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Album review: MOONRIDER (50th Anniversary Edition)
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Album review: MIDNITE CITY- Bite The Bullet
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Gig review: PUNCHDRUNK SAINTS – Fairycroft House, Saffron Walden, December 27 2025
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Gig review: CURVED AIR – The Sub Rooms, Stroud, 20 November 2025
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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Album review: DENNIS DEYOUNG – The Music of Styx : Live in Los Angeles
Frontiers Records [Release date 20.10.14] Styx are one of my all time favourite bands and Dennis DeYoung was the vocalist, keyboard maestro and genius behind some of their biggest hits…but their biggest hit Babe, which is obviously featured on here, … Continue reading
Album review: LYRIEL – Skin And Bones
AFM Records [Release date 26.09.14] Lyriel are another one of AFM’s roster that has totally passed me by until now. This German band formed way back in 2003 and debut “Prisonworld” was released in 2005. “Autumntales”, “Paranoid Circus” and “Leverage” … Continue reading
Album review: THE TREWS – The Trews
[Release date 29.04.14] The Trews are, like Collective Soul, a band who have released a string of enjoyable albums yet fly mostly unnoticed under the mainstream musical radar. I only knew this album was out when it was given away … Continue reading
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Tagged album review, alternative, classic rock, Colin MacDonald, pop rock, rock, The Trews
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Album review: LUNATIC SOUL – Walking On A Flashlight Beam
Kscope – Out Now. Inspiration is an interesting thing. While most us mere mortals struggle to come up with anything remotely interesting to offer to the world in artistic terms, others like the Polish musician/composer Mariusz Duda are constantly creating … Continue reading
Album review: JIMMY BARNES – Hindsight
Provogue [Release date 27.10.14] While there’s still a healthy roll call of artists who can look back on a 30 year recording career, few of them still retain the fire and range of Australia’s adopted Scotsman Jimmy Barnes. ‘Hindsight’ is full … Continue reading
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Tagged Bon Scott, DIESEL, Frankie Miller, Hindsight, Jimmy Barnes, Joe Bonamassa, John Fogerty, Jonathan Cain, Keith Urban, Kevin Shirley, Little Steven, Mahalia Barnes, Mark Lizotte, Neal Schon, review, rock, Shihad, Southside Johnny, The Soul Mates, Tina Arena, vocals
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Album review: MR BIG – The Stories We Could Tell
Frontiers Records [Release Date 29.09.14] Mr Big appear to be back to stay, despite the unfortunate news of drummer Pat Torpey’s progressive illness. Three years after returning with the somewhat dry sounding ‘What If’, this latest release sees them back … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR, Billy Sheehan, Eric Martin, melodic rock, Mr Big, Paul Gilbert, review, The Stories We Could Tell
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Album review: XTASY – Revolution
MelodicRock Records [Release date 13.10.14] Andrew McNeice, the man behind melodicrock.com, has tapped into the Spanish melodic scene for Xtasy and their debut album Revolution. Xtasy were founded back in 2011 by guitarist Jorge and vocalist Silvia and they recorded … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Andrew McNeice, melodic rock, MelodicRock Records, review, Revolution, Xtasy
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Album review: RIGOR MORTIS – Slaves To The Grave
Rigor Mortis Records – Out Now. The story of Texan Speed/Thrash Metal quartet Rigor Mortis is a pretty fascinating one indeed. Having first formed back in 1983 by schoolboy friends Harden Harrison (drums) & Casey Orr (bass), they were the … Continue reading
Album review: EXODUS – Blood In, Blood Out
Nuclear Blast – Out Now. There has been a significant number of changes taking place in the line-up of the California-based Thrash Metal legends Exodus over the last thirty four years but none has come close to being more debilitating … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Blood In, Blood Out, Exodus, metal, review
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Album review: WHITESNAKE – Live In ’84 Back To The Bone
Frontiers www.frontiers.it [Released 07.11.14] Here’s a song for ya. 1984 was a good year for British rock music – and is surely epitomised by Whitesnake’s Slide It In. OK, I’m biased, possibly, but Slide It In is by far my … Continue reading
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Tagged 1984, album, Back to the Bone, classic rock, Cozy Powell, David Coverdale, hard rock, John Sykes, Jon Lord, live, Live In '84, Neil Murray, review, Tokyo, Whitesnake
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Album review: BRIAN TARQUIN & HEAVY FRIENDS – Guitars For Wounded Warriors
Purple Pyramid Records/Cleopatra [Release date 22.09.14] Brian Tarquin is a prolific producer/musician who in recent years has specialised in above-par tribute albums, such as those to Jeff Beck and Led Zep. This time he pays tribute to the ‘brave men … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Alex De Rosso, Billy Sheehan, Brian Tarquin, Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends, Bumblefoot, Chris Poland, Chuck Loeb, Gary Hoey, Guitars For Wounded Warriors, Hal Lindes, Reb Beach, review, Steve Morse, The Flyin' Ryan Brothers
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Album review: STRYPER – Live At The Whisky
Frontiers Records [Release date 22.09.14] First we had a cover’s album, then re-recordings of old numbers and then finally a decent new album and now Stryper’s comeback continues with the obligatory live album (with me being cynical, this is a … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Christian metal, Frontiers, live, Live at the Whisky, Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, review, Robert Sweet, Stryper, Tim Gaines
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Album review: SIMON PHILLIPS – Protocol II
Inakustik [Release date 13.10.14] It’s been fourteen years since the release of ‘Vantage Point’, Simon Phillips’ last solo album. This is understandable given that for most of that period he’s been tied up drumming for Toto. But of course in … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Andy Timmons, Danger Danger, drummer, drums, Ernest Tibbs, instrumental, jazz fusion, Protocol II, review, rock, Simon Phillips, Steve Lukather, Steve Weingart, Toto
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Album review: VAINAJA – Kadotetut
Svart Records – Out Now. How I love discovering new bands; and I am especially referring to those which, though respectful of their musical influences, are not afraid to try to bring something new to the table. The latest such … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Death, Doom, Kadoetetut, metal, review, Vainaja
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Album review: DARK FORTRESS – Venereal Dawn
Century Media – Out Now. Ever since their first demo “Rebirth Of The Dark Age” saw the light of day back in 1996, German sextet Dark Fortress has been one of the most prolific entities in the international Black Metal … Continue reading
Album review: KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Megalomania
AFM Records [Release date 05.09.14] Kissin’ Dynamite are a young German rock band from the southern Swabia region of the country and even though they are still in their early twenties “Megalomania” is their 4th album. Debut album “Steel of … Continue reading
Album review: PHI – The Waves Of Sound Remain
Gentle Art Of Music [Release Date 03.11.14] Despite being described by Phi themselves as ‘art rock’ this Austrian 3-piece’s musical debut screams progressive rock all day long – although, it has to be said, the prog metal template of … Continue reading
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Tagged album, art rock, Phi, prog, progressive, review, RPWL, The Waves Of Sound Remain
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Quick plays: GRAND DESIGN, 220 VOLT, JUDE GWYNAIRE
GRAND DESIGN – Thrill Of The Night AOR Heaven [Release date 29.09.14] Grand Design are back with their 80’s influenced hard rock, or as I like to think Def Leppard with a helium infused vocalist! Vocalist Pelle Saether has a … Continue reading
Album review: IRON BUTTERFLY – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (reissue)
Salvo [Release date 27.10.14] In terms of psychedelic rock heavyweights of the late-1960s, they don’t come much heavier than Iron Butterfly. Sometimes even credited for inventing the heavy metal idiom - as epitomised by the 17 minute title track. The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, bonus tracks, heavy metal, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly, pop, psychedelic, reissue, review, rock
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Album review: KRUK – Be4ore
Metal Mind Productions (out now) Kruk are an established melodic hard rock act from Poland. Be4ore is the band’s 4th outing and mines a solid, old school seam of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Whitesnake references. Kruk means Raven in … Continue reading
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Tagged Be4ore, hard rock, KRUK, melodic rock, Poland
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Album review: THE TEXAS FLOOD – Young Dogs, Old Tricks
To The Bone Records [Release date: 21.06.14] www.thetexasflood.co.uk Whilst relatively new-ish on the scene ‘The Texas Flood’ have done the groundwork and built up a solid fanbase by gigging and getting themselves out there. TTF entered a national competition, Highway … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Old Tricks, review, rock, The Texas Flood, Young Dogs
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Album review: JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – Single Mothers
Loose [Released 29.09.14] Justin Townes Earle has led an interesting life that’s for sure, from stints in rehab through to a revolving door with record labels. He is also the son of legendary country artist Steve Earle, although as the … Continue reading
Album review: STATE OF SALAZAR – All The Way
Frontiers Records [Release date 25.08.14] “All The Way” is the debut album from Swedish band State Of Salazar and the review could be condensed to state “yet another Scandinavian rock band releases yet another superbly produced slice of genuine 1980’s … Continue reading
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Tagged album, All The Way, AOR, Frontiers, review, State of Salazar
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Album review: MANFRED MANN – Lone Arranger
Creature Music [Release date 20.10.14] This is quite a challenging album to review. Quite how challenging it must have been to produce doesn’t bear thinking about. In fact, we are lucky enough to have an insight into that process. Manfred’s … Continue reading
Album review: WOLFBORNE – In The Beginning…
Karvorka Records [Release date – out now] This is the debut album from Wolfborne who hail from Vancouver. The premise was ‘to create a record to redefine rock music for the current generation’ an ambitious plan, so have they come … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Chris Witoski, funk, Funky Town, In The Beginning..., metal, review, rock, Sex Sells, Soil, UK tour, Wolfborne
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