rescuing musical virtue in distress.
A lot of the hard rock of the past, that made in the '80s in particular and the rise of Thrash Metal on one side of the Atlantic and the NWOBHM on the other, often seemed lacking in its lyrical content. Cliches, which by today's standards would seem bombastic, immature and misogynistic, abounded. And although... Continue Reading →
There are not many people who truly deserve the accolade “icon,” of whom when people say that “we shall not see their like again,” it is truly justified. Ian Fraser Kilmister, known to the world as Lemmy, was certainly one of those people. After leaving Hawkwind in the early '70s, on less than amicable terms,... Continue Reading →
Rock musicians have always revelled in the image of being trouble, wild-eyed loners living in the shadows of society, mad, bad and dangerous to know. But the reality is that, more often than not, it is all really an image, a stage persona which helps promote the music. But Shortcut 2 Infinity sound like the... Continue Reading →
As we enter the post-genre world, as generic divides are wilfully hopped, razed or ignored altogether, it might appear that it is the world of rock and metal that has benefited most from such a new and open attitude. It has always been a sector of the music community which thrived on sub-genres and strict... Continue Reading →
They say that you should never judge a book by a cover. Sound advice. Today I learnt that you should never try to second guess music based on titles and images. As I got ready to put digital pen to virtual paper I have to say that I expected to be audibly treated to some... Continue Reading →
Whenever I see the term “classic rock” alarm bells ring inside of me and the reviewing pen gets all jittery. Of course some great music was made under that moniker, they wouldn’t call it classic otherwise would they? But a lot of what gets labelled such in the modern age is quite derivative, happy to... Continue Reading →
It becomes obvious right from the opening salvo of I Don’t Feel It that Fred Argir revels in the sound of the guitar. Some people are content to lay down a killer riff or weave through some deft melodics, maybe create hypnotic energy by throwing in a repetitive background phrase or heighten the song with... Continue Reading →
Advance releases should act as a teaser, a sonic signpost to a forth-coming bigger release, a taste of things to come. And on the face of it that is exactly what Stop Talking was in regards to this album as it landed in the review pile only a few days previous. But it is a... Continue Reading →
Bristol-based RXPTRS are a brand new quintet that combines a mix of ferocious grit with an ear for melody. The group, who formed in early 2018, blend elements of hardcore punk, grunge and hard rock to make a noise crammed full with hooks that still manages to pack a punch. The quintet is set to... Continue Reading →
Previous Song of Love music I have written about has, and the band admit this to be the case, suffered from poor production to the point that whilst you could see what they were trying to do, it was difficult to really appreciate the music fully. Well, what a difference a month or so makes... Continue Reading →
Ravenscroft continue with their mission to keep rock music, especially that infused by its classic halcyon past, relevant to modern audiences. Not always an easy thing to do with the fickle finger of fashion constantly causing scenes to evolve and move on at an alarming rate, when the short attention span of the modern age... Continue Reading →
I sometimes wonder if the spirit of rock and roll hasn’t got a bit lost as modern bands try to out technical each other, out volume each other, to be tougher, harder, more dangerous than each other. It seems the more they try the further away from rock and roll they get. Chuck Berry isn’t... Continue Reading →
Whilst the opening spoken word introduction which leads us into Scandic Tribe’s debut album keeps you guessing where this is all leading, it is a question which is quickly resolved as Dusty Sunrise kicks in with its classic rock hallmarks. But if you think that it is a genre which has had its day, Light... Continue Reading →
It’s difficult to imagine what someone obsessed by Chicago Blues, Klezmer and Slash could possible fashion those musical strands into. Difficult that is until you hear Mishti and her mercurial pop-rock blends. Raw rock guitar vibes collide into pop aware melodics, western blues structures are coloured in by eastern exoticness and strange arabesque riffs add... Continue Reading →
I always maintain that one of the things that sets apart bands destined to remain a permanent fixture of their local gig circuit and those who get out there and get the breaks, ones that are easily marketed to an eager audience is often the look, the vibe, the credibility of the bands image. If... Continue Reading →
Every band should get to have their AC/DC moment. The Cult did it better than most, certainly better than Accept did it, Rose Tattoo did it in it’s native accent and Humble Pie seemed to do it through the use of time travel. Gold Phoenix has always wandered pretty parallel sonic paths but here they... Continue Reading →
According to their bio “The Vampire Monkeys take pride in being the voice of discontent in an unhinged world, even if they offer no valuable insights to its reformation.” And that’s fine, we don’t look to rock and roll for the answers to our worldly troubles, we look to it to act as a distraction... Continue Reading →
Despite being the product of modern day Boston, Heavy America have a sound that links together points in time and places on the map from a much wider and deeper musical palette. Alternative rock is a pretty broad term but in the case of Heavy America it is a dark and moody rock core, built... Continue Reading →
Even with the best of intentions, rock music has a habit of veering off into cliché and self-parody. But what if you could find a way of discarding the extraneous silliness and blend all those remaining exciting and integral threads together to make a low fat, straight to the point, in your face and genuinely... Continue Reading →
Classic rock, hard rock, rock…call it what you will but we can all agree that we are in familiar territory here. Not that it is a problem, not everything is about kicking down the barriers and exploring new pastures, some of it is about diving for pearls in familiar waters. And that is just what Anonymous... Continue Reading →
THE SOURCE is an exciting new chapter in the Ayreon saga, with contributions from renowned vocalists like James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia), and Russell Allen (Symphony X). The Source will be released on April 28 through Ayreon’s new label Mascot Label Group/Music... Continue Reading →
Often reviewing music can be tricky, particularly when it is hard to find an interesting starting point, when nothing new or interesting is being offered up. Growing Wild presents a challenge for exactly the opposite reason. With so many intriguing musical ideas and genre-hopping approaches going on before your ears it is difficult to know... Continue Reading →
“This album represents a journey through my life,” observes Rik Emmett and what a life it has been, a fact borne out by the calibre of the guest musicians found on the album. As well as the regular RES 9 players, Dave Dunlop, Steve Skingley and Paul DeLong you will find contributions from Rush guitarist... Continue Reading →
So how do you stay true to the tenets of the music you love without becoming a pastiche of what has gone before? I guess if I knew that I would be a rich man but whether by luck or judgement Pilgrim seem to have found the answer. Whilst rooted in a classic, heavy rock... Continue Reading →
Monster Truck is gearing up for an exclusive European tour in support of their new album Sittin' Heavy, which will be released in Europe on February 19, 2016 on Mascot Records. Tickets are available now! March 29 Rockpalast Bochum - Germany Get your tickets March 30 Privatclub Berlin - Germany Get your tickets March 31 Strom... Continue Reading →
Although I grew up on what was then termed as “metal” bands, the classics, bands that could be referenced by only using half of their name, Maiden, Purple, Priest, then the genre moved on to more extreme potential and left me behind. Shotgun Rodeo, however, seem to reference those heady and more melodic days in... Continue Reading →