Tag Archives: review

Gig review: QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT – 02 Arena, London, 20 June 2022

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT- 02 Arena, London, 20 June 2022

Nearly 50 years since they first emerged, there seems to be an endless  appetite for the music of Queen- just look at your Freeview channel schedules packed with documentaries or archive concerts. Indeed public interest in them reached arguably its … Continue reading

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Quick plays: LIPS TURN BLUE, O’KANE & BLOCK, CTP

Lips Turn Blue

LIPS TURN BLUE MIG Music [Release date 04.05.22] Lips Turn Blue feature Don Mancuso (a former member of Black Sheep which featured Lou Gramm who guests on this album), keyboardist Eric Bieber, bassist Mike Mullane, drummer Roy Stein and vocalist … Continue reading

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Single review: DYNAZTY – Natural Born Killer

dynazty natural

AFM Records [Release date: 26.08.22] Always underrated, Dynazty is one of the best metal bands around right now. On this single teaser, ‘Natural Born Killers’, they create a keyboard heavy, symphonic/melodic metal concoction that just bursts with energy and invention. … Continue reading

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Single review: STRYPER Rise To The Call

stryper rise artwork

Frontiers Records [Release date: 24.06.22] Mining the motherlode of Classic Metal (with an extra melodic twist) seems to come easy to Stryper nowadays. You might say that on this single release, ‘Rise To The Call’, a trailer for their forthcoming … Continue reading

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Album review: CHRISTINE McVIE – Songbird: A Solo Collection

CHRISTINE McVIE – Songbird: A Solo Collection

Rhino/Warner [Release date 24.6.22] This is the first release to bear Christine McVie’s name since her excellent 2017 collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham (which was essentially a Fleetwood Mac album without Stevie Nicks). “Songbird” contains a remixed selection from her 1984 … Continue reading

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Album review: WAX ON WATER – The Drip

WAX ON WATER - The Drip

Howling Tempest Records [Release date 24.06.22] Wax On Water are a three-piece led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maya Damaris, and completed by drummer Garren Orr and guitarist Steven Blessing. They have already released two EPs this year under ‘The … Continue reading

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Album review: TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT – Day By Day

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT - Day By Day

Timothy B. Schmit chatted to David Randall about his music with tracks from the new album.  First broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 3 July 2022 [Release date: Digital - 06.05.22; CD/Vinyl 02.09.22] Best known as one of the … Continue reading

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Book review: On track…JIMI HENDRIX – every album, every song (Emma Stott)

On track...JIMI HENDRIX - every album, every song (Emma Stott)

SonicBond Publishing [Publication date 27.05.22] It was my childhood friend Colin Cheesman who introduced me to Jimi Hendrix’s music c.1970.  I was particularly impressed with the screen print he’d made of a classic image used on the Voodoo Chile picture … Continue reading

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Book review: On track… OPETH, PETER HAMMILL, LITTLE FEAT, LAURA NYRO

On track ... Opeth (Book)

SonicBond Publishing [Publication dates February-May 2022] You tend to think of Opeth as one of the “newer” prog metal outfits and then you realise they started out in the late 1980s.  Since that time they’ve released 13 studio albums. Jordan … Continue reading

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Album review : TYGERS OF PAN TANG – 1985-87 (3 CD Boxset)

TYGERS OF PAN TANG - 1985-1987

Cherry Red / HNE [Release date 24.06.22] Arguably there are two Tygers Of Pan Tang. This boxset features Tygers 2.0. CD1: The Wreck-age (1985) CD2: Burning In The Shade (1987) and CD3: The Wreck-age Demos and the Burning In The … Continue reading

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Album review: PAUL DI’ANNO’s BATTLEZONE – Killers in The Battlezone (3CD Boxset)

PAUL DI’ANNO’s BATTLEZONE – Killers in The Battlezone

Cherry Red [release date: 24.06.22] The career of the currently wheelchair bound singer, Paul Di’Anno has been a journey of detours, dead ends, drug addiction and detainment. His public profile as a musician began with heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. … Continue reading

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Album review: JORN – Over The Horizon Radar

JORN - Over The Horizon Radar

Frontiers Music [Release date 17.06.22] Jorn Lande has worked with guitarist Tore Moren since The Snakes in 1998. These two have been in each other’s company for so long that they must by now have developed some kind of musical … Continue reading

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Album review: HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE – The Confidence Trick

HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE - The Confidence Trick

Bandcamp [Release date 29.07.22] Here at GRTR! we are big fans of Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, enjoying what the band use to describe themselves as genre defying music. They have a prog rock basis but then wander off down … Continue reading

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Album review: BUBBLEROCK IS HERE TO STAY VOLUME 2 (3 CD set)

BUBBLEROCK IS HERE TO STAY VOLUME 2 (3 CD set),

Grapefruit/Cherry Red [Release date : 17.06.22] To give this 3 CD Boxset its full title: Bubblerock Is Here To Stay: Volume 2: The British Pop Explosion, 1970-73. In the world of sixties and seventies pop, the single was the king. … Continue reading

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Album review: THE BLACK FEATHERS – Angel Dust & Cyanide

THE BLACK FEATHERS – Angel Dust & Cyanide

www.theblackfeathers.com [Release date 08.07.22] The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes (vocals, guitars, keys) and Sian Chandler (vocals), have been touring and recording since 2012. The pandemic put a temporary halt on their regular touring, although they have performed … Continue reading

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Gig review: STEVE VAI – London Palladium, 7 June 2022

220605_svai4a

Let’s just start by saying one thing: Steve Vai isn’t of this world. Throughout his long and varied career, the six-stringer has displayed the sort of skills that are beyond the comprehension of most mere mortals. From his time with … Continue reading

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Album review: MY SOLILOQUY – FU3ION

mysol1

Rare Artist Music [Release date 11.07.22] Third album from My Soliloquy, which is the brainchild of former Threshold guitarist Pete Morten. On this album he is joined by Threshold’s drummer Johanne James – Morten plays all the other instruments on … Continue reading

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Album review: CHAOS MAGIC – Emerge

CHAOS MAGIC - Emerge

Frontiers [Release date 17.06.22] Underwhelming Symphonic Metal from Timo Tolkki “discovery”, Caterina Nix. This new release,Emerge, is a second collaboration between Nix and one of Frontiers’ South American songwriter/producer wunderkind, Nasson. The first, Furyborn, was released in 2019. Nasson’s production … Continue reading

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Book Review: PINK FLOYD – BBC Radio 1967-1971 (by Ian Priston & Phil Salathe)

PINK FLOYD – BBC Radio 1967-1971

The Bee Smart Book Co. [Publication date: 03.06.22] Rock band Pink Floyd had their roots in the early 60s, with some changes in personnel and name, before officially forming in the mid 60s. While many will know their Dark Side … Continue reading

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Album review: BLOODY HEELS – Rotten Romance

BLOODY-HEELS-rotten-romance-COVER

Frontiers [release date 10.06.22] Sounding heavier and harder than on their previous albums, it’s clear that Bloody Heels have realised that the confines of a genre only exist for those musicians who lack wit and imagination. There are few better … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL MONROE – I Live Too Fast To Die Young

MICHAEL MONROE - I Live Too Fast To Die Young

Silver Lining Music [Release date: 10.06.22] Even long time fans will be approaching this release with caution, uncertain if Michael Monroe remains just as provocative and influential as he once was. That whole Punk/ Glam/ Rock schtick wears thin eventually. … Continue reading

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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Kickstart The Sun

CATS IN SPACE - Kickstart The Sun

Harmony Factory [Release date 29.07.22] www.catsinspace.co.uk For the past few years, Cats in Space have been one of my favourite ‘new’ bands, offering something very different to the norm. These seasoned musicians have created a lavishly arranged sound inspired by … Continue reading

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Book review: On track – BADFINGER, WARREN ZEVON, Sessions – ERIC CLAPTON

On track...Badfinger (book)

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 29.04.22] The tomes from Sonicbond Publishing come thick and fast.  The “On track…”series aims to cover all of an artist’s song/album output, condensed into around 150 pages, and relying heavily on secondary sources. Badfinger were nurtured … Continue reading

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Gig review: SPIERS & BODEN – Oxford Playhouse, Sunday 5 June 2022

SPIERS & BODEN – Oxford Playhouse, Sunday 5 June 2022

First time on stage at the Oxford Playhouse for John Spiers and Jon Boden, and also the first time inside this smart theatre for this reviewer. Playing to a home crowd (Spiers and Boden met in Oxford) is always a … Continue reading

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Album review: FRANKY PEREZ – Crossing The Great Divide

FRANKY PEREZ – Crossing The Great Divide,

Black Sea Music [Release date 24.06.22] Singer-songwriter Franky Perez releases his fifth solo album. He has worked and toured with the likes of Slash, Scars On Broadway and Apocalyptica (for whom he is the band’s touring singer). On this album … Continue reading

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