ALBUM REVIEW: Observe the 93rd – Eternalism


Aesthetically Pennsylvanian duo Observe the 93rd sound like a pop-rock band tailor-made for blasting out catchy bombast from a stadium. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Michael Catton – Point Of No Return


 

Ace vocalist/songwriter Michael Catton’s first solo collection Point Of No Return (Mighty Music) sounds like a “Best of the Eighties” tribute album, while effectively showcasing the considerable talents of the man himself and all involved.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Asking Alexandria – Where Do We Go From Here


 

Sometimes an album can be considered on its own merit, or with just a passing reference to the context it exists within. For others, they can, indeed, should, be linked to a “run” or an arc of albums within a period of a band’s career. And for some, it is worth going back to the beginning to truly see the big picture of what and why a specific album is.

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Raven Age – Blood Omen


The Raven Age’s Blood Omen (Music For Nations) is a scorcher of an album. It’s an album that was played on repeat prior to any writing of reviewing. It was super easy to get into this album as it sounds like music I’ve heard before and enjoyed thoroughly. The beginning song ‘Changing of the Guard’ throws you off as its operatic, European, and very folklore driven in tone. It’s a beautiful introduction but is not in the same genre as the rest of the album.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Ayron Jones – Chronicles Of The Kid


 

Ayron Jones delivers blockbusting, heartbreaking, beautiful, and bluesy rock ‘n’ roll on Chronicles Of The Kid (Big Machine/John Varvatos Records). “I came for the title,” he sings. “I got a word to my rivals.” The verdict? If it’s a matter of survival, this kid’s still standing.

 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Tuk Smith and The Restless Hearts – Ballad of a Misspent Youth


 

The opening strains of Ballad of a Misspent Youth (MRG Records) by Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts reminds me of old KISS. It’s the sound of the guitars. There is a bit of The Black Crowes thrown in for good measure. It’s hard driving and pop-ish with a punk tinge. The guitars are simple yet sonically pleasing. The album continues this stylistic choice with savage awesomeness. Be prepared, Ballad of a Misspent Youth is solid from start to finish with plenty of songs that will get stuck on constant rotation.

 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Dorothy – Gifts From The Holy Ghost


Whether you fully believe the story of the inspiration for the third album from Dorothy, the band fronted by vocal powerhouse Dorothy Martin, that a member of the band’s crew came back to life as she prayed over his lifeless body for his recovery from an overdose, or not, the uplifting country blues soft rocker that serves as the title-track and final song leaves an overriding tone for act’s third album Gifts From The Holy Ghost (Spinefarm Records / Roc Nation) in the mind: “leaving all your fear behind… we’ve been lost, we are gifts from the holy ghost”.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Ghost – Impera


As one cycle ends, another begins. The flamboyant, dancing Cardinal Copia has been anointed Papa Emeritus IV and the plague-ridden doom of the 14th century is gone. Taking place hundreds of years after Prequelle, Tobias Forge and his band of Nameless Ghouls, otherwise known as psychedelic doom rock popsters Ghost, leave the rats behind as latest chapter Impera (Spinefarm/Loma Vista) tells of new empires built from the ashes of the old.

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CLASSIC ALBUMS REVISITED: Metallica – Thirty Years Of The Black Album


Arguably the most divisive album in the history of metal, no other record seems to split opinion quite likeMetallica’s The Black Album (Elektra). Otherwise known simply as Metallica, whenever the San Franciscan act’s fifth studio album is mentioned even in passing, the results are usually the same. Like a red rag to a bull, loud and vociferous “true fans” are still guaranteed to leap straight in with comments like “only the first four albums are real”, “sell-outs” and “commercial bullshit” etc.

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