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Album review : DEAR MR.FANTASY Featuring the Music of Jim Capaldi and Traffic (2cd+DVD remaster)
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Gig review: JOHN REILLY AND LEWIS NIKITMAN- Crazy Coqs, London, 16 April 2025
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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Nantwich Civic Hall, 17 April 2025
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Gig review: MATT PEARCE AND THE MUTINY /JACK J HUTCHINSON- The Grace, London, 12 April 2025
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Tag Archives: modern rock
EP review: MADRE SUN – The Speed of Light

Facebook [Release date24.07.20] Madre Son was formed by brothers Eduardo (bass, vocals) and Matt Cavina (guitar), along with guitarist Tyson Schenker (son of Michael). They are joined on the EP by drummer Flipi Stipp. They certainly have rock pedigree and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, hard rock, melodic, Michael Schenker, modern rock, review, rock, The Speed of Light, Tyson Schenker
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Album review: THE PETAL FALLS – Workin’ All Night Workin’ All Day

Rock Avenue Records [Release date 31.07.20] This is my new favourite album of 2020, by UK band, The Petal Falls “Workin’ All Night Workin’ All Day” and if the impressive production is anything to go by, this band most certainly has … Continue reading
Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – The Victoria, Swindon, Thursday 27 August 2020

So it’s Thursday 27 August and the wind down to a long weekend, what better way to get in the mood than to see live music – yes real, live, raw, rock in an amazing venue, the Victoria in Old … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Bryan Adams, Fall From Ruin, gig, hard rock, live, melodic, modern rock, review, rock, Swindon, the Darker My Horizon
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EP review: BLACK LESION – Mindless Feeding Device

Facebook [Release date 14.08.20] Black Lesion are a three-piece hard-rock band from Edinburgh, who had managed a few live dates under their belts before the pandemic struck. It is very frustrating and sad in equal measures that bands, particularly up … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged album, alt rock, Black Lesion, EP, grunge, Mindless Feeding Device, modern rock, review, rock
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EP review: COUNCIL, MARISA AND THE MOTHS

Website [Release date 23.06.20] Council is made up of 3 brothers and they are based out of NYC now. They have gone the organic route by building up a fan base by interacting with them, playing plenty of live shows … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged acoustic, Bastille, Council, electronica, EP, Get Numb, Imagine Dragons, Marisa And The Moths, melodic, modern rock, pop, review, rock, Stripped
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Album review: THE ROCKET DOLLS – The Art of Disconnect

Website [Release date 01.05.20] The Rocket Dolls are Nikki Smash (vocals, guitars), Joe Constable (bass, backing vocals) and Benji Knopfler (drums), back with their new album which was another affected by the PledgeMusic crisis. Undeterred, the Rocket Dolls re-launched the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, grunge, modern rock, Nikki Smash, punk, review, rock, Rocket Dolls, The Art of Disconnect
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Single reviews: THE DARKER MY HORIZON, MILTON HIDE, ALLAN CLARKE, CWF, THE LICKERISH QUARTET

THE DARKER MY HORIZON Carpe Diem Another band utilising their lockdown time wisely are the Darker My Horizon, who made the video with help from their fans with all proceeds going to the NHS charities. Nice riff-tastic tune with lyrics … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Allan Clarke, AOR, classic rock, CWF, folk, Jellyfish, melodic rock, Milton Hide, modern rock, New releases, pop, power pop, review, rock, singles, the Darker My Horizon, The Hollies, the Lickerish Quartet, Toto
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Quick plays: KIRSTY MERRYN, TOM KITCHING, GRACES COLLIDE

KIRSTY MERRYN Our Bright Night [Release date 24.04.20] Kirsty Merryn has only been on the folk scene for a few years, yet already she has been making a name for herself with glowing reviews for her debut album and supporting … Continue reading
Rising Stars: INDYA

Paul Monkouse interviews Natalie “Indya” West of rising stars INDYA… ‘’He hit me so hard I actually blacked out and when I came around, I could actually see stars’’. Natalie ‘Indya’ West is used to hard knocks but this one … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rising Stars
Tagged Goth Rock, Indya, interview, Jimi Hendrix, modern rock, Natalie West, progressive, rock
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Album review: THE IRONTOWN DIEHARDS – Linchpin

www.theirontowndiehards.com [Release date 08.11.19] Second album from the Irontown Diehards who formed in 2014 and released their self-titled debut album in 2016. The band consists of Phil Dixon (vocals), Andrew Baxter (guitar), Mark McCallion (bass) and Eamon Lenehan (drums). They … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues rock, Irontown Diehards, Linchpin, melodic, modern rock, review, rock
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Quick plays: THIRD EYE BLIND, MICK DEVINE, KEYWEST

THIRD EYE BLIND Screamer [Release date 18.10.19] Album number six from Third Eye Blind and this reviewer enjoyed their last album, 2015’s ‘Dopamine’. Stephan Jenkins is back (in previous interviews he stated Third Eye Blind wouldn’t reach six albums) and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, folk, Hear Now, Keywest, Lonerider, melodic, melodic rock, Mick Devine, modern rock, pop rock, review, rock, Screamer, Seven, Stephan Jenkins, Third Eye Blind
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EP review: LONELY DAKOTA – End Of Days

Facebook [Release date 18.06.19] When PR guff casually drops “southern rock” into a band’s bio, it usually has the catnip effect; this feverish desire to get under the hood and measure matters up against the greats of the genre. I … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged End Of Days, EP, Lonely Dakota, modern rock, Nickelback, review, rock, Shinedown
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Album review: EIGHTEENTH HOUR – Eighteenth Hour

Escape Music [Release date 23.08.19] Something a bit different on Escape Music, a label more associated with melodic rock and AOR, as Eighteenth Hour are modern rockers. This is the band’s seventh album and they have landed some prestigious support … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, Bon Jovi, Dave Zullo, Eighteenth Hour, Escape Music, guitarist, interview, melodic, modern rock, review, rock
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Quick plays: MERRICK’S TUSK, THE EXPERIMENTAL

MERRICK’S TUSK Between The Earth and The Trees Undead Collective Records [Release date 03.05.19] Although Merrick’s Tusk have been around for the last decade, the band are now releasing their debut album “Between The Earth And The Trees”. With the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, EP, Erica Drive, indie, Merrick's Tusk, modern rock, post-hardcore, progressive, review, rock, the Experimental
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Album review: JOANovARC

Holier Than Thou Records [Release date 31.05.19] JOANovARC released their debut album ‘Ride Of Your Life’ to critical acclaim in 2016. Now they are back with their second album, mixed and mastered by Wayne Proctor and recorded at the legendary … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, disco rock, funk, hard rock, Joanovarc, melodic, modern rock, review
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Single review: DEAD AGENTS – Aimless Careless

Facebook [Release date 22.03.19] The West Midlands based the Dead Agents first came across our musical radar last year with their debut EP. That was a good mix of punchy hard rock and modern rock, recalling bands like You Me … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Aimless Careless, Dead Agents, hard rock, modern rock, review, rock, single
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Album review: WAKE THE SUN – Through The Night

Self-released It is hard to believe that Wake The sun have only been together four years, having released an EP that took on a touring life of its own, the band now release debut album “Through The Night”- a southern … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, debut, melodic, modern rock, review, rock, Through The Night, Wake The Sun
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Album review: ANIMAL DRIVE – Bite!

Frontiers Music [Release date 23.02.18] Bite! Is the debut album from Croatian hard rock band Animal Drive. Four guys in their mid to late twenties, front-man Dino Jelusic has toured as a vocalist with the Trans Siberian Orchestra. He’s joined … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Animal Drive, Bite!, Croatia, debut, Dino Jelusic, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic, modern rock, New Breed, review, rock, Trans Siberian Orchestra
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Album review: THE GLORIOUS SONS – Young Beauties And Fools

Earache Records [Release 23.02.18] The Glorious Sons were formed back in 2011, hailing from Kingston, Canada the line-up is Brett Emmons (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keys), Jay Emmons and Chris Koster (guitar, vocals), Adam Paquette (drums, vocals) and Chris Huot (bass). This, … Continue reading
EP review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – Phoenix Volume 1

Facebook [Release date 26.01.18] The Darker My Horizon duo Paul Stead (lead vocals/guitar) and Mark Stephenson (guitars & backing vocals) used to be in Sacred Heart previously and on this EP they have re-recorded four songs from that band, partly as a stop … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged EP, Mark Stephenson, melodic, modern rock, Paul Stead, Phoenix Volume 1, review, rock, Sacred Heart, the Darker My Horizon
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EP review: THE VIRGINMARYS – Sitting Ducks

Self Release [Release date 22.09.17] The Virginmarys have had a roller coaster ride of a career to date, with many favourable plaudits for their music from the press, big name tour support slots and their debut album made the US Billboard … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged alternative, EP, modern rock, review, rock, Siting Ducks, The Virginmarys
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Album review: LIFEHOUSE – Out Of The Wasteland plus interview

Ironworks [Release date 22.06.15] Lifehouse have sold over 15m. albums worldwide with considerable success in their native US, yet they remain relatively unknown here in the UK. This album sees the band on a new record label and back after … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions
Tagged album, alt rock, eview, Lifehouse, modern rock, Out Of The Wasteland, rock
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