Tag Archives: melodic rock

Quick plays: DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS, 19th STREET BAND, PHIL VINCENT

Posted on August 6, 2023 by jason

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS Strangers No More Magnolia Music [Release date 09.06.23] Ninth studio album from Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors who have been gaining critical plaudits and fans in the Americana field since they formed back in 2005. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Americana, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, folk, hard rock, melodic, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, Quick Play, review, Strangers No More, the 19th Street Band | Leave a comment

Album review : STREETLIGHT – Ignition

Posted on August 3, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 11.08.23] Streetlight’s debut album is filled to the brim with heart and soul AOR. Few bands have the skill and ability to make it sound this honest. Just unpretentious songs of unerring simplicity and (mostly) uncomplicated … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Ignition, Johannes Hager, Journey, melodic rock, Powerpop, review, Streetlight, Westcoast Rock | Leave a comment

Album review : RIAN – Wings

Posted on July 30, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 04.08.23] Third album from Swedish melodic rock band, Rian, led by exceptionally talented vocalist/ guitarist Richard Andermyer. Their second on Frontiers. The band’s label debut, titled Twenty Three, was reviewed in GRTR! back in 2021. Here’s what … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Dark Horse, Eclipse, Frontiers, melodic rock, Paul Laine, review, Richard Andermyer, Tobias Jakobsson, Treat, Twenty-Three | Leave a comment

Album review: MITCH MALLOY – The Last Song

Posted on July 28, 2023 by andynathan

Godsend Records [Release date 07.07.23] After his stint fronting Great White, Mitch Malloy resumes his solo career with his first album since ‘Making Noise’ some seven years ago. Indeed, like its predecessor, this is a solo effort in every sense … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Great White, melodic rock, Mitch Malloy, The Last Song | Leave a comment

Album review : KENT HILLI – Nothing Left To Lose

Posted on July 28, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 04.08.23] Only one solo album under his belt, yet Kent Hilli seems to have been around forever. Three studio albums with Perfect Plan, two Restless Spirits’ albums and a stint fronting legendary melodic rock band, Giant. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Giant, Jimmy Hedlund, Jimmy Westerlund, Kristian Fyhr, melodic rock, One Desire, Pete Alpenborg, review, Rick Altzi, Ulrick Lonnqvuist | Leave a comment

Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell, 20 July 2023

Posted on July 25, 2023 by andynathan

Despite latest album ‘Kickstart the Sun’ being for me their finest achievement, Cats in Space’s autumn tour in 2022 was still bedevilled by audiences a fraction of what they deserved. It therefore represented a bold gamble when, post-tour, the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Andy Stewart, Cats In Space, Damien Edwards, Dean Howard, gig, Greg Hart, Jeff Brown, melodic rock, pomp rock, soft rock, Steevi Bacon | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – O2 Islington Academy 2, London, 21 July 2023

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Davoski

Having narrowly avoided stumbling into The Exploited’s show at the slightly larger Academy1 right next door, I was pleasantly surprised to see a pretty full venue for this early kick-off. The Cold Stares, a trio based in Indiana, are led … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 21 July 2023, blues, blues rock, gig, Islington, live, melodic rock, review, The Cold Stares, The Damn Truth | Leave a comment

Album review: TONY MITCHELL – Radio Heartbeat

Posted on July 16, 2023 by jason

Pride & Glory Music [Release date 21.07.23] The fourth solo album from Tony Mitchell, of Kiss Of The Gypsy & Dirty White Boyz fame. Joining him on here are Midnite City guitarist Miles Meakin, bassist Nigel Bailey (Dirty White Boyz, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, hard rock, Kiss Of The Gypsy, melodic rock, Nigel Bailey, Radio Heartbeat, review, rock, Tony Mitchell | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (April – June 2023)

Posted on July 10, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

WINGER Seven (Frontiers) Winger are a great group of musicians and they write great songs. And ‘Seven’ matches up to their very best work. ***** Review by David Randall HOUSE OF SHAKIRA XIT (Frontiers) No question, XIT is a perfect pop … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, Albums of the Year...to date, NEWS | Tagged albums, April 2023, classic rock, hard rock, heavy rock, instrumental, June 2023, May 2023, melodic rock, pop rock, review | Leave a comment

Book review: ON TRACK… REO Speedwagon- every album, every song by James Romag

Posted on July 9, 2023 by andynathan

Sonic Bond Publishing (Release Date 28.04.23) The ever growing On Track series is now spreading its wings to bands with at best cult status in the UK, in this case REO Speedwagon who, despite three big power ballad hits in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, book, melodic rock, On Track, REO Speedwagon, Sonic Bond | Leave a comment

Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) January 2023 – June 2023

Posted on July 5, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

BLACK STAR RIDERS- Wrong Side of Paradise

Compiled by Jason Ritchie July – December 2023 To search quickly within this page (“Find In Page”): Press Ctrl+F (on Windows PC, Chromebook, or Linux system), or Command+F (on a Mac) on the keyboard. The “F” stands for “Find,” and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS | Tagged 2023, album, blues rock, Bluray, CD, classic rock, DVD, hard rock, heavy rock, melodic rock, metal, New releases, Progressive Rock, reissue, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Gig review: MIDNITE CITY – The Black Heart, Camden, London, 17 June 2023

Posted on June 25, 2023 by andynathan

Touring their freshly released fourth album ‘In at the Deep End’, I was delighted that Midnite City’s schedule included a relatively rare London date at the Black Heart. Perhaps as a result of long running festivals at places like Wigan … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Dave Winkler, gig, glam rock, Josh 'Tabbie' Williams, melodic rock, Midnite City, Miles Meakin, Rob Wylde, Ryan Briggs, Shawn Charvette, Star Circus | Leave a comment

Album review : ROBIN GEORGE – Ace In My Hand (2CD)

Posted on June 21, 2023 by brianmc

Cherry Red [Release date 23.06.23] What can you say about Robin George that hasn’t already been said? He seems to have been circling under rock’n’roll’s radar forever, ready to land, but never making that last critical step. Considering that the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged 2 CDs, Ace In My Hand, album, Dave Holland, Def Leppard, melodic rock, Pete Goalby, Pete Wright, review, Robin George, seventies, Terry Rowley, Thin Lizzy, Trapeze, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: MIDNITE CITY – In At The Deep End

Posted on June 20, 2023 by andynathan

Pride and Joy Music [Releaae date 23.06.23] This is an impressive fourth release in under six years from Midnite City, confirming them as one of the most enduring of the select band of UK melodic rock acts. It doesn’t mess … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, glam rock, In At The Deep End, melodic rock, Midnite City, Rob Wylde | Leave a comment

Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Dream Higher

Posted on June 14, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 16.06.23] Seventh studio album from Pride Of Lions. The “Survivor” name has been purged from all official publicity associated with Peterik for legal reasons, but anyone who is at all interested in the genre well knows Peterik’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged .38 Special, Jim Peterik, Lynyrd Skynyrd, melodic rock, review, Rocky, Survivor, Toby Hitchcock | Leave a comment

Album review : STARDUST – Kingdom Of Illusion

Posted on June 12, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 16.06.23] Hungarian band, Stardust kick off their album with ‘War’ as the opening track. Given current events, there was always someone who’d climb on the bandwagon. Lets move on. There’s a welcome familiarity to Stardust’s melodic rock, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Cinderella, Eclipse, HEAT, Hungary, Kingdom Of Illusion, melodic rock, review, Stardust, WET | Leave a comment

Album review: GARDNER JAMES – No Strings

Posted on June 11, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date 09.06.23] Gardner James is Justin James, who has worked with Staind and Tyketto. And Janet Gardner, who was of course vocalist with Vixen. Their history is well documented online. A pithy rock band riff can be just … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, blues rock, Janet Gardner, Justin James, LA, melodic rock, review, Staind, Tyketto, Vixen, Von Groove | Leave a comment

Album review: THE GUESS WHO – Plein D’Amour

Posted on June 11, 2023 by jason

Deko Entertainment [Release date 07.07.23] The Guess Who’s 2018 album, ‘The Future IS What It Used to Be’, wasn’t bad at all, maybe a bit too AOR/melodic rock for diehard fans, possibly due to Styx’s Tommy Shaw having a large … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Deko Entertainment, hard rock, melodic rock, Plein D'Amour, review, rock, The Guess Who | Leave a comment

Album review: VIXEN Rev It Up (remaster)

Posted on June 6, 2023 by brianmc

Rock Candy Records [release date 18.05.23] Minnesota band Vixen made their major label breakthrough in 1987, after moving to Los Angeles. Two albums were recorded by the original Vixen lineup, Jan Keuhnemund, Janet Gardner, Share Ross and Roxy Petrucci. The … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Bangalore Choir, Bobby Kimball, Bon Jovi, Diane Warren, Fiona, Harry Paress, Jack Conrad, Los Angeles, melodic rock, Minnesota, Quiet Riot, review, Rock Candy Records, Steve Plunkett | Leave a comment

Gig review: FM/DARE/TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023

Posted on May 31, 2023 by andynathan

The package tour is growing in popularity in the current economic climate as a way of bands combining forces to save on overheads and play in front of maximum audiences. Announced just before Christmas, this particular triple header was most … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, Chris Childs, Danny Vaughn, Dare, FM, Ged Rylands, gig, Harry Scott Elliott, Jim Kirkpatrick, Johnny Dee, melodic rock, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland, Tyketto, Vinny Burns | Leave a comment

News: Melodic Rockers FM enter The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness in June 2023

Posted on May 21, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

The latest inductees to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” are melodic rockers FM. A major retrospective tracking FM’s comeback in the millennium will be published on 1 June by rock website Get Ready to ROCK! and throughout the month Get … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS | Tagged AOR, classic rock, feature, FM, Grotto, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, retrospective, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Gig review: JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 4 May 2023

Posted on May 14, 2023 by andynathan

Guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick seems to have been everywhere recently. After FM’s December tour with the Dead Daisies and January dates with Band of Friends, his third solo album ‘Dead Man Walking’ was released to critical acclaim including in these pages … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 4 May 2023, blues rock, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Leon Cave, London, melodic rock, Ollie Collins, Raynes Park, The Cavern | Leave a comment

Gig review: ROCKNYTT CRUISE- Viking Line ‘Cinderella’, Stockholm, 21-22 April 2023

Posted on May 14, 2023 by andynathan

The rock cruise is now a well established business model in the world of classic rock, as fans of rock’s golden age reach their Saga-eligible years and are looking for new experiences and greater comfort than sleeping in tents and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 21-22 April 2023, AOR, Captain Black Beard, cruise, Dare, DEMON, Emotional Fire, Gathering of Kings, Grand Slam, Houston, melodic rock, Remedy, Rocknytt Cruise, Russ Ballard, Sweden, Weapon, Wildness | Leave a comment

Album review : HOUSE OF SHAKIRA – XIT

Posted on May 6, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 19.05.23] Those melodic rock fans who mainline the uncut version of the brand might not have time for artists who add their own distinctive musical seasoning. But they might just find that this shiny new album from … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Eagles, Frontiers, funk, Glenn Frey, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, New Wave, review, Valensia, Valentine, XIT | Leave a comment

Album review: JIM KIRKPATRICK – Dead Man Walking

Posted on May 3, 2023 by jason

US One Records [Release date 21.04.23] Second solo album from FM guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick, who is joined by fellow FM band member Jem Davis on keyboards and Status Quo’s rhythm section of bassist John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and drummer Leon Cave. … Continue reading →