Yearly Archives: 2021

Album review: MARCO MATTEI – Out Of Control

MARCO MATTEI - Out Of Control

7D Media/Third Star Records [Release date 19.11.21] There seems to be a trend amongst aspiring proggers to acquire the services of the “prog-whores” who – in the nicest way possible – lend their talents to any number of albums.  In … Continue reading

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Album review: ASTRAL DRIVE – Astral Drive (Orange album)

ASTRAL DRIVE – Astral Drive

Pete Feenstra chatted to Phil Thornalley for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  First broadcast Sunday 31 October 2021. Lojinx [Release date 24.09.21] ‘Astral Drive’ is the musical vehicle for producer, singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist Phil Thornalley. The ‘Astral Drive’ … Continue reading

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Album review: ORGAN FAIRCHILD – Brewed In Buffalo

ORGAN FAIRCHILD - Brewed In Buffalo

Organ Fairchild Records [Release date 15.09.21] Here at GRTR! Towers we are privileged to receive any number of albums from aspiring or jobbing musicians, some obviously hitting the mark more than others.  Occasionally a real gem emerges and in Organ … Continue reading

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Gig review: REBECCA DOWNES – 100 Club, London, 19 October 2021

P1200975 - Copy

Just before the pandemic struck, one of the artists I was looking forward to seeing more of was Rebecca Downes, a very enjoyable support slot to Brian Downey’s Live and Dangerous at the Underworld proof that she was successfully diversifying … Continue reading

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Album review: NAKED RAYGUN – Reissues

naked raygun reissues

Audio Platter / Plastic Head Chicago punk band Naked Raygun formed in 1980 and their style strongly dipped into post punk and hardcore. They have been an influence on the likes of Dave Grohl and Blink192, and they have toured … Continue reading

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Album review: HEARTLAND – Into The Future

HEARTLAND- Into the Future

Escape Music [Release date 15.10.21] I assumed Chris Ousey had kicked the long career of Heartland on the head with their last album of new material coming back in 2007. However, after his time with Snakecharmer and also fronting Kingdom … Continue reading

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Book review: ERUPTION – CONVERSATIONS WITH EDDIE VAN HALEN by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill

ERUPTION- CONVERSATIONS WITH EDDIE VAN HALEN by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill

Hachette Publishing [Publication date 28.10.21] When Eddie Van Halen lost his prolonged struggles with cancer last autumn the rock world mourned – the number of Facebook friends who put his ‘Frankenstein’ guitar patterned design as their cover photo in memoriam … Continue reading

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Album review: ECLIPSE – Wired

ECLIPSE- Wired

Frontiers Records [Release date 08.10.21] Eclipse have been on one the hottest streaks in melodic rock of recent years- even last year’s stop-gap live album ‘Viva la Victouria’ being a reminder of quite how many anthems they have written. And … Continue reading

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Album review: THE FOREIGN FILMS – Starlight Serenade

The Foreign Films - Starlight Serenade

Pete Feenstra chatted to Bill Majoros for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  First broadcast 21 November 2021. Curve Music [Release date 30.07.21] What’s the significance of a band’s name? In the case of The Foreign Films (aka Canadian singer songwriter … Continue reading

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Album review: LOVERBOY – Loverboy and Get Lucky (Remasters)

loverboy get lucky

Rock Candy Records [release date 24.09.21] Selling 6 million between them, Loverboy’s self titled debut (1980) and follow up, Get Lucky (1981), have now had the treatment from Rock Candy Records. Forty years of remastering evolution has brought us to … Continue reading

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Album review: BURNING POINT – Arsonist Of The Soul

Burning point Arsonist-Of-The-Soul

AFM Records [Release date: 22.10.21] Finnish band, Burning Point have never found their way into the vanguard of European Power Metal. To their credit, despite being handicapped by lacklustre albums and personnel changes, they’ve kept moving forward. Now, five years … Continue reading

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Rising Stars: FURBABY & THE TIGHT SPACES

Furbaby

Featuring past and current members of bands including The Last Vegas, The Steepwater Band, Urge Overkill, The Cynics, Warrior Soul, Abbarama and Tyla & Dogs D’Amour, Furbaby & the Tight Spaces were dreamed up during 2020 quarantine, their debut album … Continue reading

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Gig review: KING KING – Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion – 19 October 2021

King King - Bexhill, October 2021

After numerous attempts at rescheduling during the Covid crisis, King King’s tour in support of their 2020 album finally gets under way. Venue availability, as a myriad of bands all attempt to simultaneously reschedule gigs that have been postponed over the last eighteen … Continue reading

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Album review: SYLVAN – One To Zero

SYLVAN

 Gentle Art Of Music   [Release date: 28.05.21] Sylvan are one of Europe’s finest progressive rock bands whose stock has been rising for some time, but particularly since they signed up to the Gentle Art Of Music label run by fellow … Continue reading

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Album review: AVAWAVES – Chrysalis (Anna Phoebe/Aisling Brouwer)

AVAWAVES - Chrysalis

One Little Independent Records [Release date 08.10.21] The return of Anna Phoebe!!   She contributed a track to our Rising Stars sampler in 2007.  She has performed with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  She was special guest of Jethro Tull (2009) and gave Ian … Continue reading

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Album review: IAN McNABB – Ascending

IAN McNABB – Ascending

Website In 1981 the Icicle Works released a cassette of their earliest demos., which went to John Peel and the like and was sold at gigs. As the band developed, songs would get left behind and replaced with newer ones. … Continue reading

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Album review: RACHEL FLOWERS – Bigger On The Inside

RACHEL FLOWERS - Bigger On The Inside

www.rachelflowersmusic.com [Release date 01.10.21] For an artist influenced by Coltrane and Zappa you may think that Rachel Flowers’ music will be a bit abstract, quirky and at times inaccessible.  But, Rachel was mentored by Herbie Hancock and infuenced by the … Continue reading

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Album review: SANTANA – Blessings and Miracles

SANTANA – Blessings and Miracles

BMG [Release date 15.10.21] To gain insight into how Santana is well respected in the music industry, one need only take a quick glance at the varied list of collaborators he’s assembled on his new album. From his early 70s … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROBERT HART AND DAVE ‘BUCKET’ COLWELL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 14 October 2021

ROBERT HART AND DAVE 'BUCKET' COLWELL- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 14 October 2021

There have been some enjoyable ‘evening with’ nights of songs and stories at the Cavern this year – including Spike, who opened his show in July bantering with Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell who was seated near him. In a neat piece … Continue reading

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Album review: LEVERAGE – Above The Beyond

leverage-above-the-beyond

Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] AOR, Melodic Rock, Power Metal, Progmetal … Leverage are none of these yet they are all of these. On their 5th album now and the music gets harder to define and easier to admire. It’s perhaps … Continue reading

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Album review: ASKING ALEXANDRIA – See What’s On The Inside

ASKING ALEXANDRA

Better Noise Music [Release date 01.10.21] Formed in 2006, in York, North Yorkshire, by Ben Bruce, Asking Alexandria are now back to their original line-up as a 5 piece band. There’s no doubting that Asking Alexandria have achieved success over … Continue reading

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Gig review: VEGA – Camden Underworld, London, 9 October 2021

P1200808 - Copy

Vega are one of those bands with a lot of lost time to make up as live music resumes. Since the beginning of the pandemic one of the UK’s premier melodic rockers have recorded not one but two albums, with … Continue reading

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Album review: THE GRANDMASTER – Skywards

Grandmaster-Skywards-cover2021

Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] Grandmaster is vocalist Nando Fernandez of Brazilian metal band, Sinistra, paired with incomparable metal guitarist Jens (Edguy) Ludwig. It’s a match made in Frontiers’ HQ. The songs have been written by, and the album produced by … Continue reading

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Gig review: Quarantune Rocks Party, The Old Dairy Farm, Cropredy, 9 October 2021

The Darker My Horizon - Quarantune Rocks Party, The Old Dairy Farm, Cropredy, 9 October 2021

6 Bands, 1 stage, 1 day: The Darker My Horizon Ryders Creed Shades Of Seattle King Awesome Skinny Knowledge More Human Than Human Quarantune Rocks was set up in March 2020 to support rock music fans, bands and venues in … Continue reading

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Album review: THE HONEYRUNNERS – Everything Is On Fire

THE HONEYRUNNERS – Everything Is On Fire

Gypsy Soul Records [Release date 22.10.21] This is the debut albums from The Honeyrunners, a four-piece Toronto group (expanding to eleven members for larger shows) consisting of singer/songwriter Dan Dwoskin (keys, lead vocals), audio-engineer/producer, Guillermo Subauste (bass, vocals), Conor Gains … Continue reading

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