Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)

Album review : SECRET SPHERE – Blackened Heartbeat

secret sphere blackened cover

Frontiers [Release date 10.11.23] Blackened Heart is the tenth studio album from the EU’s Power Metal poster boys, Secret Sphere. It’s also the second with original vocalist, Roberto Messina, who reunited with the band on 2021’s Lifeblood, after an 8 … Continue reading

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Album review: FRANCIS DUNNERY – The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery, Vol.1

Francis Dunnery - The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery, Vol.1

Pete Feenstra chatted to Francis Dunnery about his blues album for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  First broadcast 5 November 2023. Francis Dunnery Music [Release date 15.09.23] Francis Dunnery’s ‘The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery Vol 1’ is a concept that … Continue reading

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Album review: EMILY WOLFE – The Blowback

EMILY WOLFE - The Blowback

Crows Feet Records [Release date 20.10.23] Third album from Emily Wolfe, with her 2021 release ‘Outlier’ still getting regular plays by this reviewer. On this album Emily Wolfe wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks with bassist Evan Nicholson, as … Continue reading

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Album review: DORO – Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud

DORO - Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud

Nuclear Blast [Release date 27.10.23] Doro Pesch is one of metal’s most consistent performers, both on stage and in the studio, having lost none of her vocal range and power, as opener ‘Children Of The Dawn’ ably illustrates. The Queen … Continue reading

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Album review: THUNDERSTICK – Lockdown

THUNDERSTICK - Lockdown

Roulette [Release date 20.10.23] Renowned Samson (and former Iron Maiden) drummer is not one to rest on his laurels, and since resurrecting his eponymous band in 2017, he’s kept rocking and entertaining. And this new album has kept the standards … Continue reading

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Album review : VENOM – Live From The Hammersmith Odeon (CD/DVD Deluxe Digipak)

Venom-Live-at-Hammersmith-CD_DVD-expanded-2-scaled 150

Cherry Red [Release date : 27.10.23] Formed in England’s industrial North East in 1979, there was none heavier, none more extreme and indeed none more influential in the heavy metal genre than Venom. The band’s reputation was born out of … Continue reading

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Album review: PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS – Spooky Action At A Distance

PSA - Spooky Action at a Distance

InsideOut Music [Release date 27.10.23] Fourth album from Pattern-Seeking Animals who comprise of multi-instrumentalist John Boegehold, Spock’s Beard duo Ted Leonard (vocals, guitars) and Dave Meros (bass, vocals), and former Spock’s Beard drummer Jimmy Keegan. What makes Pattern-Seeking Animals rather … Continue reading

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Album review: SKINNY KNOWLEDGE – Twenty Two

Skinny Knowledge - Twenty Two

Facebook [Release date 27.10.23] Skinny Knowledge release ‘TwentyTwo’ as the notoriously tricky second album, following on from their debut in 2021 with ‘Don’t Turn Out the Lights’. On producing Andy Smooth states, “The overall sound of the album has taken … Continue reading

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Album review: BERNIE TORME – Lightning Strikes 1982-83 (4 CD boxset)

BernieTorme

Cherry Red [Release date: 27.10.23] Four CD Boxset of some of Irish guitar wunderkind, Bernie Torme’s best stuff, remastered: Turn Out The Lights (1982) Electric Gypsies (1982) Live 1983 Live In Sheffield (1983) When Torme decamped to London, in 1974, … Continue reading

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Album review: GYPSY PISTOLEROS – Duende A Go Go….Loco

Gypsy Pistoleros – Duende A Go Go….Loco

Earache Records [Release date 03.11.23] Gypsy Pistoleros are a 4-piece, hailing from Worcester, that have exploded as a ball of energy onto the Rock scene, bringing Flamenco Punk Glam Rock n Roll to the masses. They are now serving up … Continue reading

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Album review : ROBBY VALENTINE – Embrace The Unknown

Robbie embrace-the-unknown

Independent [Release date : 21.10.23] Robby Valentine’s new release, Embrace The Unknown, is his 13th studio album. Something of enigma, he’s worked with Kristoffer (Pain of Salvation) Gildenlow, Jeff Scott Soto, and Arjen (Ayreon) Lucassen, to name but three, and … Continue reading

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Album/EP Review: HELD BY TREES – Eventide

HELD BY TREES - EVENTIDE

   Sound Canyon Records  [Release date: 11.08.23] Following on from Held By Trees’ excellent ‘Solace’ in 2022, the band assembled once more at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios to realise two projects. The first was a sparkling, live re-recording of … Continue reading

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Album review: DISTRICT 97 – Stay For The Ending

DISTRICT 97 - Stay For The Ending

Spirit Of Unicorn Music/Cherry Red [Release date 20.10.23] Now here’s something a little different. A prog metal band fronted by a female vocalist, an American Idol finalist to boot! I have been aware of District 97, not least when they … Continue reading

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Album review: UNIFONY – Unifony III

UNIFONY - Unifony III

Volkoren [Release date 03.11.23] The great thing about GRTR! is our eclecticism over 20 years, very much reflecting the taste and preferences of our solid review team. We’re not bound by classic rock but the music has to move us. … Continue reading

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Album review: STEVIE JONES AND THE WILDFIRES – Clarity In Dusk

STEVIE JONES AND THE WILDFIRES - Clarity In The Dusk

Wildfire Sessions Productions www.steviejones.com [Release date 13.10.23] This album was born out of solitary walks late in the day in the local countryside during Lockdown. That locality includes Helpston in East Northants where the artist Stevie Jones is a regular … Continue reading

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Album review: HELD BY TREES – Solace – Live At Real World Studios

HELD BY TREES _ SOLACE LIVE

Sound Canyon Records [Release date: 11.0.23] Held By Trees is a collective of outstanding musicians, three of whom had connections to and played with the band Talk Talk. Back in the day, Talk Talk, under the eclectic leadership of the … Continue reading

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Album review : VITALINES – Wheels Within Wheels

vitalines wheels cover 150

Frontiers [Release date: 20.10.23] Vitalines is Tommy Denander and Robbie LaBlanc. Two musicians who need little or no introduction to the Melodic Rock fraternity. You might immediately be intrigued by the song titles. Several catch your eye: ‘Cards From Another … Continue reading

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Album review : EDGE OF FOREVER – Ritual

edge of forever Ritual cover 150

Frontiers [Release date : 13.10.23] Alessandro Del Vecchio’s band, Edge Of Forever, have released some interesting albums over the last few years. Native American culture has been a constant theme. It clearly inspired a quartet of tracks on last year’s … Continue reading

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Album review: DANDELION CHARM – Scream Inside The Tear

DANDELION CHARM - Scream Inside The Tear

Bandcamp [Release date 20.10.23] Dandelion Charm, the husband and wife team consisting of Clare Fowler (vocals) and John Fowler (vocals, acoustic drums, guitars, bass, keys & producer), have seemingly been quiet release wise since releasing their excellent ‘Maybe Dreamers’ back … Continue reading

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Album review: PAUL RODGERS – Midnight Rose

PAUL RODGERS- Midnight Rose

Sun Records [Release date 22.09.23] I feared Paul Rodgers distinguished career might quietly be over when there was an ominous lack of activity in his camp either side of the pandemic, and indeed it has subsequently emerged that he has … Continue reading

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Album review : NUCLEAR ASSAULT – Radiation Sickness

nuclear assault radiation 150

Cherry Red/Dissonance [Release date : 13.10.23] Despite multiple break ups over the years, US Thrash Metal band, Nuclear Assault continued touring into the new millennium, only hanging their boots up last year. The band, formed by ex Anthrax bassist, Dan … Continue reading

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Album review: SUBSIGNAL – A Poetry Of Rain

SUBSIGNAL

Gentle Art Of Music [Release date: 22.09.23] My fellow GRTR! reviewer Pete Whalley gave a four-star review to Subsignal’s previous album ‘La Muerta’ in 2018 – opining at the time that the band had “waved goodbye” to their metal tendencies … Continue reading

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Album review: ANN WILSON & TRIPSITTER – Another Door

Ann Wilson & Tripsitter - Another Door

Dualtone  [Release date 29.09.23 US, 13.10.23 ROW] Ann Wilson, best known for Heart with her sister Nancy, decided that prior to starting the 2023 tour with her band Tripsitter, they would record an album of all-original material. This album also … Continue reading

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Album review: LONG ROAD HOME – Are We Invisible?

Long Road Home - Are We Invisibe album cover

Self Release [Release date 31.10.23] ‘Are We Invisible?’ is a promising debut album by Long Road Home, a new British guitar and keyboard driven veteran rock-blues band, with bluesy, proggy, AOR and occasional southern rock influences. They don’t so much … Continue reading

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Album review: THUNDER – The Thrill Of It All, Giving The Game Away, Shooting At The Sun (Reissues)

THUNDER - The Thrill Of It All

WIN These reissues! Click or tap here! BMG [Release date 20.10.23] As our retrospective feature in ‘The GRTR! Grotto’ series attests Thunder have firmly entrenched themselves with fans in the millennium, in spite of a couple of stop-starts. It’s fair … Continue reading

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