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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: CHEZ KANE- Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames, 2 April 2026
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
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Gig review: EMERALD MOON – Le Marquee, Peyrignac, Dordogne, SW France, 7 March 2026
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Author Archives: jason
Book review: OFF THE CHARTS by KAT GOLDMAN
Sutherland House [Publication date 09.02.21] Canadian singer songwriter Kat Goldman has made four critically acclaimed albums and her songs have been covered by Grammy-nominated band, The Duhks, Dar Williams, among many others. I will be honest I had not … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, folk, Kat Goldman, memoir, Off The Charts, pop, review, singer songwriter
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Album review: RADAR – Lost In The Atlantic
Escape Music [Release date 19.02.21] Escape Music have a knack of uncovering long lost albums, or in the case of Radar, one that has never had a proper release until now. Radar was formed in 1981 by David West (keyboards, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 80's pop, album, Go West, Lost In The Atlantic, Nik Kershaw, pop, Radar, review, synth pop
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EP review: TEMPERANCE – Melodies Of Green And Blue
Napalm Records [Release date 19.02.21] Italian melodic metal band Temperance have been around since 2013, releasing their latest studio album ‘Viridian’ last year. They also feature three vocalists, namely Alessia Scolletti, Michele Guaitoli and Marco Pastorino (although he is credited … Continue reading
Album review: JASON BIELER & THE BARON VON BIELSKI ORCHESTRA – Songs For The Apocalypse
Frontiers [Release date 29.01.21] Jason Bieler scored a winner with hard rockers Saigon Kick (who had a US hit with ‘Love Is On The Way’ in 1991), and since then Jason Bieler has been mixing up styles. Indeed, when asked … Continue reading
Album review: MILTON HIDE – Temperature’s Rising
www.miltonhide.com [Release date 05.03.21] Milton Hide emerged out of the East Sussex open mic and folk club circuit five years ago, where the acoustic duo picked up many plaudits for their debut EP, ‘Little Fish’, released in 2018. Now husband … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, country, folk, melodic, Milton Hide, review, singer songwriter, Temperature’s Rising
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Album review: BLACK SABBATH – Vol.4 Super Deluxe Edition
WIN A COPY!! Competition closes 14.02.21 Sanctuary (5LP) [Release date 12.02.21] Now here really is a special edition of a genuinely classic album, by one of the original developers of the whole heavy metal genre, Black Sabbath. Originally a blues … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Reissues
Tagged Bill Ward, Black Sabbath, box set, Geezer Butler, heavy metal classic album, Ozzy Osbourne, review, Steve Wilson, Tony Iommi, Vinyl, Vol.4 Super Deluxe Edition
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Album review: THE GOLD NEEDLES – What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You?
Jem Records [Release date 19.02.21] The Gold Needles are onto album number three that features nine new original songs plus three covers including The Hollies ‘Have You Ever Loved Somebody’ and The Beatles ‘If I Needed Someone.’ Formed in 2015, … Continue reading
News: CHEAP TRICK, FM, LEAGUE OF LIGHTS (February 2021)
Cheap Trick release their new album ‘In Another World’ on April 9 via BMG. Sweet Oblivion featuring Geoff Tate release their second album ‘Relentless’ on April 9 via Frontiers. FM release a double live album ‘Tough It Out Live’ on … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged blues, Cheap Trick, classic rock, festivals, FM, folk, gigs, League Of Lights, metal, New releases, news, rock, tours
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Album review: ACCEPT – Too Mean To Die
Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.01.21] Accept, the German masters of heavy metal for more than 40 years and key influencers on bands such as Metallica and Iron Maiden, return with their 16th studio album – ‘Too Mean To Die’. Accept … Continue reading
Album review: LUCERO – When You Found Me
Thirty Tigers [Release date 29.01.21] Lucero’s last album, 2018’s ‘Among The Ghosts’, was a real treat and new discovery to this reviewer. Lucero have reunited once more with Grammy Award winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Drive-by Truckers) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alt country, Americana, Ben Nichols, Bob Seger, country, folk, Lucero, review, southern rock, When You Found Me
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Single review: KING OF THE DEAD – Destroy My Name
Independent [Release date 08.01.21] The first few bars of interplay between rhythm and lead guitar from King Of The Dead could be Status Quo, but once the vocals are launched we’re back in NWOBHM territory. Pacey, piercing, high pitched, they … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Destroy My Name, King Of The Dead, metal, punk, review, rock, single
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Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Skycrest
AFM Records [Release date 04.12.20] Installed like a figurehead at the prow of European heavy metal, Piet Sielck’s Iron Savior proudly trail the story of this classic musical movement behind them. You could argue that along with Kai Hansen, Sielck … Continue reading
Album review: BITE THE BULLET – Black & White
Escape Music [Release date 27.11.20] Bite The Bullet were originally formed in 1986 by singer songwriter Mick Benton and drummer Graham Cowling (who are also the only two musicians on this album) and they released their debut album in 1989. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bite The Bullet, Black & White, Escape Music, melodic rock, Mr Mister, pop rock, review, The Outfield
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Album review: IRON MASK – Master Of Masters
AFM Records [Release date 05.12.20] For those who live and work outside Power Metal territory, bands like Iron Mask sound much like every other Power Metal band. When you’re on the inside though, perspective comes easy. Different musical styles readily … Continue reading
Album review: THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND – Live At The Nassau Coliseum, May 4 1979
Floating World Singer, songwriter, guitarist and violinist Charlie Daniels, who sadly left us last year, was a pioneer in that he brought together country, blues, bluegrass, rhythm’n’blues and southern rock. A kind of centre point, it’s not until you listen … Continue reading
Album review: SORCERESS OF SIN – Mirrored Revenge
Bandcamp [Release date 27.11.20] Sorceress Of Sin formed in 2020 in Cambridge, based around vocalist/lyricist Lisa Skinner and her husband, drummer Paul Skinner. By day they run a post office but after hours they go all power metal! Joining them … Continue reading
Album review: CREYE – II
Frontiers [Release date 22.01.21] Second album from Creye, a Swedish band founded by Andreas Gullstrand, now fronted by new vocalist, August Rauer. Sweden has been the lightning rod for AOR and melodic rock since the eighties, delivering up aspiring band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andreas Gullstrand, AOR, August Rauer, Creye, Frontiers, II, melodic rock, review
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Album review: PHANTOM ELITE – Titanium
Frontiers Records (Release date 22/01/21) On their second album now, Phantom Elite grew from the seeds of an HDK tour band, embracing Progressive Rock, Contemporary Metal and Symphonic Rock, evolving into what we see today. Fronted by Marina (Avantasia) La … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amanda Somerville, Frontiers, HDK, Marina La Torraca, melodic metal, metal, Phantom Elite, prog metal, review, Titanium
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Album review: WIG WAM – Never Say Die
Frontiers Records [Release date 22.01.21] Much of today’s melodic rock’n’roll has degenerated into pro-tooled, prefabricated, flatpack assembly blandness. So it’s a genuine joy to hear Wigwam’s Never Say Die, their first release since reforming in 2020. It’s a relentless powerhouse … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, glam metal, glam rock, hard rock, Never Say Die, review, rock, Wigwam
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Album review: THE GALILEO 7 – Decayed
Bandcamp Medway’s finest, fronted by Allan Crockford (ex-Prisoners), mark their tenth anniversary as a band with a limited edition album containing studio recordings of some of their favourite cover versions that have featured in their live set over the years. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, Allan Crockford, Bandcamp, Covers, Decayed, Galileo 7, indie, interview, pop, pop rock, Prisoners, review
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Quick plays: AUTUMN’S CHILD, ALABAMA SLIM, LONELY THE BRAVE
AUTUMN’S CHILD Angel’s Gate AOR Heaven [Release date 26.02.21] Mikael Erlandsson used to release albums like clockwork (every January) with Last Autumn’s Dream and now his new band Autumn’s Child are back with album number two, a year after the … Continue reading
Album review: JAMIE’S GUNS – Jamie’s Guns
I picked this album up as Jamie’s Guns had shared it on NWOCR Facebook group, I had a half listen while I was working, to the initial track “Whiplash”, stopped what I was doing, immediately played the album in its … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bruce Springsteen, debut, Gaslight Anthem, Jamie's Guns, melodic, modern rock, review, rock
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EP review: THE LICKERISH QUARTET – Threesome Vol. 2
Stranger Danger [Release date 15.01.21] The Lickerish Quartet return with their second four song EP. The band comprise ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr, Tim Smith and Eric Dover and like the much missed Jellyfish, they carry on that band’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, indie pop, indie rock, Jellyfish, melodic, pop rock, power pop, review, the Lickerish Quartet, Threesome Vol 2
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Album review: VOODOO CIRCLE – Locked & Loaded
AFM Records [Release date 15.01.21] Locked & Loaded is Voodoo Circle’s love letter to Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake. We should all be delighted that Alex Beyrodt got the band back together again. The classic line up, we mean. The team … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AFM Records, album, Alex Beydrot, David Readman, hard rock, heavy metal, Locked & Loaded, review, rock, VOODOO CIRCLE
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Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Live albums
Frontiers Records [Release date 04.12.20] Even when hearing familiar Blue Oyster Cult material performed live, you are reminded of just how different they are to all in their peer group. These two live recordings are densely packed with reasons that … Continue reading
