Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

Album review: SOTO – Divak

Posted on February 16, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

earMUSIC [Release date 01.04.16] Soto’s debut album ‘Inside The Vertigo’ came and went early last year, and judging by the critical reaction perhaps splitting some of the core JSS fanbase as it marked a return to the more hard-hitting metal … Continue reading →

Gig review: THE WINERY DOGS/ Inglorious – Bristol O2 Academy, 2 February 2016

Posted on February 5, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

THE WINERY DOGS - Bristol O2 Academy, 2 February 2016

Mike Portnoy announces to the crowd that The Winery Dogs don’t often play outside of the main cities of London/Manchester, so the Bristol fans wasted no opportunity to sign up for something special and – although not a sell out … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Billy Sheehan, classic rock, Dream Theater, gig, Inglorious, Mike Portnoy, Mr Big, Poison, review, Richie Kotzen, rock, The Winery Dogs | Leave a comment

Album review: JENNIFER WARNES – The Well

Posted on February 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

BMG [Release date 04.03.16] It comes to something when it takes a fifteen year old album – getting its first UK release – to highlight just how sterile and bland the singer songwriter scene has become. Warnes’ eighth studio album, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Americana, Jennifer Warnes, pop, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter, The Well | Leave a comment

News: MAGNUM and DEVON ALLMAN interview specials on Sunday 7 February 2016

Posted on February 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum - Liverpool Arts Club, 6 February 2016

In 2011, during rehearsals for their winter UK tour, David Randall asked Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin about the rise of Magnum, discussing the early days, their reformation in the Millennium and upward trajectory during the past decade. On Sunday … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, Radio interview | Tagged 7 February 2016, blues rock, Bob Catley, Devon Allman, feature, guitar, guitarist, interview, Magnum, radio, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DAVID LOCKE, DERIAN CROSS, TESS OF THE CIRCLE

Posted on February 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

DAVID LOCKE Transitions [Release date 05.15] www.davidlocke.co.uk David Locke is another guitar journeymen but the difference between his production values and the Derian Cross album (see below) are palpable. A lot of time and effort has evidently gone into making … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged Amplify, Dave Locke, Derian Cross, fusion, guitar, guitarist, One, pop rock, rock, Tess Of the Circle, Transitions | Leave a comment

News: RENAISSANCE & CURVED AIR – Pioneers of Symphonic/Art Prog tour together in April 2016

Posted on January 30, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

ANNIE HASLAM of RENAISSANCE (59:15) David Randall chats to Annie about prog rockers Renaissance Also available in several parts here Symphonic rock icons Renaissance featuring legendary singer Annie Haslam will be performing in the US & UK in support of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS | Tagged Annie Haslam, April 2016, art rock, Curved Air, fusion, Live At the Union Chapel, prog, progressive, Renaissance, rock, Sonja Kristina, symphonic prog, Tour, uk | Leave a comment

Album review: BROTHERS OF MARS – Welcome To My Breakdown

Posted on January 29, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 22.09.15] www.brothersofmars.com A quick glance at the track listing on this solo project from Mauro Zarattini – ‘Mental Breakdown’, ‘Welcome To Hell’, ‘Tarot Reader’, and ‘Acid Rain’ – suggests that the listener is in for some, to use … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Leave a comment

Gig review: GREAT BRITISH ROCK & BLUES FESTIVAL – Skegness, 22-24 January 2016

Posted on January 29, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Arthur Brown - GREAT BRITISH ROCK & BLUES FESTIVAL - Skegness 22-24 January 2016

Reporting by Simon Dunkerley and Pete Feenstra Pete Feenstra writes: Perhaps only The Great British Rock & Blues Festival can give you the unlikely opportunity of slipping from the dancing delights of Courtney Pine’s venue filling world music and jazz … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 22-24 January 2016, AYNSLEY LISTER, blues, Courtney Pine, FM, gig, Great British Rock & Blues Festival, Hawkwind, jazz, Martin Turner, review, rock, Skegness, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Willie And The Bandits | Leave a comment

News: RODNEY MATTHEWS exhibition runs until 24 February – Wells, Somerset

Posted on January 26, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

GRTR! photographer Simon Dunkerley recently attended the private viewing of ‘IONAWR’, the new exhibition featuring the work of fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. Before the times of digital download and live music streaming the thrill of a new album release meant … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Exhibitions, NEWS | Tagged 13 January - 24 February 2016, art, Bishop Well's Palace, exhibition, fantasy, IONAWR, Magnum, Nazareth, Rodney Matthews, Somerset, Thin Lizzy, Wells | Leave a comment

Album review: MAGNUM – Sacred Blood “Divine” Lies

Posted on January 25, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

SPV [Release date 26.02.16] Tony Clarkin must surely receive a public award for services to consistent songwriting. Since the mid-1970s he has been the main architect of Magnum’s wider and enduring success. And on this – the band’s 19th studio … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Al Barrow, album, AOR, Bob Catley, Harry James, Magnum, Mark Stanway, pomp, review, rock, Sacred Blood "Divine" Lies, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Quick plays: JULIA FORDHAM (1988 reissue), UNDERHILL ROSE

Posted on January 23, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Cherry Pop [Release date 29.01.16] Julia Fordham is one of those artists who could only really flourish in the 1980s when there were expansive label budgets, solid production values, and exposure on national radio. Her exquisite blend of self-penned pop … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays, Reissues | Tagged album, Americana, bonus tracks, folk, Julia Fordham, live, pop, reissue, review, roots, singer, songwriter, The Great Tomorrow, Underhill Rose | Leave a comment

Album review: JAN AKKERMAN – Jan Akkerman (1977 reissue)

Posted on January 23, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Esoteric Recordings [Release date 29.01.16] “Jan Akkerman”, the 1977 album with the distinctive “guitar in bed” cover, was Akkerman’s answer to Jeff Beck’s ‘Blow By Blow’ two years earlier. This was the Dutch guitarist’s first solo album since splitting from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Dutch, Focus, guitar, guitarist, Holland, Jan Akkerman, jazz fusion, Jazz rock, rock | Leave a comment

EP review: EVILYN STRANGE – Evilution

Posted on January 23, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Thirteen 772 Music [Release date 07.03.16] By their own admission, Mikael Johannesson and Phillip Strange have gone heavier for this five track EP ahead of a full-length album, the follow-up to 2013′s ‘Mourning Phoebe’. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, Evilution, Evilyn Strange, heavy rock, review | Leave a comment

News: ELEANOR MCEVOY – New album 5 February, Archive Interview – Sunday 24 January 2016

Posted on January 23, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Eleanor McEvoy - Alexanders, Chester, 12 March 2015

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio favourite Eleanor McEvoy is featured on Sunday 24 January, ahead of the release of her latest album ‘Naked Music’ (17:00 GMT). The radio station is replaying their 2009 interview when Eleanor chatted about her career … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS | Tagged blues rock, Dale Griffin, Eleanor McEvoy, feature, interview, Magnum, Mott the Hoople, NWOBHM, radio, Simo, singer, songwriter, Tygers Of Pan Tang | Leave a comment

Album review: GLITCH CODE – Gifted_Damaged

Posted on January 13, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Basilica Music [Release date 12.02.16] Glitch Code is a collaboration between songwriter/producer/sound designer Paul Kirkpatrick and vocalist Rachel Harvey. And a lot of attention to detail has gone into the creation of their debut – even the packaging for the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Basilica, electronica, Gifted_Damaged, Glitch Code, Paul Kirkpatrick, pop, Rachel Harvey, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: LEAPFROGTOWN – Dreaming In Public

Posted on January 13, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Coffee Jingle Records [Release date 25.01.16] Leapfrogtown – a vehicle for London duo Chris Guard and Stuart Walton – is proof, if it were ever needed, that you’re never old to [start to] rock ‘n’ roll, with their debut a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Chris Guard, Dreaming In Public, glam, Leapfrogtown, pop, review, rock, Stuart Walton | Leave a comment

Album review: PETER SARSTEDT – England’s Lane

Posted on January 9, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Angel Air Records [Release date 15.01.16] For most, Peter Sarstedt will forever be associated with his 1960s hit ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’. This wider success has masked a long and productive solo career and the release of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged ALBERT LEE, album, Brian Hodgson, Eden Kane, England's Lane, Gerry Conway, Martin Taylor, Peter Sarstedt, reissue, review, Sam Brown, singer, songwriter, the Rutles | Leave a comment

Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) January-March 2016

Posted on January 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January 2016 8th DAVID BOWIE ‘Blackstar’ CLOUDSCAPE ‘Voice Of Reason’ IGNITE ‘A War Against You’ Century Media 15th PAUL CARRACK ‘Soul Shadows’ PANIC! AT THE DISCO ‘Death Of A Bachelor’ AXEL RUDI PELL ‘Game Of Sins’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases) | Leave a comment

Album review: COLIN HARPER – Sunset Cavaliers

Posted on January 4, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Market Square Records MSMCD172 [Release date 16.02.16] www.colin-harper.com Like fellow music journalist/writer David Sinclair, Colin Harper has seen fit to cross the sometimes perilous divide between writer and performer (poacher turned gamekeeper?), evidently inspired by some of the subjects of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Andy Powell, Brooks Williams, Chris Spedding, Colin Harper, Duffy Powers, folk, fusion, jazz, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Premik Russell Tubbs, review, rock, Steve Kindler, Sunset Cavaliers, Wishbone Ash | Leave a comment

Album review: SIMON PHILLIPS – Protocol III

Posted on January 1, 2016 by GRTR! HQ

Phantom Recordings/Inakustik [Release date 23.10.15] I must be getting old, but a bit of jazz fusion always seems to go down well especially when it’s well executed. In 2014 we reviewed ‘Protocol II’ and opined it was ‘a superior jazz … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andy Timmons, Ernest Tubbs, jazz fusion, Jazz rock, Protocol III, review, Simon Phillips, Steve Weingart | Leave a comment

Album review: STEEL THREADS – The Rule Of Three

Posted on December 31, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 13.12.15] www.steelthreadsmusic.co.uk With no PR blurb as a guide, The Rule Of Three came as something of an aural surprise the black cover emblazoned with a barbed wire take on John Paul Jones’ Led Zeppelin IV symbol (with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, pop, review, rock, Steel Threads, The Rule Of Three | Leave a comment

Quick plays: ASHBY, AMELIA WHITE, SHADES OF SORROW

Posted on December 31, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

ASHBY Fragmental [Release date 13.11.15] Ashby are a progressive rock quintet from Germany. Fronted by Sabina Mosel, three thoughts immediately struck me a vocal symmetry with Sam Brown and Doris Brendel, a proggy sound that put the band in a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged acoustic, Amelia White, Angelleno, Ascension, Ashby, country, Cruel Season, Fragmental, Home Sweet Hotel, metal, progressive metal, Sam Outlaw, Shades Of Sorrow, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: CARLY DOW – Ingrained

Posted on December 31, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

It’s unusual these days to come across an artist that offers something ‘different’. But Canadian singer songwriter Carly Dow’s ‘wind crafted soul-folk’ debut reveals a unique and alluring talent. Dow’s song writing is steeped in the lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Leave a comment

Album review: ELEANOR McEVOY – Naked Music

Posted on December 31, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

Moscodisc [Release date 05.02.16] The closest we’ve got to a live album from Eleanor McEvoy, ten studio albums down the line was 2011′s Alone a record lifted from practice sessions never intended for release. It was pretty good proxy for … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best Of 2016 | Tagged acoustic, album, Eleanor McEvoy, Naked Music, review, rock, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: THE CRINGE – Blind Spot

Posted on December 31, 2015 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 16.10.15] The Cringe. Perhaps not the best name for a group I’ve ever heard. But it’s given the New York City based band four previous releases. Tried and test mainstream rock, the band features John Cusimano on vocals … Continue reading →