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Album review: SELWYN BIRCHWOOD – Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: RUSS BALLARD – It’s Good To Be Here

On Thursday 20 February at 22:00 GMT Get Ready to ROCK! Radio replays a two-part special when David Randall chatted to Russ Ballard about his long career. BMG [Release date 21.02.20] If you’ve done any world travelling, out of desire … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, It's Good To Be Here, Kiss, melodic rock, pop, pop rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Russ Ballard
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Album review: HEAT – II

earMUSIC [Release date 21.02.20] That difficult sixth album? Should that have been HEAT 2.0? The motive behind the title is not clear, even when reading explanation from the band. When a band uses its name in the album title this … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ear Music, Erik Gronwall, hard rock, HEAT, II, melodic rock, review, rock
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Album review: REVOLUTION SAINTS – Rise

Frontiers (Release date 24.01.20) Frontiers Records’ AOR superhero assembly is working like a dream. The Revolution Saints – Deen (Journey) Castronovo, Jack (Night Ranger) Blades and Doug (Whitesnake) Aldrich – are on their third album now, so that confirms it. … Continue reading
Album review: DECARLO – Lightning Strikes Twice

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] DeCarlo are Tommy DeCarlo (who has been a member of Boston since 2008) and co-founder (and son) Tommy DeCarlo Jr., along with drummer Dan Hitz. The songs have been written over a number of years, the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 70's rock, album, Boston, classic rock, debut, DeCarlo, Frontiers, hard rock, Lightning Strikes Twice, melodic rock, review, Tommy Decarlo
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Album review: MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – High Times, Live In Italy

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] Michael Thompson’s reputation as the rock world’s original “go to guitarist” is unassailable. Though none is needed, he provides ample proof of his skill and virtuosity here. And understandably cashing in his cultural stock in the … Continue reading
Gig review: COLLATERAL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 10 January 2020

2020 promises to be a big year for Collateral, with their debut full-length album out in February to capitalise on the growing buzz around them. Indeed GRTR!’s writers voted the Kentish rockers the breakthrough act for 2020 in our end … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 10 January, Angelo Tristan, Collateral, gig, London, melodic rock, Raynes Park, The Cavern, Todd Winger
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Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Native Soul

Frontiers [Release date 06.12.19] Edge Of Forever are back with their first album in nine years. They still feature founding member, producer, singer and keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio (who has been very busy in the interim as Frontiers ‘go to’ … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Edge Of Forever, Frontiers, hard rock, Journey, melodic rock, Native Soul, review
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Album review: STORM FORCE – Age Of Fear

Escape Music [Release date 25.01.20] Storm Force hail from Canada and although a new band they have a familiar name in their ranks, Brighton Rock founder and guitarist Greg Fraser. Joining him are vocalist Patrick Gagliardi, drummer Brian Hamilton and … Continue reading
Album review: AUTUMN’S CHILD – Autumn’s Child

AOR Heaven [Release date 31.01.20] With Last Autumn’s Dream on hiatus due to the band members’ various commitments, vocalist Mikael Erlandsson has put together Autumn’s Child, which is a bit of a Swedish melodic rock ‘supergroup’. Joining him are HEAT’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Autumn’s Child, HEAT, Last Autumn’s Dream, melodic rock, Michael Erlandsson, review
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News: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Scottish hard rockers Gun added to line-up (29 August 2020) with Black Star Riders

Scottish rockers Gun have been added to the one-day Stonedead event, taking place 29 August at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. They join headliners Black Star Riders with Terrorvision and Tyketto together with Kris Barras, Blaze Bayley and Tygers Of Pan … Continue reading
Album review: HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – Radiocarbon

Frontiers [Release date 06.12.19] Back in 1997, House Of Shakira were in the vanguard of Swedish bands who fanned the dying embers of Melodic Rock, reigniting the genre for a whole new generation of rock fans. And they were always … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andreas Eklund, AOR, Frontiers, hard rock, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, Radiocarbon, review
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Album review: MOON HALO – Chroma

[Release date 13.01.20] available at moonhalomusic.co.uk and bandcamp.com The tide may have ebbed for the final time on Riversea – a band who produced two quite outstanding albums that somehow failed to get the exposure they deserved – but Moon … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Breathing Space, Chroma, melodic rock, Moon Halo, Mostly Autumn, pop rock, prog, prog pop, Progressive Rock, review, Riversea, rock
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Album review: MAGNUM – The Serpent Rings

David Randall chatted to Tony Clarkin for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 20 December 2020. Steamhammer/SPV [Release date 17.01.20] You have to admire Magnum. They deliver a new studio album every two years almost like clockwork. Maybe Tony … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Bob Catley, Dennis Ward, hard rock, interview, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp, radio, review, The Serpent Rings, Tony Clarkin
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Album Review : THE BABYS – Silver Dreams: The Complete Albums 1975-1980

Cherry Red Records [Release date 06.12.19] The Babys were indeed the launching pad for John Waite’s worldwide solo success and a key component of the CV that landed Jonathan Cain the job with Journey. But the band would never have … Continue reading
Gig review: HEAT FESTIVAL – Ludwigsburg, Germany, 30 November- 1 December 2019

Having grown steadily since its inception in 2008, the HEAT Festival in Ludwigsburg, just outside Stuttgart, can lay claim to being one of the longest continuously running melodic rock festivals in Europe. For most of the last few years their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Age of Reflection, AOR, Black Diamonds, Black Tiger, Blood Red Saints, Cats In Space, Crashdiet, Dark Sky, Degreed, Devicious, festival, gig, HEAT festival, Licence, Maverick, melodic rock, Robert Tepper, Stage Dolls, STAN BUSH, Treat, Vega
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Album review: COLLATERAL – Collateral

In this hour special for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Pete Feenstra chats to Collateral’s Angelo Tristan. First broadcast 9 February 2020. www.collateralofficial.com [Release 21.02.20] The rock scene has seemingly never looked healthier and 2019 has seen some absolutely incredible … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Angelo Tristan, AOR, Bon Jovi, classic rock, Collateral, country rock, interview, melodic rock, review, rock
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News: THE BEST OF 2019 – Vote for your favourites in our popular poll (albums, live acts, breakthrough acts)

Every year the GRTR! Reviewers choose their favourite albums, live acts and breakthrough artists. We reduce this selection to a list of ten in each category, reflecting also the top choices of each reviewer. Vote for your own favourite from … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, The Best of 2019
Tagged best of 2019, breakthrough acts, classic rock, melodic rock, poll, Progressive Rock, singer songwriter, top albums, top live acts, vote
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News: The Best of 2019 – Get Ready to ROCK! reviewer top albums and live acts of the year

In this two hour special, first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio on Sunday 22 December, David Randall plays ‘The Best of 2019′ and announces the results of the popular poll. The Get Ready to ROCK! end of year … Continue reading
Album review: VARIOUS – Hollywood Hairspray Vol 8

Perris Records [Release date 18.10.19] Perris Records have recently released the 8th instalment of their Hollywood Hairspray series and although the bands are not massively well known, there are some great tracks on here. This is an album that is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged abum, Firehouse, glam, Hollywood Hairspray Vol 8, Jourmey, Kill City Kill, Loud N' Nasty, melodic rock, Perris Records, review, rock, sleaze, Tyketto
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Album review: HEAVY PETTIN’ – Reissues

BurntOut Wreckords/Cherry Red [Release date 29.11.19] Melodic rockers Heavy Pettin’, onetime Kerrang! faves, produced a couple of fine records in the 80s, and with drummer Gary Moat’s own Burnt Out Wreck currently receiving much acclaim, the band’s three albums get … Continue reading







