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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: THE STEVE SUMMERS BAND – Rewired
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Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Live & Ready 1980-1984
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News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2026)
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Album review : FIGHTER V – Deja Vu
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Album review: HONEY AND THE BEAR – Wish & A Tide
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Album review: SCOTT ARCHIBALD the id project – Sol Caravan
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: THE GUILTY MEN – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 1 April 2026
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Gig review: CHEZ KANE- Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames, 2 April 2026
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
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Author Archives: jason
Gig review: JON BODEN – Cornerstone, Didcot, 5 March 2020
Back at the Cornerstone, after a very enjoyable gig here back in November 2017, Jon Boden is out on a short solo tour to promote his latest album ‘The Rose In June’. Surrounded by three guitars, fiddle, concertina, an adapted … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Bellowhead, Cornerstones, Didcot, folk, gig, Jon Boden, live, March 5 2020, Remnant Kings, review, singer songwriter
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Album review: NEWMAN – Ignition
AOR Heaven [Release date 27.03.20] Steve Newman formed the band Newman way back in 1997, with the last Newman album ‘Aerial’ released in 2017. Since then he’s been busy writing songs with the likes of Toby Hitchcock, joined the band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, AOR Heaven, hard rock, Ignition, melodic rock, NEWMAN, review, Steve Newman, Toby Hitchcock
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Album review: SEVEN SPIRES – Emerald Seas
Frontiers [Release date 28.02.20] If only all concept albums were like this one…bittersweet melodic metal anthems liberally laced with apocalyptic metal tragedy. It’s such an accomplished piece of music that it belies the fact it is only the US band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Emerald Seas, Frontiers, metal, prog metal, review, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, Sascha Paeth, Seven Spires, symphonic metal
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News: KANSAS, FISH, HEATHEN, OZZY, BRIAN WILSON (March 2020)
Ozzy Osbourne’s latest album ‘Ordinary Man’ debuted at number 3 in both the US Billboard and UK album charts. Fish is now hoping to release his long-awaited final studio album ‘Weltschmerz’ in July. Carcass have named their new album ‘Torn … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged AOR, Brian Wilson, classic rock, Fish, gigs, Heathen, Kansas, March 2020, melodic rock, metal, news, pop, rock, tour dates
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Album review: SNAKE OIL & HARMONY – Hurricane Riders
Zero One Entertainment [Release date 28.02.20] Five years ago, Danny Vaughn (Tyketto) and Dan Reed (Dan Reed Network) decided to combine their talents in to form a live acoustic touring act called Snake Oil & Harmony. Since then they have … Continue reading
Album review: WAITING FOR MONDAY – S/T
Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] Few bands are less famous than their producer. Walter Ino, 6 years with Survivor, touring keyboard player with The Babys, and currently holding down lead guitarist spot with The Eagles of Death Metal, produced this self … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, debut, DENNIS DeYOUNG, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, review, Waiting For Monday, Walter Ino
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Album review: ARCHON ANGEL – Fallen
Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] Archon Angel is a new project born from a meeting between producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere) and former Savatage and Circle II Circle vocalist Zak Stevens during the making of Timo Tolkki’s Avalon’s Return To Eden … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Archon Angel, Circle II Circle, Fallen, metal, progressive metal, review, Savatage, Zak Stevens
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Album review: STATUS QUO – Rock Till You Drop & Thirsty Work
UMC [Release date 06.03.20] “Rock Till You Drop” was something of a love/hate album for the band. Rossi loved it, Parfitt hated it. It was a look back in the band’s rear view mirror. It was never uncomfortably reverential, but … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Francis Rossi, pop rock, re-issue, review, Rick Parfitt, rock, Rock Til You Drop, Status Quo, Thirsty Work
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Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON – Live At Rock City, Nottingham 86
Angel Air/Store For Music [Release date 13.03.20] An archive live performance from Richard Thompson from 1986 where he has backed by a veritable array of top notch folk musicians including Clive Gregson & Christine Collister (who were forging a successful … Continue reading
Album review: STATUS QUO – Perfect Remedy
UMC [Release date 06.03.20] Albums nineteen, twenty and twenty one. How many bands can say that? Each one now reissued, and expanded to within an inch of its life. With added liner notes and pics. “Perfect Remedy” (1989), “Rock Till … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Francis Rossi, Perfect Remedy, re-issue, review, Rick Parfitt, rock, rock 'n' roll, Status Quo
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Album review: DATURA4 – West Coast Highway Cosmic
Naturalsounds Records [Release date 17.04.20] Feels like only five minutes since Datura4 anointed us with their blessed brand of down-under boogie and yet here they are already with their fourth album release, “West Coast Highway Cosmic”. As consistent as white … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, boogie, Datura4, Dom Mariani, review, rock, UFO, West Coast Highway Cosmic
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Album review: ABSOLVA – Side By Side
Rocksector Records [Release date 18.10.19] Absolva formed from the ashes of Fury (UK) in 2012, featuring Chris Appleton (vocals, guitar), Luke Appleton (guitar, vocals), Martin McNee (drums) and bassist Karl Schramm, who joined the band in 2014. The band also … Continue reading
Album review: BLACK SWAN – Shake The World
Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] You have to say (again) that Frontiers knows how to put a band together, in this case Black Swan. Here are four musicians – Robin McAuley, Jeff Pilson, Reb Beach and Matt Starr – whose well … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Black Swan, Dokken, Frontiers, hard rock, Jeff Pilson, Matt Starr, melodic rock, Mr Big, MSG, Reb Beach, review, Robin McAuley, Shake The World
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Album review: THE BURRITO BROTHERS – The Notorious Burrito Brothers
Store For Music [Release date 06.03.20] This is one of those situations where a little knowledge is a bad thing. Without any “previous” one would pick up this disc and be introduced to very pleasant, competent country rock. Non-threatening, if … Continue reading
Album review: RAGE – Wings Of Rage
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 10.01.20] Every family has a black sheep. That one relative who never gets invited to Christmas lunch. Rage are that family member, the unhinged uncle who is usually locked in an attic or roaming around the woods. … Continue reading
Album review: METAL CHURCH – The Elektra Years 1984-1989
Cherry Red Records [Release date 28.02.20] Before Kurdt Vanderhoof went off to invent a new genre with his band, Hall Aflame, in 1991, he released 3 albums with his startup venture, Metal Church. Cherry Red Records have bundled these into … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Reissues
Tagged album, box set, Cherry Red Records, classic metal, David Wayne, Keith Howe, Kurdt Vanderhoof, metal, Metal Church, review, The Elektra Years 1984-1989, thrash metal
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Album review: BIRDEATSBABY – The World Conspires
Bandcamp [Release date 18.10.19] ‘The World Conspires’ is the fifth album from birdeatsbaby, who started out in 2009. Birdeatsbaby’s current line-up consist of Mishkin Fitzgerald (vocals, piano, accordion, synths), Hana Maria (violin, cello, vocals, harp, hurdy-gurdy), Garry Mitchell (bass, guitars, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Birdeatsbaby, experimental, folk, gothic, metal, progressive, review, rock, World Conspires
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Album review: ROSS THE BOSS – Born Of Fire
AFM Records [Release date 06.03.20] Just when you thought that there was no band more ‘metal’ than Manowar or Judas Priest, along comes Ross ‘the Boss’ Friedman and his crew to combine elements of both and more to provide an … Continue reading
EP review: SILVERTHORNE – Tear The Sky Wide Open
Golden Robot Records [Release date 21.02.20] We’ve not heard much from Pete Shoulder since the last Union album, a band he formed in tandem with Thunder’s Luke Morley. Now he’s back with Silverthorne where he is joined by drummer Brian … Continue reading
Album review: JESSE DAMON – Damon’s Rage
AOR Heaven [Release date 28.02.20] Jesse Damon will be best remembered by many 80s rock fans as he was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Silent Rage. Silent Rage rose to fame in 1989 when signed by Gene … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS
Tagged album, AOR Heaven, Gene Simmons, hard rock, Jesse Damon, melodic rock, Paul Sabu, review, SILENT RAGE
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Album review: RUSS BALLARD – It’s Good To Be Here
On Thursday 20 February at 22:00 GMT Get Ready to ROCK! Radio replays a two-part special when David Randall chatted to Russ Ballard about his long career. BMG [Release date 21.02.20] If you’ve done any world travelling, out of desire … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, It's Good To Be Here, Kiss, melodic rock, pop, pop rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Russ Ballard
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Album review: JAN JAMES – Justify
Website [Release date 27.03.20] Jan James met her partner, songwriter/guitarist Craig Calvert, at Michigan State University, before the pair of them moved to Chicago. They performed regularly in Chicago, released a series of albums, including one on the blues label … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Jan James, Janis Joplin, Justify, review, rock, Rolling Stones
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Backstage Hero Interview: MARTIN DAVID PORTER
Photographer Martin David Porter gives us an insider view form the other side of the photographer’s lens. You can view his work on his website and the Mart’s Arts Photography Facebook page. How did you become interested in photography? I’ve … Continue reading
Album review: SYTERIA – Reflection
Cargo Records [Release date 21.02.20] Based in Yorkshire, Syteria were formed by guitarist Jackie “Jax” Chambers, lead guitarist of legends Girlschool. And are often seen gigging during Girlschool downtime, our blond bombshell Jax is a busy girl. Since 2015 they’ve … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, fuzz rock, GIRLSCHOOL, hard rock, Jackie “Jax” Chambers, Julia Vocal, Reflection, review, rock, Syteria
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Album review: SUPERSUCKERS – Play That Rock n Roll
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 07.02.20] It’s got touches of country, it’s got a bit of blues, it’s got rock n roll- but most importantly it’s got attitude, swagger and riffs a plenty. It is “Play That Rock n Roll” and it … Continue reading
