BON JOVI plan to release their new album in late May.

FASTWAY will appear at this year's Sweden Rock Festival. After a long time of silence the band is now back in action. Besides guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke, the band features amongst others John "Harv" Harbinson (Stormzone), Steve Strange and John McManus (Mama's Boys).

Despite splitting-up last year FROST are back with Declan Burke (DARWIN’S RADIO) joining as the new vocalist.

Members of ZZ Top, The Strokes and Nine Inch Nails are to appear on the next Queens of the Stone Age album which is due out later this year.

The KAISER CHIEFS top the UK singles chart this week.

FEEDER release a b-sides/rarities album on March 19th.

The three remaining members of The Darkness – Dan Hawkins, Ed Graham and Richie Edwards – have announced they have begun work on recording a new album, which they will release under a different name. Bassist Edwards will take over as singer and be replaced by Graham Coxon’s bassist, Toby MacFarlaine.

PRESS RELEASES

UK rockers SACRED HEART have some song samples from the forthcoming album "SHAKE" available at www.myspace.com/sacredheartshakes - they are early mixes but the band would like to invite you for a listen.
They are also supporting former LITTLE ANGELS front-man TOBY JEPSON in Farnboro' UK on Sunday 1st April where they will showcase songs from the new album. Hope to see you there.


Frontiers Records is thrilled to announce all details surrounding the release on April 20 of Night Ranger's come back album Hole In The Sun.

Like no other band formed in the 80s, Night Ranger has both epitomized and transcended the sound and style of that decade. Since original members Jack Blades, Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy and Jeff Watson reunited in 1996, they have brought their guitar-crunching, melodic brand of hard rock into the 21st century with unparalleled talent, energy and creativity. Rounding out the line-up on keyboards is Great White's Michael Lardie.
Hole in the Sun the brand new studio album, breaks a 9 years silence and is the culmination of the band's work so far. From the guitar attack of the opener Tell Your Vision, to the grandeur of a power ballad like There Is Life, going through straight ahead rock numbers like Drama Queen or the title track and with incredible melodic cuts like Whatever Happened, Night Ranger's new album has everything the fans could ask for.
"It is one of the hardest rocking albums that Night Ranger has ever put out" says band's singer and bass player Jack Blades, "I think it rivals Dawn Patrol for just sheer hard rocking...... just straight ahead American rocking. That's what it sounds like to me."
Hole In The Sun draws on the band's classic sound, mixed with a more contemporary style and totally in your face production. According to Blades Night Ranger is "dual lead guitars, dual lead vocalists, anthemic choruses, big ballads and I think that's what this record is. Describe Night Ranger and you describe this album."
Drummer / singer Kelly Keagy adds "We wanted to see if we could turn some heads. We wanted to push some boundaries, and Whatever Happened sounds like it could be on radio. I think Don't Tell Me You Love Me is like Tell Your Vision, except 20 years later. And There Is Life was such a great song to write. We wanted to write another piano ballad like Sister Christian or Sentimental Street."
Final tracklisting on Hole In The Sun includes: Tell Your Vision; Drama Queen; You're Gonna Hear It From Me; Whatever Happened; There Is Life; Rock Star; Hole In The Sun; Fool In Me; White Knuckle Ride; Revelation 4 AM; Wrap It Up; Being.


MTM Music announces the release of Warrant's Born Again D.V.D. Delvis Video Diaries which features 12 new music videos from the 12 bombastic songs of the Warrant CD Born Again with video edits from Jerry Dixon, Steven Sweet & Tommy Thayer.
The 2006 released album Born Again was perfectly describing the band's current state With their new singer, Jaime St. James (Black N Blue), Warrant have recorded an album that surprised their old fans and definitely attracted some new ones. After the release the band was touring around the US performing lots of huge festivals and worked hard on the DVD which sees the light of day in 2007.
The DVD features bonus material of 30 minutes of the studio recording sessions, a making of Born Again, a funny backstage tour video debauchery of The Down Boys and a slide show. Feel free to enjoy all this video magic with your neighbour's, cranking up your surround sound unit to 11! Classic 80's hard rock with the band's trademark touch of poser and sleaze metal!
Track List - 01. Devils Juice, 02. Dirty Jack, 03. Bourbon County Line, 04. Hell, Ca, 05. Angels, 06. Love Strikes Like Lightning, 07. Glimmer, 08. Roller Coaster, 09. Down In Diamonds, 10. Velvet Noose, 11. Roxy, 12. Good Times.
Special features + Tour Outtakes, + In The Studio, + Gallery, + Live Shots. Running time 96 minutes, all regions, PAL
The release is scheduled for April 20.

The Brazilian metal band Tribuzy, formed and headed by singer Renato Tribuzy released their studio debut Execution with a `heavy-metal-allstar-team´ feat. Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske, Mat Sinner, Ralf Scheepers, Roland Grapow, Andreas Kisser, Kiko Loureiro and Roy Z. The musical influences used by Tribuzy during the writing process were the great classics such as Powerslave (Iron Maiden), And Justice For All (Metallica) and other 80's heavy music.
The album Execution Live Reunion has 11 tracks in total and features all of the guests from the Execution studio album in a special performance onstage with Tribuzy. The album was produced by Roy Z and Renato Tribuzy, and mixed by Roy Z at Mountain View studio, in LA, USA.
Line-Up: Renato Tribuzy Vocals, Gustavo Silvera Guitars, Frank Schieber Guitars, Ivan Guilhon Bass, Flavio Pascarillo Drums.
Guests Bruce Dickinson (vocals), Michael Kiske (vocals), Kiko Loureiro (guitar), Mat Sinner (vocals), Ralf Scheepers (vocals), Roland Grapow (guitar), Roy Z (guitar).
Track List - 01. Into, 02. Agressive, 03. Divine Disgrace, 04. The Attempt, 05. Forgotten Time (feat. Kiko Loureiro), 06. Nature Of Evil (feat. Kiko Loureiro, Mat Sinner), 07. Absolution (feat. Ralf Scheepers, Roland Grapow), 08. Web Of Life (feat. Roland Grapow), 09. Execution (feat. Kiko Loureiro), 10. Beast In The Light (feat. Bruce Dickinson, Roy Z), 11. The Means (Bonustrack).
The release is scheduled for April 20.

US melodic power metal band Vainglory features intense riffs, virtuoso guitar shredding, mighty drumming, heavy pounding bass parts, powerful vocals and thought provoking lyrics.
Based around modern guitar master, Corbin King The King Of Southern Shred, and vocal sensation Kate French, of Chastain fame, this band has all the ingredients in place to be a major force on the metal market for years to come. Kate's ability to mix power, conviction, emotion, and true heavy metal singing is very uncommon in today's "metal" vocalists. Kate is a veteran to heavy metal and has not only pushed beyond the normal bounds of female vocalists, but has delivered her best recorded performance to date on this CD.
Along with bassist Chris Banja, drummer Dan Lynch and second guitarist John Michael Youngblood, Vainglory now hits the streets with their powerful metal debut. Vainglory will be on the forefront of the metal scene in 2007, dominating you with the awe inspiring new CD and incredible live performances to come up.
Track List - 01) Walking Dead, 02) Burdened, 03) The Only Way I Know, 04) Face Of Death, 05) Midnight Hellfire, 06) Undying Love, 07) Decapitation Attack, 08) Act Of God, 09) Vainglory, 10) Endlessly, 11) Blackened Soul, 12) My Living Hell.
The release is scheduled for April 20.

GIG NEWS

TANGERINE DREAM
20TH APRIL - ASTORIA – LONDON

SAXON
May 14th - Manchester Academy 2
May 15th - London Astoria
May 16th - Nottingham Rock City
May 17th - Dublin Temple Bar Music Centre
May 18th - Glasgow Garage
May 20th - Wolverhampton Civic Hall
May 21st - Cardiff Coal Exchange
May 23rd - Belfast Spring & Airbrake

METALLICA
Jul. 01 - Werchter, BELGIUM (Rock Werchter Festival)
Jul. 03 - Athens, GREECE (Rockwave Festival)
Jul. 05 - Vienna, AUSTRIA (Rotundenplatz)
Jul. 10 - Oslo, NORWAY (Valle Hovin Stadion)
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, SWEDEN (Stadion)
Jul. 13 - Aarhus, DENMARK (Vestereng)
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, FINLAND (Olympic Stadium)
Jul. 18 - Moscow, RUSSIA (Lushniki Stadium)

REVIEWS

ED WINSLET (Demo 2007) www.myspace.com/edwinslet

A very talented young singer/songwriter based in southern England. This three track sampler CD is very good and he is streets above the blandness of James Blunt. Pick of the tracks has to be ‘Changing Now’, with Winslett hitting the high notes towards the end of the tack. Not unlike REM is sound at times, whilst ‘Imaginary Friend’ is another fine tune and Winslet again displays a very rich, strong voice. Highly recommended and worth a listen on his MySpace site.

****
Jason Ritchie

Jessica Blake “Three Good Reasons” Puffafish Records (Cat No PUFFAFHCD009).

Jessica Blake has recorded an album that sounds like it should be any number of country music legends, however, she resides in Londons Portobello Road- although she did grow up on an Indian Reservation in Florida.
The songs here are strong, straight from the heart stuff and range from the mellow “”Sangre De Cristo”, the slow and melancholy “Sleepy Eye Hill” to the poppier “Dancing With The Dead”, the highlight for me is “Don’t’ Try This At Home” whilst “5 O’clock Southbound” is the perfect track too close the album.
Jessica is on tour in the UK over the next couple of months, and I for one look forward to seeing these songs performed live.

Nikk Gunns 4 out of 5

Vitali Kuprij “Global Inferno/Revenge” Lion Music (Cat No LMC196)

Ukranian keyboard player Vitali Kuprij is a highly accomplished keyboard player who regularly tops player polls worldwide. Glacial Inferno sees Vitali team up with guitarist Michael Harris and ex-Malmsteen rhythm section of John Maccaluso and Randy Coven, to record an album of classically infused rock.
This CD is purely instrumentals and the highlights here include the tracks “Liquid Rain”, “Just Another Day” and “Burning Ice”.
On “Revenge” we are treated to guest vocals by, amongst others Joe Lynn-Turner and Doogie White (both ex-Malmsteen) which makes the CD even more Malmsteenesque.
Highlights here include “”I Don’t Believe In Love”, “Into The Void” and “Stand Up and Fight”.
These CD’s really show the blend of classical music and rock, and this works well.

Nikk Gunns 2 out of 5

GILLAN
Mr Universe
5/5

Glory Road
5/5

Future Shock
5/5

Double Trouble
3.5/5

Edsel Records

Two things immediately spring to mind with these four CDs (first batch, more to follow);
Firstly, singer Ian Gillan had himself an amazing band here, that for whatever reasons, worked, and worked incredibly well. Several top ten albums and singles for a start. As bassist John McCoy recently told me, they had the best singer in the rock business, who just needed a kick up the bottom. I’m inclined to agree; the chemistry was explosive!
Secondly, these reissues, with bonus tracks, are a lot more coherent than the original CD reissues of some 10+ years ago. Not totally perfect in the spread of the bonus cuts, but pretty damn close. The original CDs were poor, to put it very politely, and these with their sleevenotes et al can be filed under “About Bloody Time”.

After leaving Deep Purple for the first time, Ian dabbled in various projects before forming the jazz fusion oriented Ian Gillan Band. 1978 saw the formation of Gillan, with only pianist Colin Towns staying on.
Only bassist John McCoy remained from ‘The Japanese Album’, and Mr Universe was the Gillan Band’s UK debut, adding drummer Mick Underwood and guitarist Bernie Tormé.
Unlike Rainbow, PAL and Whitesnake, Gillan really moved away from the Deep Purple template in a big way, the music fiery and explosive. Towns’ keyboards moved from intricate to lead and back, Bernie’s guitar mixing punk and Hendrix, and the Underwood/McCoy rhythm section solid and heavy.
Mix punk energy, trad rock and NWoBHM, with Ian Gillan’s voice at its pinnacle.

The melodic metal of “Vengeance” was issued as a single, and the 8 minute live jam of “Smoke On The Water” b-side is added as a bonus.

1980’s Glory Road, here as a double disc, kicks off with the original album, and has a bigger Tormé/McCoy influence. Opener “Unchain Your Brain” is a classic riff as you’ll get, as is “Are You Sure”. Riffs and solos combined, it is an essential album.
The second disc is the “For Gillan Fans Only” LP which was a limited edition at the time. A single b-side, and several studio jams, covers and rock’n’roll irrelevances. A solo track from Colin Towns (from an unreleased solo album), John and Bernie playing with drummer Thunderstick, and a track by the Split Knee Loons, it’s all good stuff. Two more b-sides (to the single “No Easy Way”) complete the disc.

Future Shock, Bernie’s last album with the band, is another classic, and a more cohesive sound, with writing and performance more equally spread (neither keyboards nor guitar taking control, but working equally well together. The excellent “No Laughing In Heaven” saw the band play Top Of The Pops, and a cover of “New Orleans” was a single too. The bonus tracks here, all relevant, are excellent too; the cover of Elvis Presley’s “Trouble” and the anti nuclear “Mutually Assured Destruction” (both singles and Gillan at his best), and several b-sides, including a brilliant (and humorous) take on “Lucille”, with excellent interplay between Tormé and Towns.

Double Trouble followed quickly, as a double album (the second disc a live set), and featured ex White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers (now of Iron Maiden).
The studio is solid, a very good set by normal standards but compared to Future Shock and Glory Road a little unspectacular. A couple of singles were raised, and the opener “I’ll Rip Out Your Spine” is worth a listen and more. The lengthy “Born To Kill” is Towns at his best. In fact on reflection it’s a damn good set, just a little different. The studio set finishes with the bonus track “Spanish Guitar”, first time on CD and previously only on a rare flexi disc.
The second live disc kicks off with the original live album, great takes on Gillan classics recorded at Reading 1981 (“If You Believe Me” is taken from The Rainbow). Two additional reading tracks that appeared as b-sides, and three from Reading 1980 that include “Smoke On The Water”, that were issued on the “Trouble” double single.

These complete albums really are essential listening and form an important part of British hard rock at its peak. Good to see them available again and given the job they deserve.

Ian GILLAN
Highway Star – A Life In Rock (2DVD)
Universal

Ian Gillan is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock singers. Ever. And quite rightly so.
From college bands to Episode Six, Deep Purple, Gillan, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple again. Then solo and Purple again. Complicated, colourful and extensive history. And 2006 saw Ian Gillan’s 40th year in the business.
This DVD looks at the man’s history. With interviews, TV clips, the complete works.
Disc 1 kicks off with a look at the early work, featuring interviews with Pavarotti (Yes! Really), Ian’s mum and even Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot.
Much of the Deep Purple info is well documented, but nice here all on one set. Band interviews and live shots etc, which does make for great listening.
Disc 1 also features interviews with footballer George Best, a Deep Purple fan who became friends with Gillan; one of the last interviews before he died. A nice touch.
The solo work is interesting, some new and amusing info, but sadly parts are glossed over. Ian’s comments on Janick Gers being a seamless replacement for Bernie Tormé are a little misguided, but like I said, a lot of interesting information.
Born Again, and the Black Sabbath story provides more amusing anecdotes.
The infamous reunion and re-sacking, the live shots of the new solo band touring Naked Thunder make for good viewing. Wife Bron Gillan and guitarist Steve Morris are both interviewed too.
Then back in Purple for The Battle Rages On, and Jon Lord quite rightly saying there’s only one voice for Deep Purple. Some interesting info on the politics involved on getting Gillan back, and further politics involved behind Blackmore leaving. Paice, Glover and Lord interviews do make for enjoyable and interesting viewing.
Bootleg shots of Satriani playing “Smoke On The Water” follow, as do shots of Gillan singing with Pavarotti. Along the way there’s interviews with many other musicians, including Ronnie Dio.
Additionally on disc 1 is a collection of interviews on various subjects.
Disc 2 features loads of extras which both Gillan and Purple fans will enjoy; on tour with Purple, work with Pavarotti, the Gillan Cam and other clips.
Much of the info has been aired on other programmes but it’s nice to have it all here together, freshly done, with plenty of new footage.
Very enjoyable

4/5
Joe Geesin