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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Monthly Archives: February 2014
Gig review: DEADLY CIRCUS FIRE – Camden Barfly, 27 February 2014
First time I have seen a gig at Camden’s Barfly and it’s a small, but perfectly formed venue and a good sound. I only caught the last two songs by openers Reverted who played energetic thrash metal, although they have … Continue reading
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Tagged 27 February 2014, Camden Barfly, DEADLY CIRCUS FIRE, gig, review, rock
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Album review: ADAM SWEET – Small Town Thinking
NEO Music Adam Sweet’s full debut was released at the end of 2013 to favourable reactions. It is easy to see why. This is a sublime, often laid back album of confidence, competence and genuine talent. Only in his mid-twenties, … Continue reading
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Tagged ADAM SWEET, album, blues rock, review, rock, Small Town Thinking
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Album review: HOUSE OF LORDS – Precious Metal
Frontiers www.frontiers.it [Released 21.03.14] The ninth album from veteran Melodic/Arena rock band House of Lords finds the band playing with the attitude and energy of a band half their age. With “Precious Metal” the band are mixing their classic sound … Continue reading
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Tagged album, hard rock, House of Lords, James Christian, melodic, Precious Metal, review
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Album review: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX – White Light Generator
Cool Green Recordings ( Release date 17.03.14) Crippled Black Phoenix are a difficult band to review. This is mainly because they refuse to conform and are, therefore, hard to pigeon hole. Perhaps this is something that should be celebrated in … Continue reading
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Tagged album, CD, Crippled Black Phoenix, indie, Live In Poznan, prog, review, rock, White Light Generator
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Album review: ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY – Takes New York, Live At The Iridium
Provogue [Release date 24.02.14] A few years ago a few stellar musicians got together to explore some funky vibes. This stellar cast included, latterly, none other than Joe Bonamassa and this side-project was to some extent overlooked as Joe wore … Continue reading
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Tagged album, CD, DVD, funk, jazz fusion, Joe Bonamassa, review, rock, Rock Candy Funk Party, Takes New York Live At The Iridium
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Album Review: ROBERT CRAY – In My Soul
Provogue [Release date 31.03.14] He may be a 5 times Grammy Award Winner and the youngest living artist to be inducted into the ‘Blues Hall Of Fame’, but Robert Cray is always looking for a fresh and meaningful context for … Continue reading
Quick plays: SONS OF THE SEA, JOSH TAERK, INGER LORRE, ADRIAN NATION, BIRDS OF CHICAGO
SONS OF THE SEA S/t Avow! Records [Released 03.03.14] www.menbran.net Sons of the Sea is a collaboration between producer Brendan O’Brien (Incubus/Pearl Jam/RATM/Springsteen) and Brandon Boyd of Incubus (not a band I have heard anything by although my daughter informs … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Adrian Nation, Birds Of Chicago, folk, Hate In My Heart, Inger Lorre & The Chiefs of Infinity, Josh, Josh Taerk, Live At The Crossroads, Live From Space, Nigel Clothier, rock, roots, Sharp Practise, singer, Snowflake, songwriter, Sons Of the Seas, Steal With Pride
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Album review: ELYSION – Someplace Better
Massacre Records – Out Now. In the twelve or so years since I moved from my native Greece, a revolution of sorts has taken place in the local Metal scene. Whereas in the early to mid 90s it would be … Continue reading
News: WINGER announce new album and Download appearance
FIRST NEW ALBUM FOR 5 YEARS RELEASED ON FRONTIERS RECORDS 21.04.14 AND BAND ALSO CONFIRMED TO APPEAR AT DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 15.06.14 One of the most misunderstood Hard Rock bands to emerge from the 1980’s is returning with their highly anticipated … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged AOR, Beavis and Butthead, Better Days Comin, Download, Frontiers, Kip Winger, melodic rock, new album, new release, Winger
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Album Review: PSYCLON NINE: [Order of the Shadow: Act I]
Metropolis Records [Released 23.12.13] Picking up all the best reference points from Al Jourgensen’s demonic Ministry creation and shredded together in a moulinex with the sweeping drama of Rammstein, Psyclon Nine have produced an album of surprisingly good industrial metal … Continue reading
Album Review: THE MANIC SHINE – Let Go Or Be Dragged
Animal Farm Records This is a very original and encouraging debut album from Scottish borders-based quartet The Manic Shine. The ten tracks here each have it all going on. The material could broadly be described metal-tickled prog rock, with a … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Let Go Or Be Dragged, Orren Karp, Ozzie Rodgers, prog, Progressive Rock, review, rock, The Manic Shine
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Album review: INCURA – S/T
Inside Out [Released 24th February 2014] This Canadian band Incura have been around since 2003 having released a series of EP’s and this is their first album given a full release. Two things strike you on first listen, the high … Continue reading
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Tagged album review, Dream Theater, Incura, Inside Out, My Chemical Romance, prog metal, Queen, rock
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Book review: ‘Reinventing Metal – The True Story of Pantera’ by Neil Daniels
Backbeat Books Or to give the book it’s full title “Reinventing Metal- The True Story of Pantera and the Tragically Short Life of Dimebag Darrell”. Another in depth and insightful rock biography from the much published Neil Daniels. This time … Continue reading
Album Review: EDISON’S CHILDREN – The Final Breath Before November
Random Disturbance Records [Release Date: 01.01.14] I had the pleasure of reviewing Edison’s Children’s first album ‘In The Last Waking Moments’ back in 2012 which, with the odd caveat, was fully worthy of the five stars garnered. At the time … Continue reading
Gig review: SKINDRED/SOiL – Manchester Academy, 2 February 2014
3 bands, 3 music styles and 1 outcome, one awesome night of entertainment. It’s the last night of the UK leg of Skindred’s ‘Kill The Power’ tour before they head off to Europe and beyond for the next few months … Continue reading
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Tagged 2 February 2014, gig, Manchester Academy, metal, reggae, review, rock, Skindred, Soil, Viza
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Gig review: THE TREATMENT/Cage Of Gods – Sugarmill, Stoke, 5 February 2014
If the quality of tonight’s bands is anything to go by then the future of Rock music is in good hands as both The Treatment and Cage The Gods are both young in age and full of the attitude and … Continue reading
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Tagged 5 February 2014, Cage Of Gods, gig, review, rock, Stoke, Sugarmill, The Treatment
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Gig review: THE QUIREBOYS – Live Rooms, Chester, 6 February 2014
What better way to spend my birthday that at a live gig and tonight we are at The Quireboys acoustic show in The Live Rooms, Chester. A new venue that is ideally situated across from the train station and has … Continue reading
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Tagged 6 February 2014, Chester, gig, Live Rooms, Mark Curran, Matt Pearce, Quireboys, review, rock, Spike
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Album review: WITHIN TEMPTATION – Hydra
Dramatico [Release date 03.02.14] With their last studio album The Unforgiving (2011), Dutch symphonic rockers Within Temptation looked as if they were about to step into the American mainstream and take it by storm with a set that included radio … Continue reading
Album review: STORMWARRIOR – Thunder & Steele
Massacre Records – Out Now. German Heavy/Power Metal quartet Stormwarrior are a well known entity to fans of late 80s Metal. During the last fifteen years they have recorded a decent number of high velocity tunes, some with the assistance … Continue reading
Album review: ICED EARTH – Plagues Of Babylon
Century Media – Out Now. Three years ago a rebirth of sorts took place in the camp of Iced Earth, one helped by the bringing into the fold of a very charismatic front man named Stu Block – a young … Continue reading
Album review: TRANSATLANTIC – Kaleidoscope
Inside Out – Out Now. ‘Super groups’ are complicated affairs. What some treat with deep suspicion as nothing more than vanity projects, others see as a way for musicians to indulge in ideas unsuited to their day jobs. There is, … Continue reading
Album review: GRAND MAGUS – Triumph And Power
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Having fronted Swedish Stoner Metal legends Spiritual Beggars for eight whole years (2002-10), guitarist/vocalist Janne “JB” Christoffersson decided to change course and move into more ‘classic’ musical territory by forming his very own heavy power-trio … Continue reading
Album review: ANETTE OLZON – Shine
Interview edit: Anette Olzon, 26 February 2014 The full interview is featured in ‘Assume The Position’ Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sunday 9 March, 22:00 GMT More information earMUSIC [Release date 31.03.14] For those who don’t pick their fruit from … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Alyson Avenue, Anette Olzon, Nightwish, pop, progressive, review, rock, Shine, Sweden, Swedish, symphonic metal
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Gig review: SPIN DOCTORS + DODGY The Garage, London Saturday 22nd February 2014
The last date of the Spin Doctors three date UK visit re-arranged from last autumn. It was a decent turn out at the Garage, although the curse of the 10pm curfew to allow for the nightclub after badly hit openers … Continue reading
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Tagged 90's, Chris Barron, DODGY, Good Enough, live, London, Nigel Clark, Saturday 22nd February 2014, Spin Doctors, The Garage, Two Princes
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Album review: BATTLEAXE – Heavy Metal Sanctuary
Steamhammer/SPV [Release date 24.02.14] Originally part of the mid 80s era New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWoBHM), Battleaxe released tracks on several compilations as well as two albums in 1983 and 1984; both have since been reissued on CD, … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Battaleaxe, heavy metal, Heavy Metal Sanctuary, NWOBHM, review
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