The Wicked Ravens – ‘Electric Marshland’ (Self-release/Bandcamp)

The Wicked Ravens – ‘Electric Marshland’ (Self-release/Bandcamp)

Hailing from the Essex delta of Colchester, loosely speaking, The Wicked Ravens manage to create songs that are influenced by the best bluesy rock of the 60s/70s without smelling of patchouli or wet dogs. In other words, they mean it, but aren’t pretentious. ‘Electric Marshland’ is their third album, and if this is your bag, you’re going to love it.

‘Future Days’ is the tune that immediately hooks me. I imagine Fiona is already fed up of being compared to Janis Joplin, but when you’re blessed with those pipes, what can you do? Here, her voice has more range and depth, and is authentic; this is no impersonation.

Opener, ‘DTC’, is more upbeat and groovy, with some righteous fuzz guitar and organ. “There’s a darkness in me, it’s coming out…”. ‘Little England’ has a rhythm like the best moments of The Stone Roses, and some Manzarek-style keyboards to boot. They’ve developed their sound over the years, and it’s paying off.

‘Swampy’ continues the deep groove, which will get your hips moving. “I’d take you to heaven, if I believed in the concept” is a great line. Danceable but soulful. The title track is different again, a delicate melody that draws you in slowly to their world. ‘Speaking In Tongues’ has a nice, dirty riff, just the right level of crunch. It also swings, which is a rare thing nowadays. Top notch.

‘Lost In A Cave’ brings out the acoustic and violin, showing another side to Fiona’s voice. It reminds me of Terry Reid, which is quite a compliment. “I lost a piece of me when you died. I’ll never get it back; why would I?”. I can empathise.

And then, ‘Weekend Anarchist’ introduces a melody that would suit Siouxsie And The Banshees, so they are capable of surprising the listener, whilst keeping their identity. ‘Antler Blues’ has that touch of The Doors again (the classy one, not the self-indulgent guff), while album closer ‘The Raven’ is a smoky, piano-led intro that suddenly changes pace. In less confident hands, this could easily be a mess, but The Wicked Ravens know what they’re doing and sound like they’re having fun doing it. Give it a spin on Bandcamp and add it to your basket.

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Ian Hunter Book by Ross Halfin (Rufus Books)

Ian Hunter Book by Ross Halfin (Rufus Books)

Ian Hunter’s influence spans over half a century.  Queen, The Clash, Blue Oyster Cult, and Morrissey have all cited or covered him, while Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott dubbed him his “rock god.” His shadow looms over acts as varied as Oasis, and The Struts. Bruce Springsteen called him “one of rock’s great voices,” and Bob Dylan publicly praised his lyricism. Ian Hunter remains one of British rock’s elder statesmen; respected, relevant, and still playing and recording music.

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As Joe Elliott says, “To me, Ian is as timeless as his music which is a constant in my life; always has been, always will be.”

Rufus Publications is proud to present ‘Ian Hunter’, a new book compiled by Ross Halfin with the full approval and input of Ian Hunter. The book features written contributions from Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and Johnny Depp, the latter has also made a very special contribution to the project in the form of a unique, limited edition, personally signed lithograph art print of his painting of Ian for the Defiance project.

Ian Hunter Patterson, charismatic frontman of Mott the Hoople, was a pivotal figure in shaping British rock music in the early 1970s. Mott the Hoople were on the verge of breaking up, when they were catapulted to prominence in 1972 after David Bowie gifted them their first major hit with ‘All the Young Dudes’.  The post-Bowie Mott the Hoople had considerable success with number of singles and albums, evolving beyond cult status and establishing Ian Hunter as a leading songwriter and performer.  Albums like ‘Mott’ and ‘The Hoople’ cemented the band’s place in rock history, with Ian Hunter as the shaggy-haired, charismatic frontman in shades; part street poet, part rock-and-roll survivor. He remained with the band until 1974, departing to pursue a solo career, but not before releasing ‘Diary of a Rock ’n’ Roll Star’; a book that Q magazine would later declare “may well be the best rock book ever”.

Hunter’s solo career has proved impressively durable, marked by sharp songwriting and A-list collaborations.  His 1975 eponymous debut, featuring Mick Ronson (Bowie’s former guitarist), set a benchmark for literate, emotionally charged rock.  Albums like ‘You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic’, ‘Welcome to the Club’, and ‘Rant ‘blended social commentary with personal insight.  More recent albums, including ‘Defiance Part 1’ and ‘Part 2: Fiction’, feature a star-studded cast of contributors; evidence of a legacy still very much in motion and admired by a Who’s Who in film, rock and pop lore. As Joe Elliott says in his introduction to the book, “To me, Ian is as timeless as his music which is a constant in my life; always has been, always will be.”

‘Ian Hunter’ the book traces his career from the early days of Mott, through his extensive solo career and the various celebrations of Mott that have taken place. Compiled over the last two years and filled with rare and unseen visual treats the book is a true celebration of Ian Hunter, singer songwriter and live performer.

Tom Morello – ‘Pretend you Remember Me’

Tom Morello – ‘Pretend you Remember Me’

Grammy-winning, Harvard-educated, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted artist, songwriter, and activist Tom Morello, releases his single, “Pretend You Remember Me” from his first solo rock project, released through Mom+Pop Music. 

“Pretend You Remember Me” features Tom’s haunting voice and always searing guitar riffs. The song was written by Morello, produced/mixed/mastered by Zakk Cervini and written in solidarity with immigrants after the recent militarization of ICE against immigrant communities & supporters in Los Angeles.

Tom says, “This song is written for all the families torn apart by the recent immigrant purges and kidnappings. Children torn from their wailing mothers’ arms by masked government thugs, people coming home to find their loved ones abducted by the state. Folks who worked, suffered, and struggled for decades just to make a decent life for themselves and their family were violently separated with an uncertain future. “Pretend You Remember Me” is for them and for all those who are finding the courage to stand up against racism, tyranny, and injustice.” 

The release of “Pretend You Remember Me” is in partnership with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a nonprofit organization that has served and protected the Los Angeles immigrant community since 1986. CHIRLA aids immigrants in getting the legal defense teams they need as well as fighting against wage theft, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace regardless of immigration status.

Last June, Tom released the single “Soldier in the Army of Love”, a guitar-driven track that showcases Morello’s signature sound, skillful riffs and a powerful solo penned by his son Roman Morello. Anthemic and commanding, Morello passionately declares, “Who needs a weapon when you were born one?”

Most recently, Tom was honoured to head the musical direction of the “greatest day in heavy metal history”, “Back to the Beginning”, the farewell show for heavy metal icons Black Sabbath and their legendary lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. Tasked with coordinating this 10+ hour bash spanning performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, Slayer, Tool, Alice In Chains, and star-studded supergroups, Morello paid the ultimate respect to the music that made him love music. 

Tom continues to tour the world, and after a stretch of sold-out US and Australia dates, he begins the next leg of his 2025 tour tonight in Vancouver with three more sold-out headlining Canadian shows and various festival appearances, including Ottawa Bluesfest. 

TOUR 2025

July 10, 2025 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, CAN

July 11, 2025 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, CAN

July 12, 2025 Calgary Stampede – The Big Four Roadhouse Stage Calgary, CAN

July 15, 2025 The Danforth Music Hall Toronto, CAN

July 16, 2025 Ottawa Bluesfest Ottawa, CAN

July 17, 2025 The Danforth Music Hall Toronto, CAN

July 19, 2025 K Days Music Festival Edmonton, CAN

August 30, 2025 Rocklahoma Festival Pryor, Oklahoma

October 18, 2025 Oakville Centre For The Performing Arts Oakville, ON

October 19, 2025 Living Arts Centre Mississauga, ON

October 21, 2025 FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre St. Catharines, ON

October 23, 2025 Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts Brantford, ON

October 24, 2025 Richmond Hill Centre For The Performing Arts Richmond Hill, ON

October 25, 2025 Kingston Grand Theatre Kingston, ON

October 26, 2025 River Run Centre Guelph, ON

October 28, 2025 Capitol Centre North Bay, ON

October 29, 2025 Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe Ottawa, ON 

October 30, 2025 The Rose Brampton, ON 

November 1, 2025 Théâtre Beanfield Montreal, QC

November 2, 2025 Imperial Bell Quebec City, QC 

November 3, 2025 Capitol Theatre Moncton, NB

November 5, 2025 Fredericton Playhouse Fredericton, NB

November 6, 2025 Imperial Theatre Saint John, NB

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The Eden House – ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ (Jungle Records)

The Eden House – ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ (Jungle Records)

2009 saw the original release of this Goth debut now on CD in digipack with bonus cuts galore, expanded to a whopping sixteen tracks, the original album plus six extras. A project originally put together by Fields Of The Nephilim pair Tony Pettitt and Stephen Carey, they always wanted the female vocals on there, so the unmistakable style of Julianne Regan was a no-brainer, and the main album has lost none of its instant fix appeal. There are also the very talented vocals of Monica Richards and Amandine Ferrari, who add gravitas to the project.

I guess making an album different from the day job is always the aim here, and it works from the artwork to the delivery of the music. The Eden House is a winner. The atmospheric opener is ‘To Believe In Something’, with its subtle, understated riff, big beats and strings on top of those layered vocals, is a chiming, haunting introduction. Then the haunting trip-hop beats of ‘All My Love’. The album doesn’t break into a sweat, rather satisfying music for music’s sake and creates a wall of sound that soothes the savage beast.

The layers of strings and hushed tones create a completely relaxed listen, and I’d almost forgotten how bloody good this album is as a complete work. ‘Iron The Soul’ briefly breaks the pace with added chaos and volume before settling back into the hypnotic groove. The album builds as a complete work to the closing epic of ‘Sin’ with Amandine Ferrari taking the vocals for the almost seven-minute epic.

The bonus disc opens with the excitement of ‘Freakshow’ with its throbbing bassline and vocal courtesy of Candia McKormack. Of the six bonus cuts on offer, you have the dark majesty of ‘Burn’ with some soaring vocals from Amandine.

It isn’t all serious Gothness here and the humour is illustrated on the sleeve with a quote from Spike Milligan and a succinct announcement courtesy of Derek and Clive which made me chuckle as ‘Killer’ twitched through my speakers before my reaquantance was complete with a full throttle version of ‘To Believe In Something’ going out as we came in. All in all, a very nice package and welcome listen to some Goth royalty on top of their game. It might be in the mid-thirties outside, but in here it’s dark and as cold as a castle’s cellar. almost perfect.

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Author: Dom Daley

Lipstick Vibrators – ‘Falling Down’ (Wanda Records)

Lipstick Vibrators – ‘Falling Down’ (Wanda Records)

Formed in the last decade, Paris punk n rollers Lipstick Vibrators knock out a very respectable trashy punk n roll sound that isn’t new but isn’t nostalgia, mixing the more trashy side of Hanoi Rocks with the more glamorous UK Subs built with the DNA from The Heartbreakers and Dead Boys and with a lethal mix of attitude and attack this is scuzzy trash n roll don’t take my word for it just turn up ‘Neurotic’ and lets its bad attitude wash over you. Described as Savage Rock n Roll isn’t a bad shout because they also have enough oil and gasoline in the tank, fueling the greasy stench pouring out of the speakers on the banger that is ‘Revolution Baby’.

‘Vivid Dreams’ is a late-night walk through Soho, hopped up on cheap speed and even cheaper vodka as the guitars cut through the grimey air with the sped up chorus that’s like a punch to the temple but an enjoyable buzz that’s for sure. ‘Two Fisted Drinker’ is one hell of a barroom brawl. Thunderous and bang up for some trouble. I’m always surprised by cities like Paris, with its glamorous and sleazy underbelly, that don’t produce a ton of bands as good as this; all the vital ingredients are there. Who knows, maybe something is happening and we can get the payoff sooner rather than later.

These guys sound like they’re having a ball as rockers like ‘Burning Inside’ are taking no prisoners and most definitely kicking out the jams. ‘Do The Pop’ is raw as fuck there are no studio trickery and fineries going on here, softening the rough edges and instead putting all their faith in the music to do their talking. ‘Lockdown’ puts on its dancing creepers for a good old bop before signing off. Leaving only ‘Amphetamine Blues’ to kick this bad boy home to get a few hours shut eye before heading off again, we’re here for a good time and not a long time, so get on your glad rags and let’s bop til you drop. Lipstick Vibrators are a bundle of energy with a pocket full of bad ass tunes you should check ’em out, and I’ll see you at the club make mine a double.

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Moron’s Morons – ‘Live in Kyoto’ (River Trash Records)

Moron’s Morons – ‘Live in Kyoto’ (River Trash Records)

Moron’s Morons, my favourite Polish punk n roll pioneers, live in Kyoto. Not something I thought I’d ever have to get my head around, but why the fuck not, eh? Moron’s Morons kick up a shit storm at the best of times in their studio recordings, so checking out this extended album of raw as fuck live tunes was a no-brainer for me and boy, do these cats kick out the jams.

Sounding like it’s taken from the desk with zero overdubs and zero fucks given, Moron’s Morons know exactly how to rock n roll. With a sleazy bubblegum chewing DNA channelling Thunders and all that good LES punk rock Morons’ imported it to deepest darkest Poland and injected it into their veins and poured it out onto the grooves of their records. How can you not love a song called ‘Possessed To Fuck’ that is the sound of a runaway train piling through anything and everything like the bastard sons of Lemmy’s Murder One amp chained to a monster PA. These Japanese kids are having a ball listening to this rumble through their ears.

There are eleven tracks of Thunder and hellfire. The bad boy boogie of ‘You Put The Hot In Psychotic’ is almost out of control twelve bar played with passion and speed but holding on by a thread with a ton of swagger.
In half an hour, they have the goods to convince any self-respecting punk n rolla that they have more than a handful of tunes to pull this off, the real deal in flight, just listen to the attitude of ‘White Brothel Creepers’ coming on like the amphetamine sons of Hanoi at the Marquee. ‘Let’s Get Hurt’ drops the boot before they sign off with ‘Fuelled By Hate’, and their work here is done. A blistering half hour of the finest rock n roll you can get in your ears and all from the comfort of your stereo. Get involved, these punks deserve it. More please guys

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Author: Dom Daley

GagBags – ‘Hypnotic Desire’ (NFT Records)

GagBags – ‘Hypnotic Desire’ (NFT Records)

GagBags are a London/New York project made from the twisted minds of members of the Gaggers and Trash Bags that will transport you back to the Soho filth of NYC and London of the 1970s, you can almost taste the pollution and cigarette smoke, hit the back of your throat. With the stupidly addictive sugar-sweet melodies that get stuck to your front lobes and melt into your addictive fun side of your brain, it’s ‘Juvenile/In Denial’ that takes hold. It’s an explosion of loud, caustic guitars attacking your senses alongside the Pete Shelly like vocal delivery, meets the deadpan gang vocals of Toilet Boys, what’s not to like?

Turn up the pace and dial in the melodies. ‘Visions Of You’ is like a trashy LES UK Subs tune dancing around early Blondie pop sensibilities, but it’s junk sick. There are thirteen of these thrashing around on the dance floor,r spilling cheap booze everywhere, but who cares, it’s all good fun as the guitars get louder and thrash about a little more whilst the vocals get more and more frustrated and holler into the mic like there’s no tomorrow. You’d like to think that in a just world, this would be all over the place and Stiv would be alive and wholeheartedly endorsing this stuff because this is the air to the nihilistic punk rock throne of the Dead Boys. By the time you get to the middle of the album, you should be well dialled into the trashiness of what’s going on and ‘Nowhere New York’ is assaulting you in the best possible way.

Those loud as fuck handclaps on ‘No Pity (For Me)’ give the thunderous rhythm some much-needed light and shade as we race to the finish line like Jagger on speed, having a howling good time getting loose. There are no ballads here, but if you want trash, then Gagbags are about as down n dirty as you can get. It’s like a breath of fresh air blowing through the sweaty subways fuckin with your head and taking numbers when you want the speed n low-fi values that The Gaggers left avoid For then this is the next best thing and it more than fills that void with addictive tunes, plenty of subtle melodies drawing you in for more. Pour yourself a cheap drink, throw in some ice and kick back and let Gagbags rough up your ears with their sleazy punk n roll. Buy IT!

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Author: Dom Daley

‘DIO – 1983 to 2006’ 

‘DIO – 1983 to 2006’ 

On the occasion of Ronnie’s birthday, Rufus Publications is proud to announce a new limited edition signed book

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After Rainbow and Black Sabbath Dio was the solo musical adventure Ronnie James Dio started in 1982. From the 1983 masterpiece of debut album HOLY DIVER, certified double platinum in the US with 2 million sales in 2022 and on from LAST IN LINE through to the last album MASTER OF THE MOON released in 2004, Dio unleashed a blend of heavy metal and classic rock gems that many fellow musicians have repeatedly hailed as influential to their own music. All-time classics like WE ROCK, HOLY DIVER, LAST IN LINE, ROCK AND ROLL CHILDREN, RAINBOW IN THE DARK and THIS IS YOUR LIFE among many incredible songs will be forever in the pantheon of all time metal hits. DIO cemented Ronnie’s status as a legend of rock and metal.

His stage presence, humanity and dedication to fans and the rock solid, powerful and never faltering voice defied aging to the very end. He was supported over the years by many different musicians, famously; Rudy Sarzo, Jeff Pilson, Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain, Doug Aldrich, Craig Goldy, Rowan Robertson and Simon Wright among many others over the 10 studio albums released by Dio. 

Dio 1983-2006 is the ultimate collection of photos from those historical years as it chronologically dips into his unseen private and personal archive plus a wide selection of backstage and on stage photos from his worldwide tours and features a career essay from rock journalist and Dio fan Dave Ling. This huge book measures 30cm square and runs to over 400 pages featuring an amazing collection of photographs from some of rock’s greatest lensmen.

The book will be available in two editions:

The deluxe signed edition: 400 numbered copies, bound in recycled leather with gold foil, presented in a luxury, printed slipcase with a huge fold out poster. The book is printed on 175gsm high quality art paper

Each copy is personally signed by: Doug Aldrich, Rudy Sarzo, Craig Goldy , Vinny Appice, Scott Warren, Jeff Pilson, Simon Wright and Rowan Robertson. This edition sells for £395 per copy.

The standard edition: An unlimited release with a printed, hardback cover. This edition sells for £95 per copy.

Los Pepes – new video and tour dates

Los Pepes – new video and tour dates

The UK’s Los Pepes release their third video, Above and Beyond” from their 6th album “Out Of The Void”

Even after “Out Of The Void” the Los Pepes chaps have no plans on slowing down.  “Above and Beyond” is the 3rd video from their 6th album and knowing them they are already writing their 7th album. The only thing slowing them down is their EU tour that starts this Friday July 11th in Belgium.

According to the band “Above and Beyond” is a “Proto punk/pink fairies journey into the night”.  Edited and animated by Los Pepes frontman Ben Perrier with a little help from NASA.

Out Of The Void is Los Pepes 6th LP and its 12 back-to-back classics. Super catchy tales of nihilism, love and heartache in a seemingly futureless world of political turmoil filled with conspiracy, stupidity and existential threat…that is the “void”. It’s power pop but not as you know it. Sonically it’s different… broken glass “out of this world” dreamy reverb-soaked surf guitar hooks cut across a garage punk Ozzy vocal line, which is pointedly melodic. Lightspeed “loco live” punk rock hi hat accelerates in lockstep with tight downstroke guitars to glue together short well-crafted pop explosions that barely cross the 2-minute mark. The only time the record shifts down a gear is to make way for a Reigning Sound-esq garage Hammond that fill’s the gap a slower pace leaves and pulls at the heart strings a little while. Then it’s time to hurtle onwards again for more adrenaline infused frustration. It’s an infectiously dark, yet life affirmingly bright and exciting album that takes you out of the abyss with the daylight of 100mph rock and roll. Advisable to play loud. Loud enough to raise the dead from Joey Ramone to Jay Reatard…. Listeners can now get their ears around.

 ‘Thoughtless Boys’, the first single to be lifted from the album and it’s the perfect introduction to the album’s hardcore injected power pop. “Thoughtless boys never care about the damage that we do…” So, the refrain goes to this tight knit punk rock bull smashing through a melodic china shop of reverb-soaked guitar hooks. The video features a Raymond Pettibone inspired “thoughtless boy” character animation who’s doing all the stuff “thoughtless boys” do. Drawn by singer himself Ben Perrier…. 


Los Pepes EU/UK Tour Dates

BE July Fri,11. Ghent, Omgekeerde Kruis

DE July Sat, 12. Köln, Sonic Ballroom

DE July Sun, 13. Dresden, Chemiefabrik

DE July Mon, 14. Berlin, Rauchhaus

DE July Wed, 16. Bayreuth, Schokofabrik

DE July Thu, 17. Karlsruhe, Alte Hackerei

DE July Fri, 18. Dortmund, Sonic Waves/Harbour Sounds Festival

BE July Sat, 19. Kortrijk, The Pits

UK Aug 7th Thu, Hebdon Bridge, Trades Club

UK Aug 8th Fri, Blackpool, Rebellion Festival

UK Aug 10th Sun, Hull, New Adelphi Club

UK Sep 5th Sat, Bristol, Degenerate Festival

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The DeRellas – new video

The DeRellas – new video

Rockaway Records is proud to announce the release of the title track from The DeRellas’ storming
new album ‘Trust Me This is Going to Hurt’.


This is Going to Hurt is a dark, glamorous, rock n roll edge-of-your-seat ride into manic obsession.
When Love Goes Wrong.. And Lust Goes Wrong.. A new video lands with the release. Shot on
location in London and Brighton, it captures the band in a red light, no brakes style. Think glam rock
meets 60s noir..


This is Going to Hurt is available as a track on The DeRellas new album ‘Trust Me This is Going to
Hurt’ on CD and vinyl. The single can also be downloaded from all major platforms, including
www.derellas.com, Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.


Upcoming Live shows
25 July – Rockaway Beach at the Hope & Anchor, London
10 August – Rebellion Festival, Blackpool
30 August – Unity Festival, Corby


Followed by a string of gigs across the UK and Europe