Posted in Cd Reviews

October 8th is a date KISS fans will have had marked on their calendars for some time as the release of the 20th studio album from the rock legends that are KISS. The release comes just months before the band’s 40th anniversary. In the time that the band have been going they’ve managed 28 U.S. gold albums along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales – pretty staggering sales figures, and that’s just albums – if you were to look at all the merchandise they’ve sold the figures would be astronomical.

Monster is the first release since 2009’s ”Sonic Boom”, and is only the second album from the current lineup of the band. The entire band have been involved in writing this album which was produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins.

While lead vocal duties are primarily shared by P...

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Japanese heavy metal band Loudness have just released their latest album – their first album to be recorded since the death of founding member Mumetetaka Higuchi from liver cancer in 2008 (their 2009 album ”Everlasting” was recorded before his death).
Loudness were formed in Japan in May 1981 and have been a prolific band releasing around 30 albums since then including live albums and English versions of their Japanese language albums. In 1983 they did their first US and European tours and signed a record deal with Atlantic records, in the process becoming the first Japanese band to sign an international record deal. In 1988 their vocalist (Minoru Niihara) left the band- the first of several lineup changes, and it wasnt until May 2000 that the band reformed the original lineup.

I first l...

Posted in Press Releases

SETH LAKEMAN LIVE WITH THE BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA – 5 TRACK LIVE EP
Release date: 03 December 2012 (CD & Digital) – Proper Records

SETH LAKEMAN ALBUM ‘TALES FROM THE BARREL HOUSE’
Honour Oak Records/Proper, out now

UK TOUR IN OCTOBER 2012

In March 2012, folk-inspired, multi-award winning singer-songwriter Seth Lakeman played with the renowned BBC Concert Orchestra at Plymouth Pavilions in Devon. Seth is releasing a five track LIVE EP on 03 December featuring recordings from that night mixed by Richard Evans.

The live EP features versions of some of Seth’s best known songs, arranged by Anne Dudley and conducted by Matthew Coorey...

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Inner Wound Recordings/Sound Pollution

OBSESSION rings bells of old. Forming in 1982 they were the foundation for the career of one Mike Vescera (ex. LOUDNESS, ex YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, solo etc.) from the humble beginnings on the infamous Metal Blade compilation “Metal Massacre 2” until 1989 when they folded after two full-length albums. That might have been the end of the story. But the band reformed in 2004 to cut “Carnival of Lies”, and in 2008 a Japan-only self titled album. But in 2009 the reborn band of Mike, HOUSE OF LORDS rhythm section BJ Zampa and Chris McCarville plus guitarists Scott Boland (MIKE VESCERA PROJECT) and John Bruno (X FACTOR X) commenced on what would become this album...

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Napalm/Sound Pollution

From Scotland to Greece, GRAVE DIGGER continues to impress. Studio release number 16 from one of Germany´s longest running bands with a major audience. Still commanded by ubiquitous vocalist Chris Boltendahl, since 1980, the rest of the clan is; drummer Stefan Arnold, bass player Jens Becker (ex. RUNNING WILD), keyboard player H.P. Katzernburg and their latest recruit Axel “Iron Finger” Ritt, who joined in 2009. The feeling is that ever since 1996 the band has been on the rise. Maybe they can even kick out RUNNING WILD as the foremost German spitzenklasse in the genre?

The opening intro “Charon” is a daring oddball with something like an accordion, and Chris aspiring for a position in a cabaret in that voice. From then on the battle rages on...

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Escape/Sound Pollution

Paul Bonrud returns with his self-titled melodic rock project. Produced by Keith Olsen (OZZY, SAMMY HAGAR etc.) Paul, all guitars, Rick Forsgren, vocals, and Paul Higgins, drums also utilizes the keyboard talents of Richard Baker (SAGA etc.), Eric Ragno (GRAHAM BONNET etc.) and Dave Gross. A lot of time has apparently been invested in this release, what have they achieved?

“We Collide” opens the proceedings. The song works without a clear refrain focus and I quite like the riff and the rhythm. The best effort on the album, “Bullet in the Back” has a lot of positive energy and the right style continues in “American Dream”. The title track rocks as well, and there is a fair bit of character in Rick´s voice...

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Napalm/Sound Pollution

The Dutch/Swedish joint venture THE 11TH HOUR sports death metal veterans Ed Warby (GOREFEST, HAIL OF BULLETS etc.) and Pim Blankenstein (OFFICIUM TRISTE). The first album “Burden of Greif” (2009) featured Rogga Johansson of THE GROTESQUERY/PAGANIZER etc but he was too ill to carry on here. In stepped Pim, their live vocalist, and here is the result.

Seven tracks on a full album means doom, but also a new guitarist role (drums too though) for Ed. First served is “We All Die Alone”, with a synthesizer intro and a grand melody – sadly somewhat let down by the growls. I´d love to hear a version with clean vocals though...

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French Symphonic metal band Whyzdom are back with a new singer and a follow up to their 2009 debut album ”From The Brink Of Infinity”. For this new album Whyzdom have signed with Scarlet records and will be releasing Blind? at the end of October 2012.

On their debut album, singer Clémentine Delauney was excellent, so after she left to tour with Serenity I must admit to having some doubts as to what the new album would sound like. Happily though Whyzdom have found an equally brilliant singer in Elvyne Lorient, and any doubts I had vanished almost immediately when I started listening to this new album...

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A legendary figure in Reggae music, Bob Marley is probably the best known Reggae artist of all time around the world, so any new release is going to be greeted with considerable interest This album is the first in a series of collections of classic rare and new dub material from Bob Marley and the Wailers.
For anyone unfamiliar with dub, it’s a sub-genre of reggae (although it has now expanded beyond this), that is usually remixed instrumental versions of reggae songs. To know that this release is a Dub release then may dampen some peoples hopes, but fear not – this album is not totally instrumental – there are vocals included here.

The album contains ten dub remixes that have been previously available but hard to find, and have not been released before on CD or as part of an album...

Posted in Press Releases

KISS have released two tracks from upcoming album Monster. Listen to Long Way Down and All For the Love of Rock & Roll below.

Fans are expecting great things after the success of 2009′s Sonic Boom – the record they made after spending years insisting they wouldn’t return to the studio.

Gene Simmons says it’s all down to the band’s most recent additions. “Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have revitalised us,” he explains. “They have a work ethic and the talent to back it up.

“There are no symphony orchestras, boy choirs, keyboards, outside producers or songwriters on this album. The best thing we did was to turn inwards to ourselves.”
Monster is released October 8th.