Author Archives: brianmc

Album review : MATTADOR – III

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 19.06.26] Mattador are a Puerto Rican melodic rock band who were on the up and up, 1988 to 1995. They released two albums and toured with top bands like Aerosmith and Iron Maiden. Then they … Continue reading

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Album review : LYNCH MOB – The Final Ride (Live)

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 29.05.26] George Lynch was always known for his incendiary axework in a live setting. Never straying too much from the album the song came from, but adding enough to make it seem fresh and new. … Continue reading

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Album review : VANDEN PLAS – AcCult II

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Frontiers Music [Release date 12.06.26] Some 30 years after the band’s Accult album, Vanden Plas follow through with their long promised second all acoustic effort. Stating the obvious perhaps, but the real test of a band is its ability to … Continue reading

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Album review : SPREAD EAGLE – The Brutal Divine

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 12.06.26] This is US rock band, Spread Eagle’s fourth album in 25 years, and second album on the Frontiers’ label, not very hard on the heels of 2019’s rather good Subway To The Stars. Ray … Continue reading

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EP Review : THE 69 EYES – I Survive

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BLKIIBLK Records [Release Date : 05.06.26] The world’s longest lasting glam/rock/goth band, the 69 Eyes, have been going for more than than 30 years, with the same personnel. Must be doing something right. The aptly titled I Survive is a … Continue reading

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Album review : QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE – Who Do You Love? The Recordings 1967-1972 (7CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date 29.05.26] Quicksilver Messenger Service – yet another of the “summer of love”s musical heroes – bubbles back to the classic rock surface. These are the real heroes, an authentic rock band who, for better or worse, … Continue reading

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Album review : MARTIN PAGE – The First And Last Freedom

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IroningBoard Records [Release date 01.04.26] On his 11th album now, successful songwriter (‘These Dreams’, ‘We Built This City’, ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ and many more) Martin Page’s softly softly approach to his own material remains untouched. He tells us : … Continue reading

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Album review : BRIAN ROBERTSON – Diamonds And Dirt (2 CD Reissue)

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Cherry Red [Release date 29.05.26] Scottish guitarist/ songwriter Brian Robertson played on what were arguably Thin Lizzy’s top 5 studio albums. Over a four year period, 1974-78, he contributed as guitarist and co-writer with Phil Lynott on Nightlife, Fighting, Jailbreak, … Continue reading

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Album review : FAITH NYC – Love Is A Wish Away

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Bandcamp [Release date : 15.05.26] Faith NYC is immensely talented singer/ writer/ bass player, Felice Rosser. “Felice Rosser brought her Detroit ears to punk, having been teethed on Motown. Reggae became a powerful influence too” (Rolling Stone/ New York Times … Continue reading

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Album review : THE 5th DIMENSION – Let The Sunshine In – The Soul City and Bell Albums (6CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date 29.05.26] The 5th Dimension, five vocalists, three male, two female, burst onto the US music scene in 1966. Nobody comes from nowhere of course, no matter what the media headlines might say. Each one, Jimmy Davis, … Continue reading

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Album review : ROBIN BECK – Living Proof

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 15.05.26] Despite releasing 11 albums, many of them just bristling with songs written by proven hit makers, Robin Beck has survived an absence of best selling music, beyond her debut single ‘The First Time’, in … Continue reading

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Album review : FRONTLINE – Rebirth

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Frontiers [Release date : 15.05.26] Calling your new album Rebirth, 20 years after your last release, seems quite an understatement. But still, Frontline wade back out confidently into melodic rock’s fast flowing waters. Many have attempted the same kind of … Continue reading

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Album review : VON GROOVE – Born To Rock

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 15.05.26] There can be few more explosive opening tracks than Von Groove’s ‘Once Is Not Enough’ from their self titled debut, 1992. 30 years later : they’ve got the band back together – Michael Shotton, … Continue reading

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Album review : JOHN CORABI – New Day

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 24.04.26] John Corabi is the ex man…ex Motley Crue, ex Ratt, ex Brides Of Destruction but not yet ex-frontman of The Dead Daisies, a band with a greater membership turnover than Deep Purple. There’s a … Continue reading

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Album review : DEGREED – Curtain Calls

DEGREED - Curtain Calls

Frontiers [Release date 24.04.26] Eighth full length album from respected Swedish Hard Rock band, Degreed…Robin Eriksson, Mats Eriksson, Mikael Blanc and Daniel Johansson. Their sound is impossible to categorise. Is it toughened up AOR, melodic hard rock, metallised hard rock … Continue reading

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Album review : GENERATION RADIO – Take 2

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Frontiers Music [Release date: 24.04.26] “In the beginning of 2020, Generation Radio came together with the intent to form a band with a purpose — to bring classic 1980s rock back to life.” So says the band’s website. Formed by … Continue reading

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Album review: SOMETHING FOR THE LONGING – Scottish Independent Pop 1985-1999 (3 CDs)

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Cherry Red [Release Date : 24.04.26] Compiled by Scottish film director, cinematographer and writer, Grant McPhee, Something For The Longing is a deep dive into “Scottish Independent Pop”. A 15 year, widescreen snapshot taken as the 20th Century was coming … Continue reading

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Album review : CREYE – IV Aftermath

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Frontiers Music [Release date : 24.04.26] Scandi band Creye hit their stride with their fourth album, Aftermath, delivering melodic rock of depth and width, polished, full of neat gearshifts, and verses as strong as the choruses, just about. The fact … Continue reading

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Album review : JACK BRUCE – Halfway To The Stars – The Recordings 2001-2003 (5 CD Boxset)

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Cherry Red [Release date : 24.04.26] Shadows In The Air (2001) More Jack Than God (2003) Live At The Milky Way part 1 (2001, with the Cuicoland Express) Live At The Milky Way part 2 (2001, with the Cuicoland Express) … Continue reading

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Album review : URIAH HEEP – Beautiful Dream, The Recordings 1975-77 (4CDs)

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Cherry Red [Release date 24.04.26] Return To Fantasy (1975) High And Mighty (1976) Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) Cherry Red’s latest Uriah Heep boxset, Beautiful Dream, is essentially a follow up to their Shadow And The Wind set released last … Continue reading

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Album review : PRAYING MANTIS – The Official Bootleg Boxset Vol 1 – Live In Japan

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Cherry Red [Release date : 24.04.26] CD1 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1993 Part One. CD2 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1993 Part Two CD3 : Live From The Bottom Line, Nagoya Japan, 1998 … Continue reading

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Album review : FIGHTER V – Deja Vu

FIGHTER V – Deja Vu

Frontiers Music [Release date : 10.04.26] We couldn’t help thinking that we’d heard this album somewhere before. Maybe it’ll come back to us. Deja Vu is the third album from Swiss melodic rock band, Fighter V. Emmo Acar (v), Lobe … Continue reading

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Album review : MICHAEL SWEET – The Master Plan

MICHAEL SWEET – The Masterplan

Frontiers Music [Release date : 03.04.26] The Master Plan is Michael Sweet’s tenth solo album. He’s yet to surpass his largely ignored Truth album from year 2000 (4 stars from Allmusic, Cross Rhythms, and Hard Roxx), but this one might … Continue reading

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Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)

JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)

Frontiers Music [Release date: 27.03.26] Yes, you read that right, two Jon (Yes) Anderson reissues, Survival And Other Stories, and Earth Mother Earth, both now resurrected, dusted down and freshened up. Survival and Other Stories, based on music submitted to … Continue reading

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Album review : CHEZ KANE – Reckless

CHEZ KANE – Reckless

Frontiers Music [Release date : 27.3.26] We’re cranking the machine back to 1986. Yes, sounding like every Desmond Child Holly Knight/Diane Warren penned AOR hit 40 years ago, the album launches with the title track, ‘Restless’. Only this time with … Continue reading

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