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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: SQUEEZE – Roundhouse, London, 22 November 2024
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Album review: BONNIE TYLER – The East West Years 1995-98 (3 CDs)
Cherry Red [release date: 17.09.21] Bonnie Tyler’s two most famous songs, ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ (1983) and ‘It’s A Heartache’ (1977) are among the best selling singles of all time, with combined sales of over 12 million. She’s enjoyed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Alan Parsons, album, Andy Hill, Bonnie Tyler, Chris Thompson, David Foster, Eric Troey, Frankie Miller, Franz Gruber, Glen Burtnik, Harold Faltermyer, Jim Steinman. Humberto Gattica, Jimmy Smyth, Kasim Sulton, pop, review, rock
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Album review: IRON MAIDEN – Senjutsu
Parlophone [Release date 03.09.21] It’s been almost 6 years since Iron Maiden released Book Of Souls to an eagerly waiting world. For me it was one of the most disappointing releases of the band’s career, over long, plodding and ultimately boring, not a … Continue reading
Album review: GUS G – Quantum Leap
AFM Records [Release date 08.10.21] When I interviewed Gus G back stage in Manchester in 2012 all the talk was how he had fared with Ozzy. He contributed to the album ‘Scream’ (2010) and there were high hopes of a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Firewind, guitar, guitarist, Gus G, instrumental, metal, Quantum Leap, review
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Album review: EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown
Frontiers Music [Release date 17.09.21] Edge Of Paradise is a duo made up of Armenian/ Russian/ American singer, “the female Robin McAuley”, Margarita Monet, and American guitarist and songwriter, Dave Bates. The Unknown is their fourth album, and second on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dave Bates, Edge Of Paradise, Frontiers, Howard Benson, Margarita Monet, Mike Plotnikoff, review, Symphonic Rock Metal, Unknown
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Album review: NEWMAN – Into The Monsters’ Playground
AOR Heaven (Release date 10.09.21) For a remarkable near quarter of a century Steve Newman has turned out a series of finely crafted albums. He never remotely hinted at the big time, but as compensation his name enjoys almost universal … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, NEWMAN, Steve Newman
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Album review: IAN PARRY’s ROCK EMPORIUM – Brute Force
Metal Mind [release date 14.07.21] Singer/songwriter, Ian Parry has always been master of his own destiny, moving from project to project and label to label over the course of his 30 year career. He counts Hammerhead, Elegy, Ayreon and Vengeance … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Allan Sorensen, Ayreon, Elegy, Hammerhead, Ian Parry, Kris Gildenlow, Lucas Sillito, Metal Mind, Neo Classical, Patrick Johansen, Patrick Rondat, review, Rock Emporium, symphonic metal, Vengeance
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Album review: PETER H NILSSON – Sign Of Myself
AOR Heaven [Release date 10.09.21] Peter H Nilsson’s debut ‘Little American Dream’ was a very enjoyable AOR/ West Coast listen and still played regularly by this reviewer. The good news is that this follow-up album sees Nilsson still teamed up … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chris Biano, melodic rock, Peter H Nilsson, review, Sign Of Myself, singer songwriter
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Album review: BRIAN SETZER – Gotta Have The Rumble
Surfdog Records [Release date 27.08.21] The 70’s and 80’s were a glorious time for music. Whilst that may smack of rose-tinted spectacles and the purposeful forgetting of several horrific ‘novelty’ records that came out in those decades, few can argue … Continue reading
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Album review: THE PETAL FALLS – All These Years
[Release date 03.09.21] Just about a year ago I reviewed this band’s debut album, ‘Workin All Night, Workin All Day’ and I was literally blown away. I knew then that this band had reach and would appeal to a broader … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, All These Years, AOR, Keith Leahy, melodic rock. rock, review, the Petal Falls
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Album review: BRAINSTORM – Wall Of Skulls
AFM Records [release date 17.09.21] Judging by this new release, Brainstorm turned the pandemic related lockdown to good advantage, in writing and recording Wall Of Skulls. It’s no more than an incremental step up from last album, Midnight Ghost, but … Continue reading
Album review: GAMMA RAY – 30 Years Live Anniversary
Ear Music/Edel [Release date 10.09.21] In 2020, it looked like this could become the new normal. A live gig without an audience. Kai Hansen’s Gamma Ray know what it is to play live…they’ve been doing it for 30 years. It becomes … Continue reading
Album review: THE LIVESAYS – Not What I Bargained For
www.thelivesaysmusic.com [Release date 03.09.21] The Livesays – singer/songwriter/guitarist Billy Livesay, drummer Howard Goldberg, bassist Jorge Laplume, Victor “Cuqui” Berrios on Hammond B-3 organ, Tim Murphy on piano – are back with their second album in two years. During the pandemic … Continue reading
Album review: OVERKILL – The Atlantic Years 1986-1994
BMG [Release date 29.10.21] New Jersey band Overkill, named after the Motorhead album/song, formed in 1980 and were part of the early US thrash scene. Nineteen studio albums, three live and three EPs later, there’s quite a legacy there. There … Continue reading
Album review: AL ROSS & THE PLANETS – Blue Crystal
Wienerworld Music [Release date 10.09.21] Al Ross & The Planets’ “stylistically diverse” (it sez ere) second album, Blue Crystal, had a difficult birth. As well as being handicapped by the pandemic’s side effects of lockdown and quarantine, this international band … Continue reading
Quick plays: JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE, LEGENDS PLAY THE BEATLES, ACROSS THE SEA
JACK RUSSELL’s GREAT WHITE Great Zeppelin II Deadline Music/Cleopatra [Release date 13.08.21] There can be few reasons for revisiting Zeppelin back catalogue unless you can bring something new to the party. And, in truth, something more radical and it might … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Across The Sea, Air Supply, album, Andrew Gold, Ann Wilson, classic rock, concept album, Glenn Hughes, Great White, Great Zeppelin II, Howard Jones, Jack Bruce, Jack Russell, John Wetton, Judy Collins, Led Zeppelin, Legends Play The Beatles, Molly Hatchet, prog rock, review, space rock, Steve Morse
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Album review: THREE COLOURS DARK – Love’s Lost Property
Firefly Music [Release date 10.09.21] www.threecoloursdark.com 2020 marked the musical reunion of Rachel Cohen and Jonathan Edwards founder members of long-standing prog rockers Karnataka. In the hiatus following The Reasoning (Cohen) and Panic Room (Edwards) they released an exquisite debut … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Dave Gregory, Jonathan Edwards, Karnataka, Love's Lost Property, Luna Rossa, Panic Room, prog, progressive, Rachel Cohen, review, singer, songwriter, Steve Balsamo, The Reasoning, Three Colours Dark
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Album review: BETWEEN WORLDS (feat Ronny Munroe) – Between Worlds
Frontiers [release date: 10.09.21] Ronny Munroe, Alessandro Del Vecchio (Frontiers’ inhouse producer / writer / arranger) and Pete Alpenberg, now aka Between Worlds, have brought in the heavy artillery for this, their self titled debut. After ten years fronting Metal … Continue reading
Album review: ANETTE OLZON – Strong
Frontiers Records [release date 10.09.21] A Symphonic Rock album for the ABBA generation, Anette (Dark Element/ Nightwish) Olzon’s collaboration with maestro, Magnus Karlsson, titled Strong, is huge, confident and full of heartstopping hooks. It has a lovely gloss to it… … Continue reading
Album review: MEDICINE HEAD – Warriors Of Love
Pete Feenstra chatted to John Fiddler in September 2021 playing tracks from the new album ‘Warriors Of Love’. Living Room Records [Release date 03.09.21] ‘Warriors of Love’ is a career high for Medicine Head founder member, British Lions and Box … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Allman Brothers, Americana, Belinda Campbell, blues, Bob Dylan, Box of Frogs, British Lions, Chuck Leavell, Dave 'Bucket' Colwell, drums, Dzal Martin, folk, interview, Jack Kerouac, JJ Cale, John Bonham, John Fiddler, Led Zeppelin, Medicine Head, Morgan Fisher, Pete Hope Evans, Pink Floyd, review, rock, Roy Shipston, The Waterboys, Tom Petty, Warriors Of Love
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Album review: THE MOTELS – All Four One, Little Robbers
BGO Records [Release date 03.09.21] The Motels are an American new wave band fronted by Martha Davis. This Motels double CD re-issue features the band’s two US Top 30 albums from the early 1980s. ‘All Four One’ (1982) features the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 80's pop, album, All Four One, BGO Records, Little Robbers, New Wave, reissue, review, synth pop, The Motels
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Album review: FINNY McCONNELL – The Dark Streets Of Love
Whiskey Devil Records [Release date 03.09.21] After 30 years of leading renowned Celtic punk rockers, The Mahones – who have released over 20 albums and shared stages with the Dropkick Murphys, Shane MacGowan, Stiff Little Fingers, Billy Bragg, The Buzzcocks, … Continue reading
Album review: BLOOD RED SAINTS- Undisputed
Frontiers Records (Release Date 06.08.21) Blood Red Saints’ fourth album sees them come full circle, not only with a return to Frontiers Records, but to the style of their impressive debut album before exploring a more guitar dominated and modern … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Blood Red Saints, Lee Revill, melodic rock, Pete Godfrey
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Album review: M.ILL.ION – Back On Track
AOR Heaven [Release date 10.09.21] Four original M.ILL.ION members reunited in the autumn of 2020 – Hans Dalzon (vocals), CT Rohdell (guitar), Marcus Berglund (keyboards) and B.J Laneby (bass) – and they were joined by new recruits Henrik Andersson (lead … Continue reading
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Tagged album, AOR Heaven, Back On Track, classic rock, hard rock, M.ILL.ION, melodic hard rock, review, rock
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Album review: NIGHT RANGER- ATBPO
Frontiers Records (Release Date 06.08.21) Night Ranger’s first album in four years, the title ‘And the Band Played On’ is a nod to the challenges of making music during the pandemic, though to reduce the album title to its less … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Brad Gillis, Erik Levy, Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Kerri Kelli, melodic rock, Night Ranger
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Album review: VANDENBERG – The Complete Atco Recordings 1982-2004 (4 CD Boxset w/bonus tracks)
Cherry Red [release date 27.08.21] Vandenberg (1982) Heading For A Storm (1983) Alibi (1985) Demos and Live (2004) Emerging unbloodied and unbowed from the golden age of AOR, Vandenberg’s 3 albums (now remastered) embody all that was good and all … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged albums, Alibi, bonus tracks, boxset, Coverdale, demos, Heading For A Storm, Japp Eggermont, Kolodner, live, melodic hard rock, review, Vandenberg, Whitesnake
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