks, Richie (BOC) Castellano, Andy Ascolese, Christopher Clark and Matt Beck, the self deprecating band name turned out to be … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blue Oyster Cult, Frontiers, Jon Anderson, live, Perpetual Change, review, Richie Castellano, The Band Geeks, Yes
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Album review : STREETLIGHT – Night Vision
Frontiers Music [Release date : 14.03.25] After an artfully conceived AOR debut in 2024, Streetlight’s trajectory remains on an upward curve. And, to no one’s surprise, pretty well everywhere you scratch the paint on Night Vision, you’ll find the 1980s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brian Wilson, Johnny Hates Jazz, melodic rock, Night Vision, review, Steely Dan, Streetlight, Toto
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Album review : ENBOUND – Set It Free (w/bonus CD)
Embrace The Fear [Release date : 21.02.25] 2025’s Set it Free is Enbound’s third album, a follow up to Blackened, if an album 9 years later can be described as a “follow up”. Nice (if expensive) piece of marketing here… … Continue reading
Album review : VISION OF DISORDER – Vision of Disorder / Imprint (2 CD Deluxe Digipak)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] The early nineties was a strange time for Heavy Metal. US band, Vision Of Disorder emerged from a morass of subgenres and splinter groups, all following different paths, all pursuing different objectives, mostly with … Continue reading
Album review : PERFECT PLAN – Heart Of A Lion
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.02.25] With his fourth Perfect Plan album, Kent Hilli has truly deciphered the AOR code. Heart Of A Lion is a superb, beautifully crafted melodic rock recording, mixing keys and guitars in varying measures, creating … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Brother Firetribe, Frontiers, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan, review, Survivor
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Album review : THE MOVE – Message From The Country (Remaster/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] 1971: The Move record and release their final album, Message From The Country. The band is now Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan. All accomplished musicians. All skilled, imaginative songwriters. They are about … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bev Bevan, bonus tracks, ELO, Jeff Lyne, Message From The Country, remaster, review, Roy Wood, The Move
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Album review : HUMBLE PIE – Hallelujah 1973-1983 (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] CD1 : Onto Victory (1980) CD2 : Go For The Throat (1981) CD3 : Pyramid Eye Chatanooga (live 1982) CD4 : Annie’s Club Cincinatti (live 1983) CD5 : Live At Winterland (1973) Initially comprising … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged blues, Greg Ridley, Humble Pie, Iain McGonigal, Jerry Shirley, Peter Frampton, review, rock, soul, Steve Marriott, Uncut Magazine
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Album review : ROBIN MCAULEY – Soulbound
Frontiers Music [Released Date : 28.02.25] Third solo album on Frontiers from the much travelled rock singer Robin McAuley. His travels have all been well documented online. The worth repeating bits: He bookended his three album stint with Schenker in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Aldo Lonobile, Black Swan, Dave Wilson, Far Corporation, Frontiers, review, Robin McAuley, Schenker, Survivor
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Album review : BARREN CROSS – Atomic Arena/State Of Control (2 CD Deluxe Digipak)
Cherry Red [Release date 21.02.25] The second and third albums released by Christian Metal heroes, Barren Cross, are now together for the first time, remastered and reissued by Cherry Red, with ‘2 bonus tracks’ added. Atomic Arena (1988) State Of … Continue reading
Album review : MANTRIC MOMENTUM – Alienized
Frontiers Music [Release date : 14.02.25] It’s all in the family with Mantric Momentum. Second album from cousins and close friends Terje (Pyramaze) Haroy on vocals, and Christer (Crossnail) Haroy on everything else. The band idea took 6 years to … Continue reading
Album review : MUD – The Rak Years 1973-75 (3 albums on 2 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date : 14.02.25] There can be no doubt that Mud grabbed tight hold of the glam pop template, and tongue firmly in cheek, reshaped it in their own likeness. After several years of unsuccessful releases, the band, … Continue reading
