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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: VEGA – Camden Underworld, London, 9 October 2021
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Gig review: Quarantune Rocks Party, The Old Dairy Farm, Cropredy, 9 October 2021
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Gig review: MUSIC FOR THE MIND- Hammersmith Club, London, 8 October 2021
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Gig review: GENESIS – Hydro, Glasgow, 7th October 2021
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Gig review: PRAYING MANTIS – Arlington Arts Centre, Snelsmore, 7 October 2021
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Featured Album Reviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
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Book review: Please Please Tell Me Now – The Duran Duran Story by Stephen Davis
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Book review: BEAST – JOHN BONHAM & THE RISE OF LED ZEPPELIN by CM Kuskins
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Book review: WHO IS BLUES Vol.2 – The Interviews. Blues Encounters 2000 – 2020 by Vincent Abbate
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Book review: BOBBY RUSH with Herb Powell – I Ain’t Studdin Ya: My American Blues Story
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News
Features
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…CALVERT FLEMING PROJECT – Shotgun Pixie
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Feature: Albums that time forgot…THE STORM (Gregg Rolie, Ross Valory, Steve Smith)
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Feature: Collectible Collections – FAMILY – Old Songs New Songs (The Definitive Box Set)
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Feature: Collectible Collections – CAMEL – Rainbow’s End An Anthology 1973-1985
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Feature: Collectible Collections – MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND – 40th Anniversary Box Set
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … NATIVE CAIN – The Primitive Soul
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Tag Archives: melodic metal
Album review: FICTION SYXX – Ghost Of My Fathers Past
MR Records [Release date 04.08.21 digital/28.09.21 physical] Here we have the third album from Fiction Syxx who have been pretty consistent in releasing a new album every couple of years since they started back in 2017. The band consists of … Continue reading
Single review: MANIMAL – Armageddon and The Inevitable End
AFM Records [Release date 06.08.21] ‘Armageddon‘ is the title track and third “single” release from forthcoming new album from Sweden’s Manimal. As the song title suggests, this video version has lots of footage of global warfare, nuclear of course, clearly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged AFM Records, Armageddon, Manimal, melodic metal, power metal, review, singles
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Album review: SOCIAL DISORDER – Love 2 Be Hated
AFM Records [Release date 18.6.21] Social Disorder is not just another punk rock band, in fact despite its misleading name (and album title), it’s not a punk rock band at all. Love 2 Be Hated is pretty cool melodic metal, … Continue reading
EP review : RHAPSODY OF FIRE – I’ll Be Your Hero
AFM Records [Release date 04.06.21] There’s no band more adept at sucking us into their fantasy world of bombastic, exhuberant Metal than Champions League Melodic Metal band, Rhapsody Of Fire. This is one of those rarities we call an EP. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Single and EP reviews
Tagged AFM Records, album, EP, melodic metal, power, review, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, symphonic
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Album review: SUNBOMB – Evil And Divine
Frontiers [Release date 15.05.21] An outsider may see Sunbomb as the completion of Michael Sweet’s journey to the darkside. A restlessly talented musician finally freeing himself from the strictures of Christian Rock, crossing into the world of the Sunset Strip’s … Continue reading
Quick plays: KATE VARGAS, TRICK OR TREAT, CRAIG CARDIFF
KATE VARGAS For the Wolfish & Wandering Bad Reputation This is Kate Vargas’s third album, released last year, and she has recently launched a Crowdfunding campaign to finance her next album. Her press bio has her down as a reformed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, All This Time Running, Americana, Craig cardiff, folk, For the Wolfish & Wandering, indie, Kate Vargas, melodic metal, metal, power metal, review, roots, singer songwriter, the Unlocked Songs, Trick Or Treat
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EP review: SILVER NIGHTMARES – The Wandering Angel
Bandcamp [Release date 31.03.20] Silver Nightmares were formed in Palermo in 2018 by bassist Gabriele Esposito, drummer Alessio Maddaloni, keyboardist Gabriele Taormina with guitarist Mimmo Garofalo joining shortly after. They wrote, composed and orchestrated this, their first EP, which features … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, EP, melodic metal, metal, prog, prog metal, review, Silver Nightmares, The Wandering Angel
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EP review: TEMPERANCE – Melodies Of Green And Blue
Napalm Records [Release date 19.02.21] Italian melodic metal band Temperance have been around since 2013, releasing their latest studio album ‘Viridian’ last year. They also feature three vocalists, namely Alessia Scolletti, Michele Guaitoli and Marco Pastorino (although he is credited … Continue reading
Album review: ACCEPT – Too Mean To Die
Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.01.21] Accept, the German masters of heavy metal for more than 40 years and key influencers on bands such as Metallica and Iron Maiden, return with their 16th studio album – ‘Too Mean To Die’. Accept … Continue reading
Album review: IRON SAVIOR – Skycrest
AFM Records [Release date 04.12.20] Installed like a figurehead at the prow of European heavy metal, Piet Sielck’s Iron Savior proudly trail the story of this classic musical movement behind them. You could argue that along with Kai Hansen, Sielck … Continue reading
Album review: IRON MASK – Master Of Masters
AFM Records [Release date 05.12.20] For those who live and work outside Power Metal territory, bands like Iron Mask sound much like every other Power Metal band. When you’re on the inside though, perspective comes easy. Different musical styles readily … Continue reading
Album review: SORCERESS OF SIN – Mirrored Revenge
Bandcamp [Release date 27.11.20] Sorceress Of Sin formed in 2020 in Cambridge, based around vocalist/lyricist Lisa Skinner and her husband, drummer Paul Skinner. By day they run a post office but after hours they go all power metal! Joining them … Continue reading
Album review: PHANTOM ELITE – Titanium
Frontiers Records (Release date 22/01/21) On their second album now, Phantom Elite grew from the seeds of an HDK tour band, embracing Progressive Rock, Contemporary Metal and Symphonic Rock, evolving into what we see today. Fronted by Marina (Avantasia) La … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amanda Somerville, Frontiers, HDK, Marina La Torraca, melodic metal, metal, Phantom Elite, prog metal, review, Titanium
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Album review: EDENBRIDGE – The Chronicles of Eden Part 2
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 15.01.21] Second best of from symphonic metal band Edenbridge, with this volume drawn from their studio albums 5-10. Edenbridge, who have been around now for over twenty years, revolve around original members vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist … Continue reading
Album review: VANDEN PLAS – The Ghost Experiment, Illumination
Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] Vanden Plas are something of an institution in their native Germany, and indeed increasingly in the wider world. The Ghost Experiment, Illumination is their 12th studio album. So many Progressive Rock bands succumb to Must Have … Continue reading
Album review: MAJESTICA – A Christmas Carol
Nuclear Blast [Release date 04.12.20] ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens is one of my all-time favourite books and has been adapted for TV and film many times. Now we have Swedish symphonic metal band Majestica giving their take on … Continue reading
Album review: LORDS OF BLACK – Alchemy Of Souls Part 1
Frontiers [Release date 12.11.20] Album number 4 from Spanish metallers, Lords Of Black, founded by virtuoso Spanish guitarist and songwriter, Antonio Hernandez. There’s been the usual pack shuffling as members come and go over the years since formation in 2014. … Continue reading
Album review: PYRAMAZE – Epitaph
AFM Records [Release date 13.11.20] “Epitaph” is the sixth album in sixteen years from Danish metallers, Pyramaze. This is a band who rebuilt their line up in 2015, after significant loss of key members in 2011. That shakeup reflected an … Continue reading
Album review: LAZARUS DREAM – Alive
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 13.11.20] Lazarus Dream was put together by vocalist Carsten Lizard Shultz (Evidence One, Domain, Dead Heroes Club) and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer (Scarlett, Winterland). Joining the pair are drummer Markus Kullmann (Sinner, Glenn Hughes), percussionist … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alive, Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz, Domain, Evidence One, hard rock, Lazarus Dream, melodic metal, melodic rock, review, rock
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Album review: DGM – Tragic Separation
Frontiers [Release date 09.10.20] Tenth album from Italian Prog Metallers, DGM. In which they examine the notion that the journey (of life) is more important than the destination. With all of the tracks, there’s a direct correlation between the events … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, concept album, DGM, Frontiers, melodic metal, prog metal, review, rock, Tragic Separation
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Album review: LEAVES’ EYES – The Last Viking
AFM Records [Release date 23.10.20] Leaves’ Eyes are nothing if prolific, with eight albums, eight EPs and a live album since they formed back in 2003. ‘The Last Viking’ marks the final part of the band’s Viking trilogy, telling the … Continue reading
Album review: RISING STEEL – Fight Them All
Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] Second album from Grenoble’s finest metal band, Rising Steel. And you can see the tongue in their cheek from space. Allegedly. The band’s amusingly phallic name is the first Freudian nod and wink. And then, endearingly, … Continue reading
Album review: STRYPER – Even The Devil Believes
Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] Stryper’s 13th studio album, “Even The Devil Believes” follows hard the heels of “God Damn Evil” (their fourth on Frontiers). When you’re hot you’re hot. Vocalist/Guitarist/producer, Michael Sweet lets loose a high pitched howl as he … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Even The Devil Believes, melodic, melodic metal, metal, Michael Sweet, review, Stryper, white metal
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Album review: SHINING BLACK
Frontiers Records [Release date 10.07.20] For afficionados, these are instantly recognisable protagonists. Shining Black matches up Mark Boals, a gun for hire vocalist, with the perhaps lesser known Olaf Thorsen, guitarist with Labyrinth and Vision Divine. It plays out along … Continue reading
Album review: MAGNUS KARLSSON’S FREE FALL – We Are The Night
Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Album number three from the Free Fall project fronted by Primal Fear guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who has been busy of late having had a hand in the recent Allen/Olzen album also released by Frontiers. Karlsson handles … Continue reading
