Album & Live Reviews

Having had their last tour in 2023 and 2024 dubbed “the greatest show on earth” by Billboard - an accolade which was entirely deserved - anticipation was very high when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band confirmed a small number of U.K. dates for 2025 as part of their latest tour, a tour which had the makings to be quite different. As their first tour after the pandemic, the 2023 tour started in the US with arena gigs before coming over to Europe to play larger stadium gigs and then returning to the States, but such was the demand to see the band live the tour was extended and went out on a second leg in 2024 starting again in the States, before again going around Europe and back to the States and Canada – racking up 115 shows along the way. In marked contrast, the 2025 tour is much shorter – a mere 16 dates – and all in Europe. The latest tour, the ‘Land of Hope & Dreams Tour’, hadn’t been planned. Playing the number of gigs that they did in 2023 and 2024 would have taken its toll on any band, of any age, and after playing for 3 hours in horizontal rain at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland in May of last year, Bruce got sick and the band had to cancel 4 shows in Marseilles, Prague and Milan. Honouring their commitment to fans, the gigs were quickly rearranged for this summer and to make it worthwhile to come back to Europe, 12 other dates were added to these dates in cities which they hadn’t played before. With three nights at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester and two nights at Anfield in Liverpool being the only gigs in the four UK home countries and Ireland, demand for tickets was going to be very high, and it was, with tickets even harder to get than in their last two visits here. And for Liverpool, this was always going to be something special. Bruce and most of the original E Street Band members are massive fans of The Beatles. Bruce is on record as having said that hearing The Beatles playing “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on the radio for the first time had changed his life and it was this song which inspired him to be in a band and play rock’n’roll. Similarly, Stevie Van Zandt wrote in his autobiography, ‘Unrequited Infatuations’, about the impact that The Beatles had after appearing on the Ed Sullivan show, “The Beatles changed the world literally overnight. There were no bands in America on February 8, 1964. There was one in every garage on February 10”. The other members of the band all have their own stories to tell. While Stevie had visited Liverpool, played at The Cavern Club and recorded a live album there with his Disciples of Soul in 2021, the E Street Band themselves had never played Liverpool before. And for fans of The Beatles and the E Street Band, there was the tantalising likelihood that Paul McCartney may make another appearance after his earlier appearance on stage with the E Street Band at Hard Rock Calling in 2012 when the organisers infamously pulled out the plug mid-song to comply with the curfew. So, against this background, and as a lifelong fan of the E Street Band who first saw them live in 1988, I managed to get some tickets to see them on their second night in Liverpool (Yaaaaaahhhh Beauty!!!!!, as we say in Scotland) and it was game, or gig, on. After a challenging week leading up to the gig in which it felt like the Gods of Gigs were against us, including the death of our much-loved 12 year old German Shepherd, the stomach bug from hell (I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say I was probably responsible for shortages of Imodium across Scotland) and then a tyre blowing out on the morning of the gig, we arrived at our hotel in Liverpool just before 5.00pm. After only having time to dump our bags, we headed over to Liverpool One to catch one of the shuttle buses along with hundreds of other fans. Everywhere I looked there were fans converging on the bus station. Liverpool had become New Jersey. No taxis anywhere and the only thing to do was join the good-natured queue as it snaked around the block. Approaching Anfield, the world-famous ground of Liverpool Football Club, the driver recognised time was against us, did the right thing and dropped us all as close to the ground as he could instead of going to the designated stop. Security cleared, we made our way on to the pitch via the gap in the corner between The Kop and the Main Stand at 7.25pm, a mere 5 minutes before the band were due on – a very different experience to my normal gig going where I would have been there a couple of hours before showtime to soak up the atmosphere. The positive side to this was there was no need to wait for the atmosphere to build. It was instantly electric, tingling on your face (it might even have caused the hair on top of my head to stand on end … that is, if I had any) and approaching fever pitch. Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about grabbing a beer, as, in a new gig development for me, hospitality staff wearing large back packs, with flags above their heads indicating ‘beer’ or ‘cider’ appeared alongside us and enabled us to buy a couple of (plastic) bottles of beer before the gig started. Looking at the stage, the set-up was familiar, with a stars and stripes flag fluttering in the wind above the stand to the right of the stage, with a Union Jack and Liverpool FC flag to the left. Before I could process much more, cheers went up as the E Street Band made their way on stage at 7.30pm prompt. As usual, no big entrance or fanfare, just coming up the stairs at the back of the stage, waving to the crowd, making their way to their positions and wishing each other good luck. Bringing up the rear was Bruce who also smiled, waved and strapped on his Telecaster before saying - “Hello Liverpool, we’re so glad to be here, as without this town there would no E Street Band, let me tell you … and the mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock’n’roll in dangerous times. The America that I love, the America that I’ve sung to you about for so long, that’s been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all of those of you who believe in democracy and the best of our experiment to rise with us, raise your voices, stand with us against authoritarianism and let freedom reign”. With the crowd still roaring in agreement with and applauding his introduction, Bruce started singing “I hear the sound of your guitars” and launched into ‘Ghosts’. And like that, the gig had started. Not your usual start to a gig, but this was to prove to be no ordinary gig … and for those who might think this sounded like a political rally, get over yourselves – it wasn’t, but it was an exceptional night of music. ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ swiftly followed, segueing gently into Curtis Mayfield’s ‘People Get Ready’ (a song written about Martin Luther King Jr’s civil rights march on Washington), followed by the Celtic stomp of ‘Death to My Hometown’ and the fan-favourite ‘Seeds’ which has been played live off and on for years, but not received a studio release. After this opening salvo of songs was played, it was pretty obvious that the set had been constructed carefully by Bruce to tell the story which he wanted to be told – that of America as a land of hope, opportunity and dreams, but also of division and hatred. And for those of you who have read about the statements which he is making between some songs on this tour, and the Presidential response which he received on social media including being told to “keep his mouth shut”, he responded in the only way he could by releasing the ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ download EP containing 4 songs and his spoken introductions about what is happening in the States recorded in Manchester last month and which promptly went to Number 1 on iTunes. He also continues to repeat his views at every gig. ‘Lonesome Day’ followed along with the hugely well-received ‘Rainmaker’ (a more recent song from ‘Letter to You’ (2020) about snake oil salesmen or politicians who come in when things are bad, inflame the situation, promise the world and don’t deliver) … dedicated to “our dear leader”. Time for a few classics – ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’, ‘The Promised Land’ and ‘Hungry Heart’ (yes, the crowd sang the full first verse before Bruce started singing, but they didn’t stop there and just kept going … as Bruce did in the song). At this point, I should say that I am not religious at all, but looking around me, everywhere I looked I could only see fans from many different countries singing their hearts out and beaming with happiness. For those who have seen the E Street Band ‘live’ and experienced this for themselves, it’s not surprising that so many have likened this to an old-style revival meeting. The experience is communal, intense, uplifting and possibly the closest I may come to a religious experience. Taking things down a little, ‘My Hometown’ and then, much to my delight (having not heard it on either of the gigs which I attended on the 2023 tour) the epic ‘The River’ followed. Continuing the thematic story which he was building, ‘Youngstown’ came next, but far removed from its original acoustic form on the Woody Guthrie-influenced ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’ album, complete with an incendiary guitar solo from Nils Lofgren. Having been sadly tracking their evolving setlist from each gig on setlist.fm, I had been really hoping that the next song would make the cut and be played … it did, and was … ‘Murder Incorporated’, an outtake from the Born in the USA sessions, which many of us managed to track down on bootleg before it was released on his first Greatest Hits album. This is very much a big guitar song and it was great to see Stevie taking the limelight. And as we approached what would be the mid-point of the gig, Bruce took the pace and sound down again, expertly acting as band leader and orchestrating all and everyone around him. ‘Long Walk Home’ was introduced with the, by now expected, simple spoken introduction of “This is a prayer for my country”, before Bruce gave the rest of the band a break (yes, at 75 years old – giving everyone else a break) while playing ‘House of a Thousand Guitars’ on acoustic guitar. Still gently strumming, Bruce took another moment to speak directly to the crowd. In introducing the next song ‘My City of Ruins’, he spoke articulately and powerfully about how troubled he was by what is currently happening in his home country with people being lifted off the street by unmarked, armed individuals for no reason, historic civil rights legislation being rolled back, educational institutions who didn’t agree with the government being de-funded and of his hope and belief that these troubled times would pass and that America would recover from the dark place in which it is now. I’ll not repeat the full script here, but it is available online or on the downloadable EP from iTunes and worth reading. Lifting the tempo of the gig again, the band then launched into a pre-encore, breathless and exhilarating run of ‘Because the Night’ (the Bruce Springsteen song which almost everyone knows, but which he didn’t release, instead gifting it to Patti Smith), with Nils once again stealing the show with his fretwork while whirling around the stage; the always-defiant ‘Wrecking Ball’; the soul-lifting ‘The Rising’ which will forever be associated with New York healing after 9/11; ‘Badlands’ (which has become one of the greatest examples of crowd-inspired participation, as waves of “whoa-oh-oh-oah-ohs” roll across the stadium engulfing the band, back again and up and away into the night; and possibly my favourite Springsteen song (I grapple with this placing responsibility regularly), ‘Thunder Road’ … and its “sways”, it always was and always will be … none of your “waves” crap here. Just, no. IYKYK. After what had felt like an emotional rollercoaster of a set, the band put down their instruments, made their way to the front of the stage, lined up and soaked up the applause rolling it’s way across the Liverpool night. But, they knew … and we knew … this encore business is just part of the theatre and expectation. Returning to the stage, and watching him close-up on the big screens, Bruce appeared to have an added twinkle in his eye and proceeded to introduce a “local Liverpool boy”. As sure as night turns to day, and Saturday rolls into Sunday, the much-expected happened - probably made even more expected by local news stories appearing on the day of the gig reporting that Bruce and Paul McCartney had made a private visit to the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts the day before where Bruce had given a lecture and Paul McCartney had presented an award to students. Yes, Paul McCartney strode on to the stage with his bass guitar. However, instead of playing ‘Twist & Shout’ together, as I had expected, Bruce and the E Street band took a step back and became his house band, as Paul sang ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and a song unknown to me which I had to check out later – a Beatles’ cover of ‘Kansas City’. Being honest, I’m not a huge fan of The Beatles, but the sheer joy and happiness of the band playing with one of their childhood idols was evident to see and very special. With the cheers ringing in his ears, Paul left the stage to allow the E Street Band to get down to business and deliver the encore which they deserved. You want big songs? How about, ‘Born in the USA’, ‘Born to Run’, ‘Glory Days’, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ (one of the few songs I didn’t hear the beginning of as the wind moved the sound around the ground), ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-out’ (complete with the band continuing to project images of Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici above them on stage long after their deaths in 2011 and 2008 respectively … once members of the E Street Band, always members of the E Street Band) and their gloriously goofy ‘Twist & Shout’. As has become customary, the band return to the front of the stage, take a bow and Bruce hugs or shakes hands with every member of the now extended E Street Band and thanks them before they leave the stage. Every one played their part and was a master or mistress of their art – Bruce (vocals and guitar), Stevie Van Zandt (guitar), Nils Lofgren (guitar), Garry Tallent (bass), ‘Mighty’ Max Weinberg (drums), ‘Professor’ Roy Bittan (piano), Jake Clemons (saxophone), Charlie Giordano (keyboards), Suzie Tyrell (guitar and backing vocals), Anthony Almonte (percussion), the ‘Miami Horns’ – Ed Manion (tenor and baritone sax), Ozzie Melendez (trombone), Curt Ramm (trumpet), Barry Danielian (trumpet), and Curtis King Jr, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore and Ade Dyer on backing vocals. Bruce takes the long walk to the front of the stage for one last time and ends the gig with his acoustic cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Chimes of Freedom’ which he played on Amnesty International’s ‘Human Rights Now’ tour with Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N’Dour and released a live version in the late ‘80’s. With that, the gig was over. At 30 songs and almost 3 hours, tonight was the longest night of the tour so far. One week on, while writing this, I am still processing what I saw, heard, experienced and was part of – an incredible night of music, singing, dancing, hope, optimism and defiance … something we all need at a time when the world is becoming scarier by the day. For those who think you shouldn’t mix music with politics, no-one is forcing you to listen and if an artist can use their platform for good and has the integrity to do so, we should all be supporting them to do so. It’s not as though this is a new development for Bruce - only those who haven’t listened to the lyrics of ‘Born in the USA’ would think it is patriotic or flag-waving and without recognising it as a condemnation of how America abandoned and treated their Vietnam veterans; he gave a large donation to the families of striking miners in Sunderland when touring in the ‘80’s and fans were also encouraged to take food to gigs as collection points to help others long before Taylor Swift was even born, although full credit to her for making large donations to food banks in every area in which she played on her Eras tour; or, how about calling out police brutality on ‘41 Shots’, his song based on the number of bullets fired by police officers at an unarmed black student in New York in 1999 who was shot dead, and then playing it live in New York night after night after having been told not to by the mayor? Or Stevie who left the E Street Band just before the Born in the USA tour, and missed out on a massive pay check, to concentrate on his solo music while becoming politically active, conceiving ‘Artists Against Apartheid’, putting together ‘Sun City’ and playing a key role in the boycott on playing Sun City and ending apartheid in South Africa. As a music fan, I would take artists with a conscience any day. As a reviewer, I like writing and words. But words are inadequate to describe just how good the E Street Band are live. On paper, they defy logic and belief - Bruce, Roy and Garry are 75, Stevie and Max 74 and Nils 73. When I saw them in 2023, it was bittersweet, as I genuinely thought that was their last tour. Fast forward two years, they show no signs of stopping and Bruce has said they’ll keep playing until they can’t and the wheels come off. Who knows if this is the last time I will see them playing live. If it is, I’m not sad. I’m just so happy to have seen them a number of times over the years. And as for Billboard, on the basis of their continuing form you’re going to have to revise your description to “the greatest ‘live’ rock’n’roll band … ever”. If you don’t believe me, I’ll leave you with the words of one of our readers who commented on my check-in post for the gig – “He won’t see a better band”. Steve – you’re not wrong there.

Denmark’s 'Volbeat' are once again giving us a delightful new album to wet the appetite ahead of their UK tour later in the year. ‘God Of Angels Trust’ is their 9th album, featuring 10 tracks of pure full on 'Volbeat'. Opening up with ‘Devils are Awake’ big guitar riffs, powerful vocals from Michael Poulsen collectively form what we’ve grown to know and love from ‘Volbeat', sets the tone smack right in front of you for what will follow. The single released ahead of the album ‘By a Monster’s Hand’ is next up, pure rock n roll, big stop/start guitar solo starts about half way in. Important to note, that this album is the first released by the band since the departure of renowned guitar player Rob Caggiano, for me the transition is seamless. ‘Acid rain’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album, doesn’t have the out and out power rock of most of the other tracks, but showcases Michael’s vocal clarity with a melodic rock twist throughout. For me their best release prior to this album was ‘Seal The Deal & Lets Boogie’ from 2016, so many great tracks that echoed and consolidated their unique style and tone to the listening public. ‘God Of Angels Trust’ is so far, in my view, shaping up to be on a par with ‘Seal…’ Back to the characteristic riff laden power with ‘Demonic Depression’, there’s sometimes a dark side to their lyric writing, but always tempered with some inner thoughts on life's struggles, great track with some of the best guitar work on the album. ‘In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom’, might be the longest song title I’ve seen in a long while, but quality track. Opening salvo of Jim Morrision-esque atmospheric vocals then explodes into full guitar onslaught as per ‘Volbeat'. ’Time Will Heal’ will slow you right down, not anyway as heavy as the previous tracks. It's melodic, upbeat and lets the band show you what they can turn their hand to successfully. OK respite over, back into the big chords with ’Better Be Fueled than Tamed’, fast rocker will be quality live, heads down and go with the flow. ‘At the End of the Sirens’ has the style which depicts the ‘Volbeat’ way of rock. Powerful riffs, steady rhythm section, crystal clear vocals and awesome lyrics. ‘Lonely Fields’ is the closest you’ll get to a rock ballad, but still with the powerful way these guys operate. Slows you down write in the middle with some pretty haunting tones, but lifts you back up through to the close. The final track ‘Enlighten the Disorder (By a Monsters Hand pt2) reprises track 2, its dynamic, stylish with top quality musicianship, perfectly brings to a conclusion this album. This is a great album one of the picks of the year so far for me. Favourite song choices are ‘Acid Rain’, ‘Demonic Depression’, ‘Better Be Fueled than Tamed’’ and ‘At the End of the Sirens’. As a release in terms of ‘Volbeat’ quality this is on a par with ‘Seal…’ for me, if you’ve not heard ‘'Volbeat'’ before check them out , just work through their albums from start of business until this one, believe me, you won’t be disappointed. Bring on the tour.

Francis Rossi has only been on stage for about 15 minutes, but he reckons he’s already over-running. This is nothing new for a man who loves to talk, and is now some way into his third tour of this style. Though the focus has shifted a little from stories to songs this time around, that doesn’t stop Rossi chatting about everything from the perils of an ageing prostate, to smoking weed with Noel Redding and cutting off his ponytail. He’s a natural raconteur, giving the illusion that he’s in conversation with you, perhaps in your living room, as he laments the lack of water on stage or coughs while spraying echinacea onto his throat. In contrast, the man occupying the second chair on stage is quiet and unassuming, barely uttering a word until he poses questions to Rossi from the audience in the second half. But perhaps that’s why talented producer and engineer Andy Brook is the perfect foil, though I suspect his lovely harmony vocals and guitar playing might also have something to do with it. There’s a pleasing sense of friendship between the two men; a warmth in the exchange of glances that allow them to communicate without speaking and the easy laughter that punctuates their interactions. As with all of Francis Rossi’s recent ‘solo’ tours, this is a relaxed and seated affair, with Quo songs stripped back to basics and generally faring very well in this format. From ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ via ‘In My Chair’, ‘Gerundula’ and ‘Claudie’, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable cross-section of a 60 year career that suggests the Quo catalogue might be more diverse than the naysayers would have you believe. Rossi jokes that unlike many of his contemporaries, he doesn’t have to worry about losing his voice because he never really had one to begin with. I suspect that most of this audience would disagree, and might argue that Rossi is actually quite underrated as a singer. His distinctive voice is as good as it ever was, carrying ‘Wild Side of Life’ and ‘Don’t Waste My Time’ with ease. As ‘Burning Bridges’ starts, I feel sure that Rossi is wrong in his assumption that none of us really know the words to the chorus and will be forced to make up our own gibberish. But once we get past ‘on and off and on again’, I realise he’s totally right! It’s these moments of humour that make Rossi so endearing; an ability to laugh (and sometimes snort!) at himself is irresistible. Rossi promises some deeper cuts in the second half and delivers several, a refreshing shakeup from the setlist staples that are pretty much guaranteed. As someone who discovered Quo somewhere around ‘In Search of the Fourth Chord’, it’s lovely to hear the gentle ‘Tongue Tied’, a song that Rossi says he thought would resonate more with Quo fans than it ultimately did. ‘Someone Show Me Home’ and ‘20 Wild Horses’ also appease the die-hards, before the set gets into very familiar territory, ‘Roll Over Lay Down’, ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’, ‘In the Army Now’ and ‘Down Down’ proving themselves as indispensable crowd pleasers. The evening concludes where a Quo set normally begins, ‘Caroline’ encouraging us to our feet whilst Rossi also stalks the stage, coaxing our best Marc Bolan impressions from us as we sing along to the riff (if you know, you know!). It’s probably about half an hour after the published finished time but we ain’t complaining - it’s a joy to see Francis keeping the music of Status Quo alive. The tour continues in September of this year, don’t miss it.

After closing the chapter on their former name Tantrum, UK metal band Pyroclast are set to officially ignite their new identity with the release of their self-titled debut single “Pyroclast” on Monday 30th June. For fans who’ve followed the band’s evolution over the past year, the new track marks not just a fresh start but a statement of purpose: heavier, sharper, and forged in the fire of a newly focused creative direction. The decision to change names wasn’t made lightly — and certainly not as a rebrand for the sake of it. “The band we once were no longer existed,” says vocalist Mark Reid. “In terms of personnel, attitude, and genre, everything had changed. Before, there were rules — defined boundaries for what a song could be. That went out the window with No Place for the Damned, and with the new material we’re working on now, there are no rules left at all.” Maiden Eruption: “Pyroclast” Written by guitarist Baz Fitzsimmons — music and lyrics — the new single is a sharp distillation of the band’s raw force and new-found cohesion. Anthemic in structure, “Pyroclast” was designed from the start to be a rallying cry — both for the band and their fans. “I wanted something that felt like it was the band,” Baz explains. “Not just in name, but in tone — a powerful, direct song that people could latch on to, especially live. It’s still melodic, still musical, but there’s a frenetic energy to it — relentless from start to finish — and definitely more weight behind it than anything we’ve released before.” Guitarist Chris Horne reinforces this, “‘Pyroclast’ perfectly encapsulates the explosive, high energy for the hard-hitting introduction of our new name. With a chorus that will scuttle its way through the cracks of your skull, and riffs that'll bring your gran to the mosh, we knew this had to be our first single. This ripping anthem does not hold back. It’s here to stay. This is Pyroclast.” Originally, the band had planned to lead with a different track — “Prisoner Game”, a thematically dark, riff-heavy song in the vein of “The Darkest of Times”, the lead single from their previous album. But after stepping back, they felt Pyroclast was a stronger introduction to what the new chapter truly represents — a controlled eruption, volatile but deliberate. “It made sense to hold that one back,” Mark adds. “We didn’t want to give the impression we were doing more of the same. “Pyroclast” is heavier, more aggressive, and yet bluesy in places. It’s more dynamic. It kicks down the door to what comes next.” The band will debut the track live at Wildfire Festival on June 28th, along with a performance of “Brought by a Flame” — a future single that trades the aggression for something more reflective and expansive. “It’s a very different kind of song. We’ll talk more about that one later,” Mark says. “But it’ll definitely catch people off guard — in a good way.” Physical copies of “Pyroclast” will be available at Wildfire, including a special Wildfire Edition CD. A small run of Ignition Edition copies was also produced — a launch-exclusive gatefold variant on red vinyl that’s already close to selling out. Pre-orders are open now on the band’s website and Bandcamp page, and while streaming will follow a couple of weeks later, exact platform release dates are still pending. “It’s always a bit of a lottery with the digital services,” Mark admits. “So we’re focusing on physical and direct sales first.”

Well now, what do we have here? Lush layers of keyboard loveliness, driving drum and bass combos, tasteful and elegant guitar work all woven together with intelligent and emotive lyrics. If you’re a lover of those classic yesteryear AOR/melodic rock calling cards, then this one is most definitely for you my friends. The brainchild of lifelong friends Dave Hardman (Guitar) and Carl Sharples (Bass) and starring FM’s former baron of the black and whites Didge Digital, New York vocalist Warren Passaro and drummer Andy Jakeman, First Light are on the cusp of something rather special here. Lead single ‘Damned If You Do’ is a gorgeous slice of the AOR golden days served up with modern production values and a healthy side of fresh talent. The album ‘Elemental’ debuts on the 25th of July and we’ll bring you a full review in due course. Much love SS

Those big open chords, that rolling piano line, the gospelesque harmonies and then Barnesy pouring a lifetime of grit, graft and gravel into heartfelt lyrics. Yeah it's all in there; from the quintessential opening drive of That’s What You Do For Love and title track Defiant, to the utterly beautiful Beyond the River Bend by way of the Americana storybook of The Long Road and the closing brass infused bluesy swing of Sea of Love this is truly a work of art and to my ears at least the most complete album Mr Barnes has ever put together. The good you see will give you a moment, the great will hold you in that moment for a night or an album…legends though, well legends will make that moment last a lifetime. Forty years ago, this boy fell in love with the music of the working-class man, forty years on the boy has become a man, and the working-class man has become a legend. Man or boy, working class or legend, this is peak Jimmy and it’s glorious, absolutely glorious. Much love SS

Three years after their debut album gained critical acclaim, UK rockers This House We Built have broken ground on sophomore soil and whilst the sonic scaffolding is still up around the album those Yorkshire gents are now taking viewings for the new lead single, Addiction. This is an adrenaline fuelled statement of intent and some thirty-six years later we may just have a worthy successor to Motley’s Kickstart my Heart. The only thing missing from the video is a couple of guys called Johnny Utah and Bodhi so to paraphrase my point (break)… It’s 100% pure adrenaline! Other guys snort for it, jab a vein for it, when all you gotta do is press play for it and the little hand on the clock says it’s time to rock n roll… Much love SS

If you’re asked to think of Denmark, you might think of “wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen”, Lego, Carlsberg, Hans Christian Andersen fairytales, possibly Vikings… and if you’re a fan of a particular Scottish football team, Brian Laudrup probably springs to mind! But there’s also a rich history of rock music in the country, with the likes of D.A.D, Pretty Maids, Volbeat and White Lion’s Mike Tramp all hailing from the Scandinavian country. Then, of course, there’s the important part Denmark played in the early days of the legendary Metallica, with Danish-born drummer Lars Ulrich and the band temporarily relocating to Copenhagen to record the Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets albums. With that rich rock and metal heritage in mind, the latest Danish band aiming to live their own Hans Christian Andersen-like rock n roll fairytale is Animalyze! The band, consisting of Vikki Mahrt (vocals), Mike Lauren (bass), Clay Ronson (guitar) and Chris Clark (drums) has gone from strength to strength since joining forces with legendary Danish music manager Ken Anthony and will release their debut album ‘Powerhouse’ through Steelheart Records on 9th June 2025. With some energetic live performances, singles and music videos released, anticipation is high amongst rock fans and music critics. But will ‘Powerhouse’ live up to the hype and help take Animalyze to the next level? A wailing siren provides a throwback to Thin Lizzy’s ‘Jailbreak’ on the opening of title track ‘Powerhouse’ before Clark’s drums make way for a joyously nostalgic, chugging riff and bass that nods to early Judas Priest. Mahrt’s vocals have the timbre of Saxon’s Biff Byford with the power of Accept’s Udo Dirkschneider whilst Ronson wastes no time in proving his guitar chops with some sizzling solos. The classic “whoa, whoa” in the sing-along chorus will surely go down a treat with audiences in a live setting too. Great start! ‘Hunter of the Night’ continues the classic rock theme, with more driving bass, more guitar riffs and another earworm chorus that will have you singing along during the first listen. Driven along by Lauren’s rock-solid bass, this is another song that could’ve graced Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in its 1980s heyday, with a strutting riff and air guitar-inducing guitar solo, all held together by a glue of sleazy, almost sneering vocals. Think Cinderella… think Rainbow Bar and Grill… and you’re in the right ballpark! If I was to hazard a guess, I’d say that the pomp-rock of very early KISS was an influence on ‘Beauty is a Killer’. With a dancing bass, great vocal harmonies and a general feel-good vibe that makes you want to bop and dance, this is a fantastic tribute to 1970s rock; so much so, that I can almost smell the leather and hairspray from my stereo speakers! It makes me think of the gritty, smoky streets of New York and legendary venues such as CBGBs, when glam rock was cool and anything went! There’s a much heavier and harder edge to ‘Trigger of Love’ as it bursts out of the speakers like Ratt in late 1980s. Mahrt’s vocals appear more menacing, as if he really means business, whilst Ronson’s solo evokes images of a long haired, six string master standing on top of monitors and under the spotlights, mesmerising the pretty girls in the front row of the audience. It really is a time and place kind of track! ‘Hot But Dangerous’ is another track that could be straight out of the Ratt songbook, with an opening riff to die for and some seriously sexy lyrics… just like they used to be in the 80s before everyone became so scared to complement someone on their looks! “She’s oh so sweet. She’s dangerous to me. Hot. Hot. Hot” sneers Mahrt, as Ronson’s guitar soars sweetly in the background. This is pure musical nostalgia, reminding me of a time when songs about good looking women ruled and a female muse was a common inspiration. Great stuff indeed! With the sound of a revving motorbike engine starting the track, you know exactly what you’re getting with ‘Wild for Free’ before it even finds its groove. It’s high energy, hard rocking, classic rock, with a Motley Crue-vibe that’s… well… better than current day Motley Crue! ‘X-Medication’ continues the early Crue vibe with a vocal performance that is reminiscent of a young Vince Neil, whilst the rock-solid rhythm section of Clark and Lauren could challenge Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx any day of the week! Punch your fists in the hair and let me hear a “hey, hey, hey”! ‘Pleasure and Pain’ returns to the sound of early Judas Priest heard at the beginning of the album, with chugging riffs and vocals performed with real Rob Halford-like attitude, whilst Ronson’s guitar solos sound inspired by the Downing/Tipton twin guitars of the legendary metal band’s heyday. ‘Dr Feelgood’, ‘Calling Dr Love’, ‘Doctor Alibi’, ‘Doctor Doctor’; hard rock bands love songs about the great medical profession… and Animalyze is no different! Penultimate track ‘Dr Chemical’ is a big, bombastic number with a brilliant, classic Winger sound and Def Leppard vocal harmonies that Joe Elliott et al would be proud of. It’s got everything you want in a rock song and is this writer’s favourite track on the album. This would be the perfect soundtrack for a music video (hint, hint!!!) with a sound so big that it would fill any arena! The album closes with ‘Kings of the Night’, an energetic rocker that allows Mahrt’s voice to soar, Ronson’s solos to shine and a drum and bass rhythm that’ll make your speakers shake. It’s the perfect way to end an album. Throughout this review, I’ve mentioned many legendary classic hard rock and metal bands. That’s not something that I particularly like to do in reviews, as too many comparisons can muddy the musical waters. So, why mention Judas Priest, Cinderella, KISS, Ratt, Motley Crue, Winger and Def Leppard at all? Simple… because with Animalyze’s Powerhouse album, that’s exactly what you get! It’s all those classic bands and everything that made them great melded into one fantastic debut album. It’s huge choruses, soaring vocals, mammoth guitar riffs, searing solos, driving bass and thundering drums all brought together with a cliched and unapologetic nod to the sounds and vibes of 1980s Sunset Strip. It’s a time capsule of everything that was great about that long gone and much missed era when hard rock really mattered… and it’s something that fans of that bygone age need to hear again. If Carlsberg did 1980s inspired hard rock bands… it would sound like Animalyze! Powerhouse is due for release in Europe on 9th June 2025 with a further release planned for Japan. Pre-order your copy now!

Once upon a time, in Chernivizi in south western Ukraine, two little girls were born, just a few years apart, but who would both go on to become international performing stars. One of them was Milena Markova “Mila” Kunis who moved to America and became a Hollywood actress, but that’s a different story. Susanna Radimovskaya comes from the same place but she wanted to be a very different kind of performer. As she explained to me; “it was my dream from childhood to be a musician and a rock star. I remember ‘little Susanna’ wanting to be like Tina Turner or Whitney Houston and I always wanted to sing on stage, but not like a soul singer; I wanted to scream and perform with all of my energy like Vixen or Lorraine Lewis from Femme Fatale!” You can see and hear what Susanna is talking about in the astonishing video for the song ‘Fall in Love’, which captures her in the studio belting out the lyrics with style and class. In particular, listen out for the delightfully-accented and seductive honey trap of the spoken-word segment that precedes a magnificent band interlude reminiscent of Whitesnake’s ‘Still of the Night’.