The ongoing reissues of the Uriah Heep catalogue in limited edition picture discs has been the perfect excuse to re-explore their story, seeing how they cut their own individual swathe across the music world to become the titans they now are.
London Stoner Doom/Sludge trio Urne have long been one of my go to's for this realm of genre. Armed with former drummer James Cook back at the helm of the kit, I was intrigued to see what would come from newly announced full length album A Feast On Sorrow. It drops on 11th August!
Coming off a huge tour announcement for next year, Newport’s Skindred celebrate their 25th anniversary with eighth album “Smile”.
Workaholics Robert Jon & The Wreck sure know how to spoil us. Quality and quantity are two adjectives that don't necessarily belong together in the music world.
If you are a frequenter of the Glasgow(Or Scottish) Rock and Metal scene you will be aware of She Burns Red, well you cannot forget the kilted, face painted persona of frontman Andy Moore.
Inner struggle incites outward expression. Any Given Sin transfigures conflict into caustic and catchy hard rock punctuated by metallic intensity and alternative intimacy.
"Here we go". Mats Leven hollers those three words and invites you to join the band in a touch of 'Sin' . I can imagine being in a rock club in the mid 80s and leaping to my feet dancefloor bound to join the headbanging masses only pausing to grab my air guitar upon hearing those words.
Hot on the tails of blowing away the UK as support act to three huge tours Wolfgang Van Halen continues his meteoric raise to the ranks of must see / hear new rockstars.
Due for release on 4th August 2023, The Crawling have returned with full length album number 3 “All Of This For Nothing”, a title that refers to the concept contained in the lyrical content; if there is to be a crumb of justice in the music industry The Crawling’s career won’t be all for nothing.
Michael Bolton is a name that most people probably associate with bland soulless soul-lite pop which is where he achieved most of his hits in the 1990s, but in the 1980s, he was an AOR artist of staggering brilliance, with his self-titled debut (1983) and his 1985 classic Everybody’s Crazy being benchmark classics of the AOR genre.
Manchester’s Ashley Sherlock is a new name to me. The album is listed as Blues but in reality it’s so much more than that.
There are some notable bands who, despite writing genre defining and highly influential material never quite broke big, continuing to carve their careers out flying under most radars but at the same time courting rave musings from fellow musicians, fans and the clued-in members of the music press. Quebec’s Juno Award Winners VoiVod are one of these bands.
The Dust Coda’s follow up to their amazing debut, Mojo Skyline is incredible. Loco Paradise is a record steeped in lockdown blues but nothing about it is as depressive as those times and this masterpiece is one hell of a way to remember and forget in an instance as you get your ass well and truly rocked off.
Bristling with attitude and dripping with cool, The Heat Inc tell us they're "London's loudest band". I'll take that after the evidence of this, their debut album that mixes the raw with the achingly stylish.
In a world oversaturated by arena and stadium filling rock and pop acts that have been on the scene for five minutes, it's good to get back to the basics and here something not written and played by a room full of computers.
Leaving a loyal fanbase waiting for 6 years can sometimes be to a bands detriment but it would seem the A7X Avengers are indeed a patient bunch and now is the time to see if the wait has been a fruitful one as California’s Avenged Sevenfold return with their most ambitious output to date “Life Is But A Dream”.