MOLTEN TRAIL – Striving For The Sky
Defox/Heart Of Steel Circles

This is the project of Lithuanian keyboard maestro Vytautas Diskevicius, who has been playing and performing in Lithuania and this includes being part of former Uriah Heep vocalist John Lawton’s backing band.

This is – as you’d expect – very keyboard-led and has some lovely keyboard solos. In fairness his soloing can take over a song at times, but then many fans like solo led prog metal.

The songs are prog metal in the main, featuring heavy riffs and the best songs are the ones featuring guest vocalist Erik ‘EZ’ Blomkvist of Seven Thorns/Dreamscape. It is worth a listen, a solid album if a little lacking in those killer riffs and melodies to keep the listener coming back. **1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

FOREST FIELD – Angels?
www.forestfield.nl

Forest Field are onto their third full album release and the project is the work of China White guitarist Peter Cox. He handles all the instruments and on vocals he has Phil Vincent (Tragik/Legion) guesting.

The album’s songs are half instrumentals, half vocals. The instrumentals are guitar led as you would expect, with a lot of added synths/keyboards, some of which sound slightly out of kilter with the rest of the song at times.

Of the vocal led songs, the hard rocking ‘The Zoo’ (not a Scorpions cover!) and the ballad ‘It Looks Like Rain’ (one of Phil Vincent’s best vocal performances on this one in my humble opinion) are well worth a listen. With Phil Vincent on vocals you can’t really go wrong.

Not a bad listen, not an album I would honestly play a lot again though bar the aforementioned songs. **1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

MURDER OF MY SWEET – Beth Out Of Hell

Frontiers Records [Released 21.08.15]

Murder of My Sweet the brainchild of Swedish drummer and producer Daniel Flores are now onto their third album in the last five years. They describe themselves as cinematic metal (no I’d never heard of that genre either) so it is no surprise there is a story of an apocalyptic battle between good and evil running through what, dare I say, must be thought of as a concept album.

The album title does them no favours, implying a jokey parody whereas the album is deadly serious, indeed verging on overblown pomposity.

The material is in a classic symphonic metal mould well trodden by the likes of Nightwish and Within Temptation, with the ethereal vocals of singer Angelica Rylin complementing the more metallic backing.

However the problem with the cinematic metal concept is that, without accompanying visuals or at least a lyric booklet, the concept largely stays in the composer’s head and the listener has to engage with the music on its merits.

While decently played and sung, there is nothing to make a rather samey set of songs stand out from the crowd. Even two ten minute plus epics in ‘Requiem for a Ghost’ and the closer ‘Means to an End’ do little to vary the tempo or pace.

By all means give this a chance if the ever more crowded symphonic metal is your bag but I’m afraid I found it a monotonous and ultimately tedious hour and a quarter’s listening. **½

Review by Andy Nathan

THIRD LUNG – In The Chrysalis

Oil Drum Records/Cargo Records [Released 18.09.15]

Debut album from the three piece Third Lung who feature vocalist/guitarist Tom Farrelly, drummer Sam Waugh and bass player Rob Jacques. The lyrics are based on Tom Farrelly’s personal journey and his determination to overcome a difficult past. Although deeply personal at times, like any good lyric they are ones many others can relate to.

Farrelly has a vocal that recalls the late, great Jeff Buckley the way he swoops and soars on the songs. Musically songs like ‘Our Time’ and ‘Would It Be’ recall not only Jeff Buckley but Pearl Jam. The quieter numbers like ‘In The Chrysalis’ and ‘Don’t Kneel Why You Pray’ have a little of that acoustic Led Zeppelin flavour.

An interesting and musically rewarding debut that requires a few listens to get into. Third Lung have a good future ahead of them based on the music on their debut. ***

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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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 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)