Monthly Archives: October 2023

Album review : EDGE OF FOREVER – Ritual

edge of forever Ritual cover 150

Frontiers [Release date : 13.10.23] Alessandro Del Vecchio’s band, Edge Of Forever, have released some interesting albums over the last few years. Native American culture has been a constant theme. It clearly inspired a quartet of tracks on last year’s … Continue reading

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Album review: DANDELION CHARM – Scream Inside The Tear

DANDELION CHARM - Scream Inside The Tear

Bandcamp [Release date 20.10.23] Dandelion Charm, the husband and wife team consisting of Clare Fowler (vocals) and John Fowler (vocals, acoustic drums, guitars, bass, keys & producer), have seemingly been quiet release wise since releasing their excellent ‘Maybe Dreamers’ back … Continue reading

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Gig review: Quarantune Rocks Weekender 2023 -The Victoria Bikers Pub, Coalville, October 6 & 7 2023

QRocks 2023

Quarantune Rocks was created by friends Karen Clayton and Pamela Hinchliffe, during COVID-19 to support rock fans and live music in an online group. The not-for-profit festival is in its third year, run by music lovers and aims to support … Continue reading

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Album review: PAUL RODGERS – Midnight Rose

PAUL RODGERS- Midnight Rose

Sun Records [Release date 22.09.23] I feared Paul Rodgers distinguished career might quietly be over when there was an ominous lack of activity in his camp either side of the pandemic, and indeed it has subsequently emerged that he has … Continue reading

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Album review : NUCLEAR ASSAULT – Radiation Sickness

nuclear assault radiation 150

Cherry Red/Dissonance [Release date : 13.10.23] Despite multiple break ups over the years, US Thrash Metal band, Nuclear Assault continued touring into the new millennium, only hanging their boots up last year. The band, formed by ex Anthrax bassist, Dan … Continue reading

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Album review: SUBSIGNAL – A Poetry Of Rain

SUBSIGNAL

Gentle Art Of Music [Release date: 22.09.23] My fellow GRTR! reviewer Pete Whalley gave a four-star review to Subsignal’s previous album ‘La Muerta’ in 2018 – opining at the time that the band had “waved goodbye” to their metal tendencies … Continue reading

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Album review: ANN WILSON & TRIPSITTER – Another Door

Ann Wilson & Tripsitter - Another Door

Dualtone  [Release date 29.09.23 US, 13.10.23 ROW] Ann Wilson, best known for Heart with her sister Nancy, decided that prior to starting the 2023 tour with her band Tripsitter, they would record an album of all-original material. This album also … Continue reading

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Gig review: BYWATER CALL – The Grace, London, 9 October 2023

Gig review: BYWATER CALL – The Grace, London, 9 October 2023

I had seen Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes, the driving force behind Bywater Call, supporting Robert Jon and The Wreck back in February. I was mightily impressed, and particularly bowled over by Meghan’s voice. So this tour with the full, … Continue reading

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Gig review: WISHBONE ASH – Islington Academy, London, 5 October 2023

WISHBONE ASH- Islington Academy London, 5 October 2023

Wishbone Ash’s autumn tour with its London date at the Islington Academy has been a fixture on the gig calendar for many years, and more often than not these days seems to mark a significant milestone. I was one of … Continue reading

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Album review: LONG ROAD HOME – Are We Invisible?

Long Road Home - Are We Invisibe album cover

Self Release [Release date 31.10.23] ‘Are We Invisible?’ is a promising debut album by Long Road Home, a new British guitar and keyboard driven veteran rock-blues band, with bluesy, proggy, AOR and occasional southern rock influences. They don’t so much … Continue reading

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Album review: THUNDER – The Thrill Of It All, Giving The Game Away, Shooting At The Sun (Reissues)

THUNDER - The Thrill Of It All

WIN These reissues! Click or tap here! BMG [Release date 20.10.23] As our retrospective feature in ‘The GRTR! Grotto’ series attests Thunder have firmly entrenched themselves with fans in the millennium, in spite of a couple of stop-starts. It’s fair … Continue reading

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Album review : NITRATE – Feel The Heat

nitrate feel the heat 150

Frontiers [Release date : 23.09.23] Nitrate’s founding member and bassist, Nick Hogg has again opted for vocalist Alexander Strandell and the Martin (Vega) brothers (who also produce) to round out the band on his latest, (and fourth) album, Feel The … Continue reading

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Album review: TREVOR RABIN – Rio

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InsideOut Music [Release date 06.10.23] Rio is the first vocal led album Trevor Rabin has released since ‘Can’t Look Away’ in 1989. He has been busy in the interim with both solo instrumental releases and he has also become a … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – Islington Assembly Hall, 29 September 2023

BLACK STONE CHERRY- Islington Assembly Hall, 29 September 2023

Black Stone Cherry have for the last decade been big enough to headline arenas in the UK- in contrast to their still middle ranking status back home. The Kentucky foursome are constantly on tour here and must be up there … Continue reading

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Album review : KINGS CROWN – Closer To The Truth

kings crown closer 150

Frontiers [Release date : 13.10.23] Melodic Hard Rock’s European union of British vocalist, Lee (Shy/Sweet) Small and Swedish Guitarist Martin (Gypsy Rose/Phenomena) Kronlund looks like being a huge success. Small’s voice is the kind of thing which prompts awe not … Continue reading

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Quick plays: HASSAN BIN RASHID, LOUIS DE BERNIERES, RYAN YOUNG

Hassan bin Rashid - My 21 Grams

HASSAN BIN RASHID My 21 Grams [Release date 06.10.23] Not everyday you get offered to review an album by a proper prince, in this case Bahraini Prince, Hassan bin Rashid. ‘My 21 Grams’ is his fifth studio album as he … Continue reading

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Album review: GARRET T. WILLIE – Same Pain

Garrett T. Willie - Game Pain

Self release [Release date 15.09.23] Canadian rock bluer Garret T. Willie has a wise head on young shoulders and it goes some way to explaining his song craft. His 7 studio cuts co-written with bassist Parker Bossley are full of … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACKLIST UNION – Letters From The Psych Ward

BLACLIST UNION - Letters From The Psych Ward

Cargo Records [Release date 15.09.23] Big, slick, dark and dirty, “Letters From The Psych Ward” is the latest album from Blacklist Union, the band’s sixth, and first for eight years. The album embraces decades of musical influences and therefore sounds modern … Continue reading

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Album review: WARD KNUTUR TOWNES – Unanswered

WARD KNUTUR TOWNES - Unanswered

Betty Beetroot Records [Release date 06.10.23] Ward Knutur Townes found their sound when the world fell silent in 2020. These three singer-songwriters, (Lucy Ward, Svavar Knutur and Adyn Townes) were selected to take part in a virtual global music sharing experiment … Continue reading

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Gig review: KATRINA LESKANICH- Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 September 2023

KATRINA LESKANICH- Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 September 2023

Now only really remembered for two major singles, in the second half of the eighties Katrina and the Waves were one of my guilty pleasures. Their sixties inspired guitar based sound stood out among the then dominant synthesisers in the … Continue reading

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Book review: Decades – MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND in the 1970s by John Van der Kiste

Book review: Decades - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in the 1970’s (John Van der Kiste)

SonicBond Publishing [Publication date: 27.01.23] After seeing the Earth Band live this Summer and being very pleasantly surprised, I found this book in my pile of review material and so I’m following up that excellent gig in Budapest with a … Continue reading

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Album review: IMPELLITTERI – The Complete Beast 1987-2009 (6 CD Boxset)

Impellitteri complete beast boxset 150

Cherry Red [Release date: 06.10.23] Every Impellitteri album from 1988 to 2009. Nine in all, and the band’s 2 EPs. Plus a score of bonus tracks. All shoehorned into 6 jampacked CDs. (Such was the weight of heavy metal contained … Continue reading

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Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Firestar

Iron Savior Firestar image 150

AFM Records [Release date 06.10.23] Iron Savior’s 2020 album, Skycrest, signalled a new era of Power Metal. Three years later, the voyage of the mothership has apparently been sidelined temporarily, to allow a celebration of Teutonic and indeed, in places, … Continue reading

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Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – THUNDER (October 2023)

The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness

Lightning may have struck twice for Thunder but since their 2011 comeback they have produced some of their best work via albums and shows Photo: Darren Griffiths The millennium has marked the “second coming” of several bands who had differing … Continue reading

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