ROADSTAR have split-up just as they have released their second album ‘Glass Mountain’.
My Chemical Romance bassist Mikey Way is 'temporarily' leaving the band to spend time with his new wife. The band will continue with a replacement.
BON JOVI are to release their new single, '(You Want To) Make A Memory?' through Mercury on June 25. The band's show at the O2 Arena in London on June 24 is now sold out.
SPINAL TAP will reform for the upcoming global warming concerts on 7thy July. They will appear at Wembley.
Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO) has been tapped by Eric Bloom of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT to handle bass guitar duties for the band's April 28 concert at the Hawgs of Texas motorcycle rally in Lake Somerville, TX. Also scheduled to appear are QUIET RIOT and VIXEN, among many others. Additional BÖC dates with Sarzo on bass may follow.
GIG NEWS
Thunderground festival 18th August Rock City Nottingham
WIG WAM + THE POODLES + BROTHER FIRETRIBE + MAD MAX + HUMAN ZOO
Former IRON MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley will reunite with his first band WOLFSBANE for three songs after his solo set at the Rock of Ages Festival in Tamworth, England on September 9th.
TESLA + FASTWAY
June
28th Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
THE ALARM
November
10th Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
REVIEWS
THE LADDER ‘SACRED’ Escape Music (2007) www.escape-music.com
Steve Overland’s soulful Paul Rodgers-meets-Michael Bolton voice is one of rock’s great lost treasures, and the fame and fortune he deserves has always eluded him, with his main band FM always just failing to make that elusive commercial breakthrough before calling it a day in the mid-90’s.
Overland fans have been treated to his return in recent years with two projects, Shadowman and The Ladder. The latter’s first album in 2004 was a classic slice of melodic rock, albeit mainly rerecordings of unreleased FM songs, and now with ex Melodica guitarist Gerhard Pichler on board plus FM drummer Pete Jupp, they are back with an all new album.
The good news lies in a strong selection of songs which showcase the man’s voice which is as peerless as ever, but after the two opening (and best) songs in Body and Soul and Sacred, the album takes a surprising turn which may not appeal to all of his long-time fans. Essentially, the production and arrangements owe more to modern pop than the traditional AOR market of FM fans. So a ballad like Something to Believe In marries classic Overland vocal stylings with a trip hop beat that might be found on a boy band, while Believe in Me has a funky beat and the smooth harmonies of Run to You called to mind the reformed Take That. Drum loops abound, especially on the last four songs, during which the overall tempo of the album becomes considerably more laid back, and Pichler’s guitar is heard mainly in subtle fills rather than traditional guitar solos, though he does let rip on All of My Life (one of the strongest tracks on view) with a riff influenced by the Sweet’s Set Me Free.
A brave and radical departure which may alienate some of Overland’s longer term fans, although if somehow it means his work crosses over to a wider audience, then the end would justify the means.
***
Andy Nathan
TWO OF A KIND Frontiers (2007) www.frontiers.it
This band feature Dutch melodic rockers Terra Nova with the addition of two female vocalists, Esther Bronus and Anita Craenemhr. Like Terra Nova they keyboards of Ron Hendrix take a big role in the overall sound with guitar solos kept short and sweet. There are some cracking catchy hard rockers such as ‘Light In The Dark’ and ‘Little By Little’, both could garner airplay if given the chance. Meanwhile heart fans will do a double take when they hear ‘Give Me A Reason’ as it sounds just like a Heart tune from their 80’s heyday. The only problem with the album is midway through you get three slower numbers which really stops the album in its tracks after five great rockers preceding them. Only ‘In Your Arms’ hits the spot as this band excel more at the rock tunes and ‘Whole Again’ soon gets the album back on track. Fast pace with some wonderful guitar and keyboard interplay.
Fans of Heart and female fronted melodic rock will love this album, as will fans of Terra Nova and anyone who likes a catchy tune! Ballads aside the band really knows how to pen memorable tunes.
****
Jason Ritchie
My Chemical Romance bassist Mikey Way is 'temporarily' leaving the band to spend time with his new wife. The band will continue with a replacement.
BON JOVI are to release their new single, '(You Want To) Make A Memory?' through Mercury on June 25. The band's show at the O2 Arena in London on June 24 is now sold out.
SPINAL TAP will reform for the upcoming global warming concerts on 7thy July. They will appear at Wembley.
Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO) has been tapped by Eric Bloom of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT to handle bass guitar duties for the band's April 28 concert at the Hawgs of Texas motorcycle rally in Lake Somerville, TX. Also scheduled to appear are QUIET RIOT and VIXEN, among many others. Additional BÖC dates with Sarzo on bass may follow.
GIG NEWS
Thunderground festival 18th August Rock City Nottingham
WIG WAM + THE POODLES + BROTHER FIRETRIBE + MAD MAX + HUMAN ZOO
Former IRON MAIDEN frontman Blaze Bayley will reunite with his first band WOLFSBANE for three songs after his solo set at the Rock of Ages Festival in Tamworth, England on September 9th.
TESLA + FASTWAY
June
28th Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
THE ALARM
November
10th Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
REVIEWS
THE LADDER ‘SACRED’ Escape Music (2007) www.escape-music.com
Steve Overland’s soulful Paul Rodgers-meets-Michael Bolton voice is one of rock’s great lost treasures, and the fame and fortune he deserves has always eluded him, with his main band FM always just failing to make that elusive commercial breakthrough before calling it a day in the mid-90’s.
Overland fans have been treated to his return in recent years with two projects, Shadowman and The Ladder. The latter’s first album in 2004 was a classic slice of melodic rock, albeit mainly rerecordings of unreleased FM songs, and now with ex Melodica guitarist Gerhard Pichler on board plus FM drummer Pete Jupp, they are back with an all new album.
The good news lies in a strong selection of songs which showcase the man’s voice which is as peerless as ever, but after the two opening (and best) songs in Body and Soul and Sacred, the album takes a surprising turn which may not appeal to all of his long-time fans. Essentially, the production and arrangements owe more to modern pop than the traditional AOR market of FM fans. So a ballad like Something to Believe In marries classic Overland vocal stylings with a trip hop beat that might be found on a boy band, while Believe in Me has a funky beat and the smooth harmonies of Run to You called to mind the reformed Take That. Drum loops abound, especially on the last four songs, during which the overall tempo of the album becomes considerably more laid back, and Pichler’s guitar is heard mainly in subtle fills rather than traditional guitar solos, though he does let rip on All of My Life (one of the strongest tracks on view) with a riff influenced by the Sweet’s Set Me Free.
A brave and radical departure which may alienate some of Overland’s longer term fans, although if somehow it means his work crosses over to a wider audience, then the end would justify the means.
***
Andy Nathan
TWO OF A KIND Frontiers (2007) www.frontiers.it
This band feature Dutch melodic rockers Terra Nova with the addition of two female vocalists, Esther Bronus and Anita Craenemhr. Like Terra Nova they keyboards of Ron Hendrix take a big role in the overall sound with guitar solos kept short and sweet. There are some cracking catchy hard rockers such as ‘Light In The Dark’ and ‘Little By Little’, both could garner airplay if given the chance. Meanwhile heart fans will do a double take when they hear ‘Give Me A Reason’ as it sounds just like a Heart tune from their 80’s heyday. The only problem with the album is midway through you get three slower numbers which really stops the album in its tracks after five great rockers preceding them. Only ‘In Your Arms’ hits the spot as this band excel more at the rock tunes and ‘Whole Again’ soon gets the album back on track. Fast pace with some wonderful guitar and keyboard interplay.
Fans of Heart and female fronted melodic rock will love this album, as will fans of Terra Nova and anyone who likes a catchy tune! Ballads aside the band really knows how to pen memorable tunes.
****
Jason Ritchie
posted by JasonR @ 5:08 AM
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