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 , | Leave a comment

ODDLAND – “THE TREACHERY OF SENSES”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

ODDLAND – “THE TREACHERY OF SENSES” CENTURY MEDIA (2012) Music contests are functions that I absolutely love to hate! I am not sure whether that is a result of me living in the United Kingdom for the last decade, where … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Leave a comment

THE FLOWER KINGS – “BANKS OF EDEN”

Metal Church - The Present Wasteland

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 | Leave a comment

SANGUINE HUM – Diving Bell

Sanguine Hum

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 , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: GRAHAM GOULDMAN – Love And Work

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , | Leave a comment

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 , | Leave a comment

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 , , , | Leave a comment

If You Like Metallica… by Mike McPadden

Backbeat Books www.backbeatbooks.com A book that does what it says on the tin in that it recommends music, along with books and films, you may enjoy as a fan of Metallica. A book like this you’d think would be fairly … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged , | Leave a comment

EVERWOOD – Without Saving

Prog Rock Records 2012 www.progrockrecords.com The third album by this Hungarian band led by keyboards player Attila Tanczer. It is a loose concept album based on the finding out what life is all about and spirituality in general and for … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 , | 1 Comment

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

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 , , , , | 1 Comment

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 , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , | Leave a comment

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 , | Leave a comment

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 , , | Leave a comment

HEADSPACE – I Am Anonymous

Inside Out 2012 www.insideout.de Not a name – yet – but you will doubtless know the band members: vocalist Damian Wilson (Threshold/Ayreon), Adam Wakeman on keyboards (Ozzy Osbourne), guitarist Pete Rinaldi, bassist Lee Pomeroy (Take That/It Bites) and drummer Richard … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , | Leave a comment