Author Archives: brianmc

Album review : NUCLEAR ASSAULT – Radiation Sickness

Posted on October 13, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/Dissonance [Release date : 13.10.23] Despite multiple break ups over the years, US Thrash Metal band, Nuclear Assault continued touring into the new millennium, only hanging their boots up last year. The band, formed by ex Anthrax bassist, Dan … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Anthrax, Dan Lilker, John Connoly, Motley Crue, Nuclear Assault, Radiation Sickness, review, Slayer, thrash metal, Vince Neil | Leave a comment

Album review : NITRATE – Feel The Heat

Posted on October 9, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 23.09.23] Nitrate’s founding member and bassist, Nick Hogg has again opted for vocalist Alexander Strandell and the Martin (Vega) brothers (who also produce) to round out the band on his latest, (and fourth) album, Feel The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alexander Strandell, AOR, Danger Danger, Glen Frey, Heart, Issa, John Waite, Martin Brothers, New Wave, Nick Hogg, Nitrate, Paul Laine, review, Vega | Leave a comment

Album review : KINGS CROWN – Closer To The Truth

Posted on October 7, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 13.10.23] Melodic Hard Rock’s European union of British vocalist, Lee (Shy/Sweet) Small and Swedish Guitarist Martin (Gypsy Rose/Phenomena) Kronlund looks like being a huge success. Small’s voice is the kind of thing which prompts awe not … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Anders Skoog, Frontiers, Glenn Hughes, Kings Crown, Lee Small, Martin Kronlund, melodic hard rock, Phenomena, review, Seventies Rock, Shy, Sweet | Leave a comment

Album review: IMPELLITTERI – The Complete Beast 1987-2009 (6 CD Boxset)

Posted on October 2, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date: 06.10.23] Every Impellitteri album from 1988 to 2009. Nine in all, and the band’s 2 EPs. Plus a score of bonus tracks. All shoehorned into 6 jampacked CDs. (Such was the weight of heavy metal contained … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Reissues | Tagged album, boxset, Chris Impellitteri, Graham Bonnet, Impellitteri, Michael Wagener, review, Rob Rock, The Complete Beast | Leave a comment

Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Firestar

Posted on October 1, 2023 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date 06.10.23] Iron Savior’s 2020 album, Skycrest, signalled a new era of Power Metal. Three years later, the voyage of the mothership has apparently been sidelined temporarily, to allow a celebration of Teutonic and indeed, in places, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Firestar, Iron Maiden, IRON SAVIOR, Judas Priest, Piet Sielck, power metal, review, Saxon, Viking metal | Leave a comment

Album review : THE RUNAWAYS – Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin (5 CD boxset)

Posted on September 27, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 29.09.23] An all female rock band is rare. A successful all female rock band is even rarer. US band, The Runaways, Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West and Jackie Fox, broke through the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, box set, Cherrie Currie, Jackie Fox, Joan Jett, John Alcock, Kim Fowley, Lita Ford, Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin, review, Sandy West, Sharon Osborne, The Runaways | Leave a comment

Album review: 38 SPECIAL – Special Forces and Wild Eyed Southern Boys (Remasters)

Posted on September 24, 2023 by brianmc

Rock Candy Records [Release date: 08.09.23] In 2008, a major fire in Universal Studios’ Hollywood Warehouse devastated the company’s music archives. 38 Special were one of the bands to suffer a significant loss…and if nothing else, that gives these remasters … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged .38 Special, album, Allmans, Don Barnes, Donnie Van Zant, Doobie Bros, Jim Peterik, Lynyrd Skynyrd, remasters, review, Rodney Mills, southern rock, Special Forces, Survivor, Wild Eyed Southern Boys | Leave a comment

Album review : SHAKE THAT THING ! The Blues In Britain 1963-73

Posted on September 23, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 22.09.23] Without the blues, there would be no rock’n’roll. That’s the history. This 73 track, 3 CD package is an extensive collection of recordings by British bands and solo artists, all heavily influenced by American Blues. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1963, 1973, Alex Harvey, Alexis Korner, Bert Jansch, blues, boxset, Britain, Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac, Gene Vincent, Humble Pie, Jethro Tull, John Martyn, John Mayall, John McAuley, Judy Dyble, Leadbelly, Lindsay Buckingham, Long John Baldry, Mungo Jerry, Pete Green, review, Robert Johnson, Rory Gallagher, Savoy Brown, TASTE, Ten Years After, The Animals, The Climax Chicago Blues Band, Trader Horne | Leave a comment

Album review : BONFIRE – MMMXXIII

Posted on September 22, 2023 by brianmc

AFM [Release date : 22.09.23] MMMXXIII is a suite of three albums re-recorded by German Rock giants, Bonfire. The band’s continued popularity and success through the decades confounds critics, of the genre at least, if not the band. That of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged albums, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Don't Touch The Light, Dyan Mair, eview, Fabio Allessandrini, Fireworks, Frank Pane, Hans Ziller, melodic rock, Point Blank, Ronnie Parks, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Album review : RONNIE ROMERO – Too Many Lies Too Many Masters

Posted on September 15, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [release date : 15.09.23] Ronnie Romero’s third “solo” album is delivered by a pretty cool hard rock trio rounded out by guitarist Jose Rubio and drummer, Andy C. The label make a point of telling us that this is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andy C, Delta blues, hard rock, Jose Rubio, review, Ronnie Romero | Leave a comment

Album review : SEVENTH WONDER – Become, Waiting In The Wings, Mercy Falls, Great Escape

Posted on September 14, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 15.09.23] Unsurprisingly, after the commercial and critical success of Seventh Wonder’s most recent album, The Testament, released May 2022, the band’s previous, much lower profile albums have been given a new lease of life. Frontiers Music … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Become, Graham Bonnet, Great Escape, Kamelot, Mario Parga, melodic hard rock, Mercy Falls, progrock, review, Seventh Wonder, Tommy Karevik, Waiting In The Wings | Leave a comment

Album review : JACK STARR’S BURNING STARR – Metal Generation 1985-2017

Posted on September 8, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [release date 08/09/23] It seems like Jack Starr’s bands have been playing gigs and cranking out albums ever since Heavy Metal became a thing. And yet, from his beginnings with Virgin Steele in 1982, to his primary music … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Bruno Ravel, Frank Vestry, heavy metal, Jack Starr, Mike Tirelli, Ned Meloni, power metal, review, Rhett Forrester, Shmoulik Avigal | Leave a comment

Album review: DBA – Celestial Songs

Posted on September 1, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red Records [Release date : 08.09.23] Right from the Downes Braide Association’s (DBA) first album (this is their fifth), the duo sounded like they’d been round the block a few times. Like they’d done things we couldn’t, seen things … Continue reading →

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Album review : DEACON BLUE – All The Old 45s, The Very Best Of Deacon Blue

Posted on August 28, 2023 by brianmc

Cooking Vinyl [Release date : 01.09.23] 1987, and the critics said they wouldn’t last, and here we are, 36 years later, and Deacon Blue are releasing… wait for it… a 41 track, double CD album titled All The Old 45s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 2CDs, album, blues, Dougie Vipond, Glasgow, Hits, James Prime, Lorraine McIntosh, pop, review, Ricky Ross, rock | Leave a comment

Album review : OLIVER / DAWSON SAXON – Screaming Eagles – The Complete Works (6 CD boxset)

Posted on August 25, 2023 by brianmc

OLIVER DAWSON SAXON Screaming Eagles cover 200

Cherry Red [Release date: 25.08.23] CD1 : Motorbiker (studio album 2012) CD2 : ReLanded (Live 2000) CD3 : It’s Alive Pt 1 (2003) CD4 : It’s Alive pt2 (2003) CD5 : Victim You (Son Of A Bitch, pre OD studio … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged 6 CD boxset, album, Bill Byford, boxset, Graham Oliver, heavy metal, NWOBHM, old school metal, Oliver Dawson Saxon, review, Screaming Eagles - The Complete Works, Steve Dawson | Leave a comment

Album review : MR BIG – The Albums 1976-1978 (3 CD set)

Posted on August 21, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 18.08.23] This Mr. Big (the UK band) boxset is as close to a full blown “life and career” retrospective of the original iteration of the band as we’re likely to get. It comprises the 3 most … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AC/DC, Bob Hirschman, Dicken, Ian Hunter, Journey, Kansas, Mott the Hoople, pop, Queen, review, rock, Steve Gibbons, Sweet, The seventies, Tom Petty, Zulu | Leave a comment

Album review : MAGNUM – The Great Adventure, The Jet Years 1978 – 1983 (6 CD Boxset)

Posted on August 18, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red / HNE [Release date: 25.08.23] CD1 : Kingdom Of Madness (1978) CD2 : Archive (1976) CD3 : Magnum II (1979) CD4 : Marauder (1980) CD5 : Chase The Dragon (1982) CD6 : Eleventh Hour (1983) This Magnum 6 … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Bob Catley, boxset, prog, review, Rodney Matthews, The Great Adventure, The Jet Years 1978 - 1983, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Album review : MARCH OF THE FLOWER CHILDREN : The American Sounds of 1967 (3 CD set)

Posted on August 13, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date : 24.08.23] March Of The Flower Children is a fascinating journey through pop (and rock) music in the USA circa 1967… the year of the so called “Summer Of Love.” 3 CDs, 85 tracks, 4 hours … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged boxset, Buffalo Springfield, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Love, March Of The Flower Children, Moby Grape, Paul Revere And The Raiders, pop music, review, Summer of Love, The American Sounds of 1967, The Beau Brummels, The Blues Magoos, The Byrds, The Electric Prunes, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Monkees, The Seeds, The Turtles, The Young Rascals, Tim Buckley, Tim Rose, USA, Vanilla Fudge, Velvet UndThe Grateful Dead | Leave a comment

Album review : HELL IN THE CLUB – F.U.B.A.R.

Posted on August 9, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 11.08.23] This outstandingly good Rock / Metal band have everything going for them except their band name and their album art. Neither of which do them any favours. Just as well the music is so good. Constructed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album review, Alice Cooper, Andrea Buratto, Backyard Babies, Crash Diet, Davide Moras, Elvenking, FUBAR, Glamrock, Hell In The Club, metal, Motley Crue, rock, Secret Sphere, Viking metal | Leave a comment

Album review : STATUS QUO – SQ (Official Archive Series Vol1 – 2CDs)

Posted on August 8, 2023 by brianmc

earMUSIC [Release date 11.08.23] For SQ’s new live album it all began with the ‘Beginning Of The End’. That single, released in 2007, sparked an idea that has only now seen the bright light of day. It was a foretaste … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Ear Music, Eike Freese, Helloween, Kai Hansen, Netherlands, review, Rick Parfitt | Leave a comment

Album review : SCREAM MAKER – Land Of Fire

Posted on August 6, 2023 by brianmc

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 →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Deep Purple, Frontiers, Guns'n'Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Land Of Fire, Megadeth, melodic metal, review, Ronnie James Dio, Saxon. Slayer, Scream Maker | Leave a comment

Album review : STREETLIGHT – Ignition

Posted on August 3, 2023 by brianmc

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 | Leave a comment

Album review : RIAN – Wings

Posted on July 30, 2023 by brianmc

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 | Leave a comment

Album review : KENT HILLI – Nothing Left To Lose

Posted on July 28, 2023 by brianmc

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 →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Giant, Jimmy Hedlund, Jimmy Westerlund, Kristian Fyhr, melodic rock, One Desire, Pete Alpenborg, review, Rick Altzi, Ulrick Lonnqvuist | Leave a comment

Album review : IRON SAVIOR – Riding On Fire – The Noise Years 1997-2004, 6 CD Boxset

Posted on July 19, 2023 by brianmc

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 →