Escape Music/Border Glen Bridger started playing guitar after hearing VAN HALEN, when he was in his teens. Though awarded a baseball scholarship he decided to go for a music career. Learning from magazines he found work with Kansas City´s top bands, e.g. HEAD EAST. This new venture features powerful singer Terry Ilous of XYZ, keyboard…
Earache/Sound Pollution California´s RIVAL SONS seem universally hailed as the hottest new band around in 2011. Classic Rock Magazine even bowed to them, as did the German Rocks Magazine. Groove, soul and confidence, honesty and danger, all that is supposedly incorporated in the band´s sound, and those are indeed key ingredients for most of the…
MDD/Sound Pollution Japanese thrashers RIVERGE are not latter day followers, but 1985 originals themselves. Back in the day they released a few demos and singles, and toured with the likes of OUTRAGE and SABBATH before calling it a day in 1988. Their creative break actually lasted till about now. Four guys and one girl, can´t…
Hand (or as they prefer to spell it, hAND) bill themselves as a ”3-piece Progressive Alternative/Gothic Metal band”. I’d describe them as a 3 piece prog band. There’s definitely little here to describe as metal. I have to admit I’ve seen hAND play live a few times and I’ve never been impressed – as a…
Napalm/Sound Pollution Swedish band DRACONIAN have released their fourth outing welcome release for the fans I believe. Their previous album, “Turning Season Within” arrived in 2008, so it has been a while. Jens Berggren at Fascination Street Studios has been turning the knobs, to guarantee an ultimate experience according to the info sheet, so what…
Massacre/Sound Pollution MARIENBAD was a town in former Germany Sudetenland (now the Czech Republic) that was flooded in the sixties. All inhabitants were relocated, all but twelve that refused and preferred to stay and wait for death. Quite a cosy setting for an epic depressed doomy outing like this. Masterminded by EISREGEN personnel M. Roth…
Fastball/Sound Pollution HUMAN ZOO sure stands out. Not many hard rock bands employ a saxophone player these days, or ever before. The band history starts in 2004 and comprises two previous albums, their debut “Precious Time” (2006) and the follow-up “Over the Horizon” (2007). The basic formula is simple but seemingly secure: They go for…
Massacre/Sound Pollution Brian O´Connor (ex. VICIUOS RUMORS) on vocals, Ira Black (ex. VICIOUS RUMORS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH) on guitars, plus Fabian Schwarz and Guenter Auschrat, guitars and bass respectively, from THE NEW BLACK, this looks very interesting! Their collective experience can hardly be measured, and there is so much routine. Heavy power-tech-thrash is their…
Lion Music/Leading Digital Platforms ARACHNES are part of Lion Music´s new digital venture. The band hails from Italy and is based around vocalist Enzo Caruso and his guitar playing brother Frank (STRINGS 24). They list influences from a wide scope, denoting DEEP PUROPLE and QUEEN via YES, ELP, as well as MILES DAVIS and classical…
”Handful of dreams” is the superb debut album from London band Slam Cartel. The band can count Billy Morrison, Bass player for The Cult (and guitarist with Billy Idol) as one of their fans – and that’s a man who really knows about what makes good rock music. A few comments on some of the…
Lion Music/Warner 14 never before heard performances and seven new songs make up the numbers of this retro release of JAMES BYRD`S ATLANTIS RISING. Discovered only last year by lead vocalist Freddy Krumins, these songs tell the story of the time after James had left FIFTH ANGEL back in 1987. Recorded by a mobile, like…
Lion Music/Warner CONSORTIUM PROJECT is the creation of Ian Perry (ELEGY etc.). Every album, this being the fifth since 1999, has featured an armada of prominent guests, and this time is no exception. Playing on this one are; guitarists like Stephan Lill (VANDEN PLAS), bassists like Kris Gildenlöw (PAIN OF SALVATION) and drummer Casey Grillo…