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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: MARIACHI EL BRONX – Mariachi El Bronx IV
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Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
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Album review: MYRATH – Wilderness Of Mirrors
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Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Live At The Great Hall
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Album review: JAMIE WILLIAMS AND THE ROOTS COLLECTIVE – In The Moment
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Album review: JOE HICKS – Before It Gets Dark
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
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Gig review: EMERALD MOON – Le Marquee, Peyrignac, Dordogne, SW France, 7 March 2026
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Gig review: MILKFEST, Indigo2, London, 1 March 2026
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GRTR! Greats
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Tag Archives: hard rock
Album review: SHINING BLACK – BOALS and THORSEN – Postcards From The End Of The World
Frontiers [Release date: 18.03.22] Shining Black’s 2020 self titled album collaboration was tuned into Hard Rock as much as it was to Melodic Metal. Guitarist, Olaf (Labyrinth, Vision Divine) Thorsen and singer, Mark (Malmsteen, Royal Hunt) Boals’ first musical marriage … Continue reading
Album review: MANIC SINNERS – King Of The Badlands
Frontiers [Release date: 18.02.22] Manic Sinners are Frontiers’ first signing from Romania. They are a talented, hard rocking trio of multi-instrumentalists who’ve borrowed heavily from the past, (who hasn’t?). If you’re going to borrow, borrow from the best. They’ve picked … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Blue Murder, David Coverdale, Dio, Dokken, Frontiers, hard rock, Lynch Mob, Manic Sinners, melodic rock, review, Romania, Von Groove
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Single review: SKINNY KNOWLEDGE – I Wonder
Facebook [Release date 25.02.22] Bournemouth based rockers, Skinny Knowledge follow up on their awesome debut album, ‘Don’t Turn Out the Lights’ with a new single, ‘I Wonder’. The single continues the band’s own brand of high energy, alternative rock that … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged hard rock, I Wonder, NWOCR, review, rock, single, Skinny Knowledge
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Album review: CACTUS – The Birth Of Cactus 1970
Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra [Release date 21.01.22] Following other heavyweights such as Iron Butterfly and Vanilla Fudge, Cactus fashioned their own brand of bluesy heavy rock at the turn of the sixties. It was a supergroup in the making with ex-Fudgers Carmine … Continue reading
Album review: SLADE – Alive, Slade In Flame (splatter vinyl)
BMG [Release date 26.11.21] BMG continue their excellent Slade reissue campaign. The West Midlands glam rock legends had many a hit in the 70s. Fronted by Noddy Holder, they were the face of laddish glam hard rock. After a difficult … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 70's rock, album, Alive, BMG, classic album, glam rock, hard rock, Jim Lea, Noddy Holder, reissue, review, rock, Slade, Slade In Flame
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Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Seminole
Frontiers [Release date 21.01.22] Edge Of Forever’s mainman, Alessandro Del Vecchio’s description of the band’s fifth album is worth reading. You get the gist, but its over the top, disconnected language gives the impression it’s an outtake from Spinal Tap. … Continue reading
Album review: PETER GOALBY – Easy With The Heartaches
Cherry Red Records [Release date 10.12.21] Peter Goalby was the vocalist on a trio of albums released in the 80s by Uriah Heep – Abominog, Head First and Equator. After he left the band in 1986 little was heard from … Continue reading
Album review : LYNCH MOB – Lynch Mob (Remaster w/bonus tracks)
Rock Candy Records [release date: 17.12.21] Lynch Mob, the album, came two years after the 1990 debut, Wicked Sensation. This was more of a band effort, with all members collaborating on the songwriting. Oni Logan had gone, and the superb … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, bonus tracks, Dokken, George Lynch, hard rock, Keith Olsen, Lynch Mob, Mick Brown, review, Robert Mason, Rock Candy Records
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Album review: KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Not The End Of The Road
Napalm Records [Release date 21.01.22] Kissin’ Dynamite is a German band, formed in 2007. Entertaining the public with great albums for over 20 years, they now release their new album, ‘Not the End of the Road’, and it would be … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, Kissin’ Dynamite, Napalm Records, Not the End of the Road, review, rock
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EP review: JASON SWEENEY – Welcome To Bathvegas
Facebook [Release date 07.01.22] We’ve played a couple of songs Jason Sweeney released last year on GRTR! Radio, including the rather good ‘She’s A Fighter’. Now he kicks off 2022 with a new five song EP where he is joined … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, hard rock, Jason Sweeney, King Lot, melodic rock, review, Welcome To Bathvegas
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Album review: L.A. GUNS – Checkered Past
Frontiers [Release date 12.11.21] When vocalist Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns buried the hatchet and started working together again, they breathed new life into L.A Guns and, whilst retaining the sleaze and swagger of their 80’s and early 90’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Chequred Past, classic rocl, Frontiers, hard rock, LA Guns, Phil Lewis, review, sleaze rock, Tracii Gun
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Album review: BITE THE BULLET – End of the Line
Escape Music [Release date 22.01.22] Bite the Bullet trace their origins back to 1986 and still feature the original duo of Mick Benton (Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards) and Graham Cowling (Drums). They released a strong comeback album, ‘Black and White’, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bite The Bullet, End Of The Line, Escape Music, FM, hard rock, melodic rock, Mr Mister, review
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News: The Best of 2021 – Get Ready to ROCK! reviewers choose their Top Albums of the Year
2021 has been another horrendous year for live music, largely silenced by the coronavirus pandemic. In August, live events in the UK started cautiously with several festivals and, with restrictions lifting for smaller venues, some semblance of live music returned … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, The Best of 2021
Tagged albums, Best of 2021, blues rock, breakthrough acts, classic rock, hard rock, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, reissues, singer songwriter
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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Turning To Crime
earMusic [Release date 26.11.21] The rock legends’ 22nd studio album and it comes only a year after the critically acclaimed Whoosh (one of the band’s best albums in their 50+ years). Clearly at a loose end or two during the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, classic rock, Covers, Deep Purple, Don Airey, hard rock, Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, review, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Turning To Crime
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Album review: SKID ROW – The Atlantic Years
BMG [Release date 03.12.21] American rock band Skid Row, who formed in New Jersey in 1986, found fame in the late 80s and early 90s with their brand of hard rock that included elements of glam and sleaze. Signing to … Continue reading
Feature: Call Collect – An introduction to GIANT
Giant are rightly revered in melodic rock circles, another of those bands who for a short period at the turn of the 1980s delivered two of the finest albums in the genre. The band formed in 1987 after the two … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Call Collect, FEATURES
Tagged Dan Huff, feature, Giant, hard rock, melodic rock, review
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Album review: TRAGIK – Ultima Ratio
Rock Company [Release date 10.11.21] By my reckoning this is album number eleven by Tragik, who still feature Damian D’Ercole (Guitars, Percussion), Dirk Phillips (Drums, Keyboards) and Phil Vincent (Vocals, Bass, Keyboards). ‘Hunter’ and ‘Wet Dog’ (contender for Worst Song … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock
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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL XIV, Great Yarmouth, 4-6 November 2021
37 bands – 2 stages Friday 5 November This festival is a new experience for me and what an utterly joyous experience it was too from the get go, arrival was smooth, the venue is really easy to navigate round, … Continue reading
Album review: TONY MITCHELL – Hot Endless Summer Nights
AOR Heaven [Release date 26.11.21] Nearly two years on, Tony Mitchell releases his third album as he goes full on 80s AOR. Tony Mitchell spent several months travelling coast to coast taking in the sights, sounds & overall American culture … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, AOR Heaven, hard rock, Hot Endless Summer Nights, Kiss Of The Gypsy, melodic rock, review, rock, Tony Mitchell
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Album review: JEFF SCOTT SOTO – The Duets Collection Vol. 1
Frontiers [Release date 08.10.21] The pandemic and resulting lockdowns certainly had musicians thinking about ways to carry on with their musical passion. One such artist Jeff Scott Soto wanted to do a retrospective ‘best of’ from the many bands and … Continue reading
Album review: WAYWARD SONS – Even Up The Score
Frontiers [Release date 08.10.21] Toby Jepson is a man who never lets the grass grow under his feet. Since bursting onto the scene with Little Angels in 1984 he’s been a constantly creative whirlwind, going from the Scarsborough hard rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Even Up The Score, hard rock, Little Angels, melodic, review, rock, Toby Jepson, Wayward Sons
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Gig review: PRAYING MANTIS – Arlington Arts Centre, Snelsmore, 7 October 2021
A mere 581 days since I last attended an indoor concert – Jon Boden in Didcot back in March 2020. Since then live music as we know has been decimated with the fall out from the pandemic, however, you can’t … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7 October 2021, Arlington Arts Centre, classic rock, Deep Purple, gig, hard rock, Led Zep, melodic hard rock, NWOBHM, NWOCR, Praying Mantis, review, Snelsmore, Vambo
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Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – Royal Albert Hall, London, 29 September 2021
Black Stone Cherry have a unique relationship with the UK. The Kentucky rockers broke big over here while still young and their home country to this day has struggled to catch up. Their popularity has continued through hard work and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Ben Wells, Black Stone Cherry, Chris Robertson, gig, hard rock, John Fred Young, Kris Barras, Kris Barras Band, southern rock
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Album review: THE PAT McMANUS BAND – Full Service Resumed
David Randall chatted to Pat McManus for his show ‘Assume The Position’ on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sunday 3 October. The interview includes tracks from the new album. The Store For Music [Release date 01.10.21] Pat McManus is the … Continue reading
Album review: DANNY DANZI – Tribulations
Escape Music [Release date 24.09.21] Danny Danzi is back with his third album (hardly prolific as his debut was released back in 1999!). His 2003 album ‘Danziland’ still gets regular plays by this reviewer. This album has been ten years … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, Danny Danzi, Escape Music, hard rock, interview, melodic rock, review, rock, Tribulations
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