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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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Quick plays: LARS BOUTRUP, AL DI MEOLA
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Album review: GAMMA RAY – Heading For Tomorrow
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Album review: STEVIE JONES AND THE WILDFIRES – Clarity In Dusk
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Album review: ELLES BAILEY – Road I Call Home
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Album review: ALTER BRIDGE – Fortress
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Album review: JOE BONAMASSA – Live At The Carnegie Hall, An Acoustic Evening
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Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Author Archives: jason
Gig review: BOTH SIDES NOW: Homage to the Songs of Joni Mitchell – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, Wednesday 8 February 2023
Without doubt one of the finest and most influential songwriters and performers of the past six decades, Joni Mitchell has a unique style that has seen countless music fans fall under her spell. Since her debut performing in local clubs … Continue reading
EP review: SEAMUS FOLEY – Into The Night
Website [Release date 24.02.23] Séamus Foley releases a six song EP and as Séamus explains, “This EP came about after I recorded the single (of the same name) remotely during lockdown. I realised I wanted to further explore these ways of recording, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Americana, blues, country, EP, folk, Into The Night, melodic, review, Seamus Foley
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Album review: GABRIELLE DE VAL – Kiss In A Dragon Night
Escape Music [Release date 17.02.23] Gabrielle de Val has been involved in the rock scene since 1987 when she created the band Yin-Yang, which would later be called D’Val. They never recorded a full album, however, fast forward to 2010 … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Gabrielle de Val, hard rock, Kiss In A Dragon Night, Mark Boals, melodic rock, Mike Oldfield, review
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Album review: JARROD DICKENSON – Big Talk
Website [Release date 03.02.23] After a major label deal-gone-bad and Covid complications left him with a life-long medical condition, Jarrod Dickenson comes out fighting with ‘Big Talk’, an album full of classy melodies and lyrics. The album features Jano Rix (The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, Big Talk, country, Jarrod Dickenson, review, rock, singer songwriter
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Album review: DOCKER’S GUILD – The Mystic Technocracy Season 2: The Age Of Entropy
Website Docker’s Guild is a massive progressive metal space opera which will unfold through five “seasons” and four “books” for a total of nine albums. It is masterminded by producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Douglas R. Docker. Joining him on this … Continue reading
News: GLEN MATLOCK, SAXON, GRAND DESIGN (February 2023)
Angel release their new album ‘Once Upon A Time’, via Cleopatra Records on April 21. Babylon A.D. release ‘Live Lightning’ via Perris Records on March 17. Elles Bailey releases an expanded version of her ‘Shining in The Half Light’ album on 17 March. The expanded version includes … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged classic rock, folk, gigs, Glen Matlock, Grand Design, metal, New releases, news, punk, rock, Saxon, Skindred, tours
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Album review: MILTON HIDE – The Holloway
Website [Release date 31.03.23] Milton Hide (AKA husband and wife Jim and Josie Tipler) release their second album, ‘The Holloway’, following on from 2o21′s most enjoyable ‘Temperature’s Rising’. Since then they have played many a show up and down the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, folk, folk rock, Jim Tipler, Milton Hide, progressive, review, Rosie Tipler, The Holloway
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Album review: THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS + CALEB JOHNSON – Paradise Found: Bat Out Of Hell Reignited
Deko Entertainment [Release date 27.01.23] A reworking of the classic Meat Loaf album ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, based on the live version Meat Loaf’s band the Neverland Express performed with the much missed frontman. Band leader and former Anthrax guitarist … Continue reading
Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – The Monster Inside
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 17.02.23] Chris Rosander released his debut album ‘King Of Hearts’ in 2020 on the now defunct AOR Heaven. As the pandemic put paid to any live plans, Chris Rosander started work on making more … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chris Rosander, hard rock, melodic rock, Perfect Plan, review, rock, The Monster Inside, Toto
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Single review: FEENSTRA & SIMPSON – Your Eyes Gave You Away
YouTube A new songwriter outlet for GRTR! writer, radio presenter and promoter Pete Feenstra as he he teams up with John Simpson. No not the TV news reporter but the John Simpson who helped found the Feelgoods, a Dr Feelgood … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged AOR, Feenstra & Simpson, John Simspon, Pete Feenstra, pop, pop rock, review, single, the Feelgoods, Tom Petty, Your Eyes Gave You Away
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Album review: CASEY MAUNDER – Until Your Heart Stops Beating
Website Once again the musical hand of fate plays a blinder as Casey Maunder sent his debut album in for possible review and boy is it a good one! Casey plays all the guitars, vocals, bass, keys and wrote all … Continue reading
Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Waking The Witch
Jason Ritchie charts the rise and demise of a favourite band… Waking The Witch initially consisted of Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Jools Parker, and Michelle Plum, with Becky Mills replacing Plum in 2005, all of whom also worked as solo … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Rising Stars Revisited
Tagged Becky Mills, feature, folk, GRTR!@20, indie, interview, Patsy Matheson, Rising Stars, roots, singer songwriter, Waking the Witch
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Album review: JOHN BLEK – Until The Rivers Run Dry
Bandcamp [Release date 17.02.23] This is John Blek’s eighth album and an artist that had not crossed my musical radar until now. The album was recorded over ten days and features Cathy Davy (vocals) – who has appeared on albums … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, folk, indie, John Blek, review, singer songwriter, Until The Rivers Run Dry
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Album title: BEYOND THE BLACK – Beyond The Black
Nuclear Blast [Release date 13.01.23] Fifth album from Beyond The Black and the third since the 2014 revamped line-up which left vocalist Jenifer Haben as the sole original member. Beyond The Black is completed by lead guitarist Chris Hermsdörfer, rhythm … Continue reading
Gig review: DEWOLFF – Paradiso, Amsterdam, Thursday 5 January 2023
New Album – Love, Death & In Between (Album Launch Party Gig) GRTR! has been trumpeting the extraordinarily versatile southern rock, psychedelic/blues uber-combo, DeWolff, for years now and they have really excelled themselves with their new album, “Love, Death & … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events
Tagged Album Launch, Amsterdam, big band, blues, blues rock, DeWolff, gig, Paradiso, review, rock, Thursday 5 January 2023, van de Poel
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Album review: KING KRAKEN – MCLXXX
Website [Release date 27.01.23] King Kraken are a 5 five piece from South Wales, formed in September 2018, who are taking the metal scene by storm, festival by festival, gig by gig. Their new album entitled ‘MCLXXX’ is just about … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, debut, King Kraken, MCLXXX, metal, review, rock, Romesh Dodangoda
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Album review: HAMISH HAWK – Angel Numbers
Post Electric [Release date 03.02.23] Hamish Hawk’s 2021 album ‘Heavy Elevator’ turned this reviewer into a firm fan and expectations are high for this new album. Hamish Hawk again works with Rod Jones of Idlewind on the album. The title … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Angel Numbers, Hamish Hawk, Idlewind, indie pop, pop, review, Samantha Crain
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News: MR BIG, TREVOR RABIN, PINK FLOYD (January 2023)
A.C.T. release a new six song EP ‘Falling’ on March 3. Bryan Adams releases a live version of his 2022 Royal Albert Show, where he played all of his ‘Cuts Like A Knife’ album, on February 3. MVD Marquee Collection … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Exhibitions, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged folk, Frontiers, gigs, metal, Mr Big, new albums, news, pop, prog, Pure Metal/News, re-issues, RIP, rock, special editions, tours
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Album review: KELLY BAYFIELD – Wave Machine
Self-released [Release date 27.01.23] ‘Wave Machine’ is the debut album from Kelly Bayfield following on from the release of two singles, ‘Vapour Trails’ and ‘John Mahoney’. The songs gathered on this album arrived at some of the most significant points … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Anmericana, country, folk, Kelly Bayfield, Paul Sartin, Phil Beer, pop, review, singer songwriter, Wave Machine
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Album review: AUTUMN’S CHILD – Starflower
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 20.01.23] Autumn’s Child return with their fourth album ‘Starflower’, the second one released by Pride & Joy Music. The band still features Michael Erlandsson on vocals, keyboards & guitars, Pontus Åkesson on lead guitar, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Autumn's Dream, hard rock, melodic rock, Michael Erlandsson, Queen, review, Starflower, Styx, theatrical
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Album review: DOKKEN – The Elektra Albums 1983-1987
BMG [Release date 27.01.23] Formed in the late 70s by vocalist and guitarist Don Dokken, the band Dokken shot to fame in the 80s, with their very enjoyable (and successful) blend of hard rock, glam and AOR. BMG continue their … Continue reading
Album review: URIAH HEEP – Sweet Freedom, Return To Fantasy (vinyl reissues)
BMG [Release date 20.01.23] BMG continue their marvellous reissue campaign, and these heavyweight discs not only feel and look as good as they sound, but fit in perfectly with the current trend for some quality vinyl. Prog legends Uriah Heep … Continue reading
Single reviews: LITTLE LORE, BROTHER FIRETRIBE, KING CUJO
LITTLE LORE Birds ‘Birds’ is the latest single from Little Lore, the alter-ego of London-based Americana singer-storyteller Tricia Duffy. She is joined on this song by Oli Deakin who adds the instrumental backing. Little Lore: “I wrote ‘Birds’ at a friend’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alt rock, Brother Firetribe, folk, King Cujo, Little Lore, melodic rock, review, rock, singer songwriter, singles
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Album review: RINGO STARR & HIS ALL-STAR BAND – Live at the Greek 2019
BFD [Release date 25.11.22] When you are the most famous drummer on the planet and want to tour, there really is a who’s who of musicians in your little black book to call upon. Having first started playing with his … Continue reading
Album review: BARNABAS SKY – What Comes To Light
Pride & Glory [Release date 20.01.23] The all-star rock project Barnabas Sky, led by guitarist and songwriter Markus Pfeffer (Lazarus Dream, Winterland), is back a year later with album number two. Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn and Silent Rage’s Jesse Damon are … Continue reading
