Tag Archives: album

Album review: MOONRIDER (50th Anniversary Edition)

Posted on January 1, 2026 by GRTR! HQ

Think Like A Key Music [Release date 12.12.25] Those of a certain age will remember Keith West for his Top Ten hit “Excerpt From A Teenage Opera” and the tale of “Grocer Jack” aided by a posse of children, a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 50th anniversary, album, BBC, classic rock, country rock, John Wieder, Keith West, Moonrider, reissue, review | Leave a comment

Album review: BEYOND THE BLACK – Break The Silence

Posted on December 28, 2025 by jason

Nuclear Blast [Release date 09.01.26] Amazingly Beyond The Black have been around since 2014 and this is their sixth album, although to this recent convert it seems like they only started out a few years ago! Beyond The Black’s line-up … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Beyond The Black, Break The Silence, Lord of the Lost, melodic metal, metal, review, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Album review: MIDNITE CITY- Bite The Bullet

Posted on December 26, 2025 by andynathan

Pride and Joy Music [Release Date 21.11.25] Unapologetically promoting themselves as ‘hair metal’ when other more self-conscious bands might balk at the description, Midnite City are impressively now onto their fifth album since 2017. Rob Wylde’s men are not about … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, hair metal, melodic rock, Midnite City, Miles Meakin, review, Rob Wylde, Shawn Charvette | Leave a comment

Album review: CHARLOTTE SMITH & DAVID CLIFTON – The Tree In The Wood

Posted on December 24, 2025 by jason

Little Room Recordings [Release date 17.10.25] An album of traditional folk tunes reinterpreted by Charlotte Smith, a London based singer songwriter and David Clifton, an Oxford based guitarist and singer, formerly a member of the indie band Sensible Jerseys and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Charlotte Smith, David Clifton, folk, review, The Tree in the Wood, traditional music | Leave a comment

Album review: JUDIE TZUKE – Now Or Never

Posted on December 23, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Big Moon Records/www.tzuke.com [Release date 01.12.25] According to her liner note: “This album’s a bit noisier in places…Best played loud” When the opening track of Judie Tzuke’s latest album blasts out – surprisingly – I was reminded of that fairly … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, Judie Tzuke, Mike Paxman, Now Or Never, review, Rhino Edwards, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: SPOCK’S BEARD – The Archaeoptimist

Posted on December 21, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Madfish [Release date 21.11.25] Album reviewers, including this one, are often guilty of mining the cliché vaults and using five words where one would suffice. But then, every so often, something so good comes along that it defies words. ‘The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alan Morse, album, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Ryo Okumoto, Spock's Beard, The Archaeoptimist | Leave a comment

Album review: ROSS HARDING – The Blood and the Blues

Posted on December 18, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 14.11.125] I have reviewed Ross’s two singles from this album, Revelator Blues and Lucifer and Me. And I must admit on first listening of Revelator Blues, I fell in love with him, in a bro sort of way … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, dark blues, guitarist, review, rock, Ross Harding, The Blood and the Blues | Leave a comment

Album review: PETE KOSANOVICH – Beauty Within You

Posted on December 18, 2025 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 21.12.25] Prolific song writer and multi instrumentalist Pete Kosanovich releases his eleventh album, including three with his band The Pale Blue Eyes, and two live ones. This one is called Beauty Within You, and the cover features Pete … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Beauty Within You, folk, Pete Kosanovich, review, singer songwriter, The Pale Blue Eyes | Leave a comment

Album review: HENGE – Journey to Voltus B

Posted on December 10, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 31.01.2025] Thanks to occasional GRTR! live reviewer Matt Curtis my interest was tweaked by the band that is Henge, an intergalactic electronic, electro and space rock musical juggernaut. Henge consists of Zpor (vocals, guitar), Goo (bass, synth … Continue reading →

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Album review: DEWOLFF – Fuego!

Posted on December 8, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 05.12.25] What do Redbone, Leon Russell, Lowell George, Bad Company, Link Wray, Henri Garella, Cray Fox and Dr. John have in common ? They all crafted masterpieces which have inspired the ridiculously fertile imaginations of Dutch blues/soul/psychedelic … Continue reading →

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Album review: CYTRUS – Duality

Posted on November 28, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

www.cytrusband.com [Release date 14.11.25] Cytrus are described as a psychedelic funk band, so the listener might immediately think of Parliament or more specifically Funkadelic, purveyors of the genre since 1968. This eight-piece band from Seattle are actually far more accessible … Continue reading →

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Album review: GHOST – Skeleta

Posted on November 26, 2025 by jason

Loma Vista Recordings [Release date 25.04.25] Album number six from Ghost, produced by Gene Walker, who is actually Ghost main man Tobias Forge, as said Gene Walker name is a pun on the Swedish word gengångare i.e ghost, zombie. Interesting variety … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Ghost, hard rock, melodic, metal, Papa V Perpetua, pomp rock, review, Skeleta, Tobias Forge | Leave a comment

Album review: LETTUCE – Cook

Posted on November 26, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

(Lettuce Records) [Release date 03.12.25] As we mentioned in earlier reviews U.S. jazz-funksters Lettuce are firmly rooted in the late-sixties/seventies when artists such as James Brown/Maceo Parker and Tower of Power held sway. With the popularity of disco in the … Continue reading →

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Album review : THE MEL OUTSIDER REFORMATION – Mel Goes Funky

Posted on November 25, 2025 by petefeenstra

Planet Records UK [Release date : 26.09.25] The 8 piece Mel Outsider Reformation is one of the most potent and original big band outfits in the UK. Their music is riff driven, exhilarative and has a jam like quality. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andy Morel, blues, Dan Arnold, funk, Helen May, Karl Francis, Liam McCartan, Mark Jones, Matt Pawson, Mel Outsider, Nick Cornall, review, rock, The Mel Outsider Reformation | Leave a comment

Album review: MEN WITHOUT HATS – On The Moon

Posted on November 12, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 14.11.25] Men Without Hats, perhaps best known by many for their 1982 hit ‘The Safety Dance’, first formed back in 1977, split in 1993, before returning briefly in 2002-03 and returned full time in 2010. Since then, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 80's music, album, electro pop, melodic, Men Without Hats, New Wave, On the Moon, pop, review, synth pop, synthwave | Leave a comment

Album review: JAN AKKERMAN – My Focus Live Under The Rainbow

Posted on November 10, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Music Theories Recordings [Release date: 12.12.25] Possibly missed by some, Jan Akkerman played a short series of dates in the UK in February 2025. Fortunately this rare excursion has been captured on a new live album. It seems that Akkerman … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, February 2025, Focus, guitar, guitarist, Jan Akkerman, live, My Focus Live Under The Rainbow, prog, Progressive Rock, review | Leave a comment

Album review: D’ERCOLE – Reactance Theory

Posted on November 10, 2025 by jason

Rock Company [Release date 05.11.25] It’s album number eleven from D’Ercole and lost count of the number of albums featuring the talented & never seemingly out of the studio Phil Vincent! Joining him are the D’Ercole stalwarts – drummer B.F. D’Ercole, … Continue reading →

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Album review: DRINK THE SEA – S/t

Posted on November 3, 2025 by jason

Website [Release date 03.10.25] It may seem an alien concept for some people, but being in a globally huge band can be tough going at times, the machine utterly taking over your life. Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has always … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alain Johannes, album, Barrett Martin, Drink the Sea, Duke Garwood, jazz, Mark Lanegan Band, melodic, Peter Buck, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, REM, review, rock, Screaming Trees | Leave a comment

Album review: SMITH & LIDDLE – Songs For The Desert

Posted on November 2, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Legere Recordings [Release date 31.10.25] There must be something in the air at the moment, or at least this year. We’ve had excellent albums from Morganway, First Time Flyers, and now Smith & Liddle. The connecting theme is melodic classic pop … Continue reading →

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Album review: ASH WING – s/t

Posted on November 2, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

White Knight Records [Release date 07.11.25] This album is one of several that arrived at GRTR! Towers without an accompanying press release. Perhaps this is a new trend: get the journos to do the work. Again, from the Rob Reed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Ash Wing, neo prog, Peter Jones, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Rob Reed | Leave a comment

Album review: CHIMPAN A – Music Is Art Vol.1

Posted on October 30, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Tigermoth Records [Release date 29.08.25] Chimpan A’s debut album was quite a revelation and one of the best low key releases of 2006. (We only got to hear of it some time later). This off-on project is essentially Mike Oldfield … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, ambient, chill-out, Chimpan A, Christine Booth, classic rock, groove, Magenta, Music Is Art Vol.1, review, Rob Reed, Steve Balsamo | Leave a comment

Album review : RONNIE ROMERO – Backbone

Posted on October 30, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date 24.10.25] Over the last ten years, stints with pre-eminent rock artists like Schenker and Vandenberg, plus spells with Rainbow and Sunstorm have tended to overshadow Ronnie Romero’s solo stuff. When he released Raised on Radio (2022) … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Backbone, Frontiers Music, Jose Rubio, Rainbow, review, Ronnie Romero, Schenker, Sunstorm, Vandenberg | Leave a comment

Album review: KYLE CAREY – The Last Bough

Posted on October 30, 2025 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 01.09.25] Gaelic Americana – that’s what this artist plays. Never heard of it? No neither had I, and although it could be a bit of a gimmick, it’s actually not. It’s a vocation for this artist, who spent … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, folk, Gaelic Americana, Kyle Carey, review, The Last Bough, traditional music | Leave a comment

Album review : SHIRAZ LANE – In Vertigo

Posted on October 27, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date 24.10.25] Finnish rock band Shiraz Lane have been a going concern for ten years now. In Vertigo is their 6th album, with a smattering of EPs released in between. It’s described by the label as “an … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alexander Kronlund, HEAT, In Vertigo, Max Martin, Per Aldaheim, Reckless Love, review, Santa Cruz, Shiraz Lane | Leave a comment

Album review: LAURA COX – Trouble Coming

Posted on October 23, 2025 by jason

earMusic [Release date 31.10.25] Album number four from Anglo-French guitarist and singer Laura Cox, who first came to wider attention via her YouTube channel in 2008. The album was mixed and engineered by Jean-Marc Pelatan, with tracks mastered by Ted Jensen … Continue reading →