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Monthly Archives: April 2026
Album review: LADY MAISERY AND JIMMY ALDRIDGE & SID GOLDSMITH – Wakefire
Bandcamp [Release date 01.05.26] After several years delighting audiences with their wintertime project Awake Arise, the folk supergroup of Lady Maisery (Hannah James, Rowan Rheingans & Hazel Askew) and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, have joined forces again to celebrate … Continue reading
News: SKINDRED, THE ROLLING STONES, BURNING ROPE (May 2026)
Accept celebrate 50 years with a new release, ‘Teutonic Titans 1976–2026‘ due on September 4 via Napalm Records. Guests on the album include Kirk Hammett, Rob Halford, Tobias Forge, KK Downing, Chris Jericho and more. The Alarm’s final album, ‘Transformation’, originally scheduled … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, 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 albums, AOR, blues, Burning Rope, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, re-issues, RIP, Skindred, special editions, The Rolling Stones, tour dates
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Album review : DEGREED – Curtain Calls
Frontiers [Release date 24.04.26] Eighth full length album from respected Swedish Hard Rock band, Degreed…Robin Eriksson, Mats Eriksson, Mikael Blanc and Daniel Johansson. Their sound is impossible to categorise. Is it toughened up AOR, melodic hard rock, metallised hard rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Curtain Calls, Degreed, Frontiers Music, hard rock, Mats Eriksson, review, Robin Eriksson, Swedish
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Album review: HARDLINE – Shout
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 17.04.26] It’s some 34 years since Hardline’s classic album ‘Double Eclipse’ with a line-up that boasted Neal Schon in its ranks. Whilst it might have seemed like a last gasp for hair metal in 1992, Hardline’s frontman … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Hardline, Johnny Gioeli, melodic hard rock, melodic rock, review, shout
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Album review: LUKE JAMES WILLIAMS – Limes Hotel
Bandcamp [Release date 17.04.26] Some people want to be Kiss, some people Queen, some, Kyle Minogue Marvin Gaye or Britney Spears, the list is endless, fame, fortune and formula with capitol F’s .But some people have no other choice than … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, Billy Bragg, James Taylor, Limes Hotel, Luke James Williams, melodic, review, singer songwriter
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Album review : GENERATION RADIO – Take 2
Frontiers Music [Release date: 24.04.26] “In the beginning of 2020, Generation Radio came together with the intent to form a band with a purpose — to bring classic 1980s rock back to life.” So says the band’s website. Formed by … Continue reading
Album review: JENNY COLQUITT – Pockets Full Of Rain
Bandcamp [Release date 01.05.26] Whatever else this album is, and it is many things, it is not Americana, which is what it is being promoted as. It is a pretty special collection of really well crafted songs delivered in a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alt pop, indie, Jenny Colquitt, melodic, Pockets Full Of Rain, review, West End
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Gig review: TYKETTO – 229 Club, London, 17 April 2026
As frontman and founding member Danny Vaughn proudly boasted from the stage, Tyketto’s profile has unexpectedly increased some 35 years after their classic ‘Don’t Come Easy’ debut, with a European tour with Black Star Riders and a Masters of Rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Chris Childs, Closer to the Sun, Collateral, Danny Vaughn, Ged Rylands, gig, Harry Scott Elliott, Kory Clarke, melodic rock, Tyketto, Warrior Soul
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Album review: SOMETHING FOR THE LONGING – Scottish Independent Pop 1985-1999 (3 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release Date : 24.04.26] Compiled by Scottish film director, cinematographer and writer, Grant McPhee, Something For The Longing is a deep dive into “Scottish Independent Pop”. A 15 year, widescreen snapshot taken as the 20th Century was coming … Continue reading
Album review : CREYE – IV Aftermath
Frontiers Music [Release date : 24.04.26] Scandi band Creye hit their stride with their fourth album, Aftermath, delivering melodic rock of depth and width, polished, full of neat gearshifts, and verses as strong as the choruses, just about. The fact … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Aftermath, Andreas Gulstrand, AOR, Boybands, Creye, Frontiers Music, melodic rock, review
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Gig review: ROBERT JON & THE WRECK – Academy 2, Manchester, 16 April 2026
All the way from Orange County California, Robert Jon And The Wreck pulled a near capacity Manchester crowd, who were eager to be entertained. They started with ‘The Devil Is Your Only Friend’, but I think Manchester could be added … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Academy 2, April 16 2026, blues, blues rock, gig, Manchester, review, Robert Jon & The Wreck, rock, southern rock
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Gig review: SKINDRED – O2 Academy, Oxford, 17 April 2026
Skindred released their new album, ‘You Got This’, and their ninth overall, on the same day as they played this sold out gig in Oxford. So good to see that for once at a gig I was at the older … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Arimea, Benji Webbe, Friday April 17 2026, gig, hip hop, metal, nu-metal, O2 Academy, Oxford, ragga metal, reggae, review, rock, Skindred
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Album review : JACK BRUCE – Halfway To The Stars – The Recordings 2001-2003 (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 24.04.26] Shadows In The Air (2001) More Jack Than God (2003) Live At The Milky Way part 1 (2001, with the Cuicoland Express) Live At The Milky Way part 2 (2001, with the Cuicoland Express) … Continue reading
Album review: ELEGANT WEAPONS – Evolution
Exciter Records [Release date 24.04.26] Album number two from Elegant Weapons, the band formed around Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner and vocalist Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, MSG), with bassist Dave Rimmer (Uriah Heep), and drummer Christopher Williams (Accept) making their recording … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Adam Wakeman, album, Andy Sneap, heavy metal, Judas Priest, melodic metal, metal, review, Richie Faulkner, Ronnie Romero
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Album review: LONG DISTANCE CALLING – The Phantom Void
earMUSIC [Release date 10.04.26] Long Distance Calling have been around for some twenty years now and this, their ninth studio album continues their predominantly wordless approach to story telling. The core of the group remains unchanged with David Jordan and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, instrumental, Long Distance Calling, progressive, review, rock, The Phantom Void
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Album review : URIAH HEEP – Beautiful Dream, The Recordings 1975-77 (4CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date 24.04.26] Return To Fantasy (1975) High And Mighty (1976) Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) Cherry Red’s latest Uriah Heep boxset, Beautiful Dream, is essentially a follow up to their Shadow And The Wind set released last … Continue reading
Album review: XTASY – Phoenix
Art of Melody Music / Burning Minds Music Groups [Release date 10.04.26] Now here’s a thing. Melodic rock that’s not from Scandinavia! Spain’s Xtasy formed in 2011 and have been building a following in their home country and in Continental … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, melodic rock, metal, Phoenix, review, Xtasy
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Album review: HOKKA – Via Miseria IV
Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 24.04.26] There is a lot of good stuff coming out of Finland at the moment, always underpinned by the Nordic/Scandi talent for melody (and a fair helping of darkness). Lovers of The Rasmus are going … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Hokka, melodic rock, nu-metal, review, The Rasmus, Via Miseria IV
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Album review: ARGOVIA – Primal Repetition
Presagio Records [Release date 10.04.26] One of the enlightening features of our “New to GRTR!” radio show is the range of music from all four corners of the planet. Colombia doesn’t feature that regularly but when it does. Wow! Argovia … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Argovia, Haken, Primal Repetition, prog rock, Progressive Rock, review, Ross Jennings
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Album review : PRAYING MANTIS – The Official Bootleg Boxset Vol 1 – Live In Japan
Cherry Red [Release date : 24.04.26] CD1 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1993 Part One. CD2 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1993 Part Two CD3 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1998 … Continue reading
Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – New Theatre, Oxford, 12 April 2026
This fan may have just been starting out in primary school when Suzi Quatro had her first UK number with ‘Can The Can’ in 1973, however, it was still a great moment to finally see her live on stage. Big … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 April 2026, Alice Cooper, Chris Norman, classic rock, gig, KT Tunstall, New Theatre, Oxford, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Suzi Quatro
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Single review: ROBERT JON AND THE WRECK – Run Back To Me
Website [Release date 27.03.26] From the opening bars of this song which is on the soulful side of southern rock, you can tell this is a band which gels. Every instrument complements each other, and then the vocals of Robert … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged blues rock, review, Robert Jon And The Wreck, rock, Run Back To Me, single, southern rock
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Album review: SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND – Good Evening Boys And Girls (21 CD box set)
Madfish [Release date 10.04.26] WOW what a magnificent box set we have here. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, quite literally a 70s theatrical rock sensation. Fronted by singer/songwriter Alex Harvey, once touted as Glasgow’s answer to Tommy Steel, Alex released … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Box sets, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged Alex Harvey, blues rock, box set, Chris Glen, classic rock, Good Evening Boys And Girls, Hugh Mckenna, Nazareth, review, rock, SAHB, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Ted McKenna, Zal Cleminson
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Album review: Ritchie Blackmore’s RAINBOW In Concert 1976 – Live In Koln
Demon [Release date 18.04.26] This special edition release is exclusive to RSD (Record Store Day) 2026 and catches both the Rainbow and the band at their creative and blistering energetic peak. The album was originally released a few years back … Continue reading
Gig review: FM- White Rock Studio, Hastings, 5 April 2026
With their 1986 debut album ‘Indiscreet’ FM took on the Americans at their own game with among the finest, and arguably the very best, British AOR albums ever recorded, with all the hallmarks of the genre- hook-filled songs on the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Brave Rival, Ed 'the Shred' Clarke, FM, gig, Indiscreet, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Lindsey Bonnick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland
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