Retransmission is an album that has been eagerly awaited by all hard/melodic rock fans of the supergroup that is W.E.T., a band put together by the three integral musicians of Robert Säll (the 'W' from Work Of Art), Erik Mårtensson (the 'E' from Eclipse) and Jeff Scott Soto (the 'T' from Talisman). Together, they have..

Interview – Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann
It has been three years since The Rise Of Chaos and while the Covid-19 pandemic has got in the way of tours, it has not stopped Accept with their new album Too Mean To Die. guitarist and lone original member WOLF HOFFMANN talks to Velvet Thunder about the new record, new band members and takes..

When Rivers Meet – The Interview
It's been one heck of a year for blues rock twosome When Rivers Meet! It started off with the British husband-and-wife duo busily touring while beginning to plan for their debut studio album We Fly Free; electing to work tirelessly on social media during the pandemic, releasing an EP in May, being highlighted on BBC..

Fraternity (featuring Bon Scott)
Scott’s tenure in the band ensured that Fraternity would at least gain some historic significance... Music is the universal language, so they say. It transcends speech and cultural barriers and gives the whole human race a basis for communication. That being the case, it’s a peculiar phenomenon how some bands can become massive in one..

‘IRON MAIDEN – ON TRACK’ – EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE CHAPTER
Recently, two members of the Velvet Thunder writing team had books published in the ‘On Track’ series by Sonicbond Publishing, delving into every album and every track by a selected artist – Graeme Stroud covering Thin Lizzy and Steve Pilkington taking on Iron Maiden. A little while ago we presented an exclusive sample chapter from the THIN LIZZY volume,..

Viral – Viral (self-release)
Swedish newcomers Viral are one of the examples to prove that sometimes, you can actually judge a book by its cover. The beautiful artwork and stylish logo immediately draw the attention and scream classic heavy/power metal. The surprise actually comes from the first few minutes of music, when one realizes Viral have much more in..

Wig Wam – Never Say Die (Frontiers Music)
Wig Wam is a glam/sleaze rock band that formed in 2001 in Halden, Norway and built up quite a reputation in their homeland and further afield with their high energy, hard hitting glam metal that was delivered with style, class and always with fun in mind. The band even built up something of a Eurovision..

AL STEWART – 24 CARROTS (Esoteric)
By 1980, Al Stewart had experienced his greatest sales to date with the albums Year Of The Cat and Time Passages, having moved from his folkier beginnings into a somewhat more mainstream rock direction - albeit always with something of an off-kilter edge, as his old folk wordplay and songwriting construction would regularly twist otherwise..

Labyrinth – Welcome To The Absurd Circus (Frontiers Music)
Formed in 1991, Labyrinth is an Italian power/progressive metal band that consistently delivers the goods and really should be much, much bigger than they are. If you are a fan already then you know what to expect and this album will already be eagerly anticipated but if the name is new to you them I..

BUDDERSIDE REVEAL ANIMATED VIDEO FOR SECOND SINGLE FEATURING PHIL CAMPBELL (MOTÖRHEAD)
Hollywood, CA-based heavy rock & roll outfit BUDDERSIDE have shared the second single, “Pardon Me,” featuring Motörhead's Phil Campbell, from their upcoming sophomore album SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE out March 26 via Motörhead Music/Silver Lining Music. Available now across all digital platforms, “Pardon Me” was inspired by none other than the late Motörhead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister who..