Author Archives: jason

Gig review: CROPREDY FESTIVAL, 9-11 August 2018

Posted on August 15, 2018 by jason

Day One: Thursday Cropredy 2018 kicks off with Fairport Convention doing a brief twenty-minute acoustic stint. We’ll be hearing a lot more from them later on in the weekend, of course, but a short opening set from the hosts has … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Brian Wilson, Cropedy, Fairport Convention, festival, Fish, folk, Kate Rusby, Maartin Allcock, pop, progressive, review, rock, Rod Stewart, THE BEACHBOYS, The Levellers | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE OCTOBER – I Hope You’re Happy

Posted on August 14, 2018 by jason

Up/Down-Brando Records [Release date 17.08.18] Blue October return with their ninth album with expectations high after the excellent ‘Home’ album released in 2016. Vocalist and main songwriter Justin Furstenfeld is in a happy place in his personal life being a proud and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, alternative, BLUE OCTOBER, dance, I Hope You're Happy, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, melodic, review, rock | Leave a comment

EP review: EPICA – Epica vs Attack On Titan

Posted on August 14, 2018 by jason

Nuclear Blast [Release date 20.07.18] This EP features Epica covering songs based on the Japanese anime ‘Attack On Titan’. It features four songs (along with an instrumental version of each song) originally written and composed by Revo of Linked Horizon (who is a fan of … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, PURE METAL (All posts), Single and EP reviews | Tagged anime, EP, Epica, Epica vs Attack On Titan, melodic, metal, review, Revo, Simone Simons, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

EP review: THE JUPITER BLUES

Posted on August 9, 2018 by jason

Facebook [Release date 01.09.18] Formed in 2017 under the moniker Jupiter Hollow, the Jupiter Blues play a mix of blues, southern rock and a little bit of soul. The band’s line-up is Dale Orenda (vocals, percussion), Chris Mitchell (lead guitar) Rick … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews | Tagged blues, country, EP, melodic, review, rock, southern rock, The Allman Brothers, the Jupiter Blues, The Outlaws | Leave a comment

Album review: THE MAGPIE SALUTE – High Water 1

Posted on August 8, 2018 by jason

Mascot Label Group [Release date 10.08.18] Saluting the magpie is an old English country tradition meant to ward off unsavory events or bad tidings and is, by extension, a symbolic gesture of “coming in peace”. Delving into the background of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Back Crowes, blues, High Water 1, melodic, review, Rich Robinson, rock, southern, the Magpie Salute | Leave a comment

Album review: JOSH TAERK – Beautiful Tragedy

Posted on August 7, 2018 by jason

Misty Creek Records [Release date 28.09.18] Josh Taerk returns with a new album his first since 2015′s ‘Here’s To Change’, although four of the songs on here were on last year’s ‘Stages’ EP. Teddy Morgan (Kevin Costner and Modern West, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Beautiful Tragedy, country, Josh Taerk, melodic, pop, review, rock, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Quick plays: SULPHER, NIGHT DEMON, DANIEL TRIGGER

Posted on August 2, 2018 by jason

SULPHER No One Will Ever Know SPV/Oblivion [Release date 31.08.18] Suplher formed back in 2000 by vocalist/guitarist Rob Holliday (Marilyn Manson/The Prodigy) and drummer Steve Monti, who has worked with the likes of Gary Numan and the Jesus and the Mary … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, alt rock, Daniel Trigger, Industrial, live, Live Darkness, melodic rock, metal, Night Demon, No One Will Ever Know, review, SPV, Sulpher | Leave a comment

Album review: NITRATE – Real World

Posted on August 2, 2018 by jason

MelodicRock Records [Release date 20.07.18] Nitrate is a new band and the brainchild of Nick Hogg (guitars, keyboards) with his main songwriting partner being Midnite City’s Rob Wylde (lead, rhythm & bass guitars, vocals). The band is completed by vocalist Joss Mennen … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 80's rock, album, AOR, Harem Scarem, melodic, melodic rock, Midnite City, Nitrate, Real World, review, rock, Zinatra | Leave a comment

Gig review: THUNDERSTICK – Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend, 28 July 2018

Posted on July 31, 2018 by jason

Back in the early 80s after a three-album stint with Samson, masked drummer and NWOBHM pioneer Thunderstick (Barry Graham Purkis) formed a band of the same name. Female-fronted, first with Ana Marie Borg then with Jodee Valentine, it allowed Purkis … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 28 July 2018, classic rock, drummer, gig, Gravesend, Leo’s Red Lion, metal, NWOBHM, review, Samson, Thunderstick, Viixen | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DESTINIA, THE RADIO SUN, RAT SCABIES

Posted on July 30, 2018 by jason

DESTINIA Metal Souls Frontiers [Release date 13.07.18] Destinia is the new project featuring Japanese shred merchant Nozomu Wakai, who has released two albums to date under his own name – ‘Requiem For A Scream’ (2014) and ‘Anecdote Of The Queens’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Beautiful Strange, Destinia, Frontiers, Lords Of Black, melodic, metal, Metal Souls, Nozomu Wakai, Rainbow, Rat Scabies, review, rock, Ronnie Romero, shred, The Damned, THE RADIO SUN | Leave a comment

Album review: SAXON – Reissues (Innocence Is No Excuse, Rock The Nations, Destiny)

Posted on July 30, 2018 by jason

BMG [Release date 10.08.18] BMG complete their run of the CD remasters from Saxon and take in the mid to late 80s. This trio of albums by the NWoBHM legends are often overlooked, and looking back now they are far … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Reissues | Tagged album, Biff Byford, Destiny, heavy rock, Innocence Is No Excuse, metal, reissue, review, Rock The Nations, Saxon | Leave a comment

DVD review: ERIC CLAPTON – Life In 12 Bars

Posted on July 30, 2018 by jason

Eagle Vision [08.06.18] When it comes to guitar legends they don’t get much bigger, or more influential, then Eric Clapton. They also don’t come much more damaged and this excellent new biographical documentary brings us his story, warts and all. … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged Blind Faith, Bluray, classic rock, Cream, Derek and The Dominos, documentary, DVD, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Life In 12 Bars, review, The Yardbirds | Leave a comment

EP review: DEAD AGENTS

Posted on July 26, 2018 by jason

Facebook [Release date 27.04.18] Hailing from the West Midlands (a big plus point in this reviewer’s unbiased opinion!), Dead Agents describe themselves as the “lost boys” of alternative rock. Dead Agents are Geoff Fry (drums), Adam Furmage (bass, vocals), David James Foster (vocal, rhythm … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Single and EP reviews | Tagged alt rock, Dead Agents, Diamond Head, EP, melodic, review, rock, the Bad Flowers | Leave a comment

Album review: JERRY HULL – Strange Afternoons

Posted on July 26, 2018 by jason

Facebook [Release date 18.05.18] Jerry Hull is a singer, pianist, songwriter, and arranger, from Memphis Tennessee who is now based in Hull in the UK. ‘Strange Afternoons’, his sixth album, follows hot on the heels of his last album ‘Celebrate In … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Billy Joel, blues, easy listening, jazz, Jerry Hull, melodic, pop, review, rock, singer songwriter, Strange Afternoons | Leave a comment

Album review: BULLETS AND OCTANE – Waking Up Dead

Posted on July 26, 2018 by jason

Cargo Records [Release date 16.08.18] If you have never heard the band Bullets and Octane before, you will undoubtedly be sold within the first two tracks on new album “Waking Up Dead”. Pretty much picking up where 2013’s “15” left … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Buckcherry, Bullets And Octane, Gene Louis, glam, Hanoi Rocks, punk, review, rock, Waking Up Dead | Leave a comment

Album review: METRO VELOUR – Hey You

Posted on July 23, 2018 by jason

Facebook Based in the small picturesque village of Montauroux in the Côte d’Azur region of the south of France, Metro Velour are an old school garage punk band. The four-piece is composed of Sebastian Smith (rhythm guitar and vocals), Louis … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, garage rock, Hey You, Metro Velour, New York Dolls, punk, review, rock, Sebastian Smith, The Ramones | Leave a comment

Album review: COWBOY JUNKIES – All That Reckoning

Posted on July 21, 2018 by jason

Proper Music [Release date 13.07.18] “All That Reckoning” is the 17th studio album from Cowboy Junkies since they formed back in 1985. The album is easy to listen to with every song telling a story, whether that be deep, personal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, All That Reckoning, alt rock, Americana, country, Cowboy Junkies, folk, review, rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: MOB RULES, MIKE VASS

Posted on July 19, 2018 by jason

MOB RULES Beast Reborn SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 24.08.18] Mob Rules have been around for awhile now and although never reaching the heights of popularity of some fellow power metal bands, they have built a large and loyal following. Their latest album … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged albums, Beast Reborn, folk, melodic, metal, Mike Vass, Mob Rules, Notes From The Boat, power metal, review, rock, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Gig review: CORNBURY FESTIVAL – The Great Tew Estate, Oxfordhire, 14 July, 2018

Posted on July 16, 2018 by jason

After 14 years and appearances by some of the world’s biggest names in music the Cornbury Music Festival held its ‘last ever’ showcase of music and performances in July last year. However, barely three months after many fans asked for it … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 14 July 2018, Alanis Morissette, Cornbury Festival, country, folk, funk, gig, Mavis Staples, Oxfordshire, Pixie Lott, pop, PP Arnold, review, rock, soul, The Great Tew Park | Leave a comment

Album review: POWERWOLF – The Sacrament Of Sin

Posted on July 12, 2018 by jason

Napalm Records [Release date 20.07.18] Powerwolf are back with their seventh album, or as the band would put it their latest set of psalms! They have been building on their fanbase with each successive release and tour – they are … Continue reading →