NOW PLAYING on the MIGHTY WURLINGTZER
December 2021
1) Hawkwind - ‘Dust Of Time: An Anthology 1969-2021’ (Atomhenge - Six discs, 50 years, 81 tracks… the first anthology to plunder every era)
2) Nestor - ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’ (Electric Lodge Music - Recommended for fans of Kiss, Van Halen, Giant and mullet-era Bon Jovi)
3) Vardis - ‘100 MPH @ 100 Club’ (SPV - Overdub-free double-disc of rollockin’ pre-lockdown gig in London)
4) Cats In Space - ‘I Believe In Father Christmas’ (Harmony Factory - An adoring, adorable revamp of Greg Lake’s festive great from 1975)
5) Corrosion Of Conformity - ‘Sleeping Martyr: 2000-2005’ (Hear No Evil - Three albums of inspirational sludge-rock)
6) Girlschool - ‘From London To Nashville’ (The Store For Music - Massively enjoyable double-disc package of two gigs from 1984)
7) Perfect Plan - ‘Live At Sharpener’s House’ (Frontiers - The fast-rising Swedes perform live and plugged-in during lockdown)
8) Bernie Marsden - ‘Chess’ (Conquest Music - Our Bernie interprets tracks released on the iconic Chicago blues label)
9) Deep Purple - ‘Turning To Crime’ (Ear Music - As a rule I don’t general like covers album, this one is rather good)
10) Mordred - ‘The Noise Years’ (Dissonance Productions - The funky Bay Area thrashers’ first three albums, plus bonus tracks)
11) Land Of Gypsies - ‘Land Of Gypsies’ (Frontiers - The welcome return of much-travelled singer Terry Ilous)
12) Life By Night - ‘Glass Walls’ (Escape Music - Previously shelved follow-up to 1985’s cult favourite self-titled debut)
13) Zelbo - ‘In My Dreams’ (Frontiers - Norwegian melodic hard rockers featuring former Da Vinci keyboardist Dag Selboskar)
14) Strawbs - ‘The Broken Hearted Bride’ (Esoteric Recordings - Their 2008, Chris Tsangarides-produced album in newly expanded form)
15) Mercury X - Imprisoned’ (Frontiers - Capable Swedish prog-metallers mark a debut for new label Frontiers… a third overall)
16) Graham Bonnet - ‘The Historic Collection’ (The Store For Music - You’d think that there were enough ‘best-of’ and live albums from Graham, but apparently not…)
17) Fans Of The Dark - ‘Fans Of The Dark’ (Frontiers - Solid, robust melodic hard rock)
18) Legions Of The Night - ‘Sorrow Is The Cure’ (Pride & Joy Music - Ignore the crappy name, packaging and imagery… this is rather entertaining)
19) Toledo Steel - ‘Heading For The Fire’ (Dissonance Productions - South coast metalheads unveil a classy second full-length set)
20) Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley - ‘Peter & The Wolf’ (Esoteric Recordings - Bonkers 1975 re-make of Prokofief’s classical piece, with guests Gary Moore, Alvin Lee, Cozy Powell and more)
November 2021
1) Judas Priest - ‘50 Heavy Metal Years Of Music’ (Sony - Career-encompassing 42-CD set… un-fucking-believable)
2) Dream Theater - ‘A View From The Top Of The World’ (Inside Out - This album’s title could have not been more appropriate)
3) Robert Jon & The Wreck - ‘Shine A Light On Me Brother’ (Robertjonandthewreck.com - A sumptuous fusion of Southern rock, blues and soul)
4) Groundbreaker - ‘Soul To Soul’ (Frontiers - Steve Overland embraces his AOR roots in delicious style)
5) Crazy Lixx - ‘Street Lethal’ (Frontiers - A world-class slice of modern-day hair-metal)
6) Victory - ‘Gods Of Tomorrow’ (AFM - Herman Frank revives the long-running Germans with an all-new line-up and a rollockin’ hard rock sound)
7) Asia - ‘The Official Live Bootlegs — Volume One’ (BMG Heritage - Ten-disc live set of performances by the original line-up)
8) Alan Parsons - ‘The Neverending Show: Live In The Netherlands’ (Frontiers - 2 x CDs plus a DVD of live Persons greatness)
9) LA Guns - ‘Checkered Past’ (Frontiers - They just keep on churning out great albums!)
10) Soho Dukes - ‘Bar Fights & Tuppenny Uprights’ (Duchess - These HMK-style sounds are incredibly moreish…)
11) Pepperkid 2 - ‘Adventures In Pepperland’ (Electric Pepperland - A welcome, diverse solo album from FM keyboardist Jem Davis)
12) Memoria Avenue - ‘Memoria Avenue’ (Frontiers - Expect hints of future Perfect Plan- and Work Of Art-style greatness)
13) Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters - ‘Show Me Your Teeth’ (Bethbladeandthebeautifuldisasters.com - Their stompalong second album, now on CD)
14) Tony Mitchell - ‘Hot Endless Summer Nights’ (AOR Heaven - More winning solo sounds from ex-Kiss Of The Gypsy frontman)
15) Spirit - ‘Sunrise & Salvation: The Mercury Era Anthology’ (Esoteric Recordings - Eight-CD set of albums released between 1975 and 1984)
16) Jim Peterik & World Stage - ‘Tigress: Women Who Rock The World’ (Frontiers - A wonderful idea flawed by a few too many so-so moments)
17) Starlite Campbell Band - ‘The Language Of Curiosity’ (Supertone - Sophomore set from an extremely accomplished husband and wife blues-rock team)
18) Orange Goblin - ‘Rough & Ready, Loud & Loud’ (Dissonance - A first physical release for their live album from 2020)
19) Wicked Smile - ‘Wicked Smile’ (Cargo - Hard rocking melodic sounds from Australia)
20) Brothers In Arms - ‘Sunset & Clark’ (Deko Entertainment - Jack Frost and an army of pals deliver sturdy, melodic hard rock)
October 2021
1) TAO - ‘Prophecy’ (Tarot Label Media/Cargo - Female-fronted AOR in the Heart-meets-Pat Benatar style)
2) Caravan - ‘It’s None Of Your Business’ (Madfish - Their first studio album since 2013 is a triumph!)
3) Jellyfish - ‘Spilt Milk’ (Charisma - Never owned this one on CD till stumbling upon it at Records & Retro in Bexhill… Yaaaay!)
4) Yes - ‘The Quest’ (Inside Out - Don’t listen to the naysayers…)
5) The Mentulls - ‘Recipe For Change’ (ProgBlues Music - Where prog, blues and melodic hard rock melt in a deliciously tasty mush)
6) Stackridge - ‘Recordings 1971-2021’ (Angel Air - Three-CD set to mark the 50th anniversary of this uniquely excellent group)
7) Heartland - ‘Into The Future’ (Escape Music - A right ol’ belter of a commercial hard rock record)
8) Leverage - ‘Above The Beyond’ (Frontiers - These Finns continue a to make smart, uplifting and contemporary-sounding melodic hard rock)
9) Nektar - ‘The Other Side’ (Esoteric Antenna - Expanded edition of album from 2020, now includes bonus live album)
10) Barclay James Harvest - ‘Time Honoured Ghosts’ (Esoteric Recordings - Triple-disc edition of the band’s sixth album, first released in ’75)
11) Jeff Scott Soto - ‘The Duets Collection Vol 1’ (Frontiers - On paper it sounds slighty iffy, but the reality is far better…)
12) Help Yourself - ‘Passing Through, The Complete Studio Recordings’ (Esoteric Recordings - Six discs of satisfying psych-mild-meets-country rock recorded in the 1970s)
13) The Pat McManus Band - ‘Full Service Resumed’ (Store For Music - The Professor’s album from 2020 now comes with four bonus tracks)
14) Watchtower - ‘Control And Resistance’ (Dissonance - It felt a bit too shrill and disjointed back in 1989, but I’m really enjoying this re-issued edition)
15) Alirio - ‘All Things Must Pass’ (Frontiers - The Brazilian singer Alirio Netto is a bit of a powerhouse!)
16) The Cult - ‘Born Into This’ (Hear No Evil - Their 2007 album, now with various bonus tracks)
17) The Grandmaster - ‘Skywards’ (Frontiers - A muscular fusion of metal and melodic hard rock)
18) Seven Sisters - ‘Shadow Of A Falling Star Pt. 1’ (Dissonance - Marauding trad-metal from a fine Southampton four-piece)
19) Sami Yaffa - ‘The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind’ (Livewire/Cargo - Hit and miss solo debut from the ex-Hanoi Rocks bassist)
20) Seven Spires - ‘Gods Of Debauchery’ (Frontiers - I don’t listen to so much ‘extreme’ stuff these days, but this is rather good)
September 2021
1) Iron Maiden - ‘Senjutsu’ (Parlophone - A remarkable album from a band that still has plenty to say)
2) The Wildhearts - ‘21st Century Love Songs’ (Graphite - Nobody sounds like the Wildhearts… this is essential listening)
3) Vega - ‘Anarchy And Unity’ (Frontiers - Still whuppin’ asses and inspiring giant smiles after seven albums)
4) Newman - ‘Into The Monsters’ Playground’ (AOR Heaven - You want earworms? You got ’em!)
5) Hawkwind - ‘Somnia’ (Cherry Red - Crafted amid lockdown, this a cleverly constructed Hawkwind record)
6) Night Flight Orchestra - ‘Aeromantic II’ (Nuclear Blast - The Scandinavian hairies don their disco shoes… again)
7) Cats In Space - ‘Diamonds: The Best Of’ (Harmony Factory - Their best bits, voiced by excellent new frontman Damien Edwards)
8) Asia - ‘The Reunion Albums 2007-2102’ (BMG - Five discs of the original line-up in twilight years… dive in!)
9) Danny Danzi - ‘Tribulations’ (Escape Music - Full of fluent, easy-on-the-ear harmonies that really forge a lasting impression)
10) Robin Red - ‘Robin Red’ (Frontiers - The debut solo album from Degreed’s Robin Eriksson)
11) Houston - ‘IV’ (Frontiers - A solid, encouraging reminder of why Houston were once considered real contenders)
12) Gary Holton - ‘Shooting The Singer Is No Way To Stop The Opera’ (Heavymetalkids.co.uk - Studio and live tracks, and odds ‘n’ sods… full of personality!)
13) Be Bop Deluxe - ‘Live! In The Air Age’ (Cherry Red - Re-mastered, expanded edition of their live album from 1977)
14) Danko Jones - ‘Power Trio’ (Made in Germany - This album is a high-energy ball of commercial joy)
15) Doro - ‘Warlock – Triumph And Agony Live’ (Rare Diamonds Productions - Fräulein Pesch celebrates the final Warlock album at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2017)
16) The LRW Project - ‘Fight & Climb’ (LRW Music - A second set of pure-AOR richness from York-based singer and multi-musician Leon Robert)
17) Doug Brons - ‘Pull’ (Escape Music - A stress-reducing slither of West Coast easy-listening)
18) Spektra - ‘Overload’ (Frontiers - Brazilian vocalist BJ delivers a set of punchy, sturdy hard rock anthems)
19) Circus Of Rock - ‘Come One, Come All’ (Frontiers - Danny Vaughn, Johnny Gioeli and Marco Hietala are all among the special guests here)
20) Warfare - ‘Songbook Of Filth’ (Hear No Evil - The love-’em-or-hate-’em metal punks… I’m somewhere in the middle, like lukewarm water)
August 2021
1) Big Big Train - ‘Common Ground’ (English Electric - Quite probably the prog album of the year…)
2) Dee Snider - ‘Leave A Scar’ (Napalm - His best solo work by far, in my humble opinion…)
3) Sweet Crisis - ‘Tricks On My Mind’ (Headline - Honeyed, soulful hard rock from a new UK band that makes me giddy with excitement)
4) KK’s Priest - ‘Sermons Of The Sinner’ (Explorer 1 Music Group - A screaming dizbuster of a heavy metal album… no apologies offered nor required)
5) Hawklords - ‘Time’ (Shellshock - More fabulously entertaining space-rock, with all manner of tasty side-dishes)
6) Various Artists - ‘This Is NWOCR, Volume One’ (www.nwocr.com - 42 of the UK’s most promising new acts)
7) Myles Kennedy - ‘The Ides Of March’ (Napalm - I could listen to this man’s voice all day long…)
8) Vinegar Joe - ‘Finer Things: The Island Recordings 1972-1973 (Esoteric Recordings - Their first three LPs, bonus tracks and a whooper is a sleeve essay)
9) Night Ranger - ‘ATBPO’ (Frontiers - They’ve made far better records, but that signature sound remains so-o-o-o-o seductive)
10) Vandenberg - ‘The Complete Atco Recordings 1982-2004’ (Hear No Evil - Four-CD clam shell set, including a disc of demos and rarities)
11) Long Shadows Dawn - ‘Isle Of Wrath’ (Frontiers - Doogie White teams up with guitarist Emil Norberg for a spirited hard rock romp)
12) Big City - ‘Testify X’ (Frontiers - Slick, punchy hummable melodic rock from Norway)
13) Wildstreet - ‘III’ (Golden Robot - Enjoyable 1980s-inspired glam/sleaze rock, with some of the most puerile lyrics ever)
14) Alkatrazz - ‘The Best Of And Live In The USA’ (Store For Music - Some very dodgy concert material is balanced out by the band’s best tunes)
15) Rian - ‘Twenty-Three’ (Frontiers - A second volume of slick, lighter-waving Scandi-AOR)
16) Laurenne/Louhimo - ‘The Reckoning’ (Frontiers - Netta from Smackbound and Battle Beast’s Noora serve a banquet of melodic metal)
17) LA Guns - ‘Cocked And Loaded Live’ (Frontiers - Their second album performed onstage in as Vegas)
18) Mentalist - ‘A Journey Into The Unknown’ (Pride & Joy Music - A second blast of melodic, forceful Euro power metal)
19) Hookers & Blow - ‘Hookers & Blow’ (Golden Robot - Their covers album; re-makes of Led Zeppelin, The Zombies and, er… Bodycount!)
20) Inner Stream - ‘Stain The Sea’ (Frontiers - Straight out of Argentina, female-fronted symphonic rock/metal)
July 2021
1) Motörhead - ‘No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith, 40th Anniversary Edition’ (BMG - Don’t own this? You haven’t got a record collection!)
2) Styx - ‘Crash Of The Crown’ (Alpha Dog 2T/Ume - This is even proggier than ‘The Mission’, and even better still)
3) Def Leppard - ‘When The Walls Came Tumblin’ Down’ (Bludgeon Riffola - Their fantastic Record Store Day release… I *love* Leppard’s debut!)
4) Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come - ‘Eternal Messenger: An Anthology (1970-1973)’ (Esoteric Recordings - Enthralling five-CD clamshell boxed set)
5) Mammoth WVH - ‘Mammoth WVH’ (EX1 - Edward Van Halen’s son Wolfgang comes of musical age)
6) Nitrate - ‘Renegade’ (AOR Heaven - For fans of Journey, Skid Row, Starship, Roxette and above all Def Leppard)
7) Buckcherry - ‘Hellbound’ (Earache - The party continues for these Californian hard rockers)
8) .38 Special - ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys’/‘Special Forces’ (Snakefarm - Re-mastered onto red and orange vinyl for Record Store Day)
9) Bernie Marsden - ‘Kings’ (Conquest - An excellent tribute to the three Kings; BB, Albert and Freddie)
10) Rare Bird - ‘Beautiful Scarlet: The Recordings 1969-1975’ (Esoteric Recordings - Six-CD set… what a bloody great band!)
11) One Desire - ‘One Night Only: Live In Helsinki’ (Frontiers - Terrific CD/DVD document of the band’s album launch party)
12) The LRW Project - ‘Fight & Climb’ (LRW Music - Modern and classy-sounding, with a cool vibe of pure-AOR richness)
13) Jump - ‘The Myth Of Independence’ (Dentel - Re-mastered version of album from 1995, produced by Marillion’s Mark Kelly)
14) Heaven & Earth - ‘V’ (Frontiers - I really love this band, but sadly their new singer is a big disappointment)
15) Open Road - ‘Windy Daze’ (Esoteric Recordings - The once hard-to-find 1971 debut from Donovan’s former backing group)
16) Sunbomb - ‘Evil And Divine’ (Frontiers - Tracii Guns and Robert Sweet pool forces for a slightly shrill blast of ’80s-inspired metal)
17) Tommy’s Rocktrip - ‘Beat Up By Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (Frontiers - Sabbath/Nugent sticksman Clufetos teams up with Eric Dover from Jellyfish)
18) Terra Odium - ‘Ne Plus Ultra’ (Frontiers - Members of Spiral Architect, Testament and DragonForce slam down their thoughtful progressive metal)
19) Backwood Spirit - ‘Fresh From The Can’ (Pride & Joy Music - Fresh, bluesy and soulful hard rock from Örebro, Sweden)
20) Seventh Crystal - ‘Delirium’ (Frontiers - An appealing mix of melodic raunch, Scandi-AOR and modern rock)
June 2021
1) Helloween - ‘Helloween’ (Nuclear Blast - After those stellar live gigs, here’s the masterpiece Pumpkins United needed to make)
2) Lee Aaron - ‘Radio On’ (Metalville - Massively enjoyable hard rock from Canada’s Metal Queen)
3) Levara - ‘Levara’ (Mascot - A wondrous debut… it’s such a shame they crashed and burned so quickly)
4) Dennis DeYoung - ‘26 East Vol 2’ (Frontiers - An emotional farewell to the former Styx mastermind)
5) Crowne - ‘Kings In The North’ (Frontiers - What you get when members of H.e.a.t, Europe, Art Nation and The Poodles are thrown into a blender)
6) Doogie White - ‘As Yet Untitled’ (The Store For Music - His one and only solo album now comes with a second disc of cover versions)
7) Kent Hilli - ‘The Rumble’ (Frontiers - Perfect Plan’s frontman hits the solo trail in company of the equally excellent Michael Palace)
8) Roxville - ‘Fallen From Grace’ (Rox Muzic - A very encouraging debut from the London-based hard rockers)
9) BulletBoys - ‘The Warner Albums 1988-1993’ (Hear No Evil - Patchy stuff, overall, but I still *love* that debut of theirs!)
10) Hardline- ‘Heart, Mind And Soul’ (Frontiers - Their seventh album maintains a run of enviable consistency)
11) TIM - ‘TIM’ (Melodic Rock Classics - A stellar unreleased 1983 session featuring Thom Griffin, Bruce Gaitsch, Bob Lizik and more)
12) Eyes - ‘Perfect Vision 20/20’ (GMR Music - A comeback album of assured mid-Atlantic-style proficiency)
13) Robin McAuley - ‘Standing On The Edge’ (Frontiers - A fond return for the inimitable tones of the Grand Prix, MSG and Far Corporation frontman)
14) Billy F Gibbons - ‘Hardware’ (Concord - A varied yet tasty solo menu from ZZ Top’s inimitable lead guitarist and singer)
15) Toby Hitchcock - ‘Changes’ (Frontiers - Pride Of Lions singer delivers typical lung-busting tenor power and soul-wringing passion)
16) Cruzh - ‘Tropical Thunder’ (Frontiers - Album number two finds these Swedes sounding as fresh and effervescent as ever)
17) Clutch - ‘Songs Of Much Gravity… 1993-2001’ (Hear No Evil - TBH, I blow hot and cold with these guys… but it’s nice to have the early stuff in one place)
18) Blood Red Saints - ‘Undisputed’ (Frontiers - Newly realigned to their original label the UK-based four-piece are back on track once again)
19) Save The World - ‘Two’ (Frontiers - Great, summery, melodic sounds… and a nice tribute to Boston’s Brad Delp)
20) Stefan Berggren - ‘These Are The Times’ (GrandJam Production - Good-time bluesy hard rock; well worth a listen)
May 2021
1) Sweet - ‘Isolation Boulevard’ (Prudential Music Group - The current line-up revisits a dozen catalogue gems… on beautiful clear vinyl!)
2) Tesla - ‘Five Man London Jam’ (Universal Music - It took me two years to get a finished copy, but proud to have been at Abbey Road on June 12, 2019)
3) Gojira - ‘Fortitude’ (Roadrunner - The rise of this special and important young band continues…)
4) Blackberry Smoke - ‘You Hear Georgia’ (3 Legged - You know what to expect by now… and they deliver it!)
5) Thundermother - ‘Heatwave, Deluxe Edition’ (AFM Records - Double-disc reboot of their kick-ass album from 2020)
6) Midnight City - ‘Itch You Can’t Scratch’ (Roulette Media - Essential listening for those in a lockdown exit party mood)
7) Lou Gramm - ‘Questions And Answers, The Atlantic Anthology 1987-1989’ (Hear No Evil - ‘Ready Or Not’ and ‘Long Hard Look, plus a disc of bonus material)
8) Temple Balls - ‘Pryomide’ (Frontiers - Energetic young Finns surf the cusp of anthemic hard rock and melodic metal)
9) Twisted Illusion - ‘Temple Of Artifice’ (twistedillusion.co.uk - Colourful, ambitious prog-metal from the UK)
10) Santa Ana Winds - ‘Steel Breeze’ (AOR Blvd - In which From The Fire’s JD Jelly takes over from the late, respected David A Saylor)
11) Sweet Oblivion (Featuring Geoff Tate) - ‘Relentless’ (Frontiers - Album number two offers improvement on its predecessor)
12) Vince DiCola - ‘Only Time Will Tell’ (Escape Music - A well-tailored collection that doffs its cap at Kansas, Chicago and Streets)
13) Renaissance - ‘Ashes Are Burning, An Anthology - Live In Concert’ (Esoteric Antenna - 50th anniversary clamshell box edition)
14) Mistreater - ‘Hell’s Fire’ (On The Dole - The obscure garage-metal-freakout gem from 1981 receives a much-deserved debut reboot)
15) Dave Burn - ‘Nothing Is As It Seems’ (daveburn.net - Guitar-centric hard rock, with Lee Small on lead vocals)
16) Holosade - ‘Anastasis’ (Dissonance Productions - Chunky UK thrash, the band’s first new music in 33 years)
17) Icon Of Sin - ‘Icon Of Sin’ (Frontiers - Should Maiden ever decide to hire a Mini-Me of Bruce Dickinson, Raphael Mendes is their man)
18) Kikimora - ‘Dirty Nails’ (Escape Music - Marauding melodic metal from Brazen Abbot’s Nikolo Kotzev)
19) Herman Frank - ‘Two For A Lie’ (AFM - Reliably chunky Teutonic metal from the former Accept guitarist)
20) Infinite & Divine - ‘Silver Lining’ (Frontiers - Synth-tinged melodic metal teamed with soaring female vocals)
April 2021
1) FM - ‘Tough It Out Live’ (Frontiers - If you wonder why I blather on about this band, pick up a copy of ‘TIOL’ and become a believer!)
2) Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘Live At Knebworth 1976’ (Eagle Rock - One of the greatest live performances of all time)
3) The Almighty - ‘Welcome To Defiance, Complete Recordings 1994-2001’ (Hear No Evil - A whopping seven-disc boxed set!)
4) Inglorious - ‘We Will Ride’ (Frontiers - A bloody great new album… never underestimate this band!)
5) Jon Anderson - ‘Olias Of Sunhillow’/‘Animation’ (Esoteric Recordings - Expanded editions of his albums from 1976 and ’82)
6) Robbie LaBlanc - ‘Double Trouble’ (Escape Music - The Blanc Faces/Find Me frontman hits the solo trail)
7) Dr Feelgood - ‘Greatest Hits’ (Grand Records - 41 of the finest barroom ditties ever!)
8) Gary Hughes - ‘Waterside’/‘Decades’ (Frontiers - A new solo album and double-disc ‘best of’ from Ten’s frontman and songwriter)
9) Empyre - ‘The Other Side’ (Empyre.co.uk - Unplugged re-workings from the rising UK rockers)
10) Gilby Clarke - ‘The Gospel Truth’ (Golden Robot - There’s a party at the home of the former GN’R guitarist)
11) Heart Healer - ‘The Metal Opera By Magnus Karlsson’ (Frontiers - A swashbuckling dose of female-fronted over-the-top-ness)
12) JD Kelly - ‘Imperfect Heart’ (AOR Blvd - Charming solo album by the singer of the underrated US combo From The Fire)
13) Agent Steel - ‘No Other Godz Before Me’ (Dissonance - Blimey, Jon Cyriis still hits notes only dogs can hear!)
14) Sunstorm - ‘Afterlife’ (Frontiers - Some rather fine moments here, but I still prefer them with Joe Lynn Turner)
15) Day Of Phoenix - ‘Mind Funeral, The Recordings 1968-1972’ (Esoteric Recordings - Two discs of the fascinating Danish proggers)
16) The Gold Needles - ‘What’s Tomorrow Ever Done For You?’ (Gem - Hull-based band bask in power-pop psychedelia)
17) Global Village Trucking Company - ‘Smiling Revolution’ (Esoteric Recordings - The tag of “Britain’s answer to the Grateful Dead” is off-putting, but this is great)
18) Lyle Workman - ‘Uncommon Measures’ (Blue Canoe - Absorbing virtuoso instrumental jazz-rock, featuring a 63-piece orchestra)
19) Suitcase Sam - ‘Goodnight Riverdale Park’ (Curve Music - Soothing, Sunday afternoon sounds…)
20) Secret Sphere - ‘Lifeblood’ (Frontiers - Italian power-metallers present the usual mix of standout moments and the so-so)
March 2021
1) Thunder - ‘All The Right Noises’ (BMG - Rocking again after their unplugged project… whew!)
2) Big Big Train - ‘The Underfall Yard, Deluxe Edition’ (English Electric - Re-mastered, expanded version of the band’s coming of age set)
3) Black Spiders - ‘Black Spiders’ (Dark Riders - A boisterous, boozy, big-riffing comeback set that picks up right where they left off)
4) Mason Hill - ‘Against The Wall’ (7HZ Recordings - A magnificent full-length debut from the persistent Glasgwegians)
5) Touch - ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ (Escape Music - The US pomp masters make an unlikely yet glorious return)
6) Liquid Tension Experiment (Inside Out - Instrumental proggers deliver a first album in 22 years)
7) Chez Kane - ‘Chez Kane’ (Frontiers - For those that pine for Vixen, Pat Benatar and Robin Beck)
8) Jane Getter Premonition - ‘Anomalia’ (Esoteric Antenna - Dark, brooding and mesmerising)
9) Ronnie Atkins - ‘One Shot’ (Frontiers - The Pretty Maids singer hits the solo trail again… stirring stuff!)
10) The End Machine - ‘Phase 2’ (Frontiers - A second album by Dokken fronted by Robert Mason of Warrant and Lynch Mob)
11) Toe Fat - ‘Bad Side Of The Moon — An Anthology 1970-1972’ (Esoteric Recordings - Cool archive material featuring Messrs Hensley and Kerslake)
12) Ken Hensley - ‘My Book of Answers’ (Cherry Red - Much loved late former Heep keysman signs off with well-intentioned curiosity)
13) Robin Trower, Maxi Priest, Livingstone Brown - ‘United State Of Mind’ (Manhaton - Way better than feared, and the only Maxi Priest record I will own!)
14) Suzi Quatro - ‘The Devil In Me’ (SPV - Suzi comes out of lockdown feisty mood)
15) League Of Lights - ‘Dreamers Don’t Come Down’ (Eightspace - Album number three by the British art-pop/prog-lite duo)
16) Turbulence - ‘Frontal’ (Frontiers - All the way from the Lebanon; deeply, luxuriantly melodic prog-metal)
17) Randy California & Spirit - ‘The Euro-American Years, 1979-1983’ (Esoteric Recordings - Six CDs of mainly live material, including Reading Festival ’82)
18) Spirit - ‘Son Of America’ (Esoteric Recordings - Three-disc re-issue set of the album from 2005)
19) Issa - ‘Queen Of Broken Hearts’ (Frontiers - By-the-book female-fronted AOR)
20) Intelligent Music Project - ‘The Creation’ (Intelligent Music - Project featuring Ronnie Romero, John Payne, Carl Sentance and more)
February
2021
1) The Byson Family - ‘Kick The Traces’ (Assai Recordings - Former Temperance Movement singer returns with an excellent new band)
2) Art Of Illusion - ‘X Marks The Spot’ (AOR Heaven - Dreamy tunes coloured by Queen-isms and pomp-rock extravagance)
3) Giant - ‘Last Of The Runaways’ (Rock Candy - Re-mastered reboot of their stellar debut… hard to believe it’s 32 years old!)
4) Joel Hoekstra’s 13 - ‘Running Games’ (Frontiers - Punchy, classy hard rock from current Whitesnake guitarist)
5) Georgia Satellites - ‘Ultimate’ (Lemon Recordings - The Elektra albums, plus bonus tracks and sleeve essay)
6) Wildlife - ‘Burning’ (Rock Candy - How awesome to own this little beaut on CD at last!)
7) Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘Nothing Comes Easy 1991-2012’ (Hear No Evil - Five CDs from their latter era, plus bonus songs and booklet)
8) The Almighty - ‘Powertrippin’’ (Hear No Evil - Double-disc edition of their breakthrough third studio record, first released in 1993)
9) Michael Schenker Group - ‘Immortal’ (Nuclear Blast - A celebration of his five decades in the business)
10) Lee Kerslake - ‘Eleventeen’ (Hear No Evil - Lee’s character is right there in these eight posthumously released songs)
11) Bonfire - ‘Roots’ (AFM - Their “almost-unplugged” album…)
12) Jesus Chrüsler Superstar - ‘Lücifer’ (Dr Music - Fabulously dirty death ‘n’ roll from Stockholm, Sweden)
13) Edgar Broughton Band - ‘Speak Down The Wires, The Recordings 1975-1982’ (Esoteric Recordings - Four-CD set from a massively underrated national treasure)
14) Voodoo Circle - ‘Locked & Loaded’ (AFM - Doffs its cap at the arena-conquering days of Whitesnake)
15) Be Bop Deluxe - ‘Drastic Plastic’ (Esoteric Recordings - The band’s final album, which dates back to 1978, gets a welcome overhaul)
16) 3.2 - ‘Third Impression’ (Frontiers - Flamboyant if sometimes slightly dull pomp-rock presented by Robert Berry)
17) Vandamne - ‘The First Crimes, 1988-1991’ (Steelheart Memories - Long-lost ditties from late, lamented Cirencester hard rockers)
18) Durbin - ‘The Beast Awakens’ (Frontiers - Ex-Quiet Riot singer James Durbin displays signs of future greatness)
19) Radar - ‘Lost In The Atlantic - Recommended for fans of Go West)
20) Simulacrum - ‘Genesis’ (Frontiers - Acrobatic, ostentatious Finnish progressive-metal)
January 2021
1) W.E.T. - ‘Retransmission’ (Frontiers - Timeless-sounding, classy melodic hard rock)
2) Accept - ‘Too Mean To Die’ (Nuclear Blast - Still absolutely thriving in the post-Dirkschneider era)
3) The Dead Daises - ‘Holy Ground’ (SPV - Glenn Hughes breathes life into a band I’ve never really taken too seriously)
4) Creye - ‘II’ (Frontiers - A deft fusion of pop sensibilities and vintage AOR)
5) Magnum - ‘Dance Of The Black Tattoo’ (SPV - New compilation reminds us of the band’s in-depth quality)
6) Wig Wam - ‘Never Say Die’ (Frontiers - Newly reunited, the Norwegians step at last beyond the realm of the cartoon-like)
7) Curved Air - ‘The Albums 1970-1973’ (Esoteric Recordings - New editions of their classics, plus bonus tracks)
8) Hustler - ‘High’ Street’/‘Play Loud’ (Black Car - Re-mastered versions of their albums from 1974 and ’75)
9) Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra’ - ‘Songs For The Apocalypse’ (Frontiers - A slice of glorious lunacy from the ex-Saigon Kick man)
10) The Pat McManus Band - ‘Full Service Resumed’ (RockHouse Music - The voice will polarise opinion, but these songs are wonderful!)
11) Phantom Elite - ‘Titanium’ (Frontiers - Symphonic metal, voiced by the very gifted Marina La Torraca)
12) Kickin’ Valentina - ‘The Revenge Of Rock’ (Mighty Music - The Atlanta-based quartet serves up a feisty, kick-ass third album)
13) Labyrinth - ‘Welcome To The Absurd Circus’ (Frontiers - Italian power-metal… I loved the cover of ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’)
14) Sorceress Of Sin - ‘Mirrored Revenge’ (www.sorceressofsin.com - Very impressive female-fronted, home-grown melodic meta-a-a-a-al!)
15) Tyla J Pallas - ‘Live In Tokyo’ (King Outlaw - CD/DVD package of unplugged gigs performed in March 2020)
Playlist 2020
Playlist 2019
Playlist 2018
Playlist 2017
Playlist 2016
Playlists Pre-2016
The discs on the MIGHTY WURLINGTZER will be changed every month. If there are any albums you think should be included on next month's playlist, please let us know!