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Single reviews: THE RISING, NATHAN JAMES, DANNY VAUGHN, THE SENTON BOMBS, DION
THE RISING Shadows On The Wall I have been following the Rising since they started out. In their early days they were more in a country rock vibe, before settling on the main duo of guitarist Chris Logan and vocalist … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, alt rock, country, Danny Vaughn, folk, melodic, metal, Paul Rodgers, review, singles, the Rising, the Senton Bombs, world music
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Album review: FIREWIND – Firewind
AFM Records [Release date 15.05.20] Although the main attraction of Firewind is their frontman Gus G, maybe their Achilles heel over the years has been the regularly changing line-up. This time round, the band have another new singer – Herbie … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Firewind, Gus G, hard rock, Herbie Langhans, power metal, review
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Album review: PARADISE LOST – Obsidian
Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 15.05.20] Creating an album whose compositions are fresh-sounding, well-balanced, expertly-performed and capable of causing high levels of excitement with every new spin is a pretty hard task for any band to achieve in the year … Continue reading
News: UK BLUES AWARDS 2020 – Sunday 17 May – Pete Feenstra is nominated in UK blues broadcaster category
Get Ready to ROCK!’s Pete Feenstra has been voted “UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year” in the annual UK Blues Awards, sponsored by ‘Blues Matters’. The winners of each category were announced in a special virtual awards stream via the … Continue reading
Quick plays: WILL POUND, ANDY FLEET, BEN KUNDER
WILL POUND A Day Will Come [Release date 08.05.20] The latest album by Will Pound is based on his travels across Europe, where he is joined by many of the musicians he met on his travels. It is subtitled ‘A … Continue reading
Album review: MOLLY HATCHET – Molly Hatchet
Rock Candy Records [Release date 24.04.20] Musical blood brothers of Skynyrd and the Allmans, Molly Hatchet released their self titled debut in 1978, with the strikingly original “Death Dealer” artwork on the front cover. It’s one of many unique pieces … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, classic rock, Danny Joe Brown, Dave Hlubek, Molly Hatchet, re-issue, review, rock, Rock Candy, southern rock
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Feature: Music Industry v Covid 19
Many reading this will be furloughed writes Brian McGowan… over 6 million UK jobs have been so far. Many will not. Maybe you’re working from home. Maybe you’re less fortunate. You’ll know that the music industry is an integral part … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged artists, bands, blues, coronnavirus, Covid 19, feature, folk, gigs, metal, music, Music industry, pop, PR, record labels, rock, tours
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Album review: VEGA – Grit Your Teeth
Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Vega have made a series of quality albums in the 2010’s, deserving full credit for perseverance as, despite dynamic live shows, they have yet to break into the big time for reasons unknown. Their sixth album … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Grit Your Teeth, James Martin, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Tom Martin, Vega
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Album review: ESOTERICA – In Dreams
Esoterica [Release date 20.04.20] The dictionary definition of Esoterica is ‘things understood by or meant for a select few’. No one could ever accuse the London based sextet of either as their open-hearted take on modern rock is growing legions … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Esoterica, gothic, In Dreams, melodic metal, metal, New Order, review, rock, symphonic metal
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Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – King Of Hearts
AOR Heaven [Release date 26.06.20] Christian Rosander is a 22-year-old musician and songwriter from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Since he was 14 years old, he’d been writing songs in the AOR/Melodic and Westcoast genre. To be fair you’d been pretty certain the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, AOR Heaven, Chris Rosander, King Of Hearts, melodic rock, review, synth pop, Toto
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Album review: STEVE THORNE – Emotional Creatures Part 3
Own label [Release date 02.02.20] Part 3 of the ‘Emotional Creatures’ trilogy he started back in 2005, which was also his debut album. Less name guests this time around as Steve Thorne plays all the instruments, bar the drums which … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Emotional Creatures Part 3, melodic rock, prog rock, progressive, review, Steve Thorne
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Quick plays: DELAIN, JESSICA WOLFF, BEFORE SUNDAY
DELAIN Apocalypse & Chill (Napalm Records) [Release date 07.02.20] There was a time – around 10 years ago – when I was rather taken with Delain, and for that matter, Within Temptation. Both brought a slightly more commercial edge to … Continue reading
Album review: MICHAEL McDERMOTT – What In The World
[Release date 06.05.20] I’ve been reasonably positive about previous releases by Chicago based Americana singer songwriter Michael McDermott. And if you’re looking for a singer songwriter in the great American troubadour mould, look no further. That is, so long as … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Michael McDermott, review, roots, singer, songwriter, What In The World
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Album review: LUCIFER – Lucifer III
Century Media [Release date 20.03.20] It says a lot, when you can’t immediately recall that you reviewed a band’s last release only 2 years ago! In the case of Lucifer = a Stockholm based outfit owing much to the likes … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, heavy rock, Lucifer, Lucifer III, progressive, psychedelic, review, Stoner
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Album review: TIGER MOTH TALES – A Visit To Zoetermeer (CD/DVD)
White Knight Records [Release date 21.02.20] Peter Jones was something of a revelation when fellow scribe Dave Randall and I saw Camel on their 2018 Moonmadness tour. Had it not been for the sheer brilliance of Andy Latimer, Jones’ keyboard … Continue reading
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Feature: Bands that time forgot – BAD COMPANY (1986-1996)
For most, Bad Company conjures up the classic seventies line-up fronted by Paul Rodgers and with Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell. The eponymous and classic first album yielded a handful of airplay and chart hits and set the … Continue reading
Album review: MIKE BATT – The Penultimate Collection
Dramatico [Release date digital 08.05.20; physical 26.06.20] Mike Batt’s long and varied career is celebrated on this double album, which highlights his work as performer, composer and arranger. This collection features Mike Batt’s original solo material, along with his own … Continue reading
Album review: FOGHAT – Family Joules
Metalville [Eelease date 22.05.20] Released originally in 2003, this was always going to be a tough gig for Foghat. Slide guitar wizard Rod Price had recently left, and then they were knocked for six by the untimely death of their … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, boogie, classic rock, Family Joules, Foghat, Humble Pie, re-issue, review, rock
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Feature: Albums that time forgot – NEAL SCHON – Late Nite
Columbia [1989] Years ago there was a very good record store in the Liverpool area and with a branch in my nearby shopping bolthole Chester. Penny Lane Records yielded a fine selection of import albums at a reasonable price. It … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, AOR, Bob Marlette, interview, Journey, Late Nite, melodic rock, Neal Schon, review, Santana, Sheryl Crow
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Album review: CHAMPLIN WILLIAMS FRIESTEDT – 2
Black Lodge [Release Date 15.05.20] In that genre of the softest and smoothest AOR given the shorthand ‘West coast’, CWF are something of a superstar collaboration. Former Chicago singer and keyboard player Bill Champlin and Joseph Williams, singer with Toto … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Champlin Williams Friestedt, Chicago, CWF, Michael McDonald, soft rock, Toto, West Coast
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Feature: Bands that time forgot – CELTUS
The two brothers John and Pat McManus had previously been members of eighties Irish heavy rockers Mama’s Boys. Both were multi-instrumentalists and their desire to achieve a more atmospheric, reflective groove was partly influenced by the premature death from leukaemia … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Bands that time forgot, FEATURES
Tagged album, Celtic, Celtus, feature, fusion, John McManus, Pat McManus, review, rock
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Feature: Albums that time forgot – 21 GUNS – Nothing’s Real
Z Records [1997] The 1990s was a hard time for melodic hard rock bands feeling the chill wind from Seattle. Joey Tempest from the band Europe told me that they also succumbed to the prevailing trend, and that when visiting … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged 21 Guns, album, feature, hard rock, interview, melodic, Mike Sturgis, Nothing's Real, Phenomena II, review, Scott Gorham, Thin Lizzy
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Quick plays: MILAN POLAK, EVERYDAY HEROES
MILAN POLAK Can’t Please Everyone Lion Music (Release date 10.05.20) Guitar wizard Milan Polak is back with his fourth album to feature vocals. All the songs were composed by him, along with him playing most of the instruments. Plus there … Continue reading
Single reviews: THE DARKER MY HORIZON, MILTON HIDE, ALLAN CLARKE, CWF, THE LICKERISH QUARTET
THE DARKER MY HORIZON Carpe Diem Another band utilising their lockdown time wisely are the Darker My Horizon, who made the video with help from their fans with all proceeds going to the NHS charities. Nice riff-tastic tune with lyrics … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Allan Clarke, AOR, classic rock, CWF, folk, Jellyfish, melodic rock, Milton Hide, modern rock, New releases, pop, power pop, review, rock, singles, the Darker My Horizon, The Hollies, the Lickerish Quartet, Toto
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Single reviews: JESSICA LYNN, SCORPIONS, QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT, ROBERT JON & THE WRECK
JESSICA LYNN Run To Jessica Lynn releases her first single of 2020 and despite the country label, this is one of those timeless pop power ballads. She has a vocal and a half, backed by a big production and guitar … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Adam Lambert, classic rock, country, Jessica Lynn, metal, New releases, pop, Pop Evil, Queen, review, rock, Scorpions, Shannon LaBrie, singles
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