REVOLUTION SAINTS

Eagle Flight

A project by Serafino Perugino (Head of A&R at Frontiers Records), ‘Revolution Saints’, was created around Deen Castronovo, who has the most majestic voice. ‘Journey’ fans will be well acquainted with the drummer’s singing ability, as he provided live vocals on their song ‘Mother, Father’.

This fourth release, ‘Eagle Flight’, features a brand-new line-up, joining Deen are guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Black Swan). There’s also a guest appearance by Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards, who also produced the album.

The soft keys of Alessandro open up the eponymous track ahead of Deen’s smooth tones. The arrival of Joel’s guitar adds lush and dynamic chords before it travels full circle, ending as calmly as it began. There’s more weight during ’Talking To Strangers’ and ‘Need Each Other’ is melodic perfection, the flow of this track is noble and sublime. ‘Kids Will Be Kids’ offers more time for Deen to reach his highest vocal range’ and ‘Crime Of The Century’ hears Joel delivering awesome strings, it’s another with fire in its body, as the rhythm races relentlessly.

‘Sacred’ brings the album down to earth, Jeff holds the rhythm eloquently while Deen pursues an increase in depth and again there are ample demonstrations of Joel’s talent. ‘Once More’ quietly comes across before gathering momentum. The last of the ten tracks is ’Save It All’ which raises the cadence level, ensuring this album delivers everything that ‘Revolution Saints’ fans have come to expect.

‘Eagle Flight’ is a must for those who adore the heavier and rockier edges of AOR and once again Deen proves himself as a captivating performer. This Mark 2 lineup has so much individual adeptness, but together as a unit, their masterly brilliance is hard to eclipse.

Words by Diane Davies

Allan Jones Too Late To Stop Now

This unputdownable book should come with an excess all areas warning. It’s rammed with finely recounted anecdotes from an era when musicians spent as much effort having a wild time offstage as they mostly did onstage. To report their high jinks, there was a cadre of journalists chopping along also experts in how to take advantage of record company largesse. This involved a few who could easily match if not exceed the excesses of the artists whose rider they were indulging in with wild abandon. Re-enter former Melody Maker and Uncut magazine editor, Allan Jones, who has published his follow up memoirs to the Sunday Times 2017 music book of the year, I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, and he’s raised the ante on Too Late To Stop Now. Subtitled More Rock N Roll War Stories. It’s Jones’ shot proof like liver and nose for a good time that emerges victoriously intact from this second magnificent instalment of his storied life reporting from rock music’s frontline.

The page turning tales commence with a last minute one on one champagne fuelled print deadline rendezvous with a gaudily dressed Elton John in his Dorchester Hotel suite. It’s 1974 and Jones is three weeks into his first role at Melody Maker and this booze fuelled interview is a primer for the entertaining on the road shenanigans to come. When not in the pub sharing the good times with his fellow scribes, Jones is in the thick of it being set on fire by The Damned; immersed in an inebriated vodka encounter with Peter Cook, strange and surreal interviews with Peter Gabriel, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and a bizarre meeting with Yes’ Jon Anderson on the French Riviera. All of which is emblematically documented with Jones’ inventive quips and highly engaging prose. As one of the very few journalists to get on with Lou Reed, it’s also clear that the artists and bands mostly got along with Jones and his insatiable quest for danger. The heady blend of interviews, between 1974 - 2014, with rock stars, prog minstrels, punk reprobates, new wave songwriters and much more… and their rise, and decline of some, into household names is a priceless collection of tales from an time when music writers reported without restrictions from the warts and all battleground of music. Taking its title from a Van Morrison song, the wheels quite nearly came off Jones’ many hilarious journey’s as he crashed around with the subjects involved here. Thankfully, and miraculously, he survived to tell these outrageous first hand stories. This is a first-class Rolls Royce Phantom of a book.

Words by Paul Davies

ROBERT JON & THE WRECK LIVE AT THE ANCIENNE BELGIQUE

Robert Jon & The Wreck’s musical journey, especially in Europe, is smoothly drifting from middle lane madness to a life in the fast lane. Playing larger venues on return trips to these shores is a sure sign as is the growing sales and received kudos for the studio output, such as recent EP One Of A Kind.

As is the tradition of bands who require a bit of breathing space between studio offerings, this live album recorded in Brussels in June 2022, documents their musical achievements seven years into their tuneful adventure. Plus, being released on Joe Bonamassa’s record label, it’s certainly a case of so far, so good as Live at The Ancienne Belgique proves.

RJ&TW’S modus operandi from the cautionary tale of The Devil Is Your Only Friend with its intertwining of slide and lead guitar and keyboards, light and shade musical mood colours, and the Allman Brothers influenced duelling guitars on Do You Remember is one of good time blues hued Southern Roots Rock. As those who have seen the band live will attest, lead guitarist Henry James Schneekluth is a guitar genius of this genre who loads up this band’s rocket of songs with a fiery fuel of fretwork par excellence. His guitar solo, three songs in, says it all as he slides into the boogie riff to Hey Mama.

Robert Jon Burrison’s mid to high register vocals communicate these tunes straight out of the dogeared Southern Rock boogie book of how to do it right. Overall, as good as the musicianship is, this bulging genre of bands would be nothing without good songs and The Wreck has very good songs. Blame It On The Whiskey, Oh, Miss Carolina, Tired Of Drinking Alone and, especially, Shine A Light On Me Brother sound as excellent live as they do on record. California’s finest, Robert Jon & The Wreck are the real deal!

Words by Paul Davies

Atreyu

The Hope Of Spark Ep

Atreyu returns with “The Hope of Spark’’ and I’m not sure whether it was timing, but this fourtrack E.P. was just what I needed. Four songs of no-messing alternative, hardcore metal, complemented with great musicianship, singalong melodies, and stomping hard-core riffs you feel like you want an arena to yourself just to rock out to!

There’s a touch of inspired-by moments for sure, but it doesn’t distract from being unmistakable “Atreyu” under the bonnet, I love it all. You just have to turn the volume up and up until your speaker bleeds and fills whatever space you’re in loud and proud!

Kicking off with “Drowning” as you might expect experimenting with different sounds and effects the song blasts straight into a thumbing guitar riff, filled out with a hard and heavy rhythm section, exploding into a passionate heavy laden massive chorus. Second up is “Good Devil’’ the ingredients? Take NIN inspired memory or two, turn it inside out and upside down, and punch it through the Atreyu songwriting machine with a tidy sprinkling of a massive rock chorus you know you’re going to scream out with all your friends at a rock festival and there you have it, an Atreyu classic.

“Capital F” comes next, simply put, pure bliss, hard bouncy chorus, complemented with additional sound effects throughout for a more emotive experience while you soak in the lyrics which have quite the aggressive tone. Lastly, “Watch Me Burn” it’s more of the same... but in a great way! Perfectly executed, written, polished, and produced just as you would expect. The experience of only having four songs to play left me feeling really pleased. I spent time listening to these songs, and yes wanting more very soon thank you.

Sweet And Lynch Heart And Sacrifice

The third album from Michael Sweet (Stryper) and George Lynch (Lynch Mob, Dokken) sees the duo reunited for the first time since 2017. Both previous albums, the 2015 debut ‘Only To Rise’ and ‘Unified’ were immensely successful, reaching high positions in the Billboard charts.

Who doesn’t like a bit of George Lynch, he recently stated he’d given up trying to impress other guitarists, he never had to compete in my opinion. Michael’s vocals are legendary, last year he joined forces with Joel Hoekstra, Marco Mendoza, Tommy Aldridge, and Nathan James, for the supergroup ‘Iconic’ whose debut ‘Second Skin’ received wide acclaim. With so many projects happening between them, it was only in 2022 that the pair could start writing together again, resulting in twelve tracks entitled ‘Heart & Sacrifice’.

On bass is Alessandro Del Vecchio who also produced the album with Michael, he is joined by French drummer Jelly Cardarelli (Lalu, Klone) for the rhythm section. George performs lead guitar, while Michael is on vocals and second guitar.

After listening to the title track, it’s apparent this is one of those albums that will stand the test of time. ‘Where I Have To Go’ is a song packed with Michael’s delectable vocals and George has the freedom to discharge undying chords. ‘Miracle’ taps into anthem rock while the riff on ‘You’ll Never Be Alone’ is lush beyond words. More guitar splendour on ‘Will It Ever Change’ and ever-pressing lyrics make it a darker encounter.

‘Every Day’ turns the direction to the light, a racing piece where every instrument is given space. George is in his element on ‘It Rains Again’ bearing a gift of thunderous riffing. The ballad ‘World Full Of Lies’ is a poignant finish. Overall, the album leans on dynamic and pretty heavy scores and it does not disappoint at all.

Words by Diane Davies

L.A. GUNS BLACK DIAMONDS

You know it, L.A.Guns are alive and well thank you very much! The work instructions on how to compose and deliver what I feel is a fine piece of hard rock and roll, in this latest release from Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, and the Gang. From Start to finish, great songs, unashamedly sprinkled with 70’s tones and vibe, but yes, still contemporary. “You Betray” kicks off. Just wow. A great start, blistering into a Zep-inspired singalong, melody, a definite favourite, moving on to “Wrong About You” again, provides superb rock and roll riffage, it takes your mind back to those more simplistic memories of just enjoying well-structured music.

“Diamonds” follows and is what you might say is the ballad on the album, a total classic for sure with a chorus to stay in your head for a good while. Song 4 is “Babylon ‘’ makes me think of just how much this band must be enjoying life currently, flawless with great rhythm and lots of tambourine to dance along to. Song 5 follows with “Shame” which is just classic L.A.Guns, with a mix of sleazy guitars, bopping drums and bass, harmonica, and of course, Mr Lewis singing those songs like there’s no tomorrow. Next up is “Shattered Glass”, quite the contemporary number with a punk-era chorus hook and screaming guitar!

Song 7 “Gonna Lose” for me has drawn inspiration from that 70s era, great licks, and thoughtful musicianship, a track I haven’t been able to put aside yet! This leads us to “Got It Wrong”, a full-on dose of classic hard rock I defy any music lover to not rock out to. No messing with an AC/DC vibe follows with “Lowlife” and puts that late 80s vibe back on the map to blast out. Song 10 “Crying” is a touch psychedelic with its vibe, providing a stompy beat and singalong melody your ears are going to love. and the album finishes with “Like A Drug” a reminder of what classic hard rock and roll should sound like.

An album which will sit with pride in most lovers of hard rock and roll, rest assured it won’t gather dust at the back of your music collection.

Words by Russell Peake

Deathstars Everything Destroys You

The latest much-anticipated opus from Swedish industrial metalheads Deathstars have a new release “Everything Destroys You”. Ten songs you can bite into with their dark horror approach to rock n roll. Overall, the album has a great feel for the genre with many highlights. Standout notes are the blending off female background vocals adding an additional twist to melodies on the vocals which stand out really well.

SAMANTHA FISH & JASON DAYTON

DEATH WISH BLUES

Dynamic blues force Samantha Fish and country outlaw Jesse Dayton come together for their new collaborative album Death Wish Blues.

The pair’s latest album follows off the back of the three-track Stardust Sessions EP which was released at the end of 2022. This time around fans are treated to 12 tracks including recent

In addition, as you might expect the horror side is very much still there, you could quite possibly take the keyboards on their own and find they would fit just nicely alongside any Hammer Horror production of yesteryear. There is a slightly generic feel to some of the chord progression on some songs, but the fans will love this album, I have no doubt.

Kicking off with “This is” a total stomper and destined to climb the charts for sure! “Midnight Party” is a favourite on this album. While the melodies come across as upbeat you can party all night to this little number with a great chant for the chorus hook. “Anti All” is third up filled with eerie keys and blasting drums throughout the song. The album title track follows “Everything Destroys You” filled with more eerie melodies in the verses and a punchy chorus to get the crowd singing along.

Track 5 “Between Volumes & Voids” blasts in with some heavy guitars and a sublime chorus, more, please? Song 6 up is the massive “An Atomic Prayer” Surely a festival favourite in the making. “Blood For Miles” comes across like another single for the future containing all the elements to promote the cause. Interestingly I appreciate the lead guitars with more emotion than shredding so this one has stuck in my mind for its structuring.

Track 8 “The Churches of Oil” for me is a great example of the thought that’s gone into this album overall, every time I listen to this one, I find something new I like about it. “The Infrahuman Masterpiece” is the penultimate singalong, a song which felt like there was a slight tinge of early “Within Temptation”.

The album closes with an all-gunsblazing full-on melodic creation with harmonious keyboards, a thunderous rhythm section, crunchy guitars & sweet sound effects, and a sprinkle of inspiration from a “Ghost” production. “Angel of Fortune & Crime” will have you looking forward to seeing them live in Europe come October! Awesome.

Words by Russell Peake

single Deathwish. The infectious groove and catchy hooks of the latter immediately draw you in at the top of the album. And at just 2 minutes and 39 seconds in duration, it leaves the listener wanting more. Which is a good job, as eleven more tracks follow.

Jesse Dayton takes the lead on Down In The Mud, which has a truly funky groove. Whilst the influence of producer Jon Spencer shines through on old-school blues number and their recent single Riders. A song with RL Burnside undertones, which you can imagine being played in a Mississippi juke joint. The same could be said of Trauma. A song with a tight beat, and a danceable rhythm. The track also showcases Dayton’s lyric prowess. Whilst the fuzz-fuelled psychedelic guitar breakdown of the song once again highlights Spencer’s influence on the project.

The album showcases many different musical stylings. Lover On The Side showcases a country feel with blues undertones. Whilst Rippin and Running has a feel for Bentonia, or Hill Country

Blues typified by the raw guitar tone and unmistakable rhythm. The duo switch things up somewhat with Supadupabad. And with a title like that, you would expect nothing less than an up-tempo funky number with a garage rock feel. The twelve-track release comes to its conclusion with a wonderfully harmonious love ballad titled You Know My Heart.

Throughout her career, it has become apparent that Samantha Fish is not afraid to push the boundaries of the blues genre. From her slide-fuelled guitar riffs to her Motown, Soul, Country and Blues/rock stylings, the artist has gone over and above the traditional limitations of the genre. Now with Death Wish Blues, the blues supremo alongside Jesse Dayton has done it again and to good measure.

Death Wish Blues by Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton will be released on May 19th via Rounder Records.

Words by Adam Kennedy