-
-
If you can't find what you're looking for - or wish to refine your search to include only references to the key search term - try putting inverted commas around the search term e.g. "Steve Lukather" or "Black Star Riders"
For example if you enter Black Star Riders the results will include all instances of "Black" "Star" and "Riders". The search will also be slower.
Switch site
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
-
Our star rating
***** Out of this world
**** Pretty damn fine
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan of the artist or genre
** Instant bargain bin fodder
* Ugly, just ugly
Latest Album Reviews
-
Latest Gig Reviews
-
Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
-
Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
-
Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
-
Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
-
Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
-
Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
-
-
Featured Album Reviews
-
Album review: THE TEXAS FLOOD – Young Dogs, Old Tricks
-
Album review: 24 PESOS – Do The Right Thing
-
Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Full Nelson
-
Album review: ZZEBRA – Hungry Horse (Live In Germany 1975)
-
Book Review: ON TRACK (every album, every song…) – IRON MAIDEN (by Steve Pilkington) and THIN LIZZY (by Graeme Stroud)
-
Album review: MALAYA BLUE – Heartsick
-
-
Features
Single & EP Reviews
-
DVD Reviews
-
Book Reviews
-
News
-
Features
-
Quick Categories
Categories (All)
Author Archives: GRTR! HQ
Album review: STEVE HACKETT – Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live In Brighton
David Randall chatted to Steve Hackett in September 2023 as part of the GRTR!@20 promotion when Steve was the September “Grotto of Greatness” inductee. This is an edited version of the radio show that will be broadcast in its entirety … Continue reading
Album review: RENAISSANCE – The Legacy Tour 2022
Symphonic Rock Recordings [Release date 15.08.23] Back in 2015 we saw Renaissance performing at a small venue in North-West England, The Citadel, which remains something of a mecca for prog bands. Since that time they have played several tours in … Continue reading
Album review: PARDON THE INTERRUPTION – Hot N’ Fresh
ptimusic.com [Release date 14.04.23] It would be easier, some months following release, to pass over this album and regret a missed review opportunity. But not here at GRTR! The truth is that this album may have provided a soundtrack at … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, funk, Hot N' Fresh, Pardon The Interruption, pop rock, review
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – STEVE HACKETT (September 2023)
With the Genesis genie well and truly out of the bottle, Steve Hackett continues the legacy whilst topping up his own illustrious back catalogue. Prog-tastic! Photo: Simon Dunkerley The ascent of GRTR! since 2003 coincides with the rise and rise … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness
Tagged feature, Genesis, guitar, guitarist, interview, prog, Progressive Rock, radio, retrospective, Steve Hackett
Leave a comment
Album review: TRANCEND – Lilac
www.trancend.band [Release date 07.08.23] No matter what you might say, some good things did come out of Lockdown. And whilst you scratch your head let me give you one positive: Trancend. The musicians behind this album (the three Maurus brothers) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, art rock, Lilac, prog, Progressive Rock, review, TrancEnd, trip hop
Leave a comment
Album review: HANFORD FLYOVER – Source
Fruits de Mer Records [Release date 11.10.23] We first came across Hanford Flyover on a sampler from the Fruits de Mer label who specialise in psych, prog and anything slightly leftfield. Much of the label output harks back to the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, electronica, folk, Hanford Flyover, prog, Progressive Rock, psych, psychedelic, review, Source
Leave a comment
News: STEVE HACKETT is the latest entrant in The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness (September 2023)
The latest entrant in the ongoing 20th anniversary promotion – “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” – is progmeister guitarist Steve Hackett. Hackett’s refashioning of classic Genesis seventies material coincides with the development of the website Get Ready to ROCK! (www.getreadytorock.com) … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged feature, Genesis, guitar, prog, Progressive Rock, retrospective, Steve Hackett
Leave a comment
Album review: AOR – Bewitched In L.A.
Bewitched In L.A. Perris Records [Release date 08.09.23] The advent of AI in music is the subject of much discussion. Listening to this latest offering from melodic rock plagiarist Frederic Slama you could be forgiven for thinking that everything – … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bewitched In L.A., Frederic Slama, melodic rock, Paul Sabu, review, Tommy Denander
Leave a comment
Album review: RUFFYUNZ – Ruffyunz III
Hyperspace Records [Release date 11.08.23] It’s safe to say that the third album offering from Ruffyunz takes up where II left off. The major change is Carmine Appice replacing Bobby Rondinelli’s drums and, at least on the cover, taking centre … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Billy 'Spaceman' Patterson, Bumblefoot, Carmine Appice, Dave Meniketti, Derek Sherinian, Ed Terry, hard rock, III, Jim McCarty, Pat Thrall, Pat Travers, Randy Platt, review, Ruffyunz, Tony Franklin, Tracy G, Vinnie Moore
Leave a comment
Album review: BOB HOLZ – Holz-Stathis Collaborative
MVD Audio [Release date 08.09.23] This album, by veteran drummer Bob Holz, takes me back to the mid-late 1970s when there was a profusion of fusion. In the form of Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and less prominent bands like … Continue reading
Album review: KARNEY – Creatures In The Garden
www.karney.org [Release date 18.08.23] Who is Karney? Well she obviously feels the need to protect her intellectual property as her name is trade marked. Say hello to Anna Karney® who at various times has been a games music composer, a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, Creatures In The Garden, Karney, review, rock, singer, songwriter
Leave a comment
EP review: /SIN’DOGS/ – Renascence EP
www.facebook.com/Sindogs [Release date 01.08.23] When I was compiling my “Best of” two decades in terms of ‘Live Acts’ for GRTR!@20 it would have been very tempting to include Zal Cleminson and /sin’dogs/ appearance at the 2019 ‘Giants Of Rock’. My … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Alex Harvey, classic rock, EP, hard rock, Renascence, review, Sin’Dogs, Zal Cleminson
Leave a comment
Album review: ROBBIE CUMMING – Choons Vol.1 & 2
Absolute [Release date 12.05.23] I’ve often wondered about a canal boat holiday, traversing the criss-cross network hopefully in the sunshine, away from congested roads, and with regular stops for refreshment. And, maybe, if I took the plunge as it were … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Canal Boat Diaries, Choons Vol.1 & 2, instrumental, review, Robbie Cumming, TV
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – CATS IN SPACE (August 2023)
Pop rock revivalists whose rise and rise has been almost purr-fect… damn that pandemic… Cats in Space are a unique proposition among the new generation of classic rock bands that have emerged in recent years (writes Andy Nathan). Acts that … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness
Tagged August 2023, Cats In Space, classic rock, feature, Grotto, pop rock, retrospective
Leave a comment
Gig review: THE WHO, O2 Arena, London, 12 July 2023
On the verge of their sixth decade as a band and The Who really have nothing to prove but still don’t care about what they’re being told by others. This is The Who and they’ll do exactly as they want. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 July 2023, classic rock, gig, London, O2 Arena, orchestra, Pete Townshend, review, Roger Daltrey, THE WHO
Leave a comment
Gig review: THE WHO – Badminton Estate, Gloucestershire, 16 July 2023
So how refined that The Who, along with the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Keith Levenson, are playing at the renowned Badminton Estate, to promote a new live album, in an open-air concert arena with a capacity of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 16 July 2023, Badminton Estate, classic rock, gig, Gloucestershire, orchestra, Pete Townshend, review, Roger Daltrey, THE WHO
Leave a comment
News: CATS IN SPACE are the latest entrants in The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness (August 2023)
Rock website Get Ready to ROCK!’s 20th anniversary celebration continues with the latest entrants in “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness”. Pop rockers Cats In Space will be honoured in August ahead of UK tour dates in September. Jason Ritchie, News … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Leave a comment
Album review: THE MAGPIE ARC – Glamour In The Grey
Collective Perspective [Release date 07.07.23] Now here’s a listen. I didn’t quite know what to expect from this band. From the name, it could be an alt-rock band couldn’t it? From the opening track ‘All I Planted’ it is immediately … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Leave a comment
News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2023)
WINGER Seven (Frontiers) Winger are a great group of musicians and they write great songs. And ‘Seven’ matches up to their very best work. ***** Review by David Randall HOUSE OF SHAKIRA XIT (Frontiers) No question, XIT is a perfect pop … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, Albums of the Year...to date, NEWS
Tagged albums, April 2023, classic rock, hard rock, heavy rock, instrumental, June 2023, May 2023, melodic rock, pop rock, review
Leave a comment
Album review: TIZANE – Forever Is Nothing
Burning Girl Records [Release date 23.06.23] This is the second album from Tizane following 2021′s ‘Cherry’ which I have to say completely escaped our attention. Described as dark pop-rock the album starts almost invisibly with ‘Off The Edge’ and it … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Forever Is Nothing, pop rock, review, Tizane
Leave a comment
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – MARILLION (July 2023)
Photo: David Randall Self sufficient free spirits who keep getting better, and in spite of “Sugar Mice”… Marillion’s entry into our hallowed portal coincides with the period that they have been self-sufficient. By 1998 ostracised by the likes of EMI … Continue reading
Album review: LEAH WAYBRIGHT – Dreamed
Invasion Merch [Release date 17.07.23] One of the great things about GRTR! as we reflect on our twenty year lifespan is the eclectic nature of our brief. We don’t ever feel compelled to review the latest Jethro Tull or Yes … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classical, Dreamed, Gary Blu, Happy The Man, instrumental, jazz, Leah Waybright, Mark Wood, review, Rick Kennell, Stanley Whitaker
Leave a comment
Album review: MVI (Mark Vickness Interconnected) – In The Rain Shadow
www.markvickness.com [Release date 17.05.23] “Sit back, pour a glass of your favourite tipple, and let this album wash over you.” That’s what I wrote about ‘Interconnected’ in 2020 making it one of my “best ofs” that year. And it could … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classical, fusion, jazz, Mark Vickness Interconnected, MVI, new age, review
Leave a comment