ORANGE OUTLAW Desert Wolf
Self release [Release date 01.03.15]

Album covers can be deceiving at times, going by the lone wolf in the desert I had this pegged as a stoner rock workout, how wrong could I be! Orange Outlaw sit somewhere between Guns ‘n’ Roses and Alterbridge ( wait a minute,surely that’s Slash?) in the music stakes, good, melodic hard rock with choruses which you can sing along to after a couple of listens.

The opening two numbers ‘Charger’ and ‘Glam On The Streets’ set the band’s stall out well, big riffs and melodies which will have your toes tapping and your head nodding along. Frontman Sven Cornelisson has a good voice and can carry a tune well whilst lead guitarist Dirkjan de Wit pulls off some impressive solos.

The short, acoustic interlude ‘El Blanco’ points to a band who have talent and have confidence in their playing abilities. This is followed by the slower ‘To Me You’re Done’ again featuring a strong vocal from Cornelisson. ‘Fast and Deadly’ then moves things back to a more frantic pace and this momentum is then continued through the remaining tracks.

A good debut then from the Dutch rockers which shows a lot of promise. ***1/2

Review by David Wilson

NEGACY Flames Of Black Fire
Jolly Roger Records [Release date 15.06.15]

Negacy got together back in 2005 under the moniker ‘Red Warlock’ but underwent a name change in 2012 after releasing one album. This is the debut then of the renamed Italian outfit and it is a heavy affair.

Blending elements of power and thrash metal the music is fast and furious with a lot of technical skills on show. The music features numerous time changes and off kilter melodies which used sparingly would have been interesting and perhaps set the band apart. However, when these elements are used constantly through each track they do become something of an irritation. I found myself craving a straightforward melody or riff but they were few and far between.

Vocalist Marco Piu has a fairly flat, monotone voice which, when combined with a muddy final mix, leads to a fairly dull listen. The mix also robs you of some of the technical guitar work as it tends to get buried in the wall of sound.

The final track ‘Epitaph’ is the best the album has to offer, the sound on this one is a bit clearer and the individual elements do come through. Overall though Negacy, whilst technically impressive, need to learn that at times less is more and ensure that they have a solid melody as a basis for their collective noodlings. **

Review by David Wilson

ARCHANGEL – Archangel
Self release [Release date 14.03.15]

Apparently Tampa in Florida is the birthplace of Death Metal, could be something to do with all the octogenarians who move to the area, or possibly not? The latest band to join the fold are Archangel who veer more to the thrash side of things rather than full on death metal. This is the band’s debut album and it does sound like a band in its infancy.

Taking cues from the like of early Iron Maiden and Merciful Fate the guys have good ideas and the playing throughout shows signs of a band that could develop nicely given a bit of time. One thing which does the band no favours however is the vocal abilities of frontman Michael Brady. Mostly he sings in the lower range of his voice which is fine, not stunning, but decent enough.

However it is when he emulates King Diamond and Rob Halford and sings in falsetto that it all goes wrong, in short he sounds like a stabbed cat! It does say on the blurb that Brady has been classically trained, lets just hope for the band’s sake that the lessons are on going, either that or he realises his limitations.

The 12 tracks on the album are decent thrash metal and as I say you can hear the band have promise. Again, as with so many bands these days, I think the band possibly entered the studio a bit early in their career. Another year or so of playing together and gelling coupled with live work I think would have produced a more polished result. Whether the extra time would have improved Brady’s vocal performance I am not so sure and it could prove to be the band’s Achilles heel. **1/2

Review by David Wilson

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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

Next session: Sunday 19 January

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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.

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 3 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)