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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : DEAR MR.FANTASY Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic (2cd+DVD remaster)
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Album review: ERJA LYYTINEN – Smell The Roses
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Album review : RUSS BALLARD – Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired (2CDs)
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Album review: PYLON POETS – Demise of the Divine
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Album review: ALLY VENABLE – Money & Power
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Album review : HAREM SCAREM – Chasing Euphoria
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: JOHN REILLY AND LEWIS NITIKMAN- Crazy Coqs, London, 16 April 2025
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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Nantwich Civic Hall, 17 April 2025
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Gig review: MATT PEARCE AND THE MUTINY /JACK J HUTCHINSON- The Grace, London, 12 April 2025
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Gig review: SWEET – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 April 2025
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Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER- The Garage, London, 28 March 2025
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Gig review: SOUTH OF SALEM – Thekla, Bristol, 27 March 2025
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Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
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Tag Archives: melodic metal
Quick plays: STARBREAKER, WEST BOUND
STARBREAKER Dysphoria Frontiers [Release date 25.01.19] Third album from the Starbreaker project featuring Primal Fear guitarist Magnus Karlsson and former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell. It has been awhile as their second album was released back in 2008. With Tony Harnell’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, blues rock, Bonham, Chas West, hard rock, Judas Priest, Magnus Karlsson, melodic metal, metal, Primal Fear, review, rock, Roy Z, TNT, Tony Harnell, West Bound
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Album review: SPIRITS OF FIRE
Frontiers [Release date 22.2.19] Spirits Of Fire is the new outfit fronted by ex-Judas Priest singer Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens. A supergroup of sorts the project brings together Owens (ex-Judas Priest, Iced Earth), guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), bassist Steve … Continue reading
Album review: AVANTASIA – Moonglow
Nuclear Blast [Release date 15.02.19] ‘Moonglow’ is the eighth full-length album by Tobias Sammet’s metal opera project Avantasia. As with previous Avantasia’s albums he calls upon an impressive list of guest vocalists including returns for Magnum’s Bob Catley, former Queensryche and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, AVANTASIA, Bob Catley, Candice Night, Edguy, GEOFF TATE, Jorn Lande, melodic metal, Moonglow, Nuclear Blast, pomp, power metal, review, symphonic metal, Tobias Sammet
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Album review: BEAST IN BLACK – From Hell With Love
Nuclear Blast [Release date 08.02.19] Beast In Black hail from Finland and were formed in 2015 when guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen left his previous band Battle Beast. They released their debut album ‘Berserker’ in 2017 and now they are … Continue reading
Gig review: POWERWOLF – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, 28 October 2018
It is immensely gratifying to have a band, whose career you have been closely following since day one, reach such great levels of success – case in point here being the German Heavy/Power Metallers Powerwolf. Not many people were supportive … Continue reading
Quick plays: ARION, JEAN BEAUVOIR
ARION Life Is Beautiful AFM Records [Release date 19.10.18] Second album by symphonic metal band Arion (their first for AFM Records) and it is typical fare for this sort of music. That’s not to say it is bad, in fact Arion are more keyboards led than … Continue reading
Quick plays: DREAM CHILD, THE UNITY, PLASTIC TEARS
DREAM CHILD Until Death Do We Meet Again Frontiers [Release date 14.09.18] Dream Child is formed around former Dio guitarist Craig Goldy, who is joined by fellow Dio member drummer Simon Wright, former Ozzy/Whitesnake bassist Rudy Sarzo, Wayne Findlay (ex-MSG) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Quick Plays
Tagged album, Angels With Attitude, Craig Goldy, Dio, Dream Child, Gamma Ray, glam, Jollymon, melodic metal, metal, Plastic Tears, pop rock, review, Rise, rock, Slimboy, The Unity, Until Death Do We Meet Again
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Quick plays: STRATOVARIUS, NINE DART FINISH
STRATOVARIUS Enigma: Intermission 2 earMUSIC [Release date 28.09.18] In between studio albums Stratovarius give their fans a second ‘Intermission’ album and like the previous ‘Intermission’ released some 17 years ago, ‘Engima’ features three new songs, four orchestral re-workings of older … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged albums, Brit Pop, Enigma, Intermission 2, melodic metal, Nine Dart Finish, pop rock, power metal, review, Sratovarius
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Album review: BOREALIS – The Offering
AFM Records [Release date 23.03.18] Borealis started out in 2005 as a female fronted symphonic metal band before guitarist Matt Marinelli took over vocal duties in 2007. They have changed bassists since their last album with Trevor McBride replacing original … Continue reading
Quick plays: ADRENALINE RUSH, BLOOD COMMAND, LIGHT FREEDOM REVIVAL
ADRENALINE RUSH Soul Survivor Frontiers [Release date 21.04.17] Album number two from Adrenaline Rush, the band built around former pop singer Tave Wanning. The band have undergone a couple of line-up changes with Sam Soderlindh (lead guitar) and Joel Fox (bass) … Continue reading
Album review: HUMAN FORTRESS – Thieves Of The Night
AFM Records [Release date 18.03.16] “Thieves of the Night” is German melodic metal band Human Fortress’s follow up to the well-received “Raided Land”. The band deal in a genre populated by bands such as Kamelot, Avantasia and Virgin Steele according … Continue reading
Album review: THE NEW BLACK – A Monster’s Life
AFM Records [Release date 26.02.16] “A Monster’s Life” is German band’s The New Black fourth release and follows on from the impressive “III : Cut Loose” from 2013. This time around, rather than self-producing again, they have enlisted famed Volbeat … Continue reading
Quick plays: THE EVENING SHADES, CLAUS HASSING, SOVEREIGN COUNCIL
THE EVENING SHADES Alright www.theeveningshades.com [Release date 28.08.15] The Evening Shades are a US four piece consisting of Mark Thales (vocals/acoustic guitar), Matthew Tayvis (bass/keys), Sam Kovic (guitars) and Justen Nielsen (drums). This band have an ear for a decent … Continue reading
Album review: EDEN’S CURSE – Live With The Curse
AFM Records [Release date 13.03.15] “Live With The Curse” was recorded live in what can probably be classed as Eden’s Curse’s hometown of Glasgow back in late November 2014 in support of their rather excellent “Symphony Of Sin” album. This … Continue reading
Album review: HARMONY – Theatre Of Redemption
Ulterium Records [Release date 28.11.14] It’s probably not a good idea to release albums a month or so before Christmas: they tend to get lost in the festivities and almost certainly miss out in best of year selections. Which is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Code Of Silence, Harmony, melodic metal, power metal, review, Theatre Of Redemption
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Album review: NEONFLY – Strangers In Paradise plus interview with Frederick Thunder
Inner Wound Recordings [Release date 01.12.14] Neonfly I discovered thanks to a tip-off from Charlie Farrell, a man who knows his way around the metal scene and recommended I got along early to see them supporting the mighty Power Quest. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, AOR, Dennis Ward, Dragonforce, Frederick Thunder, Inner Wound Recordings, Magnum, melodic metal, melodic rock, Neonfly, power metal, review, Strangers In Paradise, Willy Norton
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Album review: EVERGREY – Hymns For The Broken
www.afm.de AFM Records [Released 26.09.14] First off fans of the band should be glad main man Tom S. Englund kept the band going as at one point he had seriously considered calling time on the band. However having two returning … Continue reading
Quick plays: THE REE-VAHS!, TARJA, CROWN OF GLORY, AVALON STEEL, SEVEN THORNS
THE REE-VAHS! – Geordieland www.theree-vahs.co.uk [Released 09.06.14] The Ree-Vahs! Hail from County Durham and carry on the tradition of North Durham singing, although it’s not that heavily accented and you can listen to the lyrics easily enough. Andy Loan has … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, Avalaon Steel, Crown Of Glory, Fastball Music, folk, Geordieland, King For A Day, Left In The Dark, melodic metal, Nightwish, Northumberland, power metal, review, Seven Thorns, symphonic metal, Tarja, the Ree-Vahs
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Quick plays: GINGERFEET, ANDI DERIS & THE BAD BANKERS, NIGHTMARE BOYZZZ
GINGERFEET – High And Above: The First Wave https://www.facebook.com/gingerfeetindia You don’t get many new funk rock/metal bands come along nowadays so it’s a bit of a treat to have this new band from India Gingerfeet come along. They have a … Continue reading
10Q’s with PAUL LOGUE of EDEN’S CURSE
Eden’s Curse are back with a new album, ‘Symphony Of Sin’ on AFM Records and two new members. Here Paul Logue fills us in on what has been happening in the Eden’s Curse universe in the past year and what … Continue reading
Quick plays: BLACK RAINBOWS, NEVER TRUST, TIM GRIMM, JADED HEART
BLACK RAINBOWS – Holy Moon (EP) Heavy Psych Sounds Something in the Italian water as they not only produce a series of fine melodic rock/AOR bands but now have some rather good stoner/psych rock bands including this band Black Rainbows. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged Americana, AOR, BLACK RAINBOWS, EP, Fastball Music, High Bar Gang, Holy Moon, Italian, Italy, Jaded Heart, Lost And Undone, MASTERPLAN, melodic metal, metal, Morning Light, Never Trust, roots, Tim Grimm, Turning Point
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Album review: COLDSPELL – Frozen Paradise
Escape Music www.escape-music.com Album number three from ColdSpell and Tommy Hansen (Helloween/Pretty Maids) is again at the mixing desk. Good to see the keyboards and Hammond playing of Matti Eklund higher in the mix and like the Pretty Maids the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Coldspell, Escape Music, Frozen Paradise, Gotthard, hard rock, melodic metal, melodic rock, Pretty Maids, review, Sweden, Tommy Hansen
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Album review: EDEN’S CURSE – Symphony of Sin
AFM Records www.afmrecords.de Eden’s Curse return with their fourth album, Symphony of Sin, after a difficult two year period with a new vocalist (Serbian Nikola Mijic) and a new keyboard player (former Power Quest member Steve Williams) in tow. Founding … Continue reading
Album review: WOLFPAKK – Cry Wolf
AFM Records Wolfpakk are Michael Voss of Mad Max fame and Mark Sweeney of Swiss band Crystal Ball plus a host of guest stars. This follow up to 2011’s self-titled debut features the talents of Amanda Somerville, Ralf Scheepers (Primal … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Amanda Somerville, Blaze Bayley, Cry Wolf, Crystal Ball, Don Airey, Hermann Rarebell, Johnny Gioeli, Kee Marcello, Mad Max, melodic metal, Michael Voss, Paul Sweeney, Ralf Scheepers, review, rock, Roland Grapow, Tony Carey, Wolfpakk
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Album review: FREEDOM CALL – Ages of Light 1998-2013
SPV (Released 29th April) Melodic rockers Freedom Call celebrate their 15th anniversary with a decent best of, the first disc containing 18 tracks from across their career, not a bad one here. While largely considered a power metal band, they … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Ages of Light, best of, Freedom Call, melodic metal
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