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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
FURYON – Gravitas
Frontiers 2012 www.frontiers.it My first encounter with Furyon was way back in the summer of 2010 when Classic Rock magazine gave away a three track sampler. As with most samplers I played it a couple of times thinking that it … Continue reading
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Tagged Frontiers, Furyon, Gravitas
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STRAWBERRY FIELDS – Live Strawberry Fields
Metal Mind Productions (DVD 2012) Some quality rock here, and a stunning live show with some beautiful female vocals – and a distinct prog feel. The live show starts in rather polite fashion but there is a good live show … Continue reading
DWELLERS – Good Morning Harakiri
Small Stone Records (2012) An odd mix this – as the roots are in in psych with a nod of blues, but it is effectively a slightly doomy stoner sound. From the outset the rhythms are slow to mid paced, … Continue reading
THIN LIZZY re-issues
Nightlife (2CD) 3.5/5 Fighting (2CD) 4/5 Universal Universal continue their excellent reissue campaign with the first two sets for Phonogram, in 1974 and 1975 respectively. Following the sudden departure of original guitarist Eric Bell, and completing the tour with Gary … Continue reading
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Tagged Fighting, Nightlife, Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy
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DIO re-issues
Holy Diver (2CD) 5/5 The Last in Line (2CD) 5/5 Sacred Heart (2CD) 4/5 Universal At long last the first three Dio albums get the proper remaster treatment and what a joy to behold. Really. After Elf, Rainbow and Black … Continue reading
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Tagged Dio, Holy Diver, Ronnie James Dio, Sacred Heart, The Last In Line
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RINGO STARR & THE ROUNDHEADS – Live (DVD)
Recorded back in 2005 at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois as part of the Soundstage series of live concerts it finally gets a UK release a couple years after the US one. Normally Ringo Starr appears with his All … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged Ringo Starr, The Beatles
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LYRIEL ‘Leverage’
AFM Records (2012) www.afm-records.de Folk metal band Lyriel returns with their new album a follow-up to the highly enjoyable ‘Paranoid Circus’ and it also marks the band’s debut on AFM Records. Overall the band has added a commercial sheen to … Continue reading
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Tagged folk metal, Leverage, Lyriel
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VERA GRACE – Rotations
S-a-N PR Oxfordshire 5 piece Vera Grace are about to unleash this, their debut EP, on an unsuspecting world. The band formed at school early in 2011 and released their debut single later in the year. Musically Vera Grace master … Continue reading
The B-52’s – With The Wild Crowd, Live In Athens, Georgia
Eagle Vision (2012) I am sure if you look up the word ‘quirky’ in the dictionary it would say ‘ see the B-52’s’. For years the band have ploughed their own furrow, producing off kilter, but oh so catchy, tunes … Continue reading
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Tagged B-52's, Eagle Vision
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SANTANA – Greatest Hits: A Night In Montreux
Eagle Vision (2012) This is a new blu ray DVD release which perfectly captures Carlos Santana and his cohorts playing through a stunning set of Santana’s greatest hits. This gig was recorded during the band’s European tour in July 2011 … Continue reading
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Tagged Eagle Vision, Santana
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SAVAGE MESSIAH ‘Plague of Conscience’
Savage Messiah is an English outfit producing metal that grabs one’s attention. This is the band’s third release and has been available for free download on Earache’s web page. The artwork belies the true nature of the band’s music: while … Continue reading
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Tagged Plague of conscience, Savage Messiah
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COMSORTIUM PROJECT – re-issues
Lion Music www.lionmusic.com Ian Parry’s brainchild, Consortium Project, was born in 1999 following his previous solo album “Thru the looking glass” in 1995. The project lived for no fewer than 13 years, with the release of five epic tales, reaching … Continue reading
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Tagged Consortium Project, Ian Parry
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HOLY FORCE – S/T
http://www.holyforceband.com Music By Mail (2012) Holy Force is a power metal outfit formed by guitarist Ango Chen. He penned 14 songs, three of them instrumentals, for this, the band’s debut release, which features Mark Boals (vocals, ex-Yngwie), Mike LePond (bass, … Continue reading
MARK NORTHFIELD – Alterations
Mark Northfield has taken a novel idea on this ten song album whereby the first five songs have their riffs taken and then used in the final five songs. It has a large musical cast with nine vocalists joining himself … Continue reading
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Tagged Alterations, Mark Northfield
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Quick Plays – Trillium, Johnny Bennett, Skeletal Damage, Epigene
Johnny Bennett “Gone Missing” (www.johnny-bennett.com) I don’t know much about Johnny Bennett except that he is an American singer songwriter whose blues edged 2nd album “Gone Missing” was recorded in Oxfordshire and is now available from www.johnny-bennett.com. The album itself … Continue reading
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Tagged Epigene, Johnny Bennett, Skeletal Damage, Trillium
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TOXIC FEDERATION – ‘Distance’
Cargo Records 2012 (Ed’s note: band now called Fahran) This Midlands based band were formed in 2006 yet have an average age of just 20 and if their new album is anything to go by, then they deserve to be … Continue reading
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Tagged Distance, Fahran, Toxic Federation
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TRISTAN MACKAY – ‘Out Along The Wire’
Battered Hat Records 2011 Singer songwriter Tristan Mackay was first inspired to pick up the guitar after hearing Clapton’s “Unplugged” album and you can certainly hear that in his style of playing. Having released a couple of EPs and had … Continue reading
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Tagged Out Along The Wire, Tristan Mackay
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POPA CHUBBY – ‘Back to New York City’
Provogue 2011 American Blues Rock guitarist Popa Chubby has been nothing short of prolific in his output over the last decade. Releasing six studio and four live albums in the last ten years, “Back to New York City” is his … Continue reading
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Tagged blues rock, Popa Chubby
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THE LAYABOUTS – ‘Strange Behaviour’
Homeless Records 2012 Madrid based four piece The Layabouts new album “Strange Behaviour” delivers 10 tracks in just 29 minutes- energetic burst of sleaze, punk and garage rock infused music that sounds more American or English than Spanish. Whether it … Continue reading
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Tagged Strange Behaviour, The Layabouts
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CHEERLEADER – ‘Vegas Or Bust’
Angry Shark Records 2012 Cheerleader are not to be typecast as just Scandinavian rock as these boys don’t quite fit into that mould, and that is a good thing. Hailing from Sweden the band has a bigger sound than most … Continue reading
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Tagged Cheerleader, Vegas Or Bust
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DONNIE VIE – Wrapped Around My Middle Finger
Livewire/Cargo Records 2012 Written by, partly produced by and featuring the multi-instrumental skills of Enuff z Nuff frontman Donnie Vie, his new solo album “Wrapped Around My Middle Finger” has just been released and will be hard to prise away … Continue reading
SEETHER – Holding On To The Strings Better Left To Fray
10 Q’s with the band Wind-Up Records 2012 South African post grunge rockers Seether are back with their 6th album, the snappily titled ‘Holding On To The Strings Better Left To Fray’. It has been four years since the band’s … Continue reading
HOME RUN – Black World
Tarzan Music 2012 Italian band Home Run have released their second album ”Black World”, which finds the band with not only a new rhythm section but a new guitarist – however on listening you could easily believe they have been … Continue reading
X-UFO – Vol.1: The Live Files!
(www.x-ufo.co.uk) More than a mere tribute band to UFO, each member of X-UFO has played with the band (bassist Rocky Newton actually played in MSG but that’s good enough for me!!) and has a strong musical pedigree to match. Recorded … Continue reading
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Tagged Clive Edwards, Danny Peyronel, Laurence Archer, MSG, Rocky Newton, X-UFO
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STEVE THORNE – Crimes & Reasons
GEP/SPV 2012 www.steve-thorne.co.uk Steve Thorne returns with his fourth album, playing the majority of the instruments bar Nick D’Virgilio (Cirque Du Soleil/ex-Spock’s Beard) and Bob White on drums with Tony Levin and Gary Chandler (Jadis) also guesting. Also former IQ … Continue reading
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Tagged Crimes & Reasons, IQ, Jadis, Martin Orford, Nick D’Virgilio, Spock's Beard, Steve Thorne, Tony Levin
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