Originally published by L.S. Media. July 4th 2011.
Dedicated to Chaos is the new album from Queensryche, always touted as one of the finest bands to come out of Seattle, and unfortunately for the best Prog Metal band in existence the album actually describes the album perfectly. Coming on the back of the highly rated, imaginative and committed album American Soldier, Dedicated to Chaos seems a very poor and stunted relation.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 2nd 2011.
As the sun descended over the top of the stage and temporarily blinded the majority of the crowd at the packed out Milton Keynes Bowl, the Foo Fighters exploded onto the stage and gave one of the great performances of the summer and indeed of the year so far.
After already thrilling the Isle of Wight festival goers a few weeks ago, there really was only one way to top what some critics called spectacular and that was by stealing your own show and adding just that little bit of sparkle to a set list that would make the audience sit up, take notice and beg for the band not to stop playing no matter what the curfew time stated.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 5th 2011.
For the first time in 10 years, Progressive Rock pioneers Yes have delivered an album onto the British Public and the outcome is nothing short of marvellous.
Fly from Here is the band’s first studio album since the release of 2001’s Magnification and even though the personnel has once more changed, it comes across as superbly arranged and decently produced and with none of the whispers of pretension that has dogged the band over the years. Whether this is down to the influence of producer Trevor Horn, who as a former Yes member, albeit briefly, understands the point that the musicians always try to get across or the band gelling superbly and rallying round to come up with a fine album.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 5th 2011.
The Kaiser Chiefs can never be accused of conforming or becoming stale. After the first three albums went top ten in the British charts and even did respectively well in the American market, the Yorkshire band have released their fourth album, The Future is Medieval.
The Future Is Medieval started out as one of the most unique promotional efforts in the history of recorded music. In early June the band put out over 20 tracks on their website with the offer of downloading the songs that you wanted, to create your own perfect Kaiser Chiefs compilation of new tracks, and even in these austere times the response was outstanding. On the back of that the band released a tangible copy for their fans consisting of 13 of those tracks.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 5th 2011.
Yorkshire born but most certainly Liverpool influenced Jo Bywater’s debut album, Cycle Grace Pulse Break may have been out for a short while now but it is an album of incredible maturity that deserves to be visited and enjoyed no matter how late or by what means you come to this very talented woman.
Liverpool has been blessed in recent years with the quality of recording artists that have either come here to study and stay and making their home in the city or by those that have been born and raised here, brought up on possibly the best and most diverse range of music to be associated with one area.
Ian Prowse entertaining the crowd at Chester Rocks. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 3rd 2011.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 17th 2011.
It is a sad fact, but Heavy Metal albums age quickly; they corrode and wither, some die of neglect after being hailed as the best thing to ever hit the market, some stagnate for a while before only selling to true fans of the genre. Not for them the security of say Progressive Rock’s Pink Floyds Wish You Were Here or the timeless musings of Soul legend Marvin Gaye’s seminal What’s Going On. There are so few examples of timeless quality pure Heavy or Thrash Metal albums that 25 years after the release date still sound fresh and exciting.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 17th 2011.
Fresh from their appearance at Sonisphere the previous weekend, Los Angeles Punk revivalists Bad Religion arrived at the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton in the kind of mood that lets you know they were there to still party and entertain in their own peculiar and indomitable style.
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 27th 2011.
You can sometimes have too much of a good thing, thankfully music isn’t one of them. Any musician, regardless of age or genre that grabs your attention should be savoured and enjoyed for however long they produce great songs and inspire you to be a better person.
Matt Swift’s Lesson Over EP is a collection of songs that quite frankly are amongst the best that you will get to hear this year and with the enormously talented Barry Briercliffe in the producer’s chair, Matt has delivered a set of tunes that really stand out and capture the imagination.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. July 30th 2011.
Two years ago as part of the Summer Pops, Deacon Blue stormed the Liverpool Echo Arena. The audience from start to finish were beside themselves in joy having heard an expansive and top notch set from one of the great bands of mid 80’s. Two years on, they were back in Liverpool to perform for their legion of fans and yet again simply blew the cobwebs out of Liverpool’s lungs.