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Album review: TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND – Future Soul
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Album review: AEROSMITH (Deluxe expanded edition)
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Album review : IGNESCENT – Eternal
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Album review : WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT – Film and TV Music Of The Swinging Sixties (3 CDs)
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Album review: LIGHTNING THREADS – Trinkets
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Album review: LAUTENFEYN – Verdammt Und Vergessen
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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : MAESTRICK – Espresso Della Vita : Lunare
Frontiers Music [Release date : 02/05/25] The progressive metal terrain is well mapped. Few destinations remain undiscovered. Yet, Brazilian band, Maestrick, staked their own claim, blending surrealism with artistry on their well received debut album, Unpuzzle, in 2011. And now, … Continue reading
Album review : RAVEN – Screamin’ Down The House (4 CD set)
Cherry Red [Release date : 25.04.25] Formed in the north of England by brothers John and Mark Gallagher, during a time of social upheaval in the UK, Raven forged their own reflective version of NWOBHM, a proto-thrash metal that found … Continue reading
Album review : DEAR MR.FANTASY Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic (2CD+DVD remaster)
Cherry Red [Release date : 25.04.25] The only surprise with this Jim Capaldi tribute release is that it’s taken so long for any label to do him justice. Cherry Red stepped in this year, and is to be commended for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cherry Red, Dear Mr Fantasy, Gary Moore, Jim Capaldi, Joe Walsh, Paul Weller, review, Simon Kirke, Steve Winwood, Traffic
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Album review : RUSS BALLARD – Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired (2CDs)
Frontiers Music [Release date : 25.04.25] Disc One: Songs From The Warehouse Russ Ballard’s been round the block a good few times, most famously writing mega-hits for other artists en route, like Kiss, Santana, Rainbow and America. Well in his … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged America, Argent, Elkie Brooks, Graham Bonnet, Hot Chocolate, Kiss, Petr, Rainbow, review, Roger Daltrey, Russ Ballard
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Album review : HAREM SCAREM – Chasing Euphoria
Frontiers [Release date : 25.04.25] Melodic Hard Rock heroes, Harem Scarem are back with their 16th album. Harry Hess and Pete Lesperance still form the core of the band, with Creighton Doane and Mike Vassos providing a rock solid rhythm … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Frontiers, Harem Scarem, Harry Hess, melodic hard rock, Mood Swings, Pete Lesperance, review
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Album review : SICK’N'BEAUTIFUL – Horror Vacui
BLKIIBLK/Frontiers [Release date 18.04.25] Sick’n’Beautiful’s fourth album and their first release on Frontiers’ debut “heavy music imprint”, BLKIIBLK. Horror Vacui is an artistic concept, roughly translated from Latin as fear of empty spaces. Fronted by the sexually alluring Herma Sick … Continue reading
Album review : LAURENNE / LOUHIMO – Falling Through Stars
Frontiers Music [Release date : 18.04.25] We reviewed Laurenne / Louhimo’s “the lockdown made me do it” debut album in 2021 (obviously). For the uninitiated, L/L is a musical marriage of Smackbound’s Netta Laurenne and Battle Beast’s Noora Louhimo. Netta’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, Laurenne Louhimo, melodic metal, Nino Laurenne, review, symphonic rock, Thunderstone
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Album review : ROCK-OUT Let’s Call It Rock’n’Roll
Frontiers Music [Release date : 11.04.25] Third album from Swiss band, Rock-Out. I know, let’s sign a band who sound a bit like AC/DC, a bit like Accept, and a lot like Krokus. It’s a pretty limited soundscape, especially as … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Accept, Frontiers, hard rock, KROKUS, review, Swiss
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Album review : JON PARDI – Honkytonk Hollywood
Capitol Records/Snakefarm [Release date : 11.04.25] Not for nothing is Jon Pardi one of Nashville’s pre eminent country artists. He was Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2023, thanks to a quartet of best selling albums and numerous hit … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged country rock, Grand Ole Opry, Jackson Browne, Joe Walsh, Jon PARDI, Nashville, review
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Album review: ALLIANCE – Before Our Eyes
Frontiers Music [Release date: 28.03.25] Before Our Eyes is the new album from Alliance: Robert (3, GTR) Berry, David (Sammy Hagar) Lauser and Gary (Boston) Pihl. It’s their first on Frontiers, and only their sixth in 30 years. The band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alliance, Boston, David Lauser, Gary Pihl, GTR, Hagar, melodic hard rock, review, Robert Berry
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Album review : STONE FOUNDATION – The Revival Of Survival
100% Records [Release date : 28.03.25] Eleventh album from English 8 piece soul band, Stone Foundation. It’s said that you should judge people by the company they keep. If four time Grammy nominee, Melba Moore; Nina Simone soundalike, Sheree Dubois; … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged funk, JP Bimini, Omar, Paul Weller, review, Revival Of Survival, soul, Stone Foundation
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Album review : CARE OF NIGHT – Live At The Sweden Rock Festival
Frontiers Music [Release date: 28.03.25] With three highly rated Melodic Rock albums under their belt, Sweden’s Care Of Night were a welcome act at their home country’s annual Rock Festival last year. Along with others on Frontiers melodic rock roster, … Continue reading
Album review : THE QUIREBOYS – Hey You! The Parlophone Years 1989-93 (4 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.25] From Choirboys to Queerboys to Quire Boys. This 4 CD set is a compact quartet of Quireboy’s music, comprising their first two charting albums, with bonus tracks, plus an album of demos and an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Guy Bailey, Kevin Savigar, Parlophone Years, Quireboys, review, Sharon Osborne, Spike
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Album review : W.E.T. – Apex
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.03.25] Fourth album from WET, whose ranks have swollen from three members to six. What was once Robert Sall (Work Of Art), Erik Martensson (Eclipse) and Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman), is now those three plus … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)
Tagged Apex, Eclipse, Frontiers Music, melodic rock, review, Talisman, W.E.T., Work Of Art
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Album review : GINEVRA – Beyond Tomorrow
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.03.25] The name of Swedish “supergroup”, Ginevra has its origins in the Celtic, Norman and Italian languages. Sources seem to settle on “White Phantom” as its meaning. This is the band’s second album. The band: … Continue reading
Album review : JINGLE JANGLE MORNING – The 1960′s US Folk Rock Explosion,
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.03.25] From the beginning to the end, this is five star stuff. Heavily influenced by The Beatles “invasion” of the USA in the sixties, electrified Folk Rock became the currency of US rock’n’roll. This 3 … Continue reading
Album review : CRIMSON GLORY – The Roadrunner Years (3 CD)
Cherry Red [Release date 21/03/25] The Cherry Red label is currently on a run of highly compelling Heavy Metal reissues. We’ve had Wrath, Tigertailz, Barren Cross in only the last month, and very recently, the superb Vision Of Disorder. This … Continue reading
Album review : CLIMIE FISHER – Everything (Deluxe 5 CD boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 21.03.25] Cherry Red released a hugely expanded version of Climie Fisher’s second album, Coming In For The Kill, last year. They’ve now totally outdone themselves with this 5 CD boxset of the duo’s preceding (and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged boxset, Cherry Red, Climie Fisher, Everything, review, Simon Climie, Stephen Hague, Steve Lillywhite
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Album review: JON ANDERSON & THE BAND GEEKS – Live, Perpetual Change
Frontiers [Release date : 14.03.25] We reviewed Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks’ debut album, True, last year. For the Geeks, Richie (BOC) Castellano, Andy Ascolese, Christopher Clark and Matt Beck, the self deprecating band name turned out to be … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blue Oyster Cult, Frontiers, Jon Anderson, live, Perpetual Change, review, Richie Castellano, The Band Geeks, Yes
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Album review : STREETLIGHT – Night Vision
Frontiers Music [Release date : 14.03.25] After an artfully conceived AOR debut in 2024, Streetlight’s trajectory remains on an upward curve. And, to no one’s surprise, pretty well everywhere you scratch the paint on Night Vision, you’ll find the 1980s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brian Wilson, Johnny Hates Jazz, melodic rock, Night Vision, review, Steely Dan, Streetlight, Toto
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Album review : ENBOUND – Set It Free (w/bonus CD)
Embrace The Fear [Release date : 21.02.25] 2025’s Set it Free is Enbound’s third album, a follow up to Blackened, if an album 9 years later can be described as a “follow up”. Nice (if expensive) piece of marketing here… … Continue reading
Album review : VISION OF DISORDER – Vision of Disorder / Imprint (2 CD Deluxe Digipak)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] The early nineties was a strange time for Heavy Metal. US band, Vision Of Disorder emerged from a morass of subgenres and splinter groups, all following different paths, all pursuing different objectives, mostly with … Continue reading
Album review : PERFECT PLAN – Heart Of A Lion
Frontiers Music [Release date : 28.02.25] With his fourth Perfect Plan album, Kent Hilli has truly deciphered the AOR code. Heart Of A Lion is a superb, beautifully crafted melodic rock recording, mixing keys and guitars in varying measures, creating … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Brother Firetribe, Frontiers, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan, review, Survivor
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Album review : THE MOVE – Message From The Country (Remaster/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] 1971: The Move record and release their final album, Message From The Country. The band is now Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan. All accomplished musicians. All skilled, imaginative songwriters. They are about … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bev Bevan, bonus tracks, ELO, Jeff Lyne, Message From The Country, remaster, review, Roy Wood, The Move
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Album review : HUMBLE PIE – Hallelujah 1973-1983 (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25] CD1 : Onto Victory (1980) CD2 : Go For The Throat (1981) CD3 : Pyramid Eye Chatanooga (live 1982) CD4 : Annie’s Club Cincinatti (live 1983) CD5 : Live At Winterland (1973) Initially comprising … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged blues, Greg Ridley, Humble Pie, Iain McGonigal, Jerry Shirley, Peter Frampton, review, rock, soul, Steve Marriott, Uncut Magazine
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