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Author Archives: andynathan
Album review: STEPHEN CRANE- Kicks

AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) The rock world is littered with hard luck stories of people failed by the record industry. One such is Stephen Crane. Already a seasoned figure on the Texas music scene, he was signed to MCA … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jai Winding, Kicks, melodic rock, Richard Page, Stephen Crane, Steve Lukather, Tom Kelly
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Album review: PARIS- 50/50

AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) France is hardly a hotbed of melodic rock but Paris, essentially the duo of Frederic Dechevanne and Sebastien Montet with some guest musicians, have now released three albums. They follow in a distinguished line of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Frederic Dechevanne, melodic rock, Paris, Sebastien Montet
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Album review: WINDING ROAD- s/t

AOR Heaven [Release Date 26.03.21] The thriving Scandinavian melodic rock scene is not just one for young bucks. Winding Road are a new band in which three musicians with a long list of credits in their native Sweden have come … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jonas Tyskhagen, Magnus Akerlund, melodic rock, Winding Road
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Album review: INGLORIOUS- We Will Ride

Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.02.21] It has been a rocky road for Inglorious since they burst onto the scene as one of the great hopes of classic rock. For a while their huge potential, not least in the powerful vocals … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Danny De La Cruz, hard rock, Inglorious, Nathan James, We Will Ride
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Album review: W.E.T. – Retransmission

Frontiers Records (Release Date 22.01.21) Of all the melodic rock supergroups assembled, usually on the Frontiers roster, W.E.T. have proved to have staying power. This fourth studio release comes a relatively recent three years after its predecessor ‘Earthrage’, which is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, Robert Sall, W.E.T.
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Album review: PALACE- Rock And Roll Radio

Frontiers Records [Release date 04.12.20] Michael Palace, a man with multiple performing and writing credits to his name, is now onto the third album from his own project. 2016’s ‘Master of the Universe’ was mainstream melodic hard rock, but is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Michael Palace, Palace, review
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Album review: EAST TEMPLE AVENUE – Both Sides of Midnight

AOR Heaven (Release Date 27.11.20) East Temple Avenue sees Australian songwriter Darren Phillips, whose project under his own name featured a star studded cast, join forces for a whole album with Robbie Le Blanc, the Blanc Faces singer whose combination … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Darren Phillips, melodic rock, Philip Lindstrand, Robbie Le Blanc
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Album review: JEFF SCOTT SOTO – Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)

Frontiers Records [Release Date 6.11.20] After going in a more modern metal direction with his Soto project and fronting prog rock supergroup Sons of Apollo, the latest album from the ever prolific Jeff Scott Soto sees him return to the … Continue reading
Album review: ECLIPSE – Viva La Victouria (CD/DVD)

Frontiers Records [Release Date 6.11.20] This package of goodies from Eclipse is very timely, as their last album ‘Paradigm’ rather got swamped in the rush of autumn 2019 releases, then after gearing up for a huge tour, it never reached … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, DVD, Eclipse, Eric Martensson, live album, Magnus Hendriksson, melodic rock, review
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Book Review: ON TRACK (every album, every song…) – IRON MAIDEN (by Steve Pilkington) and THIN LIZZY (by Graeme Stroud)

Sonic Bond Publishing The ‘On Track’ series is a new one to me, but glancing at GRTR!’s recent book reviews it seems to be a rapidly growing collection. While more critically acclaimed artists such as the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged book, Every Album Every Song, Graeme Stroud, Iron Maiden, On Target, Steve Pilkington, Thin Lizzy
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Album review: ALIEN – Into the Future

AOR Heaven [Release Date 27.11.20] One of the original wave of Scandi AOR bands at the end of the eighties, Alien’s return with their original line up was one of the stories of the early 2010’s. They followed up two … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alien, AOR, Jim Jidhed, melodic rock, Tony Borg
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Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Lion Heart

Frontiers Records [Release Date 09.10.20] Approaching 70, maestro songwriter and Survivor founder member Jim Peterik is showing no signs of slowing down. After last year’s World Stage release with a star studded casts of guest vocalists, and co-writing much of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jim Peterik, melodic rock, Pride of Lions, Survivor, Toby Hitchcock
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Film review: PHIL LYNOTT – Songs For While I’m Away

Break Out/ Eagle Rock Productions [Release Date 30.10.20] Autumn 2020 is one of those times when the Thin Lizzy legacy is getting one of its periodic dusting downs. Alongside a bumper budget compilation and a 6 CD box set of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS, FILM REVIEWS
Tagged DVD, film, hard rock, Phil Lynott, review, Songs For While I'm Away, Thin Lizzy
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Gig review: MARK MORRISS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 3 October 2020

Perhaps it wasn’t quite squarely in GRTR’s ballpark, but the last time bands with guitars dominated the charts, possibly forever, was when Britpop ruled. Led by the likes of Blur, Oasis and Pulp, the movement defined the sound and style … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Britpop, gig, Mark Morriss, singer songwriter, the Bluetones
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Gig review: GARY FLETCHER AND NICK RITCHIE – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 2 October 2020

Of course it’s trivial compared to those who have lost loved ones or their own livelihoods, but one of the biggest effects of the Coronavirus pandemic has been cutting live music dead in its tracks. Having been to over 80 … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues, Blues Band, Eel Pie, Gary Fletcher, gig, Nick Ritchie, singer songwriter
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Album review: BROTHER FIRETRIBE – Feel The Burn

Odyssey Music (Release Date 18.09.20) With the release of their first album back in 2006, Brother Firetribe (alongside the Poodles and WigWam) kick started the Scandinavian-led revival of melodic rock that is thriving to this day. Since then the only … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brother Firetribe, melodic rock, Pekka Ansiu Heino, review
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Album review: PERFECT PLAN- Time For A Miracle

Frontiers Records [Release Date 04.09.20] Perfect Plan’s self titled debut was one of the revelations of 2018, these seasoned Swedes emerging from nowhere with a high quality mix of hard rock and AOR. After keeping the pot boiling nicely with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan
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Album review: HELL IN THE CLUB – Hell of Fame

Frontiers Records [Release Date 04.09.20] Hell in the Club, whose latest album is remarkably their fifth, are one of the few bands on Frontiers Records huge roster that are actually from their native Italy- even if band members have adopted … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, glam rock, Hell In The Club, sleaze rock
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Album review: TWISTER- Cursed and Corrected

Off Yer Rocka Recordings: Release Date 13.11.20 Young North-Easterners Twister looked to have been building a name for themselves prior to lockdown with some high profile support slots and winning a Hard Rock Hell Battle of the Bands competition, so … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, New Wave of Classic Rock, Stevie Stoker, Twister
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Album review: FORTUNE- The Gun’s Still Smoking Live (CD/DVD)

Frontiers Records (Release Date 07.08.20) One of the most heart-warming and unexpected comebacks of the last few years has been that of cult eighties AOR sters Fortune. It’s fair to say their comeback in 2016 at Rockingham Festival stole the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, AOR, Fortune. live album, Larry Greene, Mark Nilan, melodic rock, Richard Fortune, Ricky Rat
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Feature: Gigs of the Millennium – ROCK FEST 2003, Wisconsin, USA

Andy Nathan has caused much teeth-gnashing and fist-clenching amongst the GRTR! team with his enviable sorties to the States sometimes taking in a couple of festivals in one visit. These include Summerfest and Moondance Jam. Here he recounts a particularly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Gigs of the Millennium
Tagged .38 Special, 2003, Alice Cooper, Boston, Def Leppard, Dokken, Eddie Money, festival, Firehouse, gig, gig of the millennium, Grand Funk Railroad, Heart, Jackyl, Loverboy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, melodic rock, Night Ranger, Rick Springfield, Rock Fest, Sammy Hagar, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Wisconsin
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Album review: TOKYO MOTOR FIST – Lions

Frontiers Records (Release Date 10.07.20) Tokyo Motor Fist’s second album is one of the most hotly anticipated melodic rock releases of the year. The 2017 debut of this East Coast supergroup was among the best of the year, while the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Danger Danger, Lions, melodic rock, review, Steve Brown, Ted Poley, Tokyo Motor Fist, Trixter
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Album review: MARK SPIRO- 2+2=5: Best of + Rarities

Frontiers Records (Release Date 10.07.20) Mark Spiro is probably best known as one of those outside collaborators who in the late eighties and early nineties sprinkled their songwriting gold dust to give the added touches that turned potential singles into … Continue reading
Album review: KANSAS – The Absence of Presence

Inside Out Records [Release Date 17.07.20] Kansas are an object lesson in regeneration and renewal for veteran bands. Having been around since 1974, many feared for their future when lead singer Steve Walsh retired in 2014, but continuing with a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Kansas, Phil Ehart, Progressive Rock, Richard Williams, Ronnie Platt, Tom Brislin, Zak Rizvi
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Feature: Albums that time forgot – RANSOM – Trouble In Paradise

MTM (1997) As alternative sounds ruled the roost in the nineties, musical styles that had ruled the previous decade were out of fashion and none more so than the melodic rock/AOR scene which was driven completely underground. In pre-Facebook, YouTube … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged AOR, Don Cromwell, Eddie Money, melodic rock, Ransom, Tommy Girvin, Trouble In Paradise
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