Tag Archives: hard rock

Album review: BLOOD RED SAINTS – Love Hate Conspiracies

BLOOD RED SAINTS - Love Hate Conspiracies

AOR Heaven [Release date 26.01.18] Blood Red Saints return with their second album and joining the original trio of Pete Godfrey (vocals), Rob Naylor (bass) and Lee Revill (guitars) are guitarist Neil Hibbs (ex-Shy) and Andy Chemney on drums. There are a … Continue reading

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Album review: BILLION DOLLAR BABIES – First Ever Live Show Flint 1977

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES - First Ever Live Show Flint 1977

Gonzo Multimedia [Release date 17.11.17] The ill-fated Billion Dollar Babies project is something of a holy grail amongst acolytes of the original Alice Cooper band.  And there are many, myself included. The last time this recording hit the streets was … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION – Hammersmith Apollo, 4 January 2018

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION – Hammersmith Apollo, 4 January 2018

About time. Over six years on from their last shows, Black Country Communion were hitting the boards again. Just when we thought it was all over, the band put on a brace of shows full of zest and rediscovered comradeship … Continue reading

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Album review: HEAVEN & EARTH – Hard To Kill

HEAVEN & EARTH - Hard To Kill

Quarto Valley Records [Release date 13.10.17] It would be cruel to say that ‘Heaven & Earth’ is Rainbow-by-numbers but, cripes, bandleader – UK-born Stuart Smith -  looks like Ritchie (check the CD booklet!!) and apparently was mentored by him. The … Continue reading

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Album review: AUDREY HORNE – Blackout

Napalm Records [Release date 12.01.17] Norwegian hard rockers Audrey Horne return with their sixth album and first in three years since 2014′s ‘Pure Heavy’. Now that album and its predecessor, ‘Youngblood’ had some real first pumping anthems, however ‘Blackout’ lacks … Continue reading

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Album review: SKID ROW – Skid/34 Hours (reissues)

SKID ROW - Skid/34 Hours

BGO [Release date: 21.07.17] 2 on 1 CD “I remember Paris in ‘49” … five words guaranteed to cue the leery lads of the night to grab and clinch their squeezes for that last, up close smooch in the smoke … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRIAN DOWNEY’S ALIVE AND DANGEROUS – Nells Jazz and Blues, West Kensington, 25 November 2017

BRIAN DOWNEY

If Philip Lynott was the creative force and public image of Thin Lizzy and their twin lead guitars their defining musical sound, Brian Downey was the rock on which the band was based. His understated but effective drumming style was … Continue reading

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Album review: SANTA CRUZ – Bad Blood Rising

SANTA CRUZ - Bad Blood Rising

M-Theory Audio [Release date 10.11.17] Finnish band Santa Cruz have just released 3rd album “Bad Blood Rising” which, with its heavy yet melodic sleaze, builds nicely on its earlier predecessors whilst encompassing a more modern edge. Opening track “Young Blood … Continue reading

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Album review: BABYLON A.D. – Revelation Highway

BABYLON A.D. - Revelation Highway

Frontiers [Release date 10.11.17] Frontiers have released some outstanding albums this year and new album “Revelation Highway” from San Francisco’s Babylon A.D. is right up there amongst the best of these. Nearly 30 years since the band first formed they … Continue reading

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Gig review – DEEP PURPLE – Hydro, Glasgow, 22 November 2017

DEEP PURPLE - Hydro, Glasgow, 22 November 2017

On the 22nd June 1985 I made a very long trip south, on the oldest bus known to man to stand in a flooded field near Stevenage, to witness the return of Deep Purple mark 2 at Knebworth. It was a … Continue reading

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Album review: JEFF SCOTT SOTO – Retribution

JEFF SCOTT SOTO - Retribution

Frontiers [Release date 10.11.17] You do wonder at times when Jeff Scott Soto (JSS) finds time to rest, as he is involved in the recently released album from Sons Of Apollo, he has his more metal edged Soto band, there … Continue reading

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Album review: VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – War Is Over

VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – War Is Over

Music Theories Recordings [Release date 03.11.17] ‘War Is Over’ isn’t so much a concept album as a dramatic prog rock album with associated musical influences, ranging from classic, hard and symphonic rock, to more poppy and synth influences. There’s plenty … Continue reading

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Quick plays: PENDULUM OF FORTUNE, TOMI MALM, THE ESKIES

PENDULUM OF FORTUNE Searching For The God Inside

PENDULUM OF FORTUNE Searching For The God Inside [Release date 08.12.17] Pendulum Of Fortune are based around former Eloy drummer Bodo Schopf, who is joined by Pink Cream 69/Almanac vocalist David Readman, guitarist Vladimir Shevyakov and bass player Franky R (who … Continue reading

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Album review: ROSE TATTOO – Tatts Live In Brunswick 1982

ROSE TATTOO - Tatts Live In Brunswick 1982

Golden Robot [Release date 24.11.17] Classic Australian hard rock band synonymous with the shaven headed frontman Angry Anderson and a tattoo or two, as well as a few AC/DC connections, Rose Tattoo were formed in the mid 70s and took AC/DC’s … Continue reading

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Album review: KISS THE GUN – Nightmares

KISS THE GUN - Nightmares

3MS Music [Release date 01.12.17] No ‘new kids on the block’, Kiss The Gun are a bunch of seasoned players.  Sort of. Formed in Salisbury when a pair of old duffers playing in local covers bands  – Dave South a … Continue reading

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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – A Fire In The Sky

Deep Purple - A Fire In The Sky

Parlophone [Release date 15.09.17] British classic rock legends are still going strong, and basking on the back of the rather wonderful ‘iNfinite’ album, released earlier this year. And while compilations may be so common they’re on a street corner with … Continue reading

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Album review: EUROPE – Walk The Earth

EUROPE - Walk The Earth

Hell & Back Recordings [Release date 20.10.17] Europe returned to our shores, and our record racks, in 2005 on the back of an excellent comeback album.  During the last decade they’ve consolidated their revival with a succession of generally well-received … Continue reading

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Album review: BIGFOOT

BIGFOOT

Frontiers [Release date 13.10.17] Bigfoot are a five piece hailing from Wigan, not the natural home of the Bigfoot beast but one that houses this band who have a penchant for classy hard rock. The line-up consists of vocalist Anthony Ellis, guitarists … Continue reading

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Gig review: NAZARETH – 229 Club, London, 13 October 2017

NAZARETH - 229 Club, London, 13 October 2017

When their seventies hit making days in the UK ended, Nazareth seemed to concentrate on less fickle foreign markets, and opportunities for more recent fans like me to see them in the UK seemed few and far between. Yet in … Continue reading

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Album review: SAMARKIND

Samarkind

[Release date 24.11.17] Right, “Economics 101” – your company operates in a commodity market selling apples. The price of entry into the business is low, all the apples look, taste and are priced the same and they’re all available right … Continue reading

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Quick plays: THE REMEDY CLUB, GYPSY SOUL

THE REMEDY CLUB Lovers, Legends & Lost Causes [Release date 08.10.17] ‘Lovers, Legends and Lost Causes’ is the first release under the duo’s new name The Remedy Club (they released two albums under the previous name – B & The … Continue reading

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Album review: SHADOWQUEEN – Living Madness

SHADOWQUEEN - Living Madness

[Release date 14.09.17] Shadowqueen, from Melbourne, Australia, caught our ears in 2013 with their debut album ‘Don’t Tell’.  Great vocals from Robbi Zana and piledriving riffs and an irresistible urgency characterised that debut and thankfully the band have retained all … Continue reading

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EP review: BLACK CAT BONES – Down To The River

Black Cat Bones - Down To The River

Black Cat Bones [Release date 29.09.17] Not to be confused with the band that gave the world Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke from Free, this hard rocking quintet hail from Liverpool and deal with blues tinged hard rock. Fronted by … Continue reading

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Album review: URIAH HEEP – Raging Through The Silence

URIAH HEEP - Raging Through The Silence

Uriah Heep Records [Release date 08.09.17] One for hard rock and prog fans – you really can’t beat a bit of Uriah Heep. Really. Especially when it’s a well recorded live show. Even more so when it plugs a nice … Continue reading

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Gig review: INGLORIOUS – Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, 30 September 2017

INGLORIOUS - Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, 30 September 2017

A rainy South Wales valley in autumn can be a bleak miserable place but today a special double bill rolled into town and brightened up the weekend, the first date of a national tour. The venue – Pontypridd Muni(cipal) Arts … Continue reading

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