Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: THE WILDHEARTS – 30 Year Itch

Posted on December 23, 2020 by jason

Round Records [Release date 04.12.20] My initial thought when I looked at this album was, I feel old! How can it have been 30 years since the Wildhearts exploded onto the music scene?? Returning to the classic Wildhearts line up … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 30 Year Itch, album, Ginger, melodic, punk, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, the Wildhearts | Leave a comment

Album review: PALACE- Rock And Roll Radio

Posted on December 21, 2020 by andynathan

Frontiers Records [Release date 04.12.20] Michael Palace, a man with multiple performing and writing credits to his name, is now onto the third album from his own project. 2016’s ‘Master of the Universe’ was mainstream melodic hard rock, but is … Continue reading →

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

Album review: DUKE ROBILLARD & FRIENDS – Blues Bash

Posted on December 21, 2020 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra interviewed Duke Robillard for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 13 December 2020. Stony Plain Records [Release date 20.11.20] You don’t need to have paid your blues dues for 50 years or more to be able to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album review, Blues Bash, Chris Cote, Doug James, Duke Robillard, Duke Robillard & Friends, Greg Piccolo, guitar, interview, jazz, Jimmy Vaughan, Jump, lefty bates, Mark Hummel, Michelle ‘Evil Gal’ Wilson, R&B, Rich Lataille, swing, T-Bone Walker | Leave a comment

Album review: EAST TEMPLE AVENUE – Both Sides of Midnight

Posted on December 20, 2020 by andynathan

AOR Heaven (Release Date 27.11.20) East Temple Avenue sees Australian songwriter Darren Phillips, whose project under his own name featured a star studded cast, join forces for a whole album with Robbie Le Blanc, the Blanc Faces singer whose combination … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Darren Phillips, melodic rock, Philip Lindstrand, Robbie Le Blanc | Leave a comment

Album review: NEAL MORSE – Jesus Christ The Exorcist: Live at Morsefest 2018

Posted on December 19, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] The studio album was released first as now Neal Morse and Frontiers release a live performance of ‘Jesus Christ The Exorcist’, filmed at the 2018 Morsefest. It is an all-star ensemble with regular … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Jesus Christ The Exorcist, Live at Morsefest 2018, melodic, Neil Morse, Petra, review, rock, rock opera, Spock's Beard, Ted Leonard, theatrical | Leave a comment

Album review: KEVIN GODLEY – Muscle Memory

Posted on December 19, 2020 by jason

State 51 [Release date 18.12.20] Kevin Godley is ex 10cc and was one half of a duo with Lol Creme. His first solo album, Muscle Memory, is a post modern permutation of songs largely written at his … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 10CC, album, electronica, Kevin Godley, Muscle Memory, pop, quirky pop, review | Leave a comment

Album review: RONAN FURLONG – The King Of Leaves

Posted on December 17, 2020 by petefeenstra

Thoroughbred Music [Release date 20.11.20] Ronan Furlong’s ‘The King Of Leaves’ is an essential jagged-edged, genre bending, Celtic tinged roots rocking album of the highest order. It’s shot through with unrelenting intensity, yet understated swagger. And there’s enough musical diversity, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Celtic rock, folk, Geddy Lee, guitar.singer, Irish, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Minerva's Meddling, review, Robert Plant, rock, Ronan Furlong, roots, Rush, songwriter, The King Of Leaves, vocal | Leave a comment

Album review: NEAL SCHON – Universe

Posted on December 15, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 11.12.20] Neal Schon pops up in my Twitter feed every so often, his guitar emoting against a frequently funky undertow in his latest home video. He remains both enthusiastic and engaging. Even if the camera position and the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, guitar, guitarist, instrumental, melodic rock, Narada Michael Walden, Neal Schon, review, Universe | Leave a comment

Album review: THE FLOWER KINGS – Islands

Posted on December 13, 2020 by alanjones

Inside Out [Release date: 30 October 2020] There’s a debate that rages in a certain music magazine as to what is and what isn’t “prog” – where much pointless navel-gazing and hand-wringing occurs in trying to decide whether the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile) | Tagged Islands, Jonas Reingold, Progressive Rock, review, Roine Stolt, The Flower Kings | Leave a comment

Album review: JOHN DIVA & THE ROCKETS OF LOVE – American Amadeus

Posted on December 13, 2020 by jason

JOHN DIVA & THE LOVE ROCKETS – American Amadeus

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 15.01.21] John Diva & the Rockets of Love’s 2019 debut album ‘Mama Said Rock Is Dead’ charted in the top 30 of the German album chart and they had successful tours around Europe. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, American Amadeus, glam rock, John Diva, melodic hard rock, review, rock, sleaze rock, the Rockets of Love | 1 Comment

Album review: IRON MAIDEN – Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City

Posted on December 13, 2020 by david.wilson

Parlophone [Release date 20.11.20] Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister stated a few years ago that older bands with hit laden back catalogues were idiots to record new songs and play them live. His argument was that the fans just want to hear the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 2019, Adrian Smith, album, Bruce Dickinson, CD, Dave Murray, Iron Maiden, Janick Gers, Jay Jay French, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City, live, Mexico, Nicko Mc Brain, Nights Of The Dead, Number of the Beast, Parlophone, Steve Harris, Twisted Sister, Where Eagles Dare, William Wallace | Leave a comment

Album review: THE OUTLAWS – Live At Rockpalast 1981 (CD/DVD)

Posted on December 13, 2020 by david.wilson

MiG Records [Release date 25.09.20] Back in 1981 The Outlaws were riding high on the success of their ‘Ghost Riders’ album and this show at the 1st Rockpalast Open Air Festival was the band’s debut show in Germany. Their brand … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile) | Tagged 1981, Billy Jones, CD, country, DVD, Freddie Salem, Ghost Riders In The Sky, Hughie Thomasson, MiG Records, Rockpalast, Rockpalast Open Air Festival, southern rock, The Outlaws | Leave a comment

Album review: MARK VENNIS & A DIFFERENT PLACE – Fighting On All Fronts

Posted on December 12, 2020 by jason

Cadiz Music [Release date 27.11.20] Moviehouse MD and modern day renaissance man, Mark Vennis, fresh from producing acclaimed documentary, Rebel Dread, has just released his third album, Fighting On All Fronts. It’s an album Vennis recorded primarily with long time … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged A Different Place, album, blues, Fighting On All Fronts, Mark Vennis, review, roots rock, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVID COURTNEY – Isolation Symphony

Posted on December 12, 2020 by jason

The Store For Music [Release date 18.12.20] Those in the know are well aware that David Courtney is a Grammy award winning composer, producer and songwriter. Over the years, his musical partnerships with Roger Daltrey, Leo Sayer, Eric Clapton, David … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, cinematic, Dave Gilmour, David Courtney, Isolation Symphony, Leo Sayer, melodic, pop, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: UNRULY CHILD – Our Glass House

Posted on December 11, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] When Unruly Child arrived in 1992, Melodic Rock bands were crashing and burning all around them. AOR had been shot down in flames by the bands of the Pacific North West. Low altitude, below the radar … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Marcie Free, melodic rock, Our Glass House, prog rock, review, Unruly Child | Leave a comment

Album review: VANDEN PLAS – The Ghost Experiment, Illumination

Posted on December 9, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] Vanden Plas are something of an institution in their native Germany, and indeed increasingly in the wider world. The Ghost Experiment, Illumination is their 12th studio album. So many Progressive Rock bands succumb to Must Have … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Illumination, melodic metal, prog metal, prog rock, review, The Ghost Experiment, VANDEN PLAS | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (October 2020 – December 2020)

Posted on December 9, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

FISH – Weltschmerz (Fish Music) …this is a rich, accessible, profound album invested with heaps of integrity, passion and insight. ‘Weltschmerz’ stands as the best album of Fish’s solo career, and easily amongst the best of the year by anyone… … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged AC/DC, albums, art rock, Blue Oyster Cult, blues rock, December 2020, Doris Brendel, Fish, hard rock, L.A. Guns, Muddy Manninen, November 2020, October 2020, Progressive Rock, review | Leave a comment

Album review: ART OF ILLUSION – X Marks The Spot

Posted on December 8, 2020 by jason

AOR Heaven [Release date 29.01.21] This is the debut album by Art Of Illusion, a duo consisting of composer and producer Anders Rydholm (Grand Illusion) and singer Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art) – see what they did there with the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Anders Rydholm, AOR, Art Of Ilusion, Grand Illusion, Lars Safsund, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Work Of Art, X Marks The Spot | 1 Comment

Album review: DAN REED – Liftoff

Posted on December 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Zero One Entertainment [Release date 04.12.20] At the end of a horrific year for humanity, and also for music, Dan Reed’s latest solo album arrives to provide the perfect antidote. Dan’s solo works since the “comeback” – ‘Coming Up For … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Dan Reed, Dan Reed Network, Liftoff, melodic rock, review, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: PHENOMENA – Still The Night

Posted on December 6, 2020 by jason

Cherry Red [Release date 27.11.20] Tom and Mel Galley put Phenomena together in 1984. Glenn Hughes, Don Airey, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray had been enlisted…Whitesnake versus Deep Purple, a metalised marriage made in hard rock heaven. The following year they … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, classic rock, Cozy Powell, Glenn Hughes, Mel Galley, melodic rock, Neil Murray, Phenomena, Review. Tom Galley, rock, Still The Night | Leave a comment

Album review: STEVE BALSAMO – The Millennium Tapes

Posted on December 6, 2020 by jason

Facebook [Release date 04.12.20] Steve Balsamo has unearthed these songs during lockdown that were recorded back at the start of the millennium as the album title suggests. Balsamo worked with Micky Lister on these songs. Lister was signed back in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, mellow, melodic, Micky Lister, pop, review, singer songwriter, Steve Balsamo, the Millennium Tapes | Leave a comment

Album review: MAGNUM – Dance Of The Black Tattoo

Posted on December 4, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

David Randall chatted to Tony Clarkin for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio with tracks from the forthcoming compilation. First broadcast 20 December 2020. SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 08.01.21] What do inveterate songwriters do in Lockdown when they’ve no band to steer … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview | Tagged album, Bob Catley, compilation, Dance Of The Black Tattoo, hard rock, interview, Magnum, melodic rock, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Album review – VOLBEAT – Rewind, Replay, Rebound (Live in Deutschland)

Posted on November 29, 2020 by david.wilson

Republic Records [Release date 27.11.20] Live music has been absent in all our lives for far too long throughout 2020 so the chance to relive the German leg of Volbeat’s 2019 tour is an enticing package to anyone starved of gigs. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 2019, album, CD, Denmark, Hamburg, live, Lola Montez, Michael Pulson, Rebound (Live In Deutschland), Replay, review, Rewind, Rob Caggiano, Stuttgart, VOLBEAT | Leave a comment

Album review: RUNRIG – One Legend – Two concerts (Live At Rockpalast 1996 & 2001)

Posted on November 29, 2020 by david.wilson

MiG Records [Release date 30.10.20] A year or so ago I went along to the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow for the world premiere of the Final Dance DVD which was recorded at the band’s final show in Stirling. It … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Alba, album, Bruce Guthro, CD, Christmas, Cologne, Donny Munro, Dusseldorf, DVD, live, Malcolm Jones, Mara, MiG Records, Pete Wishart, review, Runrig, Skye, Stamping Ground, The Last Dance | Leave a comment

Album review: HEAVY PETTIN – Best Of

Posted on November 29, 2020 by jason

Burnt Out Wreckords/Cherry Red Records (Release date 27/11/20) Heavy Pettin never quite made it to the inside of the glittering shop window of fame. Along with Scotland’s other great white melodic rock hopes, Strangeways, they had the talent, the ability, … Continue reading →