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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: PAUL McCARTNEY- 02 Arena, London, 18 December 2024
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Single & EP Reviews
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Tag Archives: review
Album review: BRIAN TARQUIN & HEAVY FRIENDS – Brothers In Arms
BHP Music/Guitar Trax Records [Release date 03.02.23] Yes I wasn’t too kind to guitarist Mike Campese when reviewing his album ‘Reset’. But you only have to listen to Brian Tarquin’s latest offering to understand how a guitar based album should … Continue reading
Album review: UFO – No Heavy Petting (Remaster)
Chrysalis Records [Release date 20.01.23] Re-issues and re-masters are two-a-penny and often there’s marginal benefit in penning a review, much less making an actual purchase. This album was previously remastered in 2007. I have, though, been impressed with the series … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, CD, classic rock, hard rock, Michael Schenker, No Heavy Petting, Phil Mogg, remaster, review, UFO
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Album review: PROGedia – Dioscuri
R&S Records [Release date: 24.03.23 - Digital 24.04.23 - Physical] If you want a great groove to start the New Year, head this way. Fed Conti is an Italian producer and multi instrumentalist and his latest project is quite wonderful. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, beats, Dioscuri, electronica, Fed Conti, funk, PROGedia, review, rock, trip hop
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Album review: GABRIELLE DE VAL – Kiss In A Dragon Night
Escape Music [Release date 17.02.23] Gabrielle de Val has been involved in the rock scene since 1987 when she created the band Yin-Yang, which would later be called D’Val. They never recorded a full album, however, fast forward to 2010 … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Gabrielle de Val, hard rock, Kiss In A Dragon Night, Mark Boals, melodic rock, Mike Oldfield, review
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Single review: LETITIA GEORGE – Don’t Stop Me From Loving You
Jig-Saw Music Ltd [Release date 19.12.22] ‘Don’t Stop Me From Loving You’ is the kind of climactic outing that might have appealed to Dusty Springfield all those years ago and if nothing else confirms the durability of a soulful ballad. And yet … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged ballad, country, Don't Stop Me From Loving You, Dusty Springfield, Letitia George, review, rock, single, soul, vocal
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Album review: WHAT A GROOVY DAY – The British Sunshine Pop Sound, 1967-72 (3 CD boxset)
Cherry Red/ Grapefruit [Release date 27.02.23] Sunshine Pop – a worldwide phenomenon, though most popular in the USA and the UK – predated the age of psychedelia only by a matter of months. Legendary but hitless sixties UK band, Tony … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 3 CD set, boxset, review, Sunshine Pop, The seventies, The Sixties
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Album review: MIKE CAMPESE – Reset
www.mikecampese.com [Release date 11.11.22] I’m sorry but Mike Campese exhibits all the worst aspects of “guitar virtuoso”. Guitarists may well acknowledge his technical mastery (and he has featured in several big guitar mags) but for the average listener this is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, guitar, guitarist, hard rock, Mike Campese, Neo Classical, Reset, review
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Album review: CERI JUSTICE – Walk In Shadow
www.cerijustice.rocks [Release date 15.04.22] Here at GRTR! it doesn’t really matter that we are reviewing an album nearly 12 months old. If it comes to our attention belatedly and is meritorious, we do it. It was Pete Feenstra playing a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ceri Justice, classic rock, Justified, pop, pop rock, review, singer, soft rock, songwriter
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Album review: KATATONIA – Sky Void Of Stars
Napalm Records [Release date: 20.01.23] Ever since Swedish behemoths Katatonia de-coupled themselves from the doom-metal train to oblivion with the ‘Night Is The New Day’ album way back in 2009, they have been the flag-bearers of a genre best described … Continue reading
Album review: RONNIE ROMERO – Raised On Heavy Radio
Frontiers Records [Release date: 27.01.23] Second “Raised On…” album from Ronnie (Rainbow, Lords Of Black, The Ferry Men) Romero. Recording cover versions of your favourite songs must be a temptation that’s impossible to resist. Many singers/bands have done it. Few … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews
Tagged album, Bad Company, Chris Caffery, Foreigner, Gus G, heavy metal, Helloween, Iron Maiden, Journey, Judas Priest, melodic rock, Nozuma Wakei, Rainbow, Raised On Heavy Radio, review, Roland Grapow, Ronnie Romero, Steve Perry, Survivor
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Album review: JARROD DICKENSON – Big Talk
Website [Release date 03.02.23] After a major label deal-gone-bad and Covid complications left him with a life-long medical condition, Jarrod Dickenson comes out fighting with ‘Big Talk’, an album full of classy melodies and lyrics. The album features Jano Rix (The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Americana, Big Talk, country, Jarrod Dickenson, review, rock, singer songwriter
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Album review : CROWNE – Operation Phoenix
Frontiers [elease date: 27.01.23] Second album from Crowne, a high end assembly made up of members of H.E.A.T., Art Nation, Europe, The Poodles and Dynazty. Respectively, Jona Tee, Alexander Strandell, John Leven, Christial Lundqvist and Love Magnusson. The debut didn’t … Continue reading
Album review: DOCKER’S GUILD – The Mystic Technocracy Season 2: The Age Of Entropy
Website Docker’s Guild is a massive progressive metal space opera which will unfold through five “seasons” and four “books” for a total of nine albums. It is masterminded by producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Douglas R. Docker. Joining him on this … Continue reading
Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – CHANTEL McGREGOR (February 2023)
Chantel’s down to earth Yorkshire lass delivery has endeared her to fans as much as her musicianship… Photo: David Randall Yorkshire singer/songwriter/guitarist Chantel McGregor first came to our attention in May 2010 when Pete Feenstra reviewed her debut London gig … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness
Tagged album, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, classic rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, interview, review
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Album review: ARCTIC RAIN – Unity
Frontiers [Release date: 27.01.23] Arctic Rain’s declamatory melodic rock will remind you of several expert practitioners of the genre. From the Bon Jovi-esque ‘One World’, intense, in your face, with a fleeting sense of melody, and the title track, ‘Unity’, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Arctic Rain, Bon Jovi, Frontiers, Graham Bonnet, Harem Scarem, melodic rock, Mr Big, review, Tobias Jonson, Unity
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Album review: MILTON HIDE – The Holloway
Website [Release date 31.03.23] Milton Hide (AKA husband and wife Jim and Josie Tipler) release their second album, ‘The Holloway’, following on from 2o21′s most enjoyable ‘Temperature’s Rising’. Since then they have played many a show up and down the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, folk, folk rock, Jim Tipler, Milton Hide, progressive, review, Rosie Tipler, The Holloway
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Album review: LIV KRISTINE – River Of Diamonds
Metalville [Release date 21.04.23] Since 1998, and during an acrimonius split from her band Leaves’ Eyes and partner, Liv Kristine has released a series of excellent pop rock albums. We chronicled these in our radio special in 2022 when we … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Leaves' Eyes, Liv Krisitne, pop rock, review, River Of Diamonds, Theatre Of Tragedy
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Album review: THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS + CALEB JOHNSON – Paradise Found: Bat Out Of Hell Reignited
Deko Entertainment [Release date 27.01.23] A reworking of the classic Meat Loaf album ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, based on the live version Meat Loaf’s band the Neverland Express performed with the much missed frontman. Band leader and former Anthrax guitarist … Continue reading
Album review: GIRLSCHOOL – The School Report 1976-2008
Cherry Red/HNE [Release date: 27.01.23] Girlschool experienced their share of heartache… label let downs, revolving door membership issues, conflicting views on musical direction and the struggles to sustain their ambitions in the face of all of the above. But they soldiered … Continue reading
Album review: TOM ADAMSON BAND – Old View Of The New World
Blue Build Records - [Release date: 20.12.22] Tom Adamson is a Scottish-born multi-instrumentalist who has played alongside and supported a diverse number of top-line acts including Sister Sledge, Supergrass, Toploader, Johnny Dankworth & Cleo Laine and er, John Barrowman. This … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged blues, folk, Old View Of A New World, review, rock, Tom Adamson Band
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Album review: THE FIRST CLASS – Beach Baby – The Complete Recordings (3 CD set)
Cherry Red [release date: 27.01.23] 1974, and the first pop single to be written by Shakespeare, ‘Beach Baby’, breaks into the US and UK charts. John Carter (not that one) was born John Shakespeare. A singer, songwriter and producer who … Continue reading
Album review : HOLOCAUST – Heavy Metal Mania – The Complete Recordings, Vol 1 1980-1984 (6 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date 27.01.23] Carrying the NWOBHM torch in Scotland since 1977, Edinburgh’s Holocaust are the genre’s archetypal survivors. They are almost literally the definition of “Metal bands who’ve flown under the radar their whole career”. Arguably, it was … Continue reading
Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – The Monster Inside
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 17.02.23] Chris Rosander released his debut album ‘King Of Hearts’ in 2020 on the now defunct AOR Heaven. As the pandemic put paid to any live plans, Chris Rosander started work on making more … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chris Rosander, hard rock, melodic rock, Perfect Plan, review, rock, The Monster Inside, Toto
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Single review: FEENSTRA & SIMPSON – Your Eyes Gave You Away
YouTube A new songwriter outlet for GRTR! writer, radio presenter and promoter Pete Feenstra as he he teams up with John Simpson. No not the TV news reporter but the John Simpson who helped found the Feelgoods, a Dr Feelgood … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged AOR, Feenstra & Simpson, John Simspon, Pete Feenstra, pop, pop rock, review, single, the Feelgoods, Tom Petty, Your Eyes Gave You Away
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Album review : TRAPEZE – Don’t Stop The Music – Complete Recordings Vol 1 1970-1992 (6 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date: 24.02.23] A cool, 6-CD boxset of high calibre Trapeze material. Three CDs of studio albums plus 3 CDs of live recordings, one as recent as 1992. CD1 : Trapeze (originally released 1970) The debut tends to … Continue reading
