Author Archives: alanjones

Album review: NICE BEAVER – The Time It Takes

Posted on June 7, 2015 by alanjones
NICE BEAVER - The Time It Takes

Oskar Records [Release Date: 20.02.15] Nice Beaver – presumably named from the classic Frank Drebbin line in ‘The Naked Gun’ – are a Dutch four-piece delivering a brand of sparkling progressive rock that many of today’s so-called ‘prog’ bands would … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Album review: PENDRAGON – Men Who Climb Mountains

Posted on May 13, 2015 by alanjones
PENDRAGON - Men Who Climb Mountains

Pendragon/Toff Records  [Release date: 13.10.14] Ah, Pendragon – time was when their albums didn’t even need reviewing, such was their generic sound and all round cosy familiarity – it was first-rate, melodic progressive rock and everybody knew what to expect. … Continue reading →

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

Album review: HASSE FROBERG AND MUSICAL COMPANION – HFMC

Posted on April 19, 2015 by alanjones
HASSE FROBERG AND MUSICAL COMPANION - HFMC

Glassville Records   [Release date: 16.03.15] Remember your adolescence when you walked everywhere with an LP tucked under your arm to show anyone who was interested just how cool and hip you were? Back then it was ‘The Yes Album’, … Continue reading →

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

Album review: KATATONIA – Sanctitude

Posted on April 16, 2015 by alanjones
KATATONIA - Sanctitude

KScope   [Release date: 30 March 2015] Back in the day, it was often espoused by people who didn’t like heavy rock that “it’s easy to make a row – but can they cut it live and acoustic?”. To a … Continue reading →

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

Album review: KARIBOW – Addicted

Posted on April 1, 2015 by alanjones
Karibow - Addicted

Rock Werk Records   [Release date: 26 October 2014] Hailing from Germany, Karibow is the brainchild – and, as far as I can make out, the sole preserve of – Oliver Rüsing, an exceptional multi-instrumentalist – who, again as far … Continue reading →

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

Album review: STEVE ROTHERY – The Ghosts Of Pripyat

Posted on March 30, 2015 by alanjones
STEVE ROTHERY - The Ghosts Of Pripyat

Self-released  -  [Release date 02.02.15] What’s a reviewer supposed to do when confronted by perfection? Our whole raison d’être here at GRTR! is to give an opinion that informs the reader; (a) whether the music being reviewed is worth a … Continue reading →

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

EP review: BLUEMINDED – Blueminded

Posted on March 28, 2015 by alanjones
Blueminded

Self-released  [Release date: April 2014] Blueminded describe themselves as a ‘poprockband’ but really they are doing themselves a disservice as this debut EP definitely has a vein of progressive rock weaving its way through the four tracks on offer here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Quick Plays, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: STEVE HACKETT – Wolflight

Posted on March 20, 2015 by alanjones
STEVE HACKETT - Wolflight

David Randall chatted to Steve Hackett in early March 2015 for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, about the new album and the new tour ‘Acolyte to Wolflight’ (27:46) Inside Out [Release Date: 30.03.15] Steve Hackett’s star is definitely in the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Album review: CREPUSCULE – Vivv

Posted on March 13, 2015 by alanjones
Crepuscule - Vivv

Self-released – Release Date: 18 July 2014 This is definitely an album of despites. Despite having a name that sounds like a pustulent sore, despite having a cover that Slipknot might well have found too scary and despite the entire … Continue reading →

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

Album review: ESOSOME – What We Thought Would Save Us

Posted on March 9, 2015 by alanjones
ESOSOME - What We Thought Would Save Us

  Self-released – [Release Date: 10.07.14] One of the joys of writing reviews is that every so often a little gem appears amid the general ordinariness of new material that arrives (mostly as a result of the joys of self-release … Continue reading →

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

Album review: JEFF HEALEY BAND – Live At The Horseshoe Tavern 1993

Posted on March 7, 2015 by alanjones
JEFF HEALEY BAND - Live At The Horseshoe Tavern 1993

Eagle Records – [Release Date: 26.01.15] Around eighteen months ago I reviewed Jeff’s ‘Live In NYC’ and questioned whether the world needed yet another Jeff Healey Band live album – given that there had been four releases of live and … Continue reading →

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

Album Review: TIN SPIRITS – Scorch

Posted on January 18, 2015 by alanjones
Tin Spirits - Scorch

Esoteric Antenna/Vibrola Records  [Release date 15.09.14] Every so often an album shows up that takes you completely by surprise. I don’t know why, but my expectations of Tin Spirits second album were not that high – despite the fact that … Continue reading →

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

Quick plays: LEON ALVARADO, KNIGHT AREA, SHADOW MERCHANT

Posted on November 30, 2014 by alanjones
LEON ALVARADO

LEON ALVARADO – 2014: Music From An Expanded Universe Melodic Revolution Records – [Release date: 30.10.14] The title says it all really as this sounds like it was written in space, played in space and beamed down for spaced-out people … Continue reading →

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

Album review: CORVUS STONE – Corvus Stone ll

Posted on November 27, 2014 by alanjones
CORVUS STONE - Corvus Stone ll

Melodic Revolution Records [Release Date: 30.09.14] Back in November 2012 I had the pleasure of reviewing Corvus Stone’s first album – and some album it was too, having progressive rock at its heart but incorporating a myriad of other styles … Continue reading →

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

Gig review: LEVELLERS/The Selecter – William Aston Hall, Wrexham, 18 November 2014

Posted on November 20, 2014 by alanjones
LEVELLERS - William Aston Hall, Wrexham, 18 November 2014

There is something wonderfully timeless about a Levellers gig. Every time I have seen them over the past twenty-odd years they have always been the same, giving a full-on performance for their adoring fans and leaving nothing on the stage … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: FREQUENCY DRIFT – Summer

Posted on October 25, 2014 by alanjones
FREQUENCY DRIFT - Summer

[Download only from band website - Release date: 12.09.14] There are certain bands and artists, aren’t there, to whom you turn to capture your prevailing mood? One brings to mind Buddy Guy for blues, Zeppelin or AC/DC if you want … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Album review: PHI – The Waves Of Sound Remain

Posted on October 7, 2014 by alanjones
PHI - The Waves Of Sound Remain

Gentle Art Of Music   [Release Date 03.11.14] Despite being described by Phi themselves as ‘art rock’ this Austrian 3-piece’s musical debut screams progressive rock all day long – although, it has to be said, the prog metal template of … Continue reading →

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

Album review: OPETH – Pale Communion

Posted on September 30, 2014 by alanjones
Opeth - Pale Communion

Roadrunner Records [Release Date 25.08.14] Mikael Akerfeldt – the debate rages… Rather like Steven Wilson and Mike Portnoy, there are sections of the music press which are so sycophantic and so over the top in hyping up the Opeth frontman … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, The Best Of 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: A SECRET RIVER – Colours Of Solitude

Posted on September 24, 2014 by alanjones
A SECRET RIVER - Colours Of Solitude

Self released  [Release Date: 25.06.14] Given the lineage of great progressive bands from Scandinavia and the form of progressive rock music that tends to be their stock in trade – think Katatonia, Opeth, Beardfish and their brooding melancholia punctuated with … Continue reading →

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

Album review: MOSTLY AUTUMN – Dressed In Voices

Posted on September 6, 2014 by alanjones
Mostly Autumn - Dressed In Voices

Mostly Autumn Records [Release date 02.06.14] Mostly Autumn have been known throughout their career as a Celtic/folk infused prog-lite sort of band. Their albums, right from the early days were always very good, sometimes excellent, but, it must be said, … Continue reading →

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

Album review: WAKING AIDA – Eschaton

Posted on August 14, 2014 by alanjones
Waking Aida - Eschaton

Robot Needs Home Records – Release Date: 2 June 2014 OK, I admit it. I’m thrashing about in utter confusion these days trying to understand all the weird and wonderful names given to various genres of music. Post-rock, neo-prog, jazz-fusion … Continue reading →

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

Album review: XANADU – Follow The Instinct

Posted on August 9, 2014 by alanjones
Xanadu - Follow The Instinct

Pronet Records – Release Date: 4 June 2014 Ahhh… the Polish progressive rock runaway train still shows no sign of running out of steam. With excellent releases this year from the likes of Pinkroom and Riverside, here is the follow-up … Continue reading →

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

Album review: THE D PROJECT – Making Sense

Posted on August 7, 2014 by alanjones
The D Project - Making Sense

Universal Music Canada – Release Date: 10 June 2014 Three years ago, when reviewing The D Project’s previous album ‘Big Face’ (qv) – I suggested that, along with Mystery, Stephane Desbiens and his bandmates were carrying the torch for French … Continue reading →

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

Album review: PERVY PERKIN – Ink

Posted on August 5, 2014 by alanjones
Pervy Perkin - Ink

Rock CD Records – Release Date: March 2014 OK, settle down at the back of the class – we’ve all had a dodgy teacher called Pervy Perkin at one time or another during our schooldays haven’t we? So why, given … Continue reading →

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

Album Review: AISLES – 4:45 AM

Posted on June 23, 2014 by alanjones
Aisles - 4:45 AM

Presagio Records [Release Date: 29.10.13] The world of progressive rock, in recent years, has been expanded to some of the furthest-flung corners of the globe. Not only from the likes of eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Japan but from less-expected outposts … Continue reading →

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