Author Archives: Phil Berisford

Album Review: RATED X – Rated X

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers Records [release date 10.11.14] Rated X are another one of Frontiers’ all-star bands featuring some big names from the past. Who do we have here then? Well the well-travelled Joe Lynn Turner features on vocals, two-thirds of the original … Continue reading →

Album Review: BLOODBOUND – Stormborn

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [release date 21.11.14] Swedish metal-heads Bloodbound return with an evil looking album to celebrate their tenth anniversary and like their last release “In The Name Of Metal”, you just know what to expect with “Stormborn”…or do you… Enjoyable … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile) | Tagged AFM, album, Anders Broman, Bloodbound, Fredrik Bergh, Henrik Olsson, metal, Patrik Johansson, Pelle Akerlind, review, Stormborn, Tomas Olsson | Leave a comment

Album review: ALLEN-LANDE – The Great Divide

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers Records [Release date 20.10.14] Russell Allen and Jorn Lande return under the Allen-Lande moniker after a four year absence with “The Great Divide”. This time around however, song writing and guitars are courtesy of one Timo Tolkki…hmm…this bit worries … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Allen-Lande, Frontiers, Jorn Lande, review, Russell Allen, Symphony X, The Great Divide, Timo Tolkki | Leave a comment

Album review: DENNIS DEYOUNG – The Music of Styx : Live in Los Angeles

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers Records [Release date 20.10.14] Styx are one of my all time favourite bands and Dennis DeYoung was the vocalist, keyboard maestro and genius behind some of their biggest hits…but their biggest hit Babe, which is obviously featured on here, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, August Zadra, Craig Carter, DENNIS DeYOUNG, Frontiers, Jimmy Leahey, John Blasucci, live, pomp rock, review, Styx, The Music of Styx : Live in Los Angeles, Tom Sharpe | Leave a comment

Album review: LYRIEL – Skin And Bones

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [Release date 26.09.14] Lyriel are another one of AFM’s roster that has totally passed me by until now. This German band formed way back in 2003 and debut “Prisonworld” was released in 2005. “Autumntales”, “Paranoid Circus” and “Leverage” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM, album, folk metal, gothic metal, Jessica Thierjung, Joon Laukamp, Linda Laukamp, Lyriel, Markus Fidorra, Oliver Thierjung, review, Skin And Bones, Tim Sonnenstuhl | Leave a comment

Album review: XTASY – Revolution

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Phil Berisford

MelodicRock Records [Release date 13.10.14] Andrew McNeice, the man behind melodicrock.com, has tapped into the Spanish melodic scene for Xtasy and their debut album Revolution. Xtasy were founded back in 2011 by guitarist Jorge and vocalist Silvia and they recorded … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andrew McNeice, melodic rock, MelodicRock Records, review, Revolution, Xtasy | Leave a comment

Album review: STRYPER – Live At The Whisky

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers Records [Release date 22.09.14] First we had a cover’s album, then re-recordings of old numbers and then finally a decent new album and now Stryper’s comeback continues with the obligatory live album (with me being cynical, this is a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Christian metal, Frontiers, live, Live at the Whisky, Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, review, Robert Sweet, Stryper, Tim Gaines | Leave a comment

Album review: KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Megalomania

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [Release date 05.09.14] Kissin’ Dynamite are a young German rock band from the southern Swabia region of the country and even though they are still in their early twenties “Megalomania” is their 4th album. Debut album “Steel of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AFM, album, Ande Braun, Andreas Schnitzer, German Rock, Hannes Braun, Jim Müller, Kissin’ Dynamite, Megalomania, review, Steffan Haile | Leave a comment

Album review: STATE OF SALAZAR – All The Way

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers Records [Release date 25.08.14] “All The Way” is the debut album from Swedish band State Of Salazar and the review could be condensed to state “yet another Scandinavian rock band releases yet another superbly produced slice of genuine 1980’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, All The Way, AOR, Frontiers, review, State of Salazar | Leave a comment

Album review: enkELINATION – Tears Of Lust

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Phil Berisford

enkElination [Release date 21.07.14] Finnish opera singer Elina Siirala moved to the UK back in 2008 in order to study music. She formed enkElination back in 2011 and “Tears of Lust” is their first full album following on from an … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Elina Siirala, enkElination, female fronted rock, review, Tears Of Lust | Leave a comment

Album review: EMIL BULLS – Sacrifice To Venus

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [Release date 08.08.14] Emil Bulls are a German alternative metal band who I have never heard of even though “Sacrifice To Venus” is their 8th album according to the AFM press release (if you include their acoustic live … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alternative rock, Andreas Bock, Christoph von Freydorf, Emil Bulls, James Richardson, metalcore, review, Sacrifice To Venus, Stephan Karl | Leave a comment

Album review : TED NUGENT – ShutUp&Jam!

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers [Release date 04.07.14] Me and Uncle Ted have never been close – I did have a copy of Little Miss Dangerous but don’t now so it couldn’t have been very good. Lemmy croaked through a cover of Cat Scratch … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, Derek St. Holmes, Mick Brown, review, Sammy Hagar, ShutUp&Jam!, Ted Nugent, Uncle Ted | Leave a comment

Album review: KROKUS – Long Stick Goes Boom (Live from Da House of Rust)

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Sony [Release date 26.05.14] Krokus are a Swiss rock band that I never paid any attention to back in the day and didn’t even realise they were still going. Naming your band after a flower, albeit with the German spelling … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Chris von Rohr, classic rock, Fernando von Arb, Flavio Mezzodi, KROKUS, Long Stick Goes Boom, Mandy Meyer, Marc Storace, Mark Kohler, review | Leave a comment

Album review: URIAH HEEP – Outsider

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Phil Berisford

In this interview extract, Bernie discusses the album making process (7:39) The feature version of the interview will be broadcast in the first hour of David Randall’s weekly radio show, Sunday 8 June, at 22:00 GMT. More information Frontiers [Release … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bernie Shaw, Dave Rimmer, Mick Box, Outsider, Phil Lanzon, review, rock, Russell Gilbrook, Uriah Heep | Comments Off

Album review : U.D.O. – Steelhammer Live From Moscow

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [Release date 23.05.14] I’m not really a fan of live albums and these days they are a dime a dozen with certain bands releasing what seems like endless streams of them. So what does Mr Udo Dirkschneider have … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, heavy metal, heavy rock, review, Steelhammer Live From Moscow, U.D.O, Udo Dirkschneider | Comments Off

Album review : 21OCTAYNE – Into The Open

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Phil Berisford

AFM Records [Release date 23.05.14] This is a little different from AFM’s usual output of Teutonic metal and the change is refreshing to these ears. 21Octayne has been put together by current Axxis guitarist Marco Wriedt to create a band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 21Octayne, album, Alex Landenburg, Andrew Lauer, Hagen Grohe, Into The Open, Marco Wriedt, modern rock, review | Comments Off

Album review : TIMO TOLKKI’S AVALON – Angels of the Apocalypse

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers [Release date 16.05.14] It doesn’t seem five minutes since Timo Tolkki released “The Land Of New Hope” and now he’s back with the next instalment under his Avalon moniker. Timo has come up with a bonkers storyline where “The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Angels Of the Apocalypse, Epica, Floor Jansen, guitar, guitarist, Nightwish, power metal, review, Simone Simons, Stratovarious, Timo Tolkki's Avalon | Comments Off

Album review : NEAL SCHON – So U

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Phil Berisford

Frontiers [release date 19.05.14] When the record label description uses the words “unique” and “jazz and blues-inspired” in the promotional material the alarm bells started ringing in my head. Blues I can live with but Jazz… Neal Schön (what’s with … Continue reading →