Monthly Archives: June 2013

Album review: FAY & LATTA – Beauty In Chaos

Fay & Latta - Beauty In Chaos

Avid GRTR! browsers may have spotted our 2009 review of Brit female fronted heavy rockers Exoterik’s ‘Butterfly In Your Hand’ – an album we saw as throwing down a gauntlet to the Evanescence pop / rock dynasty. We noted then, … Continue reading

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Album review: QUEENSRYCHE – Queensryche

Century Media – [Release Date 24.06.13] There are undoubtedly many lessons one can learn in life, but the one I believe in most is not taking anything for granted, including in music. Take Seattle Prog Metallers Queensryche, for instance: if … Continue reading

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Album review: JORN – Traveller

Frontiers www.frontiers.it Jorn “Dio” Lande is a busy man with his new album “Traveller” dropping 13 months after his last studio album the awfully titled “Bring Heavy Rock to the Land” and that does not include his “Symphonic” issue back … Continue reading

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Album review: AMORPHIS – Circle

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. When Pasi Koskinen left Progressive/Melodic/Folk metallers Amorphis back in 2004, after nine years of dedicated service, many of the band’s loyal fans, myself included, were left fearing the worst concerning the band’s future. The addition … Continue reading

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Album review: ANTHRAX – Anthems E.P.

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Experiencing a line-up change now and again is inevitable for most long-serving bands, but the way the members of the legendary Thrash Metal combo Anthrax have come and gone over the years has always caused … Continue reading

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Album review: THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE – Rare Gumbo

  Gypsy Hotel Records [Release date 20.05.13] Even the most riotous and irreverent of bands sometimes need a break. And ‘Rare Gumbo’ is compilation album that gathers together The Urban Voodoo Machine’s bits and pieces in the form of EP … Continue reading

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EP Review – SPRING THE TRAP – Spring The Trap EP

      Self Release (Release date – Out now ) Spring The Trap hail from the Grunge capital, Seattle, but they have chosen to go down an altogether heavier route. The guys play a hard rock with a technical … Continue reading

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Album review – THE TOMMY FIAMMENGHI BAND – Into The Storm

      Maxstorm Records (Release date – out now) Tommy Fiammenghi is an Italian singer/ guitarist who formed his band back in 2005. This album is the band’s second and it is a good listen. The four piece play … Continue reading

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News: WALTER LURE OF THE HEARTBREAKERS HEADS TO THE UK FOR THREE SHOWS IN AUGUST

Following two successful tours in 2010 and 2011, Walter Lure makes a welcome return to the UK this summer.  The original guitarist and co-vocalist with Johnny Thunders’ iconic New York punks The Heartbreakers will play three shows in August, including … Continue reading

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Album review: BOOMIN – Original Junkie

A household name in their home town Wigan, pop-rock three piece, Boomin, come to us with their full length album Original Junkie, an infectious scream in the face to today’s chart music. The album itself is almost like a live … Continue reading

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Album review: SPIRITUAL BEGGARS – Earth Blues

Inside Out – Out Now. Michael Amott is better known as the guitarist, main songwriter and founding member of the  Swedish Melodic Death Metal quintet Arch Enemy – a band that has been under the media spotlight for quite some … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOE SATRIANI – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 11 June 2013

Joe Satriani - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 11 June 2013

Up in the circle of the ornate Philharmonic Hall there was a distinct whiff of charity shop.  This was a slightly bizarre change from  the whiff of bowel disorder that one often encounters at gigs where the audience is of a certain … Continue reading

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Album review: ANOTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION – Not Oat Action

Another Roadside Attraction [Release date 01.13] Another Roadside Attraction is an eclectic Florida based band who mix intelligent melodic pop songs with lush harmonies and unexpected psychedelic wig outs. Multi instrumentalist /producer Mark Zampella’s synth fuses the 80’s pop of … Continue reading

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Album review: NORMAN WATT-ROY – Faith & Grace

Cadiz [Release date 17.06.13] The mission statement for this album comes in the middle of the autobiographical ‘Me My Bass And I’: ‘When I heard Jaco (Pastorius) and Weather Report that was basically it. I realised where I came from, … Continue reading

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Album review: ALBANY DOWN – Not Over Yet

Albany Down - Not Over Yet

AD Recordings Ltd [Release date 8.04.13] Albany Down draw on deeply entrenched classic rock influences, contemporary production values and impressive song craft to suggest a bright future. The album title ‘Not Over Yet, could just as easily refer to rock … Continue reading

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Quick plays: RUSS DWARF, THE LOOK, BLEEDING HANDS, SCOTT COOK

RUSS DWARF – Wireless www.russdwarf.com Singer Russ Dwarf found success in the 80’s fronting the Killer Dwarfs and their 1986 album ‘Stand Tall’ is one of those classic hard rock albums (I still have my vinyl copy!). This new solo … Continue reading

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Gig review: BON JOVI, Etihad Stadium, Manchester, 8 June 2013

Bon Jovi - Manchester Etihad Stadium, 8 June 2013

2013 has been a challenging year to Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi fans. Not only was their ‘What About Now’ CD perhaps the lamest of their career, but for undisclosed personal reasons Richie Sambora, Jon Bon Jovi’s right hand … Continue reading

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Album review: HEADLESS – Growing Apart

Lion Music www.lionmusic.com A new band with some familiar names, the most notable being Queensryche drummer Scott Rockenfield. Then on vocals we have Goran Edman (Malmsteen/Covered Call) and the band is the idea of Italian guitarists Walter Cianciusi and Dario … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – Dancer And The Moon

Frontiers www.frontiers.it This is Blackmore’s Night eighth studio album and the band has been going for longer than Ritchie Blackmore’s time combined in Deep Purple and Rainbow now. Some Blackmore fans will still pine for these rock years, yet that’s … Continue reading

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Album review: HYPOCRISY – End Of Disclosure

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Peter Tagtgren is one of the busiest men in the music business. When not offering his production skills to artists like Destruction, Marduk, Overkill and Amorphis (to name a few) or when he’s not touring … Continue reading

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Album review: GIUNTINI PROJECT – IV

Giuntini Project

    Escape Music www.escape-music.com Album number four from the project run by guitarist Aldo Giuntini and the first for Escape Music, the third album having been released by Frontiers back in 2006. Former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin is … Continue reading

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Gig review: RICK SPRINGFIELD – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 4 June 2013

Of all the acts big on American radio in the eighties who were no more than cult figures over here, Rick Springfield has been one of the most elusive. Despite the odd trip to Europe for the likes of Sweden … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOURNEY, WHITESNAKE, Wembley Arena, 28 May 2013

Thunder - Manchester MEN, 23 May 2013 - Photo by Steve Goudie

The package tours of two or three bands with similar appeal, popular in America for so many years, are now a regular feature in the UK.  Journey were last here on an AOR triple bill with Foreigner and Styx two … Continue reading

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Album review: ANOUSCHKA – Hollywood Ending

Anouschka - Hollywood Ending

My review of Anouschka’s My Kind Of Heartbreak album (2007) pretty much said all you need to know about a US army brat with a Swedish mother who by 16 had seen a lot of the world and started her … Continue reading

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Album review: TESS OF THE CIRCLE – Thorns

Tess Of The Circle - Thorns

Cadiz Music [Release date 15.07.13] While British male singer songwriter Tess Jones’ debut Magpie (2010) was an introspective acoustic based set, his follow up sees the addition of ‘the Circle’ – a collective of musicians that bring the ‘sounds of … Continue reading

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