Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2025)

Posted on June 28, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation. We try and pick out a cross-section of albums that reflect the range of genres reviewed at the website. The star rating … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged 2025, albums of the month, April, blues rock, classic rock, folk rock, June, May, melodic rock, Progressive Rock | Leave a comment

Album review: HORSLIPS – At The BBC (4-CD/DVD)

Posted on June 12, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Madfish [Release date 04.07.25] As some might have it, Horslips didn’t invent the genre of ‘Celtic Rock’ but they were early proponents. Before their debut album, released in late-1972, there had been the groundbreaking Frenchman Alan Stivell who had blazed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, At The BBC, Celtic, folk rock, Horslips, Irish, progressive, review | Leave a comment

Gig review: KALANDRA – The Tivoli, Buckley, 29 May 2025

Posted on May 30, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

‘A Frame Of Mind’ has been a favourite album of mine and made my ‘Best of 2024′ and I was sorry not to have seen the band playing a brief UK tour in late September last year. I couldn’t believe … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 29 May 2025, alternative, Buckley, folk, gig, indie, Kalandra, North Wales, progressive, review, rock, Tivoli | Leave a comment

Gig review: QUARANTUNE ROCKS – The Victoria, Coalville, Leicestershire, 17 May 2025

Posted on May 23, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

King Kraken - QUARANTUNE ROCKS - The Victoria, Coalville, Leicestershire, 17 May 2025

As many of you know, Quarantune Rocks was set up as a music haven during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Established by music fans for music fans, it quickly grew into a friendly, music supporting group that decided as soon … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged classic rock, event, festival, gig, heavy metal, heavy rock, Joanovarc, King Kraken, Quarantune Rocks, Revenant | Leave a comment

EP review: HAXAN – Death Of Me

Posted on May 22, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

www.haxan.co.uk [Release date 28.05.25] South Wales rock trio Häxan return with their highly anticipated EP ‘Death Of Me’, a blistering follow up to their acclaimed debut album, ‘White Noise.’ Produced by Grammy nominated Romesh Dodangoda (Motörhead, Bring Me The Horizon, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged Death Of Me, EP, hard rock, Haxan, heavy metal, metal, review | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DEAD DAISIES – Lookin’ For Trouble

Posted on May 22, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

SPV [Release date 30.05.25] This is the eighth studio album from the band and marks a diversion from the usual formula, an album of blues covers. It could be construed as a mark-time affair before – in this band’s case … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Doug Aldrich, Lookin' For Trouble, review, The Dead Daisies | Leave a comment

Album review: DARKFISH – Beyond

Posted on May 19, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Bandcamp [Release date 02.07.25] There have been many albums inspired by the universe and space – the final frontier. Sheila Maloney’s first excursion using the alter-ego Darkfish provides further exploration. Sheila has worked with the David Cross Band and her … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Beyond, Darkfish, instrumental, new age, orchestral, review, Sheila Maloney, symphonic | Leave a comment

Album review: AVAWAVES – Heartbeat

Posted on May 17, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

One Little Independent Records [Release date 09.05.25] This is the third album from chill-out duo Aisling Brouwer and Anna Phoebe and should be essential listening; just great for those long evenings when you can actually sit out and enjoy the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Aisling Brouwer, album, Anna Phoebe, Avawaves, chill-out, Heartbeat, new age, review | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR! Greats – ROBIN TROWER

Posted on April 30, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Photo: Paul Clampin David Randall chatted to Robin Trower for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. This feature includes some of Robin’s favourite tracks by other artists. First broadcast 1 March 2015. GRTR!’s Blues Rock Editor Pete Feenstra believes that with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR! GREATS, GRTR! Greats (All Posts), Radio interview | Leave a comment

Album review: GENTLE GIANT – Playing The Fool – The Complete Live Experience

Posted on April 29, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

David Randall chatted to Gentle Giant frontman Derek Shulman on release day, featuring tracks from the album and with reference to Derek’s subsequent career as a top record company executive. First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 4 May … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview, Reissues | Tagged album, Gentle Giant, Playing The Fool, prog, Progressive Rock, reissue, review, The Complete Live Experience | Leave a comment

Gig review: MORGANWAY – Thekla, Bristol, 25 April 2025

Posted on April 27, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

The two songs that book-ended tonight’s gig give a clue about Morganway’s current positioning and maybe dilemma. In between we had a mix of tunes mainly from the current album but indicating the band can just as easily slip into … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 25 April 2025, Americana, Bristol, classic rock, folk, gig, Morganway, review, rock, roots, Thekla | Leave a comment

Album review: ALLY VENABLE – Money & Power

Posted on April 18, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Ruf Records [Release date 18.04.25] In our reviews of Ally Venable’s previous albums ‘Texas Honey’, ‘Heart Of Fire’ and ‘Real Gone’ we noted that she was not quite the fully formed offering but was getting there. ‘Money & Power’ is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Ally Venable, blues, blues rock, Money & Power, review, roots, Texas | Leave a comment

Book review: On track…ANTHONY PHILLIPS 1977-1990 by Alan Draper

Posted on April 17, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Anthony Phillips chatted to David Randall about his career in March 2015. First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio where he is a Featured Artist. Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 25.04.25] When this new “On track…” tome landed at GRTR! … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged Anthony Phillips, Anthony Phillips 1977-1990, book, Genesis, guitar, instrumental, new age, On Track, Progressive Rock, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: SOLSTICE – Clann

Posted on April 5, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

https://solsticeprog.uk/ [Release date 04.04.25] I should start this by saying “where have Solstice been all my reviewing life?” I have been vaguely aware of their existence, more familiar with their album ‘Prophecy’ (2013), but it is only now that they are … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Andy Glass, Clann, folk, fusion, prog, Progressive Rock, Solstice | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2025)

Posted on April 4, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged 2025, albums of the month, classic rock, February, hard rock, January, March, melodic rock, R&B, singer songwriter, soul | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR! Greats – WISHBONE ASH

Posted on March 30, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Photos: Andy Nathan In 1977, after their successful ‘Front Page News’ tour, Wishbone Ash’s record label posted an advert in the music papers saying “not bad for four boring old farts’, or words to that effect. A time traveller from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR! GREATS, GRTR! Greats (All Posts), INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Leave a comment

Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025

Posted on March 29, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

It’s quite a novelty stepping on to an old German cargo ship to see a gig in the cargo hold and in 2024 Thekla celebrated its 40th anniversary as a live music venue. Judging by the snaking crowd greeting the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 27 March 2025, Bristol, gig, hard rock, metal, review, South Of Salem, Thekla | Leave a comment

Album review: IZZY REIGN

Posted on March 25, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

FiXT Music [Release date: 21.03.25] Each week, when compiling our radio sequence ‘New to GRTR!’, there have been an increasing number of artists fusing electronica elements or EDM (electronic dance music) with rock and alternative metal. Maybe I am just … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged EDM, electronica, industrial metal, Izzy Reign. album, metal, review, rock, synth, synthwave | Leave a comment

Gig review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Cadogan Hall, London, 20 March 2025

Posted on March 22, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

GRAHAM GOULDMAN - The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 7 March 2025

Graham Gouldman’s ‘Heart Full Of Songs’ is an inspirational evening built round his own remarkable song history and related stories. The show is fleshed out by glistening harmonies, salient hooks and a set list which interweaves the substance of his … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 10CC, 20 March 2025, acoustic, Cadogan Hall, gig, Graham Gouldman, London, pop rock, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Book review: HOGGIN’ THE PAGE – Groundhogs The Classic Years by Martyn Hanson

Posted on March 13, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 07.02.25] Sonicbond have been well featured at GRTR! with their “On track…” and “Decades” imprints amongst a plethora of publications since 2018. The publisher has now taken to resurrecting books out of print or giving these … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged blues, blues rock, classic rock, Groundhogs The Classic Years, history, Hoggin' The Page, Tony McPhee | Leave a comment

Album review: LIV KRISTINE – Amor Vincit Omnia

Posted on March 13, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Metalville [Release date 25.04.25] Following Liv Kristine’s acrimonious departure from Leaves Eyes there have been a series of solo album reissues, a new solo album in 2023, although combining now with her other interests in wellness and voice coaching. Liv’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Amor Vincit Omnia, Liv Kristine, review, rock. Leaves' Eyes, Theatre Of Tragedy | Leave a comment

Book review: On track… DAVID BOWIE, GERRY RAFFERTY, TALKING HEADS, THE BEATLES, DEEP PURPLE

Posted on March 12, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication dates Feb.-Mar. 2025] The On track… series continues and the first of 2025 includes David Bowie 1983-2016, the perfect complement to the earlier tome covering 1964-1982. This time Don Klees reflects the genre-changing nature of Bowie, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, classic rock, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Gerry Rafferty, On Track, Porcupine Tree, review, Talking Heads, The Beatles | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR! Greats – GRAHAM GOULDMAN

Posted on March 4, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

Photo: Martin Porter Graham Gouldman is one of our most durable songwriters who has achieved success as a solo artist and with his band 10cc. Influenced by The Beatles, he wrote for several major artists in the 1960s before decamping … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR! GREATS, GRTR! Greats (All Posts), INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 10CC, album, feature, gig, Graham Gouldman, interview, retrospective, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR! Greats – THEA GILMORE

Posted on February 28, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

David Randall chatted to Thea Gilmore in February 2025 for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. This edited version of the interview first broadcast 23 February includes tracks from the album ‘These Quiet Friends’ plus others from Thea’s back catalogue. Part … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR! GREATS, GRTR! Greats (All Posts), INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, feature, folk, gig, interview, radio, review, rock, singer, songwriter, Thea Gilmore | Leave a comment

News: GRTR! Greats – New feature series starts in March at Get Ready to ROCK!

Posted on February 10, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

A new series starts in March 2025, reflecting artist coverage at major classic rock website Get Ready to ROCK! Since 2003 the website has gained an unrivalled reputation for quality and insightful reviews plus interviews and features. In 2023 the … Continue reading →