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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : SCREAM MAKER – Land Of Fire
Frontiers [Release date 14.07.23] Although Polish Melodic Metal band, Scream Maker are usually bracketed beside the bands they have frequently toured with, like Saxon, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer and others, their own material drills down into the DNA of the … Continue reading
Album review : STREETLIGHT – Ignition
Frontiers [Release date : 11.08.23] Streetlight’s debut album is filled to the brim with heart and soul AOR. Few bands have the skill and ability to make it sound this honest. Just unpretentious songs of unerring simplicity and (mostly) uncomplicated … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Ignition, Johannes Hager, Journey, melodic rock, Powerpop, review, Streetlight, Westcoast Rock
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Album review : RIAN – Wings
Frontiers [Release date 04.08.23] Third album from Swedish melodic rock band, Rian, led by exceptionally talented vocalist/ guitarist Richard Andermyer. Their second on Frontiers. The band’s label debut, titled Twenty Three, was reviewed in GRTR! back in 2021. Here’s what … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Dark Horse, Eclipse, Frontiers, melodic rock, Paul Laine, review, Richard Andermyer, Tobias Jakobsson, Treat, Twenty-Three
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Album review : KENT HILLI – Nothing Left To Lose
Frontiers [Release date : 04.08.23] Only one solo album under his belt, yet Kent Hilli seems to have been around forever. Three studio albums with Perfect Plan, two Restless Spirits’ albums and a stint fronting legendary melodic rock band, Giant. … Continue reading
Album review : IRON SAVIOR – Riding On Fire – The Noise Years 1997-2004, 6 CD Boxset
Cherry Red [Release date 28.07.23] “A constant and independent force within the Power Metal universe”. No prizes for attributing this quote to Iron Savior mainman, Piet Sielck. It could easily have come from his Iron Savior buddy, Kai (Gamma Ray) … Continue reading
Album review : EDGE OF PARADISE – Hologram
Frontiers [Release date: 14.07.23] Fresh off a ten date US tour with Lacuna Coil, Edge Of Paradise release Hologram, their fifth album, their third on Frontiers. The band is a duo comprising of Armenian/ Russian/ American singer, Margarita Monet, and … Continue reading
Album review : HATEBREED – The Rise Of Brutality / Supremacy (2CD Deluxe Ed)
Cherry Red [release date: 14.07.23] “Heavy Music is this cleansing, therapeutic and cathartic experience for so many”. So says Jamie Jasta, frontman of US Grammy nominated, Metal/ Hardcore band, Hatebreed. No surprise then to learn that his band are longtime … Continue reading
Album review : ALL FOR METAL – Legends
AFM Records [release date : 07.07.23] We distinctly remember reviewing All For Metal’s trailer single, ‘We were Born In Valhalla’, back in December last year, and referring this dubious claim to a Fact Check website. Well, they never got back … Continue reading
Album review: BLOODBOUND – Tales From The North
AFM Records [release date 7.07.23] Since the early nineties, Northern European Metal bands have progressively sought to explore and celebrate the history and impact of Viking Culture. “Viking Metal” has grown considerably since then. One of today’s key exponents is … Continue reading
Album review : BANGALORE CHOIR – Center Mass
Global Rock Records [Release date: 07.07.23] David Reece claims that David Coverdale had Bangalore Choir removed from the support spot on Whitesnake’s European tour in 1989, because he didn’t want to compete with Reece’s voice. The story may well be … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Autograph, Bangalore Choir, Center Mass, Cherry Red, David Coverdale, David Reece, Giovanni Salvinelli, Gypsy Rose, House of Lords, Jimi Bell, Last Autumn’s Dream, Mario Percudani, Martin Kronlund, melodic hard rock, Mikael Erlandsson, Mitch Malloy, Nicolo Savinelli, Phenomena, review, Ricardo DeMarossi, Whitesnake
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Album review : ROBLEDO – Broken Soul
Frontiers [Release date 14.07.23] Second “solo” album from Sinners Blood frontman, James Robledo. Broken Soul is a tough as teak mix of metal and hard rock, driven by the skilful, tuneful axework of his Sinners Blood bandmate, the man with … Continue reading
Album review : PYRAMAZE – Bloodlines
AFM Records [Release date 23.06.23] Bloodlines is the seventh album in eighteen years from Danish metallers, Pyramaze. This is a band who rebuilt their line up in 2015, after significant loss of key members in 2011. It took the new … Continue reading
Album review : STEEL BARS – A Rock Tribute To Michael Bolton – V/A
Frontiers [Release date: 07.07.23] Any adult remotely interested in popular music will have heard of Michael Bolton. His songs have been compiled to within an inch of their lives and have become the language of lurrve on late nite radio, … Continue reading
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Tagged A Rock Tribute To Michael Bolton, album, Anna Nikolic, Barry White, Big Time, Chicago, Desmond Child, Drive She Said, Frontiers, James Robledo, Jim Peterik, Jonathan Cain, Mark Mangold, Michael Bolton, Neven Brankovic, Percy Sledge, Randy Goodrum, review, Santiago Ramonda, Steel Bars, Steve Overland, Steve Perry, Steven Nvyqvuist, Toto, Touch
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Album review : WINTERSTORM – Everfrost
AFM Records [Release date 14.07.23] It’s always the case with music like Winterstorm’s – a refreshing mix of Nordic Viking metal, folk, and fast-paced orchestral power metal – that you have to get with the programme to really appreciate it. … Continue reading
Album review : WITHERING SCORN – Prophets of Demise
Frontiers [Release date: 07.07.23] Withering Scorn is a band made up of experienced, successful heavy metal musicians, assembled by brothers, Glen and Shawn Drover, both ex Megadeth and Eidolon. They are joined by ex Fates Warning bass man, Joe DiBiase … Continue reading
Album review: GAMMA – What’s Gone Is Gone (The Complete Elektra Recordings))
Cherry Red [Release date: 30.06.23] CD1: GAMMA 1 (1979) CD2: GAMMA 2 (1980) CD3: GAMMA 3 (1982) The first 3 CDs from Ronnie Montrose’s band, Gamma, come nicely packaged this month, with each one including a couple of bonus tracks, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Alan Fitzgerald, albums, boxset, Davey Pattison, Denny Carmassi, Hagar, hard rock, Heart, Night Ranger, review, Ronnie Montrose, Van Halen
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Album review : FRIJID PINK – The Deram Recordings 1970-1971 (2 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date 30.06.23] A two CD package, comprising Detroit band, Frijid Pink’s first two albums. Sometimes the movies crossover into popular music. One quote that rings true and often crops up is William Goldman’s “nobody knows anything”. Frequently, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Blues/Rock, Cream, Detroit, hard rock, Led Zeppelin, psychedelic, review, The Animals, William Goldman
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Album review : BIG COUNTRY – Driving To Damascus (Deluxe 4CD boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date: 30.6.23] The late great Stuart Adamson and his band, Big Country, made an indelible musical mark on UK popular culture before the man’s untimely demise. The history is well documented. The nineties was a hugely fertile … Continue reading
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Tagged Big Country, boxset, Driving To Damascus, Nashville, Ray Davies, review, Stuart Adamson, the nineties, USA
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Album review : ROBIN GEORGE – Ace In My Hand (2CD)
Cherry Red [Release date 23.06.23] What can you say about Robin George that hasn’t already been said? He seems to have been circling under rock’n’roll’s radar forever, ready to land, but never making that last critical step. Considering that the … Continue reading
Album review: V/A – We’re An American Band – US Hard Rock Scene 1967-73 (3 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red Records [release date: 23.06.23] This 4 hour, 3 CD, 62 track package ends with Grand Funk’s ‘We’re An American Band’ (1973). A game changing challenge to the music establishment of the time. A band of the people, a … Continue reading
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Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Dream Higher
Frontiers [Release date 16.06.23] Seventh studio album from Pride Of Lions. The “Survivor” name has been purged from all official publicity associated with Peterik for legal reasons, but anyone who is at all interested in the genre well knows Peterik’s … Continue reading
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Tagged .38 Special, Jim Peterik, Lynyrd Skynyrd, melodic rock, review, Rocky, Survivor, Toby Hitchcock
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Album review : STARDUST – Kingdom Of Illusion
Frontiers [Release date: 16.06.23] Hungarian band, Stardust kick off their album with ‘War’ as the opening track. Given current events, there was always someone who’d climb on the bandwagon. Lets move on. There’s a welcome familiarity to Stardust’s melodic rock, … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Cinderella, Eclipse, HEAT, Hungary, Kingdom Of Illusion, melodic rock, review, Stardust, WET
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Album review: GARDNER JAMES – No Strings
Frontiers [Release date 09.06.23] Gardner James is Justin James, who has worked with Staind and Tyketto. And Janet Gardner, who was of course vocalist with Vixen. Their history is well documented online. A pithy rock band riff can be just … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues rock, Janet Gardner, Justin James, LA, melodic rock, review, Staind, Tyketto, Vixen, Von Groove
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Album review : FALSE MEMORIES – Hybrid Ego System
Frontiers [Release date: 09.06.23] Guitarist, Francesco Savino founded False Memories in 2015, but it was only when he recruited vocalist, Rossella Moscatelli in 2018 that the band’s career gained some momentum. We reviewed the debut, The Last Night Of Fall … Continue reading
Album review: VIXEN Rev It Up (remaster)
Rock Candy Records [release date 18.05.23] Minnesota band Vixen made their major label breakthrough in 1987, after moving to Los Angeles. Two albums were recorded by the original Vixen lineup, Jan Keuhnemund, Janet Gardner, Share Ross and Roxy Petrucci. The … Continue reading
