Monthly Archives: February 2014

Rock stars: Interview with Adrian Vandenberg (Vandenberg’s Moonkings) – 22 January 2014

Adrian Vandenberg

Interviews are promotional tools that not all musicians are that keen on, so I often find it a challenge to engage the interviewee and extract some decent answers to those all-important questions we all have. Well, on the early evening … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gig review: SAXON – Tivoli, Buckley, 11 February 2014

Saxon - Tivoli, Buckley, 11 February 2014

35 years on since their album debut and the mighty Saxon return to their roots.  The “Tiv” was a regular watering hole for bands in the eighties and it seems that life has come full circle.  A series of club … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig Review: DEL AMITRI, Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London, 7 February 2014

Del Amitri - 7 February 2014

12 years after splitting up, Del Amitri made a welcome return, reuniting for an extensive tour culminating in this sold out date before an appreciative Hammersmith crowd, albeit one with very few people who will see 40 again. Initially I … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Gig Review: MOLLY HATCHET, O2 Islington Academy, 5 February 2014

Molly Hatchet - 4 February 2014

For those of us too young to remember the pre-plane crash Skynyrd, Jacksonville’s Molly Hatchet were among the standard bearers for southern rock during our formative musical years, with a turbocharged, triple guitar boogie that made our own homegrown bands … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Gig review: SEPULTURA – O2 Islington Academy, London, 6 February 2014‏

SEPULTURA – O2 Islington Academy, London, 6 February 2014‏

Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis There are many bands out there, claiming to play high velocity Thrash Metal, but only a handful can do so with the energy and conviction which characterise the legendary Brazilian quartet Sepultura. When Andreas Kisser … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Single & EP reviews: WAKING UGLY, CHRIS ADAMS, VANITY RIOTS

Waking Ugly - Say Something Sweet

WAKING UGLY Say Something Sweet EP www.wakingugly.com If Kylie was going to make a ‘heavy metal’ album it would probably sound like this.  Girlie vocals, some decent rock guitar, but ultimately fairly shiny ‘pop’.  And that’s just what Waking Ugly, … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DVD review: U.S. Festival 1983 Days 1-3

US Festival 1983 Days 1-3

Wienerworld [Release date 27.01.14] It’s weird how when you look back at this footage, just how young everyone looks, yet when you look in the mirror that same youthful young man looks back at you (well, maybe not). The U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: ROBBY HECHT, DAVID BERKELEY, PETER MULVEY, DAMIEN DEMPSEY

Robby Hecht

ROBBY HECHT Robby Hecht (Old Man Henry Records) [Release date 24.03.14] DAVID BERKELEY The Fire In My Head (Straw Man Music) [Release date 17.03.14] I’ve brigaded these two singer songwriter’s releases together, not just because they’ll be touring the UK … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: WICKED FAITH – Under No Illusion

Wicked Faith - Under No Illusion

Self-released [Release date 18.11.13] It’s always good to hear a young band giving it their all but referencing  – perhaps subconsciously – some of those female-fronted bands that you grew up with.  Wicked Faith formed in Norwich in late-2011 and … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: BRAM STOKER – Cold Reading

Bram Stoker - Cold Reading

sunn creative [Release date 27.01.14] The band, taking their name from one of the great horror stylists, might well conjure up dark and nefarious activity akin to their early contemporaries Black Widow.  Forget all that.   40 years after their debut … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gig review: The Great British Rock & Blues Festival, Skegness 24-27 January 2014

Jefferson Starship

Listen in to Pete Feenstra on Sunday 9 February at 19:00 for a Skegness Special More information The 18th Great British Rock & Blues Festival was a triumph of familiarity and enthusiasm over logistics. Many of the capacity crowd were … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Photo Galleries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: URIAH HEEP – Tivoli, Buckley, 6 February 2014

Bernie Shaw, Uriah Heep - February 2014

Chatting at length to Bernie Shaw I suddenly realised that vocalists usually need to rest their voice before a gig.  He agreed.  But his real complaint was the woeful heating in the semi-legendary ‘Tiv’ and a lack of TLC for … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album Review: FREEDOM TO GLIDE – Rain

Freedom To Glide - Rain

Rubystorm Records  [Release Date: 11.11.13] For a pair of musicians whose day job involves being in one of the top tribute bands around, it must be very difficult to break free of the constraints of that musical straight-jacket and decide … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gig Review: TRIVIUM / KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – 02 Academy, Glasgow, 4 February 2014

Trivium - O2 Academy, Glasgow, 4 February 2014

This tour had originally been billed as Trivium with support but at the eleventh hour Killswitch Engage were added to the bill with ‘co-headliner’ status. Not sure what went on behind the scenes but suffice to say the late addition … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: ADRIAN GALYSH – Tone Poet

Adrian Galysh - Tone Poet

www.adriangalysh.com [Release date 03.12.13] Not a name I have come across before, although Adrian Galysh has been releasing albums since 1998 (this is his fourth solo album) and has toured in Uli Jon Roth’s band. He has won plaudits from fellow … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Album review: MISSING PERSONS feat. Dale Bozzio – Missing In Action

Missing Persons feat. Dale Bozzio - Missing In Action

Cleopatra Records [Release date 04.03.14] The digipak at the top of the stack didn’t look that inviting.  Could it have been Dee Snider’s half-brother on the cover?  There’s an awful lot of ivory around that lady’s neck.  The name Dale … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SEPULTURA – The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. It’s been seventeen whole years since Max Cavalera, singer and rhythm guitarist of the Brazilian Thrash Metal combo Sepultura, decided to end his working relationship with the band he helped form in Belo Horizonte back … Continue reading

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

Album review: VANISHING POINT – Distant Is The Sun

AFM Records www.afmrecords.de Another German metal band you might think…but no…Vanishing Point are Australian, they play progressive metal and this is their fifth studio album and the first since The Fourth Season back in 2007. The band has been lead … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: STATUS QUO – Piledriver Deluxe Edition

Status Quo - Piledriver

Universal [Release date 24.03.14] Status Quo are preparing for the second round of their ‘Frantic Four’ reincarnation and – hey – here comes an extended reissue of their 1972 album.  ‘Piledriver’ is important because it continued their journey from the … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: DEREK SHERINIAN – Reissues (Inertia,Black Utopia,Mythology,Blood Of The Snake,Molecular Heinosity)

Derek Sherinian - Inertia

Armoury Records (re-issues) [Release date 10.02.14] Sherinian came to wider attention with Dream Theater in 1994 and since he left that band in 1999 the volume of his session work has grown along with stints in Black Country Communion and … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: CREMATORY, SONJA KRISTINA, SECTION A, SEB BACH, OVERLAND

Crematory - Antiserum

CREMATORY – Antiserum SPV www.spv.de [Release date 24.02.14] Crematory have a been around awhile starting out as a death metal band with gothic leanings and gradually steering more away from the death metal sound to a more industrial/gothic sound. This … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Album Review: SWEET ERMENGARDE – Raynham Hall

Sweet Ermengarde - Raynham Hill

Equinoxe Records – [Release Date: 14.06.13] Just when you thought Goth had shrivelled up, died and gone to meet its maker in Valhalla, it’s time once again to dig out that white face paint, strap a spiky dog collar to … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: BAST – Spectres

        Black Bow Records/ Burning World (Release date – 24th February 2014) Bast are a London based trio who are here to challenge your musical senses. The album may only contain five tracks but it clocks in … Continue reading

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

Gig review: I AM I, Barfly, Camden, 23 January 2014

I AM I

Breaking a quiet January for gigs, the cramped surroundings of the Barfly was the London stop on a brief UK tour by I Am I, the new musical vehicle for former Dragonforce singer ZP Theart. As with many bills at … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Book review: Electric World – A Casual Guide to the Music of Neal Schon by Neil Daniels

Available as an EBook or book on Amazon Neal Schon if you needed reminding is the guitarist with melodic rock giants Journey, although this book by Neil Daniels (the Ginger Wildheart of rock writing as he always seems to have … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment