The Adventures release their first new studio album in over thirty years on March 28. Titled ‘One More With Feeling’ it will be released through Cherry Red Records.

Bush have completed work on their new album ‘I Beat Loneliness’ with a release date to be confirmed.

CIRCU5 will release their second album ‘Clockwork Tulpa’ on March 7.

The Doobie Brothers (pictured) have revealed that their upcoming album will be titled ‘Walk This Road’ with a single due early in the year and the album to follow in spring/summer time. Michael McDonald as also been involved in the writing and recording of the album.

Generation Radio are set to release new music later this year through Frontiers. It will mark the first new music with drummer Steve Ferrone who replaced Deen Castronovo.

Jane’s Addiction members Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins are recording music without frontman Perry Farrell.

Lords Of Acid have announced that Carla Harvey (ex-Butcher Babies) is the band’s new vocalist.

Megadeth have started working on their next album.

Jack Moore, son of Gary Moore, has released his debut single ‘In My Shoes’, with an album planned for release later this year.

Guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams have been teasing the return of their band Nevermore on social media.

Royal Hunt are planning to release an EP which will contain unplugged material, live recordings and new tracks.

Sacred Reich plan to release their next album in August.

Volbeat have completed work on their latest album which is due for release later this year.

Neil Young has announced the release of the previously unissued album, ‘Oceanside Countryside’, recorded between May and December 1977, due on February 14.

Newly announced UK tours (2025 unless stated):

Adam Bomb (Mar), Cutting Crew (Feb, Mar), Tony Moore (Jan),

Upcoming (Gigs – UK)

Newly announced US & European tours (2025 unless stated):

Adam Bomb (EU),

Upcoming (USA/ROW)

Postponed/cancelled gigs & tours:

Carlos Santana has cancelled his upcoming Las Vegas residency after an accidental fall which broke a finger.

ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ has now topped 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick is writing his memoir with a view to publication later in the year.

BPI’s annual report showed that UK-recorded music had an increase in sales and streams by 9.7% in the past year to 200.5 million albums (or their equivalent), marking a decade of uninterrupted growth. For the first time since 1994, sales of physical albums have seen a year-on-year increase by 1.4%, marking the 17th consecutive rise in vinyl purchases. Vinyl sales were up 9.1% to 6.7m units. However, the sale of physical CDs have fallen 2.9% compared to the previous year.

Guitarist Eric Carlson of the Mentors.

Sean Blosl, founding member and guitarist of Sanctuary.

One of the original pirate radio DJs and BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Johnnie Walker.

Popular rock music website Get Ready to ROCK! has announced its end of year Top 30 album chart.  This is based on weekly activity at the website and via social media.

News and reviews editor Jason Ritchie explains: “We introduced a regular Top 10 album chart each week back in early 2021.  This reflected activity at the website and in social media.

More recently, we have had input from an active Facebook group and they have contributed to this year’s poll.”

The website announced entries 11 to 30 on 23 December, with the Top 10 countdown featured in a special radio show on Sunday 29 December (22:00 GMT).

The website’s radio station Get Ready to ROCK! Radio features the weekly listing every Sunday as part of  ‘Assume The Position’ presented by David Randall.

Says David: “This regular weekly countdown demonstrates the healthy range of music reviewed by the website and featured on the radio station.  Frequently we have entries for pop, folk or Americana rubbing shoulders with heavy metal.”

Jason adds: “With the input from our Facebook group, the Top 30 listing adds to the end of year reviewer ‘Best of’ selections.  We hope it helps signpost some additional and worthy albums from this year’s releases.”

The website published the reviewer “Best of 2024″ selections in early December and these were featured in a  special radio show on Sunday 22 December at 22:00 GMT.

Top 30 

 1.  CATS IN SPACE Time Machine
2.  MASSIVE WAGONS Earth To Grace
3.  SCARLET REBELS Where The Colours Meet
4.  FM Old Habits Die Hard
5.  FLORENCE BLACK Bed Of Nails
6.  BRAVE RIVAL Fight Or Flight
7.  MAGNUM Here Comes The Rain
8.  SOUTH OF SALEM Death Of The Party
9.  JUDAS PRIEST Invincible Shield
10. ELLES BAILEY Beneath The Neon Glow

11 SAXON  Hell, Fire and Damnation
12 BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION V
13 THE TREATMENT Wake Up The Neighbourhood
14 THE QUIREBOYS Wardour Street
15 VIRGINMARYS House Beyond The Fires
16 BIG BIG TRAIN The Likes Of Us
17 WILLIE DOWLING The Simpleton
18 SWEET Full Circle
19 MOGGS MOTEL
20 A’PRIORI Voodoo Love

21 WE THREE KINGS By Royal Appointment
22 THE BLACK CROWES Happiness Bastards
23 NESTOR Teenage Rebel
24 ECLIPSE Meglomanium II
25 JON ANDERSON & THE BAND OF GEEKS True
26 THIEVES OF LIBERTY Shangri-La
27 DEVIN TOWNSEND PowerNerd
28 GUN Hombres
29 WALTER TROUT Broken
30 DEMON Invincible

The Best of 2024 (Reviewer selections)

News item updated 29 December 2024