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HOT NEW REVIEWS
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/
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
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
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/
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/
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/
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)
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