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Latest Album Reviews
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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
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Gig review: BARE KNUCKLE + MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN, The Victoria,Swindon,18 June 2021
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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Live At Montreux 1996 and 2006
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Album review: ECLIPSE- Monumentum
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Album review: JIM STAPLEY – Long Time Coming
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Album review: MICKY JUPP – Times Like These
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Album review: KAIPA – Children Of The Sounds
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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Gig review: CASSIDY PARIS – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 August 2024
Australian singer Cassidy Paris is almost a veteran at 21, having recorded her first EP at 16, and chalked up a fair few air miles since including to the UK. She’s played at various festivals and support slots but summer … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7 August 2024, Alex Rogowski, Cassidy Paris, gig, London, melodic rock, Raynes Park, review, Steve Janevski, The Cavern, Tom Rogowski
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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Fire In The Night Live
Harmony Factory (Release date 05.07.24) In the seventies, the double live album was the apogee of a band’s career, and indeed greats like Thin Lizzy, UFO and Peter Frampton all made what most people consider their definitive record that way. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andy Stewart, Cats In Space, Damien Edwards, Dean Howard, Greg Hart, live album, melodic rock
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Gig review- H.E.A.T, TYKETTO, DARE – Chepstow Castle, 17 August 2024
The Great British outdoors now caters to the infinite demand for outdoor summer gigs in a variety of settings: farms and country parks, stately homes and now concerts in the grounds of historic castles seem to be the latest concept, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Castell Roc, Chris Childs, Danny Vaughn, Dare, Darren Wharton, Dave Dalone, Don Crash, gig, H.E.A.T., Harry Scott Elliott, Jimmy Jay, Jona Tee, Kenny Leckremo, Marc Roberts, melodic rock, Tyketto, Vinny Burns
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Gig review: MALMO MELODIC – Plan B, Malmo, Sweden, 27-29 July 2024
Scandinavia, and Sweden in particular, is the undisputed epicentre of the melodic rock community with a seemingly endless stream of bands emerging. There have been festivals in Malmo pre-pandemic (Melodic Rock Fest and the Swedish AOR Convention) so when last … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7th Crystal, Alicate, AOR, Boys From Heaven, Care of Night, Chez Kane, Dare, Darren Wharton, festival, Gaeleri, gig, Grand, Houston, JD Miller, melodic rock, Nubian Rose, Perfect Plan, Pretty Maids, Remedy, Romeo's Daughter, Ronnie Atkins, Roulette, Streetlight, Transatlantic Radio, Wildness
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News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2024)
ATLANTIC Another World (Escape Music) This summer’s AOR album has arrived! Lush keys, harmonies, plenty of lovestruck lyrical themes, soaring guitar solos and the vocals of Mark Grimmett, who adds that extra bit of class to the whole musical proceedings. … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS
Tagged 2024, albums of the month, AOR, April, Atlantic, Big Big Train, Black Country Communion, blues rock, heavy rock, June, May, melodic rock, Nestor, Progressive Rock, rock, Son Of Man, These Wicked Rivers
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Album review : JIM PETERIK and WORLD STAGE – Roots and Shoots Vol 2
Frontiers [Release date : 09.08.24] Peterik needs no introduction, but we’ll introduce him anyway. Most famously, he was guitarist and songwriter with Survivor, as well as several other charting bands. It’s all well documented online. But that was then. Nowadays, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Chicago, Frontiers, Jason Scheff, Jim Peterik, melodic rock, Neil Donnell, review, Survivor
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Gig review: TOWER OF FIRE FESTIVAL – Rebellion, Manchester, 29 June 2024
Although the UK live scene is thriving, thanks largely to the efforts of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement, those of us with a specific interest in the melodic rock and AOR scene, weaned on the glory years of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Atack, festival, Gabrielle de Val, gig, melodic rock, Nitrate, Remedy, Saracen, Tower Of Fire, White Skies
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Album review: ATLANTIC – Another World
Escape Music [Release date 21.06.24] Atlantic is the brainchild of guitarist and songwriter Simon Harrison, who released their debut album ‘Power’ back in 1994 (re-issued by Escape in 2008). It was originally planned to be a one-off – until now … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Another World, AOR, Atlantic, Dare, Escape Music, FM, Grim Reaper, Journey, Lionsheart, Mark Grimmett, melodic rock, review, Simon Harrison, Steve Grimmett
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Gig review: RICHARD MARX – Royal Albert Hall, London, 22 May 2024
Richard Marx only plays the finest London venues when he comes over to the UK. Building on some memorable acoustic shows at the Union Chapel in Autumn 2022, he announced a fuller UK tour which culminated in this show at … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, gig, J. Blynn, John Oates, melodic rock, Nathan East, Richard Marx, singer songwriter
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Album review: ATLANTIS DRIVE – Atlantis Drive
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 14.06.24] Composer and guitarist Markus Pfeffer (Barnabas Sky, Lazarus Dream) is the mastermind behind Atlantis Drive. As Markus explains – “I had a very clear goal with this album: To take up the sound … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Atlantis Drive, hard rock, Lazarus Dream, Mark Boals, Markus Pfeffer, melodic, melodic rock, Pride & Joy Music, review
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Album review: COLLATERAL- Should’ve Known Better
Cargo Records [Release date: 24.05.24] After bursting on the scene five or six years ago, Kent melodic rockers Collateral’s rise to the top has been a bumpy one – which has included the pandemic striking at the very moment they … Continue reading
Gig review: COLLATERAL – Camden Underworld, London, 26 May 2024
The release of ‘Should’ve Known Better’, their excellent second album (third if you count the album of mainly remixed songs with added special guests ‘Rewired’) is a pivotal moment in Collateral’s chequered career. So it was only fitting that, after … Continue reading
Album review: NESTOR – Teenage Rebel
Napalm Records [Release date 31.05.24] Album number two from Nestor sees the band signed to a big label, namely Napalm Records, home to fellow lovers of a good 80′s melodic rock riff, the Night Flight Orchestra. According the band’s bio … Continue reading
Gig review: BRYAN ADAMS – Royal Albert Hall, London, 14 May 2024
Two years ago, I was present all three nights as Bryan Adams played a memorable residency at the Albert Hall, playing a classic album each night (subsequently released in less than satisfactory fashion on DVD). I thought that was a … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Bryan Adams, Gary Breit, gig, Keith Scott, melodic rock, Pat Steward, Reckless, Sol Walker
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Album review: CASEY MAUNDER – Get Out and Push
Facebook [Release date 13.05.24] Casey Maunder is back with the follow-up to his enjoyable debut album ‘Until Your Heart Stops Beating’. That album was jammed packed with riff led hard rockers and pleasingly ‘Get Out and Push’ follows on nicely. Opener … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Casey Maunder, Get Out and Push, guitarist, hard rock, melodic rock, review, rock
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Album review: FM – Old Habits Die Hard
Frontiers Records (Release Date 03.05.24) FM appear to be constantly on tour, and yet between that activity they somehow find time to consistently write and release a new album every two or three years. ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ actually marks … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, FM, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Old Habits Die Hard, Steve Overland
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Album review: REMEDY – Pleasure Beats Pain
Escape Music [Release date 24.05.24] Remedy released their debut album at the tail end of 2022 and it earned rave reviews (including from this reviewer!), although being independently released it didn’t get the full coverage it deserved. Enter Escape Music … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Erik Martensson, Escape Music, hard rock, melodic rock, Pleasure Beats Pain, Remedy, review
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Gig review: MIDNITE CITY- Downstairs at The Dome, London, 11 May 2024
Midnite City gigs used to be quite rare down south, as the melodic rockers concentrated on the north and Midlands where that particular scene always seems more established. Yet in relatively short order, 11 months after they played Camden’s Black … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged gig, Josh 'Tabbie' Williams, melodic rock, Midnite City, Rob Wylde, Ryan Briggs, Shawn Charvette
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Gig review: FM – Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, 18 May 2024
To quote Led Zeppelin, “It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled”, and as much as I love music my live mojo has been in retirement, bar supporting local folk gigs. However, when a band as classy as … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Arlington Arts Centre, classic rock, Collateral, FM, gig, melodic rock, Newbury, review, rock, Saturday 18 May 2024, Steve Overland
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Book review: On track…MAGNUM – every album, every song – by Matthew Taylor
Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 26.04.24] The merits of these “On track…” books lie in the authors’ comprehensive trawling of sources as much as subjective opinion. Matthew Taylor’s expose of Magnum drives a balance between the two. He has used a … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged Bob Catley, book, hard rock, Magnum, Mark Stanway, melodic rock, On Track, review, Tony Clarkin
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