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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: PAUL McCARTNEY- 02 Arena, London, 18 December 2024
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
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Tag Archives: hard rock
Album review: TRISHULA – Time Waits For No Man
AOR Heaven [Release date 25.09.20] British melodic rock band Trishula is the brainchild of guitarist Neil Fraser (Rage Of Angels, Ten), accompanied by vocalist Jason Morgan. This is album number two, hot on the heels of last year’s very enjoyable … Continue reading
Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – 45th Anniversary Live In London
Frontiers Records [Release date 07.08.20] In 2017, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Blue Oyster Cult’s debut release, a string of dates across Europe – festivals, stand alone headline gigs – was put in place, culminating in this concert at … Continue reading
Album review: LIONHEART – The Reality Of Miracles
Metalville Records [Release date 31.07.20] Lionheart’s second album since returning in 2016 and big expectations from this reviewer as their 2017 release ‘Second Nature’ was a classy piece of melodic hard rock. Lionheart have done it again, quite possibly pipping … Continue reading
Album review: ALCATRAZZ – Born Innocent
Silver Lining [Release date 31.07.20] There’s still heavy traffic on the rock’n’roll road back from obscurity, with Alcatrazz among an elite few jockeying for position in the fast lane. The band threatened to break through several times in the eighties, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alcatrazz, Born Innocent, Graham Bonnet, hard rock, Joe Stump, melodic, Rainbow, review, rock
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Album review: READ OUT LOUD – Read Out Loud
Facebook Read Out Loud is formed around guitarist Tim Read (ex-Chrome Molly, Demon). He is joined by two current members of Demon – guitarist Paul Hume (although he plays bass on the album, as well as producing it) and drummer … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, Chrome Molly, classic rock, debut, DEMON, FM, guitarist, hard rock, interview, Jem Davis, Neil Ogden, Paul Hume, Read Out Loud, review, Tim Read
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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Whoosh!
Ear Music [Release date 07.08.20] Classic rock legends Deep Purple remain a star on the highway, heading towards the next decade with studio album number 21. Long gone are the lengthier tracks, but the band’s ability to find a groove … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues rock, classic rock, Deep Purple, Don Airey, EarMusic, hard rock, Ian Gillan, melodic, review, rock, Steve Morse, Whoosh
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Album review: GLENN HUGHES – Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 3, 1995-2010
Cherry Red Records [Release date 31.07.20] 6-CD set A trove of previously unreleased Glenn Hughes’ live material – 19 CDs’ worth – has been released by Cherry Red Records over the last two years. Calling them “Official Bootlegs” has an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1995-2010, album, box set, Deep Purple, funk, gigs, Glenn Hughes, hard rock, heavy rock, live, Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 3, review, Trapeze
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Album review: TONY MITCHELL – Church Of A Restless Soul
AOR Heaven [Release date 28.08.20] Vocalist Tony Mitchell fronted Kiss Of The Gypsy, who were signed to Atlantic back in early 90’s, since then he has performed with the likes of Rick Wakeman and Alice Cooper. In 2018 he released … Continue reading
News: Albums of the Month (April 2020 – June 2020)
KATATONIA City Burials Peaceville Records …what we are dealing with here is a flawless piece of work one that both critics and fans of the band will refer to as a classic in years to come. Brilliant just brilliant! ***** … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged 20/20, albums of the month, April, Bad Touch, blues, blues rock, classic rock, hard rock, House of Lords, jazz funk, June, Katatonia, Lettuce, May, melodic rock, Myrath, Ronan Furlong, singer songwriter
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Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Iheart Radio Theater NYC 2012
Frontiers [Release date 08.05.20] An invited audience of 200 lucky fans saw Blue Oyster Cult live on stage at the IHeart Radio Theater in New York in 2012. The event noisily celebrated the band’s 40th year together, expertly recorded by … Continue reading
Album review: THUNDERMOTHER – Heat Wave
AFM Records [Release date 31.07.20] Heat Wave – Thundermother’s fourth album – finds the no frills, all-female, Swedish, rock ‘n’ raunchers still in line-up transition. With all bar founder member/guitarist/songwriter Filippa Nässil quitting the band after touring their 2015 sophomore … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, hard rock, Heat Wave, review, Sweden, Thundermother
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Quick plays: ELECTRIC MOB, CHESTER KAMEN AND THE LOVES, DOHNY JEP
ELECTRIC MOB Discharge Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Another band making their debut, this time Brazil’s Electric Mob who feature vocalist Renan Zonta. He appeared on The Voice performing such classic rock songs as Sweet Child ‘O Mine and Highway To … Continue reading
Album review: ERIC CHURCH – The Outsiders
Snakefarm Records [Release date 12.06.20] Church’s edgy, non conformist image smacks of authenticity, and when you hear songs like ‘The Outsider’ and ‘Devil Devil’ you wonder how long his love affair with the genre’s conventions will last. These are songs … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, arena rock, country, country rock, Eric Church, hard rock, review, rock, The Outsiders
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Feature: Gigs of the Millennium – Steve Tilston, Argent, Camel, The Tubes
David Randall surveys a near-20 year period, reflecting on what constitutes a great gig… What makes a good gig? It can often be the events surrounding it – a pre-gig meal or drink for example - your fellow gig-goer(s), the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Gigs of the Millennium
Tagged Argent, Camel, classic rock, Dan Reed Network, David Gilmour, Europe, feature, gig, hard rock, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, review, Saxon, singer songwriter, Steve Lukather, Steve Tilston, The Tubes, Winger
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Album review: PHIL VINCENT – Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday
Rock Company [Release date 10.06.20] Solo album number 22(!) from Phil Vincent, who tends to indulge his love of melodic hard rock and the Beatles more on his solo efforts. The album runs the spectrum of melodic rock, from the … Continue reading
Album review: BLIND RIVER – Made Of Dirt
Bandcamp [Release date 25.05.20] The New Wave of Classic Rock is a movement that has captured both old fans and new alike, its concentration on hard rock and heavy metal that’s full of power and melody says much about desire … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Blind River, hard rock, Made of Dirt, melodic, New Wave of Classic Rock, review, rock
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EP review: SVEN GALI, HANNAH WICKLUND
RFL Records [Release date 12.06.20] Sven Gali started out in the late 80’s as a covers band before releasing their self-titled debut in 1992, which earned them a gold disc in their native Canada. Sadly grunge appeared to spell an … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged 3, acoustic, alt rock, EP, grunge, Hannah Wicklund, hard rock, review, roots, singer, songwriter, Sven Gali, The Inbetween
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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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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
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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Feature: Albums that time forgot – HUGHES THRALL
Epic [1982] Often cited by musos as a favourite album, ‘Hughes/Thrall’ was released in 1982. By all accounts Glenn Hughes (bass and vocals in MK III and IV Deep Purple) ‘stole’ guitarist Pat Thrall after seeing him play with Pat … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, Glenn Hughes, hard rock, Hughes Thrall, Pat Thrall, review
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Feature: Albums that time forgot – ELEKTRADRIVE – Living 4
Valery Records (2009) Elektradrive is one of the more significant Hard Rock/AOR bands to emerge from Italy. At the very start, in 1983, the name of the band was Overdrive and they had a four-piece line up without keyboards; after … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, AOR, Elektradrive, hard rock, Italian, Italy, Living 4, melodic rock, review
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Feature: Albums that time forgot – SHADOW KING
Atlantic (1991) Shadow King was Lou Gramm’s first foray in a band format since his departure from Foreigner in April 1991. The charismatic vocalist had been working on songs with Bruce Turgon for a third solo album and these developed … Continue reading
Posted in Albums that time forgot, ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged album, Bruce Turgon, Foreigner, hard rock, Lou Gramm, review, Shadow King, Vivian Campbell
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Album review: GOTTHARD – #13
Nuclear Blast [Release date 13.03.20] Back in the early 90’s I went to see a new local band whilst in Switzerland, and very good they were too. That band was Gotthard, and here we are nearly thirty years later and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged #13, album, classic rock, Def Leppard, Gotthard, hard rock, melodic rock, review, Whitesnake
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Album review: CAPTAIN BLACKBEARD – Sonic Forces
AOR Heaven [Release date 24.04.20] Swedish band Captain Blackbeard released their fourth album, ‘Struck By Lightning’ in 2018 with then new singer Liv Hansson on MelodicRock Records. It was produced Jona Tee (keyboardist in H.e.a.t.) and it was a pretty … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR Heaven, Brother Firetribe, Captain Blackbird, H.E.A.T., hard rock, melodic rock, review, Sonic Forces
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