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Album review: MICK ROGERS – The Guitarist
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Album review : This Can’t Be Today – American Psychedelia and The Paisley Underground 1977-88
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Tag Archives: metal
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 →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Fight Them All, Frontiers, melodic metal, metal, review, Rising Steel
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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
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Tagged album, Even The Devil Believes, melodic, melodic metal, metal, Michael Sweet, review, Stryper, white metal
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Single reviews: CONSTANT FOLLOWER, ARCADIAN TEMPLE

CONSTANT FOLLOWER – Set Aside Some Time Sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you’ll stumble across a band that will truly make your heart swell and your life better. Constant Follower are one such band. Changing greys to multi coloured pastel … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged Arcadian Temple, Constant Follower, folk, melodic, metal, NWOBHM, review, rock, singles
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Album review: SOUTH OF SALEM – The Sinner Takes It All

Indie [Release date 25.09.20] South Of Salem hail from Bournemouth, consisting of vocalist Joey, guitarist Fish and Kodi, bassist Dee and drummer Pip. You can get some idea of the band’s music with the choice of producer Scott Atkins, who … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, debut, gothic, hard rock, horror metal, melodic, metal, review, South Of Salem, The Sinner Takes It All
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Feature: Albums that time forgot … CODE OF SILENCE – Dark Skies Over Babylon

Mausoleum Records (Europe) Rubicon (Japan) (2013) Described by GRTR! reviewer Alan Jones as ‘a truly genre-bending tour de force, which, whilst having melodic metal at its heart, makes frequent forays into the diverse worlds of progressive rock, heavy metal, shred … Continue reading →
News – KING CRIMSON, NEIL YOUNG, ULTRAVOX (September 2020)

King Crimson release a 26-disc set, ‘The Complete 1969 Recordings’, through Panegyric on October 23. It features a brand new Dolby Atmos mix by Steven Wilson of the band’s 1969 debut album ‘In The Court of the Crimson King’, and includes … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged albums, Broken Teeth, classic rock, country, folk, King Crimson, metal, Neil Young, New releases, news, Nightwish, pop, prog, re-issues, rock
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Album review: VICIOUS RUMORS – Celebration Decay

SPV Records [Release date 21.08.20] Vicious Rumors found a home at Germany’s SPV Records four albums ago. In fact, Europe’s always offered a warm welcome to the band, right from the start, back in 1985. Now, everything has changed. But … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Celebration Decay, Geoff Thorpe, metal, power metal, review, SPV, Vicious Rumors
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Album review: ONSLAUGHT – Generation Antichrist

AFM Records [Release date 07.08.20] When, on the 29th of April this year, the British Thrash metallers Onslaught announced that singer Sy Keeler had decided to once more part ways with the band, I felt pretty sad indeed. The band … Continue reading →
Album review: DEE SNIDER – For The Love Of Metal Live!

Napalm Records [Release date 31.07.20] To front a rock band takes a few special ingredients. The candidate should be larger than life, outspoken, overblown, like the sound of their own voice, have massive self-confidence and not give a flying f**k for … Continue reading →
Album review: RAVEN – Metal City

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 18.09.20] Athletic Rock legends Raven, long associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, issue their new album (their fourteenth) and what a blistering revelation it is too. While 2015’s Extermination was universally well received, a … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars
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Tagged album, athletic rock, interview, John Gallagher, Mark Gallagher, metal, Metal City, Metallica, NWOBHM, RAVEN, review, speed metal, thrash metal
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) October 2020 – December 2020

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2020 April – June 2020 July – September 2020 October 2nd AMARANTHE ‘Manifest’ Nuclear Blast BLACKFIELD ‘For The Music’ Parlophone Records BON JOVI ‘Bon Jovi 2020′ Island (postponed from May) BRUFORD ‘Rock Goes … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases)
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Tagged 20/20, album, AOR, Bluray, CD, December, DVD, heavy rock, melodic rock, metal, New releases, November, October, progressive, rock
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Album review: HAKEN – Virus

Inside Out [Release date 24.07.20] Following the release of their fifth studio album “Vektor” back in October 2018, the members of the British Progressive Metal sextet Haken have rightfully been in the receiving end of various rewards and accolades. For … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
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Tagged album, Dream Theater, Haken, melodic, metal, progressive, progressive metal, review, virus
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Album review: VARIOUS – NWOBHM Thunder 1978-86

Cherry Red Records [Release date 31.07.20] (3 CD set) 1978 to 1986. Those 9 years were the Golden Age of NWOBHM. They were the years that spanned the birth, working life and eventual demise of a significant sub genre in … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
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Tagged album, Blitzkreig, Cherry Red Records, compilation, DEMON, GIRLSCHOOL, metal, NWOBHM Thunder 1978-86, Praying Mantis, RAVEN, review, rock, Saxon, trad metal, Tygers Of Pan Tang, various artists, Venom
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) July 2020 – September 2020

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2020 April – June 2020 October – December 2020 July 1st DOMINATION BLACK ‘Judgement IV’ Pride & Joy Music THE QUIREBOYS ‘A Bit Of What You Fancy’ (re-recorded debut album) 3rd WEATHER REPORT … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases)
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Tagged 20/20, album, AOR, August, Bluray, CD, DVD, heavy rock, July, melodic rock, metal, New releases, progressive, rock, September
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Single reviews: LIONHEART, UDO

LIONHEART Thine Is The Kingdom Metalville Records A reformed Lionheart (after 30 years) recorded and released a rather fine album of American influenced Melodic Rock in 2017, “Second Nature”, reviewed here. They weren’t all original band members, but old hands, … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged AFM Records, DAS MUSSIKORPS DER BUNDESWEHR, Dennis Stratton, Lee Small, Lionheart, melodic rock, metal, Peter Baltes, review, rock, single, Udo Dirkschneider
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News: JEFFERSON STARSHIP, THE CULT, SKERRYVORE, Y&T (July 2020)

Jefferson Starship are planning to put out an EP, ‘Mother Of The Sun’, on 21 August via Golden Robot Records. Guitarist David Freiberg is the only original member remaining in the group, although former bassist Pete Sears plays on three … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged albums, classic rock, country, folk, Jefferson Starship, Katie Melua, melodic rock, metal, New releases, news, pop, prog, re-issues, rock, Skerryvore, The Cult, Y&T
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Album review: SMACKBOUND – 20/20

Frontiers [Release date 12.06.20] Finland’s Smackbound paid their dues playing clubs as a covers’ band. Their debut album, “20/20” is a distillation of all the styles and stuff they performed on stage…with added songwriting. And the songwriting shines brightly. It … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged 20/20, album, debut, Frontiers, melodic metal, metal, review, Smackbound, symphonic metal
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Album review: SOLITUDE WITHIN – Disappear

The European metal scene has never been healthier, as each week reveals more and more bands to fall in love with. Belgium Symphonic rockers Solitude Within can rightly stake their claim as part of the leading pack with their 2017 … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile)
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Tagged album, Disappear, epic metal, melodic, melodic metal, metal, review, Solitude Within, symphonic metal
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Album review: RONAN FURLONG – Minerva’s Meddling

Pete Feenstra chatted to Ronan Furlong for his Feature show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, first broadcast 7 June 2020, and including tracks from the album ‘Minerva’s Meddling’. Thoroughbred Music [Release date 29.06.20] To say that Ronan Furlong’s ‘Minerva’s … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
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Tagged album, Celtic, David Surkamp, folk, interview, Irish, metal, Minerva's Meddling, Neil Young, Pavlov's Dog, review, rock, Ronan Furlong, roots, vocal
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Single reviews: STORMZONE, BRANTLEY GILBERT, GIRL SKIN, LUCA BASELE

STORMZONE Tolling Of The Bell Metalapolis Records [Release date 05.06.20] Blimey, album number seven ‘Ignite The Machine’ from StormZone is released by Metalapolis Records on July 31. Before that we have this new single, a six minute trad metal feast … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged Brantley Gilbert, cinematic, country, Girl Skin, indie, jazz, Luca Basele, metal, NYChillharmonic, pop, progressive, review, rock, singles, Stormzone
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News: THE QUIREBOYS, AYREON, JOE BONAMASSA, ASH, KORN (June 2020)

Valentine (the melodic rockers featuring Hugo on vocals), have teased on Facebook that new material is due soon. Joe Bonamassa has released a new song ‘When One Door Opens’. Feature: Gigs of the Millennium Arjen Lucassen has announced the release … Continue reading →
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
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Tagged albums, Ayreon, folk, gigs, Joe Bonamassa, metal, news, prog, rock, The Quireboys, tours
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Album review: ALESTORM – Curse Of The Crystal Coconut

Napalm Records [Release date 29.05.20] The Perthshire pirates are back with more tales of the high seas told in their own special way, forget sea shanties we want metal! As per usual the album won’t be to all tastes, its … Continue reading →
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
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Tagged album, Alestorm, CD, Christopher Bowes, Curse Of The Crystal Coconut, Fannybaws, Glasgow, Mate Bodor, metal, Perthshire, pirate metal, review, rock, Scotland, Sunset On A Golden Age, Tortuga, Wooden Leg
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Feature: What FREEDOM CALL mean to me

Joe Geesin recounts an enduring 20 year passion, cultivated after a few drinks and an introduction to the German metallers Freedom Call… After a decade of writing features and sleevenotes, (I first starting writing reviews for Record Collector magazine in … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, What a Band/Artist means to me...
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Tagged feature, Freedom Call, German, metal, power metal, review
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Album review: THUNDERSTICK – Something Wicked This Way Came, Live In France

Indie [Release date 20.03.20] Thunderstick the man is a drummer who, having already played with Iron Maiden in their early daze, made his name replacing Clive Burr in Samson. As the masked and caged mad man, and a bloody good … Continue reading →
Single reviews: LITTLE CAESAR, UDO

LITTLE CAESAR – Straight Shooter Golden Robot Records [Release date 15.05.20] The much underrated, often overlooked Little Caesar, champions of biker rock, returned to the recording studio in 2018, after an 6 year absence. They had been a much feted … Continue reading →
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
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Tagged Accept, AFM Records, classic rock, Little Caesar, metal, Musikkorps Der Bundeswehr, review, rock, singles, UDO, Udo Dirkschneider
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