Album Reviews
TROY REDFERN – ‘THE FIRE COSMIC’
AUGUST ALBUM OF THE MONTH Nightfall. Imagine Marshal Jed Cooper and Captn Jack Sparrow racing to Rockfield late at night in the Batmobile – and you have the essence of ‘Scorpio,’ the opening track of this benchmark new album from Troy Redfern. The swagger and grit of a spaghetti western, …
THE ELLIS MANO BAND – ‘AMBEDO’
JULY ALBUM OF THE MONTH OK folks, it’s time to take the black T shirts off and get those chinos on for summer. Here’s an album that reminds us that guitar rock music today extends far beyond heavy rock riffs, mosh pits, devil horns and those sometimes tired-looking black T …
SPIKE – ‘LATE NIGHT SONG BOOK’
JUNE ALBUM OF THE MONTH As the dark era of Covid and repeated waves of home lockdown finally draw to an end, here we have an album that, in substance and spirit, speaks for the difficult times we have lived through. Once upon a time, album reviews were all about …
TWISTED ILLUSION – TEMPLE OF ARTIFICE
MAY ALBUM OF THE MONTH There’s an unprecedented amount of new music released every week – but there’s not that much that’s truly jaw-dropping on first listen. This is where Twisted Illusion come in. To this day, I remember very clearly the listener reaction to the band during our Wellbeing …
CRY FOR MERCY: ‘RESIST’
APRIL ALBUM OF THE MONTH This review is probably a reflection of the character, enterprise and engagement of a band that spans the duration of a pandemic – and concludes with a fine debut album. When I set up the rock caravan on the first day of the first lockdown, …
UNKNOWN REFUGE – ‘FROM THE DARKNESS’
MARCH ALBUM OF THE MONTH With promise of the lockdown paralysis easing, the spring sunshine may well usher in a new era of hope, as we all slowly start to rebuild our lives – and, for some, to contemplate the prospect of a world with gigs once again. The end …
INGLORIOUS – ‘WE WILL RIDE’
FEBRUARY ALBUM OF THE MONTH Seven years in to Great Music Stories, I’m yet to write an ‘Album of the Month’ review for Inglorious – but this is absolutely the right time. ‘We Will Ride’ is both a step up and a departure for Inglorious who have created what is …
THE MARSHALL CHESS – ‘TIME AND TIDE’
JANUARY ALBUM OF THE MONTH Nothing like a bit of intrigue to get a New Year rolling! Richard Jones of Fireroad is back; but not as Richard, nor as Fireroad. It is Fireroad music but at the same time it’s not – it’s The Marshall Chess – and it’s marvellous. …
THE DUST CODA – ‘MOJO SKYLINE’
DECEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH To this day, I clearly remember the first time I heard a Dust Coda song. I remember too, the reaction after I first played that song on air the following week. When a song can take you back to the time, the place, the feeling …
MIKE ROSS – THE CLOVIS LIMIT PART 2
NOVEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH If you’re a fan of The Allman Brothers and early Clapton you’re in for a treat here. ‘The Clovis Limit Part 2’ is an album rich in sonic warmth and conviction that is both a celebration of retro influences and yet, in spirit, speaks for …
FISH – WELTSCHMERZ
The planets have fully aligned for this one: Narrative, vocal, music, arrangement and visuals work together in perfect harmony for an album that is both powerful and vulnerable, complex and yet stripped back. The party may soon be over, but with ‘Weltschmerz’ Fish bows out with his finest studio album in 30 years.
SCARLET REBELS – ‘LIVE AT SONIC ONE’
SEPTEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH It’s a year since Scarlet Rebels unleashed ‘Show Your Colours’ – an album we called as ‘Album of the Month’ in August 2019 – and, with hindsight, it’s proven to be one of the defining rock albums of recent years. Why? – because the music …