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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)
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Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge
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Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70
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Feature: All Boxed Up for Christmas (December 2025)
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Album review : LYNCH MOB – Dancing With The Devil
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Album review: CYTRUS – Duality
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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Gig review: JARED JAMES NICHOLS/COLLATERAL – Gibson Brands Studio, London, 24 February 2020

One of the most common gripes on social media when bands announce tours is ‘why aren’t they playing anywhere near me?’. With Jared James Nichols and Collateral going on a nine date nationwide spring tour excuses will be thinner than … Continue reading
Album review: BLACK SWAN – Shake The World

Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] You have to say (again) that Frontiers knows how to put a band together, in this case Black Swan. Here are four musicians – Robin McAuley, Jeff Pilson, Reb Beach and Matt Starr – whose well … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Black Swan, Dokken, Frontiers, hard rock, Jeff Pilson, Matt Starr, melodic rock, Mr Big, MSG, Reb Beach, review, Robin McAuley, Shake The World
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Book review: ON TRACK…Toto/The Solo Beatles/Steely Dan (“Every album, every song”)

Sonicbond Pubishing [Publication date January/February 2020] Liked and loathed in equal measures by the music press in the 1970s and 1980s, ultimately the band may have had the last laugh. As author Jacob Holm-Lupp reiterates, their latest offering – XIV … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, Donald Fagen, fusion, George Harrison, Jazz rock, John Lennon, melodic rock, On Track, Paul McCartney, pop, review, Ringo Starr, Steely Dan, The Solo Beatles, Toto, Walter Becker
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Album review: JESSE DAMON – Damon’s Rage

AOR Heaven [Release date 28.02.20] Jesse Damon will be best remembered by many 80s rock fans as he was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Silent Rage. Silent Rage rose to fame in 1989 when signed by Gene … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS
Tagged album, AOR Heaven, Gene Simmons, hard rock, Jesse Damon, melodic rock, Paul Sabu, review, SILENT RAGE
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Album review: RUSS BALLARD – It’s Good To Be Here

On Thursday 20 February at 22:00 GMT Get Ready to ROCK! Radio replays a two-part special when David Randall chatted to Russ Ballard about his long career. BMG [Release date 21.02.20] If you’ve done any world travelling, out of desire … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, It's Good To Be Here, Kiss, melodic rock, pop, pop rock, Rainbow, review, rock, Russ Ballard
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Album review: HEAT – II

earMUSIC [Release date 21.02.20] That difficult sixth album? Should that have been HEAT 2.0? The motive behind the title is not clear, even when reading explanation from the band. When a band uses its name in the album title this … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ear Music, Erik Gronwall, hard rock, HEAT, II, melodic rock, review, rock
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Album review: REVOLUTION SAINTS – Rise

Frontiers (Release date 24.01.20) Frontiers Records’ AOR superhero assembly is working like a dream. The Revolution Saints – Deen (Journey) Castronovo, Jack (Night Ranger) Blades and Doug (Whitesnake) Aldrich – are on their third album now, so that confirms it. … Continue reading
Album review: DECARLO – Lightning Strikes Twice

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] DeCarlo are Tommy DeCarlo (who has been a member of Boston since 2008) and co-founder (and son) Tommy DeCarlo Jr., along with drummer Dan Hitz. The songs have been written over a number of years, the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 70's rock, album, Boston, classic rock, debut, DeCarlo, Frontiers, hard rock, Lightning Strikes Twice, melodic rock, review, Tommy Decarlo
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Album review: MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – High Times, Live In Italy

Frontiers [Release date 24.01.20] Michael Thompson’s reputation as the rock world’s original “go to guitarist” is unassailable. Though none is needed, he provides ample proof of his skill and virtuosity here. And understandably cashing in his cultural stock in the … Continue reading
Gig review: COLLATERAL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 10 January 2020

2020 promises to be a big year for Collateral, with their debut full-length album out in February to capitalise on the growing buzz around them. Indeed GRTR!’s writers voted the Kentish rockers the breakthrough act for 2020 in our end … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 10 January, Angelo Tristan, Collateral, gig, London, melodic rock, Raynes Park, The Cavern, Todd Winger
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Album review: EDGE OF FOREVER – Native Soul

Frontiers [Release date 06.12.19] Edge Of Forever are back with their first album in nine years. They still feature founding member, producer, singer and keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio (who has been very busy in the interim as Frontiers ‘go to’ … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Edge Of Forever, Frontiers, hard rock, Journey, melodic rock, Native Soul, review
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Album review: STORM FORCE – Age Of Fear

Escape Music [Release date 25.01.20] Storm Force hail from Canada and although a new band they have a familiar name in their ranks, Brighton Rock founder and guitarist Greg Fraser. Joining him are vocalist Patrick Gagliardi, drummer Brian Hamilton and … Continue reading
Album review: AUTUMN’S CHILD – Autumn’s Child

AOR Heaven [Release date 31.01.20] With Last Autumn’s Dream on hiatus due to the band members’ various commitments, vocalist Mikael Erlandsson has put together Autumn’s Child, which is a bit of a Swedish melodic rock ‘supergroup’. Joining him are HEAT’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Autumn’s Child, HEAT, Last Autumn’s Dream, melodic rock, Michael Erlandsson, review
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News: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Scottish hard rockers Gun added to line-up (29 August 2020) with Black Star Riders

Scottish rockers Gun have been added to the one-day Stonedead event, taking place 29 August at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire. They join headliners Black Star Riders with Terrorvision and Tyketto together with Kris Barras, Blaze Bayley and Tygers Of Pan … Continue reading
Album review: HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – Radiocarbon

Frontiers [Release date 06.12.19] Back in 1997, House Of Shakira were in the vanguard of Swedish bands who fanned the dying embers of Melodic Rock, reigniting the genre for a whole new generation of rock fans. And they were always … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andreas Eklund, AOR, Frontiers, hard rock, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, Radiocarbon, review
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Album review: MOON HALO – Chroma

[Release date 13.01.20] available at moonhalomusic.co.uk and bandcamp.com The tide may have ebbed for the final time on Riversea – a band who produced two quite outstanding albums that somehow failed to get the exposure they deserved – but Moon … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Breathing Space, Chroma, melodic rock, Moon Halo, Mostly Autumn, pop rock, prog, prog pop, Progressive Rock, review, Riversea, rock
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Album review: MAGNUM – The Serpent Rings

David Randall chatted to Tony Clarkin for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 20 December 2020. Steamhammer/SPV [Release date 17.01.20] You have to admire Magnum. They deliver a new studio album every two years almost like clockwork. Maybe Tony … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, Bob Catley, Dennis Ward, hard rock, interview, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp, radio, review, The Serpent Rings, Tony Clarkin
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Album Review : THE BABYS – Silver Dreams: The Complete Albums 1975-1980

Cherry Red Records [Release date 06.12.19] The Babys were indeed the launching pad for John Waite’s worldwide solo success and a key component of the CV that landed Jonathan Cain the job with Journey. But the band would never have … Continue reading
Gig review: HEAT FESTIVAL – Ludwigsburg, Germany, 30 November- 1 December 2019

Having grown steadily since its inception in 2008, the HEAT Festival in Ludwigsburg, just outside Stuttgart, can lay claim to being one of the longest continuously running melodic rock festivals in Europe. For most of the last few years their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Age of Reflection, AOR, Black Diamonds, Black Tiger, Blood Red Saints, Cats In Space, Crashdiet, Dark Sky, Degreed, Devicious, festival, gig, HEAT festival, Licence, Maverick, melodic rock, Robert Tepper, Stage Dolls, STAN BUSH, Treat, Vega
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Album review: COLLATERAL – Collateral

In this hour special for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Pete Feenstra chats to Collateral’s Angelo Tristan. First broadcast 9 February 2020. www.collateralofficial.com [Release 21.02.20] The rock scene has seemingly never looked healthier and 2019 has seen some absolutely incredible … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Angelo Tristan, AOR, Bon Jovi, classic rock, Collateral, country rock, interview, melodic rock, review, rock
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News: THE BEST OF 2019 – Vote for your favourites in our popular poll (albums, live acts, breakthrough acts)

Every year the GRTR! Reviewers choose their favourite albums, live acts and breakthrough artists. We reduce this selection to a list of ten in each category, reflecting also the top choices of each reviewer. Vote for your own favourite from … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, The Best of 2019
Tagged best of 2019, breakthrough acts, classic rock, melodic rock, poll, Progressive Rock, singer songwriter, top albums, top live acts, vote
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