About Me

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Born in the late 60's, Chesy hails from a Welsh mining village with a long name and was pretty glad when he got the Hell out of there. He got into Rock/Metal in about 1980, thanks to a TISWAS related incident (Rainbow video for All Night Long) and thankfully has never looked back. Chesy often sang solo in the school choir, but thanks to a puberty related incident his voice is now completely bolloxed, although in his own head Paul thinks he sounds like a blend of Coverdale and Dio (R.I.P). He was brought up on the classics - Deep Purple, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Rush, Whitesnake and loved melodic rock and the Hair Bands of the 80's. (Nowadays, he has progressed a little and prefers a more technical and/or progressive metal - Dream Theater, Rush, Symphony X, Porcupine Tree, Pain Of Salvation, Spock's Beard. He hates Black and Death Metal (can't stand the grunting) but for some unknown reason loves the magnificent Opeth! He wont stop this blog until his beloved FM finally play the likes of the NEC as a headlining act!!!

Thursday 13 June 2019

Cassidy Paris - 'Broken Hearted' E.P. Review


Cassidy Paris – EP ‘Song For The Broken Hearted’ Review


I have had Cassidy’s EP on spin for a few days now, and after her debut last year, she is coming on leaps and bounds. I do have a bit of form here as I am well aware of dad Stevie’s output, but having this knowledge does not affect my reviewing. What I will say, is that anyone (so young) who proudly wears a Dokken ‘Back For The Attack’, Cheap Trick, Butch Walker and Enuff Z’nuff tees, certainly starts off with a few more brownie points than they should.

 Anywho, on to the EP. ‘Song For The Broken Hearted’ is the lead song, and if you like your pop-rock delivered with a large amount of sass and attitude, with copious amounts of ‘head flicking’ to hammer home said sass, then you are in the right place. It’s the right song to lead the EP as its by far the best on offer here. Production values are big to say the least, the chorus is great, with enough guitar to make it more on the heavier side, and some good harmonies. If fact, more established solo artists would kill for a song like this one.

‘Walking On Fire’ sounds a bit auto-tuney, and is more electronica until we get to the catchy chorus. I suppose its good to mix up a few styles to draw in a potentially bigger audience. It’s my least liked on the EP, but it’s a good enough song, its just not my cup of tea. It is certainly made a lot better with the strength of the chorus. It’s a song that could lead to a Eurovision appearance for Australia now that they are in the EU!!

‘Stand’ is the type of song that has the potential to be a big anther for Cassidy. It’s a close second to ‘Broken Hearted’. It has a bridge section similar to Coldplay's ‘Clocks’ (I’m ashamed I know this), and dad rips it up nicely with a guitar solo. I’d really like to see (hear) Cassidy explore her upper range a bit as this could be an absolute cracker with some soaring vocals fuelling the chorus.

‘Talk About It’ has been around for some time now (Aug 2017), and deserves its place here. It’s a song that launched Cassidy, and is in the style of an Avril Lavigne, Pink number. Its catchy as hell, and the riff is in the vein of Rick Springfield, and is a close a song to dad’s band The Radio Sun as can be, although Jase Old doesn’t sing about boyfriends!!

One thing I will say, is that all the songs here are accompanied by some good videos if you check out her YouTube page. Lots of bands would only go for one video, but Cassidy's done the lot. I doubt any cost a packet, but with the kit available today its good to see someone packing it all in across all media outlets.

In such a short time, Cassidy is turning into quite the artiste and performer.

Saturday 8 June 2019

Nitrate - 'Open Wide' Album Review


Nitrate – Open Wide

If your idea of a  ‘who’s who’ of a band made up of members with extensive CVs (not because they cant hold a job, the opposite, because they are so much in demand) then look no further than Nitrate. If you think that the music on offer gives a nice warm comforting feel, that’s because main guy Nick Hogg , bass and keys co-wrote the songs with Robb Wylde (Teenage Casket Company / Midnite City / Tigertailz / Vega). Robb is also providing rhythm guitar on Open Wide. Also present are Mike Newdeck  - drums  & mixing (Midnite City / Edens Curse / Blood Red Saints / Newman), Marcus Thurston - guitar (Vega), vocals from Philip Lindstrand (Find Me / east Temple Avenue / Strong), and mastering from Harry Hess (Harem Scarem). Fuck, just to make sure, Nick Hogg got the other three-fifths of Vega (Martin Bros and Wilson) to chip in with one song (Bad Girls). Nick Workman was obviously having his hair done!

With all the Vega-ing, and Midnite City-ing, this is a Ronseal album straight out of the box. You know what you’re gonna get, and its gonna be good. ‘You Want It You Got It’ sprints out of the starting blocks like a stabbed rat. Its a good riff, and an instantly sing-able chorus. Whats not to like? Well, nothing thankfully.

‘Night Time City’ is another in the ‘big sound’ vein, and just like Vega and Midnight City, I’m already seeing a pattern. ‘’Only A Heartache Away’ is a ballad of sorts, but in a Ted Poley vein, a harder edged and melodic ballad. ‘Heart Go Wild’ steps back on the gas to anthem-ville! ‘I Don’t Want To Live’ is all about the chorus, and it’s a big one. ‘Never Surrender’ is as 80s as Coverdale’s legwarmers, and would be a shoe-in for MTV back in the day. ‘Heartbreak Suicide’ could only come out of the pen od someone like Wylde in 2019, thanks to his random song name generator, and a knack for a riff / bridge / chorus that few can copy, or emulate and is one of the stand out songs on the album. ‘In The Night’ reminds me instantly of JonBon or Poison in their element – all cowboy boots, leather chaps and it would have had a hand 1000s of births if it was 1988. It’s a little belter. ‘Bad Girls’ riff is laid on the foundation of ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’ and you can tell is a Martin penned tune just by the number of ‘whooaa’s’ in it! ‘Shot In The Dark’  is a blend of Robin beck, and Vinnie Vincent’s Invasion, if that’s ever possible. I must cut back on my meds. Its soon onto the last number, ‘Waiting On You’ which again has a nailed down chorus.

All I can tell you is that Nitrate has some powerful tunes with Thurston’s riffery and playing some of the best that’s this side of Ritchie Blackmore's wig.

I do have one tiny irritation and that’s Linstrand’s phrasing of the word ‘you’. But then again, his English is definitely better than my Swedish, so I can go and fuck right off.

It’s hard not to make comparisons to Teenage Vega City, or Midnight Vega, when the songwriters concerned want all the songs to be an anthem, or a big number. And that’s a good stall to set out. With Nick Hogg pulling the bass strings of a puppet-master, he has pulled off a shrewd move and come out the other end with an album that will be at the top end of the best lists come the year end. I’ll have to go out and get my mitts on the debut.

9/10

Tracklisting
You Want It You Got It
Night Time City
Only A Heartache Away
Heart Go Wild
I Don’t Want To Live
Never Surrender
Heartbreak Suicide
In The night
Bad Girls
Shot In The Dark
Waiting On You

Nitrate
Nick Hogg – Bass & Keyboards
Robb Wylde – Rhythm Guitar & Keyboards
Philip Lindstrand – Vocals
Mike Newdeck – Drums
Marcus Thurston – Guitars

Mixed by Mike Newdeck
Mastered by Harry Hess

AOR Heaven
Released 21.6.19