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HARD STUFF – Hard Stuff/Bolex Dementia
Angel Air (2012) More than a mere rock journeyman, late (2011) guitarist John du Cann connected fiery fretwork to balanced, considered composition and perfect stage poise to fine effect in a career that took in high points in Atomic Rooster and … Continue reading
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Tagged Angel Air, Hard Stuff, John du Cann
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AOR – THE COLOURS OF LA
AOR BOULEVARD RECORDS 2012 Its a real statement of intent, and possibly a foolhardy one, when you call your band after your chosen genre of music. However French guitarist and songwriter Frederic Slama has called on his contacts from ten … Continue reading
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Tagged AOR, The Colors Of LA
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Singles round-up #1
Modern Faces “Pravda Scrolls/Cynical Brother” (Dirty Love Recordings) This Scottish five piece are about to release their debut single, the double A-sided “Pravda Scrolls/Cynical Brother”. Boasting a guitar tone that would do The Edge proud, the first track is driven … Continue reading
PILGRIM – Misery Wizard
PILGRIM – “MISERY WIZARD” METAL BLADE (2012) It been a good forty two years since Birmingham Heavy Metal legends Black Sabbath released their eponymous debut album and bands all around the world seem to still be heavily influenced by the … Continue reading
IT BITES ‘Map Of The Past’
Inside Out (2012) www.itbites.com The press blurb states this is the band’s first concept album but it is a very loose one based upon ‘the discovery of an old family photograph’ and going into the past to fix things that … Continue reading
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Tagged Inside Out, It Bites, John Mitchell, Map of the Past
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GYPSY PISTOLEROS – Forever Wild, Beautiful & Damned! Greatest Hist Vol. 1
Heavy Metal Records 2012 www.gypsypistoleros.com It may seem slightly early in a band’s career to release a greatest hits after only one and half albums plus they have only been around since 2006. But the idea here is to introduce … Continue reading
FURYON – Gravitas
Frontiers 2012 www.frontiers.it My first encounter with Furyon was way back in the summer of 2010 when Classic Rock magazine gave away a three track sampler. As with most samplers I played it a couple of times thinking that it … Continue reading
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Tagged Frontiers, Furyon, Gravitas
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STRAWBERRY FIELDS – Live Strawberry Fields
Metal Mind Productions (DVD 2012) Some quality rock here, and a stunning live show with some beautiful female vocals – and a distinct prog feel. The live show starts in rather polite fashion but there is a good live show … Continue reading
DWELLERS – Good Morning Harakiri
Small Stone Records (2012) An odd mix this – as the roots are in in psych with a nod of blues, but it is effectively a slightly doomy stoner sound. From the outset the rhythms are slow to mid paced, … Continue reading
THIN LIZZY re-issues
Nightlife (2CD) 3.5/5 Fighting (2CD) 4/5 Universal Universal continue their excellent reissue campaign with the first two sets for Phonogram, in 1974 and 1975 respectively. Following the sudden departure of original guitarist Eric Bell, and completing the tour with Gary … Continue reading
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Tagged Fighting, Nightlife, Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy
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DIO re-issues
Holy Diver (2CD) 5/5 The Last in Line (2CD) 5/5 Sacred Heart (2CD) 4/5 Universal At long last the first three Dio albums get the proper remaster treatment and what a joy to behold. Really. After Elf, Rainbow and Black … Continue reading
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Tagged Dio, Holy Diver, Ronnie James Dio, Sacred Heart, The Last In Line
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RINGO STARR & THE ROUNDHEADS – Live (DVD)
Recorded back in 2005 at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois as part of the Soundstage series of live concerts it finally gets a UK release a couple years after the US one. Normally Ringo Starr appears with his All … Continue reading
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Tagged Ringo Starr, The Beatles
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LYRIEL ‘Leverage’
AFM Records (2012) www.afm-records.de Folk metal band Lyriel returns with their new album a follow-up to the highly enjoyable ‘Paranoid Circus’ and it also marks the band’s debut on AFM Records. Overall the band has added a commercial sheen to … Continue reading
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Tagged folk metal, Leverage, Lyriel
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VERA GRACE – Rotations
S-a-N PR Oxfordshire 5 piece Vera Grace are about to unleash this, their debut EP, on an unsuspecting world. The band formed at school early in 2011 and released their debut single later in the year. Musically Vera Grace master … Continue reading
The B-52’s – With The Wild Crowd, Live In Athens, Georgia
Eagle Vision (2012) I am sure if you look up the word ‘quirky’ in the dictionary it would say ‘ see the B-52’s’. For years the band have ploughed their own furrow, producing off kilter, but oh so catchy, tunes … Continue reading
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Tagged B-52's, Eagle Vision
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SANTANA – Greatest Hits: A Night In Montreux
Eagle Vision (2012) This is a new blu ray DVD release which perfectly captures Carlos Santana and his cohorts playing through a stunning set of Santana’s greatest hits. This gig was recorded during the band’s European tour in July 2011 … Continue reading
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Tagged Eagle Vision, Santana
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JAMIE HARTMAN – Girlwise
The second single lifted from his upcoming album ‘III’ and already it has been playlisted by BBC Radio 2. It is a very breezy and most important of all, catchy tune that given a little luck could easily be a … Continue reading
SAVAGE MESSIAH ‘Plague of Conscience’
Savage Messiah is an English outfit producing metal that grabs one’s attention. This is the band’s third release and has been available for free download on Earache’s web page. The artwork belies the true nature of the band’s music: while … Continue reading
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Tagged Plague of conscience, Savage Messiah
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COMSORTIUM PROJECT – re-issues
Lion Music www.lionmusic.com Ian Parry’s brainchild, Consortium Project, was born in 1999 following his previous solo album “Thru the looking glass” in 1995. The project lived for no fewer than 13 years, with the release of five epic tales, reaching … Continue reading
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Tagged Consortium Project, Ian Parry
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HOLY FORCE – S/T
http://www.holyforceband.com Music By Mail (2012) Holy Force is a power metal outfit formed by guitarist Ango Chen. He penned 14 songs, three of them instrumentals, for this, the band’s debut release, which features Mark Boals (vocals, ex-Yngwie), Mike LePond (bass, … Continue reading
MARK NORTHFIELD – Alterations
Mark Northfield has taken a novel idea on this ten song album whereby the first five songs have their riffs taken and then used in the final five songs. It has a large musical cast with nine vocalists joining himself … Continue reading
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Tagged Alterations, Mark Northfield
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Iced Earth/Symphony X/Warbringer: Old Friends and An Act of Kindness
By Chris Martin It’s no big secret really, but I tend to be a fairly nice guy. I have a very tough exterior, and tend to put out a serious vibe that tends to push people away. Truth be told, … Continue reading
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Quick Plays – Trillium, Johnny Bennett, Skeletal Damage, Epigene
Johnny Bennett “Gone Missing” (www.johnny-bennett.com) I don’t know much about Johnny Bennett except that he is an American singer songwriter whose blues edged 2nd album “Gone Missing” was recorded in Oxfordshire and is now available from www.johnny-bennett.com. The album itself … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Epigene, Johnny Bennett, Skeletal Damage, Trillium
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TOXIC FEDERATION – ‘Distance’
Cargo Records 2012 (Ed’s note: band now called Fahran) This Midlands based band were formed in 2006 yet have an average age of just 20 and if their new album is anything to go by, then they deserve to be … Continue reading
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Tagged Distance, Fahran, Toxic Federation
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TRISTAN MACKAY – ‘Out Along The Wire’
Battered Hat Records 2011 Singer songwriter Tristan Mackay was first inspired to pick up the guitar after hearing Clapton’s “Unplugged” album and you can certainly hear that in his style of playing. Having released a couple of EPs and had … Continue reading
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Tagged Out Along The Wire, Tristan Mackay
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