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Yearly Archives: 2026
Album review: KEVIN BURT– This Trip
Gulf Coast Records [Release date : 28.08.26] Iowa Blues Hall of Fame inductee and 2026 Blues Music Award winner Kevin Burt’s ‘This Trip’ digs deep into his reserves, for 10 emotionally charged songs given real weight by his big sounding … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, Bill Withers, blues, Gulf Coast, harp, John Lee Hooker, Kevin Burt, review, Taj Mahal, The Trip, vocal
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Album review : ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK – Faithfully
Cleopatra Records [Release date : 28.08.26] The whole idea of taking on a striking stage name has been with us since the beginnings of show business. From the of early days of popular music to the modern era, singers like … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Engelbert Humperdinck, Extreme, Faithfully, Gerry Dorsey, Journey, Release Me, the Cars, Warrant
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Album review: Bap Kennedy– Above All, Love
Lonely Street Discs [Release date : 28.08.26] The late Energy Orchard frontman and solo artist Bap Kennedy’s posthumously released ‘Above All, Love’ is an absolute gem of a record. Overseen by his widow, former band member Brenda Kennedy (an author, artist … Continue reading
Album review: ROB TOGNONI – Black On Black
Bandcamp [Release date : 09.07.26] Rob Tognoni’s ‘Black On Black’ is a hard rocking album, full of his unrelenting energy, focussed intensity and uncompromising lyrics, which frequently mirror his steely riffs (or vice versa). ‘The Tasmanian Devil’ enjoys moments of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, album, Black On Black, Bob Dylan, Derrin Neundorf, Frank Zappa, review, riffs, Rob Tognoni, rock, Stratocaster
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Album review: ETERNAL – Conspiracy Of Warheads
Floga Records [Release date 02.10.26] Eternal. On being sent this I thought ‘why am I being asked to something by Eternal? Aren’t they a British pop act featuring Jamie Redknapp’s wife?’ Ah, no. THIS Eternal are a Greek four piece, … Continue reading
Album review : NIGHT RANGER Best Of
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.08.26] Quintessential white middle class rock band from the past, Night Ranger continues to make great melodic rock music in the present. Meantime, this remastered, retrospective collection might satisfy the band’s fans and more. It … Continue reading
Album review: SPELL SONGS – In Thin Air
Hudson Records [Release date 04.09.26] Spell Songs are a bit of a folk supergroup comprising of Karine Polwar, Julie Fowlis, Seckou Keita, Kris Drever, Rachel Newton, Beth Porter and Jim Molyneux, who between them have had more wins and nominations … Continue reading
Album review: KINDRED NORTH – Kindred North
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 21.08.26] Although melodic rock and AOR is my first musical love (along with folk music), recent albums in this genre have not made much impression. Pride of Lions, Acacia Avenue and Creye come to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andi Kravljaca, Andreas Nergård, debut, hard rock, Kindred North, melodic rock, review, rock
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Single review: BIG COUNTRY REDUX – Winter Sky
Website Big Country Redux return with ‘Winter Sky’, the latest single taken from their forthcoming album ‘Eastworld’, due for release on September 18. The track was originally written by Watson and Stuart Adamson during sessions for the band’s 1984 album … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Big Country Redux, Bruce Watson, indie rock, review, rock, single, Stuart Adamson, Tony Butler, Winter Sky
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Album review: PAUL DI’ANNO’S BATTLEZONE – Children Of Madness
Cargo/Deko Entertainment [Release date 23.10.26] Singer Paul Di’Anno found fame as Iron Maiden’s frontman on their first two albums, before recording the more AOR Di’Anno LP, and working with the supergroup Gogmagog. Then in 1986 he returned to a more … Continue reading
Album review: RAINBOW – In Concert 1976 Live In Nurnberg
Demon Records [Release date 28.08.26] Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow’s three German live shows, originally released on CD some years ago and long out of print, were reissued more recently as part of Demon’s Temple Of The King box set. The label … Continue reading
Album review: WARREN HAYNES – Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey
Provogue / Artone Label Group [Release date : 18.09.26] ‘Dreams & Songs – A Symphonic Journey’ is a 16 track career retrospective double album that sets the bar high in terms of expectation, and delivers with plenty to spare. Warren … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Dreams & Songs – A Symphonic Journey, Gov't Mule, Greg Osby, Jethro Tull, John Medeski, Paul Buckmaster. album, review, Rich Daniels, Robert Hunter, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Warren Haynes
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Album review : NIGHTWING – Long Hard Road 1980-85 (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.08.26] CD1 : Something In The Air (1980) CD2 : Black Summer (1982) CD3 : Stand Up And Be Counted (1983) CD4 : My Kingdom Come (1894) CD5 : Night Of Mystery – Alive! Alive! … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cherry Red, GTR, Long Hard Road, Max Bacon, Night Wing, NWOBHM, review
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Album review: ROBIN TROWER – Shine
Provogue / Artone Label Group [Release date : 25.09.26] ‘Shine’ admirably lives up to its name. It’s taut, precise, fluid, balanced and represents honest emotive guitar-driven music from the heart. It’s a marvellous album, full of deep grooves, sculpted tones and … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Chris Taggart, groove, guitar, review, Richard Watts, Robin Trower, rock, Shine
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Album review: EWAN MACINTYRE/HERDING CATS – On These Islands We Sing
Website [Release date 03.09.26] I do like an uncompromising artist, and Ewan Macintyre is certainly one of those. From Gaelic sung Americana, to Scottish inspired Meters type funk, he pulls no punches in his left field delivery of songs. So does … Continue reading
Album review: SCOTT COOK – Troubadourly Yours
Website [Release date 21.08.26] The title track opens the album with a seven minute autobiographical, anti-capitalist, anti-racist, influence checking stream of consciousness, my mouth was dry by the end of it. What an opener, and once Jack Kerouac was mentioned I … Continue reading
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Tagged acoustic, album, folk, melodic, review, Scott Cook, singer songwriter, Troubadourly Yours
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Album review: THE FIERCE AND THE DEAD – Regional Theatre
Bandcamp [Release date 11.09.26] A new album by the Fierce And The Dead is always a musical treat. On ‘Regional Theatre’ they have gone a bit cinematic in scope and sound yet retain their signature shoegaze meets indie rock sounds. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, grunge, indie, Regional Theatre, review, rock, shoegaze, the Fierce and the Dead
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Gig review: HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES – AO Arena Manchester, 18 August 2026
I was walking my dog in the park the other day, and a fellow dog walker come music enthusiast came into my space. I’m going to see The Hollywood Vampires tomorrow says I. Ooooh! Says he have you seen the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 18 August 2026, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, AO Arena Manchester, classic rock. blues rock, gig, Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, review, rock
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Gig review: FIREVOLT FESTIVAL – Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 7-9 August 2026
Four years ago, as the live scene slowly returned to normal after the pandemic, my interest was piqued by a festival called Firestorm on the very outskirts of Greater Manchester, featuring several of my favourite bands. It seemed too good … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged A’priori, Cats In Space, Crowley, Dare, Darren Wharton’s Renegade, Doomsday Outlaw, festival, Fireheart, Firevolt, FM, gig, Haxan, Jack J. Hutchinson, LN, Mad Haven, Mason Hill, Massive Wagons, McHale’s Permanent Brew, MuddiBrooke, New Wave of Classic Rock, Pyroclast, Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts, Shape of Water, Takeaway Thieves, the New Roses, the Wildhearts, These Wicked Rivers, Thieves Of Liberty, Virginmarys, Ward XVI, Wednesday 13
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Album review : ATOMIC ROOSTER – Friday The 13th (The BBC Sessions 1970-1981)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.08.26] Lucky for some. This neatly packaged 2 CD set follows hard on the heels of the band’s all new recording, Circle The Sun, released (and reviewed here) in October last year. This “new” set … Continue reading
Album review: LONG EARTH – Towards The Sky
Bakeniko [Release date: 26.06.26] The summer of 2026 will forever be remembered as the hottest on record (so far), but with various events punctuating that heat not least the partial eclipse that had everyone reaching for those special glasses (or … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Long Earth, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Towards The Sky
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Album review : MICKEY THOMAS Over The Edge
Frontiers [Release date: 21.08.26] Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship and Starship’s history is well documented online. Mickey Thomas was Starship’s vocalist through the eighties. By 1989, the band’s output had dropped to zero, and Thomas hadn’t released any solo material since … Continue reading
EP review: THORNS – Ready to Strike
These Go To Eleven Records [Release date 26.08.26] Thorns. Thrash. They sound like ‘Tallica. More accurately ‘Kill ‘em All era ‘Tallica. Hetfield vocals, Lars drum sound, Kirk soloing from…all over . Yes, they sound like ‘Tallica”…..EXCEPT…..don’t be so lazy! Thorns … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, metal, Metallica, Overkill, Ready To Strike, review, Thorns, thrash metal
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Album review : GRAND – Guilty Pleasure
Frontiers [Release date : 21.08.26] We asked 3 separate AI sources… Gemini, Co pilot and Claude: “describe the melodic rock / AOR music of the eighties, specifically 1984”. We’ll publish the results sometime. Then we took this new release from … Continue reading
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Tagged AI, AOR, Claude, Co Pilot, Frontiers, Gemini, Grand, Guilty Pleasure, melodic rock, review
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Album review: SIMON KEMPSTON – A Poet Or A Painter
Self Portrait [Release date : 29.09.26] In a world of instant gratification, downloads and self hype, it’s almost a shock to come across a well crafted, singer song-writer and folk inspired album, with lyrical substance underpinned by thoughtful arrangements. And while … Continue reading
