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HOT NEW REVIEWS
PATRIARCH ‘FIRST HAND SECOND VERSE’ (CULT ROCK
CLASSICS/SONIC AGE RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
During
the 90s I discovered the band PATRIARCH, thanks to the late Willy van Buel, and
eventually I got in touch with one of the bandmembers, who was kind enough to
sent me their rare vinyl EP from 1983. I remember doing a feature on this
sensational release and remember that back then it was not that long ago, so
now fast forward to 2023, and the original LP has finally been re-issued onto
CD, thanks to the Greek label SONIC AGE RECORDS. The band only existed for a
short while during the 1980s, which is such a pity, because their sound was
amazing and should have gain them huge popularity. PATRIARCH came out of Kansas
(just like KANSAS, PROPHET and SHOOTING STAR), so obviously they were
influenced by the rocksound of the aforementioned bands, but still had an own
identity. They consisted of Chuck Huels — keyboards and vocals; Steve Kuker —
drums and vocals; Jeff Carroll — bass and vocals; Gregg Anderson — guitar,
violin and vocals; Mike Maxwell —guitar and vocals, and were active between
1981 and 1987. They released the 4-track vinyl EP First Hand and a Demo Tape,
and all of the 8 tracks are on this CD. The booklet contains the original
beautiful artwork, and a long story and rare pictures of the band. Besides the
re-issue, the band also performed in their original line-up, and a dream come
true for me personally would be to attend one of their concerts, because these
guys are live really good from what I saw on the internet. They absolutely
deserve a big push, and let’s hope also new work will emerge someday soon.
Anyway,
back to this CD, because opener Two Steps Away is an incredible AOR/Pomprock
classic in the 1970s KANSAS style (and SHOOTING STAR), and how about the
following uptempo rocking You Fool. Both these songs belong to some of the best
independent American AOR/Pomprock ever, and it’s really lovely to hear it now
on CD sounding crystal clear. PATRIARCH was one of the many unsigned bands in
the USA playing classic AOR/Pomp/Progrock at an amazing high level, so it is
unbelievable the band only managed to release a wanted mini-LP 40 years ago,
because everything sounds perfect during those aforementioned 2 classic tunes.
Melodies all over the place, both vocally and instrumentally, this is as close
to the best KANSAS ever produced, but then done by PATRIARCH. I have played
these songs so many times since I first heard them, so it is a trip down memory
lane. Also the epic ballad 10 Years Ago (TRIUMPH meets RUSH in a KANSAS/JOURNEY
fight) and the uptempo rocking Elysium (JOSHUA meets SHOOTING STAR meets TOUCH
and even a bit of TOTO/QUEEN here and there, featuring epic keyboard versus
guitar versus violin duals and cool proggy/pomp breaks) are worth mentioning of
course, and besides the 4 original album tracks also the 4 songs that were
going to be released on a follow-up EP are included on this CD. These were
rough demos that I received as demo tape many years ago, but now they also
sound close to the quality of the original LP tracks. Musically speaking a bit
less proggy/pomp, but still in the SHOOTING STAR meets TRIUMPH kinda of
AOR/Melodic Rock direction, such as can be heard during the superb songs Sentimental
Youth and A Wall.
There’s
no single weak moment to be heard here, so make sure to get this re-issue
a.s.a.p. More info on PATRIARCH can be found at: http://www.patriarchband.com/ and https://patriarch-merch.square.site/
(Points: 9.0 out of 10)
SPIDERGAWD ‘VII’ (CRISPIN GLOVER RECORDS/SOULFOOD
MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
I
stumbled on SPIDERGAWD about 5 years ago when the Norwegian band performed a
free concert close to my home, and I was immediately attracted to their classic
twin-guitar driven melodic hardrocksound. The band has been in the scene since 2013,
they have connections with another popular Norwegian band called MOTORPSYCHO,
but musically speaking SPIDERGAWD is more straight-ahead than that (great)
band, while their new album VII is probably their best album so far. The band
consists of vocalist/guitarist Per Borten, vocalist/guitarist Brynjar Takle Ohr,
bassist/vocalist Hallvard Gaardløs, drummer Kenneth Kapstad and saxophone
player Rolf Martin Snustad (which is quite unique for a rockband, and
especially live he really is a big bonus to the SPIDERGAWD sound, yet on this
new record he’s a bit harder to hear except for closing tune … And Nothing But
The Truth, but I don’t have any info if he’s still part of the band).
It’s
their 7th album in 10 years’ time, and opener Sands Of Time is a
superb catchy uptempo classic hardrock tune with strong vocals and harmonies, and
it reflects a clear THIN LIZZY approach. Diving a bit into classic faster
NWOBHM with the superb melodic metal piece The Tower that brings memories of
other new bands such as AIR RAID and WYTCH HAZEL, and this song has a killer
chorus as well as lovely twin-guitarwork. Other highlights are Bored To Death,
Afterburner and Your Heritage, but actually every song continues the uptempo
classic melodic hardrocksound of the aforementioned songs, and all of them
feature memorable choruses.
Concluded,
SPIDERGAWD might have released their best album so far, because this is a real winner
for fans of classic hardrock, and I think their catchy tunes might even appeal
to other musicfans out there, because it all sounds really sensational and
memorable enough. Check out more info at: https://spidergawdnorway.bandcamp.com/album/spidergawd-vii and https://www.spidergawd.no/
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
MAYFIRE ‘CLOUDSCAPES & SILHOUETTES’ (ROCK OF
ANGELS RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
More
than 3 years ago I received several singles of the Norwegian band MAYFIRE
CHRONICLES, which were a sneak preview of a first full-length album of this
sensational melodic progressive rock/metal band. Due to covid it took a bit
longer, but now at the end of 2023/early 2024 the band finally releases it’s
long awaited debut album. The band has shortened their name to MAYFIRE and the
first CD is titled Cloudscapes & Silhouettes, which is released through
ROCK OF ANGELS RECORDS. There is some amazing material on the CD, such as the
superb Shadows (featuring Baard Kolstad of LEPROUS), which has haunting
memorable melodies in the style of bands like THRESHOLD, SOEN and SUBSIGNAL, so
this band is basically champions league melodic progressive metal! The killer
vocals (who on earth is singing here?) and incredible melodies lift up this
band easily above the rest of the countless other prog metal bands worldwide,
while the guitarwork is also picture perfect, but I have absolutely no clue who
the musicians behind MAYFIRE are, because it is basically a 2-man’s band
consisting of MJX and RD (I am guessing Marius Andre Jacobsen and Rune Dahlen).
There is not a single weak moment on this sensational CD, and other highlights
are Thicker Than Water, Vinternatt and Fearless. Here and there we can hear an
edgier approach, sorta like EVERGREY, but melody is king for sure! Hopefully
this band will bring their music to the rest of Europe on a tour, because this
album is definitely one of the finest melodic prog metal releases of 2023! More
info can be found at: https://www.mayfirechronicles.com/ and https://roar-mayfire.bandcamp.com/album/cloudscapes-silhouettes
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
COMEDY OF ERRORS ‘THRENODY FOR A DEAD QUEEN’ (INDEPENDENT/UK
IMPORT)
The
Glasgow, Scotland based band COMEDY OF ERRORS was formed all the way back in 1984,
and Threnody For A Dead Queen is their 7th album so far. The band
consists of Jim Johnston - songwriter, keyboards, Joe Cairney – Vocals, Mark
Spalding - Guitars, backing vocals, Bruce Levick - Drums, percussion and John
(The Funk) Fitzgerald - Bass and backing vocals, and their music is high class
melodic neo-progressive rock with a focus on lovely melodies both
instrumentally and vocally, not far removed from the well-known bands in the
genre, such as PENDRAGON, IQ, PALLAS, ABEL GANZ, etc. although I have to admit
that after a couple of times listening to their album, they definitely show an
own identity that is focused on long exciting dark calm instrumental passages
combined with lovely relaxing vocal melodies (even a bit reminding of classic
ALAN PARSONS PROJECT/CAMEL), which can be heard right from the start during the
lovely opening song Summer Lies Beyond that takes you into a 15 minutes
counting trip.
8
songs are included in total on their new CD, some of them are very lengthy, and
from start to finish it is an enjoyable adventure to experience for sure! Other
highlights I would like to point out are the uptempo cheerful The Seventh Seal
and the pure prog epic titletrack. There is no single weak moment on their new
album, so make sure to check it out if you’re becoming interested in hearing
this brilliant Scottish band! More info at: https://comedyoferrors.bandcamp.com/album/threnody-for-a-dead-queen
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
UNCLE FRANK ‘DIABLO’ (LAST MAN MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
When
the new album of the Leicester, UK based band UNCLE FRANK came out of the
postal package I received, and I looked at the album cover, I was immediately reminded
of the QUEEN classic album cover of Sheer Heart Attack, because Diablo’s front
album cover photo has a similar portrait of the bandmembers of UNCLE FRANK as
the iconic QUEEN album photo cover of the QUEEN members. Musically speaking the
band has a slightly different and more straight-forward rock approach than
QUEEN. Anyway, UNCLE FRANK was formed about 20 years ago around multi-instrumentalists
and producers Frank Benbini (also one third of THE FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS) and
Naim Cortazzi, and along the way Darryl Reid (drums, guitar, bass, keys,
strings) and Luke Bryan (bass, orchestral strings) joined them, and Diablo is
their 4th album so far.
Opener
Diablo is a catchy killer modern retro sounding uptempo rock and roll piece,
and so is the following Mary Jane, but during the excellent So High things
become more Westcoast/smooth pop/rock orientated, and I have to say that this a
nice welcome in diversity, but most of the time UNCLE FRANK rocks and puts some
ROLLING STONES influences in their music here and there, such as Rise Up, which
also reveals a bit of LENNY KRAVITZ. Due to the link to THE FUN LOVIN’
CRIMINALS, you can also hear similarities to that legendary band sometimes.
Other highlights are Solitude (uptempo melodic rocker), Off In The Distance
(funky piece with a smooth melodic rocking chorus), the semi-ballad Bad Dreamer
and the groovy midtempo rocker Melting (borrowing the classic LED ZEPPELIN
Kashmir guitar riff). Definitely a great modern sounding but still retro rock
and roll record that sounds pure and raw to the bone, so go check it out for
yourself at: https://www.unclefrankband.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
FRANK WHITE AND
ALAN TECCHIO ‘JERSEY METAL VOLUME ONE 1969-1986 BOOK’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Alan sang in countless bands as already mentioned, and he is a real Metal
singer, recently with LEVEL FIELDS and MIKE LEPOND’S SILENT ASSASSINS. However,
he is also a writer, columnist and graphic designer for over 30 years, and he
interviewed a lot of Metal bands throughout his life, so combined with Frank’s
unique photographer talent, this book is a well written and designed book that
keeps you busy for a long time. In total it captures about 340+ pages of work,
with a focus on those unique pictures of the past and the stories behind them
as well as the rare adverts of the club scene and bands that came to town. It’s
a fascinating book that documents and illustrates the glorious past of the
hardrock, rock and metal scene in the USA of the 1970s and 1980s. It’s
incredible how much happened and all those memories are relived here for anyone
to read and look at. It will never look like this again and that’s why books
like these are a joy to own and everytime look back how things went back then.
As already stated before, this book is not about the Jersey Metalbands
only, because it also covers all important rock, hardrock and metalbands that
came to the New Jersey/New York area. Those pictures of QUEEN and KISS alone
are a must to see if you’re a fan of them, while of course also the stories how
Frank captures these are fascinating. It’s also great to see how many bands of
the New York and New Jersey area are connected to each other, because there is
a connection between BILLY JOEL, DREAM THEATER, BON JOVI, SYMPHONY X, FRANKE
AND THE KNOCKOUTS, PROPHET, DANGER DANGER and countless others, either via a
local band that might be one of the first rock/metal bands in New Jersey
(PHANTOM’S OPERA) or musicians that went on playing with each other throughout
their careers. This book covers it all, and just shows what a vibrant scene it
was so many years ago!
The book is available through: https://jerseymetalbook.com although the first version of volume one is nearly sold out and is a
limited edition, however, the revised volume one book comes out March 1 and
will be completely available on http://www.jerseymetalbook.com
or bookbaby.com‘s bookstore! And hopefully volume two will be as good as
this sensational book by Frank and Alan, 2 legends of the New Jersey Rock/Metal
music history!
(Points: 9.0 out of 10)
ROSEANNE REID ‘LAWSIDE’ (LAST MAN MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
ROSEANNE
REID is the daughter of GREG REID, who is one of the singing twin brothers of
the legendary band THE PROCLAIMERS from Scotland. Lawside is Roseanne’s 2nd
solo album, following up her 2019 debut Trails. Musically speaking we are
mostly heading into a calmer singer-songwriter direction, and Roseanne has a
lot of stories to tell throughout the 13 included songs. Although Roseanne
sings and plays acoustic guitar on each and every song, she is assisted by
quite a lot of guest musicians that give the songs a richer arrangement.
Especially during the full band featured songs, such as Call It Love, Shine On,
Daisy Chain and Mona Lisa, it sounds really good actually, but in case you’re
more into the calmer 70s oriented singer-songwriter/Americana direction, then
you will absolutely love a majority of the songs that go into that direction.
Roseanne is a gifted singer with a lovely voice and for those longing back to
the 70s female singer/songwriter movement, this is definitely highly
recommended to check out at: https://www.roseannereid.com/
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
AUTOMATA ‘HEART MURMUR’ (ATYPEEK MUSIC/ARAKI RECORDS/CREATIVE
ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Heart
Murmur is the 2nd album of the Paris, France based band AUTOMATA. This band is
a quartet formed in 2019 around JEAN-BAPTISTE ELINEAU (bass, synths), ETIENNE
ERTUL (guitar, bass, keys, piano), FRANCOIS LAMOURET (keys, piano, guitar,
programming) and DAVID VIVES (drums, acoustic guitar), and they released their
self-titled debut back in 2020. Now there is the follow-up, and the included
music is high quality instrumental music that combines all kinds of elements,
but post-progressive rock would be a perfect description for sure. However,
there is quite some experimentation going on as well, spoken-word parts, and
actually some of the material could also fill as background music to a movie. 6
long songs are included and there is enough diversity to keep you interested
listening from start to finish. Recommended to open-minded musicfans! More info
at: https://weareautomata.bandcamp.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
RUBBER TEA ‘FROM A FADING WORLD’ (TONZONEN RECORDS/SOULFOOD
MUSIC/BELIEVE/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
RUBBER
TEA is an interesting band out of Bremen, Germany, and they were formed back in
2017. From A Fading World is their 2nd album so far, and the band’s
line up consists of Vanessa Gross – Vocals, Saxophone, Flute, Lennart Hinz –
Keyboards, Vocals, David Erzmann – Bass, Jonas Roustai – Guitar and Henri Pink
– Drums. Their music is a nice mixture of progressive rock, jazz and a bit of
folk, sometimes reminding of classic 70s RENAISSANCE, yet with an own identity.
The bands mix of melodic choruses, clean female vocals and interesting music
sections that combine different influences due to the use of sax, flute, guitar
and keys, this makes them a diverse band you might want to check out.
Highlights on their new album are Go, Desert man and the experimental
Superhexacatlyst. Concluded, a great diverse band that simply breathes the
classic 1970s sound, so it will mostly appeal to fans of 70s symphonic rock
(CAMEL, FOCUS, KAYAK, RENAISSANCE, etc.) More info can be found at: https://rubbertea.bandcamp.com/album/from-a-fading-world and https://rubbertea.de/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
JENNY STURGEON & BOO HEWERDINE ’OUTLIERS (HUDSON
RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
JENNY
STURGEON (vocals, guitars, piano, keys, samples) and BOO HEWERDINE (vocals,
guitars, piano, keys, samples) are 2 gifted musicians, whom along with
co-producer/keyboardplayer/percussionist CHRIS PEPPER recorded the album
Outliers. All of the included songs were written at their homes in Glasgow and
the Shetland Islands. It’s an interesting combination of lo-fi
singer/songwriter ish pop, chamber pop, folk, spoken-word and a touch of
electronic new age, sounding quite original and exciting actually, and from the
beginning song The Longest Day until closing track Powercuts this is an
interesting journey that brings you in a sorta feeling you might get when
you’re in the upper north of the British Islands. It might not sound really
cheerful, because it has a dark approach, but there is a certain beautiful
aspect in the sound of these 2 gifted singer/songwriters/musicians, especially
when they sing those lovely harmonies together on most of the songs. These are
all enjoyable story-telling songs that you definitely need to hear if you like
authentic calmer music. The packaging of the CD is very impressive, with some
lovely cartoon drawings in the booklet. More info can be found at:
www.jennysturgeonmusic.com and www.boohewerdine.net and https://jennysturgeon.bandcamp.com/album/outliers
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
THE FURROW COLLECTIVE ‘WE KNOW BY THE MOON’ (HUDSON
RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
Back
in the 1970s British folkrock was a very popular genre, and bands like STEELEYE
SPAN, LINDISFARNE and FAIRPORT CONVENTION were among many others the big
leaders, scoring several hits 50 years ago, but eventually folk became an
underground genre, especially during the commercial keyboard dominated 80s and
the alternative 90s. However, throughout the decades many new acts started
playing authentic classic folk music, and as a result there is a whole new
wave, and one of those bands is the English/Scottish THE FURROW COLLECTIVE.
This group was formed about 10 years ago, and they are dedicated to
interpreting the traditional folk sound, covering songs from the past. All
members also have parallel careers as solo artists, and these members include
Lucy Farrell (viola, voice & saw), Rachel Newton (harp, fiddle, voice),
Emily Portman (banjo, concertina, voice) and Alasdair Roberts (guitars, voice).
We Know by the Moon is their 4th album so far, and from start to finish this is
how classic close-harmony driven pure folk-pop/rock needs to sound, sometimes
calm and collected, while at other times uptempo and cheerful in an Irish
setting. Done very well, this band is also one of the more popular folk bands,
so go check them out at: http://www.thefurrowcollective.co.uk/ and https://thefurrowcollective.bandcamp.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
SHOCKER ‘FRACTURED VISIONS OF THE MIND’ (INDEPENDENT/BELGIUM
IMPORT)
Now
this sounds really good and very impressive, because the Belgian band SHOCKER
has a super professional 80s American Melodic (Power) Metalsound on their debut
album Fractured Visions Of The Mind, and their lead singer SAMMY PELEMAN
(ex-AFTER ALL) has a fantastic (high pitched) voice (a la LANCE KING,
MIDNIGHT), while also their guitarists CHRIS DEDEURWAERDER and DAVID VANDEWALLE
are showing their skills on the guitar that usually end up in excellent
twin-guitarwork of the old 80s US Metalschool. The rhythm section of the band
consists of vocalist/bassist KOEN VANASSCHE and drummer LOUIS GENOVESE, and the
5 of them together are SHOCKER, a band formed back in 2018. After a couple of
spins of this first album, which has been released independently, it is clear
that we are dealing with an amazing band. These guys are really good, and
everything sounds crystal clear here. Highlights are the uptempo pieces
Stranded On The Borderline, Where Shrinking Violets Grow (SUPERB!) and Survive
The Night, all reminding of classic 80s US bands such as FATES WARNING,
QUEENSRYCHE, LEATHERWOLF, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and such, yet the band also has an
own identity, and I can safely say that this SHOCKER is one of the finest new
Belgian bands I have heard lately, especially in the Metal genre. Make
absolutely sure to check out this band if you like the old school 80s US Metal
style! Especially for an independent release, this is an incredible impressive
CD you need to hear for yourself! More info at: https://www.facebook.com/Shockertheband
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
THORIUM ‘EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS PART 1’ (FREYA
RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS)
THORIUM
is a Belgian band, and Extraordinary Journeys Part 1 is their 3rd album so far.
The high pitched vocals driven melodic metal is clearly influenced by IRON
MAIDEN, and I have to say that they are doing a really good job here. The band
has shared the stage with GEOFF TATE, ROSS THE BOSS, TOXIK, Q5 and many other
legendary acts, while their previous album featured a few well-known guests,
such as ARJEN A. LUCASSEN of AYREON. Anyway, the band’s powerful melodic metal
has not only MAIDEN references, but also JUDAS PRIEST and AGENT STEEL come to
mind, while a tiny but of Italo Power Metal also shines through here and there
(just listen to Gladiator for example). The guitarwork of TOM TEE and DARIO
FRODO is phenomenal, while as already said vocalist DAVID MARCELIS has a strong
pure Metal voice. Not bad at all, so go check them out at: www.thoriumband.com
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
JOSH HOYER & SOUL COLOSSAL ‘GREEN LIGHT’ (INDEPENDENT/USA
IMPORT)
JOSH
HOYER & SOUL COLOSSAL is a band out of Lincoln, Nebraska, USA formed around
Josh Hoyer on keyboards/vocals, Benjamin Kushner on guitar, Blake DeForest on
Trumpet, James Cuato on Saxophone, Harrison ElDorado on drums, and Stephen
Cantarero on bass and they create a great mix of classic Soul, Blues and Funk.
Their 7th album is titled Green Light, and without a doubt this
album sounds very impressive! 10 songs are included, and the moment the album
starts with the strong Evolution, that voice of Josh immediately grabs you and
doesn’t let go, because he has this lovely classic soul tone in his voice and
accompanied with a funky groovy sound that also reveals some blues rock
influences, this album is a joy to listen to from start to finish. This is high
quality soul/jazz/funk/blues mixed in a bag that should appeal to a lot of
people out there. No matter what Josh sings, any direction and every single
song on this CD is a winner for fans of ‘real’ music. Personal highlights are
Loneliness, Harmony, Green Light and Crazy Love. People who like to hear
something that comes across like a mix between GREGORY PORTER and THE DAWN
BROTHERS should check out JOSH HOYER & SOUL COLOSSAL! More info at: https://www.joshhoyer.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
LINA ‘FADO CAMOES’ (GALILEO MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
LINA
(Carolina Cardoso Rodrigues) is a Portuguese fado singer who released her debut
CD in 2014, and now 10 years later Fado Camoes is her 3rd album, and after
repeated listens I think this might be her big breakthrough in the World Music
territory. She definitely brings a new dimension to the Fade genre, which is
due to incredible voice, and also the music influences she adds to each and
every song on this new CD. Lina worked with many other well-known musicians in
the past, including ROBERT PLANT of LED ZEPPELIN, so she takes this all with
her into her music, and the result is a very impressive new album. Besides Lina
on vocals and keys, other musicians include John Baggott: Fender Rhodes, Piano,
Drum Programming, Moog Bass, Justin Adams: Percussion, Guitar and Programming
and Pedro Viana: Portuguese guitar. Although I am personally not so much a fan
of the fado singing, Lina does it really well and also her music takes you on a
journey straight into the Portuguese culture, and that is one of my favorite European
cultures! There is not a single weak moment to be found here, and so I can
easily recommend one of the finest fado releases in this century! More info at:
https://www.instagram.com/linaartistofficial/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
THE HASBROS ‘GOD HATES HASBROS AND OTHER CONSPIRACY
THEORIES’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Out
of New York City comes THE HASBROS, an original authentic rock and roll band
with a nostalgic kinda feeling when listening to their new album God Hates The
Hasbros And Other Conspiracy Theories. The band consists of guitarists Ken
O’Connor and Bob Hanophy (vocalist as well), drummer Joe Gorelick (Garden
Variety/Red Hare), and bass player Tom Cavanagh (Lita Ford/Pop Smart
Overdrive), and the new CD follows up their 2018 debut LP Cart Before The
Horse. The music of the band is mostly uptempo early 90s Melodic Powerpop
orientated that reflects clear influences of R.E.M. (during a song like Wonder)
and also reminds me of bands like THE POSIES, TEENAGE FANCLUB (especially
during the very catchy Eye To Eye). A lot of the 12 included tracks are uptempo
and giving you a rather good happy feeling when listening. Great little band
that deserves more attention. Check them out at: https://thehasbros.com and https://thehasbrosnyc.bandcamp.com
(Points: 7.9 out of 10)
LA SEVE ‘CHLOROPHYLLE’ (KING TAO/INOUIE
DISTRIBUTION/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)
Chlorophylle
is the new album of the French band LA SEVE, whom are heavily influenced by
Western African Music (especially from Cameroon and Congo), although their
overall sound is a mix of all kinds of styles that range from jazz to Caribbean
Music, Reggae, etc. The band is formed around Guillaume Cornuel: guitar and
voices, Gregory Brustier: guitar and voices, Samuel Paris: guitar and voices
and Frédéric Jebejian: drums, percussions and voices. It’s a very cheerful
World Music album that especially during instrumental pieces such as Ebene
Epeme might even appeal to fans of jazz-fusion and progrock, although this CD
will mainly appeal to fans of African Music, despite it’s played by a French
band. This band is really good in playing all kinds of groovy styles on the 10
included songs of their new album. Check them out at: https://www.kingtao.org/project/la-seve/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
TIMO GROSS ‘BLACK DAWG BONE’ (GRAND CRU
RECORDS/GERMANY IMPORT)
Black
Dawg Bone is the 9th album of TIMO GROSS, a German guitarist,
vocalist, songwriter and producer who is a dedicated raw blues musician. The
album is musically speaking not too far away from the sound on BILLY F.
GIBBONS’ (ZZ TOP) solo album Hardware from 2021, but being in the business for
such a long time gives Timo an own identity, especially due to his amazing raw
way of singing. He gets help from several other musicians, and among the 10
included songs the absolute highlights are Train Of Mercy, Devil’s Class, If
You Need Somebody and Running Wild, but any of the songs is a winner for fans
of real mostly slow raw dark blues with a boogie here and there. Check him out
at: https://timogross.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
DAVID GOGO ‘SILVER CUP’ (CORDOVA BAY RECORDS/CANADA
IMPORT)
DAVID
GOGO is a Canadian blues guitarist/singer/songwriter who already has a long
history in his music career that started in the early 90s, and Silver Cup is
his 16th (!) album so far. His music is true honest authentic blues,
and several of his songs were recorded by a few well-known other blues
musicians, such as BUDDY GUY and ERIC JOHNSON, with whom he co-wrote a few of
the songs on his new album. Besides David on vocals and guitar, other involved
musicians are producer STEVE MARRINER (guitar, piano, drums, bass, harmonica, percussion,
etc.), Marisha Devoin (bass and backing vocals) and Jimmy Bowskill (violin). 10
songs are included in total, and especially uptempo pieces like Whatever I Need
To Do, Morning Light and Works For Me are strong authentic bluesy Americana
pieces that feature David’s raw voice in combination with his mainly acoustic
blues riffs. Definitely an album to own if you want to hear real honest
acoustic blues with strong compositions sung intensively by a great true blues
legend David has become over the past 30 years! More info can be found at: http://www.davidgogo.com/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
ZITTER ‘ANGRY
BIRD/BUBBLEGUM GOD’ (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN IMPORT)
ZITTER is a Swedish duo/band
formed around Fred Z (vocals/bass), BG (guitar) and MacCalico Adee (software
drummer). Their live shows in and around Stockholm are energetic according to
the press bio, and they were kind enough to send me their 2 latest albums,
Angry Bird and Bubblegum God. Musically speaking it is an electronic modern
approach to classic rock/hardrock. Although vocally not superstrong and there
is a drumcomputer instead of a real drummer, live these guys probably are able
to get a party started. It’s like MOTORHEAD meets MOTLEY CRUE in an electronic
danceable jacket (MINISTRY), so with a sorta house/techno beat to the classic
hard/heavy rocksound of the past. Especially during a catchy uptempo rocker
like Rockstars this works extremely well. They also remind me a bit of ZODIAC
MINDWARP, who did something similar many decades ago. More info can be found
at: https://www.zitter.se/ and https://zitter.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 7.5 out
of 10)
SISTER MAY ‘UNDECIDED BEHAVIOUR’ (INDEPENDENT/BELGIUM
IMPORT)
Undecided
Behaviour is the full-length debut album of the Belgian band SISTER MAY, whom
released 2 EP’s in the past. It’s an independent release, and musically
speaking SISTER MAY enters a Post-Punk direction, with also influences from
Gothic, Industrial, Metal and even Progressive rock, so there’s a lot of
diversity going on here. The band consists of vocalist Bert Goethalsm bassist
Wannes Desramault, guitarist Carl Vangeluwe and drummer Stefaan Degryze. They
are doing a really great job here in getting an own kinda identity, which does
not surprise me, because the last couple of years there have been countless
great new original bands coming out of Belgium, and a lot of them succeed in
bringing an own yet interesting sound. SISTER MAY is no exception to the rule,
because right from the start with The Floater, the band brings an interesting
unique mixture of all aforementioned styles, and this can also be heard on the
rest of the CD. Job well done, and recommended to check out to all modern
rockfans! There’s a touch of KILLING JOKE in case you’re desperately longing
for a comparison, but SISTER MAY is more modern and heavier overall, so it’s
best to check out this recommended band! More info can be found at: www.sistermay.com
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
MALEVOLENT ‘MALEVOLENT’ (NECKTWISTER/SONIC RENDEZVOUS)
Here
we have an incredible high quality album release from a Belgian/Spanish band,
whom are making their debut with their same titled EP on NECKTWISTER RECORDS.
The sound/production is champions league, which is due to the involvement of
JOOST VANDENBROEK (POWERWOLF, BLIND GUARDIAN, AFTER FOREVER, EPICA, etc.), and furthermore,
the EPICA singer/guitarist/composer MARK JANSEN makes a guest appearance on the
CD, but without a doubt, this band can do it on their own for sure, because
they have a great musicianship going on here, and most importantly, MALEVOLENT
has a fantastic female singer called CELICA SOLDREAM. The other important
member in the band is Nikolaas Van Riet (composer/guitars/synths/producer). Although
it’s only an EP with 4 songs, it is clear that this band is a promise for the
future to come, because all of the songs are sensational symphonic melodic
(power) metal orientated, and MALEVOLENT might become one of the finest bands
in this genre. The incredible vocals and melodies are overwhelming, and as
catchy as possible! If you’re a fan of NIGHTWISH, EPICA, AMARANTHE, BATTLE
BEAST, LACUNA COIL, etc. etc. then you need to check out this superb new band
a.s.a.p.! More info can be found at: www.malevolent.be
(Points: 8.9 out of 10)
LES LULLIES ‘MAUVAISE FOI’ (SLOVENLY RECORDS/FRANCE
IMPORT)
It’s
2024 and here I am listening to one of the finest classic late 70s UK style
Garage Powerpop/Punkpop records I have heard since the days of THE BOYS, THE UNDERTONES,
THE RAMONES, THE BUZZCOCKS, and such ended a long time ago. However, this is a
band from Montpellier, France and they sing in French! This makes them even
more interesting, because the 10 incredible catchy uptempo rockers on their 2nd
album are all earworms and I’ll bet live on stage these guys will know how to
keep the crowd jumping and singing along. The band was formed in 2016, and they
released their same titled debut album in 2018. Their line up consists of bassist
T. Boy, drummer Manah, guitarist/vocalist Romeo and guitarist/vocalist Francois,
and they are now back with this superb new album. Songs like Mauvaise Fo, Pas
De Regrets (cool pure 70s almost glamrock ish guitar riff), Soirée Standard
(hello THE BOYS!), Ville Musée and Dernier Soir are all winners, although I
can name any of the songs here, because this is a sensational record from start
to finish! To fans of aforementioned bands I can only say that you need to
check out this band a.s.a.p.! More info at: https://leslullies.fr/
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
THIS CELESTIAL ENGINE ‘THIS CELESTIAL ENGINE’ (DISCUS
MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/GERMANY IMPORT)
The
debut CD of THIS CELESTIAL ENGINE is described as GONG meets SWANS! This is not
that strange if you consider the fact that the band features in their line up
Dave Sturt (UK)- bass (GONG/STEVE HILLAGE), Ted Parsons (USA)- drums
(SWANS/PRONG) and Roy Powell(UK)- keys (ANTHONY BRAXTON/BILL LASWELL). Their
first CD is one to check if you like your prog to sound dark and avant garde
ish, experimental, but not too much, so a mix of GONG and SWANS is actually
pretty much close. Opener The Astral Doctrine starts dark and calm, in a sorta
krautrock kinda movement of the 70s, but especially the last 5 minutes show a
sensational instrumental modern post-progressive rockband! Following
Supranormal Headspace even heads a bit into 70s symphonic jazz fusion with a touch
of 80s new age, although at some point it could also easily be called a
neo-progressive rock tune, and a good one for sure! Actually all 5 songs
reflect the aforementioned influences, but each song has an own identity and
style, which gives you overall a very diverse album that should appeal to both
jazz and progfans! Check for yourself at: https://thiscelestialengine.bandcamp.com
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
THEO MAY’S ODD UNIT ‘ALIVE IN THE FOREST OF ODD’
(DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S LAND/GERMANY IMPORT)
THEO
MAY is a violinplayer/composer who recorded an album titled Alive In The Forest
Of Odd together with Gustavo Clayton Marucci: Bb and Bass Clarinets, Will
Bracken: Piano, Ali Watson: Double Bass and Alex Temple-Heald: Drums, while
guests include Francesca Brito & Jan Halen: Violins, Cubby Howard: Cello
and Daniel Swani: Flute. The included music is interesting instrumental melodic
electric violin music that has influences of progressive rock and celtic, and I
must say that it sounds really good this instrumental album. Progfans might
love this a lot, and there’s also classical music and jazz-fusion parts, so a
really healthy fresh mix of aforementioned styles all throughout the album.
Make sure to check for yourself at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/alive-in-the-forest-of-odd-168cd-2024?action=buy
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
PAUL TAYLOR ‘WHIRL AND MAGNET’ (DISCUS MUSIC/NO MAN’S
LAND/GERMANY IMPORT)
PAUL
TAYLOR comes out of the North East of England, and he is playing one of the
greatest music instruments of all times, which is the Hammon C3 organ, and
despite the instrument has been part of many music genres during especially the
1970s, it’s especially known in the progressive rock genre. However, now in
2024 I immediately must think of DE WOLFF, a well-known rising rockband in The
Netherlands whom are known for their Hammond Organ player. However, I have
never experienced a full-length CD that is entirely based on the Hammond Organ
only, because that is what this CD of PAUL TAYLOR is all about. There are no
further instruments used during the 2 longs songs of Paul’s debut CD Whirl And
Magnet on DISCUS MUSIC. It does feel like you’re in a church somewhere, because
after all the sound is similar to a church organ, but Paul is an incredible
talent on the Hammond, and he shows off his skills on the organ, and
experiments and improves all throughout the 40 minutes of the album, so there
is a lot to discover here if you’re a fan of the instrument. Check for yourself
at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/whirl-and-magnet-167cd-2024
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
LEADERS IN THE CLUBHOUSE ‘WON’ (INDEPENDENT/USA
IMPORT)
LEADERS
IN THE CLUBHOUSE is a duo from San Diego, California, USA, consisting of Spud
Davenport (Vocals, Drums, Songwriting, other instruments) and Charlie Recksieck
(Vocals, Piano, Songwriting, other instruments), and together they recorded the
album Won back in 2015. Opener She Gets Loud is quite an incredible and
interesting classic pop/rock tune that has a QUEEN Killer Queen kinda vibe and
also KAYAK and BEATLES similarities, while on the other hand it also has a
touch of today’s modern UK Garage Rock (KAISER CHIEFS) and some of 90s US
College Powerpop (WEEZER). These influences can be heard all throughout the
album, with as other highlights These Goddamn Devices, Museums, and Trophies,
so I really enjoyed the CD Spud did with Charlie as LEADERS IN THE CLUBHOUSE.
This duo/band really has potential, bringing back both fun and melodies back
into the rock world, in a way reminding of what 10CC and CITY BOY did back in
the 70s, so also adding some quirky theatrical elements here and there.
Although at first sight it all might look and sound like some kind of joke,
this is definitely serious high quality stuff that fits somewhere between 70s
art/prog rock, quirky early 80s pop/rock and a tiny bit of 90s modern college
rock. Check them out at: https://www.leadersintheclubhouse.com/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
SPUD DAVENPORT ‘SONGS FOR THE CYNICAL’ (PUPPY NOPLAY
RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
Out
of San Diego, California, USA comes SPUD DAVENPORT, a
multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter who is half of the duo LEADERS IN THE
CLUBHOUSE of whom we reviewed Win. Now he has a rather cool new (2023) solo
album out entitled Songs For The Cynical, which has the same sort of fun and
humor of his other act/project, but this one rocks a lot more, and is sometimes
even a close call to STYX and QUEEN here and there, so big time harmonyvocal
driven theatrical arena pomp rock, yet always with a touch of the humor of acts
like TENACIOUS D and 10CC. The result is a really nice catchy album, which has
a lot of great tunes, such as Come Inside!, Enjoy Every Sandwich, You’d Love Me
Now, Roommates and Paper Maps. I also loved the superb piano-led cover of the
VAN HALEN classic Hot For Teacher, which is a big surprise here. He is helped
by a few other musicians, including guitarist Andy Machin, although Spud did a
lot on his own. Definitely a recommended CD to check out, because the material
is very catchy and it has fun lyrics about everyday life in and around Spud’s
hometown of San Diego. More info at: https://spuddavenport.com/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
SPLINTER ‘ROLE MODEL’ (NOISOLUTION/SUBURBAN/GERMAN
IMPORT)
During
the 2010s the Dutch bands BIRTH OF JOY and DEATH ALLEY were 2 popular rock and
roll bands on the club circuit here in The Netherlands, but after a tour together
they fell apart. However, eventually some of the bandmembers joined forces and
formed SPLINTER. Role Model is their 2nd album so far, and this new record was
produced by TRIGGERFINGER drummer MARIO GOOSSENS. The included music is a nice
mix of various style, sounding quite catchy and melodic right from the start
with songs like Soviet Schoolgirl and Bottom. There’s a healthy modern mix of
classic rock, post-punk, garage rock and new wave floating around on this CD,
and I have to say SPLINTER deserves much-deserved attention. Over here bands
like DI-RECT, THE VICES, SON MIEUX, DE WOLFF and such get most of the airplay
and hits, but SPLINTER also should get more exposure, because this new album of
them is filled with instant winners. Other highlights include Velvet Scam
(early 80s post-punk-new wave ish piece), Children (catchy retro garage rocker),
Every Circus Needs A Clown (faster uptempo pure 70s rocker, like GOLDEN EARRING,
with a sensational Hammond Organ solo a la DE WOLFF) , Forbidden Kicks and the
poppy catchy The Carpet Makes Me Sad, although closing track It Should Have
Been Over is also worth mentioning, because this is a lovely calmer acoustic
piece. Definitely an interesting and very diverse band to catch live if you get
the chance (they recently played as support act for the legendary Glamrockband
ADAM BOMB!), For now look up their great new album and more info at: https://splinter-music.com/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
COOGANS BLUFF ‘BALADA’ (NOISOLUTION/SUBURBAN/GERMAN
IMPORT)
The
band COOGANS BLUFF from Rostock, Germany is a very interesting and diverse band
which was formed more than 20 years ago, and meanwhile Balada is already their
7th album so far. Musically speaking there is a lot going on on this new album,
which combines elements of psychedelic/progrock, krautrock, alternative rock,
soul and a slight part of jazz, so I guess you can see that this band is moving
into different directions in a matter of moments. A song like And Here I Stand
is quite a heavy stoner rock orientated piece, while Farewell is an amazing
lengthy psychedelic progressive rocksong with a calmer part, and If You Make It
There reveals their love for jazz. The band is formed around vocalist/bassist Clemens
Marasus, guitarist Willi Paschen, drummer Charlie Paschen, saxophonist Max Thum
and Trombone player Stefan Meinking, and together these 5 musicians create an
own original sound that might appeal to a lot of musicfans out there. Check for
yourself at: https://coogansbluff.de/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
DAILY THOMPSON ‘GOD OF SPINOZA’
(NOISOLUTION/SUBURBAN/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
German band DAILY THOMPSON has been around for a while now, and since their
formation in 2012 they managed to release 5 albums so far, of which God Of
Spinoza is their latest release. It was released originally in 2021, so we are
now already 3 years later, but it’s quite a strong 90s orientated record that
combines alternative rock/metal and stoner rock/metal, ending up sounding like
a great mix of ALICE IN CHAINS and MASTERS OF REALITY. Songs like Nimbus
(superb!), Cantaloupe Melon, Golden Desert Child, Muaratic Acid and closing
track I Saw Jesus In A Taco Bell are very sensational pieces that reflect the
aforementioned influences. The band is currently working on a new album, so
meanwhile check them out a.s.a.p. More info on this highly recommended band can
be found at: https://dailythompsonband.bandcamp.com/track/raindancer-from-outta-space
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
THE PIGHOUNDS ‘PHAT PIG PHACE’
(NOISOLUTION/SUBURBAN/GERMAN IMPORT)
THE
PIGHOUNDS are a German duo from the city of Dortmund, and they were formed back
in 2018. Phat Pig Phace is their 2nd album so far, and musically speaking Peter
Bering (Guitar, Vocals) and Alessandro De Luca (Drums) create a heavy retro
blues rock sound that is slightly heavier than for example THE BLACK KEYS or
THE WHITE STRIPES, but more or less it has the same kinda vibe. 11 songs are
included, of which the highlights are Big Ben, Green Lobster Inc and Jelly Bean.
Sometimes the band goes for quite a heavy almost stoner rock direction, kinda
FOO FIGHTERish, so this makes them actually quite diverse and heavier than the
aforementioned similarities. Without a doubt a great rocking German duo we have
here and you can check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/ThePighounds
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
LONG TALL J.
‘SOLIDARITY’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
LONG TALL J. is a Dutch Prog
Rock Guitarist living in London, but he is also a captain flying airplanes all
over the world. The past 4 years he has picked up his music career again after
a long pause throughout the 2000s and 2010s. He started composing his own
material in early 2020, then recording songs with the help of guest singers and
musicians, and now he brings us already his 4th CD titled
Solidarity. He is a gifted guitarist and on this new CD we welcome the
fantastic guest singer MARIIA ARKHIPOVA (originally from Kyiv, Ukraine), who
sings on 6 songs. 2 of those songs also feature guest vocalist PEH HONG lp and
the remaining 4 songs on the CD are instrumentally. Opener Your Soul is a
beautiful calmer piece featuring Mariia’s wonderful vocals for the first time.
However, things get absolutely sensational during the following Ukraine, which
is a superb piece of uptempo classic AOR/melodic rock with amazing lead vocals
of Mariia that reminds me actually of acts like HEART, VIXEN, MEGHAN, ENVY,
LANA LANE and such, so with a clear female fronted 80s AOR approach. The
melodies are stunning and the screaming in the end has probably everything to
do with the horrible war at the moment in Ukraine. The music during the
following 8 songs are a melting pot of various style, but I guess progressive
rock might be the best description, especially during the longest tracks on the
album, which are Turandot and the instrumental closing track Floydian Blues. I
also love the uptempo melodic hardrocksong Long Tall Boots, which again has the
VIXEN / LAOS / IF ONLY similarities! Definitely worth checking out and LONG
TALL J has the potential to become much bigger, especially with Mariia on
vocals. This new CD of LONG TALL J. (which was mastered by THE PINEAPLE THIEF
keyboardplayer STEVE KITCH by the way) is really good and for more info please
go to: https://www.longtallj.com/
(Points: 8.4 out
of 10)
SUCKERPUNCH ‘REDNECK GASOLINE’ (WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY
IMPORT)
Now
this is what real rock and roll needs to sound like, because the album Redneck
Gasoline of the Danish band SUCKERPUNCH is clearly revealing a true authentic
mix of southern rock and classic heavy rock and roll/metal in a way you can
hear influences of BLACKFOOT, ZZ TOP, MOTORHEAD, TURBONEGRO, AC/DC and such
bands in their mostly straight-ahead rock and roll sound. It sounds, dirty,
mean and a bit sleazy here and there (remember the TATTOOED LOVE BOYS, FASTER
PUSSYCAT, GUNS’N’ROSES and CATS’N’BOOTS days of the very early 90s), with a raw
whiskey alike singer to make it appeal to the Metal and Southern Rockfans.
Anyway, the band was formed about 15 years ago, and I believe this 2nd
album was already released in 2019, but it now gets another chance through
WORMHOLEDEATH. I am glad it did, because uptempo rockers like Hell To Pay and
Filthy Rich as well as a ballad like Last Call (with even a bit VOLBEAT meets
DROPKICK MUPRHY’s kinds vibe) are without a doubt very strong tunes. In fact,
there is not a single weak moment to be found here and as already mentioned you
can also smell the southern heavy rock influences quite a lot, such as during
Dusty Windshield and Gators that smell BLACKFOOT meeting ZZ TOP somewhere down
in Texas! Anyway, not much on the band out there, but do follow them at: www.facebook.com/sp.live.dk because they have released one of the most authentic true raw dirty
mean rock and roll records of the past 10 years!
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
MAX ENIX ‘FAR FROM
HOME’ (WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY IMPORT)
More is less or less is more,
that is what comes to mind when checking out the 2-CD set of MAX ENIX’ album
Far From Home. Overwhelming is clearly one way to describe this album, because
there is a lot happening on the 2 new CDs of French
composer/vocalist/director/producer MAX ENIX. He has a list of guest musicians,
singers, a rapper(!) and a full blown orchestra (the Budapest Symphony
orchestra) to perform on 2 full-length CDs that is accompanied by an impressive
cartoonized 48pages counting booklet. And I have to say it’s not bad at all,
but at one point it is also a bit too much and too dramatic, slightly overblown
and trying to capture elements of all kinds of styles, which is really hard to
do, but in general speaking this is a symphonic rock opera alike style MAX ENIX
is aiming for most of the time. He does a remarkable good job, and actually
there is a lot of diversity to keep one interested from start to finish, but on
the other hand sometimes it might feel overwhelming as mentioned earlier on in
the review. Nevertheless, it sure is a nice modern sounding big sympho rock
opera that will find it’s way to the fans of a lighter version of AYREON and
AVANTASIA, but don’t be surprised to find some modern rap elements here and
there, while the classical and opera elements are also on the foreground
sometimes. Check it out for yourself at: https://maxenix1.bandcamp.com/album/far-from-home-orchestral
(Points: 8.0 out
of 10)
THE HITMAN BLUES
BAND ‘HEY, CAN YOU GUYS PLAY…’ (NERUS RECORDS/FRANK ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA
IMPORT)
THE HITMAN BLUES BAND is a New
York based bluesrockband formed around vocalist/guitarist RUSSELL “HITMAN”
ALEXANDER, who has an amazing voice and also plays the guitar very well, while
his band delivers a great back-up for him. Their new CD Hey, Can You Guys Play…
is a collection of cover songs of original blues traditional of legendary acts
like SON HOUSE, JL HOOKER, ROBERT JOHNSON, WILLY DIXON, BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON,
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, BOB DYLAN and a few more, yet they are all played in a
bluesy rocking soulful version, so THE HITMAN BLUES BAND really gives it an own
approach to these classic tunes. Right from the start with opener Hoochie
Coochie Man the band shows what this is all about, playing really honest
soulful bluesy classic rock and roll. And how about this DYLAN classic The
Times They Are A-Changing’, which sounds completely different than it’s
original and that makes this new version a must to hear, and actually every
song of the 10 included you need to hear THE HITMAN BLUES BAND versions. I’ll
bet live these guys really know how to put on a show! Check them out at: www.hitmanbluesband.com and https://hitmanbluesband.bandcamp.com/album/hey-can-you-guys-play
(Points: 8.6 out
of 10)
BROTHERS BROWN ‘NOWHERE
LEFT TO GO’ (WOODWARD AVENUE RECORDS/FRANK ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
BROTHERS BROWN is an
American band formed around Grammy nominee BROTHER PAUL BROWN (THE
WATERBOYS) on Hammond, Piano and Moog Synthesizer and
PAUL BROWN (L.A.) on guitars and vocals. L.A.
Paul Brown has won 2 Grammys and produced more than 60 no. 1 singles
for people like GEORGE BENSON, AL JARREAU among many others. The 2
Paul Brown’s met at the Grammy Awards in 2014 and they recorded together
with bassist/guitarist DAVID SANTOS (BILLY JOEL, JOHN FOGERTY, ELTON JOHN) and
drummer/guitarist PETER YOUNG (LORETTA LYNN) a debut album titled Dusty Road
back in 2016. 8 years later there is a follow-up titled Nowhere Left To Go,
which musically speaking contains a mixture of typical American styles, such as
blues, Americana, southern rock, Westcoast and a bit of funky soul / pop. The
result is a really great diverse album, of which the highlights are the
midtempo bluesy southern rock ish Junior’s Back, the midtempo bluesy Nowhere
Left To Go (ft. BOBBY RUSH) (which sounds like ROBERT CRAY BAND meets RAY
CHARLES), the calmer Americana semi-ballad High Up On The Mountain, the funky
Brand New Day, the raw early 70s ZZ TOP orientated Snakehole Road and the
STEELY DANish Whatcha Gonna Do. Definitely an interesting band
this BROTHERS BROWN, so for more info please go to: https://wbaentertainment.com/brothers-brown/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
K’MONO ‘MIND OUT
OF MIND’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Well, well, well… here we have
the very first sensational new progressive rock product of 2024! It concerns
the 2nd album of the Minneapolis, USA based band K’MONO. From
start to finish this is how we like our prog to sound. The melodies are really
lovely and reflect clear YES and CAMEL references, so we are heading deep into
classic 70s British orientated symphonic/progressive rock. The band is formed
around JEFFREY CARLSON (vocals, guitars, keys), CHAD FJERSTAD (vocals, bass,
keys) and TIMOTHY JAVA (drums), and these are 3 truly gifted musicians who can
also sing very well, as a lot of the songs feature beautiful harmonyvocals
besides the classic 70s sounding keys and precise guitarplaying. 7 long songs
are included, and without a doubt, this is a dream come true for all the progfans
out there, because more authentic 70s orientated isn’t possible. This band is
also highly recommended if you like for example THE FLOWER KINGS! More info can
be found at: www.facebook.com/kmonoband
(Points: 8.7 out
of 10)
CASSIUS KING AND
THE DOWNTOWN RULERS ‘LAST CALL FOR THE BLUES’ (INDEPENDENT/FRANK ROSZAK
PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
Sadly only 5 songs are
included on the first EP of CASSIUS KING AND THE DOWNTOWN RULERS, because it
definitely smells good after repeated listens of the material, so I am eager to
hear more of this talented American singer/songwriter/keyboardplayer CASSIUS
KING. Included is high class bluesy rock situated around the wonderful soulful
vocals of Cassius. This is definitely the real thing, and the fact that he
writes his own songs makes it an even more enjoyable. His vibrato and material
reminds me a bit of JOHN NEMETH. Along the ride he gets help from THE DOWNTOWN
RULERS, which consists of guitarist CHALO ORTIZ, bassist CHRIS WHITE and
drummer J.R. LOZANO. Although this is a short debut EP, without a doubt it’s a
superb piece of original bluesy rock! More info at: https://thedowntownrulers.com/
(Points: 8.7 out
of 10)
THE STRIDERS ‘THE STRIDERS VINYL ALBUM’ (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
Here
we have a sensational new band from Jönköping, Sweden, whom deliver their 2nd
album with the self-titled album The Striders, which they released
independently on vinyl, and they were kind enough to send me a red vinyl
version of it. The band released their debut Out Of The Blues on SLIPTRICK
RECORDS back in 2020, and now follow it up with this superb album. THE STRIDERS
consists of Victor Gustafsson – Vocals, Linnéa Burman – Bass/Backing Vocals, Mattias
Gudasic – Guitar/Backing Vocals and Sebastian Varas – Drums (meanwhile replaced
by Jonathan Lassila), and 10 songs can be found on the new album. Opener Woman
is a lovely uptempo classic rocker with a real good retro rocking vibe. Next
track Devil Dressed In Green adds a bluesy groovy touch and does have an
American southern rock swing as well, so a mixture of let’s say THE BLACK
CROWES, RIVAL SONS, DIRTY HONEY and DE WOLFF. Just a few tracks on the ole
record player and it is already clear that we are dealing here with a high
quality band from Sweden! Victor is a great soulful singer, and he reminds me
so much of DE WOLFF, so I guess if you like those guys, then you will love THE
STRIDERS. They should do a tour together! Anyway, side-A of the vinyl album continues
with Sky Is The Limit, a fantastic 70s classic ALICE COOPER/THIN LIZZY guitar
riff driven uptempo rocker, while the chorus has a slower AEROSMITH/LED
ZEPPELIN grooviness, and I must not forget to mention the amazing 70s
guitarwork on this song. The Striders is the next song, and this is another
lovely 70s soulful uptempo classic rocker like LED ZEPPELIN meets DE WOLFF,
while Farewell closes side-A nicely in a slower LED ZEPPELIN mode, and during
this song Victor once again shows his amazing vocal skills.
Side-B
continues the cool rocking vibe of Side-A, so more authentic 70s classic rock
can be heard, of which I would like to point out the songs Supernova (uptempo
classic rock at it’s best!) and the catchy Shadows In The Dark, but actually
every song on the album is a killer rocking tune that should find it’s way to
fans of BLACK CROWES, DE WOLFF, LED ZEPPELIN, KINGDOM COME, etc. etc. These
guys surely know how to deliver top-notch rock and roll, which is thanks to
awesome songwriting, excellent musicianship and a fantastic singer! Concluded,
we have a real new winner in the classic rock world with this THE STRIDERS from
Sweden, so go check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/stridersmusic/
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
THOMAS FRANK HOPPER ‘PARADIZE CITY’ (INDEPENDENT/ROCKNATION/BELGIUM
IMPORT)
THOMAS
FRANK HOPPER is a guitarist/singer/songwriter from Belgium, although he
travelled around the world, especially during his youth when he lived in Africa
most of the time. Anyway, he has already released an album in the past, but
Paradize City is the first album I get to hear and review. Without a doubt,
this is a high quality modern melodic heavy blues rock album in the style of
JOE BONAMASSA, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD and such giants of the scene. Thomas is a
strong singer and also a gifted guitarplayer, while songs like the superb A
Song For The Devil, Chimera (ZEPPELINish), Back To The Wild and April Fool are
quite sensational and could also appeal to fans of bluesy melodic hardrock,
because they even have a touch of early WHITESNAKE, THUNDER, KINGDOM COME and
LED ZEPPELIN. Other members that help out Thomas on his new CD are guitarist
DIEGO HIGUERAS, bassist JACOB MILLER, drummer NICOLAS SCALLIET and Hammond
player MAXIME SIROUL. The album sounds really huge and should definitely
interest musicfans all over the world due to it’s international vibe, so once
again it is putting Belgium on the map to look for new quality original rockmusic.
More info at: https://www.thomasfrankhopper.com/paradizecity
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
MONARCH TRAIL ‘FOUR SIDES’ (PERPETUAL TREE MUSIC/USA
IMPORT)
Canada and progressive rock have been a great
combination for a number of years now. RUSH, SAGA and MYSTERY are 3 of the
greatest symphonic/progrockbands ever, so it was likely that more prog bands
were/are active in Canada, and here we have for example MONARCH TRAIL from
Hamilton, Ontario. This band was formed by keyboard player/vocalist Ken Baird,
who gathered around him some session musicians, such as drummer Chris Lamont,
bassist Dino Verginella and guitarists John Mamone, Kelly Kereliuk and Steve
Cochrane, and together they recorded 4 albums throughout the years, of which
the latest is Four Sides. 4 songs are included, and the included music is
classic 70s keyboard orientated symphonic/progressive rock that actually
reminds me a lot of the Canadian band FM if anyone remembers that cult band.
The songs have really great ALAN PARSONS PROJECT alike keyboards and the calm
soft vocals of Ken give it this relaxed kinda setting. This is a recommended
prog album, so go check them out at: https://www.monarchtrail.com/ and https://monarchtrail.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
LONE STAR MOJO ‘A SHOT OF THE BLUES’ (INDEPENDENT/FRANK
ROSZAK PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
LONE
STAR MOJO is a Texas, USA based band which features musicians whom have been making
music for over a dozen of decades in/with different band settings. Their music
is pure Chicago Blues/heavy blues rock, and despite the fact that the lead
vocals are not crystal clear, they are clearly showing that Hammond player/lead
singer JOE SPLAWN (who was born blind by the way) has a passion for what he’s
doing all his life and his raw VAN MORRISON alike vocals perfectly suit the
band’s passionate raw bluesrock. Most of the time, this is blues “the real
deal”, just listen to the ballad Thoughts Of You, an 8 minutes counting classic
that also feels like classic BUDDY GUY and/or BB KING. The guitarwork of MARK
SNYDER (who also sings a few songs) is phenomenal and recalls JOHNNY WINTER,
ALBERT KING and ERIC GALES (and even newbie CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM). Fans of
such pure blues that also rocks here and there, they should check this
authentic band a.s.a.p.! More info at: https://lonestarmojo.net/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
MESAVERDE ‘ALL IS WELL’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY
IMPORT)
At the start of this CD it is not exactly known where
this is going, because we have some sort of 80s synth pop/art-pop kinda vibe
going on, but it also has this neo-progrock thing slipping through my mind
while listening and in particular YES or even SAGA or ALAN PARSONS PROJECT. I
think the Norwegian band MESAVERDE fits somewhere in the middle, although there
are also some rocking guitars a few times as if we’re into LED ZEPPELIN
territory (not much, but just at the spot sometimes), however mainly it is calmer
keyboard dominated synth prog on the 2nd album of this Oslo
based band. The band’s debut Ky was released in 2022, so now 2 years later
there is a follow-up of the band that is formed around drummer Jørgen Apeness
(Sauropod, Thea & The Wild, Lazy Queen), bassist Lars Fremmerlid (Bugge Wesseltoft,
Einar Stray Orchestra), guitarist Henrik Schmidt (Synne Sanden, Shimmering) and
singer/songwriter/keyboardplayer Jonas Lundekvam. 9 songs are included, and
from start to finish it is a very enjoyable calmer synth orientated
prog/art-rock album that will definitely be of interest for fans of the
aforementioned acts (YES, ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, KAYAK…), but also if you like
calmer modern indie wave like for example LEPROUS, WEYES BLOOD and especially
TAME IMPALE, because after repeated listens I definitely notice comparisons to
that Australian act. Done very well, the album gets better and more interesting
when you listen to it a couple of times, because there is a lot to discover
here. Check the band out at: www.facebook.com/MesaVerdeOfficial and https://mesaverde.bandcamp.com/album/all-is-well
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
BLACKLIST UNION ‘LETTERS FROM THE PSYCH WARD VINYL
ALBUM’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Straight
out of Northern Hollywood California USA comes the sensational modern
hardrockband BLACKLIST UNION. They already released a few albums, which I also
reviewed a long time ago, and their fifth album Letters From The Psych Ward sure
feels very good after listening to the lovely black vinyl edition I received. The
band was founded by lead singer TONY WEST back in 2004, and as already
mentioned they released 4 albums in the past. Between 2017 and 2020 they were
not active, but 4 years ago they reformed in the original line up that besides
Tony further includes drummer Nathan West, guitarist Rafael Moreira and bassist
Chris Johnson. Without a doubt, this band surely knows how to rock, and on
vinyl it sounds really authentic! This new album of them is definitely a great
comeback and maybe their finest album so far.
Opener
and titletrack Letters From The Psych Ward as well as the following Out On A
Jones, both show an uptempo hardrocking driven band that taps slightly out of
the glorious late 80s/early 90s American Sleazy Rock past (L.A. GUNS,
GUNS’N’ROSES and such) and a lot of the mid 90s alternative rock and roll side
of life (ALICE IN CHAINS, VELVET REVOLVER, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, ALTER BRIDGE…),
yet still with an own identity, and also a modern production. They sound really
dirty, mean and authentic pure rock and roll from start to finish, and in total
13 tracks are pressed on this cool vinyl edition, which comes in a gatefold
sleeve that contains besides some nice drawings all the information on the band
you need to know while listening to the rocking new album of them. Other
highlights are the catchy uptempo sleazy melodic heavy rocker The Whore Of
Babylon (OZZY meets CRUE in a VELVET REVOLVER fight!), the stadium anthem metal
ish Keys To The Kingdom, the superb slow 90s alternative metal/ALICE IN CHAINS
ish Dirty Halo (lovely melodies that would have been an MTV hit 30 years
ago!!!), The Queen Of Everything (a song OZZY would have loved to have
recorded!) and the superb uptempo classic 80s hair metal/melodic rocker Gates
Of Steel (actually a cover of the 1980s DEVO song).
Furthermore
the power ballad Mia is a great cover of the classic AEROSMITH tune and closing
track Golden Years is a nice cover of the DAVID BOWIE classic, so all together
this is a highly recommended vinyl album. This is what rock and roll is all
about, because in a world where it is hard to be original, you have to be a
special and basically BLACKLIST UNION is a special band with a cool combination
of a lot of various past rock and metal influences! More info on this superb
Californian rockband can be found at: https://blacklistunion.bandcamp.com/album/letters-from-the-psych-ward
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
LIONHEART ‘THE GRACE OF A DRAGONFLY SILVER VINYL’
(METALVILLE/ROUGH TRADE)
The
legendary British AOR band LIONHEART has a long history that started 44 years
ago in the middle of the NWOBHM days. After a few years they developed into one
of the most commercial American AOR sounding British bands during the heydays
of AOR music in the early/mid 1980s. Their classic album Hot Tonight has never
left my turntable, because it was loaded with lovely AOR tunes. The band originally
featured vocalist JESS COX (ex-TYGERS OF PAN TANG), guitarist DENNIS STRATTON
(ex-IRON MAIDEN), guitarist/keyboardist STEVE MANN (ex-LIAR, MSG, ELOY),
bassist/vocalist ROCKY NEWTON (ex-WILDFIRE, AIRRACE, BAD MOON RISING, SAXON,
DEF LEPPARD, BRONZ…) and drummer FRANK NOON (ex-DEF LEPPARD), and they were
already back then one of the first so-called supergroups that featured
musicians from all kinds of well-known bands at the time. CHAD LOWE became
their vocalist eventually when they started recording their aforementioned one
and only album Hot Tonight in 1984, but despite some videoclips and promotion
by their label, it did not become the huge DEF LEPPARDish success everyone was
hoping for, so they split up in 1986. Most of the bandmembers ended up in other
British bands, and some of the unreleased LIONHEART material ended up on a 2-CD
set (Unearthed – Raiders of the Lost Archives) released in Japan during the mid-1990s.
In
2016 LIONHEART reformed in an original line-up except for the vocalist and
drummer, because those places were taken by vocalist LEE SMALL (SHY and
PHENOMENA) and drummer CLIVE EDWARDS (ex-UFO and WILD HORSES). 2 albums
followed during the next 4 years, and then corona hit the world, but now in
2024 the band returns with a brand new album entitled The Grace Of A Dragonfly,
which is a concept album about World War 2. I received a beautiful limited
silver vinyl edition of the album. It is a fantastic gatefold album that
contains basically all the information you need to know on every bandmember,
because there is an impressive LIONHEART band member discography and circle of
bands overview on 2 sides of the inner sleeve, while also all the lyrics and
much more information on the whereabouts of the recording is mentioned.
Concluded, a lot to look at and read while listening to this great new album of
LIONHEART!
10
songs are included in total, and opener Declaration is a superb uptempo melodic
rocker with clear similarities to PRAYING MANTIS and SHY. The midtempo Flight
19 follows in a smooth AOR style, while the keyboard driven uptempo AOR piece V
Is For Victory is throwing us back straight to the 1980s, with big sweet
harmonyvocals, it has a touch of classic JOURNEY for sure. The midtempo This Is
Woman’s War follows nicely in a lovely soaring guitar driven melodic heavy
rocksound a la PRAYING MANTIS and SHY. Closing side-A is The Longest Night, a faster
uptempo melodic heavy rocker that is again close to PRAYING MANTIS, and also
THE SWEET circa the 90s comes to mind here. A pretty good tune that shows Lee
once again shining as a one of the finest singers in Britain at the moment. His
voice is quite close to GLENN HUGHES, and I also need to mention the superb
guitarwork of both Dennis and Steve here, because it has the classic British
sound of LIZZY/MAIDEN/SAXON.
Side-B
starts with The Eagle’s Nest, which picks up the pure 80s midtempo/semi-AOR
ballad direction again, and this superb song is not far removed from SHY
actually, while secretly adding some amazing 80s twin-guitar driven melodies
throughout the catchy chorus. Little Ships follows, and this is another lovely
uptempo melodic heavy rocker in the PRAYING MANTIS style (and also 80s MAGNUM).
Just A Man is a very nice strong Power Ballad with a rather catchy chorus,
while UXB is a terrific uptempo 80s AOR rocker in the style of AVIATOR, AIRRACE
and early FM, while also touching the 80s GARY MOORE and PHENOMENA material.
The chorus of UXB is deadly catchy and a real sucker for fans of aforementioned
bands! The titletrack The Grace Of A Dragonfly follows in a more or less
similar style, so another great uptempo AOR tune with phenomenal guitarwork,
and final track Remembrance, Praying For World Peace closes the album nicely as
a short epic ballad.
The
artwork, inner sleeves and information printed inside the vinyl booklet are
superior, so that is a real big bonus, and thankfully also the music is of a
very high level. Especially the AOR/Melodic Rockfans will love this adventure
back to the World War 2, and despite this might sound dark lyrically speaking,
it a very catchy fun cheerful album dedicated to the people who gave their
lives to fight for our freedom. In a time when 2 new wars have erupted the past
few years, it should also be dedicated to those who are now sadly once again
fighting for their freedom because they have no other choice. This vinyl album
of LIONHEART will probably not end the wars, but it is definitely a great album
you need to check out, because these old talented musicians recorded a timeless
record both musically and lyrically speaking. Highly recommended to all
AOR/Melodic Rockfans out there! More info at: https://www.lionheartrock.com/
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
SURGICAL STRIKE ‘24/7 HATE VINYL’ (METALVILLE/ROUGH
TRADE)
SURGICAL
STRIKE is a German band which released their first debut EP
"V:II:XII" in 2016, their 1st full-length album Part Of A
Sick World" in 2020, and now they release their 2nd studio
album entitled 24/7 Hate. Actually they were founded in 1993, but they did not
manage to release anything during the 1990s and 2000s. Actually, the band split
up between 1996 and 2014, but since their reformation they have managed to
actually record and release material. Their line up consists of Jens “Stöpsel”
Albert – lead vocals, Marcelo Vasquez Rocha – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, Frank
Ruhnke – lead guitar, Florian Seybecke – Bass, backing vocals and Joshua Jo –
Drums, and I received the lovely black vinyl edition of the album. The artwork
looks very nice due to its classic 80s bandlogo, and from start to finish
musically speaking it’s full speed ahead fast Thrash Metal. They are not
looking back at all, because this is classic 80s Bay Area aggressive Thrash
Metal with cool shredding guitars all over the place. Vocally it is very much
reminding of bands like FORBIDDEN, KREATOR, OVERKILL and a bit of SLAYER, so it
leans as already mentioned more towards the aggressive side of Thrash Metal, so
don’t expect TESTAMENT and ANTHRAX ish melodies, although the guitarwork is on
the other hand very melodic. Thrash Metal will probably never die and there
will always be bands around somewhere playing the genre that was introduced
during the 1980s. Especially in parts of Europe and South America there is a
huge market for the good old thrash metal sound, and to all those fans of the
mentioned bands I can highly recommend the new vinyl album of SURGICAL STRIKE.
More info at: https://www.surgicalstrike.de/
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
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