Monthly Archives: August 2013

Quick plays: DIO, HEAVEN RAIN, OLIVA, VANDROYA, EVILYN STRANGE

Posted on August 23, 2013 by jason

Nick van der Meulen gives us a run through new releases from Heaven Rain, Giunitini Project, Oliva, Vandroya, Evelyn Strange and another Dio reissue… HEAVEN RAIN – Second Sun Music Buy Mail Another slipped through my fingers: this album was released … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged ALBUM REVIEWS, classic rock, Evelyn Strange, Giunitini Project, Heaven Rain, Magica, metal, Nick van der Meulen, Oliva, Quick Plays, re-issue, Vandroya | Leave a comment

Album review: SINNER – Touch of Sin 2

Posted on August 22, 2013 by jason

AFM Records www.afmrecords.de This is another case of a young band signing their rights away and now years later trying to reclaim some of their legacy back. Sinner are amongst a growing number of bands that are now re-recording some … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Judas Priest, Matt Sinner, metal, Sinner, Thin Lizzy, Touch Of Sin 2 | Leave a comment

Album review: ONSLAUGHT – VI

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Yiannis

AFM Records [Release date 20.09.13] When the Bristol-based Thrash Metalers Onslaught decided to give this music business thing another try back in 2005, quite a few people, myself included, were slightly sceptical as to how long this second phase … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged onslaught | Leave a comment

Album review: DEADLOCK – The Arsonist

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Yiannis

Napalm Records – Out Now. The combination of brutal male and angelic female vocals, better known as the “beauty and the beast” phenomenon in Metal music, first appeared in the mid 90s and was popularised by leading bands of the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged deadlock | Leave a comment

Album review: DENNERS TRICKBAG – Denners Trickbag

Posted on August 21, 2013 by david.wilson

Target Records ( Release date – 9th Sept 2013) Michael Denner has produced some fine performances over the years both as a member of Mercyful Fate and in King Diamond’s band, his guitar work on the ‘Abigail’ … Continue reading →

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Album review: MORELAND & ARBUCKLE – 7 Cities

Posted on August 21, 2013 by petefeenstra

Telarc [Release date 26.08.13] Moreland & Arbuckle are a power trio with a difference. They hail from Wichita Kansas and their blend of riff driven, southern influenced roots rock is shot through with essential blues influences, but not in the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged blues, boogie, guitar, harp, Kendall Newby, Moreland & Arbuckle, review, rock, roots, Tears For Fears, The Allman Brothers, The Yardbirds | Leave a comment

Album review: CHURCH OF MISERY – Thy Kingdom Scum

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Yiannis

Rise Above – Out Now. Church Of Misery is a Japanese Doom/Stoner Metal quartet that I barely knew up until a couple of years ago. It was a highly energetic and fairly inspirational show at the London Underworld that first … Continue reading →

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Gig review: SOS Festival, Manchester, 20-21 July 2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Now in it’s sixth year, SOS festival is a chance for Rocksector Records to showcase it’s impressive repertoire of rock and metal acts alongside other established and emerging artists. Tucked in a pocket of Radcliffe, within ten miles of the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 21-22 July 2013, Babylon Fire, Dave Evans, Eocene, festival, gig, Manchester, Massive Wagons, Radcliffe Centre, review, Rocksector Records, SOS Festival, Wizz Wizzard | Leave a comment

Album Review: CAROUSEL VERTIGO – Mighty

Posted on August 20, 2013 by david.wilson

Self-Release (Release date – 21st Oct 2013) Carousel Vertigo is the brainchild of two individuals brought together by a love of guitars and classic rock. Jansen Press and Vincent Martinez, both endorsed by Gibson Guitars, found themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Carousel Vertigo, CD, Gibson Guitars, Mighty, review, Rhino Edwards, Rick Parfitt, rock, Status Quo | Leave a comment

Album review: LITTLE RIVER BAND – Cuts Like A Diamond

Posted on August 20, 2013 by jason

Frontiers www.frontiers.it Led by vocalist/bassist Wayne Nelson, who has been with the band since the early 80’s, the band may lack original members or the 80’s AOR sound of the John Farnham fronted days, but they still sound like the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album review, Cuts Like A Diamond, LITTLE RIVER BAND | Leave a comment

Album review: GORDON GILTRAP – Reissues

Posted on August 20, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Esoteric [Release date 29.07.13] Gordon Giltrap should be certified A National Treasure. He’s laboured tirelessly since the late-1960′s honing and preening his guitar style, dipping into various genres including prog, and generally maintaining the highest quality standards. These new reissues … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, classical, Fear Of The Dark, Gordon Giltrap, guitar, guitarist, John G Perry, Perilous Journey, reissue, review, rock, Simon Phillips, Visionary | Leave a comment

Album Review: STATUS QUO – The Frantic Four Reunion – Live At The O2 Academy, Glasgow

Posted on August 19, 2013 by david.wilson

Fourth Chord Records [Release date 30.09.13] Anyone with even a passing interest in Quo will know the special relationship the group have with the city of Glasgow and, in particular, the late, lamented Glasgow Apollo. Many ageing rockers in the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alan Lancaster, album, CD, earBOOK, Francis Rossi, Glasgow, Glasgow Apollo, John Goghlan, live, O2 Academy, review, Rick Parfitt, Status Quo, The Frantic Four Reunion | Leave a comment

Album review: SONS OF HIPPIES – Griffons At The Gates Of Heaven

Posted on August 17, 2013 by petefeenstra

Cleopatra [Release date 16.07.13] Described as psych-space rockers, and more memorably as: ‘The Bangles on acid’, Sons of Hippies explore retro musical influences with colourful imagery and gothic moods. Their imposing wall of sound is interwoven with ominous poetic lyrics … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Amon Duul 11, Billy Sherwood, Bjork, Griffons At The Gates Of Heaven, Jesus & The Mary Chain, Jonas Canales, Kate Bush, Katherine Kelly, Patti Smith, psychedelic, review, Sons Of Hippies | Leave a comment

Quick plays: BALFLARE, CHRIS NORMAN

Posted on August 16, 2013 by jason

Album review: BALFLARE – Downpour Balfare are a Japanese power metal band who have been around since 2004 and this is their fourth studio album. The music is keyboard led and keyboards player Tommy is the star of the show, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Balflare, Chris Norman, Downpour, Japan, pop, power metal, review, Smokie, There And Back | Leave a comment

Album review: PHILIP H.ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS – Walk Through Exits Only

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Yiannis

Season Of Mist – Out Now. Philip H. Anselmo is probably one of the few active musicians who, I would presume, is in the enviable position of being able to sit back and rest on his laurels without having to … Continue reading →

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Album review: ROVO AND SYSTEM 7 – Phoenix Rising

Posted on August 15, 2013 by petefeenstra

G-Wave [Release date 23.09.13] Steve Hillage owes his unique position as the godfather of techno and an all-round psychedelic overseer – he’s a contributing musician, producer and DJ – to his psychedelic rock past and his innovative techno, trance and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Caravan, Gong, Hawkwind, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miquette Giraudy, Phoenix Rising, Rovo, Seichi Yamamoto, Steve Hillage, System 7, Techno, Yuji Katsui | Leave a comment

Album review: TROUBLE – The Distortion Field

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Yiannis

FRW RECORDS – Out Now. Being a top quality singer involves much more than having a good voice, it requires charisma – although what that actually is can be difficult to define sometimes. In Eric Wagner, Chicago based Doom Metal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Trouble | Leave a comment

Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Slaves And Masters

Posted on August 15, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Hear No Evil Recordings [Release date 22.07.13] Slaves And Masters might be remembered as the album that split the Purple fans (and some critics) in the early-1990s, launched in an era that spawned albums such as Tyketto’s ‘Don’t Come Easy … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, bonus tracks, Deep Purple, Ian Paice, Joe Lynn Turner, Jon Lord, reissue, review, Ritchie Blackmore, rock, Roger Glover, Slaves And Masters | Leave a comment

Album Review: SYNESTHESIA – Synners and Saints

Posted on August 14, 2013 by david.wilson

Steeltown USA Records ( Release date – out now) Synethesia claim to encompass many rock styles, taking in power and prog metal, thrash and punk, quite a heady mix. The results of this rock mash-up are rather … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, CD, metal, Pittsburg, review, rock, Synesthesia, Synners and Saints | Leave a comment

Album Review: OVERTURES – Entering The Maze

Posted on August 14, 2013 by david.wilson

Sleaszy Rider Records (Release date – Out now) Overtures are an Italian metal outfit from Gorizia and ‘Entering The Maze’ is the band’s third album. Metal infused with a large dose of melody is the order of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, CD, Entering The Maze, Italy, metal, Overtures, review, rock | 1 Comment

Album review: MARTIN BARRE – Away With Words

Posted on August 14, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Edifying Records [Release date 30.09.13] Perhaps the most constant revolving door of rock is that of Jethro Tull, and all the more intriguing for the recent ‘loss’ of Martin Lancelot Barre. For several centuries, it seems, Ian Anderson’s right hand … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Away With Words, Dan Crisp, folk, guitar, guitarist, instrumental, Jethro Tull, Martin Barre, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE – An All-Star Tribute To Steve Miller Band

Posted on August 14, 2013 by petefeenstra

Cleopatra Records [Release date 30.07.13] Producer, engineer and multi instrumentalist and sometime Yes member Billy Sherwood has carved out his a niche for himself with a number of wide ranging all star tribute albums, and now it’s the turn of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Billy Sherwood, Derek Sherinian, Fee Waybill, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Martin Turner, Peter Banks, Rod Argent, Roye Albrighton, Sonja Kristina, Steve Hillage, Steve Miller, Steve Morse | Leave a comment

Album review: BLOOD CEREMONY – The Eldritch Dark

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Yiannis

Rise Above – Out Now. Ask me to provide you with a list of all the bands I adore and you are guaranteed to find among them important names like Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple. These legends of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged blood ceremony | Leave a comment

Backstage Heroes: Interview with Neil Daniels

Posted on August 14, 2013 by jason

Author Neil Daniels is as busy as ever with three new books out now published by Createspace Books (‘AOR Chronicles’ ‘Rock & Metal Chronicles’ & ‘Hard Rock Rebels’) and titles on Pantera, UFO, Bon Jovi’s classic ‘Slippery When Wet’ album and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Backstage Heroes | Tagged AOR, author, Bon Jovi, book, metal, Neil Daniels, Pantera, publication, rock, UFO, writer, ZZ Top | 1 Comment

Book reviews: ERIC CLAPTON – All You Need To Know FAQ and Day by Day

Posted on August 14, 2013 by jason

Published by Backbeat Books Normally reserved for the ranks of more obsessive fans and anoraks (and before you ask, I am one myself- KISS, Rolling Stones and Hanoi Rocks) of late these kinds of books have taken on a whole … Continue reading →