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Author Archives: brianmc
Album review : INSANIA – The Great Apocalypse
Frontiers Music [Release date 13.06.25] Naming your album The Great Apocalypse leaves Insania with a lot to live up to. Still, there’s nothing wrong with ambition, naked or otherwise. It’s an interesting album, advertised as power metal. In fact the … Continue reading
Album review : LEVERAGE – Gravity
Frontiers Music [Release date 20.06.25] When we reviewed Leverage’s 2021 album, Above The Beyond, we said: “It’s perhaps best described as heavy rock with stunning melodies and a penchant for unconventional song structures, and indeed, challenging lyrical themes.” It would … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Blue Murder, Finnish, Frontiers, GRAVITY, heavy rock, Kimmo Blom, Leverage, Magnum, Paulo Ribaldini, review, Tuomas Hekkinen
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Album review : FAIRYLAND – The Story Remains
Frontiers [Release date : 13.06.25] The Story Remains is the fifth album from Fairyland, the best French Symphonic Metal band since Manigance. The death of founder Phillipe Giordana in 2022 – in the middle of writing and recording the new … Continue reading
Album review : INGLORIOUS – V
Frontiers Music [Release date 06.06.25] Inglorious’s unimaginatively titled fifth album sees bassman Colin Parkinson and singer Nathan James back together. (They resolved their differences over a pint, where else?) Joining them in this new iteration of the band are guitarist, … Continue reading
Album review : GORGUTS – Considered Dead / Erosion Of Sanity (2CDs w/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [Release date : 13.06.25] Got to hand it to Cherry Red. Few labels are resurrecting the past glories of Metal like they are. Most who do aim for mainstream stuff, bands in the public eye, in the media. But … Continue reading
Album review : RENAISSANCE – Running Hard – The Albums 1974-76 (4 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date: 30.05.25] This 4 CD Renaissance boxset comprises: CD1 : Turn Of The Cards (1974) CD2 : Scheherazade And Other Stories (1975) CD3 : Live At Carnegie Hall Part 1 (1976) CD3 : Live At Carnegie Hall … Continue reading
Album review : THE SPEAKER WARS – s/t
Frontiers Music [Release date 23.05.25] Writer/producer, Stan Lynch and singer/musician, Jon Christopher Davis crossed paths several years ago in Nashville. Songwriters both, they discovered an emotional connection, subsequently writing a bunch of songs together. This would eventually manifest itself as … Continue reading
Album review : RONNIE ROMERO – Live At Rock Imperium Festival (CD+DVD)
Frontiers [Release date : 23.05.25] Ronnie Romero’s merge of heavyweight hard rock and high powered melodic metal may well have been built on Dio’s lasting legacy, but as time as progressed he’s clearly found his own metier. And in performing … Continue reading
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Tagged Cartagena, Imperium Festival, Jose Rubio, Judas Priest, Rainbow, review, Ronnie James Dio, Ronnie Romero, Spain, Sunstorm, Uriah Heep
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Album review : THE FLOWERPOT MEN – Midsummer Dreaming, An Anthology 1967-70
Cherry Red [Release date : 23.05.25] English musicians/songwriters/singers, John Carter and Ken Lewis achieved limited success in the sixties, scoring two top ten hits as the Ivy League, in 1965 and 66. Meanwhile, aside from breeding an anti consumerist counterculture, … Continue reading
Album review : YOUNG AND WILD – A Decade of American Glam Metal 1982-92
Cherry Red [Release date : 23.05.25] The Eighties in the USA: some rock bands rode the Glam Metal wave, propelled by MTV’s insatiable appetite for the genre’s hypnotic theatrics (and, let’s face it, some really great songs). They discarded the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1982 to 1992, American Glam Metal, BANG TANGO, Bullet Boys, Cinderella, Kiss, Poison, Ratt, review, Saigon Kick, White Lion, Winger
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Album review : DON FELDER – The Vault – 50 Years Of Music
Frontiers Music [Release date : 23.05.25] Don Felder enjoyed two six year stints as a member of The Eagles. The second ended in 2001. His vocal presence was limited. He was a prolific songwriter, though Don Henley and Glen Frey … Continue reading
Album review : STATUS QUO – Live! (Super Deluxe 8 CD Edition)
earMusic [Release date : 16.05.24] You’ve really got to hand it to whoever guides Status Quo through the pop and rock music jungle, carefully mining their back catalogue. Brilliantly marketed, with ads that hit all the right notes in the … Continue reading
Album review : GIANT – Stand And Deliver
Frontiers Music [Release date: 16.05.24] This is the Kent Hilli, Jimmy (One Desire) Westerlund version of Giant, along with original members, David Huff and Mike Brignardello. The signature sound of any band is provided by its vocalist, closely followed by … Continue reading
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Tagged Coverdale, Dann Huff, Giant, Jimmy Westerlund, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, One Nation, review
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Album review : ART NATION – Re-Revolution
Frontiers [Release date : 16.05.25] Sweden’s Art Nation are getting considerable push from the Frontiers Music label. This month we get a replay of their first rodeo, Revolution (2015), coming hard on the heels of last month’s impressive new album, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alexander Strandell, Art Nation, Cristoffer Borg, Frontiers, HEAT, Jacob Hansen, review, Revolution, The Ascendance, Treat, WET
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Album review : FRANCIS ROSSI – The Way We Were Volume 1
EAR Music [Release date: 02.05.25] Francis Rossi – artist as purist making new music from abandoned recordings, not seen as commercial enough to pursue further at the time, or side tracked onto Quo’s then latest album. Rossi : “Collected on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bob Young, demos, Ear Music, Francis Rossi, review, Status Quo
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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
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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
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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
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Tagged Alliance, Boston, David Lauser, Gary Pihl, GTR, Hagar, melodic hard rock, review, Robert Berry
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