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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: JAMIE WILLIAMS AND THE ROOTS COLLECTIVE – In The Moment
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Album review: JOE HICKS – Before It Gets Dark
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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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Tag Archives: metal
Album review: GEEZER BUTLER – Reissues

WIN! Competition (closes 30 October 2020) BMG [Release date 30.10.20] Bassist Terry “Geezer” Butler is best known as a founder of Black Sabbath, and not only provided the band’s groove but much of the lyrics. While Black Sabbath endeavoured to … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
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Tagged album, Black Sabbath, Black Science, Burton C Bell, Fear Factory, Geezer Butler, Industrial, metal, nu-metal, Ohmwork, Ozzy Osbourne, Plastic Planet, reissues, review, Tony Iommi
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Album review: MARILYN MANSON – We Are Chaos

Loma Vista Recordings [Release date 11.09.20] Marilyn Manson certainly doesn’t disappoint with album number eleven “We Are Chaos”, in fact, I would go so far as to say that this is currently my favourite Manson record to date. Produced by … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, alternative, electronica, Industrial, Marilyn Manson, metal, review, Shooter Jennings, We Are Chaos
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Album review: TRAGIK – Faith Healer

Rock Company [Release date 03.11.20] Album number nine from Tragik by my reckoning? It is another band that features the musician that never sleeps – Phil Vincent. With Tragik he handles vocals, bass and keyboards on the album. Tragik also … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, Faith Healer, hard rock, melodic rock, metal, Phil Vincent, review, Tragik
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News – AC/DC, BILL BAILEY, INGLORIOUS, FLOGGING MOLLY (October 2020)

AC/DC (pictured above) have been teasing new activity via their website and UK press adverts. They have now confirmed that vocalist Brian Johnson, bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd are officially back in AC/DC, joining Angus and Stevie Young. A … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged AC/DC, Bill Bailey, classic rock, Flogging Molly, folk, gigs, Inglorious, metal, New releases, news, punk, rock, tours
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Album review: LEAVES’ EYES – The Last Viking

AFM Records [Release date 23.10.20] Leaves’ Eyes are nothing if prolific, with eight albums, eight EPs and a live album since they formed back in 2003. ‘The Last Viking’ marks the final part of the band’s Viking trilogy, telling the … Continue reading →
Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) January 2021-March 2021

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2020 April – June 2020 July – September 2020 October – December 2020 April – June 2021 July-September 2021 October-December 2021 2021 January 1st THE BLACK KEYS ‘Brothers’ (10th anniversary edition) 8th Frozen … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, Upcoming (Tours & Releases), Video
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Tagged 2021, album, AOR, Bluray, CD, classic rock, DVD, February, heavy rock, January, March, melodic rock, metal, New releases, progressive, rock
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Album review: RISING STEEL – Fight Them All

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] Second album from Grenoble’s finest metal band, Rising Steel. And you can see the tongue in their cheek from space. Allegedly. The band’s amusingly phallic name is the first Freudian nod and wink. And then, endearingly, … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Fight Them All, Frontiers, melodic metal, metal, review, Rising Steel
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Album review: STRYPER – Even The Devil Believes

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] Stryper’s 13th studio album, “Even The Devil Believes” follows hard the heels of “God Damn Evil” (their fourth on Frontiers). When you’re hot you’re hot. Vocalist/Guitarist/producer, Michael Sweet lets loose a high pitched howl as he … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, Even The Devil Believes, melodic, melodic metal, metal, Michael Sweet, review, Stryper, white metal
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Single reviews: CONSTANT FOLLOWER, ARCADIAN TEMPLE

CONSTANT FOLLOWER – Set Aside Some Time Sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you’ll stumble across a band that will truly make your heart swell and your life better. Constant Follower are one such band. Changing greys to multi coloured pastel … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged Arcadian Temple, Constant Follower, folk, melodic, metal, NWOBHM, review, rock, singles
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Album review: SOUTH OF SALEM – The Sinner Takes It All

Indie [Release date 25.09.20] South Of Salem hail from Bournemouth, consisting of vocalist Joey, guitarist Fish and Kodi, bassist Dee and drummer Pip. You can get some idea of the band’s music with the choice of producer Scott Atkins, who … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, debut, gothic, hard rock, horror metal, melodic, metal, review, South Of Salem, The Sinner Takes It All
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … CODE OF SILENCE – Dark Skies Over Babylon

Mausoleum Records (Europe) Rubicon (Japan) (2013) Described by GRTR! reviewer Alan Jones as ‘a truly genre-bending tour de force, which, whilst having melodic metal at its heart, makes frequent forays into the diverse worlds of progressive rock, heavy metal, shred … Continue reading →
News – KING CRIMSON, NEIL YOUNG, ULTRAVOX (September 2020)

King Crimson release a 26-disc set, ‘The Complete 1969 Recordings’, through Panegyric on October 23. It features a brand new Dolby Atmos mix by Steven Wilson of the band’s 1969 debut album ‘In The Court of the Crimson King’, and includes … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged albums, Broken Teeth, classic rock, country, folk, King Crimson, metal, Neil Young, New releases, news, Nightwish, pop, prog, re-issues, rock
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Album review: VICIOUS RUMORS – Celebration Decay

SPV Records [Release date 21.08.20] Vicious Rumors found a home at Germany’s SPV Records four albums ago. In fact, Europe’s always offered a warm welcome to the band, right from the start, back in 1985. Now, everything has changed. But … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Celebration Decay, Geoff Thorpe, metal, power metal, review, SPV, Vicious Rumors
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Album review: ONSLAUGHT – Generation Antichrist

AFM Records [Release date 07.08.20] When, on the 29th of April this year, the British Thrash metallers Onslaught announced that singer Sy Keeler had decided to once more part ways with the band, I felt pretty sad indeed. The band … Continue reading →
Album review: DEE SNIDER – For The Love Of Metal Live!

Napalm Records [Release date 31.07.20] To front a rock band takes a few special ingredients. The candidate should be larger than life, outspoken, overblown, like the sound of their own voice, have massive self-confidence and not give a flying f**k for … Continue reading →
Album review: RAVEN – Metal City

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 18.09.20] Athletic Rock legends Raven, long associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, issue their new album (their fourteenth) and what a blistering revelation it is too. While 2015’s Extermination was universally well received, a … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars
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Tagged album, athletic rock, interview, John Gallagher, Mark Gallagher, metal, Metal City, Metallica, NWOBHM, RAVEN, review, speed metal, thrash metal
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) October 2020 – December 2020

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2020 April – June 2020 July – September 2020 October 2nd AMARANTHE ‘Manifest’ Nuclear Blast BLACKFIELD ‘For The Music’ Parlophone Records BON JOVI ‘Bon Jovi 2020′ Island (postponed from May) BRUFORD ‘Rock Goes … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases)
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Tagged 20/20, album, AOR, Bluray, CD, December, DVD, heavy rock, melodic rock, metal, New releases, November, October, progressive, rock
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Album review: HAKEN – Virus

Inside Out [Release date 24.07.20] Following the release of their fifth studio album “Vektor” back in October 2018, the members of the British Progressive Metal sextet Haken have rightfully been in the receiving end of various rewards and accolades. For … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Dream Theater, Haken, melodic, metal, progressive, progressive metal, review, virus
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Album review: VARIOUS – NWOBHM Thunder 1978-86

Cherry Red Records [Release date 31.07.20] (3 CD set) 1978 to 1986. Those 9 years were the Golden Age of NWOBHM. They were the years that spanned the birth, working life and eventual demise of a significant sub genre in … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
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Tagged album, Blitzkreig, Cherry Red Records, compilation, DEMON, GIRLSCHOOL, metal, NWOBHM Thunder 1978-86, Praying Mantis, RAVEN, review, rock, Saxon, trad metal, Tygers Of Pan Tang, various artists, Venom
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) July 2020 – September 2020

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2020 April – June 2020 October – December 2020 July 1st DOMINATION BLACK ‘Judgement IV’ Pride & Joy Music THE QUIREBOYS ‘A Bit Of What You Fancy’ (re-recorded debut album) 3rd WEATHER REPORT … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases)
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Tagged 20/20, album, AOR, August, Bluray, CD, DVD, heavy rock, July, melodic rock, metal, New releases, progressive, rock, September
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Single reviews: LIONHEART, UDO

LIONHEART Thine Is The Kingdom Metalville Records A reformed Lionheart (after 30 years) recorded and released a rather fine album of American influenced Melodic Rock in 2017, “Second Nature”, reviewed here. They weren’t all original band members, but old hands, … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged AFM Records, DAS MUSSIKORPS DER BUNDESWEHR, Dennis Stratton, Lee Small, Lionheart, melodic rock, metal, Peter Baltes, review, rock, single, Udo Dirkschneider
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News: JEFFERSON STARSHIP, THE CULT, SKERRYVORE, Y&T (July 2020)

Jefferson Starship are planning to put out an EP, ‘Mother Of The Sun’, on 21 August via Golden Robot Records. Guitarist David Freiberg is the only original member remaining in the group, although former bassist Pete Sears plays on three … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged albums, classic rock, country, folk, Jefferson Starship, Katie Melua, melodic rock, metal, New releases, news, pop, prog, re-issues, rock, Skerryvore, The Cult, Y&T
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Album review: SMACKBOUND – 20/20

Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Finland’s Smackbound paid their dues playing clubs as a covers’ band. Their debut album, “20/20” is a distillation of all the styles and stuff they performed on stage…with added songwriting. And the songwriting shines brightly. It … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged 20/20, album, debut, Frontiers, melodic metal, metal, review, Smackbound, symphonic metal
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Album review: SOLITUDE WITHIN – Disappear

The European metal scene has never been healthier, as each week reveals more and more bands to fall in love with. Belgium Symphonic rockers Solitude Within can rightly stake their claim as part of the leading pack with their 2017 … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)
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Tagged album, Disappear, epic metal, melodic, melodic metal, metal, review, Solitude Within, symphonic metal
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Album review: RONAN FURLONG – Minerva’s Meddling

Pete Feenstra chatted to Ronan Furlong for his Feature show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, first broadcast 7 June 2020, and including tracks from the album ‘Minerva’s Meddling’. Thoroughbred Music [Release date 29.06.20] To say that Ronan Furlong’s ‘Minerva’s … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
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Tagged album, Celtic, David Surkamp, folk, interview, Irish, metal, Minerva's Meddling, Neil Young, Pavlov's Dog, review, rock, Ronan Furlong, roots, vocal
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