D-A-D head to the UK in November

D-A-D head to the UK in November

D-A-D head to the UK at the start of their European tour in November/December to play a couple of shows in Manchester and London, with special guests Hangarvain supporting.

20th November, Academy 3, Manchester
21st November, Dingwalls, Camden

It’s been 8 years since Denmark’s most celebrated rock band D-A-D released their last studio album but finally the wait is over, it’s been a long time coming but it has been well worth it!
The new album harks back to the core of what D-A-D does better than most: four guys who play thrilling rock music with ferocious energy, catchy songs and an infectious commitment. ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ has a clear musical link to classic D-A-D albums such as ‘No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims’ and ‘Riskin’ It All’. The band was able to pick and choose from a large selection of songs which have been distilled down to what bassist Stig Pedersen describes as the “cream of the crop”. Among the 11 tracks on ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ you’ll find songs that fit right into a vintage D-A-D mould: throbbing, adrenaline-soaked rock, big ballads and mid-tempo songs guided by strong melodies.

According to the band itself, this is a contemporary D-A-D album where the quartet has refined some of their cardinal virtues. Everything superfluous has been discarded in the editing suite, cutting the sound and the band’s expression right down to the core.
This is what D-A-D have to say about their new album:
“In the past we have occasionally gone down new avenues to try out stuff that was pretty far from the heart of what we do. It’s been a lot of fun, but this time we have tried to narrow it down to the essence. This time around, we are just being who we really are. ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ is a record where the focus is on melodies and energy. We’ve made a real effort when it comes to writing the choruses and it’s resulted in some great songs where we were meticulous with the details without losing the original rawness and pure energy.”

The band worked on ‘A Prayer For The Loud’ for the past three years, while breaking off to go touring. The album was produced in familiar surroundings at Grapehouse studio in Copenhagen with longtime collaborators Nick Foss and Rune Nissen Petersen. It’s resulted in a record which the band is thrilled about. Frontman Jesper Binzer says: “Most of all we are proud that we have nailed 11 awesome tracks that are based on where we are right now. We are not shooting in the dark here – this is straight from the heart.”

 

http://d-a-d.dk/ 
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Backstreet Girls – Normal Is Dangerous ( Voices Of Wonder)

Backstreet Girls – Normal Is Dangerous ( Voices Of Wonder)

What do you want from your rock and roll? Uh you yes I’m talking to you. Do you want loud guitars with about 30% Chuck Berry riff-a-rama and about 30% AC/DC  another 30% punk rock attiude like The Ramones and 10% stubbourness and a middle finger fuck you we’re doing it our way or no way at all.  Well, if that’s what your looking for then might I introduce Backstreet Girls a rock and roll band from Norway.  Who are on their umpteenth album and something of Rock and Roll royalty in their homeland and so they bloodywell should be.  They do what they do and do it exceedingly well they don’t follow fashions they just get on with what gets them off and that’s the deal they don’t experiment they just write the best songs they can at the time and kick the shit out of their equipment to get the best songs laid down.  They sing about birds, Booze and back beats oh and cars, fights and good times.  Like I said what else do you want?

 

Petter Baarli knows every chuck Berry lick off by heart and duck walks like a good un and on songs like the rapid ‘where Have All The Bad Boys Gone?’ they pose the questions.  The don’t offer the answers or come up with solutions that’s not what they’re about but fuck me sideways they do it exceptionally well and boy does it sound good when they hit full tilt.

They can marry boogie with some Ramones punk not the 50’s melodies and they’re not tipping the hat to the shagri las but they’ve stolen the good beats and guital riffs and with Bjørn Muller they have the perfect 40 a day whisky swigging razor blade vocals that have the warm edge but boy is it a marriage made in hell as they instinctively feed off one and other to deliver the best boogie rock and roll anywhere right now.

 

Its not all top down cruising round at breakneck speed waving their middle finger in the air, as ‘Phenomenal’ is laid back and grooving because they can but hold on to your ladies ‘Status Quolity’ is up next and it sounds like Motorhead found a quo songbook down the back of some backstage sofa and dusted off a few bars for themselves, oh, and that slide is Joe Perry tastic. They’ve brought us wild women and bad bad boy7as in the past but this album is rock solid and there isn’t a weakness anywhere throughout the twelve tracks.

 

‘Wild Wilder’ is down and dirty with a chorus you’ll be joining in with and punching the air with plenty of verve knowing you’ve just been given another quality lesson in bad boy boogie with Oslo’s finest.  I’d love to see these boys land a big tour and take their tunes to the masses and kick thousands of backsides in the process. To finish this one off ‘Motorhellway’ revs up and speeds off into the sunset.  Backstreet Girls have done it again they came they saw they delivered a loud rousing rock and roll fuck you!   Times might be changing with global politics in the gutter but fuck it lets rock and let ‘Normal Is Dangerous’ be the soundtrack to the impending Armageddon

Buy ‘Normal Is Dangerous’ Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Black Flag, Total Chaos – TramShed Cardiff, 12/10/19

Black Flag, Total Chaos – TramShed Cardiff, 12/10/19

Well, the hills were definitely alive with the sound of music this weekend as Cardiff was rock city central with quality on offer at every turn across the city and tonight, Saturday, You have MC50 and the Coop over at the enormadome but me I’m in the sweaty packed confines of the Tramshed to witness the first performance of Black Flag in this town along with Californian punks total Chaos.

I was pleased to see the venue was pretty much sold out considering what else was on in town and a really mixed audience packed out the place. Total Chaos takes the stage and immediately get down to business and use every year of their 30 plus in this business to knock out a set of dirty filthy metal meets street punk that ticked all the boxes.  Spikey har, shouty choruses, swearing, studded belts, black and white t-shirts, and songs that rally against the government, cops, teachers, parents, society etc bla, bla, bla but- big but.  They do it well and in a really convincing manner. In fairness, unlike many of their contempories, the temptation to take it in a full metal direction is resisted and to be nothing more than a “go through the motions” punk by numbers band is also averted but only just. 

As nice as it was to see the likes of Total Chaos play Cardiff Tramshed tonight is all about the headliner for me having never seen Ginn play and having been familiar with the various line ups throughout my adult life it was one to tick off the list even if it was Black Flag twice removed.  to say it is a band that had many line up changes and different vocalists that managed to remain credible throughout its existence so why should now be an exception? if you’ve got a ticket for Black flag 2019 then you know what you’re getting so all that history and he said she said should be tucked away under the mattress for tonight.  Ginn and Valley work well and to be fair as a frontman Black Flag are the perfect vehicle and his delivery is spot on at times you could close your eyes and be forgiven for thinking Rollins was on the stage. It was a best of set and I’d imagine by the laminated set lists the same set on every night of the tour ‘Black Coffee’ sounded brutal as did the likes of ‘Fix Me’, ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ and ‘Loose Nut’ and this four piece were nailing the Black Flag sound with the aid of the incredibly tight rhythm section  who to be fair were the perfect players to enable Ginn to do his thing as he gave his head a wobble and let his fingers fly across the fretboard. There were times when the extended intros went on a little longer than they possibly should as it kinda stopped any momentum building but it did provide some respite and showcase how good the players were riffing off each other ‘Six Pack’ was definitely the exception to the rule with the rhythm section hammering home how tight they were and how bloody good the song is.

Valley must have gobbed out twice his body weight but worked up a hell of a sweat as he brought the house down with a brutal ‘Six Pack’, ‘Clocked In’ and crowd pleasers ‘Jealous Again’ but it was the finale of ‘Nervous Breakdown’ followed by an exceptional ‘Rise Above’ complete with gang vocals from Total Chaos before the final number the progbustin ‘Louis Louis’ that seemed like a strange song to end the set, Well under normal circumstances it would have been nice to hear a couple of other Black Flag tunes but I guess a cover is alright but to make it last over ten minutes might have been a cool down post-workout for the band and those in the pit but it was the opportunity for me to snake my way out of the venue and get a head start getting out of dodge.

I’m glad I got the chance to see such a legendary name and player like Ginn play his songs but I can’t help think how much I’d love to have seen the original or the Rollins version but I guess that was then and this is now and the now is a pretty cool place to be. It might not be the ’70s anymore but I’m sure Ginn is pleased there isn’t a line of cops outside with billy clubs drawn. The club is clean and the stage pristine and raised unlike the good/bad old days and security that are really excellent and look out for the audience who might have had a little too much to drink, are rowdy, take no notice of the no crowdsurfing signs and run the club well. Whilst the trade-off might be a little of the danger that’s associated with Black Flag or the edge of seeing them in a tight room with an air of rebellion and danger might have dissipated but these are different times for sure but one thing remains and thats the back catalogue of songs. They are still as good as they ever were and as long as Ginn has six strings on his guitar the singers may come and go but they will always be one of the most influential bands from American punk rock and that will never be diminished.

Who Knows, Maybe, just maybe before these guys retire it would be nice to know that the old members would shake on it and for one night only turn back the clock but until then this version is more than capable of delivering the goods.

Author: Dom Daley

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Alice Cooper / The Stranglers / MC 50 – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff – 12/10/2019

Alice Cooper / The Stranglers / MC 50 – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff – 12/10/2019

I’d witnessed every Alice Cooper show in Wales… until the last one. Why the sabbatical? It was an all-seated affair – the anathema of the true rock ‘n’ roll fan. So why, a number of years later, did I find myself taking a seat in the very same venue to attend the final show on the UK leg of the Godfather of Shock Rock’s ‘Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back’ tour? Well, after squinting my RnR morals and convincing myself that Alice’s legendary live show fusion of vaudeville and Grand Guignol would be the one thing that would suit an all-seated affair, and questioning just how many more times I would get the chance to see the artist formerly known as Vincent Furnier, I conceded that there were worse things to do on a Saturday night in the run-up to All Hallow’s Eve than watch one of the most iconic performers of his generation.

“Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!” A curious choice of term to administer to the auditory canals of hundreds of ageing rock fans sat down at around teatime, you’d think. Not when it’s coming from the MC50, the alternative supergroup of sorts put together by the legendary Wayne Kramer to honour the legacy of his original band, the MC5. With Kramer, bedecked with red, white, and blue outfit and matching guitar, flanked by guitarist Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, bass player Billy Gould of Faith No More, with Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty bringing up the rear and Zen Guerilla frontman Marcus Durant finger-snapping front and centre, this would be a true rock ‘n’ roll spectacle to see based on line-up alone; if, of course, the band didn’t have a slew of time-honoured tunes to back it up.

‘Kick Out The Jams’ came early (second song in, following a Kramer-fronted ‘Ramblin’ Rose’) but it was a lighting of the touch paper of an incendiary nine-song set that didn’t shave an inch off the original MC5’s legendary status. A classic one-two-three of ‘Come Together’, ‘Motor City is Burning’, and ‘Borderline’ was given a riotous rock ‘n’ roll run for its money by the similarly pulsing ‘Everything’, ‘Call Me Animal’, and ‘Sister Anne’, before Durant – a masterstroke of frontman recruitment, it has to be noted: towering in both stature and vocal prowess – took off his seemingly perma-shades for a set-closing ‘Looking At You’. “Fight The Power!” a Trump-baiting Kramer shouted as the band left the stage, victorious… and I fought the urge to tell the clod-eared jokers around me who had retreated to the bar to swill overpriced beer down their insipid, Planet Rock-loving necks that they had turned their backs on probably the best band to ever open a three-band-bill at the ungodly hour of 7 pm.

The gentleman seated next to my good self was witnessing The Stranglers live for the thirty-fifth time and, it soon became very clear, a lot of people were there to see the veteran act. It’s almost thirty years now since Hugh Cornwell left the band, but his current replacement, Baz Warne (as featured on a lengthy list of former Toy Dolls band members), is more than a worthy successor to the position; the singer/guitarist more than at home alongside original members, bassist/vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel and keyboardist Dave Greenfield, plus (baby-faced in comparison) drummer Jim Macaulay.

‘Relentless’, from 2016’s ‘Suite XVI’, reminded everyone in attendance that this band isn’t just a nostalgia act on the retro tour circuit, but the core of the setlist (as many would have expected/hoped of a shorter, eleven-song support set) was culled from the most famed corners of the band’s back catalogue. From opener ‘Toiler On The Sea’ to the set-closing ‘No More Heroes’, via ‘Nice ‘n’ Sleazy’, ‘Peaches’, ‘(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)’, and, of course, ‘Golden Brown’, The Stranglers did nothing but impress upon those not already converted that they had been spectators of a classy performance from one of the truly great British bands. It may have lacked the adrenalin kick of the MC50’s set, but the Meninblack produced something as cool and slick as black ice.

All-seated? Pah! The curtain hiding Alice Cooper’s latest stage set – his Nightmare Castle – hadn’t hit the deck before almost every single person in the floor seating area was on their hooves, bolt (in the neck) upright, raising fists and yelling in the direction of opener, ‘Feed My Frankenstein’. That opener (culled from 1991’s ‘Hey Stoopid’) was an early indicator as to the tone of the show, with many tunes pulled kicking and screaming from that mid-eighties onwards cock shock rock period of the Alice Cooper story. Guitarist Nita Strauss, a whirling dervish throwing out, at times, Vinnie Vincent-like numbers of notes, was perfectly suited to paying the utmost rocking respect to this era; her hard-hitting shredding style underpinning ‘Bed Of Nails’ (from 1989’s ‘Trash’), ‘Roses On White Lace’ (from 1987’s ‘Raise Your Fist And Yell’), and the ‘Constrictor’ duo of ‘Teenage Frankenstein’ and ‘He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)’. The latter was, of course, featured on the soundtrack of 1986 horror sequel Friday the 13th, Part 6: Jason Lives, and this unashamed Eighties horror obsessive loved hearing it in the set. Jason himself made an on-stage appearance too; goring the throat of a teen with a plastic machete before revealing that the man behind the mask was none other than – yep, you’ve guessed it – that fella whose face was on those thirty quid T-shirts in the foyer.

The song choices weren’t purely focussed on big hair and big scares, however: ‘Raped and Freezin’ made a most welcome return to the setlist, a true highlight to be honest, and ‘My Stars’ and ‘Muscle of Love’ checked the same box too. ‘Fallen in Love’, from 2017’s ‘Paranormal’, appears to be a mainstay in the set nowadays and fits in perfectly and, writing of mainstays, ‘Poison’ appeared surprisingly early at the mid-point of the set, following a seminal one-two of ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘Billion Dollar Babies’.

Babies, you say? Arguably the most ludicrous yet entertaining of Alice’s stage props appeared after a breathless ‘execution’ section where a twisted fusion of ‘Steven’, ‘Dead Babies’, ‘I Love The Dead’, and ‘Escape’ saw the Coop rid himself of straightjacket, cleaver a baby’s head off, lose his own head via tried and trusted guillotine, then burst back from the dead via a coffin adorned with his legendary eye make-up: interspersed by a giant inflatable baby toddling around with his severed head, of course.

There was a Chuck Garric-sized hole on the stage – the bass player temporarily replaced by Hollywood Vampires four-stringer Chris Wyse, who certainly has the pedigree (The Cult, Ozzy, Ace Frehley) if not the same stage presence – but Strauss attempted to fill it at every available opportunity. Glen Sobel remains one of the finest drummers hitting the skins today – that punters didn’t return to their seats during his drum solo says a lot – and the über cool six-string pairing of Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen never fails to impress, inspire, and make a little jealous, even if the latter has added a meta twist these days by channelling his inner Andy McCoy and looking not unlike Electric Angels era Roxie.

After the aforementioned ‘Teenage Frankenstein’ closed the main set, Alice reappeared for the two-song encore wearing a Wales football shirt – with Cooper and the number 18 on the back, obviously – and parked the proverbial bus for an understandably incredible run through the classic ‘Under My Wheels’. Only one song could have brought the night(mare) to an all-too-early conclusion. Original Alice Cooper band bass player Dennis Dunaway had joined the stage for ‘School’s Out’ earlier on the tour, but for the Welsh date it was first Wayne Kramer, then Kim Thayil who stepped up; the latter half-inching Henriksen’s guitar and having to be guided through the now-expected mid-song segue into ‘Another Brick in the Wall’. Before class was over, the rest of the MC50 and all of The Stranglers were on the stage for proper throwback end-of-tour hijinks in keeping with the Eighties feel of the setlist.

I have never seen a bad Alice Cooper show, and nothing changed on an October night in the Welsh capital. In fact, if the stewards employed at the Motorpoint Arena had been as torch-happy as the cinema ushers of my youth (when I first experienced some of these Cooper tunes) then I would have found myself on the edge of my seat…

Author: Gaz Tidey

Photos courtesy of Nev Brooks

GOO GOO DOLLS CONFIRM UK TOUR FOR FEBRUARY 2020

GOO GOO DOLLS CONFIRM UK TOUR FOR FEBRUARY 2020

Goo Goo Dolls have confirmed a UK tour for next year kicking off in Glasgow on February 19th 2020 which includes a show at London’s Roundhouse on February 28th. Singer John Rzeznik said “I love playing the UK, the audiences are amazing. We always have a blast so it’s a real pleasure to be coming back”

Tickets are on general sale: Friday 18th October 2019 at 10:00 a.m. HERE.

UK dates are:
Wed-Feb-19 Glasgow Academy
Fri-Feb-21 Manchester Albert Hall
Sat-Feb-22 Leeds Academy
Mon-Feb-24 Nottingham Rock City
Tue-Feb-25 Birmingham O2 Institute 1
Thus-Feb-27 London Roundhouse
With more than 3 decades together as a band and over 12 million albums sold, four-time GRAMMY-nominated rock band Goo Goo Dolls released their 12th studio album Miracle Pill earlier this year. As well as the hit single “Miracle Pill”, the engaging and timely record also features “Indestructible” which was added to the A-List at Radio 2.   In addition, the track ‘Fearless’ has just been added to the LA Dodgers in-stadium playlist – check it out HERE.

 

The band also delivered two unforgettable performances of “Miracle Pill” on Good Morning America and Live With Kelly and Ryan.

 

Goo Goo Dolls recently wrapped up a tour of South America with Bon Jovi which included a performance at iconic music festival Rock In Rio. They embark on a headline tour later this month kicking off in Austin, TX on October 25th which visits over 20 cities across North America. For tickets and a complete list of dates, visit GooGooDolls.com.

Grand Slam Announce UK Headline Shows In Winter 2019

Grand Slam Announce UK Headline Shows In Winter 2019

Grand Slam set to release debut studio album “Hit The Ground” Released 22ndNovember 2019

Following a critically acclaimed performance at Ramblin’Man Fair 2019, Grand Slam are thrilled to announce a series of UK shows to coincide with the album release, with more to be announced.

UK Tour Dates
Fri 22ndNov – Underworld, London
Wed 27thNov – Robin 2, Wolverhampton
Fri 29thNov – Winter Storm Festival
Tue 3rdDec – Trillians, Newcastle
Wed 4thDec – Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent
Thu 5thDec – Bannermans, Edinburgh

Tickets are available here – https://grandslamrocks.com/live/

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Inglorious announce full UK tour starting tomorrow

Inglorious announce full UK tour starting tomorrow

British rockers Inglorious are thrilled to announce their full UK tour, which will start tomorrow

Following the successful launch of brand new album “Ride To Nowhere” earlier this year, Inglorious are back on the road to bring their anthemic rock songs to fans across the country.

 

Inglorious are one of the most exciting and vital British rock acts to emerge in years and their shows promise to bring their iconic unique sound: a blend of influences from seminal rock albums of the 70’s reinterpreted through the band’s contemporary sensibilities.

UK Dates:
Thu, OCT 17 – Northampton – Roadmenders, United Kingdom
Fri, OCT 18 – The Picturedrome – Holmfirth, United Kingdom
Sat, OCT 19 – The Grand – Clitheroe, United Kingdom
Sun, OCT 20 – La Belle Angele – Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Tue, OCT 22 – The Welly – Hull, United Kingdom
Wed, OCT 23 – The Robin 2 – Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Thu, OCT 24 – TIVOLI – Buckley, United Kingdom
Fri, OCT 25 – Junction 1 – Cambridge, United Kingdom
Sun, OCT 27 – Gloucester Guildhall – Gloucester, United Kingdom
Mon, OCT 28 – O2 Academy Oxford – Oxford, United Kingdom
Tue, OCT 29 – Tramshed – Cardiff, United Kingdom
Wed, OCT 30 – Phoenix – Exeter, United Kingdom
Fri, NOV 1 – Concorde 2 – Brighton, United Kingdom

Tickets are available here – http://inglorious.com/#tourdates

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Down N Outz – ‘This Is How We Roll’ (UMC)

Down N Outz – ‘This Is How We Roll’ (UMC)

As someone who has followed Def Leppard’s career for nigh on four decades, I’ve always kind of thought of Joe Elliott’s Down N Outz as something he did between tours just to keep himself busy. Formed as a celebration of the music Elliott grew up listening to, I’ve only casually listened to their previous two studio albums and live album simply because I’m at a loss regarding how you could ever better those old Mott songs?

The band’s new album ‘This Is How We Roll’ is an altogether different proposition for me though as it features just one cover (of the Tubes’ ‘White Punks On Dope’) and here we finally get to hear what the Down N Outz (also featuring The Quireboys’ Paul Guerin and Guy Griffin on guitar, Keith Weir on keyboards, with Vixen’s Share Ross on bass, and Wayward Sons’ Phil Martini on drums) actually sound like doing their own thang.

Opener ‘Another Man’s War’ actually takes me right back to the days when I first heard ‘Wasted’, it might only sound like Joe’s day job band in vocals alone but its got that same organic vibe that those early Leppard songs had in spades, and whilst this is probably the most Mott sounding track on  ‘This Is How We Roll’ rest assured it is anything but a pastiche. Likewise, the album’s title track has an almost ‘High N Dry’ feel to it, and it is a pleasure to hear Elliott singing without multi-layered backing vocals. In fact, he’s probably never sounded more relaxed and in control of his voice.

The emotionally-charged piano-driven ‘Goodbye Mr. Jones’ is the type of tune guaranteed to give you goosebumps but for me, it is the much more subtle lyrical references during the jaunty pop of ‘Creatures’ that truly ticks all the boxes in the Bowie (yup that Mr. Jones) tribute department. This is easily my favourite track on ‘This Is How We Roll’ simply because it sounds like the band is having a wail of a time just doing what the hell they want to do.

With Elliott and Ronan McHugh behind the desk the production values on ‘This Is How We Roll’ are awesomely 70s-tastic – lush where they need to be, like on the almost Carpenters meets Cats In Space pomp of ‘Last Man Standing’ or truly bonkers like on the Beatles-y musical interludes of ‘Music Box’ and album closer ‘The Destruction Of Hideous Objects, Pt 3’.

‘Boys Don’t Cry’ meanwhile is a four to the floor rocker that puts me very much in mind of those ‘Hysteria’ era b sides where the band had the Lange production shackles loosened slightly and sounded like they were actually enjoying themselves. Look, I’m not being critical of that multi-platinum selling 80s version of Def Leppard it’s just that ‘This Is How We Roll’ took five years to record because of the respective members day job commitments – not because everything had to be multi tracked to the point of the song sounding almost secondary to the production. Just listen to the gospel tinged ‘Walking to Babylon’ or the dramatic ‘Let It Shine’ for examples of this in reverse, both are mid-tempo piano driven tunes that really do shine and could have very easily fitted into a Radio Caroline playlist back in the day.

The album’s only cover, ‘White Punks On Dope’ is also done very much in the Down N Outz style, and that in itself is what doing a cover should always be all about. Making it your own, so to speak.

I’ve had nothing but ‘This Is How We Roll’ on my stereo since it dropped a few days ago and my only slight criticism is that at twelve tracks in length (three of them being interludes and one a cover) I really could have done with hearing more of how the Down N Outz themselves really do roll. That’s because when these now not so young dudes and dudette get the bit firmly between their teeth on the eight original songs contained here it really is like the Golden Age of Rock N Roll all over again.

Glorious stuff indeed!

Author: Johnny Hayward

Buy ‘This Is How We Roll’ Here

Forever Vendetta – New Day Rising (Self Release)

Forever Vendetta – New Day Rising (Self Release)

It’s always great to discover new bands and even better when it’s local talent so it was a pleasure to get to listen too the debut album by Swansea band “Forever Vendetta” titled “New Day Rising”.

The band consists of Leigh Fuge – Guitar (Leigh also produced and mixed this record at his home studio),  Chris Tippett -Vocals/Guitar, Liam Alonzi – bass and Gareth Hunt – Drums.  

While this is the band’s debut album they have been around a while and released a couple of eps in the past before taking a hiatus but are now back older and wiser which for fans of loud rock music is a more than welcome return.

The album kicks off with the instrumental track “Unbreakable” and is an atmospheric gem that showcases the band’s musical chops.

 

“Come Alive” is up next and is a belter of a track with a great riff and pounding drums and slamming bass. Chris’s vocals are loud crisp and clear and the whole band gels together to create a glorious hard rock racket and it’s easy to understand why the band picked this song for their first video off the album.

“Easy Way Out” has the unrelenting quality that doesn’t dip for a second with a great anthemic chorus and some quality guitar work from leigh.

‘Just Can’t Quit You’ starts off with a great drum and bass groove before the acoustic guitar kicks in and this track is a slower-paced gem that showcases the quality and strength of Chris’s vocals.

‘Takin it back’ starts with a guitar riff which builds up slowly to a thunderous hook laden rocker of a track that grabs the listener and does not let go.

On ‘Roll It On Back’ and to these ears has a modern rolling stones vibe to it and is just a great Rock’n’Roll track which showcases the band’s versatility at trying different sounds while still retaining their own chemistry.

‘Don’t’ is a great ballad and is an excellent showcase for Tippett’s vocals and also how tight the band is.

‘Snake oil Saviour’ is a beast of a song with a great guitar riff from Lee and a fantastic bassline that locks in with some thunderous drumming and is a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on a classic Cult album.

‘Secret Tongues’ blasts out of the speakers and grabs the listener’s attention instantly with a great hook and chorus.

 ‘Not Your Hero’ is a groove-laden sonic assault with yet again a great bass and drum intro before a terrific guitar riff kicks in and with top quality vocals over the top and a stunning chanting chorus with another ripping solo making sure the quality doesn’t dip for a second.

That leaves us with the final track which is also the album title as ‘New Day Rising’  makes sure that this album finishes off with a bang. Dare I say a modern rock masterpiece.

 

Overall this is an excellent album with some stunning songs which I’m sure on repeated plays will have me going back for more. I hope to catch these guys live sooner rather than later and hear these tracks in a live setting where they’ll sound even bigger and better. 

So, support the album and support original music in these trying times, we need the power of music more than ever as a new day is indeed Rising.

Buy New Day Rising Here as well as the usual digital outlets from November.

Author: Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper

 

Michael Monroe – One Man Gang (Silver Lining Music)

Michael Monroe – One Man Gang (Silver Lining Music)

A lot has happened in the rock ‘n’ roll world in the four years since ‘Blackout States’, the last album from Michael Monroe, hit the shelves. Slash and Duff rejoined Guns n’ Roses and are currently touring the world, The Wildhearts reformed and released their first (and arguably most important) album in ten years. Hell, even former Hanoi Rocks guitar-slinging legend Andy McCoy has beaten his former bandmate to releasing an album in 2019!

But while the wait for ‘One Man Gang’ has been a long one, the delay has been for good reason. Deals were struck and dotted lines signed to secure a record deal, management and build a promotion team to help get this album out where it needs to be heard. A band has to do what a band has to do in these trying times.

I refer to this band as The Monroes, as it has become way more than Michael Monroe the solo artist. Since the addition of former Black Halos man Rich Jones five years ago, this is the most stable line-up Michael Monroe has ever had. With Steve Conte, Karl Rockfist and of course former Hanoi Rocks bandmate Sami Yaffa backing the livewire frontman for 9 years, they have become a world-class live unit to be reckoned with. They have a certain chemistry, whether in the studio or on the stage, that cannot be faked. A gang mentality if you like, and this band possesses it in spades.

 

Recorded in Finland over a 3 week period in March last year, ‘One Man Gang’ was self-produced by Michael, Steve, and Rich, with the assistance of long-time engineer Petri Majuri, and all of the band members contribute to the writing process. As with the previous 3 albums, it has a punchy sound and a crystal clear production that captures and accentuates their killer live delivery.

Preaching his PMA (positive mental attitude), Monroe leads his cohorts through an incendiary, punk fuelled opener. The title track blasts from the speakers with a statement of intent. A tongue twister of a verse delivered with the fury and enthusiasm of a snotty, punk-ass kid. “I was front of the line when they gave out atti-chood!” he drawls in that unmistakable tone. You gotta love him, and the fact that The Damned legend Captain Sensible guests here with some cool guitar, well you just gotta love this song.

Recent single ‘Last Train To Tokyo’ is Monroe’s love letter to a city that he has had a special relationship with since the Hanoi Rocks days. Musically, its familiar territory as Steve Conte’s cool lead guitar refrain stabs over Rich Jones’ ’78 styled, punky riffage. An overly catchy chorus follows a well trodden, glitter-pathed road, recalling old haunts and memories. It’s a good place to be.

 

‘One Man Gang’ is an album choc-a-bloc with punchy rockers, loaded with Yaffa’s pumping bass and the low slung guitars of the formidable duo Conte and Jones. The likes of ‘Junk Planet’ and ‘The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider’ are sure to be future live favourites.

Former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Nasty Suicide lends his six string prowess to the sonically seductive ‘Wasted Years’. It’s a song that has ‘single’ stamped all over it. There are hints of their former band as Monroe’s bursts of harmonica introduce the verses before another overly catchy chorus takes hold.  Elsewhere, ‘Hollywood Paranoia’ walks the boulevard of broken dreams for sure. With its prominent mariachi horn section and Hanoi-style ‘nearly out of tune’ backing vocals and a chorus that could’ve been pilfered straight from the ‘Not Fakin’ It sessions, ‘Heaven Is A Free State’ a surprise highlight that sees the band explore unchartered territory with great success.

 

 

They take things down momentarily. The balladic ‘Midsummer Nights’ is this album’s ‘Stained Glass Heart’, it’s pretty generic truth be told, and probably the only track that doesn’t really do it for me at this early stage. But the retrospective and contemplative ‘In The Tall Grass’ is much more interesting. The band creates atmosphere with great use of space, as our illustrious singer croons over a silky bass line. The guitars accentuating the vibe nicely in the background before breaking out into a guitar driven chorus, played out over urgent Rockfist beats. Another of many highlights.

 

If you are hoping for something groundbreaking from ‘One Man Gang’ you will be disappointed, but if you desire a high octane, rock ‘n’ roll rollercoaster of a ride, then sit back and buckle down. The Monroes deliver just what the doctor ordered. As the man himself says in the PR bumph “I do what I do and I’ll never change”.

Rock ‘n’ Roll legends are a dying breed. Michael Monroe is a living, breathing example to all aspiring musicians, and at 57 years old shows no sign of slowing down just yet. ‘One Man Gang’ is surely a testament to how having a full dose of PMA can do wonders for a rock ‘n’ roll soul.

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Author: Ben Hughes