Pride & Joy Classix [Release date 27.06.25]

White Widdow were formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2008 and centred around the Millis brothers Jules (vocals) & Xavier (keyboards) with guitarist Enzo Almanzi. They have released five studio albums to date, with the first three now being re-issued in a limited-edition run of 500 copies each. These are ‘White Widdow’ (2010), ‘Serenade’ (2011) and ‘Crossfire’ (2014), which were followed by ‘Silhouette’ (2016) and ‘Victory’ (2018).

White Widdow were regulars at the UK’s melodic rock festivals between 2011 and 2018, the latter at the Rockingham festival, where their set was enjoyed by GRTR!’s Andy Nathan. Since then they have played sporadically, mainly in their native Australia.

The self-titled debut (****) is a proper pomp rock meets AOR delight, recalling the glorious sound of 80’s acts like White Sister, Guiffria and Shooting Star. ‘Broken Hearts Won’t Last Forever’ (an acoustic version of this song is the bonus track) with its immense chorus, the uplifting ‘One More Day’ and the keys heavy ‘We’ve Got the Wings’ are the picks in a very rich crop of melodic treats.

2011’s ‘Serenade’ (***1/2) provided more highly polished, top quality melodic rock from the band. What made White Widdow stand out was their sound recalling that classic 80’s AOR/melodic rock sound, along with the vocal talents of Jules, ably backed by the keyboards pomp of his brother Xavier and the guitar solos of Enzo Almanzi. The Def Leppard tinged ‘Do You Remember’, the good time rock & feel of ‘Reckless Nights’ (you’ve got to love those harmony vocals) and the heartfelt ballad ‘Patiently’ are the musical icing on this cake.

White Widdow had initially hoped to release their third album at the end of 2013, however, that year proved to be a difficult one with original bass player Trent Wilson retiring from the music industry and the death of drummer George Kristy. Despite these setbacks, in early 2014 the Millis brothers and Almanzi regrouped with a new line up, featuring Ben Webster (bass) and Noel Tenny (drums). The band released their third album ‘Crossfire’ (***1/2) in 2014.

For this album we can go back to my original review, “It is an enjoyable listen although being album number three a couple of songs you do feel yourself thinking you’ve heard it before.”

‘Just Another Night’ has aged well, still a perfect example of how to pen melodic rock that sounds fresh, yet the listener can still hear those 80’s musical influences. ‘Carry the Heartache’ is a classy ballad, the band’s love of White Sister shines through strongly on this one.

Perfect starting point for new listeners to White Widdow as these are their three strongest albums to date, and for existing fans each release includes a previously unreleased track. In even better news, the band are set to record a new album for release sometime in 2026.

****1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

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 16 November 2025.

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 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.

Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.