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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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The Best of 2016: top albums, top live acts – the reviewers’ choice
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Album review: THE SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS OF DREAMS – A Box Of Everything
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Album review: GASOLINE OUTLAWS – Light Up The World
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Album review: PETE TOWNSHEND’s DEEP END – Face The Face
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Album review: THE SIXXIS – Hollow Shrine
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Album review: THE ROCKET DOLLS – The Art of Disconnect
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Author Archives: brianmc
Album review: ORIANTHI – Live In Hollywood (CD and DVD)
Frontiers Music [Release date: 15.07.22] For the uninitiated, Greek/Australian blonde bombshell Orianthi Panagaris is a platinum selling, guitar playing rock artist whose songs have registered many millions of hits online. That’s when she’s not been treading the boards with Michael … Continue reading
Album review: CROSSING RUBICON – Perfect Storm
Frontiers [Release date: 08.07.22] Crossing Rubicon is a marriage made in the world of post Grunge AOR. That world might look and sound just like it did in the eighties, only much smaller, but there’s a greater expectation now especially … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album review, AOR, Cenk Eroglu, Frontiers, John Bisaha, melodic rock, the Babys, Winger
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Single review: THE AMBER QUILLS – Chords And Candles
Empreint Cordialle [Release date 07.07.22] Prodigious musician Michael Burdett, leader of The Little Death Orchestra, formed The Amber Quills in 1982. The tapes of the band’s recordings were thought to have been destroyed by flood, but Burdett has had them … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Divine Comedy, Michael Burdett, Pulp, review, single, The Little Death Orchestra
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Album review: ARDOURS – Anatomy Of A Moment
Frontiers [Release date: 08.07.22] A merger of two musical forces who once crossed paths, Ardours are Mariangela (Tristania) Demurtas, who sings and writes. And Kris Laurent, who writes, plays all instruments and produces. Their album, Anatomy Of A Moment, frames … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Electronic Rock, Kris Laurent, Mariangela Demurtas, pop, review, symphonic, Tristania
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Single review: DYNAZTY – Natural Born Killer
AFM Records [Release date: 26.08.22] Always underrated, Dynazty is one of the best metal bands around right now. On this single teaser, ‘Natural Born Killers’, they create a keyboard heavy, symphonic/melodic metal concoction that just bursts with energy and invention. … Continue reading
Single review: STRYPER Rise To The Call
Frontiers Records [Release date: 24.06.22] Mining the motherlode of Classic Metal (with an extra melodic twist) seems to come easy to Stryper nowadays. You might say that on this single release, ‘Rise To The Call’, a trailer for their forthcoming … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Heavy Metal Melodic Rock, Michael Sweet, review, single, Stryper
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Album review : TYGERS OF PAN TANG – 1985-87 (3 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red / HNE [Release date 24.06.22] Arguably there are two Tygers Of Pan Tang. This boxset features Tygers 2.0. CD1: The Wreck-age (1985) CD2: Burning In The Shade (1987) and CD3: The Wreck-age Demos and the Burning In The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1985-87, albums, boxset, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, John Tucker, melodic hard rock, Mutt Lange, NWOBHM, review, Saxon, Steely Dan, Tygers Of Pan Tang
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Album review: PAUL DI’ANNO’s BATTLEZONE – Killers in The Battlezone (3CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [release date: 24.06.22] The career of the currently wheelchair bound singer, Paul Di’Anno has been a journey of detours, dead ends, drug addiction and detainment. His public profile as a musician began with heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. … Continue reading
Album review: JORN – Over The Horizon Radar
Frontiers Music [Release date 17.06.22] Jorn Lande has worked with guitarist Tore Moren since The Snakes in 1998. These two have been in each other’s company for so long that they must by now have developed some kind of musical … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro DelVechio, Coverdale, Dio, Eurovision, heavy rock, review, The Snakes, Tore Moren
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Album review: BUBBLEROCK IS HERE TO STAY VOLUME 2 (3 CD set)
Grapefruit/Cherry Red [Release date : 17.06.22] To give this 3 CD Boxset its full title: Bubblerock Is Here To Stay: Volume 2: The British Pop Explosion, 1970-73. In the world of sixties and seventies pop, the single was the king. … Continue reading
Album review: CHAOS MAGIC – Emerge
Frontiers [Release date 17.06.22] Underwhelming Symphonic Metal from Timo Tolkki “discovery”, Caterina Nix. This new release,Emerge, is a second collaboration between Nix and one of Frontiers’ South American songwriter/producer wunderkind, Nasson. The first, Furyborn, was released in 2019. Nasson’s production … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Caterina Nix, Chaos Magic, Emerge, Frontiers, Nasson, review, Stratovarius, symphonic metal, Timo Tolkki
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Album review: BLOODY HEELS – Rotten Romance
Frontiers [release date 10.06.22] Sounding heavier and harder than on their previous albums, it’s clear that Bloody Heels have realised that the confines of a genre only exist for those musicians who lack wit and imagination. There are few better … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dokken, LA Guns, melodic hard rock, Motley Crue, Nightwish, Painkiller, review
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Album review: MICHAEL MONROE – I Live Too Fast To Die Young
Silver Lining Music [Release date: 10.06.22] Even long time fans will be approaching this release with caution, uncertain if Michael Monroe remains just as provocative and influential as he once was. That whole Punk/ Glam/ Rock schtick wears thin eventually. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, glam, Karl Rockfist, punk, review, Rich Jones, rock, Sam Yaffa, Steve Conte
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Album review: VENUS 5 – Venus 5
Frontiers [Release date: 10.06.22] The Venus 5 are: – Karmen (Hellcats) Klinc Jelena (The Voice finalist, Romania) Milovanovic Tezzi (Infinite & Divine) Persson Erina (The Voice finalist, Albania) Seitllari and the woman with only one name, Herma, of the SNB … Continue reading
Album review: GODLEY and CREME – Frabjous Days, The Secret World Of, 1967-69
Cherry Red/Grapefruit [Release date: 10.06.22] Kevin Godley and Lol Creme didn’t know what they were doing. Well, that’s not strictly true. To be accurate : There’s a thrill in not knowing what you’re doing but aiming high anyway and that, … Continue reading
Album review: GRACE – Hope
Frontiers Music [Release date 10.06.22] Under the Grace moniker, Hope is an album put together by twenty year music biz veteran, Isra Ramos, and it’s a genre hopping blast. Ramos has toured to support Europe, Nightwish, The Scorpions, Angra and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, ANGRA, Eletcronic, Europe, Isra Ramos, metal, Nightwish, pop, Queen, review, Robby Valentine, rock, Scorpions, symphonic, T-Ride
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Album review: SEVENTH WONDER – The Testament
Frontiers [Release date: 10.06.22] Sixth album from Swedish Prog Metal band Seventh Wonder, for whom life began at the turn of the century. The band is full of virtuoso musicians. Guitarist Johan Liefvendal and bassist, Andreas Blomqvist are the driving … Continue reading
Album review: RAVEN – Rock Until You Drop (the 4CD Over The Top Edition)
Cherry Red/Sanctuary [release date : 27.05.22] Raven, the legendary heavy metal band from England’s industrial North East, have the perfect resume. They have recorded for six different labels (and never been without one) including major and major-ish imprints like Atlantic, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged 4 CDs, albums, Atlantic Records, boxset, Brute Force, John Gallagher, John Tucker, Lead Weight, Mark Gallagher, Megadeath, Megaforce, Metallica, Motorhead, Neat Records, NWOBHM, Proto Thrash, Sasso Marconi, SPV
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Album review: STRANGEWAYS – Complete Recordings Volume 1, 1985-1994
Cherry Red/HNE [Release date: 27.05.22] The clamour for reissues of the first 3 Strangeways albums rose to fever pitch in the late 90s, as AOR made an attempt to get back on its feet. All 3 had been received with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, And The Horse, AOR, Bonaire, Complete Recordings Volume 1 1985-1994, Hangdog Records, Hard RoxX, Ian Stewart, John Lee, John Punter, Kevin Elson, melodic rock, Mike Shipley, Native Sons, review, Strangeways, Terry Brock, Walk Into The Fire
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Album review: BRIDEAR – Aegis Of Athena
Setsuzoku Records [Release date 13.05.22] All girl band, Bridear, from Fukuoka, Japan has created a global fanbase since its inception in 2014. Aegis of Athena is its third album. The band’s skilful merge of Melodic Metal and J-Pop might not … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amaranthe. Operatic, Epica, Evanescence, heavy metal, J-Pop, melodic metal, progrock, review, rock, symphonic metal, Within Temptation
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Album review : SKILLS – Different Worlds
Frontiers Music [Release date: 13.05.22] Skills … “Supergroups” often deflate our expectations pretty quickly. Good to to be able to say that this bunch of seasoned professionals – Brad (Night Ranger) Gillis, David (Giant) Huff, Billy (Mr Big) Sheehan plus … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Billy Sheehan, Brad Gillis, David Huff, Electric Mob, Frontiers, Giant, melodic rock, Mr Big, NightRanger, Renan Zonta, review
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Album review: GRAHAM BONNET BAND – Day Out In Nowhere
Frontiers Music [Release date 13.05.22] Bonnet’s back catalogue gets frequent outings via the world’s ever popular reissue/ remaster labels. So it’s good to hear some new material from him and this “elegant, late career outfit”, The Graham Bonnet Band. He’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alcatrazz, Conrad Pesinato, Graham Bonnet, melodic hard rock, metal, MSG, Rainbow, review
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Album review: THE BIG DEAL – First Bite
Frontiers Music [Release date: 06.05.22] The Big Deal is a Serbian Melodic Rock band, an offshoot of highly successful Progrockers, Alogia. Husband and wife team, Srdjan and Nevena Brankovic are the band’s centrepoint, handling guitar, production, songwriting and vocals. Nevena … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Alogia, Ana Nikolic, AOR, FM Radio, melodic rock, pop, progrock, review, Serbia, Srdjan and Nevena Brankovic
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Album review: STARCHASER – Starchaser
Frontiers Music [Release date: 06.05.22] If you have an insatiable appetite for the genre, this meat and 2 veg power metal album from new band, Starchaser might provide reasonable, short term sustenance. It began life as a Kenneth (Tad Morose) … Continue reading
Album review: JANI LIIMATEINAN – My Father’s Son
Frontiers [Release date: 06.05.22] “Solo” album from Sonata Arctica/ Insomnium/ Dark Element guitar man/ composer, Jani Liimateinen. Considering that he’s put this album together with a host of guest vocalists, the finished article is a strongly cohesive whole, with barely … Continue reading
