Author Archives: jason

Album review: FROST* – Falling Satellites

Posted on May 9, 2016 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 27.05.16] This album has been a long time coming as the last Frost* album was 2008′s ‘Experiments In Mass Appeal’ and we even had Jem Godfrey announce the end of the band in 2011, only for … Continue reading →

Album review: STRATOVARIUS – Best Of

Posted on May 9, 2016 by jason

earMUSIC [Release date 20.05.16] Stratovarius have been around since 1985 and have to date released 16 studio albums, so as you can imagine this 29 song best of will only touch on the band’s impressive musical output to date. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, best of, EarMusic, Jens Johansson, melodic, metal, neoclassical, power, review, Stratovarius, Timo Kotipelto, Wacken Festival | Leave a comment

Album review: THE SENTON BOMBS – Mass Vendetta

Posted on May 4, 2016 by jason

7HardRecords [Release date 15.04.16] This is the Senton Bombs fourth album and they have been plugging away for the past decade. I have not heard any of their previous albums but based on this one I will soon remedy that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Buckcherry, Guns 'N' Roses, Mass Vendetta, review, rock, sleaze, the Senton Bombs | Leave a comment

Quick plays: GAMMA RAY, FASSINE, SUSAN AQUILA, SHELOOM

Posted on May 3, 2016 by jason

GAMMA RAY Lust For Live (Anniversary Edition) earMUSIC [Release date 06.05.16] earMUSIC’s Gamma Ray back catalogue re-issues series continues with this live album, previously only available on video on its original release back in 1993. The show was recorded at … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Dialectik, Fassine, Gamma Ray, Insanity and Genius, live, Lust For Live (Anniversary Edition), metal, Miss Behavious, power metal, review, rock, Susan Aquila, The Baron of The Fjord, violin | Leave a comment

Album review: PLANET OF ZEUS – Loyal To The Pack

Posted on May 2, 2016 by jason

No prizes for guessing that Planet of Zeus hail from Greece and, having reviewed a couple of rather ear-catching things from that neck of the woods recently, it might just be time to go bar-hopping and check out the live … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Black Stone Cherry, Clutch, Loyal to the Pack, metal, Planet of Zeus, QOTSA, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: CHEAP TRICK – Boom Zoom Crazy…Hello

Posted on May 2, 2016 by jason

[Release date 01.14.16] Cheap Trick are back with their first album in a little while, ‘The Latest’ came out back in 2009. They have had a good year to date being inducted to the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Boom Zoom Crazy...Hello, Cheap Trick, classic, pop, review, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: THE CARS, JENNY GILLESPIE

Posted on May 1, 2016 by jason

THE CARS Moving In Stereo: The Best Of Rhino [Release date 06.05.16] This best of is released after a recent box set, ‘The Elektra Years 1978-87′ and covers the same period, with one song – ‘Sad Song’ – from the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Cure For Dreaming, Jenny Gillespie, Moving In Stereo: The Best Of, New Wave, pop, review, rock, singer songwriter, the Cars | Leave a comment

Quick plays: BLACK ACES, A REBEL FEW, 2 WEEKS

Posted on April 28, 2016 by jason

BLACK ACES Shot In The Dark (Bad Reputation) The trouble being an Australian rock band, and particularly one that plays blues rock at a certain speed, is that you are going to inevitably draw comparisons with Australia’s best known rock … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged 2 Weeks, A Rebel Few, album, As The Crow Flies, Black Aces, hard rock, Live Your Way, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Shot In The Dark, southern rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: TERRY BROCK – Underworld, Camden, 26 April 2016

Posted on April 27, 2016 by jason

Tuesday nights are most probably not the best night for a gig unless you are Jeff Lynne, who was playing at bit further east at the O2 Arena. However, for the small and loyal bunch who turned up to see … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 26 April, acoustic, Camden, Eagles, gig, melodic, pop, review, rock, Solo, soul, Strangeways, Terry Brock, the Darker My Horizon, The Underworld | Leave a comment

Interview: JON POOLE – THE DOWLING POOLE

Posted on April 26, 2016 by jason

The Dowling Poole have released their second album, ‘One Hyde Park’, another glorious collection of pop gems recalling greats such as XTC, the Kinks, ELO and the band’s own unique twist. After catching up recently with Willie Dowling, we posed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Dave Gregory, Dowling Poole, interview, Jon Poole, Lifesigns, One Hyde Park, pop, prog, psychedelic, quirky, rock, Tin Spirits, Wildhearts, XTC | Leave a comment

EP reviews: NIAMH CROWTHER, MIKE DEDIC

Posted on April 25, 2016 by jason

NIAMH CROWTHER www.niamhcrowther.com Niamh Crowther came to prominence aged 16, when she beat over 15,000 other young people to claim the prestigious Youth Music Awards in Ireland. She has received lots of airplay on Irish radio and has transferred this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged EP, guitar, instrumental, Mike Dedic, Niamh Crowther, pop, reviews, rock, singer songwriter, the Black Bullets | Leave a comment

Album review: LOS PACAMINOS – Reissues

Posted on April 24, 2016 by jason

LOS PACAMINOS A Fistful Of Statins/The Early Years Recdo Records [Release date 06.05.16] Los Pacaminos I remember seeing live a few years ago at the Borderline and they played an enjoyable, high energy show. The band play a mix of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged A Fistful Of Statins, album, Jamie Moses, live, Los Pacaminos, Paul Young, review, Ry Cooder, Tex Mex, The Early Years | Leave a comment

Interview: WILLIE DOWLING – THE DOWLING POOLE

Posted on April 23, 2016 by jason

The Dowling Poole have released their second album, ‘One Hyde Park’, another glorious collection of pop gems recalling greats such as XTC, the Kinks, ELO and the band’s own unique twist. Here Jason Ritchie chats to Willie Dowling who gives … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged ELO, Honeycrack, interview, Jon Poole, One Hyde Park, pop, power pop, rock, The Beatles, THE DOWLING POOLE, Willie Dowling, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: EPIC – Like A Phoenix

Posted on April 22, 2016 by jason

Escape Music www.escape-music.com [Release date 22.04.16] Never judge a book (or in this case CD) by its cover, as the band’s name Epic and cover artwork on this album may have you expecting a power or melodic metal album. It … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, epic, Escape Music, Heart, Like A Phoenix, melodic, review, rock, Witness | Leave a comment

Album review: HAKEN – Affinity

Posted on April 20, 2016 by jason

Inside Out www.insideout.de [Release date 29.04.16] Haken return with their fourth album and have a high bar to reach after their last album, the excellent ‘The Mountain’. The album also marks the first full length studio album to feature new-ish … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 80's prog, Affinity, album, Haken, Inside Out, LEPROUS, progressive, review, rock, Ross Jennings | Leave a comment

Album review: KANSAS – Always Never The Same

Posted on April 20, 2016 by jason

Store For Music www.storeformusic.com An album overlooked in the Kansas catalogue being originally released back in 1998, three years after their last studio album ‘Freaks Of Nature’. I remember reading an interview back at that time where drummer Phil Ehart … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Always Never The Same, classic, Kansas, orchestral, Phil Ehart, prog, re-issue, review, rock, Steve Walsh, the Store For Music | Leave a comment

Quick plays: CALLING ALL ASTRONAUTS, JOANA SERRAT, JAMES McARTNEY, DIRTY ACTION

Posted on April 19, 2016 by jason

CALLING ALL ASTRONAUTS Anti-Social Network This is Calling All Astronauts’ second album and they have been around since 2012, consisting of David B (vocals/programming), J Browning (guitars) and Paul McCrudden (bass). Musically they cover goth, rock, electro and certainly have … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged albums, alternative, Americana, Billy Idol, Calling All Astronauts, country, Dhani Harrison, Dirty Action, glam, goth, James McCartney, Joana Serrat, Quick Play, reviews, rock, singer songwriter, Sisters Of Mercy, sleaze, The Blackberry Train | Leave a comment

Gig review: NOTHING BUT THIEVES – O2 Forum, London, March 31 2016

Posted on April 18, 2016 by jason

Southend’s Nothing But Thieves have been making moves since 2012. Signing to RCA Records in 2014 saw the band get to work on their debut album. After it’s release last September, they’ve slowly began the rise to the big time. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Conor Mason, gig, Muse, Nothing But Thieves, review, rock, the O2 Forum | Comments Off

Album review: OYSTERBAND – This House Will Stand Best Of 1998-2015

Posted on April 17, 2016 by jason

Navigator Records [Release date 27.05.16] This is a 2CD, 29 song collection from the Oysterband covering their latter day output from 1998 to the present day. They started out back in 1977/78 as the Oyster Ceilidh Band before morphing into … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1998-2015, album, best of, folk, June Tabor, Navigator Records, Oysterband, political, review, This House Will Stand, traditional | Leave a comment

Album review: EDU FALASCHI – Moonlight

Posted on April 17, 2016 by jason

Test Your Metal Records [Release date 20.05.16] I’ve been a passing fan of Angra a long time, but I would never call myself a diehard or super knowledgeable about them. What songs/albums I have heard I always enjoyed, but were … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Almah, ANGRA, Edu Falaschi, metal, Moonlight, power metal, review | Leave a comment

Album review: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Posted on April 17, 2016 by jason

AFM Records [Release date 20.05.16] Flotsam and Jetsam are band I have had mixed feelings about over the years. Having been a huge thrash fan most of my life, and a huge fan of Metallica back in the day, there … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged AFM Records, album, Flotsam And Jetsam, metal, review, Thrash | 1 Comment

Album review: VARIOUS – Heavy Psych Sounds

Posted on April 6, 2016 by jason

http://www.heavypsychsounds.com [Release date 08.04.16] Remember the days when you would go into your local record store and there would be just two categories of music – Rock and Pop, maybe if there was an upstairs or a downstairs, there might … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1970's, acid rock, album, Black Sabbath, Doom, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Heavy Pysch, psych rock, Retro Rock, review, rock, sampler, Sludge, space rock, Stoner | Leave a comment

Album review: CHRIS OUSEY – Dream Machine

Posted on April 5, 2016 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 22.04.16] Chris Ousey has taken time out from fronting Snakecharmer to release his follow-up to his 2011 album ‘Rhyme & Reason’. He is joined by various guest musicians including fellow Snakecharmer Adam Wakeman, Tommy Denander and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged albuim, AOR, Chris Ousey, Dream Machine, Heartland, melodic, review, rock, Snakecharmer, Tommy Denander, Virginia Wolf | Leave a comment

Album review: CIRCUS MAXIMUS – Havok

Posted on April 4, 2016 by jason

Frontiers www.frontiers.it [Release date 18.03.16] Circus Maximus have been around since 2000 and this is album number four from them. Previously they have been more into straight ahead prog metal recalling bands like Kamelot and Symphony X, this time though … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Circus Maximus, Havok, melodic, metal, prog, progressive metal, review, rock | Leave a comment

EP reviews: THE BOSTON SHAKERS, LIBERTY SHIP

Posted on April 4, 2016 by jason

LIBERTY SHIP http://www.libertyshipband.com/ Liberty Ship I discovered at the Broken Witt Rebels gig, who this band preceded. They hail from Sheffield, where they have been creating a bit of a buzz locally and I picked their six song CD up at … Continue reading →