Tag Archives: review

Single & EP reviews: I AM I, IAN TOOMEY, KILL FOR EDEN

KILL FOR EDEN – Living On Mars

KILL FOR EDEN – Living On Mars (EP) Kill For Eden pushed out one of the most accomplished and promising metal debuts of the year this Spring. The band’s hallmarks are all about giant hooks, dynamic vocals and craftily insistent … Continue reading

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Album review: THE FIERCE & THE DEAD – Spooky Action

Bad Elephant Music www.fierceanddead.com An all instrumental album can often be a hard sell but when the music is as varied and enjoyable as this it’s not an issue. The Fierce and the Dead comprise of Matt Stevens (guitars), Kevin … Continue reading

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Album review: MOTORHEAD – Aftershock

      UDR Music [Release date 25.11.13] Aftershock is Motorhead’s 21st studio album in their impressive 38 year career. There may have been a few variations in the line-up over the years but Lemmy has always been in charge … Continue reading

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Album review: SEVENTH KEY- I Will Survive

Frontiers Records [Release Date 01.11.13] A third Seventh Key album is something I thought I might not live to see, it having been nine years since the Raging Fire was released. However the former Streets pair of Billy Greer and … Continue reading

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Gig Review: VISTA CHINO – Bristol O2 Academy, 1 November 2013

Vista Chino, Bristol Academy, 1 November 2013

Everyone who has loved metal and hard rock since the 90’s has heard of the mighty Kyuss. With the exception of the bass player the original line up are now reincarnated as Vista Chino. With a pounding new album, ‘Peace’, … Continue reading

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Gig review: MARILLION – Manchester Academy, 8 November 2013

Marillion - Manchester Academy, 8 November 2013

In September 2012 Marillion brought their Sounds That Can’t Be Made tour to the Academy on a dismal Manchester evening.  Some things don’t change and the weather was equally inclement as they chose to open a short pre-Christmas ‘Sounds Live … Continue reading

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Album Review: MICHAEL SCHENKER’S TEMPLE OF ROCK – Bridge The Gap

      Inakustik [Release date 02.12.13] Michael Schenker over the last few years has risen phoenix-like from what appeared at one point to be the ashes of a glittering career. Gathering together the musicians that form ‘Temple Of Rock’ … Continue reading

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Gig review: PARADISE LOST, Lacuna Coil, Katatonia – London, The Roundhouse, 3 November 2013

My introduction to the chromatic world of Death Metal took place exactly twenty three years ago and one of the albums responsible for my immediate conversion was Paradise Lost’s debut “Lost Paradise”. It was not at all surprising, then, that … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – Unblackened

Black Label Society - Unblackened

Armoury Records [Release date 23.09.13] Recorded at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles this highlights Zakk Wylde and the Black Label Society in acoustic mode, well as acoustic as Zakk Wylde can get! Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion/Dream Theater) is … Continue reading

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Album review: LISA CUTHBERT – Paramour

www.lisacuthbert.com This is Lisa Cuthbert’s second album and she is joined by various guests including Sisters Of Mercy’s Dave Creffield (she’s appeared live with them) and she has supported Marillion. The album is a moving concept piece based on the … Continue reading

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Album review: BUCKCHERRY – The Best Of…

      Eleven Seven Music (Release Date – out now) Before I tackled this review I read another review in the printed media with the strap line ‘Buckcherry – The Best Of.., this will be brief then…’ which was a … Continue reading

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DVD review: MORRISSEY – 25Live

Eagle Rock www.eagle-rock.com This live DVD was shot at the intimate Hollywood High School in Los Angeles to mark Morrissey’s twenty five years as a solo artist. It’s a fans set list including some Smiths classics like ‘Meat Is Murder’ … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE ANSWER/Tracer – Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, 18 October 2013

The Answer

Tonight’s gig started with confusion with a late venue change meaning there were a large number of rock fans wandering around Wolverhampton trying to find the Slade Rooms But the evening ended with a definite feeling that The Answer now … Continue reading

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Album Review: THE IT*MEN – Greatest Hits

Stow House Records [Release Date 2013] Such is the unlikely life story and desperate pun off the album title, that you do start to wonder if the whole The It* Men thing is a spoof, or a thinly disguised reference … Continue reading

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Album review: ALICE COOPER – Brutal Planet/Dragontown

Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet/Dragontown

Armoury Records [Release date 07.10.13] The Noughties saw a resurgence in form and popularity for Alice Cooper, culminating in 2009′s Along Came A Spider – an album which many pundits saw as an updating of his 1st ‘solo’ concept album … Continue reading

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Album review: DEEP PURPLE – Live At Montreux 1996 and 2006

Deep Purple - Live At Montreux

Eagle Records [Release date 7.10.13] This packaging of three Deep Purple Montreux appearances is part of a new mid-price series ‘Eagle Classics’.  And it’s a great way to catch up on favourite bands, especially if you didn’t shell out earlier … Continue reading

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Album Review: GERRY JABLONSKI AND THE ELECTRIC BAND – Twist Of Fate

Fat Hippy Records [Release Date 23.09.13] Right now Gerry Jablonski And the Electric Band is one of Scotland’s best rock blues bands. ‘Twist of Fate’ is full of great songs, tight arrangements, passionate playing and real spark. And even if … Continue reading

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Quick plays: SHADOW OF ACOLYTE, TERMINAL DEGREE, MALLET

Shadow Of Acolyte

www.facebook.com/shadowofacolyte [Release date 30.09.13] It’s always interesting to receive stuff by a young English hard rock band that you’ve never heard of.  Formed in 2008, Shadow Of Acolyte hail from the East Midlands and is essentially Aaron Gidney (guitar and … Continue reading

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Gig review: STEVE HACKETT – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 29 October 2013

Steve Hackett - Liverpool, 29 October 2013

Perhaps because he’s never been the archetypal flashy rock guitarist, and perhaps because he’s largely plied his solo career away from the spotlight, Steve Hackett’s almost become  the ‘forgotten man’ from the classic 1971 to 1977 Genesis line up.  Until … Continue reading

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Album Review: MOTHER BLACK CAP – Energy

Mother Black Cap

Cyclops Records [Release Date 17.06.13] If classic/prog rock, well played with clever, insightful lyrics is the sort of thing that lights up your musical world you really should have a closer look at this little gem from Mother Black Cap. … Continue reading

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Album review: MANFRED MANN – EP Collection

Manfred Mann EP Collection

Brollyeps [Release date 04.11.13] Manfred Mann has been well served by recent reissues, not least 2011′s splendid box set.  However, it is left to this latest collection to showcase the sixties incarnation of his band when he had Paul Jones … Continue reading

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Album review: Released! – The Human Rights Concerts 1986-1998

Released - The Human Rights Concerts 1986-1998

Eagle Records [Release date: 28.10.13] 6-DVD set, 4 CDs 10th December 2013 marks the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  – instigated after World War II and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.  It provided the … Continue reading

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Quick Plays: DAVID GATES, MISTRESS, CRASHDIET, REINXEED, SAVATAGE

MISTRESS  Loveteaser www.reverbnation.com/mistressrockband New Zealand band Mistress wants to bring back that 80’s hair metal sound…on a £2.53 budget judging by the sound. Mind you legendary producer Beau Hill does remix one song on here, ‘She’s A Sinner’. Siggy Signal … Continue reading

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Album review: SAXON – Live In Germany 1991

Saxon - Live In Germany 1991

Edsel Records [Release date 28.10.13] You could argue: why do we want another Saxon live album from a time when arguably they were past their peak?  Don’t be so miserable.  Recorded in Germany in 1991 the band had just recorded … Continue reading

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Album review: STATUS QUO – In Search Of The Fourth Chord/Quid Pro Quo (reissues)

Status Quo - In Search Of The Fourth Chord

Edsel [Release date 28.10.13] There’s something quite irresistible about Quo, perhaps the more so since they’ve recently reformed with the classic line-up and re-discovered their seventies mojo.  Yes, they have had their fair share of naff-ness (recently consolidated by their … Continue reading

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