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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
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Yearly Archives: 2021
Album review: GAMMA RAY – 30 Years Live Anniversary
Ear Music/Edel [Release date 10.09.21] In 2020, it looked like this could become the new normal. A live gig without an audience. Kai Hansen’s Gamma Ray know what it is to play live…they’ve been doing it for 30 years. It becomes … Continue reading
Album review: THE LIVESAYS – Not What I Bargained For
www.thelivesaysmusic.com [Release date 03.09.21] The Livesays – singer/songwriter/guitarist Billy Livesay, drummer Howard Goldberg, bassist Jorge Laplume, Victor “Cuqui” Berrios on Hammond B-3 organ, Tim Murphy on piano – are back with their second album in two years. During the pandemic … Continue reading
Album review: OVERKILL – The Atlantic Years 1986-1994
BMG [Release date 29.10.21] New Jersey band Overkill, named after the Motorhead album/song, formed in 1980 and were part of the early US thrash scene. Nineteen studio albums, three live and three EPs later, there’s quite a legacy there. There … Continue reading
EP review: THE MANGOES – Pale Blue Dot
www.themangoesband.com [Release date 19.07.21] The Mangoes are a pop-rock duo formed by Tim Morse (vocals, keys) and Bret Bingham (lead vocals, guitarist, bass, keys, drum samples) in 2014 and conceived as a song writing collective. This new EP is as … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Beatles, EP, melodic, Pale Blue Dot, pop, progressive, review, rock, Styx, the Mangoes
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Album review: AL ROSS & THE PLANETS – Blue Crystal
Wienerworld Music [Release date 10.09.21] Al Ross & The Planets’ “stylistically diverse” (it sez ere) second album, Blue Crystal, had a difficult birth. As well as being handicapped by the pandemic’s side effects of lockdown and quarantine, this international band … Continue reading
Quick plays: JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE, LEGENDS PLAY THE BEATLES, ACROSS THE SEA
JACK RUSSELL’s GREAT WHITE Great Zeppelin II Deadline Music/Cleopatra [Release date 13.08.21] There can be few reasons for revisiting Zeppelin back catalogue unless you can bring something new to the party. And, in truth, something more radical and it might … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Across The Sea, Air Supply, album, Andrew Gold, Ann Wilson, classic rock, concept album, Glenn Hughes, Great White, Great Zeppelin II, Howard Jones, Jack Bruce, Jack Russell, John Wetton, Judy Collins, Led Zeppelin, Legends Play The Beatles, Molly Hatchet, prog rock, review, space rock, Steve Morse
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Album review: THREE COLOURS DARK – Love’s Lost Property
Firefly Music [Release date 10.09.21] www.threecoloursdark.com 2020 marked the musical reunion of Rachel Cohen and Jonathan Edwards founder members of long-standing prog rockers Karnataka. In the hiatus following The Reasoning (Cohen) and Panic Room (Edwards) they released an exquisite debut … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Dave Gregory, Jonathan Edwards, Karnataka, Love's Lost Property, Luna Rossa, Panic Room, prog, progressive, Rachel Cohen, review, singer, songwriter, Steve Balsamo, The Reasoning, Three Colours Dark
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Album review: BETWEEN WORLDS (feat Ronny Munroe) – Between Worlds
Frontiers [release date: 10.09.21] Ronny Munroe, Alessandro Del Vecchio (Frontiers’ inhouse producer / writer / arranger) and Pete Alpenberg, now aka Between Worlds, have brought in the heavy artillery for this, their self titled debut. After ten years fronting Metal … Continue reading
EP review: DEAD MAN’S WHISKEY – Breakout
Self-release [Release date 01.10.21] Dead Man’s Whiskey are back in action with an appearance at this year’s Stone Dead festival and a string of tour dates this month (September at the time of publication). This five song EP is produced … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, Breakout, Dead Man's Whiskey, EP, hard rock, John Mitchell, NWOCR, review, rock
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Album review: ANETTE OLZON – Strong
Frontiers Records [release date 10.09.21] A Symphonic Rock album for the ABBA generation, Anette (Dark Element/ Nightwish) Olzon’s collaboration with maestro, Magnus Karlsson, titled Strong, is huge, confident and full of heartstopping hooks. It has a lovely gloss to it… … Continue reading
News: ANVIL, TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT, ALAN PARSONS (September 2021)
Abba release a new album ‘Voyage’ – their first in 40 years – on November 5. They have also announced a new live show, ‘Abba Voyage’, will open at the new 3,000 capacity Abba Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Exhibitions, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged Alan Parsons, albums, alternative, Americana, anvil, blues, country, festivals, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, New releases, news, pop, prog rock, RIP, rock, singles, Temperance Movement, tours
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Album review: MEDICINE HEAD – Warriors Of Love
Pete Feenstra chatted to John Fiddler in September 2021 playing tracks from the new album ‘Warriors Of Love’. Living Room Records [Release date 03.09.21] ‘Warriors of Love’ is a career high for Medicine Head founder member, British Lions and Box … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Allman Brothers, Americana, Belinda Campbell, blues, Bob Dylan, Box of Frogs, British Lions, Chuck Leavell, Dave 'Bucket' Colwell, drums, Dzal Martin, folk, interview, Jack Kerouac, JJ Cale, John Bonham, John Fiddler, Led Zeppelin, Medicine Head, Morgan Fisher, Pete Hope Evans, Pink Floyd, review, rock, Roy Shipston, The Waterboys, Tom Petty, Warriors Of Love
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Album review: THE MOTELS – All Four One, Little Robbers
BGO Records [Release date 03.09.21] The Motels are an American new wave band fronted by Martha Davis. This Motels double CD re-issue features the band’s two US Top 30 albums from the early 1980s. ‘All Four One’ (1982) features the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 80's pop, album, All Four One, BGO Records, Little Robbers, New Wave, reissue, review, synth pop, The Motels
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Album review: FINNY McCONNELL – The Dark Streets Of Love
Whiskey Devil Records [Release date 03.09.21] After 30 years of leading renowned Celtic punk rockers, The Mahones – who have released over 20 albums and shared stages with the Dropkick Murphys, Shane MacGowan, Stiff Little Fingers, Billy Bragg, The Buzzcocks, … Continue reading
Album review: BLOOD RED SAINTS- Undisputed
Frontiers Records (Release Date 06.08.21) Blood Red Saints’ fourth album sees them come full circle, not only with a return to Frontiers Records, but to the style of their impressive debut album before exploring a more guitar dominated and modern … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Blood Red Saints, Lee Revill, melodic rock, Pete Godfrey
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Book review: ERJA LYYTINEN – The Blues Queen by Mape Ollila
Docendo Oy Publishing [Publication date 06.11.20] ‘Erja Lyytinen – The Blues Queen’ is a refreshingly honest biography about a hugely talented classically trained violinist turned rock blues guitarist, singer-songwriter, band leader and perfectionist in search of respect and acceptance. It’s … Continue reading
Album review: M.ILL.ION – Back On Track
AOR Heaven [Release date 10.09.21] Four original M.ILL.ION members reunited in the autumn of 2020 – Hans Dalzon (vocals), CT Rohdell (guitar), Marcus Berglund (keyboards) and B.J Laneby (bass) – and they were joined by new recruits Henrik Andersson (lead … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR Heaven, Back On Track, classic rock, hard rock, M.ILL.ION, melodic hard rock, review, rock
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON & FRIENDS FESTIVAL, The Vic, Coalville, 20-22 August 2021
I think it would be fair to say that travelling to the venue on 20th was challenging for most, due to a number of accidents and roadworks everywhere, however, none so much as The Darker My Horizon (TDmH) as their … Continue reading
Album review: NIGHT RANGER- ATBPO
Frontiers Records (Release Date 06.08.21) Night Ranger’s first album in four years, the title ‘And the Band Played On’ is a nod to the challenges of making music during the pandemic, though to reduce the album title to its less … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Brad Gillis, Erik Levy, Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Kerri Kelli, melodic rock, Night Ranger
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Book review: On Track…TOM PETTY (Every album, every song) by Richard James
SonicBond Publishing (Release Date 30.07.21) The posthumous Tom Petty box set was titled ‘An American Treasure’, a fitting description of a legend of rock who did things on his own terms and has perhaps only been fully appreciated since his … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, On Track, Richard James, Tom Petty, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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Album review: VANDENBERG – The Complete Atco Recordings 1982-2004 (4 CD Boxset w/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [release date 27.08.21] Vandenberg (1982) Heading For A Storm (1983) Alibi (1985) Demos and Live (2004) Emerging unbloodied and unbowed from the golden age of AOR, Vandenberg’s 3 albums (now remastered) embody all that was good and all … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Alibi, bonus tracks, boxset, Coverdale, demos, Heading For A Storm, Japp Eggermont, Kolodner, live, melodic hard rock, review, Vandenberg, Whitesnake
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Gig review: COLLATERAL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 19 August 2021
Back at the start of 2020, I began what I hoped would be a big gigging year with Collateral at a packed Cavern. It was also promising to be a breakthrough year for the Kent rockers whose first full-length album … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Angelo Tristan, Collateral, gig, melodic rock, Rob Fenning, Todd Winger
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Album review: LYNCH MOB – The Elektra Years 1990-92 (2 CDs w/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [Release date 27.08.21] A 2 CD Lynch Mob package. Wicked Sensation (1990) and Lynch Mob (1992). All that’s missing is the “best before 1989” label. And that problem undermined any notion of commercial success. Either one of these … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Dokken, George Lynch, Lynch Mob, Mick Brown, Oni Logan, review, Robert Mason, Wicked Sensation
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Album review: BLACKTOP MOJO – Blacktop Mojo
Self-released [Release date 13.08.21] Blacktop Mojo are a new name to this reviewer, however, the band have been around since 2012 and this is their fourth album. Blacktop Mojo consists if Matt James (vocals), Ryan Kiefer (guitar), Chuck Wepfer (guitar), … Continue reading
Single review: SANTANA – Move
BMG [Release date 18.08.21] ‘Move’ is the first single from Carlos Santana’s new album ‘Blessings and Miracles’, which is released on October 15 by BMG. This single also heralds the much-anticipated reteaming of Santana with Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged American Authors, BMG, Carlos Santana, guitarist, Latino, Matchbox Twenty, melodic, Move, Rob Thomas, rock, single
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