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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: ANTHRAX – Hammersmith Apollo, London, 23 November 2024
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Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – Wembley Arena, London, 23 November 2024
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Gig review: SQUEEZE – Roundhouse, London, 22 November 2024
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : TAK MATSUMOTO GROUP – TMG II
Frontiers [Release date : 06.12.24] Through one of those close encounters you read about, Tak Matsumoto, guitarist and founder of leading Japanese rock band, B’z met up with Jack (Night Ranger) Blades and Eric (Mr Big) Martin in LA, in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged B'z, Baby Metal, Budokan, Eric Martin, hard rock, Jack Blades, Japan, LiSA, melodic rock, Mr Big, Night Ranger, review, Tak Matsumoto Group
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Album review : POWELL PAYNE – Voila
Frontiers [Release date 6.12.24] There really should have been some kind of fanfare, a blaze of publicity, to accompany the release of Voila, debut album from Adam Payne, ex Airrace, and Mark Powell, ex Psycho Kiss. In this post-AOR age, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Airrace, AOR, Frontiers, melodic rock, Peter Cetera, Powell Payne, Psycho Kiss, review, Richard Marx, Voila
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Album review : FAITH NYC – Love Is A Wish Away
Good Deeds Music [Release date 22.11.24] A Motown sound that isn’t a Motown sound. Faith NYC is Felice Rosser’s band, which comprises percussionist, Fin Hunt, and guitar man, Justin Adams. Rosser sings and plays bass. Born and brought up in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Black Music, Faith NYC, Felice Rosser, Fin Hunt, Justin Adams, Motown, New York, punk, review, soul
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Album review : LUMINARE CHRISTMAS – Mistletoe Magic
Frontiers [Release date : 22.12.24] Founded by Chip Davis, leader of the 28 million selling, neoclassical ensemble Mannheim Steamroller, Luminare Christmas is a relatively new venture. Mannheim have two albums in the Top Ten Best Selling Christmas albums of all … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged Chip Davis, Christmas, Denis DeYoung, Frontiers, Luminare, Mannheim Steamroller, Nutcracker, review, Styx, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi
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Album review : SUNSTORM – Restless Fight
Frontiers [Release date: 22.11.24] Restless Fight is Sunstorm’s third with Ronnie Romero up front, this time with a few more “progressive” musicians alongside. Influential Italian guitarist/ songwriter Aldo Lonobile – and currently Frontiers’ head of A&R for Europe – has … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Aldo Lonobile, Antonio Agate, Frontiers, hard rock, Italy, review, Ronnie Romero, Sunstorm
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Album review : STORACE – Crossfire
Frontiers [Release date 22.11.24] Crossfire is only the second Storace “solo” release from an artist whose gravel gargling vocals have fronted many million selling albums. Any fan of the hard rock genre will recognise the talent Marc Storace has surrounded … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Frontiers, Gotus, hard rock, Hollywood Vampires, KROKUS, Pat Aeby, review, Storace, Tommy Henriksen
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Album review : VAN ZANT – Always Look Up
Frontiers [Release date : 22.11.24] Here are the Van Zant brothers, Donnie and Johnny, vocalists respectively with 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd (50 million album sales between them), looking forward, going back. In 2017, University Of Northumbria’s Professor of American … Continue reading
Album review : STARCHASER – Into The Great Unknown
Frontiers [Release date 15.11.24] Second album from Swedish Melodic Metal band, Starchaser. The title track, ‘Into The Great Unknown’, a successful marriage of image and drama and music, gets us underway with a flourish. (Actually the “image” comes from the … Continue reading
Album review: MARK WIRTZ – Dream Dream Dream The Anthology (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 15.11.24] Long in the making, this Mark Wirtz Anthology misses out nothing in the fascinating life and times of this musical virtuoso – composer, producer, performer, conductor, author, (and ultimately, stand up comedian). Too much … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged boxset, Cherry Red, Dream Dream Dream, George Martin, Helen Ready, Keith West, Mark Wirtz, Marlene Dietrich, review, Teenage Opera, Tomorrow, USA, Yes
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Album review : VOODOO CIRCLE – Hail To The King
AFM Records [Release date 15.11.24] Love Whitesnake? Love Rainbow? Love Led Zeppelin? Here’s Voodoo Circle, just for you. 12 magnificent tracks. 60 magic minutes. Their finest hour. Sturdily melodic, hardbodied rock songs come at you relentlessly. You wait for the … Continue reading
Album review : LIONVILLE – Supernatural
Frontiers [Release date 15.11.24] Art for Art’s sake. Lionville’s Italian founder, writer, guitarist and all round mainman, Stefano Leonetti has brought in Swedish vocalist Alexander (Art Nation) Strandell to replace the departed Lars (Work Of Art) Safsund. Strandell has achieved … Continue reading
Album review: SEVENTH CRYSTAL – Entity
Frontiers [Release date : 08.11.24] It’s hard to pin Seventh Crystal down. Is that a good thing? Yes and no. Vocalist and songwriter, Kristian Fyhr leads the band with assurance and direction. Entity is the band’s third album, a progression … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, heavy rock, Krystian Fyhr, progrock, review, Seventh Crystal
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Album review : IMPELLITTERI – War Machine
Frontiers [Release date : 08.11.24] Chris Impellitteri has always had something to say about the world and the way of it, illuminated by the occasional religious overtone. This new album, his band’s 16th, is not much different. We should be … Continue reading
Album review : WARRIOR FEATURING VINNIE VINCENT – The Complete Sessions (3 CDs)
Cherry Red Records [Release date 25.10.24] Ninety days in 1982. That’s how long the love affair lasted between three quarters of New England and Vinnie (Kiss) Cusano/Vincent. Vincent’s unconsummated love affair with Kiss, brought about by Ace Frehley’s sacking, was … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Ace Frehley, Gary Shea, Hirsh Gardner, Jimmy Waldo, John Fanning, Kiss, New England, review, Vincent Cusano, Warrior
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Album review : BROTHERS OF METAL – Fimbulvinter
AFM Records [Release date : 01.11.24] Fimbulvinter (the great winter) is the third album from Swedish eight man band, Brothers Of Metal, arriving hot on the heels of the very well received Emblas Saga. The Nordic countries have their own, … Continue reading
Album review : MOUNTAIN – Leslie West and Corky Laing, Live In The UK
Cherry Red [Release date 25.10.24] Highly influential New York rock band, Mountain, formed by equally influential guitarist, Leslie West in 1969, never seemed to enjoy the public profile they deserved. Yet, the uniformly enthusiastic response they got from sellout crowds … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged BB King, Biloxi, Corky Laing, Cream, Felix Pappalardi, Gail Collins, Jack Bruce, Leslie West, Mississippi Queen, Mountain, review, Woodstock
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Album review : CASANDRA’s CROSSING – Garden Of Earthly Delights
Frontiers [Release date: 25.10.24] George is back. Has he ever been away? George Lynch, ex-too many to mention, returns in tandem with up and coming vocalist/songwriter, Casandra Carson. Their debut is called Garden Of Earthly Delights … the cover art … Continue reading
Album review: ARIES DESCENDANT – The Ashes Of Deceit
Frontiers [Release date 18.10.24] An amazing sense of musical ambition can often be found among European Rock and Metal bands. Often that ambition is rooted in the classics, or at least how the classics have been interpreted by contemporary musicians. … Continue reading
Album review : FATE – Reconnect ‘N Ignite
Frontiers [Release date: 18.10.24] As Frontiers Records powers up its fourth quarter release schedule for 2024, it’ll be interesting to see if the label can maintain the quality we have become used to. Already with good stuff from Fans Of … Continue reading
Album review : NIGHTMARE – Waiting For The Power, The Early Years (3 CD Set)
Cherry Red [Release date : 11.10.24] French cult Metal band, Nightmare, released the album, Encrypted, last year. Their 12th since forming in 1979. We reviewed it in GRTR! a few months ago. In another scoop for Cherry Red, remasters of … Continue reading
Album review: CLEANBREAK – We Are The Fire
Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24] We Are The Fire is the second album from Cleanbreak, Mike (Riot/Riot V) Flyntz and Frontiers’ wunderkind, James Durbin. While Mark Reale and Rhett Forester were getting all the headlines with Riot and Riot V, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alessandro Delvecchio, Cleanbreak, Frontiers, hard rock, James Durbin, metal, Mike Flyntz, review, Riot V, Stryper, We Are The Fire
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Album review : THUNDER – The Complete EMI Recordings 1989-95 (7 CD boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date 27.08.24] Thunder rose from the ashes of Terraplane, a two album English band who never escaped from label interference. Singer Danny Bowes and guitarist, Luke Morley, along with Gary “Harry” James, Ben Matthews and Mark “Snake” … Continue reading
Album review: RADIOACTIVE – Reset
Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24] Swedish musician/songwriter/producer, Tommy Denander has been an integral part of the AOR/Melodic Rock scene for more than 25 years now. He’s worked closely with countless musicians in the genre, most notably Bobby Kimball, Alice Cooper … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bobby Kimball, Jeff Paris, Jim Jidhed, Jimi Jamison, Mutt Lange, RADIOACTIVE, Reset, review, Robin McAuley, Tommy Denander, Toto
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Album review: SLIK – The Complete Slik Collection (2 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date : 11.10.24] This is as much a story about two songwriters, Scotland’s Bill Martin and Irishman, Phil Coulter, as it is the story of Scottish band Slik who enjoyed a 3 year lifespan, 1975-1977. Martin and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Band Aid, Bay City Rollers, Bill Martin, Cherry Red, Live Aid, Midge Ure, Phil Coulter, review, Rich Kids, Slik, ULTRAVOX, Visage
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Album review: HOUSE OF LORDS – Full Tilt Overdrive
Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24] More of a commitment than an album title, the House Of Lords 12th recording, Full Tilt Overdrive, follows through on the “in your face melodic hard rock” of their 2022 release, Saints and Sinners. It … Continue reading
