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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: MIKE ZITO– Outside Or The Eastside
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Album review: HANNAH JAMES & TOBY KUHN – Where All Our Names Belong
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Album review: MARIACHI EL BRONX – Mariachi El Bronx IV
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Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
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Album review: MYRATH – Wilderness Of Mirrors
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Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Live At The Great Hall
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Latest Gig Reviews
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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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Gig review: MILKFEST, Indigo2, London, 1 March 2026
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GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: MICHAEL FURY – Affairs In Babylon
AOR Heaven [Release date 28.05.21] Michael Fury are a band, as opposed to a solo artist, having formed in 1979 by vocalist/guitarist Myles Hunter (Avalon), bassist Martyn Jones and guitarist Rob Kennedy. They played a fair few gigs in their … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Affairs In Babylon, album, AOR, AOR Heaven, melodic rock, Refugee, reissue, review
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Album review: SAVE THE WORLD – Two
Frontiers [Release date 07.05.21] Save The World is chief songwriter Dan Tracey (guitar, vocals, piano, keyboards, percussion) and Robert Wright (bass, vocals, keyboards, drums, guitars, strings, percussion and producer). Dan Tracey currently plays guitar and sings in the Alan Parsons … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brad Delp, Frontiers, melodic rock, progressive, review, rock, Save The World, Two
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Album review: DAVE BURN – Nothing Is As It Seems
www.daveburn.net [Release date 01.06.21] ‘Nothing Is As It Seems‘ is the 17th solo album from guitarist Dave Burn and first to feature vocals, a departure from previous solo albums which were all instrumentals. Dave Burn has toured and recorded as … Continue reading
Rising Stars: FANS OF THE DARK
Fans of the Dark were formed by drummer Freddie Allen (from the cult AOR band Houston), vocalist Alex Falk(Swedish Idol and theatre productions of Rent and La Cage Aux Folles, bassist Robert Majd (Captain Blackbeard, Metalite) and guitarist Oscar Bromvall. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars
Tagged Fans of the Dark, Freddie Allen, Houston, interview, melodic rock, Rising Stars, rock
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Album review: LEVARA – s/t
Mascot Records [Release Date 14.05.21] So there was an American, an Englishman and a Frenchman…. no, not a set up to one of the world’s oldest forms of joke, but the line up of hotly tipped new melodic rockers Levara. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Josh Devine, Jules Galli, Levara, melodic rock, Trev Lukather
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Album review: PHIL VINCENT – Stigmata
Bandcamp [Release date 26.05.21] Solo album number 23 from Phil Vincent and like last year’s ‘Yesterday, Tomorrow & Today’ he is joined by guitarist Vince O’Regan and Janne Stark guests on ‘So Tired’, with Jacob Hansen once again in the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, Beatles, hard rock, interview, Janne Stark, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Stigmata, Vince O'Regan
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Album review: STINGRAY (Remaster with bonus track)
Bad Reputation France [Release date 05.03.21] Enterprising French label, Bad Reputation, has been bringing some excellent new material to our attention recently. But for now we’ll focus on some classic blasts from the past, beginning with criminally overlooked South African … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, AOR, Bad Reputation, Boston, melodic rock, REO Speedwagon, review, South Africa, Stingray, Styx
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Album review: TEMPLE BALLS – Pyromide
Frontiers [Release date 16.03.21] Despite the diabolically bad band name, Temple Balls’ popularity and reputation continue to grow. Produced by Jonah (HEAT) Tee, Pyromide is their third album. Their high energy melodic rock songs have a bright, brash ebullience. But … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, H.E.A.T., Jonah Tee, melodic rock, Pyromide, review, Temple Balls
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Album review: ROBBIE LaBLANC – Double Trouble
Escape Music (Release date 16.04.21) Robbie LaBlanc is not only one of the melodic rock world’s most admired singers, but increasingly its most prolific. It’s only a few months since I reviewed the East Temple Avenue album he lent his … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Robbie LaBlanc, Steve Overland, Tommy Denander
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Album review: FM – Tough It Out Live
Frontiers Records (Release date 09.04.21) It already seems a long time ago but one of the gig highlights of the winter before the pandemic struck was the Big-Three-O tour in which FM, together with Dan Reed Network and Gun, celebrated … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, FM, live album, melodic rock, Steve Overland, Tough It Out
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Album review: GARY HUGHES – Decades
Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.03.21] With Gary Hughes having just released his first solo album in a long while, the simultaneous release of this generous 29 track double compilation is very timely as an opportunity to discover (or rediscover) the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, compilation, Gary Hughes, melodic rock, TEN
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Album review: CHEZ KANE
Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.03.21] Chez Kane is one of three sisters fronting Kane’d, who have gained a reputation pre-pandemic as an enjoyable live act. This is her debut solo album, though equal uncredited billing goes to Danny Rexon, lead … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chez Kane, Crazy Lixx, Danny Rexon, melodic rock
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Album review: SMITH KOTZEN (Adrian Smith, Richie Kotzen)
BMG [Release date 26.03.21] What have rock stars been doing in Lockdown? Streaming, recycling back catalogue, a bit of gardening, maybe even new material. And some have joined forces with others. Strength in numbers, or something. Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Adrian Smith, album, blues rock, guitar, hard rock, Iron Maiden, melodic rock, Mr Big, Poison, review, Richie Kotzen, Smith Kotzen
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Album review: GARY HUGHES – Waterside
Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.03.21] It’s been a relatively quiet period for Gary Hughes, the usually prolific Ten mainman- over two years since Ten’s last album but a whopping 14 since his last album under his own name. Now, on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dann Rosingana, Darrel Treece-Birch, Gary Hughes, melodic rock, TEN
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Album review: BEN RANDALL – Before The Rain
Thoroughbred Music [Release date: 02.04.21] www.benrandallguitar.com For me, it’s always been about the guitar. Back in the day, from the moment I heard Paul Kossoff’s wailing Les Paul on the early Free albums, I was hooked. Koss, Blackmore, Iommi, … Continue reading
Album review: SUNSTORM – Afterlife
Frontiers Records [Release date 12.03.21] Gone are the days of the Joe Lynn Turner fronted Sunstorm. Gone are the days when the band’s songs were written by Diane Warren, Desmond Child, Bob Halligan jnr, The Martin (Vega) Brothers and other … Continue reading
Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) April 2021 – June 2021
Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2021 July-September 2021 October-December 2021 April 2nd DAVID BOWIE ‘The Kit Kat Klub (Live In New York ’99)’ Parlophone CACTUS ‘Tightrope’ Cleopatra Records DR FEELGOOD ‘Greatest Hits’ EAGLES ‘The Millennium Concert’ (vinyl) BRYAN … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, Video
Tagged 2021, album, AOR, April, Bluray, CD, classic rock, DVD, heavy rock, June, May, melodic rock, metal, New releases, progressive, rock
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Album review: RONNIE ATKINS – One Shot
Frontiers Records [release date 12.03.21] Ronnie Atkins, founding member of Denmark’s Pretty Maids, bows out with his one and only solo album, One Shot. Ronnie has recently been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. So the album title is … Continue reading
Album review: TOUCH – Tomorrow Never Comes
Escape Music [Release Date 26.03.21] Here’s a reunion few ever expected to see. Touch are most famous to the wider world as the band that opened the first ever Monsters of Rock at Download in 1980. Many years later I … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Craig Brooks, Doug Howard, Glenn Kitchart, Mark Mangold, melodic rock, pomp rock, Touch
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Album review: STEPHEN CRANE- Kicks
AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) The rock world is littered with hard luck stories of people failed by the record industry. One such is Stephen Crane. Already a seasoned figure on the Texas music scene, he was signed to MCA … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jai Winding, Kicks, melodic rock, Richard Page, Stephen Crane, Steve Lukather, Tom Kelly
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Album review: PARIS- 50/50
AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) France is hardly a hotbed of melodic rock but Paris, essentially the duo of Frederic Dechevanne and Sebastien Montet with some guest musicians, have now released three albums. They follow in a distinguished line of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Frederic Dechevanne, melodic rock, Paris, Sebastien Montet
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Album review: WINDING ROAD- s/t
AOR Heaven [Release Date 26.03.21] The thriving Scandinavian melodic rock scene is not just one for young bucks. Winding Road are a new band in which three musicians with a long list of credits in their native Sweden have come … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jonas Tyskhagen, Magnus Akerlund, melodic rock, Winding Road
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Book review: ROY WOOD, KANSAS (On Track…)
Sonic Bond Publishing Roy Wood: The Move, ELO & Wizzard by James R Turner The ‘On Track…’ series gets to one of my musical heroes, Roy Wood. An interesting musician to cover, as although he still tours, Roy Wood has … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, ELO, glam rock, Jeff Lynne, Kansas, Kerry Livgren, melodic rock, On Track, pomp rock, prog rock, review, rock 'n' roll, Roy Wood, Steve Wlash, The Move, Wizzard
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Album review: LION – Dangerous Attraction (reissue/remaster)
Rock Candy Records [Release date 12.02.21] Lion’s 1987 album, Dangerous Attraction, featured ex Tytan, Kal Swan on vocals, and talented guitarist, Doug Aldrich, who was just beginning his career. Between them, they wrote all the material. This remastered version has … Continue reading
Quick plays: JANET SIMPSON, D’ERCOLE
JANET SIMPSON Safe Distance Cornelius Chapel Records [Release date 19.03.21] Singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Janet Simpson’s latest album covers many human stories and emotions from running away from demons, to retreating from your troubles, and more. It also marks … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt country, Americana, country, D'Ercole, Hard Core, hard rock, Janet Simpson, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Safe Distance, singer songwriter, Solo
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