Tag Archives: melodic

Quick plays: DANTE FOX, CHEAP TRICK, KATE RUSBY, LOTS HOLLOWAY

Posted on November 1, 2017 by jason

DANTE FOX Six String Revolver AOR Heaven [Release date 24.11.17] This album sees Dante Fox re-record ten songs from their first two albums ‘Under Suspicion’ (1996) and ‘The Fire Within’ (1999) – five songs from each album. Joining the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Angels & Men, AOR, carols, Cheap Trick, Christmas Christmas, Dante Fox, folk, Kate Rusby, Lots Holloway, melodic, review, rock, Roy Wood, Six String Revolver | Leave a comment

Album review: VIRGIL & STEVE HOWE – Nexus

Posted on October 31, 2017 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 17.11.17] ‘Nexus’ is the collaborative record by Yes guitarist Steve Howe and his son Virgil Howe who passed away suddenly on September 11, 2017 aged 41. Not an easy decision then to release this album, however … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, cinematic, instrumental, melodic, Nexus, progressive, review, Steve Howe, Virgil How, Yes | Leave a comment

Album review: STEVE WALSH – Black Butterfly

Posted on October 31, 2017 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 10.11.17] After Steve Walsh retired from Kansas back in 2014 many thought that would be it and we’d hear no more from Walsh, luckily this was proven wrong and here we have a new solo album … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Black Butterfly, Kansas, melodic, Mike Slamer, progressive, review, rock, Steve Overland, Steve Walsh, Streets, Tommy Denander | Leave a comment

Rising Stars: LOUISE STEEL

Posted on October 28, 2017 by jason

Louise Steel has just released her new album ‘Heartstorm’, one for lovers of passionate melodic rock. We ask Louise a few Qs about the album, its recording and her future musical plans… Louise Steel Music What have you got planned … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Interviews/Rising Stars | Tagged Heartstorm, interview, Jim Steinman, Louise Steel, melodic, Pat Benatar, Rising Stars, rock | Leave a comment

EP review: JOSH TAERK – Stages

Posted on October 28, 2017 by jason

Apple Music [Release date 02.02.18] Josh Taerk has long been a favourite here at Ritchie towers and he is now back with a new five song EP, although one song ‘After The Fall’ is lifted from his last album ‘Here’s To … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars Revisited, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, interview, Josh Taerk, melodic, pop, review, rock, singer songwiter, Stages | Leave a comment

Quick plays: GREGORY PORTER, DYED IN BLUE, KIRSTY MERRYN, JOE HENRY

Posted on October 25, 2017 by jason

GREGORY PORTER Nat King Cole & Me Decca/Blue Note [Release date 27.10.17] Gregory Porter has shot to fame from his jazz background to become a major name in the jazz and soul world. On his latest release he pays homage … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Dyed In Blue, folk, Gregory Porter, Harem Scarem, Harry Hess, jazz, Joe Henry, Kirsty Merryn, melodic, Moment Of Leaving, Nat King Cole, Patrick Grehan, review, rock, Show Of Hands, soul, Thrum, You & I | Leave a comment

Album review: DEVOID – Cup Of Tears

Posted on October 24, 2017 by jason

MelodicRock Records [Release date 13.10.17] Devoid is the brainchild of French guitarist Shad Mae and features vocalist Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz (Evidence One and many other guest vocal spots), keyboardist Jorris Guilbaud, bassist Ben Toquet and drummer Ben Wanders. Joining this core … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz, Cup Of Tears, Devoid, Evergrey, Freak Kitchen, Kamelot, melodic, metal, Progresive, review, Shae Mae | Leave a comment

Album review: BIGFOOT

Posted on October 19, 2017 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 13.10.17] Bigfoot are a five piece hailing from Wigan, not the natural home of the Bigfoot beast but one that houses this band who have a penchant for classy hard rock. The line-up consists of vocalist Anthony Ellis, guitarists … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bigfoot, classic rock, debut, Frontiers, hard rock, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic, review, rock, self-titled | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (September 2017 – November 2017)

Posted on October 19, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Albums of the Month September 2017 BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION BCCIV (Mascot) “…a set of tunes that rock up, for my money, a significant cut above ‘Afterglow’ and stand shoulder to shoulder with anything on the band’s first two albums…This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged 2017, albums of the month, AOR, melodic, metal, November, October, progressive, review, rock, September | Leave a comment

Album review: TYKETTO – Live From Milan 2017

Posted on October 17, 2017 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 13.10.17] A novel idea here as Tyketto play their classic ‘Don’t Come Easy’ album in its entirety but back to front! The current line-up still has two original members in vocalist Danny Vaughn and drummer Michael Clayton … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Classic Albums, Danny Vaughn, Frontiers, Live From Milan 2017, melodic, review, rock, Tyketto | Leave a comment

Album review: KANSAS – Leftoverture Live & Beyond

Posted on October 16, 2017 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 03.11.17] This release is a collection of concert performances culled from Kansas’s ‘Leftoverture’ 40th anniversary tour and it comes either as double CD or a 4-LP vinyl box. The band asked back producer Jeff Glixman, who … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic album, Inside Out, Kansas, Leftoverture Live & Beyond, live, melodic, Phil Ehart, prog rock, review, Rich Williams, rock, Ronnie Platt, Steve Walsh | Leave a comment

Album review: LOUISE STEEL – Heartstorm

Posted on October 15, 2017 by jason

Louise Steel Music Louise Steel is a singer/songwriter from Leicester and she is joined by Andrew Dunmore, who played keyboards and wrote/co-wrote much of the music on the album, along with Louise. For a self-release it is very professional, from the CD … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bonnie Tyler, Heartstorm, Louise Steel, melodic, Pat Benatar, pop, review, Robin Beck, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: URIAH HEEP – Raging Through The Silence

Posted on October 2, 2017 by jason

Uriah Heep Records [Release date 08.09.17] One for hard rock and prog fans – you really can’t beat a bit of Uriah Heep. Really. Especially when it’s a well recorded live show. Even more so when it plugs a nice … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 20th Anniversary Concert, album, Bernie Shaw, Chris Tetley, classic rock, hard rock, Lee Kerslake, melodic, Mick Box, Phil Lanzon, Raging Through The Silence, review, rock, Trevor Bolder, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: PETER KNIGHT’S GIGSPANNER – The Wife Of Urban Law

Posted on October 2, 2017 by jason

[Release date 31.10.17] Folk rock icon, fiddle supremo and former Steeleye Span-er, Peter Knight, along with the rest of his trio Gigspanner have been busy lately. This is their second new album of the year. First, in the summer came … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best of 2017 | Tagged album, folk, Gigspanner, melodic, Peter Knight, review, Steeleye Span, The Wife Of Urban Law | Leave a comment

Gig review: INGLORIOUS – Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, 30 September 2017

Posted on October 1, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

A rainy South Wales valley in autumn can be a bleak miserable place but today a special double bill rolled into town and brightened up the weekend, the first date of a national tour. The venue – Pontypridd Muni(cipal) Arts … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 30 September 2017, classic rock, gig, hard rock, Inglorious, Little Angels, melodic, Muni Arts Centre, Nathan James, Pontypridd, review, Toby Jepson, Wayward Sons | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DIRTY THRILLS, STEELHEART, SHAKRA

Posted on September 29, 2017 by jason

DIRTY THRILLS Heavy Living Frontiers [Release date 15.09.17] Despite their name Dirty Thrills are not a sleaze rock band, instead they draw from the musical well of 60′s/70′s rock giants Led Zep and Bad Company, to produce a big, hard … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged AFM Records, album, Bad Company, classic rock, Dirty Thrills, hard rock, Heavy Living, Led Zeppelin, melodic, Miljenko Matijevic, review, Rival Sons, rock, Shakra, Steelheart, Through The Worlds Of Shadows | Leave a comment

Album review: THE RADIO SUN – Unstoppable

Posted on September 26, 2017 by jason

Pride and Joy Music [Release date 20.10.17] Vocalist Jase Old and guitarist Stevie Janevski are back with a new Radio Sun album, a follow-up to last year’s ‘Outside Looking In’. Once again Paul Laine handles production duties and the band are … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Jason Old, melodic, Paul Laine, review, rock, Stevie Janevski, THE RADIO SUN, Unstoppable | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (May-August 2017)

Posted on September 25, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

Albums of the Month May 2017 COCO MONTOYA Hard Truth (Ruf Records) “It’s rare for an artist in the middle of his career to push himself up to another level, but ‘Hard Truth’ does precisely that … an album that … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged albums of the month, AOR, August 2017, July, June, May, melodic, metal, progressive, review, rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: FRIGG, PALE HONEY, HELL IN THE CLUB, CATHEDRALE

Posted on September 20, 2017 by jason

FRIGG Frost On Fiddles Frigg [Release date 06.10.17] Frigg (be careful how you spell that on a Google search!) hail from Finland and feature the talents of four fiddle players, plus a guitarist, bassist and cittern/mandolin players. All instrumentals and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Cathedrale, Devotion, fiddles, folk, Frigg, Frost On Fiddles, Hell In The Club, John Young. Jon Camp, melodic, Pale Honey, progressive, review, rock, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: MOONLIGHT DESIRES – Just The Hits 1981-1985

Posted on September 16, 2017 by jason

Infamous Butcher Records [Release date 15.09.17] Moonlight Desires hail from Canada and have produced a set of very enjoyable covers, and not the usual suspects either as they have gone for 80′s synth led pop rockers. The band’s name comes from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 80's music, album, AOR, Corey Hart, Covers, Just The Hits 1981-1985, Lawrence Gowan, melodic, metal, Moonlight Desires, pop, review, rock, Steve Winwood, Styx, Trevor Ziebarth | Leave a comment

Album review: COLDSPELL – A New World Arise

Posted on September 14, 2017 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 22.09.17] ColdSpell have been around since 2005 and this is the band’s fourth album, with what is quite a gap for them since 2013′s ‘Frozen Paradise’. However, that extra time in between albums has allowed the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged A New World Arise, album, Coldspell, hard rock, melodic, melodic hard rock, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: PHIL VINCENT – XX

Posted on September 12, 2017 by jason

Phil Vincent Music Phil Vincent is very prolific, this being his twentieth solo album, plus he has been in various bands/projects through the years including D’Ercole, Legion and Tragik. Although Phil plays and produces all of the music on here, he … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions | Tagged album, hard rock, interview, melodic, metal, Paul Sabu, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Solo, Vince O'Regan, XX | Leave a comment

Album review: SCHERER/BATTEN – BattleZone

Posted on September 4, 2017 by jason

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.09.17] Scherer/Batten is vocalist Marc Scherer (who released an album with Jim Peterik in 2015) and guitarist Jennifer Batten, who has worked with Jeff Beck and Michael Jackson amongst others. Former Survivor member Jim Peterik wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Battlezone, Jeff Beck, Jennifer Batten, Jim Peterik, Mark Scherer, melodic, MelodicRock Records, Michael Jackson, review, rock, Scherer/Batten, Survivor | Leave a comment

Album review: EDEN’S CURSE – Eden’s Curse (Revisited)

Posted on September 1, 2017 by GRTR! HQ

AFM Records [Release date 24.08.17] Is it really 10 years? Phew! The timeline of EC has pretty much followed that of GRTR! and we have been enthusiastic supporters throughout. But a revisiting of the debut album in 2007? Well I … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Eden's Curse, hard rock, heavy metal, melodic, metal, Paul Logue, re-recording, review, Revisited | Leave a comment

EP review: BELLA McKENDREE – Waiting

Posted on August 27, 2017 by jason

Trellis Records [Release date 18.08.17] The debut EP by Bella McKendree is produced Grammy Award-winning Producer Brett Shaw (Florence & The Machine, Daughter, Mark Ronson). The backing is sparse, a little piano and gentle loops/drums, to allow Bella’s singing to take … Continue reading →