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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2025
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: CHARLOTTE SMITH & DAVID CLIFTON – The Tree in the Wood
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Album review: JUDIE TZUKE – Now Or Never
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Album review: SPOCK’S BEARD – The Archaeoptimist
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Album review: ROSS HARDING – The Blood and the Blues
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Album review: PETE KOSANOVICH – Beauty Within You
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Album review : ROB MORATTI – Sovereign
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Gig review: CURVED AIR – The Sub Rooms, Stroud, 20 November 2025
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Gig review: MARTIN BARRE & FRIENDS – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, 18 November 2025
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GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Tag Archives: album
Album review: ATOMIC ROOSTER – Sleeping For Years (The Studio Recordings 1970-1974)
Esoteric [Release date: 01.12.17] Now that pretty much every noteworthy heritage release has been reissued individually on CD, labels have turned to a secondary repackaging concept: the box set (or clamshell), that conventionally takes in a selection of albums from … Continue reading
Album review: SAXON – 10 Years Of Denim And Leather Live 1990/The CD Hoard (reissues)
Edsel [Release date 27.10.17*, 16.03.18**] Saxon seem to be enjoying a resurgence even more impressive than their 2007-2010 revival. With a remarkably relevant new album ‘Thunderbolt’ and a raft of reissues and box sets, we can at least luxuriate in … Continue reading
Album review: RICK SPRINGFIELD- The Snake King
Release Date 26.01.18 You have to admire Rick Springfield’s determination to keep pushing himself explore new musical avenues. A year away from 70, and over 35 years since his commercial heyday, he has followed the country influenced ‘Rocket Science’, with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, melodic rock, Rick Springfield, The Snake King, Tim Pierce
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Album review: RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW – Memories In Rock II
Minstrel Hall [Release date 06.04.18] 2-CD/DVD In 2017 Ritchie Blackmore returned with his harder rock hat on to a series of arena shows in the UK. Evidently buoyed up by the successful summer sojourn a year before and no doubt … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Deep Purple, DVD, hard rock, interview, live, Memories In Rock II, review, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Ronnie Romero, uk
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Quick plays: ESP 2.0, ROAMER, UNRULY CHILD
ESP 2.0 22 Layers Of Sunlight [Release date 20.04.18] www.suncreative.com ESP released a very enjoyable prog rock album in 2016′s ‘Invisible Din’ and now they are back with a revamped line-up. Composer/producer/guitarist Tony Lowe and Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt rock, alternative, Big Country, Esp 2.0, Layers Of Sunlight, Marcie Free, melodic, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Roamer, rock, Tony Lowe, Unhinged: Live From Milan, Unruly Child, What The Hell
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Album review: DUKES OF THE ORIENT
Frontiers [Release date 23.02.18] Dukes Of The Orient is centred around vocalist/bassist John Payne and keyboards player Erik Norlander, however they have their origins in Asia featuring John Payne. In that guise John Payne has worked with guitarists Guthrie Govan, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Asia, Dukes of the Orient, Erik Norlander, GPS, John Payne, melodic, prog, review, rock
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Quick plays: BIRDS OF CHICAGO, IAN SHERWOOD
BIRDS OF CHICAGO Love In Wartime JT Nero (JT & The Clouds frontman Jeremy Lindsay) and Allison Russell (Po’ Girl) first combined their talents on the 2011 JT Nero-branded Mountains/Forests album – an album of Americana that lacked a commercial … Continue reading
Album review: THUNDER – Stage (CD/DVD/Bluray)
earMUSIC [Release date 23.03.18] At Thunder rapidly approach their 30th anniversary, Stage – a live set from the band’s 2017 Rip It Up tour (available in 2CD + Bluray, 3 LP, 2 CD +DVD, Bluray, DVD, and various signed Limited … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, Bluray, Cardiff, Chris Childs, Danny Bowes, DVD, Harry James, live, Luke Morley, Lynn Jackamann, review, rock, Stage, Thunder
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Album review: MARILLION – Unplugged At The Walls/Tumbling Down The Years
earMUSIC [Release date 23.03.18] Live albums three and four in this set of bi-monthly releases find our intrepid heroes in a restaurant in Oswestry in 1988, and once again at the 2009 Marillion Weekend convention in Port Zelande, Holland. Unplugged … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 1988, 2009, album, Holland, live, Marillion, Netherlands, Oswestry, Port Zelande, review, rock, Tumbling Down The Years, Unplugged At The Walls
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News: FRUITS DE MER RECORDS celebrate 10th birthday with Glastonbury Gig
Independent label Fruits de Mer Records celebrate their 10th birthday in 2018 with a raft of releases and a birthday celebration at the King Arthur pub in Glastonbury on 12 May. The gig has already sold out and will be … Continue reading
Album review: KINO – Radio Voltaire
Inside Out [Release date 23.03.18] John Mitchell has often said in past interviews that there may be a second Kino album to follow the excellent ‘Picture’ album released back in 2005, however it never seemed that imminent until earlier this year … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Craig Blundell, Inside Out, It Bites, John Beck, John Mitchell, Kino, Lonely Robot, Marillion, melodic, Pete Trewavas, prog, Radio Voltaire, review, rock
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Album review: BURN – Ice Age
Melodic Rock Records [Release date 28.02.18] Burn released their third album ‘Global Warning’ back in 2007 (and in a nod to that album the opening instrumental on this album is titled ’Global Warning’), followed by an appearance at Firefest the following … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Burn, Chris Green, hard rock, Ice Age, melodic rock, NEWMAN, review, Steve Newman, Tyketto
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Album review: BERNARD ALLISON – Let It Go
Ruf [Release date: 02.02.18] Bernard Allison’s return to Ruf Records after 12 years finds him in a mellow, reflective mood. He’s ditched the horns and keyboard to focus on the rhythmic quality of a song-driven album. As a result, he … Continue reading
Album review: SAXON – Reissues (Saxon, Wheels Of Steel, Strong Arm Of The Law)
BMG [Release date 30.03.18] Bastions of British Heavy Metal, Saxon formed in the late 70s and were at the forefront of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, alongside Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Samson and Girlschool et al. And while … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, classic rock, metal, NWOBHM, reissue, review, rock. Biff Byford, Saxon, Strong Arm Of The Law, Wheels Of Steel
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Quick plays: SHINE NOIR, GEORGE ST.CLAIR
SHINE NOIR – s/t Alternative rock, from Germany, anyone? Formed when Anne wanted to record a few of her singer-songwriter songs, the guys who owned the studio – Olli (guitars) and No (drums) decided to add their own metal and … Continue reading
Album review: SIMON KENT – In Another Life
ReprinT [Release date 04.05.18] Originally slated for release 12 months ago, and with the lead single ‘Never Stop Believing’ released as long ago as February 2016, Portsmouth singer songwriter Simon Kent’s follow up to his 2014 sophomore album Dreams And … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, electronica, In Another Life, pop, review, rock, Simon Kent
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Album review: RUPERT HOLMES – Songs That Sound Like Movies – The Complete Epic Recordings
This is a non-broadcast preamble and exclusive edit from a two hour special on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio featuring the music of Rupert Holmes and a recent interview (6:17) Part 1 is broadcast on Sunday 1 April at 18:00 … Continue reading
Album review: LESOIR – IV Latitude
Gentle Art Of Music [Release date 13.04.18] Dutch female fronted prog/metalers Lesoir’s last album Luctor Et Emergo (2015) left no enduring mark on my consciousness (or music library), and it was only spotting the cover whilst researching that rang a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bruce Soord, IV Latitude, Lesoir, prog, Progressive Rock, review
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Album review: FREQUENCY DRIFT – Letters To Maro
Gentle Art of Music [Release date 13.04.18] Quite how German cinematic rock band Frequency Drift’s last release Last (2016) slipped through the GRTR! net (after Alan Jones waxing lyrical about the life-reaffirming qualities of Ghosts (2011), Laid To Rest (2012), … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Frequency Drift, Letters To Maro, prog, Progressive Rock, review
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Album review: CURVED AIR – Air Cut (reissue)
Esoteric [Release date: 26.01.18] Interviewed in the booklet notes for Esoteric’s contemporaneous reissue of the bands’ 1970 debut ‘Air Conditioning’, chanteuse linchpin Sonja Kristina opined it – and this later release – to be her faves, and it’s clear why. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Air Cut, album, Curved Air, prog, Progressive Rock, reissue, review, Sonja Kristina
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Album review: CURVED AIR – Air Conditioning (reissue)
Esoteric [Release date: 26.01.18] Whether by design or default, Warner Bros hit something of a mother lode when they launched their UK music arm back in 1970 with the much trumpeted signing of this then-unknown talent. It was a leap … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged Air Conditioning, album, Curved Air, Daryl Way, Francis Monkman, prog, progressive, reissue, review, Sonja Kristina
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Album review: FM – Atomic Generation
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio’s David Randall chatted to Steve Overland about FM and the new album for his weekly show, first broadcast 4 March 2018. This hour special includes tracks from ‘Atomic Generation’. There is a non-broadcast interview edit … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, AOR, Atomic Generation, FM, melodic rock, review, Steve Overland
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Album review: DON McLEAN – Botanical Gardens
BMG [Release date 23.03.18] ‘Botanical Garden’ is Don McLean’s 19th album and the first in eight years, inspired by his walks around the gardens in Sydney, near the famous Opera House. Some of the songs on the album have been … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, American Pie, Botanical Gardens, country, Don McLean, review, rock 'n' roll, singer songwriter
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Album review: LIONE CONTI – s/t
Frontiers [Release date 26.01.18] A few years ago Frontiers released a series of albums from Allen Lande – Symphony X’s Russell Allen and Jorn Lande – which are very good. Now in a similar idea i.e. linking two name vocalists … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Conte, Fabio Lione, Frontiers, Lione Conti, melodic, metal, power metal, review, Rhapsody, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, Trick Or Treat
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Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST – Resurrection
Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 02.03.18] Most people will now be aware of the Schenker Fest project which has toured extensively over the last 18 months. The premise was to reunite his former MSG bandmates and gather the three vocalists … Continue reading
