Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)

Album review: BLUES ‘N’ TROUBLE – Try Anything Twice

Self Release [Release date 17.06.13] Sometime between the mid 80’s and mid 90’s Scotland’s Blues ‘N’ Trouble were real contenders on the European blues scene and even made it over to the States. Essentially a great live band B‘N’T’s unofficial … Continue reading

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Album review: BLUE OCTOBER – Sway

Up/Down Records www.blueoctober.com [Release date 26.08.13] Blue October are one of those bands that mean a big deal in their native US yet have yet to make a big splash over here in the UK and Europe. If you give … Continue reading

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Quick plays: DIO, HEAVEN RAIN, OLIVA, VANDROYA, EVILYN STRANGE

Nick van der Meulen gives us a run through new releases from Heaven Rain, Giunitini Project, Oliva, Vandroya, Evelyn Strange and another Dio reissue… HEAVEN RAIN – Second Sun Music Buy Mail Another slipped through my fingers: this album was released … Continue reading

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Album review: SINNER – Touch of Sin 2

AFM Records www.afmrecords.de This is another case of a young band signing their rights away and now years later trying to reclaim some of their legacy back. Sinner are amongst a growing number of bands that are now re-recording some … Continue reading

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Album review: DENNERS TRICKBAG – Denners Trickbag

      Target Records ( Release date – 9th Sept 2013) Michael Denner has produced some fine performances over the years both as a member of Mercyful Fate and in King Diamond’s band, his guitar work on the ‘Abigail’ … Continue reading

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Album review: MORELAND & ARBUCKLE – 7 Cities

Telarc [Release date 26.08.13] Moreland & Arbuckle are a power trio with a difference. They hail from Wichita Kansas and their blend of riff driven, southern influenced roots rock is shot through with essential blues influences, but not in the … Continue reading

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Album Review: CAROUSEL VERTIGO – Mighty

      Self-Release (Release date – 21st Oct 2013) Carousel Vertigo is the brainchild of two individuals brought together by a love of guitars and classic rock. Jansen Press and Vincent Martinez, both endorsed by Gibson Guitars, found themselves … Continue reading

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Album review: LITTLE RIVER BAND – Cuts Like A Diamond

Frontiers www.frontiers.it Led by vocalist/bassist Wayne Nelson, who has been with the band since the early 80’s, the band may lack original members or the 80’s AOR sound of the John Farnham fronted days, but they still sound like the … Continue reading

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Album review: GORDON GILTRAP – Reissues

Gordon Giltrap - Perilous Journey

Esoteric [Release date 29.07.13] Gordon Giltrap should be certified A National Treasure.  He’s laboured tirelessly since the late-1960′s honing and preening his guitar style, dipping into various genres including prog, and generally maintaining the highest quality standards. These new reissues … Continue reading

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Album Review: STATUS QUO – The Frantic Four Reunion – Live At The O2 Academy, Glasgow

Status Quo - The Frantic Four Reunion

Fourth Chord Records [Release date 30.09.13] Anyone with even a passing interest in Quo will know the special relationship the group have with the city of Glasgow and, in particular, the late, lamented Glasgow Apollo. Many ageing rockers in the … Continue reading

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Album review: SONS OF HIPPIES – Griffons At The Gates Of Heaven

Cleopatra [Release date 16.07.13] Described as psych-space rockers, and more memorably as: ‘The Bangles on acid’, Sons of Hippies explore retro musical influences with colourful imagery and gothic moods. Their imposing wall of sound is interwoven with ominous poetic lyrics … Continue reading

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Quick plays: BALFLARE, CHRIS NORMAN

CHRIS NORMAN – There And Back

Album review: BALFLARE – Downpour Balfare are a Japanese power metal band who have been around since 2004 and this is their fourth studio album. The music is keyboard led and keyboards player Tommy is the star of the show, … Continue reading

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Album review: ROVO AND SYSTEM 7 – Phoenix Rising

G-Wave [Release date 23.09.13] Steve Hillage owes his unique position as the godfather of techno and an all-round psychedelic overseer – he’s a contributing musician, producer and DJ – to his psychedelic rock past and his innovative techno, trance and … Continue reading

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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Slaves And Masters

DEEP PURPLE - Slaves And Masters

Hear No Evil Recordings [Release date 22.07.13] Slaves And Masters might be remembered as the album that split the Purple fans (and some critics) in the early-1990s, launched in an era that spawned albums such as Tyketto’s ‘Don’t Come Easy … Continue reading

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Album Review: SYNESTHESIA – Synners and Saints

      Steeltown USA Records ( Release date – out now) Synethesia claim to encompass many rock styles, taking in power and prog metal, thrash and punk, quite a heady mix. The results of this rock mash-up are rather … Continue reading

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Album Review: OVERTURES – Entering The Maze

      Sleaszy Rider Records (Release date – Out now) Overtures are an Italian metal outfit from Gorizia and ‘Entering The Maze’ is the band’s third album. Metal infused with a large dose of melody is the order of … Continue reading

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Album review: MARTIN BARRE – Away With Words

MARTIN BARRE - Away With Words

Edifying Records [Release date 30.09.13] Perhaps the most constant revolving door of rock is that of Jethro Tull, and all the more intriguing for the recent  ‘loss’ of Martin Lancelot Barre.  For several centuries, it seems, Ian Anderson’s right hand … Continue reading

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Album review: FLY LIKE AN EAGLE – An All-Star Tribute To Steve Miller Band

Cleopatra Records [Release date 30.07.13] Producer, engineer and multi instrumentalist and sometime Yes member Billy Sherwood has carved out his a niche for himself with a number of wide ranging all star tribute albums, and now it’s the turn of … Continue reading

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Album review: GOV’T MULE – Shout!

Provogue [Release date 23.09.13] It’s a measure of Gov’t Mule adventurous self confidence and their essential connection with their fans, that their new album ‘Shout’ offers a groundbreaking bonus disc, with alternate versions of the same songs featuring different singers. … Continue reading

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Album review: PARTHENON HUXLEY – Thank You Bethesda

www.parthenonhuxley.com Parthenon Huxley is fine purveyor of pop rock tunes and over here in the UK maybe best known as the guitarist in The Orchestra, the band that features former ELO members (one of these, Eric Troyer helps out on … Continue reading

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Album review: THE KEV WALKER BAND – Biding My Time

The Kev Walker Band - Biding My Time

[Release date 09.09.13] A carpenter by trade, it’s been 30 years since Essex singer songwriter Kev Walker released his last album (The Dusk, 1983).  Sadly, it was the loss of his wife to cancer that inspired Biding My Time – … Continue reading

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Album review: LEEROY STAGGER – Truth Be Sold

Clubhouse Records UK [Release date 04.06.13] ‘Truth Be Sold’ is an album full of linguistic exuberance and boisterous musical vitality. Leeroy Stagger is a Canadian wordsmith with a punk indie past who is joined on this album by the experienced … Continue reading

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Album Review: ACTIVE HEED – Visions From Realities

Active Heed

Self Released – 30 June 2013 Active Heed, despite having a name that suggests something a Glaswegian would use in a Saturday night ruckus, is actually the musical brainchild of one Umberto Pagnini – an Italian composer and lyricist who … Continue reading

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Album review: MARK PONTIN GROUP – Days Of Destiny

Moochee Records [Release date 08.05.13] Mark Pontin Band’s liner notes on ‘Days Of Destiny, makes clear the essential connection between his struggles to get this recording made and the thematic title track of a power trio album with real substance. … Continue reading

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Album review: JOHNNY DOWD – Do The Gargon

   Mother Jinx Records [Release date 05.08.13] ‘The record took two weeks to make, which is plenty if you know what you’re doing’, says New York based Texan exile Johnny Dowd. He seems to know what he’s doing, as he … Continue reading

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