Monthly Archives: March 2022

Album review: TEN- Here Be Monsters

TEN- Here Be Monsters

Frontiers Records (Release date 18.02.22) It’s been over three years  since Ten released the rather underwhelming ‘Illuminati’, though mainman Gary Hughes had a busy 2021 with a solo album and compilation and writing the critically acclaimed  ‘Tao’ project.’ ‘Here Be … Continue reading

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Album review: THE MARTIN BARRE BAND – Live At The Wildey

THE MARTIN BARRE BAND - Live At The Wildey

The Store For Music [Release date 14.01.22] 2-CD set This 2-CD live package is a great reminder of the 50th anniversary tour dates played out by guitarist Martin Barre in 2019.  It’s pretty much the same running order as the … Continue reading

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Album review: LIONVILLE – So Close to Heaven

LIONVILLE- So Close to Heaven

Frontiers Records (Release date 11.02.22) The brainchild of Italian multi-instrumentalist Stefano Lionetti, Lionville have produced a series of quality AOR albums at regular intervals over the past decade. So Close to Heaven is their fifth and there are few changes … Continue reading

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Album review: RUST N’ RAGE – One For The Road

RUSTNRAGEonefortheroad_OVER

Frontiers [Release date: 11.03.22] The label debut from young Finnish band, Rust N’ Rage. The label claims that Rust N’ Rage’s influences are Dokken, ‘Crue and ‘Priest, but in fact they’ve taken their lead from second or third generation European … Continue reading

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Album review: FIND ME – Lightning In A Bottle

FIND-ME-lightning-in-a-bottle-COVER_600x600

Frontiers [Release date: 11.03.22] Find Me is Robbie LaBlanc, a rock vocalist who enjoys iconic status, and Daniel Flores (and his band) who’s on the same path, if not the same trajectory. The duo have been breathing new life into … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACK VALLEY MOON – Songs From The Black Valley

BLACK VALLEY MOON - Songs From The Black Valley

Otitis Media Records [Release date 25.02.22] Black Valley Moon was formed in 2019 by guitarist Sam Williams (Down By Law) and started as an instrumental surf band, however, during the recent global pandemic they added vocalist Ray Vega. The band … Continue reading

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Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Days Of Future Past (Remasters, 3 CD set)

EDGE-OF-FOREVER-the-days-of-future-past-COVER

Frontiers [Release date: 11.02.22] Frontiers’ golden boy, Alessandro Del Vecchio, formed Edge Of Forever in 2004. The label has now released the band’s back catalogue in a 3 CD, remastered set, titled Days Of Future Past, with a bonus track … Continue reading

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Album review: GHOST – Impera

Ghost - Impera

Loma Vista Recordings [Release date 11.03.22] Papa and the Nameless Ghouls are back with album number 5. The last album, Prequelle, took us back to the time of the Plague, but here we join Ghost in more modern times. The concept … Continue reading

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Special Event: SABATON – Heugh Battery Museum, Hartlepool – 3 March 2022

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Get Ready to ROCK! Live Editor Dave Wilson caught up with Swedish metallers Sabaton at an unusual location prior to the release of their new album… The Heugh Battery in Hartlepool has been a strategic military position since the 17th … Continue reading

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Album review: ANDY IRVINE & PAUL BRADY

Andy Irvine & Paul Brady

Compass Records [Release date 04.03.22] Andy Irvine/Paul Brady is an album recorded by Andy Irvine and Paul Brady when they formed a duo, after Planxty broke up for the first time in 1975. For this recording they were joined by … Continue reading

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Quick plays: PAUL TASKER, BLACK LAKES, D’ERCOLE

PAUL TASKER Tierra Quemada

PAUL TASKER Tierra Quemada Yellowroom Records [Release date 01.04.22] Paul Tasker is now releasing his second instrumental album, best known for being co-songwriter with Doghouse Roses and a previous member of the Willard Grant Conspiracy. The album’s title translates to … Continue reading

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Album review: HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – Lint XXV

house of shakira lint xxv

Frontiers [release date: 11.02.22] Well, this is interesting… two richly textured remasters of House Of Shakira’s 1997 album, Lint. It is a most unusual approach. To celebrate the album’s 25th Anniversary, the first disc is a remastered version of the … Continue reading

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Album review: THE JAMES OLIVER BAND – Live At The Earl Haig Club

THE JAMES OLIVER BAND – Live At The Earl Haig Club

Self release [Release date 01.03.22] Released on St David’s Day the 1st of March, The James Oliver Band’s ‘Live At The Earl Haig Club’ (Cardiff) is as close as you will get to an old school live album. This all … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE HAWKMEN – The Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 3 March 2022

THE HAWKMEN FACEBAR 1

New venue to this reviewer, the Face Bar is a nice little venue tucked away from the main nightlife area of Reading. One thing Reading certainly has is a lively and varied nightlife! A decent sized crowd for a Thursday … Continue reading

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Album review: BANGALORE CHOIR – All Or Nothing, The Complete Studio Albums (3 CD Set)

bangalore boxset

Global Rock [Release date: 11.03.22] This 3 disc set from Bangalore Choir is outstandingly well compiled. It’s the first release from Store For Music’s new imprint, Global Rock. As well as the band’s career albums, On Target (1992), Cadence (2010) … Continue reading

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Single review: MORS PRINCIPIUM EST – The Lust Called Knowledge

MORS PRINCIPIUM EST - The Lust Called Knowledge

AFM Records You have to confess that the emphasis is on the “Melodic” when Mors Prncipium Est are described as Melodic Death Metal. New album, ‘Liberate The Unborn Humanity’, which is an interesting proposition, is due out on 8 April … Continue reading

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Gig Review: KING KING – Electric Ballroom, London – 24th Feb 2022

King King, Electric Ballroom, London, 24 February 2022

Since I last saw them down the road at Koko in 2019, not only has the world been transformed forever, but there have been major changes in the King King – the autumn before last they released a new album … Continue reading

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EP review: MICK PINI / AUDIO54 – Pastoral

Mick-Pini-PastoralHD-150x150

Self release [Release date: 28.02.22] There’s nothing like a creative surge of energy to bring fresh reward. And so it that blues veteran Mick Pini revels in his new found collaboration with indie producer Craig Marshall (aka Audio 54), to … Continue reading

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Album review: JACOB BRYANT – Bar Stool Preacher

Jacob-Bryant-Bar-Stool-Preacher-SMALL

Snakefarm Records [Release date o4.03.22] Bar Stool Preacher is a well known phrase in country music, but still a clever one, and it’s apt – it sums up the songs on this pretty fine album. Jacob Bryant is a road … Continue reading

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Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Memorabilia

Magnum Month @GRTR!

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… Magnum are a highly collectible band, as you might expect with their ascendancy in the 1980s coinciding with a burgeoning … Continue reading

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Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Collections

Magnum Month @GRTR!

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … Sweep away almost 40 blurry years of rock/metal memories and I see a picture … Continue reading

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Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Reissues

Magnum Month @GRTR!

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … When I was a teenager, probably about 13 or 14, and getting into rock … Continue reading

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Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Live

Magnum Month @GRTR!

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … My own history with Magnum begins in the spring of 1985. I’d been getting … Continue reading

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Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – The Studio Albums

Magnum Month @GRTR!

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME… I first came across Magnum by chance as they opened the Monsters Of Rock bill … Continue reading

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