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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: SQUEEZE – Roundhouse, London, 22 November 2024
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Album review: IRON ALLIES – Blood In Blood Out
AFM Records [release date: 21.10.02] Iron Allies is a band with an impressive Metal heritage. It’s Herman (Accept/ Victory/ Moondoc) Frank’s new band, and if ever an artist invokes the genre it is he. He’s brought in another well known … Continue reading
Album Review: C85 (3CD Various Artists)
Cherry Red [release date: 21.10.22] Taking its lead from NME’s ultra successful C86, this 72 track, triple CD release, C85, celebrates the rise and rise of the Indie band in the UK. In 1986, NME scribe Neil Taylor had the … Continue reading
Album review: SAM SWEENEY – Escape That
Hudson Records [Release date 21.10.22] Renowned fiddle player Bellowhead member Sam Sweeney returns with an album that ties together the threads of Sam’s musical loves; combining pop hooks and his pioneering work in the world of traditional dance tunes. Written … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Bellowhead, Escape That, fiddle, folk, instrumental, review, Sam Sweeney, traditional
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Album review: THE MOON CITY MASTERS – The Famous Moon City Masters
Facebook [Release date 04.11.22] The Moon City Masters, aka brothers Jordan and Talor Steinberg, unleash their 70s infused debut album upon us. Despite rivalling Nelson in the hair product stakes, the Moon City Masters have their musical roots firmly in the 70s, … Continue reading
Album review: EDDIE and THE HOT RODS – The Singles 1976-85 (2 CDs)
Cherry Red [release date: 14.10.22] So much crammed into these two Eddie and The Hot Rods’ compilation CDs. So much history here. Of the band, of the nascent sound of Punk. Of the talent that flowed through the various line-ups. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 2 CDs, album, Canvey Island, Proto-punk, pub rock, punk, Question Mark and The Mysterians, R&B, review, Them, Top Of The Pops, Van Morrison
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Album review: BLUE OCTOBER – Spinning The Truth Around
Up/Down Records [Release date: 14.10.22] Compulsive songwriter Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October is long past previous compulsions. The only thing he’s tested positive for in recent years is Covid, and he shook that off pretty quickly. And now this authentic … Continue reading
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Tagged album, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, review
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Album review: THE DOWLING POOLE – Refuse
Bandcamp [Release date 14.10.22] ‘Refuse’, the new album from The Dowling Poole features all of the ‘digital only’ tracks the group occasionally released for short periods of time and are now collated on this physical release. Each track has been … Continue reading
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Tagged 10CC, album, ELO, Jon Poole, melodic, pop, power pop. pop rock, Queen Extravaganza, quirky pop, Refuse, review, rock, THE DOWLING POOLE, Willie Dowling, XTC
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Album review: HUMBLE PIE – I Need A Star In My Life
Cleopatra Records [Release date 02.09.22] Humble Pie’s light shone for a few years in the early 1970s when – with Peter Frampton in the line-up – they released the classic live album ‘Performance Rockin The Fillmore’. By 1974 the band’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Humble Pie, I Need A Star In My Life, R&B, review, Steve Marriott
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Album review: GUN – The Calton Songs
Cherry Red [Release date 14.10.22] Gun trade in emotions – nostalgia, melancholy and ultimately, optimism. Always have, and they have become expert. The title of their new album, The Calton Songs, confirms this. Born and brought up in “The Calton”, … Continue reading
Album review: GRAND – Grand
Frontiers [Release date 14.10.22] Swedish songwriter/singer Mattias Olofsson teamed up with Wigelius guitarist, Jakob Svensson and drummer Anton Martinez to form Grand in 2020. The band subsequently signed with Frontiers. This is the debut. Grand are as good an AOR/Melodic … Continue reading
Album review: WILDNESS – Resurrection
Frontiers [Release date: 14.10.22] Maybe the title indicates that a move to Frontiers for their third album, Resurrection, is seen by Swedish AOR/Melodic Rock band Wildness as a post pandemic rebirth. Certainly, the band have made significant strides in terms … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Dokken, HEAT, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, Pretty Maids, Resurrection, review, Talisman, Wildness
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Album review: TODD RUNDGREN – Space Force
Cleopatra Records [Release date 14.10.22] For the next twelve months or so we will be celebrating 20 years of GRTR! During the past two decades Todd Rundgren is one of those artists who has raised his profile in the UK. … Continue reading
Album review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – When Two Worlds Collide
Website [Release date 09.09.22] This latest album from the Darker My Horizon (TDmH) delivers 12 tracks and 3 bonus recordings, including two charity singles. The album literally has been a work of blood, sweat and tears with a reflection on … Continue reading
Album review : KILLER KINGS – Burn For Love
Frontiers Records [Release date: 14.10.22] Killer Kings are guitarist, Tristan Avakian and vocalist, Gregory Lynn Hall. Two names you will immediate recognise from their well documented (in Melodic Rock circles) involvement with near legendary bands Red Dawn, TSO, Heaven & … Continue reading
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Tagged 101 South, album, AOR, Frontiers, Gregory Lynn Hall, Heaven and Earth, melodic rock, Red Dawn, Tristan Avakian, TSO
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Album review: THE MAGPIES – Undertow
Bandcamp [Release date 14.10.22] Second album from the Yorkshire-based trio the Magpies who consist of Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Kate Griffin. They have only been performing since 2018, and bearing in mind the covid pandemic halt on live music … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Eurythmics, folk, review, roots, the Magpies, transatlantic folk, Undertow
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Album review: DRAGONLAND – The Power Of The Nightstar
AFM Records [Release date: 14.10.22] First album in ten years from Swedish Power/Melodic Metal band, Dragonland. A lot can change in ten years. A lot can stay the same. This is Dragonland expanded, more ambitious, with a finely developed movie … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Anders Hammer, Elias Holmlid, Hans Zimmer, Jacob Hansen, Jesse Lindskog, Johan Nunez, John Williams, Jonas Heidgert, melodic metal, Olof Mörck), power metal, review, symphonic metal
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Album review: BOREALIS – Illusions
AFM Records [Release date: 07.10.22] Four years after The Offering, underrated and often overlooked Canadian metal soundscape supremos, Borealis, step up a gear with new album, Illusion. This is a metal band impossible to categorise. Anyone who thought they were … Continue reading
Album review: GENERATION RADIO
Frontiers [Release date 05.08.22] Generation Radio may have a name that suggests AOR and melodic rock, however, another key ingrediant in their sound is country rock provided by Jay DeMarcus, formerly of Rascal Flatts. Rascal Flatts had numerous number one … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Chicago, country, Frontiers, Generation Radio, Jason Scheff, Jay DeMarcus, Journey, Rascal Flatts, review, rock
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Album review: COLLATERAL – Re-Wired
Cargo Records [Release date 21.10.22] Originally released early in 2020, British band Collateral have taken their self-titled debut and given the album an overhaul, added a lively new single and included some big-name collaborators, the album also has a new … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Bon Jovi, classic rock, Collateral, Jeff Scott Soto, Joel Hoekstra, melodic hard rock, Re-Wired, review, rock
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News: Albums of the Month (July 2022 – September 2022)
CATS IN SPACE Kickstart The Sun (Harmony Factory) The ambitious production of chief songwriter Greg Hart and Ian Caple does justice to the songs and the overall impression is that the sound is noticeably tougher than previous releases with a … Continue reading
Album review: DAVID SINCLAIR FOUR – Apropos Blues
Critical Discs [Release date 02.09.22] They say you should cut your best song first and while DS4 don’t quite do that, they open with the next best thing, an adventurous single called ‘Hip-Hopping’ on which David Sinclair nails his colours … Continue reading
Album review: ROCKING HORSE MUSIC CLUB – Circus Of Wire Dolls
Plane Groovy Records [Release date: 16.09.22] Third trip into the studio for American “progressive” rock band Rocking Horse Music Club following their EP ‘Everywhere Is Home’ from 2018 and their tribute to Genesis fretmeister Anthony Phillips ‘Which Way The Wind … Continue reading
Album review: JEFF BERLIN – Jack Songs
jeffberlinmusicgroup.com [Release date 02.08.22] It won’t surprise you that an artist like Jeff Berlin has a rather impressive contacts list. He’s been providing sublime bass for any number of artists over the years including Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth. On … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Alex Ligertwood, bass, bass guitar, Bumblefoot, Cream, Eric Johnson, Jack Bruce, Jack Songs, Jazz rock, Jeff Berlin, review, Scott Henderson
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Album review: SIOBHAN MILLER – Bloom
Proper Music [Release date 16.09.22] Siobhan Miller was like many artists releasing a new album just as the covid epidemic started, curtailing any touring plans and coverage for any new music. Now we are back into vaguely normal times again … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Andy M Stewart, Bloom, Eddi Reader, Ewan McColl, folk, Rab Noakes, review, Siobhan Miller, traditional muisc
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Album review: BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN – Crazy Town
Cooking Vinyl [Release date 23.09.22] This is Beth Nielsen Chapman’s thirteenth solo album and her first in ten years, as well as her debut release on Cooking Vinyl. Produced by 5-time Grammy Award winner Ray Kennedy (who’s worked with Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Shania Twain, … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Beth Nielsen Chapman, country, Crazy Town, folk, Graham Gouldman, melodic blues, review
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