Tag Archives: review

Gig review: HRH XVI – Great Yarmouth, November 2-4 2023

HRH XVI

So if Storm Ciaran had plans to disrupt HRH, they failed dismally, whilst the storm hit and disrupted lots of travel plans, impacting arrivals on Thursday, the HRH faithful turned up in their masses ready to rock out and party. … Continue reading

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Album review : CARE OF NIGHT – Reconnected

Care Of Night Reconnected 150

Frontiers [Release date : 17.11.23] Third album from rising Swedish AOR/Melodic Rock band, Care Of Night. Vocalist Calle Schonberg, guitarist Ostrom Berg and producer, Erik Wigelius have shifted the band’s sound up several notches. There’s a strong and welcome resemblance … Continue reading

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Album review: HONEY AND THE BEAR – Away Beyond The Fret

HONEY AND THE BEAR - Away Beyond The Fret

www.honeyandthebear.co.uk [Release date 03.11.23] Album number three from Honey and the Bear, the husband and wife duo of Lucy and Jon Hart. Like 2021′s enjoyable ‘Journey Through the Roke’, this latest album is based on Suffolk folklore and indeed ‘fret’ in … Continue reading

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Album review : SECRET SPHERE – Blackened Heartbeat

secret sphere blackened cover

Frontiers [Release date 10.11.23] Blackened Heart is the tenth studio album from the EU’s Power Metal poster boys, Secret Sphere. It’s also the second with original vocalist, Roberto Messina, who reunited with the band on 2021’s Lifeblood, after an 8 … Continue reading

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Album review: FRANCIS DUNNERY – The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery, Vol.1

Francis Dunnery - The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery, Vol.1

Pete Feenstra chatted to Francis Dunnery about his blues album for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  First broadcast 5 November 2023. Francis Dunnery Music [Release date 15.09.23] Francis Dunnery’s ‘The Blues Of Tombstone Dunnery Vol 1’ is a concept that … Continue reading

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Album review: EMILY WOLFE – The Blowback

EMILY WOLFE - The Blowback

Crows Feet Records [Release date 20.10.23] Third album from Emily Wolfe, with her 2021 release ‘Outlier’ still getting regular plays by this reviewer. On this album Emily Wolfe wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks with bassist Evan Nicholson, as … Continue reading

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Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – The Junction, Cambridge, 31 October 2023

FC

They started off as a band in 1967 but now, more than ever, Fairport Convention are a family, the sense of community between not just the musicians themselves but the fans too something that’s vital and heart-warming. Eternally set squarely … Continue reading

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Album review: REMEDY – Something That Your Eyes Won’t See

Remedy - Something That Your Eyes Won't See

S-Rock Music [Release date 16.12.22] Remedy hail from Sweden, home of many a fine melodic rock and AOR band, and Remedy follow on in this grand tradition. The band’s line-up is Robert van der Zwan (vocals, guitars), Roland Forsman (guitars), … Continue reading

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Gig review: LAURIE WRIGHT + THE MOLOTOVS, Underworld, Camden, 21 October 2023

Laurie Wright The Molotovs – Underworld, Camden

A revolution is happening and there’s no stopping it. In a world full of conflict and corruption, it’s always been down to the youth to shake things up, their voices and music providing defining moments of change. It’s a testament … Continue reading

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Album review: DORO – Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud

DORO - Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud

Nuclear Blast [Release date 27.10.23] Doro Pesch is one of metal’s most consistent performers, both on stage and in the studio, having lost none of her vocal range and power, as opener ‘Children Of The Dawn’ ably illustrates. The Queen … Continue reading

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Gig review: SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON – Junction, Cambridge, 25 October 2023

Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton

The fact that the Junction is wall to wall with people is testament to not just the rise of Samantha Fish but also how the revival of blues has never been stronger. With its blue-collar honesty and everyman appeal, this … Continue reading

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Album review: THUNDERSTICK – Lockdown

THUNDERSTICK - Lockdown

Roulette [Release date 20.10.23] Renowned Samson (and former Iron Maiden) drummer is not one to rest on his laurels, and since resurrecting his eponymous band in 2017, he’s kept rocking and entertaining. And this new album has kept the standards … Continue reading

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Album review : VENOM – Live From The Hammersmith Odeon (CD/DVD Deluxe Digipak)

Venom-Live-at-Hammersmith-CD_DVD-expanded-2-scaled 150

Cherry Red [Release date : 27.10.23] Formed in England’s industrial North East in 1979, there was none heavier, none more extreme and indeed none more influential in the heavy metal genre than Venom. The band’s reputation was born out of … Continue reading

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Album review: PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS – Spooky Action At A Distance

PSA - Spooky Action at a Distance

InsideOut Music [Release date 27.10.23] Fourth album from Pattern-Seeking Animals who comprise of multi-instrumentalist John Boegehold, Spock’s Beard duo Ted Leonard (vocals, guitars) and Dave Meros (bass, vocals), and former Spock’s Beard drummer Jimmy Keegan. What makes Pattern-Seeking Animals rather … Continue reading

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Album review: SKINNY KNOWLEDGE – Twenty Two

Skinny Knowledge - Twenty Two

Facebook [Release date 27.10.23] Skinny Knowledge release ‘TwentyTwo’ as the notoriously tricky second album, following on from their debut in 2021 with ‘Don’t Turn Out the Lights’. On producing Andy Smooth states, “The overall sound of the album has taken … Continue reading

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Album review: GYPSY PISTOLEROS – Duende A Go Go….Loco

Gypsy Pistoleros – Duende A Go Go….Loco

Earache Records [Release date 03.11.23] Gypsy Pistoleros are a 4-piece, hailing from Worcester, that have exploded as a ball of energy onto the Rock scene, bringing Flamenco Punk Glam Rock n Roll to the masses. They are now serving up … Continue reading

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Gig review: EUROPE – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 18 October 2023

EUROPE - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 18 October 2023

I recently interviewed Tommy Johannson of the Swedish band Sabaton. As an aside at the end of the interview I asked him, given the band’s love of all things historic, if he could go back to any point in time … Continue reading

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Album review : ROBBY VALENTINE – Embrace The Unknown

Robbie embrace-the-unknown

Independent [Release date : 21.10.23] Robby Valentine’s new release, Embrace The Unknown, is his 13th studio album. Something of enigma, he’s worked with Kristoffer (Pain of Salvation) Gildenlow, Jeff Scott Soto, and Arjen (Ayreon) Lucassen, to name but three, and … Continue reading

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Album/EP Review: HELD BY TREES – Eventide

HELD BY TREES - EVENTIDE

   Sound Canyon Records  [Release date: 11.08.23] Following on from Held By Trees’ excellent ‘Solace’ in 2022, the band assembled once more at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios to realise two projects. The first was a sparkling, live re-recording of … Continue reading

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Album review: DISTRICT 97 – Stay For The Ending

DISTRICT 97 - Stay For The Ending

Spirit Of Unicorn Music/Cherry Red [Release date 20.10.23] Now here’s something a little different. A prog metal band fronted by a female vocalist, an American Idol finalist to boot! I have been aware of District 97, not least when they … Continue reading

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Album review: UNIFONY – Unifony III

UNIFONY - Unifony III

Volkoren [Release date 03.11.23] The great thing about GRTR! is our eclecticism over 20 years, very much reflecting the taste and preferences of our solid review team. We’re not bound by classic rock but the music has to move us. … Continue reading

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Album review: STEVIE JONES AND THE WILDFIRES – Clarity In Dusk

STEVIE JONES AND THE WILDFIRES - Clarity In The Dusk

Wildfire Sessions Productions www.steviejones.com [Release date 13.10.23] This album was born out of solitary walks late in the day in the local countryside during Lockdown. That locality includes Helpston in East Northants where the artist Stevie Jones is a regular … Continue reading

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Album review: HELD BY TREES – Solace – Live At Real World Studios

HELD BY TREES _ SOLACE LIVE

Sound Canyon Records [Release date: 11.0.23] Held By Trees is a collective of outstanding musicians, three of whom had connections to and played with the band Talk Talk. Back in the day, Talk Talk, under the eclectic leadership of the … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (July – September 2023)

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ALBANY DOWN Born In The Ashes (indie) Seven years is surely too long between releases, but whatever the reasons, this excellent album deserves to build some momentum and push Albany Down towards enduring and wide-spread success. **** Review by Dave Atkinson … Continue reading

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Album review : VITALINES – Wheels Within Wheels

vitalines wheels cover 150

Frontiers [Release date: 20.10.23] Vitalines is Tommy Denander and Robbie LaBlanc. Two musicians who need little or no introduction to the Melodic Rock fraternity. You might immediately be intrigued by the song titles. Several catch your eye: ‘Cards From Another … Continue reading

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