With a name that will annoy grammar pedants the world over Atlas : Empire (yes, the gap is intentional) is an Alternative Rock band with a difference – the Scottish trio’s alt.rock comes complete with large servings of Prog, Metal, and Grunge. With three EPs under their belt since their formation in 2011, December 2018 sees the release of their debut album The Stratosphere Beneath Our Feet (self-released/Bandcamp).Continue reading
Tag Archives: Thomas Thrower
Creedence Clearwater Revival – The Complete Studio Albums (Half-Speed Masters 7 LP Deluxe Box Set)
1968 was a big year for Rock, seeing the release of The Beatles’ White Album, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland and The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet. Not to mention the formation of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Free and one of America’s premier Rock n’ Roll bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival. To celebrate their 50th anniversary Craft Recordings have compiled The Complete Studio Albums (Half-Speed Masters) 7 LP Deluxe Box Set, containing all seven albums remastered and restored onto 180g vinyl alongside an 80 page book containing archival photos and new liner notes by music journalist Roy Trakin.Continue reading
Rival Bones – Strangefruit EP
From the powerful opening salvo of ‘Beautiful/Dangerous’ and its driving beat, Indie Rockers Royal Blood come to mind. As well as the sonic similarities, Liverpool based Rival Bones are also a duo, with James Whitehouse on guitar and vocal duties and Chris Thomason on drums.Continue reading
Flat Earth – None For One
Hailing from the heavy music haven of Finland (seriously they must put something in the water over there) and with members previously in HIM and Amorphis, is Flat Earth. On their debut album, None For One (Drakkar Entertainment) the Finnish four-piece combine a Heavy Metal approach with melancholic and emotive sensibilities, the result being a supercharged take on Grunge and a textured record with equal amounts light and dark.Continue reading
The Struts – Young and Dangerous
With the resurgence of Classic Rock, bands like The Temperance Movement, Monster Truck and recently Greta Van Fleet, and the imminent release of the Bohemian Rhapsody film it is the perfect time for something new from The Struts. Formed in 2012, they are a four piece Rock band with an undimmed love for Queen, The Darkness and The Rolling Stones. Continue reading
VOLA – Applause Of A Distant Crowd
Danish quartet VOLA are an impossible band to pigeonhole as their 2016 debut Inmazes gleefully hopped genres encompassing Heavy Metal, Prog Rock, Industrial and Electro elements amongst others. Their new album Applause of a Distant Crowd (both Mascot) continues this broad outlook, but this time the keys of Martin Werner play a more prominent role.Continue reading
Vulcain – Vinyle
Formed in 1981, French Hard Rock trio Vulcain found a new lease of life and reformed in 2009 after over a decade away. Their new album Vinyle (Season of Mist) comes five years after their comeback album V8 and very much continues where they left off, namely the coarse and slightly punky brand of Hard Rock and Metal that caused critics to dub them “the French Motorhead” – no doubt helped by Daniel Puzio’s gruff vocals.Continue reading
Monster Truck – True Rocker
If, as world-renowned loud mouth Gene Simmons has more than once mused, rock is dead then someone forgot to pass the message on to Monster Truck. The Canadian four-piece have been churning out no-nonsense Rock since 2009, with their third album True Rockers (Mascot) carrying on their energetic mix of Southern and Classic Rock but, this time, with a few modern touches.Continue reading
Alice Cooper – A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia, Paris
Last year was a successful one for Alice Cooper, he released Paranormal to critical applause and chart success, breaching top tens across the world, claiming fourth spot in Australia and Germany, third in Switzerland and sixth in Sweden and the UK. On December 7th Cooper and his band stopped off at the Olympia, Paris for the final date on the Paranormal Tour, with the end result being his first live offering since Live at Wacken in 2014. Continue reading
The Vintage Caravan – Gateways
Like Earache, Nuclear Blast was initially known for their roster of heavier metal, but have widened their net in recent years to include vintage rock acts like Black Star Riders, Tax The Heat, The Night Flight Orchestra, Blues Pills and the focus of this review, The Vintage Caravan. From Iceland, they formed in 2006 and have their fourth album Gateways, which is forty-eight minutes of bluesy Hard Rock straight from the annals of the late sixties and seventies.Continue reading