-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
-
Album review: SELWYN BIRCHWOOD – Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues
-
Album review: MIKE ZITO – Outside Or The Eastside
-
Album review: HANNAH JAMES & TOBY KUHN – Where All Our Names Belong
-
Album review: MARIACHI EL BRONX – Mariachi El Bronx IV
-
Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
-
Album review: MYRATH – Wilderness Of Mirrors
-
Latest Gig Reviews
-
Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
-
Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
-
Gig review: EMERALD MOON – Le Marquee, Peyrignac, Dordogne, SW France, 7 March 2026
-
Gig review: MILKFEST, Indigo2, London, 1 March 2026
-
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Album review : LUMINARE CHRISTMAS – Mistletoe Magic
Frontiers [Release date : 22.12.24] Founded by Chip Davis, leader of the 28 million selling, neoclassical ensemble Mannheim Steamroller, Luminare Christmas is a relatively new venture. Mannheim have two albums in the Top Ten Best Selling Christmas albums of all … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged Chip Davis, Christmas, Denis DeYoung, Frontiers, Luminare, Mannheim Steamroller, Nutcracker, review, Styx, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi
Leave a comment
Album review : SUNSTORM – Restless Fight
Frontiers [Release date: 22.11.24] Restless Fight is Sunstorm’s third with Ronnie Romero up front, this time with a few more “progressive” musicians alongside. Influential Italian guitarist/ songwriter Aldo Lonobile – and currently Frontiers’ head of A&R for Europe – has … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Aldo Lonobile, Antonio Agate, Frontiers, hard rock, Italy, review, Ronnie Romero, Sunstorm
Leave a comment
Album review: DEWOLFF- Muscle Shoals
Mascot Records [Release date 06.12.24] “The singing river ? Damned if there ain’t soul in the silt itself. Musician folks been heading down this way for years and I’ll wager I’ve seen ‘em all – yes sir, Muscle Shoals, Alabama. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, DeWolf, Lynyrd Skynrd, Muscle Shoals, Otis Redding, review, rock, soul
Leave a comment
Album review : MARY COUGHLAN – Repeat Rewind
Strange Brew [Release date : 25.10.24] Mary Coughlan’s ‘Repeat Rewind’ is released hand in hand with the 40th anniversary of her career and provides the perfect showcase for her full range of talents, from heartfelt, humorous and ironic observations to … Continue reading
Album review : STORACE – Crossfire
Frontiers [Release date 22.11.24] Crossfire is only the second Storace “solo” release from an artist whose gravel gargling vocals have fronted many million selling albums. Any fan of the hard rock genre will recognise the talent Marc Storace has surrounded … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Frontiers, Gotus, hard rock, Hollywood Vampires, KROKUS, Pat Aeby, review, Storace, Tommy Henriksen
Leave a comment
Album review : VAN ZANT – Always Look Up
Frontiers [Release date : 22.11.24] Here are the Van Zant brothers, Donnie and Johnny, vocalists respectively with 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd (50 million album sales between them), looking forward, going back. In 2017, University Of Northumbria’s Professor of American … Continue reading
Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Earth To Grace
Earache Records [Release date 08.11.24] Amazingly this is album number seven from Massive Wagons, and their fourth on Earache Records, with their last two albums both making the UK top 10 album chart. No pressure then lads! The pre-released songs/singles … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Earth to Grace, hard rock, Hundred Reasons, Massive Wagons, melodic, metal, punk, review, Wildhearts
Leave a comment
Album review : STARCHASER – Into The Great Unknown
Frontiers [Release date 15.11.24] Second album from Swedish Melodic Metal band, Starchaser. The title track, ‘Into The Great Unknown’, a successful marriage of image and drama and music, gets us underway with a flourish. (Actually the “image” comes from the … Continue reading
Album review: EVE GOODMAN – Summer Sun, Winter Trees
Bandcamp [Release date 15.11.24] ‘Summer Sun, Winter Trees’ is Eve Goodman’s debut album, having released the EP ‘Wave Upon Wave’ previously. As Eve explains, “These songs are a capture of my moods, my headspace, and the symbols and imagery that … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eve Goodman, folk, review, singer songwriter, Summer Sun, Winter Trees
Leave a comment
Album review: MARK WIRTZ – Dream Dream Dream The Anthology (5 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date : 15.11.24] Long in the making, this Mark Wirtz Anthology misses out nothing in the fascinating life and times of this musical virtuoso – composer, producer, performer, conductor, author, (and ultimately, stand up comedian). Too much … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged boxset, Cherry Red, Dream Dream Dream, George Martin, Helen Ready, Keith West, Mark Wirtz, Marlene Dietrich, review, Teenage Opera, Tomorrow, USA, Yes
Leave a comment
Album review: LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS – How To Make Friends By Telephone
Big Stir Records/Bandcamp [Release date 08.11.24] Librarians With Hickeys are an indie pop rock duo consisting of Ray Carmen (vocals, guitars, drums) and Mike Crooker (vocals, bass, organ, piano, keys). They released their debut album in 2020 and this is … Continue reading
Album review : VOODOO CIRCLE – Hail To The King
AFM Records [Release date 15.11.24] Love Whitesnake? Love Rainbow? Love Led Zeppelin? Here’s Voodoo Circle, just for you. 12 magnificent tracks. 60 magic minutes. Their finest hour. Sturdily melodic, hardbodied rock songs come at you relentlessly. You wait for the … Continue reading
Album review : LIONVILLE – Supernatural
Frontiers [Release date 15.11.24] Art for Art’s sake. Lionville’s Italian founder, writer, guitarist and all round mainman, Stefano Leonetti has brought in Swedish vocalist Alexander (Art Nation) Strandell to replace the departed Lars (Work Of Art) Safsund. Strandell has achieved … Continue reading
Album review: KINGS OF MERCIA – Battle Scars
Metal Blade Records [Release date 25.10.24] One thing you can’t accuse Steve Overland of is being work shy. The revival of his first love, FM, is not enough for the industrious frontman. Since 2004 he’s also produced albums as Shadowman … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Battle Scars, Fates Warning, FM, hard rock, Jim Matheos, Kings Of Mercia, melodic, review, Steve Overland
Leave a comment
Album review: SEVENTH CRYSTAL – Entity
Frontiers [Release date : 08.11.24] It’s hard to pin Seventh Crystal down. Is that a good thing? Yes and no. Vocalist and songwriter, Kristian Fyhr leads the band with assurance and direction. Entity is the band’s third album, a progression … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frontiers, heavy rock, Krystian Fyhr, progrock, review, Seventh Crystal
Leave a comment
Album review : IMPELLITTERI – War Machine
Frontiers [Release date : 08.11.24] Chris Impellitteri has always had something to say about the world and the way of it, illuminated by the occasional religious overtone. This new album, his band’s 16th, is not much different. We should be … Continue reading
Album review: THE QUIREBOYS – Wardour Street
Cadiz Music [Release date 01.11.24] When I heard Spike had been ousted by his own band but had drafted in original Quireboys guitarist and co-founder the late, great, Guy Bailey to help resurrect the true Quireboys, rejoined by most of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Frankie Miller, Guy Bailey, Luke Morley, Nigel Mogg, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Spike, The Quireboys, Thunder, Wardour Street
Leave a comment
News: Albums of the Month (July – September 2024)
A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation KALANDRA A Frame Of Mind (By Norse Music) Turn on the heat, settle down with your favourite tipple, and let ‘A Frame … Continue reading
Album review: FATAL VISION – Three Times Lucky
Art of Melody [Release date 22.11.24] Fatal Vision originated in Ottawa, Canada during the late 1980s, carving out a niche in the Melodic Rock scene with influences from iconic bands like Asia, Bad English, Journey, Survivor, and Van Halen. After … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 80's rock, album, Fatal Vision, hair metal, hard rock, melodic rock, review, Three Times Lucky, Van Halen
Leave a comment
Album review: JOHN WETTON – Concentus (10-CD box set)
David Randall chatted to John Wetton in April 2009. This interview was first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio 19 April 2009 and now reissued in “The GRTR! Archive” series. Spirit Of Unicorn Music/Cherry Red Records [Release date 15.11.24] … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged art rock, box set, classic rock, Concentus, interview, John Wetton, live, Progressive Rock, radio, recordings
Leave a comment
Album review: DEVIN TOWNSEND – PowerNerd
InsideOut Music [Release date 25.10.24] PowerNerd is the latest musical instalment from the over-active mind of Devin Townsend. With Devin you are never 100% sure what you are going to get, however, you know it won’t be boring! Over the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 25th Oct 2024, album, Canada, CD, coffee, country, Devin Townsend, Insideout Music, metal, PowerNerd, Rammstein, rock, Ruby Quaker, Strapping Young Lad, Vinyl
Leave a comment
Album review: GARFUNKEL & GARFUNKEL – Father and Son
BMG [Release date 08.11.24] The legendary Art Garfunkel teams up with his son, Art Jr. to produce an album of covers. As Art. Jr. explains, “This one is truly a father-son project, it’s all about this unique connection. We recorded … Continue reading
Album review: TRUCKER DIABLO – Social Hand Grenade
Big Unit Records [Release date 25.10.24] It’s a sad fact that many of the NWOCR bands doing the rounds at the moment started out at least 10 years ago. The likes of Doomsday Outlaw and Sons Of Liberty come to … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, heavy rock, NWOCR, review, Social Hand Grenade, Trucker Diablo
Leave a comment
Album review : WARRIOR FEATURING VINNIE VINCENT – The Complete Sessions (3 CDs)
Cherry Red Records [Release date 25.10.24] Ninety days in 1982. That’s how long the love affair lasted between three quarters of New England and Vinnie (Kiss) Cusano/Vincent. Vincent’s unconsummated love affair with Kiss, brought about by Ace Frehley’s sacking, was … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Ace Frehley, Gary Shea, Hirsh Gardner, Jimmy Waldo, John Fanning, Kiss, New England, review, Vincent Cusano, Warrior
Leave a comment
Album review: NO FAVORS – The Eleventh Hour
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 22.11.24] Can’t not give No Favors a listen as they hail from my home town of Stoke-on-Trent! No Favors were formed in the ’80s, which included rhythm guitarist Carl Ogden, who remained a constant … Continue reading
