Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS

Album review: LETTUCE – Resonate

Posted on May 16, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Round Hill Records [Digital release date 08.05.20] I have to declare at the outset that I have a soft spot for jazz funk. After a decade of prog and classic rock buying, in the late-1970s and 1980s I turned my … Continue reading →

Album review: THESE WICKED RIVERS – Eden

Posted on May 16, 2020 by jason

Rock People Records [Release date 22.05.20] These Wicked Rivers have released a couple of EPs to date and now are set to unleash their full debut album upon the musical world. These Wicked Rivers consist of John Hartwell (vocals, guitar), … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues rock, classic rock, debut, Eden, review, rock, The Cult, These Wicked Rivers | Leave a comment

Album review: SPARKS – A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip

Posted on May 15, 2020 by jason

BMG [Release date digital 15.05.20; physical 03.07.20] There are not many artists that have been going for over fifty years and still regularly tour and release good new music, and Sparks are one of those few. Their last album, 2017’s … Continue reading →

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Album review: PAUL SABU – Sabu/Kidd Glove

Posted on May 14, 2020 by jason

PAUL SABU – Sabu Rock Candy Records [Release date 24.04.20] 1980: After building a name for himself as a producer of slicked back, funk-lite disco music, Paul Sabu took an out-of-the-blue offer from MCA Records to record a melodic rock … Continue reading →

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Album review: FIREWIND – Firewind

Posted on May 13, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

AFM Records [Release date 15.05.20] Although the main attraction of Firewind is their frontman Gus G, maybe their Achilles heel over the years has been the regularly changing line-up. This time round, the band have another new singer – Herbie … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Firewind, Gus G, hard rock, Herbie Langhans, power metal, review | 1 Comment

Album review: PARADISE LOST – Obsidian

Posted on May 13, 2020 by jason

Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 15.05.20] Creating an album whose compositions are fresh-sounding, well-balanced, expertly-performed and capable of causing high levels of excitement with every new spin is a pretty hard task for any band to achieve in the year … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged album, Doom Metal, gothic, Gregor Mackintosh, metal, Nick Holmes, Nuclear Blast, Obsidian, Paradise Lost, pure metal, review | Leave a comment

Quick plays: WILL POUND, ANDY FLEET, BEN KUNDER

Posted on May 12, 2020 by jason

WILL POUND A Day Will Come [Release date 08.05.20] The latest album by Will Pound is based on his travels across Europe, where he is joined by many of the musicians he met on his travels. It is subtitled ‘A … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged A Day Will Come, album, Andy Fleet, Ben Kunder, folk, jazz, melodic, review, roots, Searching For The Stranger, singer, songwriter, The Sleepless Kind, Will Pound, world music | Leave a comment

Album review: MOLLY HATCHET – Molly Hatchet

Posted on May 11, 2020 by jason

Rock Candy Records [Release date 24.04.20] Musical blood brothers of Skynyrd and the Allmans, Molly Hatchet released their self titled debut in 1978, with the strikingly original “Death Dealer” artwork on the front cover. It’s one of many unique pieces … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, classic rock, Danny Joe Brown, Dave Hlubek, Molly Hatchet, re-issue, review, rock, Rock Candy, southern rock | Leave a comment

Album review: VEGA – Grit Your Teeth

Posted on May 11, 2020 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Vega have made a series of quality albums in the 2010’s, deserving full credit for perseverance as, despite dynamic live shows, they have yet to break into the big time for reasons unknown. Their sixth album … Continue reading →

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Album review: ESOTERICA – In Dreams

Posted on May 11, 2020 by jason

Esoterica [Release date 20.04.20] The dictionary definition of Esoterica is ‘things understood by or meant for a select few’. No one could ever accuse the London based sextet of either as their open-hearted take on modern rock is growing legions … Continue reading →

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Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts

Posted on May 10, 2020 by jason

AOR Heaven [Release date 26.06.20] Christian Rosander is a 22-year-old musician and songwriter from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Since he was 14 years old, he’d been writing songs in the AOR/Melodic and Westcoast genre. To be fair you’d been pretty certain the … Continue reading →

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Album review: STEVE THORNE – Emotional Creatures Part 3

Posted on May 9, 2020 by jason

Own label [Release date 02.02.20] Part 3 of the ‘Emotional Creatures’ trilogy he started back in 2005, which was also his debut album. Less name guests this time around as Steve Thorne plays all the instruments, bar the drums which … Continue reading →

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Quick plays: DELAIN, JESSICA WOLFF, BEFORE SUNDAY

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

DELAIN Apocalypse & Chill (Napalm Records) [Release date 07.02.20] There was a time – around 10 years ago – when I was rather taken with Delain, and for that matter, Within Temptation. Both brought a slightly more commercial edge to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Anticipation, Apocalypse & Chill, Before Sunday, Delain, Jessica Wolff, Para Dice, pop rock, review, symphonic metal | Leave a comment

Album review: MICHAEL McDERMOTT – What In The World

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

[Release date 06.05.20] I’ve been reasonably positive about previous releases by Chicago based Americana singer songwriter Michael McDermott. And if you’re looking for a singer songwriter in the great American troubadour mould, look no further. That is, so long as … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Michael McDermott, review, roots, singer, songwriter, What In The World | Leave a comment

Album review: LUCIFER – Lucifer III

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Century Media [Release date 20.03.20] It says a lot, when you can’t immediately recall that you reviewed a band’s last release only 2 years ago! In the case of Lucifer = a Stockholm based outfit owing much to the likes … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, heavy rock, Lucifer, Lucifer III, progressive, psychedelic, review, Stoner | Leave a comment

Album review: TIGER MOTH TALES – A Visit To Zoetermeer (CD/DVD)

Posted on May 7, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

White Knight Records [Release date 21.02.20] Peter Jones was something of a revelation when fellow scribe Dave Randall and I saw Camel on their 2018 Moonmadness tour. Had it not been for the sheer brilliance of Andy Latimer, Jones’ keyboard … Continue reading →

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Album review: MIKE BATT – The Penultimate Collection

Posted on May 6, 2020 by jason

Dramatico [Release date digital 08.05.20; physical 26.06.20] Mike Batt’s long and varied career is celebrated on this double album, which highlights his work as performer, composer and arranger. This collection features Mike Batt’s original solo material, along with his own … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Art Garfunkel, best of, Bonnie Tyler, Colin Blunstone, composer, George Harrison, melodic, Mike Batt, pop, review, Roger Chapman, singer songwriter, the Wombles | Leave a comment

Album review: FOGHAT – Family Joules

Posted on May 6, 2020 by jason

Metalville [Eelease date 22.05.20] Released originally in 2003, this was always going to be a tough gig for Foghat. Slide guitar wizard Rod Price had recently left, and then they were knocked for six by the untimely death of their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Family Joules, Foghat, Humble Pie, re-issue, review, rock | Leave a comment

Album review: CHAMPLIN WILLIAMS FRIESTEDT – 2

Posted on May 5, 2020 by andynathan

Black Lodge [Release Date 15.05.20] In that genre of the softest and smoothest AOR given the shorthand ‘West coast’, CWF are something of a superstar collaboration. Former Chicago singer and keyboard player Bill Champlin and Joseph Williams, singer with Toto … Continue reading →

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Quick plays: MILAN POLAK, EVERYDAY HEROES

Posted on May 4, 2020 by jason

MILAN POLAK Can’t Please Everyone Lion Music (Release date 10.05.20) Guitar wizard Milan Polak is back with his fourth album to feature vocals. All the songs were composed by him, along with him playing most of the instruments. Plus there … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Billy Sheehan, Everyday Heroes, guitarist, Lion Music, melodic rock, Milan Polak, New Wave of Classic Rock, review, rock, southern rock | Leave a comment

Album review: MYRATH – Live In Carthage

Posted on April 30, 2020 by david.wilson

earMusic [Release date 17.04.20] Carthage has a lot of history, not all good unfortunately. It was one of the richest cities in the ancient world and was the centre of the Punic empire which proved to be a thorn in … Continue reading →

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Album review: CRYPTEX – Once Upon A Time

Posted on April 30, 2020 by jason

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 08.05.20] Cryptex are the trio of Simon Moskon (lead vocals, keys), Marc Andrejkovits (bass, backing vocals) and Andre Jean Henri Mertens (guitars, backing vocals), with drums being handled by Simon Schröder. Cryptex have been around since 2011 … Continue reading →

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Album review: THE BLOODY MALLARD – Realm

Posted on April 28, 2020 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 08.05.20] The Bloody Mallard came into being from another worldly place it could be said, as the musical ideas formed were reminiscent of many mushroom trips in rural Kent by guitarist and main man Tom Walding. Production … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, instrumental, melodic, progressive, psych rock, Real, review, rock, the Bloody Mallard | Leave a comment

Album review: KIP MOORE – Wild World

Posted on April 28, 2020 by jason

Snakefarm Records [Release date 29.05.20] Country rock singer/songwriter, Kip Moore is now on his fourth studio album in ten years. Each of the previous three were US Billboard Top Ten entries, so like many country artists, he knows how to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, country, Kip Moore, melodic, pop, review, rock, Snakefarm Records, Wild World | Leave a comment

Album review: LITTLE RED KINGS – The Magic Show Part One

Posted on April 27, 2020 by jason

Bandcamp [Release date 29.05.20] Little Red Kings last album ‘Callous’ was a veritable delight of blues, rock and gentler acoustic moments. Expectorations are high with this fan on any new music from the band. As vocalist Jason Wick explains about … Continue reading →