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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Gig review: PAUL McCARTNEY- 02 Arena, London, 18 December 2024
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : BARRIE JAMES – Strange Desire
Vacancy Records [release date 12.11.21] Strange Desire is the third solo album from Glasgow’s ex Kassidy frontman, Barrie James O’Neil (now minus the surname). Barrie decamped to LA in 2016, motivated by the usual young-artist-seeks-wealth-and-fame ambition. A handful of years … Continue reading
Album review: ENUFF Z’NUFF – Hardrock Nite
Frontiers [Release date: 12.11.21] Enuff Z’Nuff do an album of Fab Four covers, at last. We used to think it was a given, but it never happened. There’s distance now, and with that comes perspective. Arguably, only Wilson Pickett (Hey … Continue reading
Album review: MEMORIA AVENUE – Memoria Avenue
Frontiers [Release date 05.11.21] Debut album from Memoria Avenue, a collaboration between talented writer/ guitarist/ Producer, Tor Talle, and up and coming vocalist, and fellow Norwegian, Jan Le Brandt. A polished production and neatly tailored arrangements define the early part … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, James Reyne, Jan Le Brandt, melodic rock, Memoria Avenue, review, Tor Talle
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Album review: ORANGE GOBLIN – Rough and Ready, Live and Loud, 25 Years of British Rock and Heavy Metal
Dissonance/Cherry Red [Release date: 5.11.21] Counting back to 1995, Orange Goblin are a ten album band, whose latest live recording was available only as a digital release in 2020, due to the unforseen circumstance we call Covid. Now it’ll … Continue reading
Album review: FANS OF THE DARK – Fans Of The Dark
Frontiers [Release date: 05.11.21] Fans Of The Dark are a new Melodic Rock band formed by songwriter / drummer, Freddie Allen, the driving force behind AOR legends-in-the-making, Houston. He’s brought in Alex Falk on vocals, with guitarist, Oscar Bromvall and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Fans of the Dark, Frontiers, Hollywood, Houston, melodic rock, Movies, Norway, Oscar Wilde, review, Tor Talle
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Album review: LOVERBOY – Loverboy and Get Lucky (Remasters)
Rock Candy Records [release date 24.09.21] Selling 6 million between them, Loverboy’s self titled debut (1980) and follow up, Get Lucky (1981), have now had the treatment from Rock Candy Records. Forty years of remastering evolution has brought us to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bob Rock, Bruce Fairbairn, Canada, Get Lucky, Loverboy, melodic rock, remasters, review, Rock Candy Records
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Album review: BURNING POINT – Arsonist Of The Soul
AFM Records [Release date: 22.10.21] Finnish band, Burning Point have never found their way into the vanguard of European Power Metal. To their credit, despite being handicapped by lacklustre albums and personnel changes, they’ve kept moving forward. Now, five years … Continue reading
Album review: LEVERAGE – Above The Beyond
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] AOR, Melodic Rock, Power Metal, Progmetal … Leverage are none of these yet they are all of these. On their 5th album now and the music gets harder to define and easier to admire. It’s perhaps … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Brother Firetribe, heavy metal, Kansas, Kimmo Blom, melodic rock, progrock, review, Robbie Steinhardt, Tyketto
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Album review: THE GRANDMASTER – Skywards
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] Grandmaster is vocalist Nando Fernandez of Brazilian metal band, Sinistra, paired with incomparable metal guitarist Jens (Edguy) Ludwig. It’s a match made in Frontiers’ HQ. The songs have been written by, and the album produced by … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alssandro DelVecchio, Edguy, Frontiers, Jens Ludwig, Nando Hernandez, power metal, review, Sinistra
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Album review: LORDS OF BLACK – Alchemy Of Souls II
Frontiers [Release date 15.10.21] Fifth album from metallers, Lords Of Black, the Ronnie Romero/ Tony Hernando band. They brand themselves as a “Progressive” Power Metal band. You can see strong hints of how this plays out when first viewing the … Continue reading
Album review: ALCATRAZZ – V
Silver Lining Music [Release date: 15.10.21] Now that Doogie White and Joe Stump are onboard, Alcatrazz have abandoned all that wimpy rock stuff, and mainlined themselves into the world of heavy metal, on this, their second album with Silver Lining. … Continue reading
Album review: JOSH TURNER – King Size Manger
Spinefarm Records [release date 08.10.21] On his latest album, King Size Manger, Josh Turner has put his own self penned/co-written material up against famous 19th century Christmas Carols like ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’, ‘The First Nowell’ and ‘Silent … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Christmas, Church, Classic Carols, Country Music, review
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Album review: ALCATRAZZ – The Best Of and Live In The USA (2 CD set)
Store For Music [Release date: 08.10.21] It’s not the first time this Best Of Alcatrazz collection has been available in CD form, so the additional CD of live material is very welcome. Winnowing down Alcatrazz’s “best songs” from three eighties’ … Continue reading
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Tagged album, best of, Danny Johnson, Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo, live, Lizzy Border, Malmsteen, Michael Kiske, review, Tomorrows Outlook, Vai
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Album review: SPIRIT – Sunrise And Salvation, The Mercury Era Anthology (Remasters, 8 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [release date: 08.10.21] Accidentally or on purpose, Spirit managed to avoid true success, giving the firm impression that if their career ever got anywhere near the glittering shop window of fame, they put the pedal to the metal, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, boxset, Dylan, Hendrix, Jay Ferguson, live, Mick Skidmore, Randy California, review, seventies, sixties, Spirit, studio, unreleased, Zappa
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Album review: PAUL McDONALD – Modern Hearts
Vacancy Records [release date 01.10.21] Alabama native and American Idol finalist, Paul McDonald was voted through to the Hollywood “play off” by no less than Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. It was a mark of the man. Where … Continue reading
Album review: KASIM SULTON – 2021
Deko Entertainment [Release date 17.09.21] If you were Kasim Sulton and had played bass and sung backing vocals on Meat Loaf’s 50 million selling Bat Out Of Hell, and had been an integral part of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia during ten … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Bat Out Of Hell, Fountains of Wayne, Kasim Sulton, Meatloaf, review, Todd Rundgren, Utopia, Weezer
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Album review: CARAVAN – It’s None Of Your Business
On Sunday 10 October 2021 Pete Feenstra chatted to Pye Hastings for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. Madfish Music [Release date 8.10.21] Masters of the snappy album title, Caravan are yet another English Progressive Rock institution. For a band who … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Canterbury, Caravan, interview, Progressive Rock, Pye Hastings, review
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Album review: YES – The Quest
Inside Out Music [Release date: 01.10.21] Yes are a British institution. As much woven into the fabric of UK culture as many other artistic endeavours. An omnipresent rock band with a constantly changing line up, currently: Davison, Howe, Sherwood, Downes … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan White, album, Asia, Billy Sherwood, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, prog, review, Steve Howe, World Trade
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Album review: MY GLASS WORLD – Still Life With Machine Gun
Luxury Noise [release date: 24.09.21] Everything Absent Or Distorted was a (now defunct) “sprawling, American, Indie Rock Ensemble”. They recorded their song ‘Still Life With Machine Gun’ in 2006. 15 years later, My Glass World have recorded their own song … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Elvis Costello, Jamie Telford, lockdown, NICK LOWE, Ocean Vuong, review, Sean Reed, The Jam
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Album review: PARADOX – Heresy II, End Of A Legend
AFM Records [Release date: 24.09.21] German giants of Thrash, Paradox are well known within the genre. They have a sizeable coterie of discerning fans who’ve followed them since the band’s inception in 1986. Had their chosen genre been say, power … Continue reading
Album review: SAVATAGE – Sirens and Dungeons Are Calling (remasters)
ear-MUSIC [release date 3.09.21] We’re cranking the machine way back to 1982, and Savatage’s twin debuts, Sirens and Dungeons Are Calling, both independently released. The band, Jon and Criss Oliva, Keith Collins and Steve Wacholz recorded and mixed all the … Continue reading
Album review: LEAVES EYES – The Last Viking, Midsummer Version
AFM Records [release date: 17.09.21] Leaves Eyes’ latest release, The Last Viking, Midsummer Version, is a multi media concept album, a high impact audiovisual story. The “Last Viking” was Harald III of Norway, known as Harald Hardrada (Harald the Hard … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1066, AFM Records, album, Audiovisual, Celtic, DVD, England, folk metal, Harold Hardrada, Norway, review, symphonic rock, YouTube
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Album review: BONNIE TYLER – The East West Years 1995-98 (3 CDs)
Cherry Red [release date: 17.09.21] Bonnie Tyler’s two most famous songs, ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ (1983) and ‘It’s A Heartache’ (1977) are among the best selling singles of all time, with combined sales of over 12 million. She’s enjoyed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, album, Andy Hill, Bonnie Tyler, Chris Thompson, David Foster, Eric Troey, Frankie Miller, Franz Gruber, Glen Burtnik, Harold Faltermyer, Jim Steinman. Humberto Gattica, Jimmy Smyth, Kasim Sulton, pop, review, rock
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Album review: EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown
Frontiers Music [Release date 17.09.21] Edge Of Paradise is a duo made up of Armenian/ Russian/ American singer, “the female Robin McAuley”, Margarita Monet, and American guitarist and songwriter, Dave Bates. The Unknown is their fourth album, and second on … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Dave Bates, Edge Of Paradise, Frontiers, Howard Benson, Margarita Monet, Mike Plotnikoff, review, Symphonic Rock Metal, Unknown
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Album review: IAN PARRY’s ROCK EMPORIUM – Brute Force
Metal Mind [release date 14.07.21] Singer/songwriter, Ian Parry has always been master of his own destiny, moving from project to project and label to label over the course of his 30 year career. He counts Hammerhead, Elegy, Ayreon and Vengeance … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Allan Sorensen, Ayreon, Elegy, Hammerhead, Ian Parry, Kris Gildenlow, Lucas Sillito, Metal Mind, Neo Classical, Patrick Johansen, Patrick Rondat, review, Rock Emporium, symphonic metal, Vengeance
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