Monthly Archives: March 2014

Interview: 10Q’s with OLIVER WAKEMAN

Oliver Wakeman tours with Gordon Giltrap during April promoting their ‘Ravens and Lullabies’ album and their band includes members of Arena and Threshold. Here we find out a little more about the tour, his time with the Strawbs… 1. What … Continue reading

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Album review: GOTTHARD – Bang!

Pias www.gotthard.com [Released 01.04.14] Solid hard rock is not something you associate with Switzerland, but Gotthard are one of Switzerland’s most successful bands. This is their 11th studio album, and second with vocalist Nic Maeder (after the death of original … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE ANSWER – O2 Academy 2, Leicester, 25 February 2014

THE ANSWER - Academy 2, Leicester, 25 February 2014

It was a cold damp midweek evening but these things didn’t matter as tonight Irish rockers The Answer are set to raise the temperature and spirits at the Academy 2 Leicester. Currently midway through their ‘Road Less Travelled’ tour which … Continue reading

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Album review – GINGER WILDHEART – Albion

        Round Records (Release date – 31.03.14) For many years Ginger Wildheart has been at the forefront of rock. Whether with The Wildhearts, solo or in one of his countless side projects he has never been scared … Continue reading

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Album review: DANIEL TRIGGER – Army Of One

        Two Sides Moon (Release date – Out Now) Daniel Trigger has been producing music for many years both as a solo artist and as part of the band Trigger who found some minor success in and … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACKBERRY SMOKE – O2 Islington Academy, 3 March 2014

Blackberry Smoke, O2 Islington Academy, London, 28 February 2014

After treading the boards in the USA for some years, Blackberry Smoke’s belated marketing push to crack the UK seems to be paying off: hot on the heels of their belatedly released The Whippoorwill album reaching the top 30, the … Continue reading

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Album review: LOINEN – Loinen

Svart Records – Out Now. Even though we live in the information age, there’s not much out there in English on the Sludge Metal outfit Loinen – a totally different case altogether if one possesses a decent command of Finnish. … Continue reading

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Interview with MEM V.STEIN (Exumer) – 19 February 2014

As I assume many of you are already well aware, not every band that played good quality Thrash Metal back in the 80s managed to make a career in the music business and the German quartet Exumer is a perfect … Continue reading

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Gig review: EXUMER – London O2 Islington Academy, 19 February 2014

Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis I would like to start this gig review by first apologising for how short it is and secondly by clarifying one important thing: German Thrashers Exumer did not perform a headline show on the evening … Continue reading

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Single & EP reviews: VOODOO SIX

Voodoo Six - Lead Me On

VOODOO SIX – Lead Me On Spinefarm [Released 21.04.14] Voodoo Six released their ‘Songs To Invade Countries By’ album last year to great acclaim and a support slot with Iron Maiden. This four song EP contains ‘Lead Me On’, a … Continue reading

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Quick plays: MIDNITE SKY, KRUK, THE CRINGE, FUSION ORCHESTRA 2

Midnite Sky - Blood, Sweat And A Little More

MIDNITE SKY – Blood, Sweat and A Little More www.midnitesky.de [Released 1.12.13] German melodic rock band who have a passion for bands like Europe, Dokken and Bonfire. Kicking off with the Europe sounding ‘Hellfire’ the band don’t really have any … Continue reading

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Album review: H.E.A.T. – Tearing Down The Walls

heat4

Interview with Eric Rivers, first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 16 March 2014 (9:36) earMUSIC [Release date 14.04.14] Album number four by melodic hard rockers H.E.A.T. and the second with vocalist Erik Gronwell, who has really established himself … Continue reading

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DVD review: SUZANNE VEGA – Solitude Standing

Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing

Wienerworld [Release date 24.03.14] Timed for release to coincide with Vega’s new studio album Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles (presumably to freeload on the coat-tails of that album’s publicity) this DVD finds Suzanne Vega performing at … Continue reading

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Album review: JOHN SEBASTIAN – Reissues

John Sebastian - Reissues

John B Sebastian, The Four Of Us, Tarzan Kid, Welcome Back plus BBC In Concert 1970 Edsel Records [Release date 10.02.14] Dylan just about nailed it when he pronounced ‘the times they are a changin’ in 1964 and John Sebastian, … Continue reading

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Album review: ELEANOR McEVOY – Stuff

Eleanor McEvoy - Stuff

Moscodisc [Release date 12.05.14] Compilations can be hit and miss affairs but Eleanor McEvoy’s got the balance just about right on 11 track ‘sampler’ that includes something for everyone by way of collaborations, single remixes and B-sides, and even some … Continue reading

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Album review: PANIC ROOM – Incarnate

Panic Room - Incarnate

Firefly Music [Release date 10.03.14] After their acoustic ‘chill out’ sojourn under the pseudo name of Luna Rossa, Anne-Marie Helder and Jonathan Edwards return with the latest release in their guise as main protagonists in Panic Room, a band whose … Continue reading

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Album review: TWISTED SISTER – Reissues

Twisted Sister

Eagle Records [Release date 17.03.14] An interesting trio on this budget box set as it skips the band’s debut album ‘Under The Blade’ and their biggest seller ‘Stay Hungry’ (which the band re-recorded in 2004 as ‘Still Hungry’). You Can’t … Continue reading

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Album review: DAMN VANDALS – Rocket Out Of London

Damn Vandals - Rocket Out Of Love

[Release date 07.04.14] Damn Vandals are cultivating a sound that is hard to ignore. The band’s urgent take on fuzzed up punk-tinged stoner rock makes you sit up and take notice. Chuck in a dominating vocal delivery with shoutey hints … Continue reading

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DVD review: VANGELIS and the Journey to Ithaka

This is not a live concert or ‘best of’ his works performed live, instead it is a fascinating insight into the musical world of Vangelis. The thing that shines through the various interviews, which include Oliver Stone, Jessye Norman and … Continue reading

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Album Review: DAUGHTRY – Baptized (Deluxe Edition)

Daughtry- Baptized

19/RCA Records [Release Date 17.02.14] It may surprise those of us on this side of the pond, but the USA’s X Factor equivalent American Idol does occasionally spawn credible rock acts among the manufactured pop dross. One alumnus from the … Continue reading

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Album Review: TOWERS – II

Aeolian Empire – Out Now. Two years after they were first formed, Portland-based Sludge/Stoner/Doom metal merchants Towers had to face a massive problem, the departure of their then guitarist. How did they decide to deal with this? In a way … Continue reading

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Album Review: SHIN TO SHIN – Shin To Shin

A389 Recordings – Out Now. I did not make much of  a link to the debut release by a band called Shin To Shin when I first spotted it in my Inbox, since the name was totally unfamiliar to me … Continue reading

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Album Review: OVERLAND – Epic

Overland - Epic

Escape Music [Release Date 24.02.14] Few can keep up with the prolific form of Steve Overland. The man with the golden tonsils has kept up a steady stream of releases whether with the reformed FM, Shadowman, The Ladder or under … Continue reading

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Album review: ALICE COOPER – Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

Audio Fidelity [Release date 01.03.14] There’s been something of a glut of Alice Cooper re-issues of late – Trash and Hey Stoopid, The Eyes Of Alice Cooper and Dirty Diamonds, and Brutally Live – to name but a few.  This … Continue reading

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Album review: JOE BONAMASSA & BETH HART – Live In Amsterdam

Joe Bonamassa & Beth Hart - Live in Amsterdam

Provogue (CD and DVD) [Release date 24.03.14] I have to say I’m not a huge Bonamassa or Beth Hart fan – individually or collectively.  To my mind Bonamassa is overhyped, and if my painful Liverpool Echo Arena experience is anything … Continue reading

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