The whole classic hard rock revivalist movement is an interesting phenomenon. Perhaps it all started with the 1997-98 reunion of Black Sabbath and the interest directed towards bands like Electric Wizard and Spiritual Beggars. Swedes Dead Lord, actually, stepped in this game a decade later, founded in Stockholm in 2012. Surrender is their fourth album..
BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST – Barclay James Harvest And Other Short Stories Deluxe Edition (Esoteric)
When Barclay James Harvest came to record this, their third album, in 1971, they were under some significant pressure, it must be said. Their previous album, the breakthrough Once Again, had featured two lengthy tracks among its number, including their evergreen and immediately popular Mockingbird. As always when following up a significant success, there was..
Silverthorne – Tear The Sky Wide Open (Golden Robot Records)
Silverthorne is a new classic rock band featuring veterans Pete Shoulder on guitar and vocals, Daniel Spree on bass and Brian Tichy on drums. Hailing from County Durham in the UK, Pete Shoulder was the vocalist with English blues rockers Winterville with a sound influenced by the '60s British blues movement fused with elements of..
Lee Abraham – Harmony/Synchronicity – F2 Music
A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Hampshire in southern England, Lee Abraham has released or been involved with an impressive array of masterful prog over the last 20 years. Having played in a succession of bands, both original and covers, he started to delve into recording his own material for limited release as the new..
Flying Colors – Third Stage: Live In London (Mascot)
I should come clean straight away and admit that I thought I knew what I was getting with Third Stage: Live In London, the new live DVD from Flying Colors. I had expected to casually watch it in segments, taking breaks to do other things, listen to other music, scroll through that former classmate's social..
The Tangent – Auto Reconnaissance (InsideOut)
For all that is said about The Tangent's often weighty subject matter and acquired taste vocals, at its core is a brilliant cast of musicians whose magnificent works have graced the progressive rock landscape on a regular basis for almost two decades. With leader Andy Tillison's boundless creativity, dazzling guitar prodigy Luke Machin, skilled sticksman..
Chaos Factory – Horizon (Underground Symphony)
This is an album that was released last year but has only just made it to us so apologies for the rather belated review. This is the debut release by the Italian progressive metal band Chaos Factory and it is an epic concept album that has been something like five years in the making. Of..
DOMINATION BLACK – Judgement IV (Pride & Joy Music)
Domination Black is a melodic/power metal band from Kotka in the south of Finland, with Judgement IV being, yes you’ve guessed it, album number four. The band formed in 2003 with their first two albums being solid hard and heavy melodic rock that made waves in their native land. In 2009, the original vocalist, Kari..
EDDIE & THE HOT RODS – New York: Live (Angel Air)
As soon as Teenage Depression kicks into gear, the Hot Rods can make a 50-something feel like a teenager with a grudge against his headmaster all over again. When Barrie Masters, frontman and only ever-present member of Essie & The Hot Rods, was found dead in October 2019, it didn't generate the column inches that..
FRUUPP – Maid In Ireland: The Best Of Fruupp (Esoteric)
This is music to give your attention to, but it will repay you. Many people at this point may be asking, who the hell are Fruupp, and what on earth is that name all about? Well, I can't answer the second question, but I can help out with the first. Basically, Fruupp were an Irish..