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I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I am Metal Editor at Pure Metal

You will also find reviews at Blogcritics

JILL HENNESSY
Ghost In My Head



I really don't care for multi-talented people. After all, it's a bit much for folks like me, who have no discernible skill at anything. But here comes another performer, showing the rest of us up.

For those who don't know, Jill Hennessy is an actress who has starred in hit US TV shows like"Law & Order" and "Crossing Jordan", playing the titular Jordan Cavanaugh in the latter. Now if I hadn't had been seuch a fan of "Crossing Jordan", then I would never have stumbled across this CD. And that loss would have made me even more bitter and twisted than usual.

See, unlike most actresses who decide to release records, Ms Hennessy actually is a singer. And a songwriter. And a guitarist. She wrote all the songs here, has a warm, inviting voice, and a facility to write rootsy, melodic songs that deserve to be widely heard.

And it is American roots-rock where this record resides. It's well produced, with sympathetic arrangements bringing cellos, accordions and organ into play when needed. But it's the songs like '4 Small Hands' and 'Oh Mother' that resonate, and will keep you listening to this record for years to come.

http://www.jillhennessy.com - for proper copies

Download @ Amazon UK

BEGGAR JOE
same
C.A.T. Records



This came as an unexpected treat, as Manchester is usually associated with grubby pub-rockers (hello, Oasis) and scally smackhead (aright, Happy Mondays). What it's not associated with is soul stirring acoustic Blues. But that's what you get here.

Mainman Jon Kenzie deserves to be ludicrously successful, with his keening and roaring voice, sublime guitar picking and songwriting ability. It's really not fair on the rest of us that he's hoarding all that talent. But with jazzy bass runs and funky, inventive percussive arrangements, Beggar Joe are no one-man band.

Songs like 'Sleeping City', 'Zabba' and 'Ain't No Way' are just delightful, and Beggar Joe deserve to be huge. Um, successful huge, not fat huge.

Buy CD From Amazon

THE HUMANS - We Are The Humans



The Humans are an odd little cove. A project that was first put together to perform new songs at a series of concerts in Estonia, they comprise Chris Wong, Bill Rieflin and one Toyah Willcox.

After the shows were completed, they went into the studio to record the material, before heading back to Estonia to perform them again. Which is a curious, yet perversely intriguing way of doing things.

Most of the music comprises dense, electronic landscapes, with the clipped, robotic voice of Toyah acting as an additional instrument. It's certainly interesting, and bears more than a passing resemblance to solo David Sylvain. Which is a good thing. 'Twisted Soul' is probably the closest thing to anything conventional, and acts as a good entry point. Me? I liked it.

Download @ Amazon

http://www.myspace.com/wearethehumans



TOYAH - In The Court Of The Crimson Queen



Listening to The Humans album reminded me that I had quite forgotten how good the last Toyah album was, the wittily titled "In The Court Of The Crimson Queen".

Toyah is one of those people who only really became interesting to me after the hits dried up, and this album is a bit of a secret joy. There's half a dozen songs here that deserved to be huge with the likes of 'Sensational', the bluesy (!) 'Latex Messiah' and 'Legacy', utter delights. However, it would be a brave man who listened to 'Come' and 'Bad Man' more than once.

You really ought to buy this, just so Toyah doesn't have to slum it on the Vampires Rock tour again.

Download @ Amazon

http://www.toyahwillcox.com

Great British Rock 'n' Roll Vol.4:
As Good As It Gets
Smith & Co. 2010




Another excellent installment from the increasingly essential Smith & Co series, and one that could be a real eye-opener for people who might find the phrase "great British rock'n'roll", a bit of an oxymoron.

This one is chock full of the big names in British rock'n'roll, kicking off with Cliff Richard's third single 'Livin' Lovin' Doll'. But then we really hit paydirt with tunes from Billy Fury, Vince Taylor, Dickie Pride and Johnny Kidd all knocking at the door.

Naturally, with 70 (that's seventy!) tracks on offer, there was bound to be a few duffers - say hello to Tommy Steele, Ray Ellington and Victor Silvester - but when gems like Mort Shuman's 'I'm A Man' (even though he's an American, it was recorded over here) and the Jack Parnell Five's take on 'Kansas City', all lying in wait, then it's certainly well worth it.

Buy CD From Amazon

PRYMARY
The Enemy Inside
ProgRock Records



Californian band Prymary are back with their third album, and it's an excellent release of top quality prog-metal.

If I were to tell you that they've opened for bands like Fates Warning, Kamelot and King's X, since their debut album came out back in 2003, then you wouldn't need a genius IQ to have a stab at what they sound like. However, they do veer towards the melodic side of things, even when the riffs are a-flying!

Die-hard progsters will be delighted to know that the opening, title track, comes in five parts and is a hard-hitting, intricate, dark and dense epic. And it's a suite you really need to set some time aside for, so intricate is it in places. They're at their most metallic on stand alone numbers like 'Inflicted' and 'Disillusion', but it's the closing 'Trial And Tragedy' which, for me, seals their place as a major talent, as it twists and turns its way through your head.

Highly recommended.

Buy CD From Amazon

ALESTORM
Black Sails At Midnight
Napalm



Now, yes, I know it's a bit of a one trick pony, but if you're going to have bands bashing out battle metal, then you may as well have one dressed up as pirates, singing songs about pirates, calling themselves pirate metal.

For sure, Running Wild did it all a hunnerd years or so back, but we can hardly claim to be overrun with bands of this ilk. It is a bit keyboard heavy for me in places, but as the Scotch rockers rampage through 'That Famous Ol' Spiced', 'Keelhauled' and, yes, 'Pirate Song', you can't fail to have a smile on your face, a bang in your head, and a parrot on your shoulder.

Good, fun, hearty metal, and there's nowt wrong with that!

Buy at Amazon

DANA EDELMAN
Blues Roses
Mile 23 Music



It's been a couple of years since I last heard from Dana Edelman. His last album, "Mile 23" was an understated treat, so it's nice to see that he's still out there, pursuing his muse.

His style is a timeless form of American music that touches on folk, soul, jazz, roots and blues, drawing in everything from David Gates to David Crosby to David Cassidy. Well, maybe not the last one. but there are some really beautiful songs on offer here, with 'Mindgames' and the title track particularly fine.

The record also sounds amazing. thanks in no small part I'm sure, by the magnificent core band of Victor Bailey, Chris Foley, Victor Jones and Gregor Kilpatrick. Mr Edelman has also managed to enlist Grammy winning record producer Joshua Paul Thompson to co-produce, something that I'm sure helped things along!

The mid-section of the album was where it really came together for me, with 'Listen To Me Mama', 'Grand Central Station' and 'Hot Tamale' simply outstanding. A superb release, and one you really ought to check out.

http://www.danaedelman.com

RM HUBBERT
First & Last
Ubisano



Now this is quite remarkable. And that is not something that happens every day in my musical world. But for once, it's an appropriate word, as “First & Last”, the debut album from Glasgow based RM Hubbert most definitely qualifies as a work of art. At least, in it's initial, excruciatingly limited edition, craftsman created format, it does.

Mr Hubbert has been playing his guitar for quite some time now, having done his time on the coalface of the Glasgow DIY scene of the nineties, especially on the albums released by El Hombre Trajeado, which saw them getting three sessions on John Peels Radio 1 show, as well as playing concerts alongside the likes of Sebadoh, Tortoise, Nick Cave and Mike Watt, amongst others.

But once all the indie shenanigans were over and done with, Mr Hubbert began to actually study the guitar, rather than just strumming it, taking in flamenco, samba and taiko, as he explored the possibilities of his playing. All of which lead him down the road of solo guitar compositions and to this album. In its initial format "First & Last" has been released as a specially produced and hand bound hardback art book (made from recycled bottles). It's limited in this form to 105 copies, which features contributions from artists Toby Paterson, Luke Fowler, Danny Saunders and Sarah Lowndes, as well as musical collaborators including Jer Reid and Howie Reeve.

As well as Mr Hubberts notes on what defined the writing of his music, the inclusion of sketches and poems from his artistic collaborators form part of his inspiration, as he works his way through his series of instrumental guitar pieces. Now when it comes to the technical side of classical and flamenco guitar, I know nothing. But I do know a lot about emotion, depression, sudden death, and the daily struggle of simply living. Of all of which informs this work.

With that in mind, and a good set of headphones, the depth and range of emotion involved can be quite raw and cutting. I'm still finding it hard to listen to 'Jumphang' all the way through, as I find it just too harrowing. Fortunately, it's not all doom and gloom, as the musical love letters to his wife attest. And there is more joy to be found in the likes of 'Hey There Mr. Bone' and 'Temple Circa 89'. It's a remarkable achievement and something that more peope should strive for, in an increasingly banal world.

The creativity doesn't stop with the music and art either, as both the (non-limited) CDs and downloads will be available on a pay what you like basis, with the music being released under a Creative Commons license, which allows for remixes and reworking of the music as well as further sharing of it for non-commercial purposes. And if that weren't enough, you can get Mr Hubbert to perform for you under his “will play for food” scheme, where he will come round your house to play his music.

http://www.rmhubbert.com

DANNY BRYANT'S REDEYEBAND
Just As I Am
Continental Blue Heaven



It was only after seeing the Redeyeband live, that I can claim to have 'got' Danny Bryant, as his studio records have always seemed just a tad on the polite side. Now that's not something that has been completely cured on this new release, but I can safely say that this is my favourite Danny Bryant album so far.

'Shut Out The Light is a good rocking opener, but it's when 'Blues For Buddy' kicks in that the album really takes off. It's a straight down the middle Blues tune, but the passion just spills out of the speakers. I can live without much of his balladry, but when there's a funky beast like 'Every Time The Devil Smiles' just around the corner, then it's a small price to pay.

There's eight new Danny Bryant compositions here, alongside the sole cover, a take on the John Hiatt song, 'Master Of Disaster' and he's still got Trevor Barr on drums and his Dad, Ken, on bass, and they down a fine job of holding down the groove.

The best two songs are saved for last, with the slow Blues of 'The Hard Way' featuring a surprisingly good vocal, something the young Master Bryant seems to have been working on. Things then end with the right minute epic, 'Alone In The Dark', possibly the best song he's ever written, one that has an evocative, Snowy White style flavour, dipping in and out of moods and styles, to tremendous effect.

Buy CD From Amazon

JOE STUCKEY
So Far
Rga Records



Joey Stuckey is an award-winning blind guitarist, songwriter, radio & TV personality, as well as running his own recording studio. He lost his sight and sense of smell as an infant as the result of a brain tumour, but by the age of 17 was taking classical guitar lessons, going on to study with renowned jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan.

This is a compilation of material from his four previous albums - "Ironies, Pain & The Light That Guides", "Take A Walk In The Shadows", "Live & More Stuff" and "Live & Stuff", alongside two new tracks, 'Free' and 'Hold', as well as - two videos: 'The Light That Guides' (Joey and the band live at the Douglass Theater) and 'Walking Over My Grave', an animated short, previously available only on "Live & Stuff - The DVD".

He's working in that American milieu of jazzy, blue collar rock, skirting around the edges of blues rock, fusion and the world of the jam band. He's also got some heavy duty friends as the likes of Randall Bramlett, Jimmy Hall and Jimmy Herring pop up to lend a hand here and there, doubtless musical friendships formed when his band have been supporting some of the biggest names around.

It is a wee bit hit and miss and, unusually for me, I prefer it when he slows things down a bit. But across the 16 tracks there's more than enough to keep your attention with 'Mr. Mooney', 'The Light That Guides' and 'Still Me, Sane & Free', all coming up trumps for me.

http://www.joeystuckey.com

THE OCTOBER GAME
Wildblood
Carmandie



Me and The Guardian are like chalk and cheese. Me and Tom Robinson are like cheese and chalk. Normally, I couldn't disagree with them more about absolutely everything. However, they've said kind things about The October Game, and I'm about to follow suit. I feel quite faint.

I usually hate 'big' indie rock, when they start phoning up viola players and going in for expansive, swelling arrangements. But. somehow, with The October Game, it actually works. People are going to bandy around names like Arcade Fire but they're much, much better than that sort of shite, with more invention in one song than the aforementioned AF have managed in their career to date.

There's a humanity and a fragility that shines through the material leaving you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they're going to make it to the end without falling apart. It's not all wine and roses, but when they get it right, as they do on most of this album, then they couldn't be more right. Most of the songs are inventive, charming and welcoming, with 'Greenbacks', 'Concrete (When We Were Invincible)' and 'Where The Devil Loses Out', as good as it gets.

Download @ Amazon

After The Ordeal vs. Mirrorkicks

AFTER THE ORDEAL - The End Never Comes



Ah, dodgy haircuts, and the entire Hundred Reasons back catalogue stashed away in their bedrooms. That would be After The Ordeal then. Apparently, they won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam competition, which I'm sure is less mucky than it sounds, and had a live set broadcast onto the telly at Download.

And they're alright. But for the time being they sound like every third band on Kerrap! TV. They're certainly good musicians and producer Dan Lancaster has come up with a blistering sound, but the songs aren't quite there yet.

http://www.myspace.com/aftertheordealuk



MIRRORKICKS - Anything



Thankfully, I've managed to avoid the viral shockwave that is the Mirrorkicks version of Leona Lewis' 'Bleeding Love'. Although I'm sure it can't possibly be as bad as this.

Fey, indie by numbers of the lowest denomination, this has no redeeming features whatsoever. I can't even begin to express how much I want back the seven minutes and thirty two seconds of my life that are now irrecoverable.

I would suggest carrying wax earplugs with you at all times until we have irrefutable evidence of them splitting up.

http://www.myspace.com/mirrorkicks

AISLES
In Sudden Walks
Presagia



This arrived without any kind of bio or press bumph, and as I'm rapidly losing interest in the internet, I decided to review it the old fashioned way. A quick look at the song titles and lengths screamed prog. Well, what you would think ehen confronted by a ten minute song called 'Summer Fall'? Exactly.

I'm also going to out on a limb and suggest that Alejandro, Rodrigo, Germani, Felipe, Luis and Sebastian may well turn out to be a Hispanic prog band. And a mighty fine prog band they are too, firmly in the best symphonic prog tradition.

There are a couple of shorter numbers on offer as well, but it's when they stretch out on the likes of 'Hawaii', 'The Maiden' and 'Mariachi' that this really shines. The latter, especially, is outstanding, with an intricate arrangement, theatrical scene and breathtaking musicianship. Progsters should hunt this down as a matter of some urgency.

http://www.aislesproject.com

REECE
Universal Language
Metal Heaven



The Reece in question is, of course, David Reece, who is probably still best known for his brief tenure in Accept after the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. He only sang on one album, "Eat The Heat", but has kept busy since then, lending his talents to the likes of Bangalore Choir, Lillian Axe and Gypsy Rose.

This, however, is his first ever solo album, and one that sprang from an encounter with uber producer Michael Voss. It sees him joining forces, in fine small world fashion, with former U.D.O. guitarist Andy Susemihl and ex Holy Moses bassist Jochen Funders on an excellent album of melodic hard rock. And that's very definitely rock, more than metal. For sure, there are plenty of meaty riffs and piercing solos, but it's always rooted in melody.

Reece is in good voice throughout and anyone who has enjoyed his earlier work will find a lot to enjoy in tracks like 'Before I Die', 'Fantasy Man' and 'I'll Remember You'.

Buy at Amazon

GUNNAR MADSEN
Two Hands
G-Spot



Gunnar Madsen isn't a man who likes to be pigeonholed. He's had a bash at everything from film soundtracks to musical theatre to children's albums. And now he's turned his hand to a record of piano instrumentals which teeters on the edge between new age and crossover classical.

Yes, apart from three tracks that feature the violin of Irene Sazer, this is just Mr Madsen sitting at a Yamaha concert grand piano, playing. Hence "Two Hands". The music sprang from a bad bout of pneumonia, when all he was fit for was brief periods of piano improvisation.

A lot of the music is very melancholy, and in the liner notes Mr Madsen explains the inspiration and thoughts that went into the composition. It's a delightful record, albeit one that needs a lot of attention in the listening. But it's certainly worth it in pieces like 'Kerenyi', 'Ordinary Day' and 'Oak Sky'.

Buy CD From Amazon

http://www.gunnarmadsen.com