Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: ERJA LYYTINEN – Forbidden Fruit

Ruf Records 1188 [Released Jan 2013] Forbidden Fruit’ finds Finnish slide guitarist Erja Lyytinen taking the blues into the new territories, by delving into the personal realm to explore previously untapped musical ambitions. From the deeply felt lyrics and well crafted … Continue reading →

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Album review: PAUL RAYMOND PROJECT – Terms & Conditions Apply

Paul Raymond - Terms & Conditions Apply

Hear No Evil Recordings [Release date 28.01.13] Paul Raymond may be best known as the quiet one in UFO and perhaps surprisingly this is his sixth solo outing.  ’Terms & Conditions Apply’ will appeal to UFO fans, but more broadly … Continue reading →

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SABBATH ASSEMBLY – Ye Are Gods

Svart Records – Out Now. Religion and Mysticism have been closely linked with Rock throughout its history, providing both artists and bands with subjects for inspiration and discussion through music. While images of the goat have been sported on many … Continue reading →

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STANDING OVATION – The Antikythera Mechanism

Inverse Records www.standingovationband.com         Six piece progressive metal band from Finland who impress on this album, although it does take a few plays to really gel with the listener. The vocals of Jouni Partanen are another feature … Continue reading →

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Quick Plays: DONOVAN’S DEVILS, SAKLIF KEITA, WILD ROSE, HEIDI TALBOT

DONOVAN’S DEVILS – Brothers Above All www.donovansdevils.com  Formed in 2011, Donovan’s Devils consists of Teddy Venezia (vocals/guitar), Austin Martinez (lead guitar), TJ Bernhard (bass) and Michael Gangino (drums). Their debut album is an acoustic driven one and despite on their website … Continue reading →

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PINK CREAM 69- Ceremonial (Frontiers records- release date 25.1.2013)

German melodic rockers Pink Cream 69 have been going nearly a quarter of a century now and I remember them supporting Europe back in 1992, yet have gone under the radar somewhat, possibly because of their rather naff name. Ceremonial … Continue reading →

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GOD SEED – I Begin

Indie Recordings – Out Now. How many bands can you name which have recorded a live album at a festival as prestigious as Wacken Open Air before having released even a single note under their name? Chances are that, apart … Continue reading →

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DARKTRIBE – Mysticeti Victoria

Massacre Records – Out Now. It’s typical that during an economic recession, the art world suffers most…state funds are reduced (if not scrapped altogether), people’s attendance at shows declines and record labels tend to invest less in their artists. It … Continue reading →

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HEARTBREAK RADIO – On Air

AOR Heaven (Released 22nd February) Heartbreak Radio are a spin-off from Last Autumn’s Dream and have released one other album to date back in 2005. They were formed to pay homage to the band members’ love of West Coast AOR … Continue reading →

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THE RECOVERY! Wherever Nowhere Takes Us

(Released February 11th)         There’s something very admirable about intimate record labels, and Glasgow based Cold War Legacy have shown just that with the release of their recent EP “Wherever Nowhere Takes Us” from hardcore rock’n’rollers The … Continue reading →

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I SPIT ASHES – Inhaling Blackness…Reflecting Light

Massacre Records – Out Now. A picture is worth a thousand words, isn’t it? Normally, I would agree, however, this is not always the case…Take, for instance, the album cover of “Inhaling Blackness… Reflecting Light”, the debut release of the … Continue reading →

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VADUZ – Better Days

    Catamount Records ( Release date – out now) Hair metal, everyone loves it even if it is a guilty pleasure and the latest exponents of the genre are Vaduz. The band are named after the capital of Liechtenstein … Continue reading →

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OPERATION MAJORITY – Ratrace Lullabyes

    Self Release  (Release date – Out Now) Operation Majority are from the frozen wastes of Oulo in Finland. The eclectic trio have been a unit for 8 years and this album has brought together songs written and honed … Continue reading →

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MOTHERSHIP – Mothership

    Ripple Records (Release date – 12.01.13) This album is the latest release from the fantastic Ripple Records who have a habit of finding excellent, no nonsense, hard rocking bands and in Mothership they have come up trumps once … Continue reading →

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Album review: UNITOPIA – Covered Mirror Vol.1

Bird’s Robe Records – (Release date 31.10.12] Covered Mirror – or to give it its full title ‘Covered Mirror Vol.1 Smooth As Silk’ is Adelaide proggers Unitopia’s paean to some of the tracks that have influenced the band over the … Continue reading →

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BELASCO – Transmuting

Maybe Records Belasco release their latest album some six years after their last one and they have the legendary Tom Allom (Black Sabbath/Judas Priest) mixing the album. The band have certainly built up a following since starting in 2000. The … Continue reading →

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Album review: JUSTIN HAYWARD – Spirits of the Western Sky

       Eagle Records (Released 25th February) The Moody Blues main man Justin Hayward returns with his first solo album since 1996. The album was recorded in Nashville and Genoa and features a few musical adventures with a couple … Continue reading →

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HELLECTRICITY – Salem Blood

    Metal Mind Records (Release  date – Out now) At the moment there are a lot of bands that feel the need to be all things to all men, mixing genres to try and create a new and unique … Continue reading →

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FURIA LOUCA – Furia Louca

    Self Release (Release Date – Out now) A bit of Brazilian melodic rock is what is on offer on this release. The band have been around since 2005 and this is their first release. The guys have honed … Continue reading →

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THIEF IN THE NIGHT – Under The Influence

    Finish Strong Music ( Release Date – Out now) Thief InThe Night is made up of Johnny Rossa on vocals and Chris Van Duyn. The two guys have been writing and performing together for a couple of years … Continue reading →

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FURIOUS ZOO – Wock N’ Woll – Furioso IV

Rebel Music ( Release Date – Out Now) Parisian rockers, Furious Zoo, are a project put together by frontman Renaud Hantson back in 1991. This is the band’s sixth album which did surprise me as the name was new to … Continue reading →

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UNHERZ – Die Wahrheit Liegt Dazwischen

Masscare Records – Out Now. The Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the most culturally and linguistically varied areas of the Germany, bordering with Belgium and Luxembourg. It is quite natural, then, that this area would produce a band like Unherz – … Continue reading →

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JOLLY – The Audio Guide To Happiness Part II

Inside Out – Release Date: 4/3/2013 One of the few major benefits of getting older is becoming more accepting and “open-minded” – a word much hated by a certain close friend of mine. Twenty years ago I would never have … Continue reading →

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SEREMONIA – Seremonia

Svart Records – Out Now. Svart Records is a Finnish label whose releases I only recently managed to gain access to and, so far, I have been fairly impressed by both the variety and quality of music on offer. The … Continue reading →

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SCORNAGE – Reafearance

Massacre Records – Out Now Aachen is a tranquil and picturesque Germany city located near the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, where the mineral springs and spa have been enjoyed by figures as important as the Holy Roman Emperor … Continue reading →

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