HOT NEW REVIEWS


UPDATED May 7, 2021

THE PINE HILL HAINTS 'THE SONG COMPANION OF A LONESTAR COWBOY' (SINGLE LOCK RECORDS/USA IMPORT)  

  

Out of Auburn, Alabama, USA comes THE PINE HILL HAINTS, a band that was formed back in 1998 and they have been melting Bluegrass, Americana, Country, Folk and a bit of Blues ever since. Their catalogue is quite extensive and new album The Song Companion Of A Lonestar is their 14th album so far I believe. The band consists of Jamie Barrier on guitar and vocals, Matt Bakula on vocals, washtub, tenor banjo, Katie "Kat" Barrier on mandolin, singing saw, and washboard, Stevie LaBlanc on washtub bass, Justin Ward on accordion and trombone, and Brian "Zero" Borden on snare drum. The music is mostly straight-ahead bluegrass rocking country-folk-rock, sounding way more authentic than the commercial sound of similar act MUMFORD AND SONS. In fact, this band would be a perfect fit for the Bluegrass festival held each year (before corona) in Rotterdam at the legendary Pijnackerplein. Songs like Fall Asleep, Back To Alabama, Satchel Paige Blues and the fantastic bluesy Wade In The Water are absolute crowd-winners to sing-a-long to, Bluegrass Rock and Roll at its finest! Don’t miss this awesome band’s latest release! More info at: http://www.thepinehillhaints.com/ and https://thepinehillhaints.bandcamp.com/ 

  

(Points: 8.5 out of 10) 

  

COCANHA 'PUPUT' (INDEPENDENT/FRANCE IMPORT)  

  

Out of Toulouse, France comes COCANHA, a vocal trio consisting of Lila Fraysse, Sanz Grosclaude and Caroline Dufau, who are all singing and playing percussion. The resulting album Puput is very special, because there are no other instruments involved and the music is primarily vocal based, with the beat of the percussion. The tribal African kinda World Music sound is filled with those vocal melodies, making it still sound quite rich and full. Highlights are Cotelon, Los Aucels, La Sovenenca, Lo Castel Roge (very catchy) and Au Son Deu Vriolon. A nice adventure and experience and I wonder how this will turn out live on stage, so it is fingers crossed until after corona, then we can hopefully welcome this interesting French trio. Meanwhile, check out more info at: https://cocanha.bandcamp.com/album/puput 

  

(Points: 8.3 out of 10) 

  

CHAI 'WINK' (SUB POP RECORDS/KONKURRENT)  

  

The Japanese all-female band CHAI was formed back in 2012 and Wink is their 3rd album so far. They are quite popular in Japan and this new album is their first one on the American label SUB POP RECORDS. The music has a sorta laid-back 80s alternative disco/Italo Pop sound like we also know it from DONNY BENET, but then with female vocals of course. The new album is a cheerful old school funky 80s discopop meets Atari computer games kinda record with a modern touch and a sorta punky meets modern electronic synthwave approach vocally speaking, yet always done in a Japanese way of having fun while making music. It’s not something you hear every day on the radio, but a song like Ping Pong! or In Pink somehow have a really catchy vibe that could easily generate them a massive radiohit worldwide. It sounds exciting and I’ll bet live this would work really well. There is something interesting about this Japanese band, which you check out for yourself at: https://chaiofficial.bandcamp.com/album/wink and http://chai-band.com/  

  

(Points: 8.2 out of 10) 

  

CURRENT JOYS 'VOYAGER' (SECRETLY CANADIAN RECORDS/KONKURRENT)  

  

Out of Nevada, USA comes NICHOLAS FOSTER RATTIGAN, who is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist I was not familiar with, but after hearing his 9th solo album Voyager, I am safe to say that he is a very interested and talented musician to further check out. He does everything on his own and calls his project CURRENT JOYS. The music is a mix of old school new wave, melodic indie pop and post-punk with a modern edge. 16 songs are included on his new album, of which the highlights are the midtempo melancholic new wave ish American Honey (THE CURE similarities), the faster uptempo post-punker Naked (JOY DIVISION meets D.C. FONTAINES), the melodic DAVID BOWIEish Indie pop song Altered States, the midtempo melodic indie/dream pop of Amateur and Calypso and the cool catchy uptempo new wave of Money Making Medicine. A diverse great and quite long album that could easily give him a huge breakthrough if he’s lucky. Check out more info at: https://currentjoys.bandcamp.com/album/voyager 

  

(Points: 8.5 out of 10) 

  

ROSTAM 'CHANGEPHOBIA' (MATSOR PROJECTS/KONKURRENT)  

  

The American producer/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ is a busy man, who is best known as founder of the band VAMPIRE WEEKEND, but he did a lot more and started a solo career 5 years ago. Changephobia is his 2nd solo-album, which starts calm, dark and melancholic, with the singer/songwriter/indie prog piece These Kids We Knew, but it gets more uptempo as the album progresses with a typical modern indie-pop-rock sound that is based around melancholic melodies like we also know it from TAME IMPALE, such as can be heard during the lovely midtempo 4Runner and Next Thing. However, there is more than meets the eye, because modern electronic influences can be heard during Kinney and even a jazzy piano meets African rhythms on the song Bio18, while there’s also a hit potential song like To Communicate. ROSTAM delivers a diverse and overall modern sounding (sometimes experimental) album that could appeal to a lot of people, so make sure to check out more if you’re interested at: https://officialrostam.com/ 

  

(Points: 8.0 out of 10) 

 

GEORGE TSALIKIS 'RETURN TO POWER' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)  

  

The American singer GEORGE TSALIKIS is known as the frontman of bands like GOTHIC KNIGHTS and ZANDELLE in the past, but he also started a solo career in 2016. Return To Power is his 2nd album and only for the drums he hired JOE CARDILLO, because he did basically everything on his own here (vocals, guitars, bass, keys, piano). The resulting new album is a a pure traditional Metal affair! Opener Live To Ride is pure high pitched vocal driven fast uptempo Melodic True Power Metal in the style of JUDAS PRIEST circa Painkiller. The tempo slows down a bit during the next couple of songs, but overall speaking it keeps the True Metal Flag waving from start to finish, with clearly MAIDEN influenced songs such as Dehumanized, Together We Rise, Stand My Ground and the strong Power Metal anthem Master Of The Sky. The slower ‘calmer’ epic In Memory and The Dragon Has Fallen even show some 80s QUEENSRYCHE/CRIMSON GLORY Progmetal influences, including strong melodic choruses, so there is a lot going on here actually. However, most of the time it’s full speed ahead with a pure ‘raise your fists in the air’ classic 80s melodic metal sound that will please the fans of PRIEST, MAIDEN, PRIMAL FEAR, etc. Check out more info at: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeTsalikisSinger/ 

  

(Points: 8.3 out of 10) 

 

IRONBOURNE 'IRONBOURNE' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)   

IRONBOURNE is a Swedish band formed back in 2019 around Torbjörn Andersson – vocals, Olof Geijer – guitars, Lars Andersson – bass, Jonas Windle – guitars and Stefan Viktorsson – drums. They are making their debut with this same titled album, which musically speaking is a pure Melodic Metal affair. Although opener The Dreamer is not a sensational song, it shows that IRONBOURNE has really potential, which becomes clear during the strong following track Elusive Reality, an uptempo Melodic Metal piece. Despite references to early NWOBHM like DEMON, PRAYING MANTIS and SAXON, they definitely have a more modern melodic metal sound, although instrumentally speaking it is indeed not far removed from SAXON and the guitar riffs do smell like classic BLACK SABBATH. The absolute highlights on the album are Varsel (superb melodic chorus), Too Late (a nice ballad with an accent in the vocal department, but this doesn’t spoil the vibe of the song), Covenant (uptempo melodic metal with a great melodic chorus, also some modern guitar riffs here) and closing track Year Of Judgement (GRIM REAPERish slow melodic doomy metal). Concluded, a nice first album by IRONBOURNE, which reveals a lot of diversity actually and they are definitely a band to keep our eyes open for in the future. If you like early NOCTURNAL RITES, DREAM EVIL, NOSTRADAMEUS and such bands, then you will like this as well. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/ironbourneofficial/  

(Points: 8.2 out of 10) 

 

AXEWITCH 'OUT OF THE ASHES INTO THE FIRE' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)  

  

It’s impossible to keep up with all the hardrock and metalbands through the years, but the last time I heard the Swedish band AXEWITCH must have been around 1994 when I rented a copy of their 1985 vinyl release Hooked On High Heels and transferred it to cassette! 27 years later I received a full new album of this band for a review! AXEWITCH existed only for a short period between 1981 and 1987, but released a few EP’s, demos and albums back then, all of them re-issued recently by the way. Anyway, they are now back with a new album that includes 12 songs. Musically speaking they play high class Melodic (Power) Metal with a focus on catchy tunes and hard hitting 80s guitar riffs. The band’s singer (and keyboardplayer) ANDERS WALLENTOFT has a strong voice, which makes them stand above the rest for sure. The new line-up consists of 3 original members and 2 new members, and this new CD opens with the sensational The Pusher, which is an uptempo Melodic Metal piece that will whet the appetite of fans of HAMMERFALL and PRETTY MAIDS. This style continues until the very end, with as other highlights the midtempo In Pitch Black Darkness, the pure 80s Teutonic Metal piece Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, the uptempo Losing You, the midtempo The Healer and the HAMMERFALLish uptempo Lie To Me. Excellent return from this legendary Swedish Melodic Metal band! More info at: www.axewitch.com  

  

(Points: 8.6 out of 10) 

 

DISTANT PAST 'THE FINAL STAGE' (PURE STEEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)  

  

The Swiss band DISTANT PAST was active between 2002 and 2018 with 2 demos and 3 album releases, but after 3 years of inactivity and a slightly new lineup that consists besides original members JVO JUIMY (vocals) and ADRIANO TROIANO (bass), whom both are also part of the band EMERALD, they are joined by newcomers BEN SOLLBERGER and LORENZ LAEDERACH on guitars and REMO HERRMANN on drums. The new album of DISTANT PAST is a typical classic melodic metal release, uptempo and song based, mostly following the same direction. 10 songs are included, and their traditional melodic metal is clearly influenced by IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, PRIMAL FEAR and such. It’s a nice album that is recommended if you like your metal to sound traditional and 80s orientated. More info on the band can be found at: www.distant-past.ch  

  

(Points: 7.5 out of 10) 

 

STEALING THE FIRE 'VARIOUS ALBUMS' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)   

STEALING THE FIRE was formed by keyboardist/drummer CHRIS BOND almost 30 years ago, while their debut album Hot Ice & Wondrous Strange Snow dates back to 1999, and despite we were already active as Strutter’zine back then, I can’t remember reviewing this (mostly instrumental) album that was actually recorded between 1995 and 1998. One of the highlights on this first album is Sirius Rising, a lovely piece of music that has that retro 80s influenced Neo-Progressive/Symphonic Rocksound which was quite popular among the prog/sympho fans during the early 90s (remember SI MUSIC!), with it’s focus on clean melodies, cheerful keys and a soaring melodic guitar, in the end reminding me a bit of LANDMARQ and TRACY HITCHINGS, which is also partly due to the strong female vocals (by SAFF EDYE). Another song with vocals is the 16 minutes counting Spitfire Epos, which is another lovely melodic neo-prog/symphonic rocker with a late 80s PENDRAGON/IQ feeling. It took the band 20 years before a follow-up was released. King Of Shadows from 2020 saw STEALING THE FIRE return to the scene with a 5 tracks counting album. In between the releases, keyboardplayer/drummer CHRIS BOND did create an album under the moniker ARMY OF MICE in 2007, which was titled Welcome To the Sock Factory, an album filled with more modern keyboard dominated ambient prog/new age music, while the new STEALING THE FIRE album King Of Shadows is a step into the new world, because this has a fresh new sound that combines classic 70s folky progressive rock with the modern prog sound, yet also the cheerful 70s sympho synths are included. Overall, it’s a great return of the band, with both male and female vocals, but also instrumental songs. The highlights are Medusa and closing track The Tower, which has a playing time of 19 minutes! Both these songs feature female vocals in the style of KATE BUSH and MAGGIE REILLY (of MIKE OLDFIELD fame) and the music has this lovely melodic progrock feeling like we know it from bands such as RENAISSANCE, MOSTLY AUTUMN, KARNATAKA, etc. SAFFROM PAFFRON is the name of the lead singer, while the rest of the lineup consists nowadays of Tim Lane - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and Chris Bond - Keyboards and Electronics. Together they created a great new album that will please all progfans out there, because there is a lot going on in each and every song, taking the best bits of the past and present. Check for yourself at: https://stealingthefire.bandcamp.com/album/king-of-shadows  

(Points: 8.3 out of 10) 

 

THE JENNY THING ‘AMERICAN CANYON’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)   

 

The Californian band THE JENNY THING was mainly active during the 1990s when they released 3 albums. After they split, each bandmember got a regular job and went on raising a family, so THE JENNY THING seemed to be over until they reformed recently, with as result this new album American Canyon. The included material is pretty good relaxing melodic pop/rock, sounding fresh and up-to-date, but also traditional in a way it reminds me a bit of MIKE & THE MECHANICS somehow, while a 90s act like THE REMBRANTS or THE POSIES also comes to mind, and 90s Britpop/Indie Pop, some 80s THE SMITHS/THE CURE and even light progrock influences can be traced as well, so it’s a mix of all kinds of styles. This makes it a diverse and interesting album that always keeps a focus on memorable melodies and strong lead vocals. 8 songs are included in total , and it’s actually a pretty short record, but thankfully a good one to listen to. Highlights are Paper Angel (with some prog influences and U2/BIG COUNTRY ish guitars a nice 80s influenced melodic pop/rocker), All In My Head, Lightfield, Monsters Of Mercy (80s UK New Wave ish) and closing track Waiting For The Knife (THE SMITHSish). Job well done and recommended to check out this comeback of THE JENNY THING at: https://thejennything.com/  

  

(Points: 8.2 out of 10) 

 

NIKKI O'NEILL 'WORLD IS WAITING' (BLACKBIRD RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

I believe this is the 2nd solo album of singer/songwriter/guitarist NIKKI O'NEILL. She is from Los Angeles, California and on World Is Waiting we can hear a mix of rootsy rock, blues rock, Americana and a tiny bit countryrock. Imagine something along the lines of BONNIE RAITT, yet vocally sounding a bit rawer. You're The Only One Who Gets Me is one of the few songs that sounds a bit polished, because the rest of this mini-CD does have a raw edge vocally speaking and somehow not polished like most artists in this genre, making it quite interesting to check out. Check out more info at: https://nikkioneill.com/

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

 

SINFUL SINNERS 'BUTTERFLY' (ROCK ROYCE RECORDS/ITALY IMPORT) 

It must have been around 1996, so that is 25 years ago, when I got in touch with keyboardplayer ALEX FALCONE, who back then was in the legendary Italian AOR/Melodic Rockband HEAVEN'S TOUCH. I reviewed and interview him back then during one of his demo tape releases with his band, and in the following years there were some more releases I reviewed. Eventually however we lost touch and it would take 2 decades before I got in touch with him again. He recently formed a new band called SINFUL SINNERS, a great classic melodic hardrockband that besides Alex on Hammond Organ, Synthesizers, Piano, Backing Vocals, also features Alessandro Cernivani on Guitars, Backing Vocals, Sergio Sigoni on Drums, Backing Vocals, Gianluca Sossi on Bass Guitar and Kevin Reeves on Lead Vocals. He gathered a bunch of great musicians and a fantastic singer around him, because it all sounds quite sensational here! After the short intro Flying Higher, the first real song is the lovely uptempo melodic classic 80s heavy rock/metal piece Butterfly, which has beautiful melodies, strong vocalwork and an excellent guitarsolo besides a cool hammond, sounding like a perfect cross between 1970s URIAH HEEP, ANGEL (due to Alex' fabulous keys/synths a la GREGG GIUFFRIA), IRON MAIDEN, 90s FAIR WARNING and the very first EUROPE! This is a surprise release for sure and a great comeback of Alex! Following track World On Fire follows the same style, even revealing a bit of RAINBOW influences and somehow also reminding me slightly of classic STRYPER. I think you will more or less get the picture by now what this more or less sounds like. Other highlights are the superb semi-AOR/Melodic Rock ballad Catwalk To The Moon (FAIR WARNINGish), the excellent uptempo melodic early 80s classic heavy rocker Breakdown (URIAH HEEP meets early EUROPE meets early MALMSTEEN, with a superb guitar vs keyboard dual in neo-classical style), It's Raining In My Mind (lovely uptempo melodic rocker, Swedish style, early EUROPE/MALMSTEEN/TALISMAN...), the catchy uptempo RAINBOW orientated Joy Ride Down A One Way Street and the closing keyboard-led AOR ballad My Heart. I am somewhat surprised this album, with beautiful artwork by the way, it has not yet been praised a lot, because it definitely deserves much more attention. Check out all info at: www.sinfulsinners.net

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

JACK DUPON 'LA REPUBLIQUE DOMINICALE DU ZOO' (BAM CD RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)

The French band JACK DUPON is an experimental progressive rockband that has already released quite a number of albums so far. They are a 4-piece band formed around Gregory Pozzoli / guitar, vocals, Arnaud M’Doihoma – bass, vocals,  Philippe Prebet – guitar, vocals and Thomas Larsen – drums, vocals, and their new release is titled La Republique Dominicale du Zoo, a very experimental 5 songs counting mini-CD that sounds like a modern out-of-control version of FRANK ZAPPA. I think even the most open-minded progfan will be surprised to hear the songs on this album, because it is extremely experimental in a way we don't hear that often. It's almost impossible to describe, because there is also a lot of groovy funk influences to be heard, so it's more than experimental progrock. I would say check it out for yourself at: https://jackdupon.bandcamp.com/album/la-r-publique-dominicale-du-zoo

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

DAVID MASSEY 'WATCH YOUR BACK IN HELL' (POETIC DEBRIS RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

The American singer/songwriter DAVID MASSEY returns with a great new song titled Watch Your Back In Hell, a great cool catchy uptempo folky rocker like JOHN FOGERTY going for a more Celtic Rock direction, including lovely violinwork by RON STEWART. Check out this talented singer at: https://www.davemasseymusic.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

ANNAMAY 'WHEN THIS IS OVER' (CD SINGLE INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

Lead singer/songwriter ANNAMAY comes out of Sweden and sadly I don't have much more info on her and the band performing on the CD-single When This Is Over, which is a catchy 80s guitar riff (BRYAN ADAMS/ROXETTE) orientated uptempo melodic poprocker, with a fresh modern touch here and a late 70s soul touch during the chorus. Hopefully a full-length release someday soon. More info at: https://www.hemifran.com/news/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

 

BLACK SHERIFF 'TIME TO BURN' (SAVAGE MAGIC RECORDS/ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

As soon as the catchy opener No No No of the 5th album of the Cologne, Germany based band BLACK SHERIFF kicks in, we are going into a catchy no-nonsense classic sleazy/glam rock and roll sound that is the perfect receipt for a great party. This is anthem sing-a-long hardrock'n'roll at it's best, sounding like a cross between late 70s punkrock, sleazy hardrock of the LA GUNS/CATS'N'BOOTS style and a bit of CRASH DIET thrown in for good measure. Basically, it's rock and roll the way it needs to sound, which is mostly uptempo, raw and still quite catchy and melodic. The album continues with 12 more short uptempo pieces that reflect the aforementioned description. Other highlights are the HUSKER DU cover melodic rocking Diane (superb catchy chorus and soaring guitarsolo), Supersonic (excellent uptempo punky glamrock at it's very best, ), Dance Dance Dance (MOTORHEAD meets THIN LIZZY, with a guest performance by none-other than ROSS THE BOSS / MANOWAR) and the THE RAMONESish catchy melodic punkpoprocker Drinkin Out Loud. The 4-piece band around Glen Clarke: Vocals, Guitar, Robin Shaefer: Guitar, Hasah Onay: Bass and Randy De Souza: Drums were formed in 2007 and deliver their finest work so far I think with this recommended new album Time To Burn! Without a doubt a great band to check out at: http://www.blacksheriff.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

THE BOATSMEN 'VERSUS THE BOATSMEN' (GHOST HIGHWAY RECORDINGS/ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)  

Founded some 10 years ago in Orebro, Sweden,  Versus The Boatsmen is already the 4th album of this Swedish rock and roll band. 13 tracks are included on the album, of which opener Action Delivery is a catchy uptempo punkrocker with a slight Glamrock ish arena chorus (a la NASTY IDOLS/CRASH DIET), while following Friday Night Forever is heavier and more aggressive, almost GBH ish Hardcore. Back to pure TURBONEGROish Rock and Roll on the strong Blame It On Me, a dirty mean raw tune. After a few spins of the album, further highlights are the lovely pure Rock and Roll/Sleazy/Punk pieces Thirst Song, the catchy melodic fuzzing soaring guitar solo driven I Don't Wanna Lose This Time, the melodic heavy rocking Big Waves (a la FOO FIGHTERS) and the classic Rock and Roll tune Clap Canon (ALICE COOPER/NEW YORK DOLLSish). Here and there the band goes for a faster almost hardcore ish rock and roll approach, such as during Gimme Your Money, but it’s always considered Rock and Roll in its purest form. Afterparty In Hell is clearly AC/DC influenced for example. It should connect fans of the really old rock and roll sound (MC5/ALICE COOPER/NEW YORK DOLLS, THE STOOGES etc) with the punkier approach of the late 1970s (THE RAMONES, THE DAMNED…) straight up to today’s dirty mean sleazy modern rock and roll sound (TURBONEGRO, FOO FIGHTERS…), with even a touch of classic early 80s Hardcore (GBH, EXPLOITED) and also here and there Sleazy Rock and Roll/Glamrock can be heard. Concluded, this is a really cool strong pure rock and roll record that will please all fans of true classic dirty mean rock/punky rock and roll. More info at: https://theboatsmen.bandcamp.com  

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

SHATTEN 'SHATTEN' (ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

 

The German speaking band SHATTEN is making their debut with this same titled album on ROOKIE RECORDS. It’s a short record that holds together 33 minutes of music, split over 12 songs, which is exactly the way it needs to be done considering the music style of SHATTEN. We get to hear strong uptempo Melodic Punkrock/Rock and Roll, with as highlights Anfang, Loecher im Himmel, Falsche Faehrte (BILLY IDOLish), Biberkopf and Error 2000, but actually any of the 12 included songs are quite catchy and should be crowdpleasers during concerts. Sometimes a bit more polished and melodic, while also here and there rougher around the edges. Check out this band at: https://shatten.de    

 

(Points: 8.2 out of 10) 

 

SCHRENG SCHRENG & LA LA 'PROJECT 82' (ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

 

Formed in 2007, the German duo SCHRENG SCHRENG & LA LA are making acoustic Punk. The duo consists of Jörkk Mechenbier from Love A and Lasse Paulus from Online-Magazin I CAN GUARANTEE. Although it is mostly acoustic tingled, with strong melodies, such as Fremder Mutter Zwilling, Gesichtsmuskelzerrung and Ernahrungsberatung (sounding like the German version of RACOON), there’s also a touch of electrified punkrock here and there, like Alukappenspacken. Check out more info at: https://schrengschrengundlala.wordpress.com/

 

(Points: 7.5 out of 10)

 

CRIM '10 ANYS PER VEURE UNA BONA MERDA' (PIRATES PRESS RECORDS/ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

 

When looking at the CD I see 4 guys with (partly) make-up faces like KISS, but musically speaking this album is more going for melodic punk/Oi!/Rock and Roll adventure and that is what CRIM is all about. This Spanish band has been active for 10 years and to celebrate this event a new CD has been released. It contains their 10 favorite songs sung in English and includes collaborations with a lot of musicians from other international bands, such as TOY DOLLS, LION’S LAW, THE MOVEMENT, DEADYARD, THE VIOLETS, BAD. CO PROJECT and countless more. The sound is uptempo punkrock and roll with sing-a-long anthemic choruses. It’s sometimes like we’re back in the land of classic BLITZ, THE BUSINESS, SHAM 69, RED ALERT and such. Not a single weak moment, and despite it might sound raw and edgy, it’s also quite melodic, just listen to the anthem A Song and a Promise for example. I’ll bet live this will be a huge party! Check out more at: https://crim.bandcamp.com/

 

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS 'CONFINES OF LIFE' (TAKEN BY SURPRISE RECORDS/ROOKIE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

 

Now this band has a cool sound, basically performing classic female fronted punky rock and roll with similarities to THE RUNAWAYS and THE DONNAS, which can be heard right from the start with the catchy melodic uptempo rocker Who took the rain. After this opener, which is also the first single, the band switches to a more faster but still melodic punkrockstyle. Confines Of Life is the 3rd album of the Los Angeles based band NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS. The band sounds fresh and offers 12 exciting tunes that should please the fans that have been waiting desperately to watch the band live on stage since the world went into lockdown in March 2020. Other highlights are Miss America Pageant, Transitional Housing, the instrumental All Nazis Must Die and Migraines. Check out this great female fronted rock and roll/punkrockband at: https://neighborhoodbrats.bandcamp.com/album/claw-marks

 

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

BONFIRE ‘ROOTS VINYL RECORD’ (AFM RECORDS/BERTUS) 

 

The German band BONFIRE has a long history that started for me personally with the discovery of the band CACUMEN, which was the pre-BONFIRE band in the early 1980s. After this band evolved into BONFIRE around 1984, things became professional and they started to gain success, even in the USA with their superb album Fireworks. The band experiences a lot of changes in their line up through the years and in 2021 the only original member left is guitarist HANS ZILLER. BONFIRE’s sound is Melodic Hardrock and actually in the past 40 years they never really changed that thankfully. Their last studio album Fistful Of Fire was released at the start of the pandemic, so they were never able to tour and promote it. Eventually the decision was made to re-record old (and new) BONFIRE songs in an acoustic/unplugged setting. Roots is the result and I received the beautiful purple vinyl edition of this release. The gatefold 2-LP set is a must for any BONFIRE fan for sure, and I heard that the CD version contains 5 new electric songs of the band, but let’s focus here on the LP version. Due to the fact this is unplugged, it might sound a bit too soft for the rockers among us, I still think they came up with a lovely release that is a nice collection of all those old BONFIRE classics, which are now performed perfectly in this melodic unplugged setting. The focus is the old 1980s BONFIRE songs and songs taken from the last couple of records. It’s a pleasure to listen to timeless BONFIRE classics such as the awesome Starin’ Eyes, American Nights, The Price Of Loving You (a huge surprise, as this AOR song was originally a DESMOND CHILD song), Ready 4 Reaction, Give It A Try, Sleeping All Alone, Who´s Foolin´ Who (which in its original version was already unplugged), the classic Fantasy, Under Blue Skies (with a cool guitar riff taken from the classic Layla) and You Make Me Feel. Especially the AOR/Melodic Rockfans will be surprised by this melodic release, and in case you would like to hear BONFIRE rocking again, then check out their strong studio-album from 2020! The vinyl version of the Roots release is available through various platforms and for more info on BONFIRE please check them out at: http://www.bonfire.de  

 

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

INNUENDO ‘TIME EATS EVERYTHING’ INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)   

 

The legendary band INNUENDO returns with yet another high quality classic melodic hardrockalbum titled Time Eats Everything. They have been travelling with Strutter’zine since 1994 and actually they were one of the very first to send us an official press kit over 25 years ago! The new album continues the high class sound of all their previous albums, so they deliver 11 great new songs once again in the style of ICON, FIREHOUSE, FIFTH ANGEL, DOKKEN, TYKETTO, KNOW ILLUSION, SLYBOYZ and such late 80s melodic hardrock/hair metal bands. The high-pitched vocals are spot-on and each song is a pleasure to listen to, with as absolute highlights the uptempo pieces Off In The Distance, Better, Jimmy Had A Plan, the catchy Confidential Information and Circles, and the midtempo Something’s missing and I Didn’t Know (SUPERB!). How much longer will it take before people realize that INNUENDO is a sensational band! Don’t miss this release in case you long back to the classic late 80s US Mainstream Melodic Hardrocksound! More info at: www.brettricheymusic.com 

 

(Points: 8.6 out of 10) 

 

DAVIE FUREY 'HAUNTED STREETS' (INDEPENDENT/IRELAND IMPORT) 

 

Singer/songwriter/musician DAVIE FUREY is becoming a big star in his homeland of Ireland, but elsewhere he has not yet that well-known, which is a pity, because when listening to his 2nd album Haunted Streets, its clear that we are dealing here with a sensational musician. The album features some of Ireland’s top musicians including, Steve Wickham (THE WATERBOYS), Darren Holden (THE HIGH KINGS), ELLYD, Susan O’Neill (SON), Clare Sands, Robbie Campion, Martin Quinn, Andrew Quinn and FRANCIE CONWAY. He has already secured several number 1 hit singles in Ireland and he will probably continue to do so when hearing the 11 new songs on Haunted Streets. Opener Flames On The River is a superb uptempo Heartland/Melodic Poprocker with an 80s touch, reminding me a lot of TOM COCHRANE, MICHAEL STANLEY, REFUGEE, 80s BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, the first RALPH VAN MANEN album, TOM PETTY and a bit of BRYAN ADAMS. Davie has a great poetic voice and the music is positive, upbeat and very melodic, just like in the good old days, so it has a melancholic kinda feeling. Following Secret Light starts calmer, but develops into a strong 80s influenced semi-power ballad that reminds me a bit of JOHN FARNHAM somehow, yet vocally more laid-back. Farewell Returning Blues is going for a more singer/songwriter direction with a certain VAN MORRISON touch. Just Like The Wind is a Celtic Folk Pop/Rock song with a mythical feeling, a bit like THE WATERBOYS. Who Am I? is another calmer singer/songwriter piece that develops into a folky rockballad. Up next is Fire And Gold, a lovely midtempo 80s influenced AOR/Poprocker with a huge radiohit sound that easily makes you want to sing-a-long with its catchy chorus. The Ghost In Me follows in a very calm, almost poetic and dramatic singer/songwriter Americana direction, even a bit LEONARD COHENish. Spaces Full adds even more diversity, because this is a fun uptempo folk/celtic rocker that somehow reminds me a little bit of JOHN COUGAR. Following The Final Frontier is an excellent BRUCE SPRINGSTEENish uptempo Heartland Rocker, while The Magic Of The Ocean is a beautiful calmer Celtic influenced Americana song. Closing track is the bonus track The Music Man, which is a nice acoustic singer/songwriter piece. Concluded, a lovely diverse record that should definitely give him a break outside Ireland as well, because I feel Davie has got all it takes to become a superstar one day! Check him out at: https://www.daviefurey.com/

 

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

 

SAMBA TOURE 'BINGA' (GLITTERBEAT RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC) 

 

SAMBA TOURE is a gifted guitarist/vocalist from Mali who delivers a lovely record here featuring typical Mali Desert/Blues rock with virtuose guitarplaying and laid-back bluesy vocals of Samba. He has been in the music business for quite a while and Binga is his new record that defines the aforementioned classic Mali Blues sound.

Songs like the calmer Atahar, the swinging Sambalama, the hypnotic Desert Blues classic Kola Cisse and the relaxing smooth almost Reggae Blues sound of Fondo are a joy to listen to. Samba is definitely one of the major Mali Blues musicians around nowadays and the fact that there are already so many active musicians in that African country, one should almost organize (after corona) a Mali Blues Rock festival somewhere to gather them all together! Check out Samba at: https://samba-toure.bandcamp.com/album/binga

 

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

 

COMORIAN 'WE ARE AN ISLAND, BUT WE'RE NOT ALONE' (GLITTERBEAT RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC) 

 

One look at the frontcover of the CD of COMORIAN and you will be amazed for sure. It concerns here a musician with a self-made guitar in what looks like an off-the-road dump/trash location in the middle of nowhere on the Comoro Islands! We are talking about probably one of the few records that was ever officially released by a musician from those islands. We Are An Island, But We’re Not Alone is definitely an album title that fits the included music, because producer IAN BRENNAN visited the Comoro Islands and made crystal clear field recordings of musicians throughout the country. This album contains the music that was created by 3 musicians, Soubi: ndzendze, gambussi, lead vocals, Mmadi: ndzendze, lead vocals and D. Alimzé: Guma drum & background vocals. The result is as close to pure music as you can get, featuring local musicians doing their own thing on self-made instruments and coming up with lovely back-to-basic music that is actually sounding as if we’re back into the 1900s when the foundations of blues rock slowly began to move from Africa into America. Exceptionally well done and holding the true spirit flag for original music from a country most of us will probably never visit in real life, which is a shame, because the real beauty of life on earth is on islands like these. Check this CD to get in the mood of feeling like you’re there on the island, but you’re still not alone, as you will be surrounded by these excellent local musicians. More info at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsqVBx5omY

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

JO KAIAT 'COME TO MY WORLD' (SPEDIDAM/XANGO MUSIC) 

 

Out of France comes JO KAIAT, who plays piano & melodica and his new album Come To My World is a cheerful instrumental Cuban rhythm driven piano-jazz record with strong melodies and really capturing the vibe of the Cuban culture. Assisted by AVISHAI COHEN and GILAD ABRO on double bass, and NOAM DAVID and ILAN KATCHA on drums, the resulting album is a true adventure and a must-have for all the open-minded jazz fans out there. 10 songs are included, and there is not a single dull moment to be found here, with as highlights the progressive Koreduga la Joie and the beautiful swinging Cuban melodies of Naa Donke. Check out more on Jo at: https://www.jokaiat.com/

 

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

 

ELECTRO GT 'PALEFACE' (ECLIPSE MUSIC/XANGO MUSIC)   

Recorded at the world famous FINNVOX STUDIOS (known for its Metal recordings), the Finnish band ELECTRO GT is melting all kinds of sounds. They have a modern sound for sure, which contains influences from jazz, fusion, electronic music and hip-hop. The band is formed around Bass – Heikki Laine, Drums, Electronics, Composed By, Producer – Mikko Hassinen, Guitar – Jere Haakana, Varre Vartiainen, Piano, Keyboards – Aki Rissanen, Trumpet – Verneri Pohjola and PALEFACE is not only the name of the album, but he is also the guest singer on several tracks. 7 songs are included in total, and the 5 instrumental songs sound really relaxed with a lounge approach, however during the vocal featured songs there is mostly rapping going on and that is something you have to appreciate. Instrumental ELECTRO GT is doing it quite well, especially when you listen to the opener Pudotusajot '86 and the progrocker Kuhankeittäjille, but hopefully next time they will drop the raps. More info at: https://eclipsemusicrecordlabel.bandcamp.com/album/ruma

(Points: -)

 

CASE KAMARAINEN 'JOYRIDE' (ECLIPSE MUSIC/XANGO MUSIC)  

 

Tomi Kämäräinen is a Finnish drummer and composer, who has been a freelance musician since 2004, but since 2018 he has his own quartet called CASE KAMARAINEN. Besides Tomi, the other involved musicians are Marek Konarski (a Polish saxophonist), Grzegorz Tarwid (a pianist) and Petter Asbjørnsen (a Norwegian bassist). Joyride is their 2nd album, which musically is a mix of old-school Jazz with modern interpretations. 9 songs are included and it’s a pleasure to listen to them, sometimes a bit experimental (Dumbo), while at other times going for a smooth melodic direction (Healing). It’s all there and therefore highly recommended to any Jazz fan out there! More info at: https://eclipsemusicrecordlabel.bandcamp.com/album/joyride

 

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

 

BALKAN TAKSIM 'DISKO TELEGRAF' (BUDA MUSIQUE/XANGO MUSIC)   

 

Opener Meram Ekspresi of this album sets the record straight here, because this instrumental is a typical modern day rhythmic psychedelic middle eastern desert blues rock mixture that is not too far removed from TAMIKREST, TINARIWEN, ZENOBIA and ALTIN GUN, and when the vocals join during the following Zalina, we can safely say that we have here a true winner if you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands. BALKAN TAKSIM comes out of Romania and Disko Telegraf is the brainchild of Bucharest-based multi-instrumentalist artist Sasa-Liviu Stoianovici who, along with his electronica producer companion Alin Zabrauteanu, they explore the sounds of modern and past music from all over the world, but especially create this interesting melodic, yet dark psychedelic middle eastern sound that will live on stage with a crowd probably put you in a groovy trance the same way as ALTIN GUN is doing during concerts. Songs like the 2 mentioned songs as well as the groovy Shlonak, with it’s cool retro 70s synths and psychedelic rocking guitar, Cartes Postales and , they all have a vibe that will easily make you move and enjoy the sound of BALKAN TAKSIM. The second part of the album has a slight change into a darker mood, with also modern influences and even a dancebeat during Ankara Ekspresi, which is nevertheless a rather catchy tune due to the middle eastern psychedelic melodies. Concluded, BALKAN TAKSIM is stretching their sound further than the aforementioned acts, which is interesting and therefore highly recommended to those who want to explore the connection between the modern and traditional World Music, with elements taken from all kinds of other popular music genres (Progressive Rock, Blues, Hardrock, Dance, Electronic Music, etc.). Check them out at: https://soundcloud.com/balkantaksim and www.balkantaksim.com

 

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

BLKJKS 'ABANTU/BEFORE HUMANS' (PERMANENT RECORD/XANGO MUSIC)  

BLK JKS (BLACK JACKS) is a South African rock band from Johannesburg, formed in 2000, and after their debut release After Robots, they became quite popular internationally speaking, with even a support performance to FOO FIGHTERS when they toured South Africa in 2014. DAVE GROHL of FOO FIGHTERS praised them, claiming that BLJKS’s debut album was his favorite back in 2009. After several line-up and major label changes, the band is now back with the follow-up Abantu/Before Humans. Mpumelelo Mcata (guitar), Molefi Makananise (bass), Tshepang Ramoba (drums), Tebogo Seitei (vocals) and several guest musicians create a fantastic sound on this new album. Their music is very original, true African music for sure at first, but reflecting all kinds of other influences from progressive rock, jazz/fusion, classic rock, blues and alternative rock as well in each and every song, with as highlights Running – Asibaleki / Sheroes Theme, iQ(w)ira – Machine Learning Vol 1 and Human Hearts. Check out this sensational African band at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blk-Jks/50708824098  

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

KARMAMOI ‘ROOM 101' (INDEPENDENT/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT) 

KARMAMOI is an Italian band formed in 2008, and Room 101 is their 5th album so far. It was recorded in Rome (vocals) and London (instruments) between August and October 2020, and produced by bandleader/drummer/composer/keyboardplayer Daniele Giovannoni. The other bandmembers are Alex Massari (Guitars) and Alessandro Cefalì (Bass), while there are also several guests, such as lead singer SARA RINALDI, who has a beautiful voice by the way. The album is inspired by the novel of George Orwell, 1984, and contains 7 long tracks in total, of which the highlights are Drop By Drop (a soon to-become prog classic featuring superb melodies, both vocally and instrumentally, with a lovely soaring guitarsolo), Zealous Man (an epic 11 minutes counting progrock masterpiece, sounding bombastic and majestic) and the instrumental Newspeak, which features a fantastic moog solo by ADAM HOLZMAN (MILES DAVIS, STEVEN WILSON). Its also a very diverse album, leaving room for some experimental moves and also going for a slightly heavier almost progmetal kinda direction during the closing track The New World. This is upper league progressive rock where everything falls in the right place, so make sure to check out KARMAMOI’s new album Room 101 a.s.a.p. More info can be found at: https://karmanoia.org/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)


CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW REVIEWS
GO TO THE REVIEWSINDEXPAGE
BACK TO HOMEPAGE