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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig 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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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: DRAGONFORCE – Maximum Overload
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Album review: MANIC SINNERS – King Of The Badlands
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Album review: WARREN GREVESON – Voyager (CD/DVD)
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Album review: KING KING – Reaching For The Light
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Album review: MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY – The Soul Food Store
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Album review: PROJECT MAMA EARTH – Mama Earth
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Author Archives: brianmc
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
Album review: FANS OF THE DARK – Video
Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24] There’s a lot to love about Fans Of The Dark’s third album, Video. Their last album, Suburbia, was a nostalgic look at the life we led in the eighties – primarily teen culture, home entertainment … Continue reading
Album review : D-A-D Speed Of Darkness
AFM Records [Release date 04.10.24] Not often we review a museum piece. Copenhagen’s Peoples Museum is celebrating D-A-D’s 40 years in the music business this year. The band itself is recognising this milestone with a double album of brand new … Continue reading
Album review : AGENT STEEL – Mad Locust Rising, Live At Hammersmith Odeon (CD/DVD Deluxe Digipak)
Cherry Red [Release date : 27.09.24) 20th June 1987. Agent Steel headlined a line up that included Onslaught and Nuclear Assault at the Hammersmith Odeon, most famously known for Motorhead’s “No Sleep ‘Til…” The band had been unable to avoid … Continue reading
Album review : POUR A LITTLE SUGAR ON IT – The Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 1966-71
Cherry Red [Release date 27.09.24] Born In The USA, Bubblegum Pop was a late sixties phenomenon. If you only listen to one of the 91 tracks (yes, 91) on this 3 CD anthology, let it be the Boxtops’ million seller, … Continue reading
Album review : SINNER’S BLOOD – Dark Horizons
Frontiers [Release date : 27.09.24] On their second full studio album on the Frontiers’ label, Sinner’s Blood ramp up the menacingly brooding rhetoric on their new recording, Dark Horizons. Chilean duo, Nasson – songwriter, producer, guitars, and James Robledo – … Continue reading
Album review : ECLIPSE – Megalomanium II
Frontiers [Release date : 20.09.24] Eclipse vocalist Erik Martensson and guitarist, Magnus Henricksson, with help from the Crusner rhythm section, have created an enviable reputation over the years. And no doubt fans of this high performing Swedish melodic hard rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Eclipse, Erik Martensson, HEAT, Magnus Henriksson, Megalomanium 2, melodic hard rock, review, Sweden
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Album review: THE NAIL The Nail
Frontiers [Release date: 13.09.24] Well, this is interesting. The Nail are a trio of young musicians… Girish Pradhan, a vocalist being mentored by the label, last fronting George Lynch’s End Machine. And two guitarists, brothers Efe and Reis Ali Eroglu, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cenk Eroglu, End Machine, Frontiers, George Lynch, Girish Pradham, hard rock, review, The Nail, Winger
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Album review : FIND ME – Nightbound
Frontiers [Release date : 13.10.24] With imaginative cover art that could be taken from a John Connolly novel, Find Me – Robbie LaBlanc and Daniel Flores – deliver their fifth studio album. And it’s reassuringly familiar. It’s good to hear … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Daniel Flores, Find Me, Frontiers, Harem Scarem, melodic rock, Nightbound, review, Robbie LaBlanc, Signal, Styx, Unruly Child
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Album review : STRYPER – When We Were Kings
Frontiers [Release date : 13.09.24] When We Were Kings is Stryper’s 12th studio album. The line up remains Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox and Perry Richardson, solid for nearly seven years now. When we reviewed their last two albums, … Continue reading
Album review : VICTORY – The Circle Of Life
AFM Records [Release date : 13.09.24] Battle hardened bands like Victory know that treading the boards for 30+ years teaches you stuff. You learn to map new paths to the same destinations. In reality, there is no substitute for experience. … Continue reading
Album review : BLACK WIDOW – Sabbat Days, The Complete Anthology 1969-72 (6CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 30.08.24] Formed in 1969, English band, Black Widow – the “Godfathers of Occult Rock” - initially rivalled Black Sabbath. This 6 CD box set anthologises the band’s recordings. They were basically a Prog / Hard … Continue reading
Album review : RING THE BELLS AND SING – Progressive Sounds of 1975 (4 CD boxset/Remasters)
Cherry Red [Release date : 30.08.24) Ring The Bells And Sing is one more in a carefully (and imaginatively) curated series of Progrock sounds from the Cherry Red label. This one focuses exclusively on 1975. Always good to have some … Continue reading
Album review : THEN JERICO – Before The Future: 1984-89, 4 CD Boxset
Cherry Red [Release date : 23.08.24] If ever a band deserved recognition it was Then Jerico. And it still does. Having performed a few acoustic gigs this year, founder member Mark Shaw has put together an electric show for the … Continue reading
Album review : FANNY – The Reprise Years 1970-1974 (4 CD set)
Cherry Red [Release date : 23.08.24] Signed by Reprise Records (owned by Frank Sinatra) in 1970, all girl group, Fanny, recorded and released 4 albums between then and 1974. Formed by sisters June and Jean Millington, on guitar and bass, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Charity Ball, Cream, Fanny, Fanny Hill, Frank Sinatra, Millington Sisters, Mothers Pride, Reprise, review, Richard Perry, rock, seventies, sixties, Todd Rundgren
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Album review : JON ANDERSON AND THE BAND GEEKS – True
Frontiers [Release date : 23.08.24] An almost 80 year old Jon Anderson, and the Band Geeks will be finishing off their second annual US tour in September. Just about when their first album, True, is being released by Frontiers. Quite … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blue Oyster Cult, Brian Wilson, Jon Anderson, review, Richie Castellano, Shine On, social media, True, Yes
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Album review: JOE MEEK’S TEA CHEST TAPES – From Taboo To Telstar (3CD Anthology)
Cherry Red [Release date 16.08.24] Legendary British Music producer, Joe Meek, cut his electronics’ teeth in the 1950s, operating and maintaining the complexities of the RAF’s radar equipment. His transition to recording studio maestro led to a groundbreaking series of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cherry Red, Geoff Goddard, Joe Meek, John Leyton, Post-war, review, Tea Chest Tapes, Telstar, The Tornados
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Album review : MIKE TRAMP – Songs Of White Lion Vol 2
Frontiers [Release date 23.08.24] Few musical artists get the chance to rerecord their old material. Still fewer improve upon the originals. White Lion’s material usually had more to say than your average rock song, lyrically it was more illustrative in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, Led Zeppelin, Marcus Nand, Mike Tramp, Rerecordings, review, Vita Bratta, White Lion
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