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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: MARIACHI EL BRONX – Mariachi El Bronx IV
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Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
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Album review: MYRATH – Wilderness Of Mirrors
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Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Live At The Great Hall
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Album review: JAMIE WILLIAMS AND THE ROOTS COLLECTIVE – In The Moment
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Album review: JOE HICKS – Before It Gets Dark
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
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Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
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Gig review: EMERALD MOON – Le Marquee, Peyrignac, Dordogne, SW France, 7 March 2026
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Gig review: MILKFEST, Indigo2, London, 1 March 2026
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GRTR! Greats
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Tag Archives: metal
Album review: KANE ROBERTS – The New Normal
Frontiers [Release date 25.01.19] Guitarist Kane Roberts – who first came to light as part of Alice Cooper’s band in the mid-80s – returns with a new solo album and one that is certainly a mixed musical bag. The album … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alice Cooper, Arch Enemy, Kane Roberts, metal, review, rock, the New Normal, Winger
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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
Album review: RHAPSODY OF FIRE – The Eighth Mountain
AFM Records [Release date 22.02.19] Italian power metal band return with their latest album, cementing the new/current line-up. Formed in the mid 90 as Rhapsody, RoF made the genre of symphonic power metal their own. Founder members keyboard player Alex … Continue reading
Album review: ERIC GALES – The Bookends
Provogue [Release date 08.02.19] Back in his psychedelic rock days, I always used to think that it was Eric Gales’s second solo that defined both the song itself and the guitarist’s signature style. Just like a boxer he bobbed, weaved … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, B.Slade, beth Hart, blues, Bobby McFerrin, Doyle Bramhall 11, Eric Gales, Frank Zappa, funk, fusion, guitar, Jeff Beck, Matt Wallace, metal, Nina Simone, review, rock, soul, SPARKS, Stevie Wonder, The Bookends, vocal, Wired
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Album review: RAVEN – Screaming Murder Death From Above – Live In Aalborg
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 18.01.19] Most often associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Raven formed in the mid 70′s and had some notoriety in the early 80′s. Playing their brand of Athletic Rock, they were a big influence … Continue reading
Album review: SOEN – Lotus
Silver Lining Music [Release date 01.02.19] Swedish based progressive metal band Soen were formed in the mid 00′s, and are an extreme metal supergroup of sorts, with their founder members having a collective CV of Opeth, Testament, Death, Willowtree and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, extreme metal, Lotus, metal, OPETH, review, Soen, Testament, Tool
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Album review: ALCATRAZZ – Live In Japan
Frontiers Records [Release date 28.09.18] This live album captures Alcatrazz on their 1984 Japanese tour at the Nankano Sun Plaza in Tokyo. This is the recently discovered full version of the show which has been remastered and features a set … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 1984, album, Alcatrazz, CD, Complete, Graham Bonnet, Live In Japan, metal, Rainbow, review, rock, Tokyo, Yngwie J Malmsteen
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2019)
Compiled by Jason Ritchie Please check with venue and/or relevant website(s) to confirm availability. Updated 03/11/2019 BLACK STONE CHERRY 11/5 Anaheim, CA The Parish at House of Blues 11/6 San Diego, CA Soma Sidestage 11/14 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen 11/15 … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS
Tagged 2019, AOR, dates, Europe, gigs, melodic rock, metal, pop, progressive, rock, ROW, Tour, USA
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) January 2019 – March 2019
Compiled by Jason Ritchie April – June 2019 July – September 2019 2019 January 1st FATES WARNING ‘Awaken the Guardian Live’ 4th LEGION OF THE DAMNED ‘Slaves of the Shadow Realm’ Napalm Records 11th BRING ME THE HORIZON ‘Amo’ SOILWORK … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, NEWS, Upcoming (Tours & Releases)
Tagged 2018, album, AOR, Bluray, CD, DVD, February, heavy rock, January, March, melodic rock, metal, New releases, progressive, rock
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Album review: EVERGREY – The Atlantic
AFM Records [Release date 25.01.19] ‘The Atlantic’ is the eleventh album from Evergrey, the masters of dark and atmospheric metal. Tom S Englund and the band have really worked on every detail of the album, be it the sea theme … Continue reading
Gig review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Biebob, Vosselaar, 27 November 2018
Had you asked me twenty or so years ago whether I would ever consider attending a show featuring a band whose singer is sporting a shiny purple suit the answer would be a resounding ‘no’. Funnily enough, that is exactly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 27 November 2018, Belgium, Biebob, gig, metal, Night Flight Orchestra, review, rock, Vosselaar
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Album review: NORTHWARD – s/t
Nuclear Blast [Release date 18.10.18] The cover art image of the two main protagonists here – Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen, and Pagan’s Mind guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad – photoshopped head to head, jaws agape and bawling at each other, offers … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Floor Jansen, hard rock, Jørn Viggo Lofstad, melodic rock, metal, Nightwish, Northward, Pagan's Mind, review
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Album review: GINGER WILDHEART – G.A.S.S Mark 2
Round Records [ Release Date 20.09.18] The approach with every Ginger Wildheart album is ‘expect the unexpected’. Ginger is not one for sticking to a particular genre or style on his albums and this release is no different, only Devin Townsend can touch Ginger in the … Continue reading
Album review: ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN – Symphonized
Inside Out [Release date 16.11.18] In the summer of 1992 a good friend came to mine for a visit carrying with him “Always…”, the debut release of an atmospheric Death Metal outfit named The Gathering. My attraction to the work … Continue reading
Album review: ERIC CLAPTON AND THE YARDBIRDS Feat.SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
The Store For Music [Release date: 09.11.18] And so to the endlessly recycled ‘Eric Clapton And The Yardbirds with Sonny Boy Williams’ (Williamson) and a few tracks from Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. This material will always hold some interest … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Aleck "Rice" Miller, blues, Bo Diddley, Chicago Blues, Elmore James, Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton And The Yardbirds feat. Sonny Boy Williamson, Giorgio Gomelsky, Graham Gouldman, guitar, Jeff Beck, Jim McCarty, Jimmy Page, metal, R&B, review, Robert Lockwood, rock
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Album review: HOLTER – Vlad The Impaler
Frontiers [Release date 09.11.18] Born as a one-off musical extravaganza by Trond Holter (ex-Wig Wam) and singer Jorn Lande, the ‘Swing Of Death’ album met with favourable reviews (fellow GRTR! reviewer Phil Berisford rated it an impressive ****1/2). So much so … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Holter, Jorn, meodic metal, metal, Pagan's Mind, power metal, review, Vlad the Impaler, Wig Wam
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Album review: P.O.D. – Circles
Mascot Records[Release date 18.11.18] After a 26 year existence played out over a fast changing music scene, San Diego’s rap-rock into metal band P.O.D. (Payable On Death) are too long in the tooth to be caged in by any specific … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Circles, Duran Duran, electronica, grunge, heavy, Marcos Curiel, metal, P.O.D., Payable On Death, pop, punk, rap-rock, reggae, review, Sonny Sandoval, SPARKS, Sublime
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Gig review: PRIMAL FEAR – Biebob, Vosselaar, 12 October 2018
Ask me to compose a list with the best Metal albums for 2018 and you are almost certainly guaranteed to find Primal Fear’s latest studio effort “Apocalypse” somewhere near the very top. It may be a good two decades since … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 12 October 2018, Belgium, Biebob, gig, heavy metal, metal, Primal Fear, Ralph Scheepers, review, Riot V, Vosselaar
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Album review: SAXON – The Eagle Has Landed
BMG [Release date 19.10.18] To coincide nicely with their latest opus Thunderbolt, we get this reissue of Saxon’s classic 1982 live album. This rounds off the BMG reissues of the Carrere and Phonogram catalogue. Originally a single LP, this comes … Continue reading
Quick plays: THEM, SODOM, BROTHERS OF METAL
THEM Manor of the Se7en Gables SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 26.10.18] US/German thrash/power metal band return with their second album, a horror story featuring witchcraft, murder and they use a series of spoken word parts to keep the story moving along. … Continue reading
Album review: HAKEN – Vector
Inside Out [Release date 26.10.18] Haken recently celebrated their tenth anniversary and now we have album number five from them. Although the band produced the album s they normally do, this time they enlisted Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Haken, melodic, metal, Muse, prog rock, progressive, review, Vector
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Gig review: FOUR STICKS CLASSIC ROCK WEEKENDER – New Cross Inn, 5-7 October 2018
Following a successful all-dayer at the same venue back in March the Four Sticks classic rock event was back for a full weekend this time. With twenty-six bands over three days it showcased the breadth of talent on the NWOCR … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Big Foot, Burnt Out Wreck, classic rock, Classic Rock Weekender, Diamond Head, Four Sticks, gig, hard rock, Hell's Gazelles, metal, NWOBHM, review
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Album review: AYREON – Into The Electric Castle
Music Theories Recordings [Release date 26.10.18] Aside from being the 20th anniversary of its release and a long overdue vinyl release, the most significant thing about the Arjen Lucassen’s remixed and re-mastered 1998 Ayreon project, is the way it successfully … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album review, Anneke van Giersbergen, Arjen Lucassen, Asia, Ayreon, blues, Bob Calvert, Clive Nolan, Ed Warby, electronica, Fish, folk, gothic funk, Into The Electric Castle, Jon Anderson, metal, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, pop, prog, psychedelia, rock, SPARKS, Thijs van Leer, Todd Rudgren, Uriah Heep, Yes
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Interview: TIM ATKINSON (LEADER OF DOWN)
The brainchild of Grammy nominated former Motörhead guitarist Würzel and bass player Tim Atkinson who after forming the band Leader of Down, busied themselves in a London rehearsal studio writing dozens of tracks in preparation for recording an album. They … Continue reading
Album review: VOLA – Applause Of A Distant Crowd
Pete Feenstra chatted to Vola’s Asger Mygind in a show first broadcast in October 2018 for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. This hour special features tracks from the new album. Mascot records [Release date 12.10.18] Vola’s name means flying in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, ambient, Anathema, Applause Of A Distant Crowd, Asger Mygind, Bryan Ferry, Dave Gilmour, David Sylvan, djent, electronica, Eno, interview, King Crimson, Messuggah, metal, Morrisey, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, prog metal, radio, Radiohead, review, Robert Fripp, rock, Rupert Hine, synth, The Blue Nile, Vola
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