Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: DUKES OF THE ORIENT – Freakshow

Posted on August 14, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] Dukes Of The Orient – vocalist John Payne (ex-Asia, GPS) and keyboardist Erik Norlander (Last In Line, Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) – return with their second album. Dukes Of The Orient has more of a band … Continue reading →

Album review: ARCTIC RAIN – The One

Posted on August 14, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] Arctic Rain’s music is gloriously reminiscent of the melodic rock genre’s more hypnotic moments. On most tracks, you can tell that they have been thumbing through a dog eared copy of the Eighties’ AOR Blueprint. Doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Album review: ALAN HULL – Alright On The Night (Live At Clifton Poly 1975)

Posted on August 14, 2020 by jason

Singsong Music [Release date 18.05.20] This digital reissue from Singsong Music features an Alan Hull solo concert, originally recorded for Radio Trent at Nottingham’s Clifton Poly on 17th November 1975. It has been mastered from the original tapes and sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Digital only, Reissues | Tagged album, Alright on The Night (Live At Clifton Poly 1975), Alun Hull, Lindisfarne, review, Singsong Music, Solo | Leave a comment

Album review: JOE BONAMASSA – A New Day Now (20th Anniversary Edition)

Posted on August 13, 2020 by petefeenstra

Provogue [Release date 07.08.20] While it’s hard not to be sceptical about a project like this – Joe Bonamassa’s relentless marketing campaign has now come full circle with this special 20th anniversary release – this remixed and re-recorded version of … Continue reading →

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Album review: ROD CLEMENTS – Stamping Ground

Posted on August 13, 2020 by jason

Singsong Music [Release date 28.08.20] To mark the 20th anniversary of Lindisfarne founder member Rod Clements’s solo album “Stamping Ground”, Singsong Music are making it available again on digital platforms. The album is entirely self-penned (or co-written) and begins with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Digital only, Reissues | Tagged album. solo, Kathryn Tyckell, Lindisfarne, review, Rod Clements, Stamping Ground, Syd Griffin | Leave a comment

Album review: JOSH TURNER – Country State Of Mind

Posted on August 13, 2020 by jason

Snakefarm Records [Release date 21.08.20] In the world of country music, an album of duets is definitely not a lonesome trail! Nor in fact is an album of country standards – in fact they are well worn trails. However, that’s … Continue reading →

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Album review: LEGACY PILOTS – Aviation

Posted on August 10, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Laterne [Release date 23.07.20] I do find in these strange days of Lockdown I am automatically drawn to the unusual and the previously unknown in terms of bands and albums. Maybe even the underdog. And especially those that don’t necessarily … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Aviation, John Mitchell, Jordan Rudess, Legacy Pilots, Marco Minnemann, Pete Trevawas, pop, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Steve Morse | Leave a comment

Album review: STARING INTO NOTHING – Love

Posted on August 10, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Antares Records [Release date 13.03.20] Southern California based Staring Into Nothing – Steve Rogers (keys/vocals) and Kurt Barabas (bass/vocals/guitars) – are a highly melodic, mildly proggy, rock combo, who bring a wide range of guest musicians into the studio to … Continue reading →

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Album review: NEAL SMITH – Pop 85/95

Posted on August 10, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Kachina Records [Release date 01.06.20] OK, hands up – greatest ‘garage’ band of all time? Easy – the ‘original’ Alice Cooper band. Under the tutelage of Bob Ezrin, they produced one of the finest rock albums of the 1970′s in … Continue reading →

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Album review: BEN REEL – The Nashville Calling

Posted on August 10, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Ceol Music [Release date 03.03.20] Recorded in Nashville, produced by Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack, and featuring E Street Band’s Garry W Tallent on bass, Ben Reel’s 9th studio album finds him paying homage to The Boss. At least, in … Continue reading →

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Album review: LIONHEART – The Reality Of Miracles

Posted on August 10, 2020 by jason

Metalville Records [Release date 31.07.20] Lionheart’s second album since returning in 2016 and big expectations from this reviewer as their 2017 release ‘Second Nature’ was a classy piece of melodic hard rock. Lionheart have done it again, quite possibly pipping … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, classic rock, Dennis Stratton, hard rock, Iron Maiden, Lee Small, Lionheart, melodic rock, review, Steve Mann, The Reality of Miracles | Leave a comment

Album review: ALCATRAZZ – Born Innocent

Posted on August 9, 2020 by jason

Silver Lining [Release date 31.07.20] There’s still heavy traffic on the rock’n’roll road back from obscurity, with Alcatrazz among an elite few jockeying for position in the fast lane. The band threatened to break through several times in the eighties, … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS – Ticket to Memphis

Posted on August 9, 2020 by petefeenstra

Self Release [Release date 24.04.20] Richard Townsend’s ‘Ticket To Memphis’ is another impressive release from a singer song writer and band leader with a world view. That said, ‘Ticket To Memphis’ isn’t quite what it appears to be. Firstly, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, Boris Litvinsev, British Blues Invasion to Russia, folk, funk, Glen Buck, guitar, JJ Cale, Mark Knopfler, review, Richard Townend, singer, songwriter, The Mighty Bosscats, Ticket To Memphis | Leave a comment

Album review: CAYLEE HAMMACK – If It Wasn’t For You

Posted on August 9, 2020 by jason

Spinefarm Records [Release date 14.08.20] This is Caylee Hammack’s debut album – a huge moment in any artist’s career, and invariably something they’ve been working towards for a long time. In Caylee’s case she has pedigree – and that can … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Caylee Hammick, country, country rock, debut, If It Wasn't For You, melodic, Reba McEntire, review, Spinefarm Records | Leave a comment

Album review: MARY COUGHLAN – Life Stories

Posted on August 8, 2020 by petefeenstra

Hail Mary Music [Release date 04.09.20] Mary Coughlan’s ‘Life Stories’ is a beautifully crafted and partly autobiographical work that finds her in reflective mood, some 35 years after her breakthrough ‘Tired & Emotional’ album. In many ways she’s still “tired … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues, folk, George Gershwin, jazz, Karrie O’Sullivan, Mary Coughlan, Nancy Sinatra, Paul Buchanan, Pete Glenister, review, roots, singer, songwriter, Susan McKeown, vocals | Leave a comment

Album review: ANNIE DRESSNER – Coffee at the Corner Bar

Posted on August 4, 2020 by jason

Website [Release date 15.05.20] An American in Cambridge, since moving to the city by the Cam, Annie Dressner have been creating some of the most enchanting modern folk around with material that transports you easily to her home country. This … Continue reading →

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Album review: READ OUT LOUD – Read Out Loud

Posted on August 3, 2020 by jason

Facebook Read Out Loud is formed around guitarist Tim Read (ex-Chrome Molly, Demon). He is joined by two current members of Demon – guitarist Paul Hume (although he plays bass on the album, as well as producing it) and drummer … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions | Tagged album, Chrome Molly, classic rock, debut, DEMON, FM, guitarist, hard rock, interview, Jem Davis, Neil Ogden, Paul Hume, Read Out Loud, review, Tim Read | Leave a comment

Album review: JACK BESSANT – Lucky Mountain

Posted on August 2, 2020 by jason

CHEDX [Release date 14.08.20] Jack Bessant is a solo singer-songwriter and the bassist in platinum selling rock band Reef. For Jack this album is something of a catharsis, confronting an intensely personal subject that has been buried deep. “I had … Continue reading →

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Album review: LIONVILLE – Magic Is Alive

Posted on August 2, 2020 by jason

Frontiers Records [Release date 07.08.20] Fourth album from Lionville, an emphatically Westcoast Rock band. Each new release confirms that guitarist/songwriter Stefano Leonetti couldn’t have found a more suitable front man than Lars (Work Of Art) Safsund. What this celebrated vocalist … Continue reading →

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Album review: SAVOY BROWN – Ain’t Done Yet

Posted on August 2, 2020 by petefeenstra

Pete Feenstra chatted to Kim Simmonds and played tracks from the new album for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 26 July 2020 Quarto Valley Records [Release date 28.08.20] ‘Ain’t Done Yet’ is Savoy Brown’s 41st album on which … Continue reading →

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Album review: MORSE, PORTNOY, GEORGE – Cov3r To Cov3r

Posted on August 1, 2020 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 24.07.20] Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy and Randy George. Three titans of modern prog locked together to fight the elements and stride forth on their third covers album, each one bringing their ‘A Game’ as they join … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Cov3r To Cov3r, Covers, Dream Theater, Inside Out, Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, pop, progressive, Randy George, review, Ringo Starr, rock, Spock's Beard, Tom Petty, Yes | Leave a comment

Album review: RAMOS – My Many Sides

Posted on August 1, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] If you’re expecting the polished melodic rock sound of Hugo, Journey or The Storm, then look away now. The clue is in the title. There’s not many sides of Josh Ramos on display here, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Danny Vaughn, Eric Martin, guitarist, Heaven & Earth, Josh Ramos, melodic, My Many Sides, review, rock, Solo, the Storm, Tony Harnell | Leave a comment

Album review: L.SHANKAR – Chepleeri Dream

Posted on July 31, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Cleopatra Records [Release date 26.06.20] When you have heavyweights such as Chester Thompson and Tony Levin featuring prominently in the credits you expect that the album in front of you may be of a certain standard, or at least a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Chepleeri Dream, Chester Thompson, funk, jazz, Jonathan Davis, L.Shankar, review, Scott Page, Tony Levin | Leave a comment

Album review: HAKEN – Virus

Posted on July 30, 2020 by jason

Inside Out [Release date 24.07.20] Following the release of their fifth studio album “Vektor” back in October 2018, the members of the British Progressive Metal sextet Haken have rightfully been in the receiving end of various rewards and accolades. For … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Dream Theater, Haken, melodic, metal, progressive, progressive metal, review, virus | Leave a comment

Album review: Q-BIZM – Corduroy Shorts

Posted on July 26, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 15.05.20] The retro flavour of this album might be detected in the tongue-in-cheek title. Yeah, baby, yeah. This is only the Italian band’s second album after forming originally back in 1996. Their debut album came in 2003, 15 … Continue reading →

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