By Shane Pinnegar

Ginger Wildheart took the unusual step of setting up a fan pledge request through Pledge Music to fund his next project. 555% is a triple album including contributions from past bandmates and friends. The pledge process received overwhelming support... READ MORE

By Shayne Bishop

Listen to Head in a Jar, and it’s blatantly obvious that the bands influences are firmly entrenched in the thrash metal titans of the 80’s and early 90’s. Overall, the influence of Anthrax is strongest, but vocally, Dave Mustaine can be heard loud and clear, while thrash bands that didn’t make the “Big 4” like Exodus and Overkill ... READ MORE

By Shayne Bishop

Ask me what Tina Turner is up to these days, and I’ll answer “who cares, go and check out Mimi Velvska instead!”. Ask me who might be able to fill Amy Winehouses shoes, and I’ll answer “go check out Mimi Velevska!” READ MORE

By Shayne Bishop

It’s always good when I put a CD by a band I have never heard before, into my stereo, and almost instantly fall in love with what I am hearing. Arkayan have given me that feeling with their brand new, six track EP, “The Marsh Chapel Experiment”. READ MORE

By Shayne Bishop

Dead Cells are clearly a very hard working band. They formed in 2009 in the U.K, and since their formation the band has released four demos, two singles and a video clip. Now comes their debut EP “Tear Down the Heavens” which was released on February 27th 2012. READ MORE

Mark Rockpit

It’s always great to hear a new band from LA that seems to have it all worked out. ‘After’ may not be a band that everyone out there is familiar with but on the basis of this EP that can surely only be a matter of time. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

They may describe themselves as Metallica meets Led Zeppelin, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface of SLEEPFREAK’s debut EP. For starters, these are 6 great songs – which is damn good value for money for an EP. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

Do you miss the arena sound of great 80's rock? God knows I do. Luckily, I don't have to miss it too bad now that Hardline is back on the scene with their latest release, Danger Zone. Big guitars, bigger vocals, and killer choruses are all over this disc... READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Kissin’ Dynamite, hailing from Germany’s Swabia (near Bavaria), prove my theory that what I called “Metal” back in my teens in the early Eighties has little to do with what passes for Metal nowadays.Ferociously combining a sleaze rock look and attitude with old school Teutonic metal violence and force, Kissin’ Dynamite have carved a mightily heavy rock/metal hybrid. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

What happens if you take a musical blender and mix up a little Jerry Garcia, heavy metal, and oestrogen? You get Royal Thunder."Parsonz Curse" is a moody dark rocker with a great vibe to it. If this track has any bearing on the rest of this disc, we are in for a good ride. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicour

Every once in a while a disc comes across my player that I shouldn't like, but I do like a few of the songs and some of the elements presented. The most recent release from West of Hell is one of those discs. One look at the cover and titles and it instantly build a preconceived notion before even listening to it. I have to admit, I was pleased compared to the initial idea I had about this disc. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

Europe has had a bit of a renaissance over the past few years, producing a number of quality albums that have each bettered the previous. 'Bag of Bones' is a Europe with a soul full of blues, and it's very good indeed... READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

For anyone out there currently hankering after a bit of quality old school Goth then Fields of the Nephilim's new doule-live CD/DVD release has pretty much it all. A great band back in the day I'm pleased to say on the evidence here they've lost nothing, sweeping Gothic brilliance!

By Shane Pinnegar

Gerry Quigley - Irish by birth, childhood friend to not only Phil Lynott, but also Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher, Perth blues legend and much more – has delivered a tender, touching and intriguing EP in Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

In the late eighties and early nineties, purveyors of the glory days of the Sunset Strip Sound were practically living in the land of plenty with fat cat record companies throwing bottomless cheques at any potential “next big thing”, and hundreds of thousands of kids ready to buy their products or invite them into their beds. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Melbourne’s MAGIC BONES have released a minor gem in this, their 5-track debut EP. Trippy, spacey psych rock abounds here – like Hawkwind if they’d been brought up on Americana rather than 60’s British R&B – from the barely restrained opener Space Between Us, featuring the beautifully wistful lyric “I want to feel your little piece of soul melting into mine”, and through the acid tripped colourfulness that is Devil’s Spawn. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Seven tracks of dirty, filthy rock n’ roll from the gutters of Noo Yawk, fuelled by a full tank of glam punk sense and sleaze rock senselessness. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Nowadays a band called AXE would be expected to be wearing leather, studs and fur, all flailing hair and viking power metal bluster, but at the end of the Seventies when Bobby Barth assembled Axe from the remains of Babyface, things were very different indeed. Long haired, often moustachioed chaps playing a boogie rockin’ AOR crossover, Axe’s 6 albums are all well represented here, along with a couple of unreleased tracks for the completists. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Melbourne’s 4ARM have delivered a mighty old school thrash metal assault on this, their third full length album. Fine tuning the production for the new age with an earth shakingly relentless rhythm section sound - the double kick drums boom like Michael Vafiotis has been possessed by the spirit of Metal Bonham while Andrew Hinterreiter’s bass rumbles up from the bowels of the earth. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

How can you go wrong with a band who released singles about "Porn Star Dancing" and "Casual Sex" from each of their first two releases? When it is My Darkest Days, you have two of my favorite albums of the last 3 years. These guys have found a formula for success and I for one am very glad they have. I really anticipated a killer new album from them, hopefully building oin their previous success. READ MORE

by David Vaickus

Back in December of 2011 I came across an unsigned band from Los Angeles California called Skinmask. They were opening a show locally in Chicago for one of my favourite bands The Dreaming. I remember seeing some pictures and descriptions of them and thinking, what the hell is this? Needless to say I had my reservations about them. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

This is an album not just for Dogs aficionados and fans; it’s a release that deserves to be heard by a wider audience. If you love a great song and a soulful lyric and have a taste for real music that can open your eyes and mind, and has a blatant disregard for the mainstream this pretty much has it all. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

OK brace yourselves… the already converted have nothing to worry about apart from having a good time with the new Wig Wam release. The uninitiated need to get off their asses, listen and join the Wig Wan clan… READ MORE

by Jo Rockpit

Great White is back and this time there's a lot to prove without the voice of Jack Russell at the helm. After a couple of very good albums over recent years the question is can Terry Illous step into those shoes and can the band pick up where they left off in 2010? READ MORE

by Michael D'Avignon

Dynazty's first release ‘Bring The Thunder’ was a great debut released in 2009, that for the most part, flew under the radar.  Their second offering, Knock You Down was just released last year, and was one of the best CDs of 2011.  So, is it possible for a band to release a quality CD less than a year after their previous release?  READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

Sometimes you hear something as gloriously unadorned as ‘Dead End Tricks’ that sounds like it was found in the gutter somewhere in 1974 and then found again, a little worse for wear, in 1984. There’s the spirit within these grooves of some of the best punk-glam from New York Dolls to The Dead Boys to Hanoi and the Ramones and that to be honest excites me for one…READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

I didn't expect this... From New South Wales' Central Coast comes a band that I expect will be making a few waves very soon. It's been a while since I've heard a debut album from a homegrown band that sounds this good. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Stepping out of a Tarantino/Zombie-esque desert hillbilly nightmare and onto the filthy stages of Australia’s most notorious dives are Chainsaw Hookers, a four piece that aurally emulate the explosive and destructive qualities of a thermite packed automatic shotgun. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

To be honest, this disc would totally have to suck to not get a high rating. Its Jeff Scott Soto… we have come to expect great things. So many people dissed his last effort, Beautiful Mess because it deviated from his normal fare. This disc is a return; not the return of Jeff Scott Soto, but the return of the melodic rock listeners have come to expect. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

Having never been a fan of Pearl Jam, I was more than hesitant about listening to this disc. I grew up in an era when music, and the musicians, was larger than life and Pearl Jam was anything but. They were the epitome of "flannel rock." The lone connection, Stone Gossard, impressed me enough to give this one a whirl. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

With a name like Huntress and a debut disc called Spell Eater, I hope you weren't expecting the Donny and Marie Variety Hour. This disc is exactly what I expected, and more. You never know what to expect from a debut release anymore, but this band really delivers. The musicianship is more than solid and vocalist Jill Janus really adds .... READ MORE

By Guest Reviewer Matt Williams (Project X/Black Steel)

Within the first few seconds of listening to the album's opener 'Hung, Drawn and Quartered', I knew this one was gonna deliver, just as 2010's 'Blood Of The Nations' did. As successful as that album was in re-establishing the band as metal giants, and with a new lead vocalist (Mark Tornillo), the band has taken up their own gauntlet... READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Billy McBarbie – he of the impossibly cool and glacially blonde barnet like some Norwegian Noel Fielding – leads his “poppunx” Sugar Louise back into the fray with this irresistibly bouncy and catchy number. READ MORE

By SHane Pinnegar

Dragonforce see the world through Valhalla tinted glasses – Dragons war with men, epic battles are fought (usually amid flames – oh, so many flames), emotions and environments are anthropomorphised (liberty is given wings, storms have a beating heart, etc), and love is painted on the heavens with grandeur and longing (usually amid fear and more epic battles… and flames, oh so many flames…). READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Female fronted metal from the far northlands of Newcastle, England, RIFF X’s second EP is a solidly headbanging three tune sampler featuring the powerful and throaty vocals of Briggita Balogh. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Live at The PBC catches On The Level in blistering form, playing their trademark rocking boogie & blues with style and charm, and perfectly balancing a fun & tight delivery with their natural rawness. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

What a curious oddity is the concept album – the very nature of having to cram the narrative of a cohesive story into the more traditional structures of rock and roll songs lends itself to compromise and clunkiness. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Hailing from “the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma”, MOTORTRAIN play rock n’ roll – 2 guitars, drums, bass and voice – nothing more, nothing less. Combining the heads down dirty denim boogie of AC/DC, the supercharged rock n’ roll belligerence of Motorhead, and the Southern groove of Junkyard, this debut EP catches the mission statement of the band . READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

A hard rockin’ slab of rifferama with a touch of sleaze from the Bavarian hinterland, “Bring Me Home” doesn’t waste time trying to reinvent the wheel or be anything other than what it is – guitar driven, good time, rock n’ f’n roll with a tip of the cap to AC/DC, Motley Crue and The Hellacopters. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Wild Turkey are a mean lookin’ trio of Rockabilly hombres hailing from the deep south of… Melbourne! Featuring chief songwriter Johnny Marsden on twangtastic guitar and vocals, Kirk Syrett whacking the drums, and Guy Lawson plucking a righteous double bass, they run the gamut of rockabilly styles on this eclectic album which dates right back to 2005. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

I love this CD from Melbourne's My Dynamite and please forgive me if I mention the Black Crowes even before I get to the review, but there's more than a hint off Atlanta's finest within these grooves. If you love well crafted songs with more than a spoonful of blues and a Southern slant you must check these guys out, you won't forgive yourself if you don't. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

If you ever wondered what a French AC/DC would sound like then you might want to get a hold of this one; and if you see Airbourne as the sincerest form of flattery then you are in for a treat... READ MORE

by Jo Rockpit

Australia has a wealth of fine talent and there are some great vocalists out there with considerable gifts. If only it were just a question of setting those voices off against a great musical backdrop! Natasha Stuart has produced an album with a lot of depth that is well worth exploration READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

Some albums you end up waiting twenty years for! But when you hear them all is forgiven! Check out our review of Tyketto's new album and Mark's interview with singer Danny Vaughn NEXT WEEK at The Rockpit.

For those that can't wait for the CD Review - CLICK HERE

by Mark Diggins

Imagine the Trixter of their debut and ‘Hear!’ but better, bigger, bolder and slicker. This is some seriously good return to the arena...

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by Mark Diggins

Some bands just have it; and back in the day would have stood head and shoulders with the best of them. Crazy Lixx is one of those select few - a band that has captured what made late eighties rock sound so great, but on this, their third release they have managed to stamp it with their own distinctive sound.... READ MORE

by Todd Jolicoeur

When Steve (a guy who seems to know what  I like, rock or otherwise) asked if I was interested in checking out a Michigan band he was working with, my initial thought was, "Hell yes, nothing like some good Detroit rock."  These guys aren't from Detroit, but the spirit and ability are there.  This one has been in my car after the second spin and I have yet to take it out READ MORE

by Todd Jolicoeur

I wasn't sure what to expect when I popped this in (well, actually downloaded and played).  I had no clue who some of the bands referenced in the other reviews or press release were, but decided to take it for a spin anyway.  Still trying to digest this one after about 10 spins READ MORE

by Todd Jolicoeur

With this line-up of artists, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Discovering this release is on a jazz label was even more misleading.  It is jazz, but infused with some killer rock riffs, drums, and arena style vocals.  The rock components are there, but not enough to call it a rock record.  Other than solid musicianship, the real highlight in my mind is the vocals of Casey McPherson (of Alpha Rev). READ MORE

by Todd Jolicoeur

Another Warped Tour band you ask?  Not here.  Yes, the music is exactly the style you will hear from several bands on Warped Tour… only better.  These guys can play and the vocalist is on top of her game.  I have gotten away from the screaming and am starting to expect my musicians to really play, sing, and entertain me. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Recorded before 50,000 rabid Chilean fans in Santiago in April 2011, En Vivo is a glorious treat for any Iron Maiden fan, no matter which format you choose. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Andy Scott’s SWEET have weighed in with as good a covers album as anyone could have hoped from a band that many thought would never release another album. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

A classy collection of studio and live cuts by the man who was even MORE blue collar and middle America than Springsteen himself. From Old Time Rock n’ Roll, the Metallica covered Turn The Page, Hollywood Nights and Night Moves, through the recent Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back To Birmingham), Seger never puts a foot wrong, making this primo driving or drinking music.

By David Vaickus

Shinedown are one of the few bands that can release an album full of hit singles from top to bottom. Their last album, The Sound of Madness, has sold over a million copies and spawned six number 1 singles on active rock and 1 top 10 single on top 40. Simply put Shinedown have turned themselves into quite a musical juggernaut. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Remember Roxus and Boss – late 80’s radio bothering, big haired Aussies who played a riffy AOR style of bubbly hard rock? Well Brisbane’s De La Cruz may well be their descendants – serving up a debut 6 track EP chock full of polished, hook-filled pop metal classics. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

What kind of madness is this? The best possible kind, if you’re a guitar riff kind of person! The Atomic Bitchwax weighs in with a fifth full length album comprising only one song – 42 minutes long, completely instrumental, and comprised of 50 distinct guitar riffs. READ MORE

By Shayne Bishop

KLII have a sound that is rooted firmly in the 70’s. From the first riffs of opening track “The Boat”, it is clearly evident that they are influenced heavily by the likes of Cheap Trick, Status Quo, KISS, The Sweet and Thin Lizzy. READ MORE

by Glenn Odin

UFO’s new CD Seven Deadly is their 20th studio album proper and while it may never be held in the same high esteem as their 70’s classics Force It, Obsession or Lights Out it is nonetheless a great solid disc of classy old school hard rock. READ MORE...

by Leslie Phillips

Those already with an ear to the NZ Metal scene will probably be familiar with the name already: and if the first few listens of this new release are anything to go by, then coupled with a couple of lengthy US tours already underway; the name might just be a lot more familiar pretty soon. READ MORE...

by Mark Diggins

I was first introduced to Adelaide’s finest Death Punk band last year when they came up as one of the supports for Sweden’s Crashdiet in Melbourne, and a thoroughly enjoyable set of Misfits-infused madness it was too. READ MORE...

by Mark Diggins

HEAT is a band that makes you question the power of the Gods of Rock these days. A band that seems to put out quality release after quality release without getting either the attention or the breaks they deserve.

READ MORE...

by Mark Diggins

At the time Tuff suffered from being labeled as the poor man's Poison, but in truth they were a harder band than their more successful peers and even though they probably committed similar crimes against the ozone layer their debut was an album worth a good look. Here it is again then with a twist. READ MORE...

by Mark Diggins

Taking a phrase that has become increasingly in the news in the last year or so, but which was actually coined back in the 50’s to describe something huge and obvious that you really shouldn’t ignore SKS has created an EP that is a bit like that elephant in that it’s something that you really shouldn’t be able to ignore. READ MORE...

by Jo Rockpit

Don't expect a band that looks like this with a name like this to blow your world apart with a groundbreaking album you've never heard the like of before... well you do know that's not the point by now right? Eonian exists to bring you the best of the bands that didn't make it back in the day and sometimes you end up with a real gem. The question is what do we have here? READ MORE...

by Leslie Phillips

Originally released back in 2008 just as the band looked like falling apart 'Rock and Roll Overdose' didn't get the best response when first released and suffered from a seeming lack of promotion. As the band looks to start recording their new CD in August 2012, the CD hits the letter-box and I get to take another look... READ MORE

by Leslie Phillips

Describing themselves as an 'alternative metal' band it's a treat to stumble upon a band like 'No Room to Breathe' There's a power, an honesty, a depth and a clarity about them that is hard to put a label on. Elements of traditional and modern metal, punk, prog and thrash makes this an interesting and rewarding listen. READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Flouncing out of the Arizona desert with a studied insouciance and a Mott The Hoople sensibility come The Crash Street Kids with their fourth album “Sweet Creatures”. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

Known as somewhat of a nu-metal super group, the pedigree of this band is hard to deny. When your membership has day jobs in bands such as Evanescence, Sevendust, Stereomud, and Skrape, you will have a club that can produce solid rock. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

I am not sure why I am so drawn to female fronted symphonic metal, but bands like Within Temptation, Nemesea, and Xandria are quite the constant spin in my rotation recently. Xandria brings a more operatic tone and voice to the mix, making it a strong addition to the genre. READ MORE

by Mark Diggins

A hard meal riff and an almost Soundgarden meets Alice In Chains  feel pervades opener ‘Disappear again’ it’s a storming way to kick off what proves to be a quality release from Furyon. If you like the best elements of grunge, crossed with a double-shot of modern metal and some great vocal and solid guitar work then these guys should be pretty near the top of your ‘bands to check out’ list. READ MORE

by Leslie Phillips

You could dismiss the latest offering by Jack Blades: Rock N Roll Ride by saying that by and large an album of riff-driven rockers, but that is only part of the story of this album. Its nice driving music but if you are looking for ground-breaking remember this is a Jack Blades album, solid meat and potatoes just the way we like it. READ MORE

By Jo Rockpit

The cynic might tend to eye a release like this with caution. After all the back-story sounds so good that it surely can't be true! Music fans just don’t put their heads together and write a collection of songs to take you back to the glory days of eighties rock, draft in some amazing vocalists and put out a killer album do they? READ ON

By Mark Diggins

Being a massive fan of Babylon AD back in the day, it's always great to see new releases from members of that band. A few years ago we had Ron Freschi's 'Syrym' project and now we have singer Derek Davis' solo album - Re-Volt. Believe me this is well-worth checking out! READ ON

By Mark Diggins

When you read in the pre-publicity that a latest album has been described as the 'strongest record yet' you always wonder if the hype matches the product, but when the originator of the comment is Lillian Axe mainman Steve Blaze, you sit up and listen. This one is amazing believe me, and you can check out our interview with Steve next week. READ ON

By Mark Diggins

I'll be the first to admit that a lot of high-brow critics I wouldn't normally give the time of day are on the 'Band of Skulls' bandwagon and are riding it hard. But this IS just so damn good, driving primal rock and roll, that manages to sound both dangerous and vital at the same time. Listen to title track 'Sweet Sour' and those guitars.... man. READ MORE

By Leslie Phillips

A melting pot of metallic and hard rock influences driven forward by the guitar of Dario Mollo and the icing on the cake coming from the great vocals of Tony Martin (Black Sabbath) it's a releases well worth a look for metalheads who love a great song and a great voice. READ ON

By Mark Diggins

Whilst Hard rock will always be my mainstay I do have pretty borad listening tastes and over the years Patterson Hood's Drive By Truckers have produced some real quality. Go-Go boots is one of my favourite albums of last year and whilst I find the more traditional country elements a little hard to take tracks like 'Used to be a Cop' are sheer magic. Americana that opens your eyes and your ears...

By Jo Rockpit

Last Autumn's Dream has to be up there with my favourite current bands. There's just something about these guys that strikes a chord, gloriously light, fun, singalong melodic rock with choruses that are sheer gold there's not a lot of bands today who can produce such instantly catchy tunes. READ MORE

By Leslie Phillips

Beautifully constructed fiery rock that is now so smooth and well-rounded it starting to almost sound like a parody of the genre…

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By Todd Jolicouer

Any band that grabs a tour with The Darkness is good in my book. When you couple that with their newest release, you have a band that is seemingly on top of the world. These guys embraced their roots but really took it to the next level and added very cool rock aspects to their disc, no doubt due to the production of Justin Hawkins. READ MORE

By David Vaickus

The Dreaming, where do I start? There is a decent amount of background info I must give before getting into the actual album review for Puppet. For those of you who do not know, The Dreaming is a band featuring Christopher Hall, former singer of Stabbing Westward. Their first album, called Etched in Blood, was released back in 08. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

You mention Joe Lynn Turner and a disc instantly goes to four stars in my book. It has to be horrendous in my mind to get less than that. This disc simply builds on that rating. JLT once again surrounds himself with great musicians to produce an awesome disc. This third offering from the band is just as good, if not better than the last two offerings. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

These cool Italians have a winning formula. I love this disc as much as the previous offerings from this great band. They really are pioneers in the area of symphonic metal that utilizes both female and male lead vocals. They never disappoint, and the latest offering is no different. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

After nearly wearing out my copy of the band's debut release, Secrets, I couldn't wait to hear The Wanderer. One of the best parts of the debut was the surprising voice of Zuberoa Aznárez. Her vocie graces this disc as well, but something has changed. The music is stronger from a base stand point and the musicianship is as good, if not better. READ MORE

By Todd Jolicouer

I know what you are thinking.  "What reason does a guy who listens to KISS, Black Veil Brides, and other metal acts have for listening to Tyrone Wells' latest effort?"  It's this simple - I appreciate good music, regardless of the genre.  Even more to the point, good songwriting is good songwriting. READ MORE

By David Vaickus

American Capitalist is an extremely strong album from top to bottom. It's diversified, has excellent production and the songwriting has vastly improved. They have the usual heavy hitters like "American Capitalist" and "Menace" but then diversify themselves with tracks like "Coming Down" and "Remember Everything". READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

Hot on the heels of their late 2011 taster EP comes Zeroking’s debut full length album, and it’s up there with Van Halen’s newie as the best releases of the year to date. READ MORE

By Will Hollands

After releasing a magnificent EP in 2010 and touring non-stop last year, Sunset Riot is back with their latest studio effort “Uprising.” With a more matured sound and a greatly evolved band since the last record, I was eagerly awaiting this 6 track EP and they definitely didn’t disappoint! With world renowned producer Mark Opitz onboard as well as stellar artwork from Joshua Marc... READ MORE

By Shane Pinnegar

It’s finally here – the Van Halen brothers’ first album since 1998’s Van Halen III - and their first with Diamond Dave Lee Roth since 1984 - has finally landed and in less time than it takes to recite the names of all the guitarists to have contributed to the recording of “Chinese Democracy” we are acutely aware that this is old school Van Halen... READ MORE

By Mark Diggins

In truth Sonic Station is a pretty nice listen, it’s sure to please fans of the genre, but at the same time I’m not sure it has that broader appeal. Songs to watch out for include the seventies balladeer feel that pervades ‘Hold On To Me’; the Foreigner-like ballad ‘The Most Beautiful Fear’ and the Toto-lite ‘Never Let The Sunshine Die’. READ MORE

By Mark Diggins

Hands up who wants a new Mr. Big Live album this year? Really? You couldn’t wait for the next studio album? Fair enough then, it has been just over a year so we’ll have a listen… READ MORE

By Mark Diggins

40 years on your can still hear the influence of the Doors all around you. Whilst we never really review re-releases you at least need to know this one is out, even if only to re-visit the album. LA Woman is one of the greatest records ever made. Here a bonus disc of alternate versions and odds and ends is a lovely distraction but can't really add anything to the beauty of the original. Hear it and love it.

By Mark Diggins

Michael Thompson may not be a name you’ve heard before but on “Future Past” he manages to put together a surprisingly nice collection of energetic AOR in the Foreigner meets Michael Bolton mould. ‘High Times’ that kicks us off is the song to download if you want a taste of the album... READ MORE

By Mark Diggins

What happens when Prog Rock meets sanitized metal riffs across a field strewn with spoken voice parts, the odd jazz phrase and the occasional melodic interlude? Well maybe this is what happens? READ MORE