Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review : KMFDM – Let Go

Posted on February 5, 2024 by brianmc

Metropolis Records [Release date : 02.02.24] KMFDM’s 23rd album is a mixed bag of sights and sounds, each one contributing to a predominant image of a patchwork musical quilt. Each track is an auditory outcry, all cleverly stitched together in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, heavy metal, KMFDM, Lucia Ciferelli, mountain lion, NDY, Rammstein, review, Sascha Konietsko, Stahlmann | Leave a comment

Album review: JACK J HUTCHINSON – Battles

Posted on February 4, 2024 by jason

Website [Release date 09.02.24] Jack J Hutchinson is back with another jam packed album full of riffs, hard rocking blues and catchy choruses. ‘Battles’ is produced & co-written with Josiah J Manning (Kris Barras Band, Inglorious), with fellow Kris Barras … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Battles, blues rock, guitarist, hard rock, Jack J. Hutchinson, melodic, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: ROBERT HART – Circus Life

Posted on January 30, 2024 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 26.01.24] A new solo album by former Bad Company and Distance singer Robert Hart is always a ‘must listen’ for any melodic hard rock fan. On this album he is joined by Heartland’s Steve Morris and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Bad Company, blues rock, Circus Life, FM, hard rock, Harry James, Heartland, Lonerider, melodic rock, review, Robert Hart, Solo, Steve Morris, Steve Overland, Thunder | Leave a comment

Album review: PATTERNS ON THE WINDOW – The British Progressive Pop Sounds Of 1974 (3 CD Boxset)

Posted on January 30, 2024 by brianmc

Grapefruit (Cherry Red) [Release date : 16.02.24] 1974. The UK seemed to be locked into an endless cycle of political and economic crises. The 3 day week. Fuel shortages, and an unheralded post war recession in full swing. Hardly a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1974, British Progressive Pop, Bryan Ferry, Marc Bolan, Nazareth, Procol Harum, Recession, review, Richard Thompson, Rod Stewart, Roxy Music, SPARKS, Thin Lizzy, Three Day week, UFO | Leave a comment

Album review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Death Of The Party

Posted on January 28, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

Spider Party Records [Release date 19.01.24] Back “in the day” UK national radio would ensure that if a band crafted three or four minute ear candy there was a good chance it would be playlisted. Back then – 1970s and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Death Of The Party, heavy rock, review, South Of Salem | Leave a comment

Album review : ALCATRAZZ – Rock Justice : The Complete Recordings 1983-1986

Posted on January 24, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 26.01.24] The Yngwie Malmsteen, Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo writing team on debut album No Parole From Rock’n’Roll (1983) was much more than the sum of the parts. Hard rock melodramas, ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Hiroshima Mon … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alcatrazz, Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth, Eddie Kramer, Graham Bonnet, Jan Uvena, Jimmy Waldo, New England, Percy Sledge, Rainbow, review, Richie Podolor, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen | Leave a comment

Album review: LITTLE LORE – Seven Stories (Parts one and two)

Posted on January 21, 2024 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 23.02.24] Tricia Duffy, aka Little Lore, release the second part of her album in two parts/EPs. This version collates all seven songs together and is also available on CD, as well as download and streaming. Producer and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Americana, folk, Little Lore, pop, review, Seven Stories (Parts one and two), singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: THE PLEASURES – The Beginning Of The End

Posted on January 20, 2024 by petefeenstra

Self release [Release Date 04.08.23] The Pleasures are an Australian duo comprising Catherine Britt and Lachlan Bryan, supported by a fine rhythm section who always serve the song. The duo are the focal point throughout on 11 uncompromising, finely crafted … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, blues, Catherine Britt, country, Elton John, Guy Clarke, Hatfitz and Cara, Howlin Wolf, Lachlan Bryan, Monophonics, review, rock, roots, Samantha Fish, singer, singwriter, Steve Earle, The Band, The Pleasures | Leave a comment

Album review : MAMA’S BOYS – Runaway Dreams 1980-92 (5 CD boxset)

Posted on January 20, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 26.01.24] CD1: Official Bootleg (1980) CD2: Plug It In (1982) CD3: Turn It Up (1984) CD4: Relativity (1992) CD5: Singles, B Sides and Rarities Three boys from Co. Fermanagh conquer the world. Well no, it … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Belfast, boxset, eighties, Hawkwind, Irish Folk Music, Kerrang!, Mama's Boys, melodic rock, Nazareth, Phil Lynott, review, Slade, Sounds, Thin Lizzy | Leave a comment

Album review: DAN PATLANSKY – Movin’ On

Posted on January 20, 2024 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Dan Patlansky for Get Ready to ROCK! radio. First broadcast 21 January 2024. Virgin Music Label And Artist Services [Release Date 01.03.24] It’s tempting to say that South African guitar slinger Dan Patlanksy is back with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, Americana, blues, country, Dan Patlansky, funk, guitar, interview, Jimi Hendrix, Movin On, radio, reggae, review, rock, singer, singer songwriter, Stevie Ray Vaughan | Leave a comment

Album review: SAXON – Hell, Fire and Damnation

Posted on January 18, 2024 by andynathan

Silver Lining Music [Release Date 19.1.24] The fact that Saxon were one of the inductees in GRTR!’s ‘Grotto of Greatness’, marking significant acts from our first 20 years, tells you all you need to know about the ability of the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Biff Byford, Brian Blessed, Brian Tatler, Doug Scarratt, Hell Fire and Damnation, metal, Nigel Glockler, Saxon | Leave a comment

Album review: DYMYTRY – Five Angry Men

Posted on January 18, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date : 26.01.24] Second English language album from Czech Power Metal band, Dymytry, (their sixth overall). The arrival of vocalist, Alen Lubic has made all the difference in creating an international appeal. Musically, this new album is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Alen Lubic, Czech Republic, Dymytry, Five Angry Men, Goth Rock, NDH, Oppenheimer, power metal, review, social media | Leave a comment

Album review: GOTUS – Gotus

Posted on January 15, 2024 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 19.01.24] Debut album from Gotus, an international rock/metal collective. That said, it doesn’t seem quite right calling an album recorded by ex Krokus and ex Gotthard musicians, fronted by an increasingly famous vocalist, a “debut”. (and personally … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AC/DC, album, Coverdale, Gotthard, Gotus, hard rock, KROKUS, Mandy Meyer, review, Ronnie Romero, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON BAND – Live In Nottingham 1986

Posted on January 13, 2024 by jason

Store For Music [Release date 26.01.24] An archive live performance released on CD for the first time (and with the blessing of Richard Thompson, which is not always the case with these live CDs), recorded on his 1986 tour. Angel … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Christine Collister, Clive Gregson, Fairport Convention, Gerry Conway, guitarist, Jethro Tull, live album, Live In Nottingham 1986, review, Richard Thompson, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: JIM CAPALDI – The Outside Years (4 CD Boxset)

Posted on January 12, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 26.01.24] CD1: Living On The Outside (2001) CD2: Poor Boy Blue (2004) CD3: 35 bonus tracks over 2 CDs, most of them unreleased until now. CD4: ditto The late Jim Capaldi, most famously a member … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged boxset, Gary Moore, George Harrison, Jim Capaldi, Paul Weller, review, Steve Winwood, Traffic | Leave a comment

Album review: EXIT EDEN – Femme Fatales

Posted on January 12, 2024 by jason

Napalm Records [Release date 12.01.24] Exit Eden are down to the trio of Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis), Anna Brunner (League Of Distortion) and Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite), for this, their second album, after Amanda Somerville left the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Amanda Somerville, Anna Brunner, Clémentine Delauney, Exit Eden, Femme Fatales, Heart, League Of Distortion, Marillion, Marina La Torraca, melodic metal, Napalm Records, Nightwish, Pet Shop Boys, Phantom Elite, symphonic metal, Visions Of Atlantis | Leave a comment

Album review: TIMSON AOR – Forever’s Not Enough

Posted on January 12, 2024 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 12.01.24] As the Bandcamp blurb states, Timson AOR are “A band landing 40 years late!! Reviving the classic 1980s Hard Rock, Power Ballad era we all love and miss.” To be fair, many artists have tried to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR. Forever's Not Enough, melodic rock, review, Timson | Leave a comment

Album review : GRAND – Second To None

Posted on January 10, 2024 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 19.01.24] With the DNA of eighties AOR coursing through its veins, Swedish band, Grand compete with outfits like Wigelius, Eclipse, HEAT and WET in recreating the genre’s past glories in a post Melodic Rock world. On their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1927, AOR, Australian Crawl, Eclipse, Frontiers, HEAT, Jakob, Mattias Oloffson, melodic rock, Svensson, WET, Wigelius | Leave a comment

News: Albums Of The Month (October – December 2023)

Posted on January 8, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

HANFORD FLYOVER Source (Fruits De Mer Records) There are several bands operating in the psych/blues rock space and female fronted such as Dead Feathers and Blues Pills, and even label mate Crystal Jacqueline. But Hanford Flyover are less late sixties Jefferson … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS | Tagged 2023, albums of the month, Ann Wilson, blues rock, Care of Night, December, Hanford Flyover, instrumental, melodic rock, November, October, prog, progressive, Robin Trower, rock, Sari Schorr, Trevor Rabin, Tripsitter, Will Pike | Leave a comment

Album review: METALITE – Expedition One

Posted on January 8, 2024 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date 19.01.24] Is this 15 track, high concept sci-fi metal album meant to be fun? Because it most certainly is. Not funny, but fun. It’s high energy, as well as high concept. It’s got a slick, sophisticated, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, concept, Edwin Premberg, Erica Ohlsson, Expedition One, Metalite, review, symphonic rock | Leave a comment

Album review: THE LONG RYDERS – Native Sons Expanded 3 CD Edition

Posted on January 6, 2024 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release Date: 19.01.24] Since its 1984 debut, The Long Ryders’ album, Native Sons has been regularly lauded by the music press. The album’s fusion of Garage, Folk and Country Rock has commonly drawn praise from high profile publications … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Coal Porters, country rock, Expanded Edition, folk, garage, Native Sons, review, Sid Griffin, The Long Ryders | Leave a comment

Album review: THE GRANDMASTER – Black Sun

Posted on January 5, 2024 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date: 12.01.24] For The Grandmaster’s second album, mainman, guitarist and Edguy co-founder, Jens Ludwig has recruited ex Fate vocalist, Peer Johansson. Surprisingly, given the accessibility of the material they created in previous employment, much of Black Sun … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Edguy, Fate, Jens Ludwig, NWOBHM, Peer Johansson, power metal, review, Secret Sun, Teutonic, The Grandmaster | Leave a comment

Album review: TEMPEST – Tempest/Living In Fear (Remaster)

Posted on January 3, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 06.10.23] The two albums released by Tempest in 1973/4 marked a musical departure for jazz rock drummer Jon Hiseman who – at the time – was best known for his work with Colosseum and to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Alan Holdsworth, album, classic rock, Colosseum, Jazz rock, Jon Hiseman, Living In Fear, Mark Clarke, Paul Williams, review, Tempest | Leave a comment

Album review: ATOMIC ROOSTER – Made In England/Nice ‘N’ Greasy (Remaster)

Posted on January 2, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 06.10.23] The reconfigured Atomic Rooster have been a staple of many prog and classic rock festivals since 2016 when they received Vincent Crane widow’s blessing. Carrying the band’s flame are sometime members vocalist Pete French … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Atomic Rooster, classic rock, funk, Made In England, Nice 'N' Greasy, prog, progressive, reissue, review, Vincent Crane | Leave a comment

Album review: PALADIN – Paladin/Charge! (Remaster)

Posted on January 1, 2024 by GRTR! HQ

BGO Records www.bgo-records.com [Release date 13.10.23] I have to say that I’ve only known Paladin from digging through crates of vinyl at record fairs and noting the Roger Dean artwork. It all looked a bit prog. Now the band’s only … Continue reading →