Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: IRON ALLIES – Blood In Blood Out

Posted on October 19, 2022 by brianmc

AFM Records [release date: 21.10.02] Iron Allies is a band with an impressive Metal heritage. It’s Herman (Accept/ Victory/ Moondoc) Frank’s new band, and if ever an artist invokes the genre it is he. He’s brought in another well known … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged Accept, album, Bangalore Choir, Bonfire, David Reece, heavy metal, Herman Frank, review, Victory | Leave a comment

Album Review: C85 (3CD Various Artists)

Posted on October 18, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red [release date: 21.10.22] Taking its lead from NME’s ultra successful C86, this 72 track, triple CD release, C85, celebrates the rise and rise of the Indie band in the UK. In 1986, NME scribe Neil Taylor had the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, C85, eighties, Happy Mondays, Housemartins, indie, Jesus And Mary Chain, John Peel, Neil Taylor, NME, Primal Scream, review, Soup Dragons, Stone Roses, That Petrol Emotion, The Wedding Present | Leave a comment

Album review: SAM SWEENEY – Escape That

Posted on October 16, 2022 by jason

Hudson Records [Release date 21.10.22] Renowned fiddle player Bellowhead member Sam Sweeney returns with an album that ties together the threads of Sam’s musical loves; combining pop hooks and his pioneering work in the world of traditional dance tunes. Written … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bellowhead, Escape That, fiddle, folk, instrumental, review, Sam Sweeney, traditional | Leave a comment

Album review: THE MOON CITY MASTERS – The Famous Moon City Masters

Posted on October 16, 2022 by jason

Facebook [Release date 04.11.22] The Moon City Masters, aka brothers Jordan and Talor Steinberg, unleash their 70s infused debut album upon us. Despite rivalling Nelson in the hair product stakes, the Moon City Masters have their musical roots firmly in the 70s, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 70's rock, album, AOR, glam rock, melodic rock, review, The Famous Moon City Masters, The Moon City Masters | Leave a comment

Album review: EDDIE and THE HOT RODS – The Singles 1976-85 (2 CDs)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red [release date: 14.10.22] So much crammed into these two Eddie and The Hot Rods’ compilation CDs. So much history here. Of the band, of the nascent sound of Punk. Of the talent that flowed through the various line-ups. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 2 CDs, album, Canvey Island, Proto-punk, pub rock, punk, Question Mark and The Mysterians, R&B, review, Them, Top Of The Pops, Van Morrison | Leave a comment

Album review: BLUE OCTOBER – Spinning The Truth Around

Posted on October 16, 2022 by brianmc

Up/Down Records [Release date: 14.10.22] Compulsive songwriter Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October is long past previous compulsions. The only thing he’s tested positive for in recent years is Covid, and he shook that off pretty quickly. And now this authentic … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, review | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DOWLING POOLE – Refuse

Posted on October 15, 2022 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 14.10.22] ‘Refuse’, the new album from The Dowling Poole features all of the ‘digital only’ tracks the group occasionally released for short periods of time and are now collated on this physical release. Each track has been … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 10CC, album, ELO, Jon Poole, melodic, pop, power pop. pop rock, Queen Extravaganza, quirky pop, Refuse, review, rock, THE DOWLING POOLE, Willie Dowling, XTC | Leave a comment

Album review: HUMBLE PIE – I Need A Star In My Life

Posted on October 14, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 02.09.22] Humble Pie’s light shone for a few years in the early 1970s when – with Peter Frampton in the line-up – they released the classic live album ‘Performance Rockin The Fillmore’. By 1974 the band’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, blues, blues rock, Humble Pie, I Need A Star In My Life, R&B, review, Steve Marriott | Leave a comment

Album review: GUN – The Calton Songs

Posted on October 13, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 14.10.22] Gun trade in emotions – nostalgia, melancholy and ultimately, optimism. Always have, and they have become expert. The title of their new album, The Calton Songs, confirms this. Born and brought up in “The Calton”, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged acoustic, album, Andy Carr, Barrowlands, Calton, Dante Gizzi, Glasgow, Gun, Jools Gizzi, Mark Rankin, Paul McManus, review, The Calton Songs, Tommy Gentry. Toby Jepson | Leave a comment

Album review: GRAND – Grand

Posted on October 12, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 14.10.22] Swedish songwriter/singer Mattias Olofsson teamed up with Wigelius guitarist, Jakob Svensson and drummer Anton Martinez to form Grand in 2020. The band subsequently signed with Frontiers. This is the debut. Grand are as good an AOR/Melodic … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Anton Martinez, AOR, Frontiers, Giant, glam rock, Jakob Svensson, John Waite, Jon Anderson, Mattias Olaffson, melodic rock, Peter Wolf, review, sleaze rock, Starship, Westcoast Rock, Wigelius, Work Of Art, Yes | Leave a comment

Album review: WILDNESS – Resurrection

Posted on October 11, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 14.10.22] Maybe the title indicates that a move to Frontiers for their third album, Resurrection, is seen by Swedish AOR/Melodic Rock band Wildness as a post pandemic rebirth. Certainly, the band have made significant strides in terms … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Dokken, HEAT, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, Pretty Maids, Resurrection, review, Talisman, Wildness | Leave a comment

Album review: TODD RUNDGREN – Space Force

Posted on October 11, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 14.10.22] For the next twelve months or so we will be celebrating 20 years of GRTR! During the past two decades Todd Rundgren is one of those artists who has raised his profile in the UK. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Adrian Belew, album, classic rock, Neil Finn, review, Rivers Cuomo, Space Force, SPARKS, Steve Vai, The Lemon Twigs, The Roots, Thomas Dolby, Todd Rundgren | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – When Two Worlds Collide

Posted on October 10, 2022 by jason

THE DARKER MY HORIZON - When 2 Worlds Collide

Website [Release date 09.09.22] This latest album from the Darker My Horizon (TDmH) delivers 12 tracks and 3 bonus recordings, including two charity singles. The album literally has been a work of blood, sweat and tears with a reflection on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, melodic hard rock, Paul Stead, review, rock, the Darker My Horizon, When Two Worlds Collide | Leave a comment

Album review : KILLER KINGS – Burn For Love

Posted on October 10, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers Records [Release date: 14.10.22] Killer Kings are guitarist, Tristan Avakian and vocalist, Gregory Lynn Hall. Two names you will immediate recognise from their well documented (in Melodic Rock circles) involvement with near legendary bands Red Dawn, TSO, Heaven & … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 101 South, album, AOR, Frontiers, Gregory Lynn Hall, Heaven and Earth, melodic rock, Red Dawn, Tristan Avakian, TSO | Leave a comment

Album review: THE MAGPIES – Undertow

Posted on October 9, 2022 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 14.10.22] Second album from the Yorkshire-based trio the Magpies who consist of Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Kate Griffin. They have only been performing since 2018, and bearing in mind the covid pandemic halt on live music … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Eurythmics, folk, review, roots, the Magpies, transatlantic folk, Undertow | Leave a comment

Album review: DRAGONLAND – The Power Of The Nightstar

Posted on October 9, 2022 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date: 14.10.22] First album in ten years from Swedish Power/Melodic Metal band, Dragonland. A lot can change in ten years. A lot can stay the same. This is Dragonland expanded, more ambitious, with a finely developed movie … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Anders Hammer, Elias Holmlid, Hans Zimmer, Jacob Hansen, Jesse Lindskog, Johan Nunez, John Williams, Jonas Heidgert, melodic metal, Olof Mörck), power metal, review, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Album review: BOREALIS – Illusions

Posted on October 8, 2022 by brianmc

AFM Records [Release date: 07.10.22] Four years after The Offering, underrated and often overlooked Canadian metal soundscape supremos, Borealis, step up a gear with new album, Illusion. This is a metal band impossible to categorise. Anyone who thought they were … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, composer, Evergrey, Orchestrated, Progmetal, review, Silent Skies, Tom Englund, Vikram Shankar | Leave a comment

Album review: GENERATION RADIO

Posted on October 8, 2022 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 05.08.22] Generation Radio may have a name that suggests AOR and melodic rock, however, another key ingrediant in their sound is country rock provided by Jay DeMarcus, formerly of Rascal Flatts. Rascal Flatts had numerous number one … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Chicago, country, Frontiers, Generation Radio, Jason Scheff, Jay DeMarcus, Journey, Rascal Flatts, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: COLLATERAL – Re-Wired

Posted on October 6, 2022 by jason

Cargo Records [Release date 21.10.22] Originally released early in 2020, British band Collateral have taken their self-titled debut and given the album an overhaul, added a lively new single and included some big-name collaborators, the album also has a new … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Bon Jovi, classic rock, Collateral, Jeff Scott Soto, Joel Hoekstra, melodic hard rock, Re-Wired, review, rock | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (July 2022 – September 2022)

Posted on September 29, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

CATS IN SPACE Kickstart The Sun (Harmony Factory) The ambitious production of chief songwriter Greg Hart and Ian Caple does justice to the songs and the overall impression is that the sound is noticeably tougher than previous releases with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS | Tagged albums, August 2022, blues rock, Cats In Space, classic rock, Dim Gray, H.E.A.T., hard rock, heavy rock, July 2022, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, review, September 2022, Snowy White, The Dead Daisies, White Spirit | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVID SINCLAIR FOUR – Apropos Blues

Posted on September 28, 2022 by petefeenstra

Critical Discs [Release date 02.09.22] They say you should cut your best song first and while DS4 don’t quite do that, they open with the next best thing, an adventurous single called ‘Hip-Hopping’ on which David Sinclair nails his colours … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, David Sinclair, David Sinclair Four, funk, Geoff Peel, Jack Sinclair, Joss Mendoza, Laurie Garnham, lyrics, review, rock, Rory Mendoza, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, vocals | Leave a comment

Album review: ROCKING HORSE MUSIC CLUB – Circus Of Wire Dolls

Posted on September 27, 2022 by alanjones

Plane Groovy Records [Release date: 16.09.22] Third trip into the studio for American “progressive” rock band Rocking Horse Music Club following their EP ‘Everywhere Is Home’ from 2018 and their tribute to Genesis fretmeister Anthony Phillips ‘Which Way The Wind … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Circus Of Wire Dolls, David Cross, John Hackett, Progressive Rock, review, Rob Townsend, Rocking Horse Music Club, Tim Bowness | Leave a comment

Album review: JEFF BERLIN – Jack Songs

Posted on September 26, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

jeffberlinmusicgroup.com [Release date 02.08.22] It won’t surprise you that an artist like Jeff Berlin has a rather impressive contacts list. He’s been providing sublime bass for any number of artists over the years including Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth. On … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alex Ligertwood, bass, bass guitar, Bumblefoot, Cream, Eric Johnson, Jack Bruce, Jack Songs, Jazz rock, Jeff Berlin, review, Scott Henderson | Leave a comment

Album review: SIOBHAN MILLER – Bloom

Posted on September 25, 2022 by jason

Proper Music [Release date 16.09.22] Siobhan Miller was like many artists releasing a new album just as the covid epidemic started, curtailing any touring plans and coverage for any new music. Now we are back into vaguely normal times again … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Andy M Stewart, Bloom, Eddi Reader, Ewan McColl, folk, Rab Noakes, review, Siobhan Miller, traditional muisc | Leave a comment

Album review: BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN – Crazy Town

Posted on September 25, 2022 by jason

Cooking Vinyl [Release date 23.09.22] This is Beth Nielsen Chapman’s thirteenth solo album and her first in ten years, as well as her debut release on Cooking Vinyl. Produced by 5-time Grammy Award winner Ray Kennedy (who’s worked with Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Shania Twain, … Continue reading →