Album Reviews

Dennis “Fergie” Frederiksen (Toto, Frederiksen/Philips, Mecca, LeRoux) is an inspiration. His long and storied music career continues strongly, despite advancing age and failing health. Frontiers Records brings listeners his newest material, 2013’s Any Given Moment. Produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio, this record has 11 tracks of melodic, smooth rock and …

Wretched soul are a death/thrash metal band from Canterbury.  The band played Bloodstock festival last year, and on 9th September will be releasing their debut album, Veronica. Brief comments on a few tracks… The album kicks off with ‘Where shadows ride’.  The guitars have a very traditional heavy metal feel …

Theia’s debut EP, just self entitled that, ‘Theia‘. It has got to be one of the most professional hard rock hitting EP’s of 2013. For this extremely young group of three guy’s ( the youngest being sixteen ) to put together songs like theses you would have thought after listening …

Winter Kills is one of the most intense albums I have heard this year, any of the 11 songs will slay when played live.

Lending additional momentum to Swedish stalwart death metal band Hypocrisy‘s career in 2013, label Nuclear Blast decided to re-release the band’s seminal 1992 debut Penetralia, and 1993 sophomore effort, Osculum Obscenum. These albums are packaged in a 2CD deluxe box, featuring additional live recordings as bonus material. 2013 marks the …

UK melodic death progenitors Carcass, have released their new album “Surgical Steel”. A lot of putrid water has passed under the bridge in the seventeen years since their Swansong and Jeff Walker alongside Bill Steer surprised many with a return to the studio. In the interim, Walker gave us the …

Vomited into existence from Denver Colorado in early 2012, this is the re-release of their debut record on Relapse records. Relapse has generally as a rule been on the ball when it comes to picking up bands that are primal and downright ignorant to the ears and this band are …

‘Phoenix Rising’ is a new album created by two groups working together.  You have Japanese prog rock band Rovo, and Steve Hillage’s dance music project, System 7.  While Prog rock is known for experimentation, a union with an electronic dance music project still seems like a strange mix.  The two …

Jonny Lang is an American Rock and Blues singer/guitarist.  Although you wouldn’t guess from the photo on the album cover he’s in his 30s and has already had a long career, having released his first album in 1995.  This is his sixth studio album, and he’s also appeared on scores …

To say that Avenged Sevenfold have had a funny few years would be the understatement of the millennium. Having lost original drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan in tragic circumstances at the end of 2009, the band have bravely battled on, releasing the excellent ‘Nightmare’ the following year (with help from …

  Open your eyes and ears to the great unseen.     Tech Metal can be off limits for a lot of listeners, by its very nature the twisting and turning, sporadic riffs and fast changing rhythms can be difficult to digest and absorb. So it was with a slice …

What can you say about these guys that hasn't already been said? This is indeed a supergroup of musical talent and one that has produced a rock album that, while full of expected flourishes, has an infectious groove to its heart.

Re Vamp and Floor Jansen return with a full deck.   Having just finished touring every nook and cranny of the globe as guest/ temporary/ permanent (delete as appropriate) vocalist with Nightwish, Floor Jansen at last gets the chance to unleash her own creative powers with this, the follow up …

Ajenda is a rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Fronted by vocalist Jen, the four-piece brandishes a mellow, blues-infused rock sound that’s pleasing overall. Following the release of two platters: 2009’s Vicious Circle EP and 2011’s The Suomi Sessions EP, listeners are treated to Ajenda’s 2013 debut album, Unrecognizable. This …

The Rides are a blues-rock “supergroup” whose three members are well known musicians.  For a start you have Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).  Joining him is guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and keyboard player Barry Goldberg (Electric flag). With The Rides first album we have …

Even though i was brought up on early 1970’s glam rock, I only ever bought the odd 45rpm single by Marc Bolan now and then so after all these years the chance to make up for lost time by reviewing this stunning 6CD boxset was welcomed. The boxset is made …

    Debauchery have been hacking and slashing their brand of blood soaked, gore driven Death Metal for some ten years now and show no sign of fading meekly into the mincing machine either if this album is anything to go by. Hack, slash, kill being the overriding theme dominating …

After working with Robin Beck at Firefest in Nottingham Rock City, I was very eager to review her new album ‘Underneath’. It is her 10th album release, including her 20th anniversary edition of ‘Trouble or Nothing’. Her last album ‘The Great Escape’ was back in 2011, so as a massive …

When band’s like Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols and Metallica introduced themselves to the world, they were the first of their kind, demonic, anarchic and shocking. Nowadays it is far harder to be truly original than it was 30 years ago. Whenever new music graces our ears, we cannot help …

‘Rock ‘n’ Roll is Alive’ is the second studio album by The Jokers, this follows on from the impressive debut ‘The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Show’ released back in 2009, so has it been worth the wait ? ? In a nutshell, just about, although this is not as good …