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Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Tag Archives: hard rock
Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Rapture Of The Deep (20th Anniversary Edition)

earMusic [Release date 05.09.25] Released in October 2005, Deep Purple’s 18th studio album gets a well deserved reissue. This wonderful album was the 2nd to feature pianist Don Airey and 4th with guitarist Steve Morse. Many still imagine this album … Continue reading
Feature: GRTR! Greats – GLENN HUGHES

Photo: David Randall Glenn Hughes has long been referred to as the Voice of Rock. That certainly is true but he could also be described as the “Master of Rock”. His first major band was the much-loved Trapeze, he then … Continue reading
Album review: GLENN HUGHES – Chosen

Frontiers [Release date: 05.09.25] It’s been nearly a decade since Glenn Hughes’ last solo album. But he’s no slouch. He’s contributed to any number of albums by other artists not least Black Country Communion (BCC). This does beg the question: … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Black Country Communion, Chosen, classic rock, Deep Purple, Glenn Hughes, hard rock, review, Trapeze
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Album review : UFO – Misdemeanour Live At The Oxford Apollo 1985 (CD+DVD)

Cherry Red [Release date : 22.08.25] The early eighties were a turbulent time for UFO. Judging by the band’s poorly received Making Contact album in 1982, it looked like they were a spent force. Members left, most notably, Pete Way … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, CD and DVD, eighties, hard rock, Misdemeanour Live, Oxford Apollo, Phil Mogg, review, Tommy McLendon
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Album review : YESTERDAY & TODAY – S/T and Struck Down (Remasters)

Rock Candy Records [Release date 18.07.25] 1972 : In the days before they abbreviated to Y&T, they called themselves Yesterday & Today, after the Beatles’ latest US album release of the time, allegedly. The band line up got shuffled a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Cream, Dave Meniketti, hard rock, review, Rock Candy Records, Struck Down, UFO, Y&T, Yesterday & Today
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Single review: BLACKLIST UNION – Up In Smoke

BLU Records “Up In Smoke” is the new single from Blacklist Union, and I like it. A lot. With a driving rhythm section, great guitar work and some almost hypnotic vocals (and one of the coolest videos you will see … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Blacklist Union, hard rock, review, rock, single, Up In Smoke
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Album review: HEARTS ON FIRE – Signs & Wonders

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 25.07.25] Seven years after their debut album, 2018’s ‘Call Of Destiny’, Hearts On Fire are back and have a new vocalist, non-other than Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, Royal Hunt and many, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Eric Ragno, hard rock, Hearts On Fire, Mark Boals, melodic rock, Pride & Joy Music, review, Signs & Wonders
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Album review : INGLORIOUS – V

Frontiers Music [Release date 06.06.25] Inglorious’s unimaginatively titled fifth album sees bassman Colin Parkinson and singer Nathan James back together. (They resolved their differences over a pint, where else?) Joining them in this new iteration of the band are guitarist, … Continue reading
Album review: MARIO VAYNE – The Moment

Facebook [Release date 23.05.25] I’ll get straight to the point, new album “The Moment” by Australia’s Mario Vayne is my favourite release of 2025 so far. I’d heard debut single “Rock n Roll Day” on Planet Rock and it’s Def Leppard … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Def Leppard, Enuff Z Nuff, hard rock, Mario Vayne, melodic rock, review, rock, The Moment
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Gig review: DANNY BOWES – The Junction, 2, Cambridge,1 June 2025

Pretty much everyone who is a fan of British Hard Rock knows the story of Thunder’s lead singer Danny Bowes in regards to his stroke, the plummet down a set of stairs and the severe damage to his brain masking … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events
Tagged 1 June 2025, 2, Cambridge, chat, classic rock, Danny Bowes, gig, hard rock, Q&A, review, rock, spoken word, Terraplane, The Junction, Thunder
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Album review: TRAGIK – Crescendo

Rock Company [Release date 28.05.25] Tragik are back with album number thirteen and their first in two years, which is some gap for them, although Phil Vincent has been busy with his other musical projects. Joining him are Vince O’Regan, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, BTO, Crescendo, hard rock, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Tragik
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Gig review: CHANTEL McGREGOR – The 100 Club, London, 23 May 2025

Before concentrating on Chantel’s set, a quick word about Blue Nation, who kick off proceedings tonight with a highly entertaining 45 minute set. The Brummie band have some great songs and a ‘let’s have fun’ ethic that shines through their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 23 May 2025, Album Launch, Blue Nation, blues, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, gig, guitarist, hard rock, London, prog, review, rock, the 100 Club
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Feature: THE DARKER MY HORIZON’s Bakers Dozen

The Darker My Horizon recently release their fifth album, ‘From Out Of The Ashes’ on March 23 – ten years to the day of the release of their debut album ‘Acquiesce’. Baker’s Dozen, in which various musicians choose 13 songs – … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES
Tagged Bakers Dozen, Europe, Extreme, feature, hard rock, John Sykes, melodic rock, playlist, Spotify, the Darker My Horizon, Whitesnake
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Rising Stars: BLACKLIST UNION

Blacklist Union return with new single ‘Mississippi Moonhound’ — a swampy, swaggering anthem delivering a powerful blast of wild and untamed rock ‘n’ roll. The new single captures the feeling of being haunted by your past while howling into the … Continue reading
EP review: BRAKE LOOSE – Frenetic

Symphonic Distribution [Release date 30.05.25] “Frenetic” is the debut EP from Irish band Brake Loose. Opening track “Dancing on the Red Line” will leave you in no doubt that the band are heavily influenced by the ‘80’s (and there is … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged 80's rock, Billy Idol, Brake Loose, EP, Frenetic, hard rock, review, rock, The Cult
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Gig review: LEAFHOUND – Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 24 April 2025

The chequered history of Leafhound is now into its long awaited third act. The original band’s sole 1971 album ‘Growers of Mushroom’ became a cult classic with original LP’s going for many thousands of pounds. Then in the mid-2000s lead … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues rock, Cabbage Patch, Dominic French, Eel Pie Club, gig, hard rock, Leafhound, Luke Rayner, Pete French, Peter Herbert
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Album review: CHANTEL McGREGOR – The Healing

On Sunday 11 May on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio Pete Feenstra chatted to Chantel about the new album and featuring a selection of tracks. Website [Release 23.05.25] This is Chantel McGregor’s third studio album, following on from her 2011 debut, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Chantel McGregor, guitarist, hard rock, interview, prog, radio, review, rock, The Healing
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Album review: GILLAN – Future Shock, Magic

Demon Music Group [Release date 25.04.25] To coincide with Demon’s recent 7-CD Gillan box, they have released these two wonderful albums in expanded format, and just to behold, wonderful they are too. Led by then former and again now current … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Bernie Torme, classic rock, Deep Purple, Future Shock, Gillan, hard rock, Ian Gillan, John McCoy, Magic, Mick Underwood, re-issues, review, rock, Vinyl
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Album review : ROCK-OUT Let’s Call It Rock’n’Roll

Frontiers Music [Release date : 11.04.25] Third album from Swiss band, Rock-Out. I know, let’s sign a band who sound a bit like AC/DC, a bit like Accept, and a lot like Krokus. It’s a pretty limited soundscape, especially as … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AC/DC, Accept, Frontiers, hard rock, KROKUS, review, Swiss
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News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2025)

A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation. We try and pick out a cross-section of albums that reflect the range of genres reviewed at the website. PERFECT PLAN Heart … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged 2025, albums of the month, classic rock, February, hard rock, January, March, melodic rock, R&B, singer songwriter, soul
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Album review: CRY FOR MERCY – This Machine

Bandcamp [Release date 04.04.25] A new name for me, Cry For Mercy hail from North Wales and are a self styled ‘powerhouse trio’ consisting of Kev Plant on vocals and bass, Andy Cutty on guitars and Kev’s son, Aled, on … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bad Company, blues rock, Cry for Mercy, Gun, hard rock, review, rock, This Machine
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