Tag Archives: review

Album review: SHAI HULUD – Reach Beyond The Sun

Metal Blade – Out Now. Hardcore is a genre that operates within clearly defined parameters and which obeys strict rules; it is a genre that’s long been associated with massive simply-crafted and highly energised Punk-sounding riffs and passionate shouting vocals. … Continue reading

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Album review: FINTROLL – Blodsvept

Century Media – Out Now. “Shrouded In Blood”, the English translation for “Blodsvept”, is a title that one would find most fitting for an extreme Death Metal band and not the sixth studio album of the Folk-influenced septet Finntroll, however, … Continue reading

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Gig review: STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – The Forum, Kentish Town, 22 March 2013

The Men They Couldn’t Hang provided a perfect opening for Stiff Little Fingers. Their firebrand folk-punk set harked back to the glory days of The Pogues and the radical high water mark of New Model Army and Billy Bragg. Well-crafted … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 23 March 2013

FM, Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 23 March 2013

2013 sees FM’s stock as high as it has been for some time. Hot on the heels of not one but two new albums, they filled the first three levels of Shepherds Bush Empire. While last year’s gigs celebrating the … Continue reading

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Album review: BARNEY BENTALL – Flesh & Bone

Barney Bentall - Flesh & Bone

Three independent and seven studio albums into a career that kicked off in 1978, it’s a wonder that the name Barney Bentall – a Vancouver based singer songwriter – has never registered on the GRTR! radar. Those with an encyclopaedic … Continue reading

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Album review: JOE BONAMASSA – An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House

        Provogue 2-CD set/2-DVD/Bluray [Monday 25.03.13] ‘An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House’ finds Joe Bonamassa playing to his strengths in an unplugged mode. Together with a carefully chosen multi instrumental quintet, his playing is eloquent, … Continue reading

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Album review: NO BRAGGING RIGHTS – Cycles

      Good Fight (Release date – 28.03.13) Southern Californian five piece, No Bragging Rights, have been around since 2006 and this is album number two. The band master in hardcore punk with a metal edge coupled with vitriolic … Continue reading

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Gig Review: RIVERSIDE / JOLLY – The Classic Grand, Glasgow,16 March 2013

Bass players are second only to drummers in the musician joke stakes. Often seen as failed guitarists the art of the bass player is usually hidden deep in the depths of the live mix somewhere behind the bass drum. Tonight … Continue reading

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Album review: ELEANOR McEVOY – If You Leave

Eleanor McEvoy - If You Leave

Mosco [Release date 15.04.13] I’ve suggested in the past that I’d be happy to listen to Eleanor McEvoy sing the telephone directory – her soft lilting brogue is simply that addictive. Looking for my latest ‘fix’, even I was concerned … Continue reading

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Gig Review: SAINT VITUS/MOS GENERATOR – The Cathouse, Glasgow, 14 March 2013

Not sure what it says about me, but I do love a bit of doom/ stoner rock. This bill then looked like a good night with the godfathers of doom, Saint Vitus, paired with the excellent Mos Generator. Let the … Continue reading

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Album review: RAVEN BLACK NIGHT – Barbarian Winter

Metal Blade – Out Now. I am sure that most of you would have gathered by now that 70s and 80s Rock/Metal music is definitely back in fashion. I mean, all you really have to do is to have a … Continue reading

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Album review: ORCHID – Wizard Of War

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. If, as I really hope, you are frequent visitors of our album reviews page you will remember that back in January, I was quite generous when rating “Heretic” – the four track E.P of the … Continue reading

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Gig review: DAN REED – O2 Academy,Liverpool,13 March 2013

Dan Reed - Liverpool, 13 March 2013

What’s not to like about Dan Reed?  Great songs, warmth, and a humility sometimes lacking in other performers.  We first caught Dan’s quiet UK renaissance back in 2009 when he took his acoustic guitar around smaller venues, always connecting with … Continue reading

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Album review: ALVIN LEE – The Best Of

      Repertoire Records (2012) This album has been brought into sharp focus by the sad loss of Alvin Lee. The Woodstock guitar hero seemed to be more affected than most by the prevailing sweep of punk and new … Continue reading

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Album Review: SPIN DOCTORS – If The River Was Whiskey

      Ruf Records [06.05.13] Given the Spin Doctors penchant for funky rhythms and their early 90’s Hendrix meets Parliament style jamming, the idea of a blues album isn’t necessarily as incredulous as it might sound. The band paid … Continue reading

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Album review: THE WONDERSTUFF – Oh No It’s…The Wonderstuff

The Wonder Stuff - Oh No It

IRL (Released 25.03.13) This new album adds a second disc of cover versions, ‘The Midlands With Love’, where the Wonderstuff cover a number of songs from fellow Midlands based artists. Band leader Miles Hunt said this album would be a … Continue reading

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Gig Review: FM Album launch, 02 Academy, Islington, 6 March 2013

FM Album Launch - London, 6 March 2013

FM have taken took their time to follow up their well received comeback album Metropolis, but after celebrating 25 years of their classic ‘Indiscreet’‘ debut with live shows last year,  the finest melodic rock band forged on this side of … Continue reading

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Album review: PAUL ROSE – Double Life

Paul Rose - Old House Blues Band

Mita Records [Release date 6/5/13] CD/Vinyl The underlying concept of Paul Rose’s ‘Double Life’ is pictorially represented by the Old House Blues Club photo on the front of the CD. It’s a superbly conceived and brilliantly played homage to soul, … Continue reading

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Album review: WHITESNAKE: Made In Japan

Whitesnake - Made In Japan

Frontiers Records [Release date: 22.04.13] 2-CD/DVD, DVD and Blu-ray The big question with Whitesnake in recent years is the quality of David Coverdale’s voice or lack of it.  In spite of vigorous reassurance that ‘the voice’ is intact – from … Continue reading

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Album review: FM – Rockville

FM - Rockville

Membran/Riff City Records [Release date 11.03.13 ] Listening to ‘Rockville’ you can’t help thinking “how on earth did the band remain nearly men” in the late-1980s in spite of a dedicated following and when AOR was “king”?  And then you … Continue reading

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Album review: CULT OF LUNA – Vertikal

Indie Recordings – Out Now. Fifteen years is a long time for any band to make its impact felt and Cult Of Luna are among those outfits which have managed to cause much interested among fans and media since their … Continue reading

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Album review: ROTTING CHRIST – Κατά τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού

Season Of Mist – Out Now. Rotting Christ is a band that I have always admired, not only for their musically daring and impressive material but, most importantly, for the honesty and ethos that has accompanied them throughout their twenty … Continue reading

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Album review: ENFORCER – Death By Fire

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. As part of the blessed 80s generation that got to enjoy all the classic Heavy Metal albums in their making I am sceptical about young bands that claim they play “True Metal”. I mean, what … Continue reading

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Album review: LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH – Baphometic Chaosium

Metal Blade – Out Now. When you are a member of a band whose first ever worldwide tour has been in support of Glen Danzig, your subsequent tour experiences involve bands such as Kreator, Behemoth and you enjoy the financial … Continue reading

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Album review: HATEBREED – The Divinity Of Purpose

Nuclear Blast – Out Now. Labels always accompany new releases with a press release, so I found the shortage of information on Nuclear Blast’s leaflet for Hatebreed’s sixth studio album “The Divinity Of Purpose” somewhat strange. On the other hand, … Continue reading

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