Posted in Press Releases

“Joe Bonamassa – An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House” will be released in the U.K. on 2-CD, 2-LP, 2-DVD & Blu-ray formats by Provogue Records on Monday 25th March (followed by U.S. release on Tuesday 26th March). The release dovetails Bonamassa’s run of four exclusive London concerts which kicks off on March 26th at The Borderline.

The concert was recorded at the historic Vienna Opera House in July 2012 during a very special unplugged tour, played to a limited audience over seven exclusive European shows. Varying from Bonamassa’s predominantly electric blues shows, this presentation was an all-acoustic concert performance, making it a unique and very special show fans had been waiting years to experience.

The Opera House in Vienna, regarded as the “City of Music,” was ch...

Posted in Press Releases

Provogue Records (a division of Mascot Label Group) is pleased to announce the UK release of Eric Johnson’s special edition album ”Up Close – Another Look” on Monday 1st April. The album coincides with Johnson’s nationwide UK tour which starts at London’s o2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Wednesday 3rd April (full tour dates listed below).

Grammy award winning guitarist, songwriter and singer Eric Johnson brings listeners up close to his stunning musicality with the release of this custom European version of his sixth studio album. The 13-track affair presents 12 new Johnson compositions, plus his version of the Electric Flag song ‘Texas’. The special edition includes revised and remixed tracks featuring guest appearances from Steve Miller, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Lang and Sonny Landreth...

Posted in Press Releases

Journey and Whitesnake, with special guests Thunder, will appear onstage together for the first time ever taking in eight dates across the UK throughout May 2013. Tickets are available online from www.livenation.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Journey, one of the most popular American rock bands of all time, are responsible for creating some of the best-known songs in modern music. Over the years they have gained multiple accolades including 19 Top 40 singles, 25 Gold and Platinum albums and the single Don’t Stop Believin’ holding the #1 digital catalogue song in history...

Posted in Press Releases

Seminal thrash titans, EXODUS join the main stage ranks at this year’s hottest metal festival. The Nuclear Blast band are currently gearing up to release their eleventh studio album, and they tour the US next month in the company of Bloodstock buddies, Anthrax. Frontman Rob Dukes states: “We are stoked to be playing Bloodstock again. Last time we played, our set was unfortunately cut short because of timing issues. Not this year! We are going to destroy that place!!!!” Check out this footage of them slaying Wacken in ‘O8:

Also newly confirmed are thrash legends, DEATH ANGEL...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Lordi may have achieved worldwide fame in 2006 when they won the Eurovision song contest, but the band had been around a long time by then. The band formed in 1992, and by 1994 the costumes and masks had appeared. It would be easy to assume that the costumes and masks are a case of image over substance, but listen to one of the band’s albums and you’ll soon find that’s far from the truth. Lordi are actually a very talented band that you really should listen to – after all, a gimmick might get a band fame for a few years but no more than that, so for Lordi to last over 20 years suggests the music is good enough to stand on its own without the gimmicks.

Brief comments on a couple of songs..

The album starts with ”We’re Not Bad For The Kids (We’re Worse)” – a song that sounds like Lordi...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Greek AOR band Wild Rose formed in 2004 and released their demo in 2005 before following this up with a single in 2006. After that they were quiet for several years, partly due to two members of the band having to carry out military service, so it wasn’t until October 2011 that they released their debut album – half past midnight. Since then they haven’t wasted any time and at the start of 2013 are ready to release their second album – Dangerous.

The Greek music scene seems to have been growing in prominence in the last couple of years. Before then most rock fans would have struggled to name a single Greek band other than Firewind, but Wild Rose are probably around the tenth Greek band I’ve listened to in the last six months, and the standards have been extremely high.

A lot of AOR is l...

Posted in Cd Reviews

A spin-off from Last Autumns Dream, Heartbreak radio released their self titled debut album in 2005. For this new album, the line-up includes a number of singers and musicians – Mats Johanson (a guest soloist on Asia’s “Aqua” album), Berra Holmgren (Ace Of Base), the afore-mentioned Strandberg (Jeff Scott Soto), Johan Axelsson and the rousing sax of Wojtek Goral (Stevie Wonder’s band.) Vocalists invited to attend the recording sessions included Jim Jidhed (Alien), Henrik Baath (Dark Water) and solo artist Martin Gabriel.

With six out of ten of the songs including the word ”Love” in the title they must be trying for some sort of record...

Posted in Interviews

A dark rock band – Six Inch formed in Helsinki, Finland in the grey autumn of 2010. After few changes in the crew Andy Moisio, a singer with strong and really personal voice took place as the band`s vocalist from the next spring in 2011. Then Six Inch released its first two song demo in the summer and later in the same year an EP, containing five more rockn’ and more heavy, soulful songs. During the winter months in 2012 violinist Pinja and keyboardist Nestori joined the band so the sound became more dark, mysterious, and passionate. That’s how Six Inch finally got its own totally foggy, romantic and misty feeling on the way to release their debut album, which will appear in the era somewhere in this spring in 2013...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Death In Texas is continually stepping up their game and their newest single “Fear Of The Hundred” is no exception.

With a bass line and drum beat supporting a hauntingly beautiful piano melody, Death In Texas has created a tune that defies all logic. Listening to this track, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how they managed to create a song so full of contradictions to run so smoothly. This beat with that piano melody and those lyrics?! It shouldn’t have worked and yet it did.
Clearly, this trio has the whole Progressive Pop genre all figured out.

I know, I know, how can defining a song as a contradiction be a compliment? Well easy; the lyrics, dark in nature, match the deep rhythm of the bass and drum (played by Terry and Kane), while the light piano and soft yet strong vocals...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Tangowerk is the first solo album from Berlin based producer NHOAH. With this project he has brought together some very different sounds and merged them into one of the most interesting and unusual albums I’ve heard for some time. South American Tango music, modern electronic music, 80s pop and a whole host of other influences have been combined in Tangowerk.

The Tango and electronics make up the core of the sound with other influences appearing at different times throughout the album.

Brief comments on a few of the tracks..

The album opens with ”One more kiss”. The vocals are real crooner style and these are set against music which is a mix of South American classical dance and electronic. At times it’s got an 80s pop feel to it as well as having the Tango feel...