CHRISTOPHER GORDON Macbeth Madfish [Release date 30.10.26]

An ambitious project by noted English born Australian composer, he was originally commissioned for a full-length ballet score for the Royal New Zealand Ballet and West Australian Ballet, This 8-movement suite has been rearranged to stand alone as a classical prog rock crossover, a fully cinematic listening experience. So rather than a disjointed collection of tracks, this album is a wonderful, genre-blending (and bending) masterpiece that combines contemporary classical orchestration, jazz big band, and heavy progressive rock.

The concept tracks the Shakespearian characters and their decay (psychological or otherwise), no dialog required.

And aside the 120 + piece orchestra, there’s (amongst others) drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), bassist Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Steve Hackett), guitarist Randy McStine (Steven Wilson), and Ayreon’s Marcel Coenen and Michael Mills.

Sometimes sweeping and moody, sometimes powerful and uplifting. Running at over 10 minutes, The Banquet is the kitchen sink, at times reminiscent of the rockier moments in a James Bond soundtrack, the strings and brass melding well with a guitar solo or two. A touch of late 70s John Miles in there too.

A bit of a genre crossover but very enjoyable and well worth checking out. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

AVRAK S/t Peaceville [Release date 09.10.26]

Avrak are a Norwegian heavy metal/doom metal band formed in 2023, featuring guitarists Hegna and Skjellum, the latter of black metal pioneers Darkthrone. Joined by drummer Krabol (Art By Machinery, Sarke), and with Hegna also providing bass and lead vocals, we get a solid classic metal band (a shared love of the two guitarists), but interwoven with black and doom metal. This is no nostalgia trip, but a shared love and the dark and doom edge adds an extra dimension.

Opener Forever Mountain as a solid throaty roughness, guitars as much as the vocals, and some classic power metal guitar work all under a brooding Sabbath-esque atmosphere. There’s a theatrical presentation in the baritone vocals, while elsewhere on the album the Moog synth adds a dark futuristic atmosphere.

Long May The Lums Reek opens with a guitar sound very reminiscent of mid 80s Maiden or Priest, but with that darker Blaze ere Maiden feel, and then some. Almost doom gothic. What the album lacks in intricate arrangements it makes up for in feel and power, and some changes of feel in the instrumental segments add to the atmosphere. The spoken word / ambient final track seems a tad out of place, quite a dystopian moment, but the rest of the album is as sound a black tinged classic metal debut as any, and well worth exploring. ****

Review by Joe Geesin

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

Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the first show broadcast on 27 September. Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

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 27 September 2026.

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 26 October 2026

BLACK RIVER DELTA Shame On You (Despotz Records)
DAYTONA Listen To The Silence (Escape Music)
SUCKERTRAP Sacred Lies (indie)
WOOD BURNT RED Count My Blessings (indie)
BLACKLIST UNION Heavy Is The Crown (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 26 October 2026

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)

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