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We've listed albums in order of star rating. Best first.
AIRBOURNE Runnin Wild
Bow down and thank the
gods of rock n roll as Airbourne bless us with their new album, RUNNIN WILD.
Simply a brilliant mixture of sweat pumping, fist flinging, headbanging rock n
roll!
This blast from the past
genre of rock n roll provided by Airbourne has been missing from the music scene
for years.
Although they undoubtedly
sound like ACDC you can't help but love this album. It contains the hit 'Too
much, too young too fast' with its classic lyrics about living on the edge, and
the new single 'Runnin Wild' featuring classic rocker Lemmy in the new video.
Runnin
wild is a brilliant single choice for Airbourne, its fun, loud and pure rock.
With their catchy chord
compliations, grinding lyrics and upfront personality you really cant go wrong
with this absolute gem of an album. Airbourne really do what they claim....STAND
UP FOR ROCK N ROLL! *****
Review by Betsy Green
MIDNITE CLUB Circus Of Life (Artist Service)
This 11-track album from Germany's Midnite Club is a close second to Def
Leppard's "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" for my favourite album of 2008.
There is
not a weak track on this album, one that encompasses the best elements of 80's
Bon Jovi and Whitesnake and could also qualify as a melodic/classic rock
masterpiece.
There are
harmonies, hooks and guitar solos a plenty and highlights include "Promises
Remain", "Behind My Eyes", "Closer To The Distance", the ballad that is "Crying
In A Dream" and a brilliant cover of Kenny Loggins' Top Gun anthem "Danger
Zone".
Take my
word for it - awesome!!!! *****
Review by Nikk Gunns
SILENT
RAGE Four Letter Word (Frontiers Records)
Formed in 1985, Silent Rage have continued to perform and record ever since and
are about to release their 4th album “Four Letter Word”.
Produced
by Gilby Clarke (GnR) and featuring appearances from the likes of Bobby Blotzer
(Ratt) and Bruce Kulick (Kiss), the album is a melting pot of melodic and hard
rock with hooks, harmonies and big choruses alongside driving guitars.
Highlights include “You Could Be The One”, title track “Four Letter Word”,
“Close Your Eyes”, “Bona Fide” and the sax driven “Hard Habit To Break”.
A great melodic rock CD, well worth checking out. ****
Review by
Nikk Gunns
SARASIN A.D Daggers-
Lust- Disgust (Music Buy Mail)
Between them the members of Sarasin A.D have previously worked with the likes of
Peter Criss, Lee Aaron, Billy Sheehan, Brighton Rock and Lou Gramm. For the past
24 years they have delivered some classic American-style hard rock and now are
about to release a new album “Daggers – Lust – Disgust”.
Highlights amongst the 13 tracks on offer here include “In America”, “No
Sensation”, “Keep Runnin’”, “Kiss of Death” and the slower “The Parting”- a
track which reminds me of Badlands. ***
Review by
Nikk Gunns
POLUTION Overheated
(Escape Music)
"Overheated" is an album chock-full of energetic, melodic rock and full of
guitar riffs that will remind you of Metallica, AC/DC and
Airbourne.
This
Swiss band will not disappoint you if you like a bit of heavy melodic rock,
highlights amongst the 13-tracks on this CD include "Reality", "Hard Work",
Overheated" and "Five Years". ***
Review by Nikk Gunns
DISARM By Any Means Necessary (imprint Records)
Punk rock for today with touches of The Clash and The Backyard
Babies, there are 12 tracks on "By Any Means Necessary", the
highlights being " Girl When Did You (Become Such A Car Crash)?", "Faster,
Faster….Kill", "She's My Disease", "This Is Not A Pop Song" and "Too Much Is
Never Enough".
Get a few beers in, pump up the speakers and let go - superb!! ***
Review by Nikk Gunns
CLUSTERHEAD Times Of No
Trust Music By Mail
German four piece melodic metal band Clusterhead unleash their debut album
and to be brutally honest it is average at best. The problem is it is just too
clichéd with precise riffs, quick keyboard led intros on the slower songs like
‘Ghosts’ and a vocalist who tries to imitate the greats like Rob Halford or
Klaus Meine but is found to be woefully lacking.
The Megadeth-like
‘Poisoned’ lifts the standard briefly and the slower ‘Ghosts’ does feature some
stylish guitar playing but elsewhere the songs just lack any real quality or
decent choruses.
Not a great album it has
to be said and your money could be better spent elsewhere. Hopefully by album
number two they will have penned a few decent tunes. **½
Review by Jason Ritchie
THE OUTLINE You Smash
It, We'll Build Around It
3030 Recordings
An album with very little information, but I'll try my best. The set kicks off
with "Aesthetics", a very harsh indie rock sound, in places a nod at U2, very
electronic (even programmed) sounding drums and bursts of everything smashing at
the same time, creating a noise before the regular track continues.
"Life Or Life Like" is better, with a pounding bass line, although at times till
a little electronic and contrived. At times a decent rhythm too, before another
burst of "Hey let's all play as hard as we can at the same time and ruin the
song".
"Death To Our Enemies" features an interesting keyboard sound, like when Keith
Emerson dabbled in effects, but it doesn't mix with the alt/rock so well.
Some nice touches but not the easiest album to endure by a long way. That
probably means NME and Q will love it. **
Review by Joe Geesin
JOHN SHANNON American
Mystic
John Shannon has collaborated with various artists such as “Sonya Kitchell”,
“Pyeng Threadgill”, “Hiromi and Heale” and released various instrumental tracks
with his own group “Waking Vision” and has now decided to release his debut
album “American Mystic”. (Yep you got it, never heard of them; but I am not
American!.)
Right then people, listen to me. This isn’t rock, metal, pop or even cheesy
dance. This is a beautiful sounding delicate acoustic album that would be
preferable for those romantic picnics in the park or countryside tea and crumpet
garden parties.
John has a very light and whispery vocal range, which at certain times can be
mislaid as a female. However, John’s song craft and spellbinding use of the
guitar, relays summertime and feelings of love. I am trying to describe that
feeling of “Awwwwwwwwwww”; if you look at the front cover of this album, John is
pictured as himself and after listening to his music, I actually want to give
this guy a hug and he seems rather sweet.
Yes, I have gone all girly and decided that maybe we need these little acoustic
albums to chill us out and calm us down. Fluff finds this very hard as a
metalhead! My first listen involved a lot of cringing but I cannot be bias and
just simply state “what a load of turdy bum”; just for the simple fact that is
an acoustic album which in all honesty would be rather enjoyed more by my Nan.
There are no hidden head bang or dance moments, this album is written from
the heart and is simple; one man and his guitar. If you enjoy delicate sounds
and acoustic guitars whilst sipping your Pimms in your Garden; this album is a
must buy. If you are like me and need a bit of strife in ya life, then I
wouldn’t recommend it. I have chilled out a bit after listening…..but I need my
‘Rock’ to keep sane dammit. **
Review by Fluff
KLAUS SCHULZE/LISA
GERRARD Farscape (2CD)
SPV
The German electronic genius, dreamer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist
Schulze has teamed up with Australian vocalist Lisa Gerrard for this double CD.
Seven tracks (entitled “Liquid Coincidence 1-7”) over the 2 CDs, and 1 opens
with long, slow, electronic sounds in very ambient fashion, and Gerrard’s vocals
very slow and almost celtic/operatic.
Other electronic noises
punctuate the vocals in Mike Oldfield or Enya at half pace fashion. More of a
soundscape (or even a dreamscape) than a song. Things do pick up, with something
resembling a rhythm coming in too. A little drawn out at 22 minutes.
The 30 minute “Liquid Coincidence 2” follows, with a mid-paced rhythm throughout
and a touch of a chant to the vocals.
More effects and patter litter “3”, another 25 minute dreamscape. Again a slight
celtic / world music feel to the electronic feel.
Disc 2 manages to squeeze in 4 tracks. “4” opens with a dramatic minor chord and
a Japanese feel to the vocals before the dreamscape returns.
I had to quickly skip
through, fearing sleep or something worse.
While the feel is good and
will interest some, it does nod at the kind of music new age folk (think Viz’s
Modern Parents) would give birth to. OK it’s electronic and not whale music but
you get the idea.
It also highlights the big downside of the CD age, made worse over 2CDs. “Look
there’s space let’s fill it!”, where a 45 minute LP forced you to be more
succinct with your ideas.
And yes I’m well aware I may have missed the intended point, more - so I fear it
missed me by a long long way. **
Review by Joe Geesin
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