PENDULUM OF FORTUNE Searching For The God Inside [Release date 08.12.17]

Pendulum Of Fortune are based around former Eloy drummer Bodo Schopf, who is joined by Pink Cream 69/Almanac vocalist David Readman, guitarist Vladimir Shevyakov and bass player Franky R (who played with Schopf in Michael Schenker’s band).

Good mix of styles throughout the album from the hard rock of opener ‘Crossed That Line’ contrasted with the mellower refrains of the title track and ‘Born Again’. Readman suits the music well, unleashing his inner Coverdale one minute and then adopting a more metal edged singing style when required.

Touch of Savatage on ‘Crazy Thoughts’ where the heavy riffs match the equally heavy vocals of David Readman. Not to be outdone Bodo Scopf lets fly on a drum solo midway through the song.

Get past the truly awful album cover and inside lies a treat of a hard rock album, featuring plenty of guitar solos, melodies and the odd drum solo, which is fair enough as the band is built around a drummer. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

TOMI MALM Walkin’ On Air Contante & Sonate Records [Release date 15.10.17]

Tomi Malm has previously released an album ‘Fly Away’ based on the songs of pianist/composer David Foster and ‘Walkin’ On Air’ marks Malm’s debut solo album. He is aided by top notch musicians including drummer Simon Phillips, former Chicago singer Jason Scheef and Grammy award winning songwriter Clif Magness.

The jazz infused instrumental ‘Kuwakaribisha’ kicks the album off in style and next up is ‘Favor’, a smooth soul treat. Joseph Williams-fronted Toto comes to mind on ‘When You’re Gone’, a theme that continues on the title track.

Jason Scheef guests on this one and it features a sassy sax solo and plenty of horns, which of course make it sound a lot like Chicago. Bit more of an upbeat jazz/pop vibe on ‘Let’s Get To It’, whilst Clif Magness is a perfect fit for the AOR-tastic ballad ‘You Belong To Me’. The sheer class of the musicians involved simply oozes out of this one.

Tomi Malm has one heck of a voice on him and his debut solo album is a real ‘must have’ for lovers of West Coast AOR, smooth soul/jazz and Toto circa their excellent ‘Fahrenheit’ album. More please! ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

THE ESKIES And Don’t Spare The Horses [Release date 01.12.17]

Album number two from the Eskies, a quintet who hail from Dublin and play all manner of musical styles.

Opening with ‘All Good Men’ it is a vibrant mix of music hall, big band and more – not unlike the Urban Voodoo Machine. ‘I’m Not Sorry’ has a lovely sing-a-long chorus, to match the harsh lyrics and vocal delivery on the song.

‘Building Up The Walls’ starts of slowly before seguing into a rousing anthem and it contains a great line – ‘Oh, you’re building up walls, And my catapult is broken’.

A band like the Eskies will come into their own in the live environment and if they have half the energy on stage as they have captured on the songs on here, they would test the stamina of even the most lively of audiences. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

PINK CREAM 69 Headstrong Frontiers [Release date 10.11.17]

Pink Cream 69 celebrate 30 years sine they formed with a new studio album and a live CD to give the fans a nice little treat. Guitarist Alfred Koffler and bassist Dennis Ward (also known for his production skills outside of the band) are the two original members in the current line-up, that includes David Readman who is involved in the Pendulum Of Fortune CD reviewed above and a recent release from Almanac.

For those who enjoy Pink Cream 69′s mix of hard rock/metal with a few ballads in the mix they will enjoy this album. Opener ‘We Bow To None’ blows out of your speakers with a tip of the musical hat to Deep Purple, whilst ‘The Other Man’ highlights how well the band do ballads. David Readman seems to excel at these in particular, coming across as a mix of David Coverdale and Jorn.

The lead song, ‘Man Of Sorrow’ if you didn’t know otherwise you’d think was a new song by Jorn! Elsewhere a few songs seem to meld into each other pace and sound wise, however the energetic live disc adds to the overall enjoyment and makes it a ‘must have’ for fans, just not sure it will win them many new fans. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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)