Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: KILLER – Hellfire (And The Best of Killer) 2 CD Edition

Posted on April 1, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date: 21.03.23] Belgium: 1980 : 3 respected, experienced, died in the wool rock musicians split with their long time bands, and get together to share a different musical destiny. Paul “Shorty” Van Camp, “Fat Leo” and “Spooky” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Belgium, Cherry Red, heavy metal, Hellfire (And The Best of Killer), HNE, Iron Maiden, Killer, Mausoleum, Metallica, Motorhead, review, Saxon, Shorty Van Camp, Spooky | Leave a comment

Album review: ALLY VENABLE – Real Gone

Posted on March 28, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Ruf Records [Release date: 24.03.23] When we reviewed the previous Ally Venable album we suggested that whilst the young guitar slinger/singer/songwriter had made great progress the perfectly formed finish was yet to come. ‘Real Gone’ takes things a step further … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Ally Venable, blues, blues rock, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Real Gone, review | Leave a comment

Album review: ANN-MARGRET – Born To Be Wild

Posted on March 27, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 14.04.23] ‘Born To Be Wild’ is what, at first look, is often called a novelty album. Bring together a one-time Hollywood (and musical) icon (of a certain era) and hook them up virtually with a whole … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Ann-Margret, Born To Be Wild, Brian Auger, Cliff Richard, film, Harvey Mandel, Joe Perry, movie, nostalgia, Pat Boone, Pete Townshend, review, Rick Wakeman, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Steve Cropper | Leave a comment

Album review: WARFARE – The Lemmy Sessions (3 CD Boxset)

Posted on March 23, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date : 24.03.23] Late on in the last century’s timeline, around 1990, Co. Durham’s one and only anarchic metal band, Warfare, were outselling stablemates, Venom and Raven. On stage and off stage they were living up to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, boxset, Durham, Evo, heavy metal, John Tucker, Lemmy, Motorhead, review, The Lemmy Sessions, Warfare | Leave a comment

Album review: STEVE HILLAGE – LA Forum 31.1.77

Posted on March 23, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Madfish [Release date 17.03.23] Yet another Steve Hillage live album? And again focusing on the “classic era”? One for the fans, definitely, for whom the main attraction will be three bonus tracks recorded in London in March 1977 and seemingly … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Cliove Bunker, Colin Bass, LA Forum 31.1.77, live, Miquette Giraudy, Psychedelic Rock, review, Steve Hillage | Leave a comment

Album review: NICK WATERHOUSE – The Fooler

Posted on March 22, 2023 by jason

Innovative Leisure/PRES [Release date 31.03.23] ‘The Fooler’ is the sixth album from Nick Waterhouse and his last album, 2021′s ‘Promenade Blue’ was a real find and musical highlight for this reviewer. Recorded in just a few days with Mark Neill … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, garage rock, Nick Waterhouse, pop, review, rhythm and blues, singer songwriter, soul, the Fooler | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE LIGHT EFFECT – Songs From The Frontier

Posted on March 21, 2023 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 22.12.22] The pandemic has seen all sorts of creative ideas and music coming out, the latest being Blue Light Effect, a band composed of first responders, frontline workers, and a registered nurse. Hailing from Long Island, NY … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, alt rock, Blue Light Effect, Collective Soul, Gina Cutillo, melodic, pop rock, review, rock, Songs From The Frontier | Leave a comment

Album review: FLOOR JANSEN – Paragon

Posted on March 21, 2023 by jason

Pias/Revamp Music [Release date: 24.03.23] Floor Jansen’s addition as a permanent member to the Nightwish family back in 2013 found most of the fans of the Finnish outfit in total agreement, as the three-octave ranged soprano was already a singer … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged After Forever, album, Anneke van Giersbergen, Floor Jansen, melodic, Nighwish, Paragon, pop, pop rock, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: FOGHAT – Road Fever – The Complete Bearsville Recordings 1972-75 (6 CD boxset)

Posted on March 20, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date 24.03.23] Britband Foghat clocked up a considerable number of tour miles after relocating to the USA in 1970, road testing their material, looking to kickstart their career. It worked a treat. It’s on the road that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bearsville, blues, boogie, boxset, Cherry Red, Dave Peverett, Foghat, Nick Jameson, review, Rod Price, Roger Earl | Leave a comment

Album review : CROSS COUNTRY DRIVER – The New Truth

Posted on March 18, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 17.03.23] Rob (Riverdogs) Lamothe’s new bluesy, country, earthy rock music band is called Cross Country Driver. It consists of only him, his son Zander on drums, and old friend James Harper on guitar. An impressive guest list, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Dug Pinnick, Greg Chaisson, Jimmy Wallace, Mike Mangini, review, Rob Lamothe, rock, Zander Lamothe | Leave a comment

Album review : TRANSWORLD IDENTITY – Seven Worlds

Posted on March 16, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 17.3.23] Transworld Identity is a breath of fresh air. Vocalist Mila Bosa previously fronted a hard rock covers band, inevitably moving onto original material with her own band, T-ID. Hard to tell just how long they’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Abba, album, AOR, Frontiers, Hanoi Rocks, melodic rock, Mila Bosa, Nightwish, pop, review, Ryan Roxie | Leave a comment

Album review : GUNTER WERNO – Anima One

Posted on March 15, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 10.03.23] Like last month’s All My Shadows, Gunter Werno’s Anima One is yet another offshoot grown from the fertile ground that bred Prog Metal giants, Vanden Plas. While All My Shadows saw VP’s prime movers, Stephan Lill … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andy kuntz, Classical music, concerto, Fruchthalle, Gunter Werno, JS BACH, Kaiserslautern, Philharmonic Orchestra, review, Stephan Lill, Tchaikovsky, VANDEN PLAS | Leave a comment

Album review: THE FLOOD – Hear Us Out

Posted on March 14, 2023 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 24.03.23] The Flood are an interesting proposition featuring vocalist Chris Ousey (Heartland/Virginia Wolf/Snakecharmer), FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick and former FM keyboards player Didge Digital. So far, so melodic hard rock and blues rock. However, it is the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Billy Sheenan, blues rock, Chris Ousey, Didge Digital, FM, hard rock, Hear Us Out, Heartland, Jim Kirkpatrick, Mr Big, Nigel Glockler, review, rock, Saxon, Snakecharmer, The Flood, Winery Dogs | Leave a comment

Album review: STONETRIP – Run Free

Posted on March 12, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Golden Robot Records [Release date 10.03.23] If you’ve ever listened to our weekly new release show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio ‘New to GRTR!’ you’ll know that we feature a fair number of releases from Golden Robot Records. Established … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, hard rock, heavy rock, review, Run Free, Stonetrip | Leave a comment

Album review: THE ANSWER – Sundowners

Posted on March 12, 2023 by jason

Golden Robot Records [Release date 17.03.23] After a long wait, 7 years to be exact, Northern Irish rockers, The Answer return with a new album, releasing it on St Patricks day (of course!) and this fan girl gets to review … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues rock, Cormac Neeson, hard rock, review, rock, Sundowners, THE ANSWER | Leave a comment

Album review: THE BANISHMENT – Machine And Bone

Posted on March 12, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 10.03.23] From Dokken and Lynch Mob to End Machine, KXM and more, George Lynch has been on quite some rock’n’roll journey. And is still. He and his new world bandmates, Producer/Mixer/Writer, Joe Haze and vocalist, Devix AKA … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Dokken, End Machine, Frontiers, George Lynch, Industrial Rock Metal. Devix, Joe Haze, KXM, Lynch Mob, Machine And Bone, pandemic, review, The Banishment | Leave a comment

Album review : DEMONS DOWN – I Stand

Posted on March 12, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 10.03.23] Here’s an interesting band. Demons Down combine the legacy Melodic Rock of House Of Lords (and others) … Jimi Bell, Ken Mary and Chuck Wright, with today’s rising stars in the shape of Chilean vocalist, James … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Autograph, Chuck Wright, Francesco Savino, Frontiers, House of Lords, James Robledo. False Memories, Jimi Bell, Ken Mary, melodic rock, review, Sinners Blood | Leave a comment

Album review: RPWL – Crime Scene

Posted on March 10, 2023 by alanjones

Gentle Art Of Music [Release date: 17.03.23] It is now more than twenty years since RPWL’s debut album ‘God Has Failed’ was released to an unknowing world – to a muted response. But, muted response or not, it laid down … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Crime Scene, Kalle Wallner, Progressive/Art Rock, review, RPWL, Yogi Lang | Leave a comment

Album review: BLACK BEAR KISS – Black Bear Kiss (and album launch – 3 March 2023)

Posted on March 10, 2023 by jason

[Release date 03.03.23] Black Bear Kiss are a 4 piece upbeat rock band, who formed in 2016 by long term collaborators and good friends Rob Jones (guitar) and Chris Leech (vocals), with drummer Chris Bagnall and bassist Rich Sach coming … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Album Launch, Black Bear Kiss, Cannock, funk rock, gig, hard rock, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, review, rock, self-titled album, the Station | Leave a comment

Album review: RUFFYUNZ – Ruffyunz II

Posted on March 9, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Hyperspace Records [Release date 23.09.22] The second album from a veritable “superband” conglomerate featuring Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, drums) and Randy Pratt (Cactus, The Lizards, bass) with Ed Terry on vocals and JZ Barrell (guitars) They are joined by … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bobby Rondinelli, classic rock, Dave Meniketti, Don Airey, funk, hard rock, Joel Hoekstra, Pat Thrall, Randy Pratt, review, Ruffyunz, Ruffyunz II, Tracy G | Leave a comment

Quick plays: RYAN HAMILTON, RURA, RACHEL BAIMAN

Posted on March 9, 2023 by jason

RYAN HAMILTON Haunted By The Holy Ghost Wicked Cool [Release date 10.03.23] Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton is back with his third album and he has been hailed by Spin magazine as one of the ‘35 Best Lesser Known Artists of The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged albums, Americana, b;uegrass, country, folk, indie pop, Quick Play, Rachel Baiman, reviews, Rura, Ryan Hamilton, singer songwriter, traditional | Leave a comment

Album review: THE COLD STARES – Voices

Posted on March 8, 2023 by jason

Mascot Records [Release date 10.03.23] This album comprising of 13 tracks was recorded almost entirely over the course of just two days with producer/engineer/mixer Mark Needham (Taj Mahal, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Walk the Moon, Fleetwood Mac), the album stands … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues rock, hard rock, review, rock, The Cold Stares, Voices | Leave a comment

Album review: ICARUS FALLS – Hollow

Posted on March 6, 2023 by jason

Facebook [Release date 03.03.23] Icarus Falls hail from West Sussex in the UK, consisting of Doug Hay (vocals), Harvey Wigg (guitar, vocals), Lawrence Trousdale-Smith (guitar), Vinnie Denton (bass) and Josh Harris (drums). As well as having the pandemic hit their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, hard rock, Hollow, Icarus Falls, interview, melodic, metal, modern metal, review, Rising Stars | Leave a comment

Album review: KEN HENSLEY – Past And Present (Songs In Time Anthology, 1972-2021, 6 CD set)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date: 27.02.23] The late Ken Hensley had been steadily accumulating cultural stock since 1970. His ability to write poetic, melodic rock’n’roll is well known in the music industry worldwide. His reputation grew exponentially as he converted that … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 1972-2021), album, AOR, box set, Cherry Red, Ken Hensley, melodic rock, Past And Present (Songs In Time Anthology, poet, review, Russian, Uriah Heep, Vladimir Emilin | Leave a comment

Album review: D’ERCOLE – Mass Formation

Posted on February 25, 2023 by jason

Rock Company Records [Release date 03.03.23] Back again with album number nine from D’Ercole who feature Damian D’Ercole (bass, guitars), Phil Vincent (vocals, guitars, keys) and B.F. D’Ercole (drums). They are a prolific bunch, although that is no surprise as … Continue reading →