Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: H.E.A.T. – Force Majeure

Posted on August 4, 2022 by andynathan

earMUSIC [Release date 05.08.22] H.E.A.T’s seventh album has been anticipated with some curiosity. 2020’s misleadingly entitled ‘H.E.A.T II’ was a refreshing return to their trademark anthemic melodic rock sound, after the experimental ‘Into The Great Unknown’ but singer Erik Gronwall, … Continue reading →

Album review: RESTLESS SPIRITS – Second To None

Posted on August 4, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 12.08.22] Restless Spirits’ guitarist Tony (Lords Of Black) Hernando’s melodic rock project gains some momentum here, with 4 outstanding singers. 3 of them, Chez Kane, Kent Hilli and Renan Zonta are on the verge of wider recognition. … Continue reading →

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Album review: NORDIC UNION – Animalistic

Posted on August 3, 2022 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 12.08.22] Nordic Union, as every melodic rock fan will know, is a musical marriage of two talented people. Songwriter, producer and guitarist, Erik (Eclipse, WET) Martensson, and vocalist, Ronnie (Pretty Maids) Atkins. Atkins’ advanced form of lung cancer, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Eclipse, Erik Martensson, melodic hard rock, Pretty Maids, review, Ronnie Atkins, WET | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (April 2022 – June 2022)

Posted on August 3, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

DARE Road To Eden (Legend Records) Though it would be unreasonable to expect a full return to their original style, this nice blend of classic and newer Dare is a perfect representation of where they are in 2022, setting them … Continue reading →

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Album review: FRACTAL SEXTET

Posted on August 2, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Alchemy Records [Release date 16.09.22] It would be easy to dismiss Fractal Sextet as a muso-based-up-their-own-backside combo. In fact the press release might have you believe that. But no. Muso – yes – but damned accessible with it. The whole … Continue reading →

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Album review: AMY GODDARD – Rise

Posted on August 1, 2022 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 22.07.22] Amy Goddard is a British contemporary folk singer/songwriter with both Celtic and American influences. She is also an artist and luthier (which I had to look up and they are a maker of string instruments). With … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Amy Goddard, folk, review, Rise, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: PALACE- One 4 The Road

Posted on August 1, 2022 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release date 15.07.22) Swedish man of many talents Michael Palace is back with his latest recreation of vintage AOR. Like its predecessor ‘Rock and Roll Radio’ 18 months ago he sings and plays all instruments himself, writes and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Michael Palace, Palace | Leave a comment

Album review: DEF LEPPARD – Adrenalize (vinyl reissue)

Posted on July 30, 2022 by jason

Universal [Release date 05.08.22] Def Leppard are Britain’s most successful rock bands, whose records adorn many a collection (and radio playlist too). 1987’s Hysteria, with hits like Poor Some Sugar On Me, was such a success it’s album everyone either … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged Adrenalize, album, Def Leppard, hard rock, Joe Elliott, melodic rock, reissue, review, rock, Vinyl | Leave a comment

Album review: MONTROSE – I Got The Fire (6 CD Boxset)

Posted on July 28, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE Recordings [Release date: 29.07.22] If you’re looking for comprehensive CD coverage of Montrose’s journey through the seventies, look no further. That might sound like a PR man’s tagline, but it’s reflective of reality. This boxset consists of: CD1: … Continue reading →

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Album review: WAYSTED : Heroes Die Young – Waysted Volume 2 (5 CD boxset)

Posted on July 26, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red/HNE [Release date 29.07.22] Waysted reformed early in the new millenium, just to prove that the world hadn’t ended. This 5 CD boxset chronicles the band’s releases from when they kick started their career in 2000, to the date … Continue reading →

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Album review: OUSEY MANN – Is Anybody Listening

Posted on July 25, 2022 by andynathan

Escape Music (Release date 24.06.22) Both Chris Ousey and Steve Mann have been on the UK rock scene as long as I can remember –the former singing with Virginia Wolf, Heartland and Snakecharmer among others, the latter the loyal sideman … Continue reading →

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Album review: SILENT RUNNING – Follow The Light

Posted on July 25, 2022 by brianmc

Door Records [Release date: 22.07.22] Northern Ireland’s Silent Running convincingly transitioned from Punk to Hard Rock in the eighties, and enjoyed moderate success, scoring support tours with Simple Minds, Talk Talk and Robert Palmer. Albums on EMI and Atlantic Records … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Atlantic Records, EMI Records, melodic hard rock, Northern Ireland, punk, review, Robert Palmer, Simple Minds, Talk Talk | Leave a comment

Album review: PHIL VINCENT – No Respect

Posted on July 24, 2022 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 22.07.22] As he aptly describes himself on his Bandcamp page, “Phil Vincent is truly a one man band. His proficiency with multiple instruments makes it possible for him to write, arrange, perform, produce and mix all of … Continue reading →

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Album review: LESSMANN VOSS – Rock Is Our Religion

Posted on July 24, 2022 by brianmc

Atomic Fire Records [Release date: 22.07.22] This Lessmann Voss, Rock Is Our Religion album would be easy to write off because it seems so out of time. Bonfire’s Claus Lessmann and Mad Max’s Michael Voss are clearly not keen to … Continue reading →

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Album review: UFO – High Stakes And Dangerous Men / Lights Out In Tokyo (2 CD set)

Posted on July 20, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 22/07/22] UFO’s Lights Out (1977) had been a huge album for the band in Japan. So when they toured the High Stakes And Dangerous Men album there in 1992, they would include a Lights Out set. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged albums, Clive Edwards, hard rock, Japan, Lawrence Archer, live, Pete Way, Phil Mogg, review, studio, Tokyo | Leave a comment

Album review: SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE – Voodoo Nation

Posted on July 17, 2022 by petefeenstra

Provogue [Release date 24.06.22] ‘Voodoo Nation’ is Supersonic Blues Machine’s 3rd album and it works hard to make the same impact as its 2 predecessors. It’s a rock solid album with plenty of bluster, but relies heavily on formulaic choruses … Continue reading →

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Album review: BUSH GOTHIC – Beyond the Pale

Posted on July 17, 2022 by jason

Website [Release date 29.07.22] Beyond The Pale is the third album from Bush Gothic, an Australian folk three piece consisting of Jenny M Thomas (vocals, fiddle), Chris Lewis (drums) and Dan Witton (double bass & vocals). Bush Gothic are a … Continue reading →

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Album review: TAZ TAYLOR BAND – Nocturnal

Posted on July 17, 2022 by brianmc

Global Rock [Release date 15.07.22] Taz Taylor’s classic hard rock never stands still – it’s always in motion, on the move, heading somewhere. Maybe that’s a holdover from his time driving 18 wheelers across the USA for a living, before … Continue reading →

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Album review: COMPASS – Theory Of Tides

Posted on July 16, 2022 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 22.07.22] Second album from Compass, the band formed by Steve Newman, who is more known for his melodic rock efforts in Newman, He is joined by vocalist Ben Green, Newman bassist David Bartlett and drummer Toni … Continue reading →

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Album review: SNOWY WHITE – Driving On The 44

Posted on July 15, 2022 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Snowy White in July 2022 for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 10 July 2022. Soulfood [Release date 11.07.22] Snowy White has always been a one guitar blues man. The fact his Les Paul Goldtop … Continue reading →

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Album review: JOHN STEEL – Distorted Reality

Posted on July 14, 2022 by brianmc

Global Rock [Release date: 15.07.22] This 3 album/double CD set from Ivan Stalev (John Steel) is quite a coup for SFM’s new metal/rock spinoff label, Global Rock. Effectively, the package backs up the release of Steel’s new album, Distorted Reality, … Continue reading →

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Album review: TRACTOR – Tractor 50th Anniversary Edition (red vinyl)

Posted on July 11, 2022 by petefeenstra

Ozit /Morpheus Records [Release date 01.07.22] Previously reissued by Ozit as a CD to mark the album’s 30th anniversary, The 50th anniversary of ‘Tractor’ is given a 3 sided, double-set on red vinyl release, contextualised by a pictorial collage with … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE KUT – GRIT

Posted on July 10, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Criminal Records [Release date 08.07.22] “The Kut” is essentially the band’s songwriter and vocalist Maha and ‘Grit’ is the second album. The barometer is set somewhere between the American rock and roll of The Runaways, the post-punk attitude of Girlschool, … Continue reading →

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Album review: DAVID PAICH – Forgotten Toys

Posted on July 10, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

The Players Club/Mascot [Release date 19.08.22] The first thing to say about this, the first solo “album” from the long-serving Toto keyboard player, it’s very short and it’s very Toto. By using band-mates Joseph Williams (vocals, co-producer/writer) and Steve Lukather … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE UK SUBS – Yellow Leader

Posted on July 7, 2022 by brianmc

Cherry Red [release date 8.07.22] And they said it wouldn’t last… back in print for the first time in 7 years, The UK Subs 25th studio release gets a coloured vinyl makeover. Yellow Leader 2022 is an 18 track double … Continue reading →