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Gig review: BAND OF FRIENDS- 229 Club, London, 4 January 2026
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Gig review: PUNCHDRUNK SAINTS – Fairycroft House, Saffron Walden, December 27 2025
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Tag Archives: review
Album review: STEVE CICHON – Meltdown
Stephen Andrew Cichon [Release date 03.06.13] Florida’s prog/fusion guitarist Steve Cichon’s last instrumental album ‘Cranial Feedback’ was notable for its inventive guitar playing, shifting tone colours and vacillating twists and turns. ‘Meltdown’ extends his penchant for relentless guitar pyrotechnics with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Frank Zappa, fusion, guitar, Jethro Tull, Joe Satriani, metal, prog, review, space rock, Steve Cichon, Steve Hillage, Steve Vai
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Album review: EVILYN STRANGE – Mourning Phoebe
www.evilynstrange.co.uk [Release date 13.07.13] There is evidently some humour in this band and their publicity, describing themselves as part Beatles part Black Label Society. Philip and Al Strange (I assume brothers but let’s take nothing for granted here) are joined … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Evilyn Strange, Mourning Phoebe, review, rock
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Gig review: STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL – Ebbw Vale, 27 July 2013
High up in the hills, at Hafod-Y-Dafal farm in South Wales, the third annual Steelhouse Festival is now an established Rock and Metal weekender. Tickets were modestly priced at £65 all weekend or £40 a day, including adult and family … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events
Tagged 27 July 2013, anvil, Ebbw Vale, FM, gig, heavy metal, review, rock, Saxon, South Wales, Steelhouse Festival
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Gig review: HEART, JASON BONHAM’S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE – Toronto, Canada, 23 July 2013
Molston Canadian Amphitheatre While Heart came to the attention of the majority of UK fans for their big power ballads and soft focus videos in the eighties, the band prefer to see themselves in their earlier guise in which, with … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Ann Wilson, Canada, gig, Heart, Jason Bonham, Led Zeppelin, Molston Canadian Amphitheatre, Nancy Wilson, review, Toronto
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Gig review: MOONDANCE JAM – Walker,Minnesota,USA,18-20 July 2013
Few festival experiences can match the vibe of Moondance Jam. Set among the beautiful woods and lakes of Northern Minnesota, somehow the tiny town of Walker plays host to one of the Mid West’s premier rock festivals and draws crowds … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Bachman & Turner, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, classic rock, festival, gig, Halestorm, Head East, Minnesota, Moondance Jam, Motley Crue, Myles Kennedy, review, rock, Slash, Steve Priest, Sweet, Theory of a Deadman
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Album review: PETE THOMAS & THE HORNS APLENTY – Big
Mermaid Records [Release date 22.07.13] To say that the opening track on Pete Thomas & The Horns A Plenty’s ‘Big’ has swagger, is to underestimate the title of the album that is big in tone, intent and performance. ‘Big’ brims … Continue reading
Album Review – EARTHEN GRAVE – Earthen Grave
Ripple Records ( Release date – out now) Formed back in 2008 and led by former Trouble bassist Ron Holzner, Earthen Grave have honed their sound over the last 5 years. This is the band’s first album and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, CD, Doom, Earthen Grave, metal, review, Ripple Records, Trouble
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Single & EP reviews: COLOUR THE ATLAS, LISBEE STAINTON
COLOUR THE ATLAS Building Skyscrapers EP The new EP from Colour the Atlas, a young quartet from Swindon, is a corker. Following on from their eponymous debut EP, the band are writing and vocal partners Jess Hall (vocals) and Alex … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Building Skyscrapers, Colour The Atlas, EP, review, rock
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Gig review: THE LEVELLERS – Leamington Assembly, 28 June 2013
I have been covering shows at The Leamington Assembly for over 4 years and this was by far the wildest night I have witnessed, the music and the crowd did not drop pace for a second after show time on … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 28 June 2013, folk, gig, Leamington Assembly, review, rock, The Levellers
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Album review: STEVE HUNTER – The Manhattan Blues Project
Deacon Records [Release date 30.04.13] ‘I wanted to look at New York in a slightly different way – I wanted to look at it in a soulful, bluesy way’. Steve Hunter’s mission statement for this album is the guitarist musical … Continue reading
Gig review: HEAVEN’S BASEMENT – Sound Control, Manchester, 12 July 2013
This must be the hottest ticket in town tonight as not only is it a sellout but it is also a scorcher in the venue, but even so the it’s over half full and the doors have only been open … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 July 2013, Buffalo Summer, gig, Heavens Basement, Manchester, review, rock, Skarlett Riot, Sound Control
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Album review – MEGADETH – Super Collider
Universal Music ( Release date – out now ) Back in the day, when thrash was at its height, of all the ‘Big Four’ I always found Megadeth to be the weakest link. I did persevere and caught … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Dave Mustaine, Megadeth, metal, review, Super Collider, Thrash
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Gig review: 5 Years Of Kscope – The Garage, London, 25 July 2013 featuring Anathema
Main Act: Anathema Support Acts: North Atlantic Oscillation, Mothlite & Leafblade Another gig, another evening drenched in sweat. I moaned about the poor ventilation at the Garage in Highbury and Islington when I was there ten days ago for Wintersun’s … Continue reading
Album review: OLI BROWN – Songs From the Road
Ruf [Release date 14.06.13] Anyone who has followed Oli Brown’s career so far, will hardly be surprised by the sense of adventure at the heart of this live DVD/CD. For though he was schooled in the blues at an early … Continue reading
Gig Review: THE INTERNATIONAL SWINGERS – The Lexington, London, 19 July 2013
First a word about the venue, because on one of the steamiest New Orleans-like nights of this British heatwave, the upstairs gig had ceiling fans and a cool, chilled out lounge-bar atmosphere. It also had clear, uninterrupted sightlines, padded seating … Continue reading
Album review: POWERWOLF – Preachers Of The Night
Napalm Records – Out Now. Fans of Heavy Metal have understood the importance of and pledged their allegiance towards the mighty riff since guitar wizard Tony Iommi first began to perfect his power chords back in the late 60s. But … Continue reading
Album review: MAGGY SIMPSON – Lab Rat and Lobster
Voodoo Bones www.facebook.com/maggysimpsonrocks Maggy Simpson consists of Shane Counter and Bat Kinane (of Glyder fame), who have previously worked together on Bat Kinane’s solo album. That album was a singer/songwriter one with a folk feel, whereas Maggy Simpson is more of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Glyder, Lab Rat and Lobster, Maggy Simpson, review, rock, Shane Counter
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Album review: DANA FUCHS – Bliss Avenue
Ruf [Release date 22.07.13] If blues is too often predicated on the tried and tested theme of: ‘my baby done me wrong’; then Dana Fuchs cleverly extends such familiar subject matter from an autobiographical source and into universal themes that we … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bliss Avenue, blues, country, Dana Fuchs, Janis Joplin, Jon Diamond, review, rock, southern rock, The Faces
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Album review: EDENBRIDGE – The Bonding
SPV There are a lot of female fronted symphonic and progressive metal bands out there now, possibly too many and it takes something a bit special to make the listener sit up and take notice. Luckily Edenbridge are one such … Continue reading
Album review: NEWMAN – Siren
AOR Heaven Amazingly this is the tenth studio album by Newman, which is basically Steve Newman plus long time drummer Rob McEwen. However this album features some guests in the shape of guitarists Shaun Bessant on ‘When It Comes To … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic, NEWMAN, Nick Workman, Pete Newdeck, review, Robert Sall, rock, Shaun Bessant, Siren, Steve Newman
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Album review: REUBEN ARCHER’S PERSONAL SIN
Toxic Arrow [Release date 19.08.13] Reuben Archer has been around the block enough times to know every doorhole, boozer and bookie by heart. The current (and previous) vocalist with hard rockers Stampede is also fronting up the Paul Raymond Project … Continue reading
Gig review: WINTERSUN – The Garage, London, 16 July 2013
Support Acts: Bloodshot Dawn & Savage Messiah There is something truly ironic about a Finnish band visiting London on the hottest day of the year and performing at a venue that feels worse than a sauna, or the very lungs … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 16 July 2013, gig, London, metal, review, The Garage, wintersun
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Gig review: SANTANA – LG Arena, Birmingham, 17 July 2013
There can be fewer pleasing combinations than the music of Santana on the hottest day of the year during an unexpected heatwave. With the rhythm section pumped up to the max, the always spiritual Carlos Santana would have us believe … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 17 July 2013, Birmingham, Carlos Santana, gig, LG Arena, review, Santana, Sentient Tour
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Album review: HELRUNAR & ARSTIDIR LIFSINS – Fragments – A Mythological Excavation
Prophecy Productions – Out Now. As a teenage metalhead immersed in the Heavy Metal scene of the mid 80s, I had often relied on split releases, whether in full length, EP or singles format, as a means of keeping myself … Continue reading
Album review: PURSON – The Circle And The Blue Door
Rise Above – Out Now. Retro rock is enjoying a renewed wave of interest and, and in typical fashion for the music industry, record labels are in a rush to capitalise on it by signing as many such bands as … Continue reading
