It wasn’t always multi-platinum sales and stadium gigs for Dokken. There was a first-phase and there were early days, and it is those bold first steps to stardom which are celebrated comprehensively on Dokken’s The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 album, out on August 28th 2020 through Silver Lining Music. Featuring spectacular sleeve art by renowned US artist Tokyo Hiro (Motörhead,... Continue Reading →
CD review JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE ‘Once Bitten Acoustic Bytes’
When bands release a new version of their milestone albums, it is often an ambiguous issue that raises the question of 'why'. The 'new' Jack Russell's Great White album belongs in this category. 'Once Bitten' is certainly one of the pearls of '80s hard rock. Billboard Charts position 23 and the successful singles 'Rock Me'... Continue Reading →
CD review HORISONT ‘Sudden Death’
'Sudden Death' isn't deadly. On the contrary. Horisont's new album is vital and alive from start to finish. It exudes a lightness that makes it easy for the fans of well-crafted rock music to listen to the album. At the same time Horisont manage to ensure a long term listening experience through multi-layering and with every new round on your recordplayer new details appear. All in all 'Sudden Death' is a great album which actually should be enjoyed as vinyl.
Today, PRISTINE release a new EP
Norwegian rock band Pristine announces today the release of their new digital EP 'Fireball'. The band states, "We are very happy to announce the release of our EP this spring! In these challenging and strange times we felt the need to reflect on humanity and what makes us who we are. The beautiful cover art is designed by the... Continue Reading →
CD review BLAST BOMB ‘Live & Explosive in the UK’
Blast Bomb stands for dirty and down-to-earth rock, spiced up with a strong pinch of a punk attitude. The first time I heard of Blast Bomb was when they opened for Life Of Agony last year in Hamburg. Due to a relatively late announcement as support and an early stage time, the guys had to... Continue Reading →
CD review THE ALLIGATOR WINE ‘Demons of the Mind’
The Alligator Wine is an outfit I can recommend to fans of well-crafted and melodic Rock music that comes with nuances and twists that not necessary follow the standard recipe. And it's exactly this divergence, being the extra spice that makes a difference.
THE NEPTUNE POWER FEDERATION – a band on the upswing
It is almost impossible to have an overview of all bands and releases these days and sometimes it is also a coincidence that draws your attention to a certain band. In this case it is The Neptume Power Federation and their second album that came to me in such an unusual fashion. It was a... Continue Reading →
CD review AXEL RUDI PELL 'Sign of the Times'
Consistency is a virtue in fast changing and dynamic times. One of these anchor points, at least when it comes to Rock music, is Axel Rudi Pell. The German guitarist found his success formula many years ago and sticks to it since more than 30 years. Also the newest longplayer 'Sign of the Times' isn't... Continue Reading →
Hamburg’s rock & metal scene in times of corona – MOTÖRIZER – Motörhead Tribute Band
Covid-19 and the taken measures have a big impact on everybody individually, but have also an impact on the music business. Enough of a reason to reach out to clubs, bands,… in the greater Hamburg area, today we include a band from Kiel, to see what the situation is and how everybody can stand together... Continue Reading →
CD review DIE HAPPY ‘Guess What?’
Although having played quite some shows over the last years, a new studio album wasn't in sight for many years. 'Everlove' was unleashed in 2014 and April 2020 is the month that ends the wait for fans of the German rock institution. 'Guess What?' is Die Happy's ninth album and it's out in the record... Continue Reading →
Hamburg’s rock & metal scene in times of corona – PLATTENKISTE
Covid-19 and the taken measures have a big impact on everybody individually, but have also an impact on the music business. Enough of a reason to reach out to club, bands,… in the greater Hamburg area to see what the situation is and how everybody can stand together to go though this. Today we continue with Plattenkiste and Christian Kind, describing the situation there.
BPMD unveil a first song
BPMD is a new name in Metal although the protagonists are very well-known. BPMD – simply the abbreviation for Bobby Blitz (Overkill), Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs Sons Of Apollo), Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance) and Phil Demmel (Violence, ex-Machine Head). These four guys unveil today a first song, a cover version. They re-did Aerosmith's 'Toys in the Attic' and... Continue Reading →
CD review CHRONUS ‘Idols’
'Idols' is an album of a band that could firm under a logo saying 'Youth Gone Wild'. Talent, passion and savvy, that's what the four guys express via songs that are impressive. Hard Rock and Metal fuses on this album to an irresistible mix that you shouldn't miss. I guess this is just the beginning and we will hear more of Chronus in the near future. These guys came to stay.
CD review BUFFALO SUMMER 'Desolate Blue'
Soundwise Buffalo Summer is rooted in Hard Rock of the '70s/'80s with bands Like Led Zeppelin, Free and Whitesnake being a strong source of inspiration. The quartet uses these influences and connect them with a modern sound, leading to grooving and dynamic songs like 'Hit the Ground Running' and 'Deep Water'.
CD review FREEWAYS 'True Bearings'
Freeways, hailing from Ontario, Canada, have a new album in the starting blocks. 'True Bearings' is the title of their newest delivery, a seven songs comprising record acting as a full-length debut for the band. The first time I heard of the band was while listening to the 'Trapped Under Ice Vol.1'-compilation, featuring many (in... Continue Reading →









