NEWS: Not just.......for Gillan Fans Only!

Good news is afoot followers. A couple of years back there was a release on CD of all the Gillan albums, and a very nice Box Set of CD singles. Now on the near horizon comes the much anticipated vinyl release of five Gillan albums.....

Demon Records has announced the release of a new must-have Gillan vinyl boxset on 2nd September. ‘The Vinyl Collection 1979-1982’ will feature 5 chart albums - 7 LPs in total - including Mr Universe (1979), Glory Road (1980, 2 LPs, with bonus disc ‘For Gillan Fans Only’), Future Shock (1981), Double Trouble (2 LPs, 1981) and Magic (1982).

Ian Gillan was delighted with the vintage feel of the finished product: “It’s a wonderful thing, vinyl… Best held in two hands and treated with respect, as you place it carefully upon the turntable. You just bought something significant, not easily disposable. And look at the sleeves” - he comments, observing one of the records - “aren’t they cool. Read the lyrics and enjoy the artwork, while you are in the groove. No computers involved in the making of this music…enjoy”.

The 180g heavyweight vinyl records will all be exact replicas of their first pressings; Future Shock, Gillan’s highest scoring album, reaching No.2 in the UK chart, will include the same 16-page booklet as featured in its original release. An exclusive edition available via Amazon here http://smarturl.it/IanGillanExclusive

will also contain a bonus 7” single for Spanish Guitar. Other Gillan classics featured in this priceless collection include Sleeping On The Job, No Easy Way, Trouble, Mutually Assured Destruction, New Orleans, No Laughing In Heaven, Nightmare, Restless and Living For The City.

Full tracklist as follows:

Double Trouble - DEMREC172

Side A

I’ll Rip Your Spine Out

Restless

Men Of War

Sunbeam 

Side B

Nightmare

Hadely Bop Bop

Life Goes On

Born To Kill

Side C

No Laughing In Heaven

No Easy Way

Trouble

Side D

Mutually Assured Destruction

If You Believe Me

New Orleans 

Future Shock - DEMREC173

Side A

Future Shock

Night Ride Out Of Phoenix

The Ballad Of The Lucitania Express

No Laughing In Heaven

Sacre Bleu

Side B

New Orleans

Bite The Bullet

If I Sing Softly

Don’t Want The Truth

For Your Dreams

Glory Road - DEMREC172

Side A

Unchain Your Brain

Are You Sure

Time And Time Again

No Easy Way

Sleeping On The Job

Side B

On The Rocks

If You Believe Me

Running White Face City Boy

Nervous

Side C

Higher And Higher

Your Mother Was Right

Redwatch

Abbey Of Thelema

Trying To Get To You

Side D

Come Tomorrow

Dragon’s Tongue

Post Fade Brain Damage

Egg Timer

Harry Lime Theme

Magic - DEMREC175

Side A

What’s The Matter

Bluesy Blue Sea

Caught In The Trap

Long Gone

Driving Me Wild

Side B

Demon Driver

Living A Lie

You’re So Right

Living For The City

Demon Drive Reprise

Mr Universe - DEMREC171

Side A

Second Sight

Secret Of The Dance

She Tears Me Down

Roller

Mr. Universe

Side B

Vengeance

Puget Sound

Dead Of Night

Message In A Bottle

Fighting Man

Gillan was born on the ashes of the Ian Gillan Band in 1978, when Ian decided to abandon the jazz-fusion style of his previous project in favour of a more progressive direction, together with keyboardist Colin Towns. The band was dissolved in 1982 following the Magic tour, partly due to Gillan’s health issues with his vocal chords. Still in its brief existence they managed to release 5 top 20 albums and ride the popularity of the NWOBHM sweeping the continent.

Ascended to rock royalty status as the lead singer of Deep Purple, Ian Gillan continued making an impact on the rock scene, and has become an erudite elder statesman of the genre. He sang in the role of Jesus in the original Andrew Lloyd’s Webb’s Jesus Christ Superstar and he co-wrote and sang the iconic ‘Smoke on the Water’ among dozens of other hits. He has played to tens of millions of fans, and sold over one hundred million records.  To this day he approaches writing, recording and touring with the zeal, passion and commitment of an eighteen year old.

www.iangillan.com

Dante Fox - 'Breathless' Album Review

 

Dante Fox – Breathless

Dante Fox are one of the rare breed of bands that started in 1989 and haven’t taken a break because….

-       ........of melodic rock going tits up because of grunge

-       ........melodic rock has never been a true money earner

-       ........of doing a Blues Brothers and ‘get the band back together and reform’ for a quick buck

In fact, they have ploughed along regardless of what’s going on around them, stuck to the plan of offering up cracking slices of music without diminishing returns. In fact, when certain bands are happy to turn out ‘average’ to ‘meh’, Dante Fox have been banging out a higher quality with each and every release.

I must admit that if I were Manford/Willetts, I’d have probably given up a long time ago, as the money in AOR is four fifths of fuck all. I guess Dante Fox would love to make a living just out of their music, but I for one am glad that they continue to put out music for the love of it. Over the last 15 plus years I’ve watched them (and listened from afar) grow as a band both musically and in a live setting. In fact, a Dante Fox show is a definite highlight, and a band not to be missed.

So what about their latest release ‘Breathless’.? Well I’m happy to report that it follows on a great tradition of cracking Dante Fox albums. Immediately you are hit by the quality of the production. Not enough is given to great production nowadays, but this screams quality. ‘Young Hearts’ is as pure AOR as it gets and is an instant memorable track after just the one listen and is destined to be on many a playlist. ‘All Eyes On You’ see follows the Dante Fox playbook, and solid riffage from Manford with a great bridge and chorus. Willetts had a 'Marmite' voice for me a few years back (only because high vocals play havoc with my tinnitus!), but on ‘Breathless’ she sounds fantastic. ‘Breathless’ has Manford digging into his ‘Best 1980s Hair Metal Riffs’ book and knock it out of the park. If anything the verse doesn’t quite match the riff, until we get to the chorus that is, and when they both entwine the result is superb.  ‘Break These Chains’ sees Dante Fox delve into ‘soft rock’ mode before kicking loose with yet another powerful chorus. ‘Broken Hearted Man’ has ballad running through it like a stick of Blackpool rock, and is also given the acoustic treatment as a bonus. ‘I Cant Stop Tonight’s ‘ Manford riff comes straight out of the blues rock FM/Thunder school of music, and is a class act indeed.

‘Dynamite’ just slayed me. The riff is reminiscent of all you/me/we loved about some of the best songs of the 80s. It’s a  AOR-sters catnip. Willetts bridge and chorus just complement the riff perfectly. If it were Pat Benatar, we’d be waxing lyrical. After a couple of listens, its straight onto my playlist. ‘Love Affair’ is a full on No Limits Powerplay (anyone?), a huge number that’s a live certainty. ‘How Will You Know’ starts off with Birmingham’s version of a Nightwish/ Evanescence track, and has a massive opening salvo.

 In a World where a lot of the melodic rock roster are on a certain European label, its great that Georg Siegl and his AOR Heaven label are a major exponent of offering up shit hot quality AOR (that’s ‘shit hot’ – punctuation is everything!). Not all the good stuff is over in Italy, in fact Dante Fox match up to or are as good, if not better than any melodic rock act plying their trade in the 21^st century.

If Dante Fox were a product it would be ‘Ronseal’ because the album does exactly what it says on the tin, I defy you to listen to this and not be…….. ‘Breathless’.

PS If you’re gonna buy one album in August, I cant recommend this one highly enough. Out 26^th August – go one, treat yourself!

Score 90/100

Tracklisting

Young Hearts

All Eyes On You

Breathless

Break These Chains

Broken Hearted Man

I Can’t Stop Tonight

Dynamite

Love Affair

How Will You Know

Creeps Into My Mind

Broken Hearted Man (acoustic)

Dante Fox are

Tim Manford – Guitars

Sue Willetts – Vocals

Andy Perfect – Drums

Alan Mills - Bass

Epic - 'Like A Phoenix' Album Review

Epic – Like a Phoenix

Epic is composed of songwriter Tanya Rizkala on vocals and composer Mario Agostine on Guitars, Souheil "Sous" Moukaddem on drums, and Mike Ganime on bass.  They are one of these bands that you’ve never heard of, but once you have then you are all the better for it. The album was self released by the band late 2015 and has recently been picked up by UKs Escape Music. They are certainly giving Eden’s Curse a run for their money with regards to Countries represented – having Canadian, American and Lebanese roots. The air miles earned must be fantastic!!

This power quartet is drawing on years of experience and musicianship and playing in international venues and large arenas alongside some of the legends of rock for over 20 years and this shows in the present day as its all come together as EPIC. They were formed in 2011 and best things come to those who wait. The name is a tribute to the comeback of the classic rock genre in which EPIC are hoping to emulate and follow in some giant footsteps.

The cover of the album is certainly not what you expect to come out of your speakers. You anticipate something in the vein of Nightwish, or Within Temptation etc, as a symphonic rock band but the actual result is one of good old melodic rock / classic rock / and some metal goodness. You see, Epic sound like a blend of Heart, Romeo’s Daughter, Perfect and Saraya, with the clout of Whitesnake and Winger to name just a few. So if any of these aforementioned bands rock your little boat, then EPIC is right up your Boulevard (there’s another comparison without even trying).

If you have the balls to call yourself EPIC then there had better be some substance backing up the name. Come to think of it calling your band name ‘Above Average’ doesn’t cut any ice either. Get the punters with a catchy name, right? Too right.

‘Love Will Find A Way’ and ‘All I Need’ are two of the heaviest songs on the album, with ‘All I Need’ sees Epic doing a Mr Big on our asses, and that is a good thing indeed. ‘Love Will Find A Way” has a bit more spit and polish to it than ‘All I Need’ and falls directly in Romeo’s Daughter territory, and for part of it, Rizkala has that same sultry tone as Leigh Matty. Title track ‘Like A Phoenix’ has a more melodic metal rock guitar sound and its here where it works a treat. All this proves that Epic are not to be pigeonholed into one specific genre.

To be fair to Epic, there's a decent mix up of rockers, mid tempos, and ballads. ‘I Can Take You’ is probably one of the best ballads you’ll hear this side of 1992, and ‘Sleepless Angel’ has Heart/Wilson running through it like a stick of rock, with a smidge of Nelson’s ‘(Cant Live Without Your) Love and Affection’. With songs like ‘My Everything’ is where Rizkala really shines. It’s all taken down a notch musically, but the main instrument here is her voice. Just when you think its time for another ballad, ‘I Need You’ powers into action and Tanya's sound is taken from Cher’s school of rock. ‘Nah Nah Nah’ is one of those songs that just gets you in the mood, part Thunder (especially the chorus), Whitesnake, and Extreme!

‘Like A Phoenix’ will certainly make some peoples Top 10 lists come December, and there’s certainly a lot of positives to be taken from it if you’re a fan of 80s inspired melodic rock/ classic rock. One thing is certain, after this, I’m really looking forward to their next album. Definitely worth buying and adding to your collection.

They have taken their first footsteps into becoming Classic Rock /Metal giants.

Score – 85/100

Epic are

Tanya Rizkala - Vocals

Mario Agostine – Guitars

Souheil Moukaddem – Drums

Mike Ganime – Bass

Tracklisting (Escape album has different sequence)

Love Will Find A Way

Like A Phoenix

I Can Take You

Sleepless Angel

All I Need

Angels

My Everything

I Need You

Save A Little Love

Nah Nah Nah