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Category Archives: ALL POSTS
OXYGEN – Final Warning
Escape Music 2012 This is the band’s debut album, although vocalist Tony Niva has previous musical history with Niva and Lion’s Share amongst others. They play unashamed 80′s flavoured Scandi melodic rock/AOR and it is one to be played loud. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Escape Music, Oxygen
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THE FLOWER KINGS – “BANKS OF EDEN”

THE FLOWER KINGS – “BANKS OF EDEN” INSIDE OUT (2012) The expression “put on ice” is one that is much dreaded by any music fan. However, these were the words used by Roine Stolt when the Swedish melodic Progsters The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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SANGUINE HUM – Diving Bell

Antenna 2012 Sanguine Hum: cute name, rightly suggestive of prog, and a vast improvement on previous moniker, The Joff Winks Band. The Oxford, UK-quartet’s first effort did the rounds before in a low key way last year but Cherry Red’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Diving Bell, prog, progressive, Sanguine Hum
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Album review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Love And Work

Rosala Records [2012] Graham Gouldman certainly knows his way around writing a hit tune, not only for the bands he has been in 10CC and Wax, but he has written hits for numerous other artists from the Yardbirds to Ricky Martin. This … Continue reading
HAWKWIND – Onward
Eastworld 2012 www.hawkwind.com Hawkwind return with their new album, less than two years since their last one ‘Blood Of The Earth’. Dave Brock still steers the good(space)ship Hawkwind along with Tim Blake, Richard Chadwick, Mr Dibs and Niall Hone. This … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Dave Brock, Hawkwind, Huw Lloyd-Langton, Onward
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RICHARD MARX – Inside My Head
FRONTIERS RECORDS 2012 Something of a forgotten man since his hit making days dried up in the mid nineties, singer-songwriter Richard Marx has been making up for lost time over the last year or two. His shows at Shepherds Bush … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Frontiers, Richard Marx
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LULEY – Tomorrow’s Today
AOR HEAVEN 2012 Former Tokyo and Craaft singer Klaus Luley has made a welcome return after many years in the wilderness. The German also plays all guitar and keyboards and the album has a typically clear production from his fellow … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR Heaven, Craaft, LULEY, Michael Voss
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PETER MATUCHNIAK – Uncover Me
The Record Label 2012 www.therecordlabel.net Peter Matuchniak is an accomplished musician who has worked with various progressive rock bands down the years. This album sees him joined by amongst others new(ish) Spock’s Beard drummer Jimmy Keegan. This is a diverse … Continue reading
Backstage Hero – Scott Hamilton (Small Stone Records)

Scott Hamilton gives us the lowdown on US based label Small Stone Records… How did the Small Stone Records label start off? Growing up, I was always infatuated with music (like most kids who came of age in the 70′s … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Backstage Heroes
Tagged Scott Hamilton, Small Stone Records
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SAXON – Heavy Metal Thunder – Live: Eagle Over Wacken (DVD+2CD)
UDR/EMI 2012 NWoBHM Stalwarts have proven an increasingly popular draw of late, and remain one of the most consistent and reliable British metal bands around. On the back of some of their most successful albums in 30 years, we get … Continue reading
Iron Maiden: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of the Beat by Neil Daniels
Jawbone Press www.jawbonepress.com £24.95 224pp ISBN 9781908279231 Neil Daniels fresh from his book on Metallica’s early years now turns his attention to one of the metal bands of all time, Iron Maiden. This is a lovely illustrated tome with live … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Blaze Bayley, Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden, Neil Daniels, Steve Harris
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HENRIK FLEISCHLADER – Still Frame Replay
First take on Henrik. Heavily influenced by Gary Moore, Freischlader is a top draw blues act. Still Frame replay is a must for fans of the genre. He manages to mix in some funk, jazz and rock into this album and moves … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged blues rock, Henrik Freischlader, Still Frame Replay
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Quick Plays: IF ONLY, BANG TANGO, 4BITTEN, STATUS MINOR,SEPTEMBER MOURNING,PRISMA,FUEL FROM HELL

If Only – No Bed of Roses (Avenue of Allies) If Only began their story in 1988 and it turns out to be a story of tragedies. This album, after many delays, only saw a release in Europe in 1994 … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged 4BITTEN, BANG TANGO, Fuel From Hell, IF ONLY, PRISMA, September Mourning, STATUS MINOR, The Kordz
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SANDY DENNY – Rendezvous

Universal (2 CD) 2012 This is Sandy Denny’s fourth solo album (and sadly the last she recorded before her untimely death in 1978 aged just 31) originally released back in 1977 on the Island label. This two CD re-issue is … Continue reading
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Tagged Elton John, Fairport Convention, Rendezvous, Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas
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Singles Bar: LOUISE QUINN & KID LOCO, LAY SIEGE, THE SPINS
Lay Siege – Obolus (S-a-N PR ) When does an EP become a mini album ? Answers on a postcard please. This debut release from Northampton based Lay Siege is billed as a 6 track mini album and it is … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged LAY SIEGE, LOUISE QUINN & KID LOCO, THE SPINS
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SAGA – 20/20

Ear Music/Edsel 2012 A lot has happened since Saga’s last studio album ‘The Human Condition’ back in 2009. The biggest news is the return of original vocalist Michael Sadler, replacing Rob Moratti. The band also have a new drummer in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Michael Sadler, Saga
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The KISS Expo
Our intrepid reporter Chris Martin ventures forth into the Kiss Expo and neevr qask him top tkae part in karaoke… The year was 2004. It was about three days after my wife left, and clearly I wasn’t in much of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Gene Simmons, Kiss, Kiss Expo
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SYD ARTHUR – On And On
Dawn Chrorus 2012 Syd Arthur are a young up and coming band who have been described as being part of the next generation of the early ‘70’s Canterbury scene of whimsical very-English prog bands such as Caravan, Camel and Soft … Continue reading
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Tagged On And On, Syd Arthur
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LARS ERIC MATTSSON – Obsession
Lion Music 2012 www.lionmusic.com Lion Music has remastered and reissued the Swedish guitar virtuoso’s fourth studio album, originally released in 1998. Upon a few listens, it’s understandable why it has been re-released: it’s a remarkable album very much in the … Continue reading
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Tagged Lars Eric Mattsson, Lion Music, Obsession
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FAIR WARNING – Best and More

SPV 2012 www.spv.de Fair Warning has been on the go for 20 years now and remains one of Germany’s best kept secrets, producing melodic rock of the highest order. The band has produced six … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Best and More, classic rock, Fair Warning, SPV
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VARIOUS ‘Working Class Dogs – A Tribute To Rick Springfield’
Melodic Rock Records 2012 www.melodicrockrecords.com This tribute album has been through some hoops to finally get a release but at last it will see the light of day. The album was compiled in two different stages, with the original tracks … Continue reading




