Album review : 21OCTAYNE – Into The Open

21OCTAYNE - Into The Open

AFM Records [Release date 23.05.14]

This is a little different from AFM’s usual output of Teutonic metal and the change is refreshing to these ears.

21Octayne has been put together by current Axxis guitarist Marco Wriedt to create a band that can straddle the traditional boundaries in rock/metal. Marco got together with drummer Alex Landenburg (Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody) and bassist Andrew Lauer for their first jam session in August 2010. The Joe Perry Project vocalist Hagen Grohe was the final piece of the jigsaw to be put into place and the fit was perfect according to Marco.

One band springs to mind throughout “Into The Open” and that band is the mighty Alter Bridge. The song structures, the riffs, the vocalisation all bring Myles Kennedy and crew to mind…but that is not a bad thing at all.

Opener She’s Killing Me throws a little commercial Pink Cream 69 into the blender, whilst big ballad Turn The World adds a sprinkle of Night Ranger’s recent sound.

Dear Friend is one of the future classic songs on here…the verses alternating Hagen Grohe’s faultless vocals with some mighty heavy riffs giving the song an epic feel.

Your Life has a modern US alternative rock band , such as Hurt or 10 Years, feel to the verse but then veers off into Bon Jovi territory for the chorus. Hagen Grohe’s vocals are again pushed to the front on the acoustic ballad I Will Always Be Right There where he accompanied by a lone piano.

The quality of the musicianship and song writing on display cannot really be faulted. Hagen Grohe’s vocals sound ten times better than those on Joe Perry “Have Guitar, Will Travel” album from a few years back. Special mention should be made to “The Bullet’s” fancy bass runs scattered around and Don’t Turn Away even starts with a bass solo…

“Into The Open” is a highly enjoyable slice of modern rock with a few twists thrown in to distinguish it from others of this ilk.  Repeat plays are guaranteed!  ****

Review by Phil Berisford


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.