December 2015
1)
Status Quo – 'Hello!'/'Quo'/'Rockin' All Over The World' (Universal – New expanded double-disc editions)
2) Scorpions – 'Taken By Force'/'Tokyo Tapes'/'Lovedrive'/'Animal Magnetism'/'Blackout'/ 'Love At First Sting'/'World Wide Live'/'Savage Amusement' (SPV – The 50th anniversary re-masters… essential)
3) Spock's Beard – 'The First Twenty Years' (Inside Out – Three-disc retrospective from the neo-prog gods)
4) Khymera – 'The Grand Design' (Frontiers – Amazing, lighter-waving melodic hard rock)
5) Find Me – 'Dark Angel' (Frontiers – Ditto)
6) Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion' (HFMC – Uplifting neo-prog, wish I'd heard it before compiling my 'best-of' list of 2015!)
7) John Wetton – 'Live Via Satellite' (Primary Purpose – Double-disc of gigs from 1998 and 2001)
8) The Who – 'Live In Hyde Park' (Eagle Vision – Two x CDs and a DVD from their open-air show in 2015)
9) Clutch – 'Psychic Warfare' (Weathermaker – I'm not really what you'd call a fan, but this is tremendous)
10) Billy Sherwood – 'Citizen'/'Divided By One'/'Collection' (Frontiers/Backyard Levitation – Mostly quality fare from the man hand-picked by Chris Squire as his replacement)
11) Cirth Ungol – 'Frost & Fire'/'King Of The Dead'/'One Foot In Hell' (Metal Blade – 180 gram vinyl edition re-issues of the cult metal platters from the 1980s)
12) The Moody Blues – 'Greatest Hits' (Threshold – Bargain basement CD gem, released back in 1989)
13) Various Artists – 'Power Ballads' (Eva Records – Contains some truly great lighter-waving weepies!)
14) The Pretty Things – 'The Sweet Pretty Things (Are In Bed Now, Of Course…)' (Repertoire – Better late than never!)
15) Blood Red Saints – 'Speedway' (Frontiers – Old-school UK AOR)
16) Stormzone – 'Seven Sins' (Metal Nation – Irish trad-metal, with an agreeable melodic edge)
18) Lies Of Smiles – Dreams Of The Machinoix' (Liesofsmiles.com – Classy, slightly bluesy post-NWOBHM fare)
19) Mike Zito & The Wheel (Ruf – Soulful, easy-listening blues from the ex-Royal Southern Brotherhood guitarist)
20) Pagan's Mind – 'Full Circle, Live At Centre Stage' (SPV – Triple-disc of the Norwegian power-metal crew)
November 2015
1) Def Leppard – 'Def Leppard' (Bludgeon Riffola – Took a spin or two but has some fantastic songs)
2) Alanis Morissette – 'Jagged Little Pill, Collector's Edition' (Maverick – Four disc edition of a personal all-time fave album)
3) The Winery Dogs – 'Hot Streak' (Ear Music – The sophomore set from Kotzen, Sheehan and Portnoy doesn't disappoint)
4) Threshold – 'European Journey' (Nuclear Blast – A titanic double-live set from their most recent tour)
5) Walter Trout – 'Battle Scars' (Provogue – Back from the almost-dead… and you'd never have believed it)
6) Satan – 'Atom By Atom' (Listenable – The reunited NWOBHM veterans unveil fresh, marauding metal)
7) Dave Brock – 'Brockworld' (Hawkward – Charming, inimitable space-rock from Hawkwind's leader)
8) The Manic Shine – 'Trial And Triumph' (Pledge Music – Uplifting, fiercely anthemic stuff from a fast-rising bunch of Londoners)
9) Federal Charm – 'Across The Divide' (Wire-Sound – Wonderfully bluesy hard rock with a timeless feel)
10) Leslie West – 'Soundcheck' (Provogue – Yet more musical, guest-enhanced shenanigans from the Mountain-eous one)
11) The Marshall Tucker Band – 'Live In The UK 1976' (Ramblin' Records – Ten-song audio set from their first and only UK tour)
12) Devin Townshend – 'Ziltoid Live At The Royal Albert Hall' (Inside Out – Four discs of gloriously bonkers-ness!)
13) The Motors – 'The Virgin Years' (Caroline International – Their three albums plus a bonus disc of rarities)
14) BulletBoys – 'Elefanté' (Deadline – No longer a hair-metal band, but there are some fine rock songs here)
15) Naked – 'End Game' (Escape Music – High quality Scandi-melodic rock)
16) Cypher16 – 'The Great Surveyor' (Constant Evolution – Metal with a fresh, vibrant undercurrent)
17) Chip Z'Nuff – 'Strange Time' (Deadline – His debut solo album… plenty of cool guests but a bit light on killer tunes)
18) The Red Paintings – 'The Revolution Is Never Coming' (Graphite – Five years in the making this is chaotic, but its many highpoints make the mediocrity bearable)
19) The Carburetors – 'Laughing In The Face Of Death' (SPV – (S)punky, hooky-laden rock 'n' roll… on clear vinyl!)
20) Stormbringer – 'Blood & Rust' (Attic – Great, beer-soaked hard rock, but they throw it all away with that atrocious Talking Heads cover)
October 2015
1) Sweet – 'Action: The Ultimate Story' (Sony Music Germany – Magical two-CD career encompassing anthology… plus gushing sleeve notes!)
2) Saxon – 'Battering Ram' (UDR – Does what it says on the tin… I'm happy to say!)
3) Motörhead – 'Bad Magic (UDR – Still making timeless, peerless hard rock music)
4) Cats In Space – 'Too Many Gods' (Harmony Factory – Captivating seventies-influenced pomp-pop… for fans of 10cc and ELO)
5) Michael Monroe – 'Blackout States' (Spinefarm – This is simply joyous! Complete with bonus track on vinyl!)
6) Nad Sylvan – 'Courting The Widow' (Inside Out – Exquisite Genesis-esque prog from singer of Hackett's solo band)
7) Martina Edoff – 'Unity' (Into Records – Martina with added H.E.A.T.? What's not to like?!)
8) Martin Turner – 'Written In The Stars' (Dirty Dog Discs – His first set of originals in almost two decades is a real throwback to Wishbone's golden era)
9) Slayer – 'Repentless' (Nuclear Blast – All these years and line-up changes later, still peerless at what they do)
10) Lynyrd Skynyrd – 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd & Second Helping Live From Jacksonville' (Eagle – Their first two albums, performed live earlier this year)
11) The Tirith – 'Tales From The Tower' (Convergent Recordings – Awesomely melodic, storytelling prog-rock)
12) Evil Blizzard – 'Everybody Come To Church' (Louder Than War – Freaky but brilliant!)
13) Jared James Nichols – 'Highwayman' (Listenable – Five-song EP to promote his latest UK tour)
14) Stryper – 'Fallen' (Frontiers – Melodic metal doesn't get very much better)
15) Killing Joke – 'Pylon' (Spinefarm – Still one of the most unique, unmissable acts out there)
16) Lifeline – 'Scream' (Escape Music – Barnstorming melodic hard rock, with great vocals)
17) Voodoo Hill – 'Waterfall' (Frontiers – Glenn Hughes and Dario Mollo on top form)
18) Davy O'List –'Second Thoughts' (Made In Soho – He calls it "proto-prog" but whatever the description, this is fascinating)
19) Tesseract – 'Polaris' (KScope – An endearing fusion of prog, metal, groove and lush soundscapes)
20) Shinedown – 'Threat To Survival' (Atlantic – Nowhere near as breathtaking as their last few records, truth told…)
21) Various Artists – 'Beckology – A Guitar Chronicle' (Deadline – Lukather, Gilbert, Trout, Collen et al pay tribute to Sir Jeff)
22) Calligula's Horse – 'Bloom' (Inside Out – A successful fusion of progressive-metal and alt-rock)
23) Corvus – 'Chasing Miracles' (The Lynchburg Music Group – Massively enjoyable '80s-influenced melodic hard rock)
24) Deth Enemy – 'Unmovable' (Big Sky Song Music – Versatile, well-crafted hard rock)
25) PowerPlay – 'All Those Years' (Target – Gentle, cultured AOR from Copenhagen)
September 2015
1) Iron Maiden – 'The Book Of Souls' (EMI – Album of the year, no question)
2) White Lion – 'Pride'/'Big Game' (Rock Candy – Newly re-mastered versions, with bonus tracks and sleeve notes)
3) Ozone – 'Self Defence' (Escape Music – Stunning melodic hard rock from Steve Overland, Chris Ousey and a splendid backing cast)
4) So! – 'Brass Monkey' (So Much Music – How bloody great to hear this after again after all those years)
5) City Boy – 'City Boy'/'Dinner At The Ritz' and 'Young Men Gone West'/'Book Early' (Lemon Recordings – Expanded re-issues from the cult UK pomp masters!)
6) Sweet Billy Pilgrim – 'Motorcade Amnesiacs' (KScope – A couple of fillers, but on the whole a terrific slab of whimsical art-rock)
7) Mollie Marriott – 'Truth Is A Wolf' (MITA – Daughter of the legendary Steve, but a great talent in her own right)
8) Joel Hoekstra's 13 – 'Dying To Live (Frontiers – Killer solo album from current Whitesnake, ex-Night Ranger guitarist)
9) Trapeze – 'Hot Wire'/'Trapeze' (Rock Candy – No bonus tracks but excellent sleeve notes from Malcolm Dome; great to have 'em on CD at last!)
10) Babylon AD – 'Live@XXV' (Apocalypse – The reunited San Franciscans have still got what it takes!)
11) Franck Carducci – 'Torn Apart' (Vocation Records – Pleasing pomp-meets-prog, with a cameo from Steve Hackett)
12) Tank – 'Valley Of Tears' (Metal Mind – Now fronted by ex-DragonForce man ZP Theart, this is pure molten melodic lava)
13) Federal Charm – Across The Divide' (Wire-Sound – The Stockport hard rockers continue to stretch out)
14) Biters - 'Electric Blood' (Earache – Wonderfully spirited if sometimes amusingly derivative rawkenrawl)
15) Ian Danter – 'Second Time Around' (www.iandanter.co.uk – Kick-ass commercial hard rock with punchy hooks)
16) Stone The Crows – 'Teenage Licks'/'Ontinuous Performance' (Angel Air – Two more great re-issues from the early 1970s)
17) Push UK – 'Future Into The Past' (AOR Blvd – Re-titled, re-mastered, expanded edition of their 2010 album, 'Strange World')
18) Mike Brookfield – 'Love Breaks The Fall' (Golden Rule – Wonderfully versatile blues-rock)
19) Alcatrazz –'No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll' (Hear No Evil – Bonnet & Yngwie… now includes an album's worth of instrumental demos)
20) David Courtney – 'Anthology' (Angel Air – Needed the 'skip' button quite a bit, but this is largely very impressive)
21) Claus Hassing – 'Open Your Heart' (Claus Hassing Music – Winning debut from a Danish singer/songwriter)
22) The Jokers – 'Hurricane' (SPV – Album #3 from the admirably persistent, moderately talented UK rockers)
23) Tony Patterson & Brendan Eyre – 'Northlands' (Esoteric Antenna – Irresistible, windswept neo-prog of the highest order)
24) Cutting Crew – 'Add To Favourites' (In Like Flynn – A mixed bag, but some great tunes here)
25) Steve Ellis – 'Best Of Days' (Angel Air – Re-issued album from 2004, with cameos from Messrs Daltrey and Weller)
26) Dellacoma – 'South Of Everything' (Sock Records – Punchy, gutsy hard rock from a piledriving Aussie-Yank four-piece)
27) Heather Crosse – 'Groovin' At The Crosse Roads' (Ruf – Soulful, R&B-based-blues rock)
28) Kickin Valentina – 'Super Atomic' (Target – Slammin', chunky hard rock-meets-metal)
29) 4th Labyrinth – 'Quattro Stagioni' (4th Labyrinth Music – The Cambridge rockers mix tempos and styles to great effect)
30) The Zilla Project – 'This One's For The President' (TZP – Fiery, bluesy hard rock from Cyprus)
August 2015
1) Van Halen – 'Van Halen'/'Van Halen II'/'Women And Children First' (Warner Bros – Not a duff song to be heard… yet!)
2) Praying Mantis –'Legacy' (Frontiers – AOR-meets-pomp of the highest quality)
3) FFS – 'FFS' (Domino – Sparks and Franz Ferdinand team up… this is funny, pissed off, sarcastic and rarely less than inspiring)
4) Emerson Lake & Palmer – 'Live At Montreux 1977' (Eagle – Killer double-CD from the '97 reunion tour)
5) Spock's Beard – 'The Oblivion Particle' (Inside Out – Still one of the most consistent neo-prog acts around)
6) Kamelot – 'Haven' (Napalm – Mesmerising symphonic prog-metal with great vocals)
7) Mike Tramp – 'Nomad' (Target – Some superb songs here, what an underrated artist)
8) Chantel McGregor – 'Lose Control' (Tis Rock Music – Blimey, hasn't she come in leaps and bounds?)
9) Riverside – 'Love, Fear And The Time Machine' (Inside Out – Shorter, sharper songs than before… this is great!)
10) Whiskey Myers – 'Firewater' (Spinefarm – Expanded re-issue of album from 2011… superb Southern rawk!!)
11) Ghost – 'Meloria' (Spinefarm – Could well be their best yet?)
12) Armored Saint – 'Win Hands Down' (Metal Blade – On 180g double-gatefold vinyl… luvvly!)
13) The Murder Of My Sweet – 'Beth Out Of Hell' (Frontiers – Return of the self-styled "cinematic", female-fronted Swedes)
14) Stala & So – 'Stala & So' (Escape Music – Riotous yet unmistakably tuneful glam-metal)
15) Lynch Mob – 'Rebel' (Frontiers - Disciples of the ex-Dokken man's playing won't be disappointed)
16) Royal Hunt – 'Devil's Dozen' (Frontiers – A package that's classy in just about every regard)
17) Stone The Crows – 'Stone The Crows'/'Ode To John Law' (Angel Air – Their first two albums, re-mastered and with bonus tracks)
18) Hawklords – 'R:evolution' (Shellshock Distribution – "A commentary om existence" from Mr Bainbridge and company)
19) Kim Simmonds & Savoy Brown – 'The Devil To Pay' (Ruf – 50 years on and still rocking!)
20) Mad Max – 'Thunder, Storm And Passion' (SPV – 12 re-recorded gems… plus a bonus live album
21) Faith No More – 'Sol Invictus' (Ipecac – I'm at best a casual fan, but okay... I can see what the fuss is all about)
22) Thirsty – 'Thirsty' (Thirsty Music – Fascinating album from Quireboys co-founder Guy Bailey)
23) Lamb Of God – 'VII: Storm Und Drang' (Nuclear Blast – Crisp, effective, flattening NWOAHM from the genre's kings)
24) Kadaver – 'Berlin' (Nuclear Blast – Retro-fuelled psych-metal)
25) Black Trip – 'Shadowline' (SPV – Scandinavians re-enact the NWOBHM… with a Lizzy tinge)
26) Ryan McGarvey – 'The Road Chosen' (Not sure how McGarvey has stayed off my radar till now, but this is killer blues-rock)
27) James Stevenson – 'Everything's Getting Closer To being Over' (Pink Guns Recordings – Highly listenable solo album from The Cult's second guitarist)
28) Wily Bo Walker – 'Moon Over Indigo' (Mescal Canyon – Fiery, sometimes soulful, blues-rock)
29) Acid – 'Acid' (Hear No Evil – NWOBHM-era, female-fronted rawk from Belgium… much better than it sounds on paper!)
30) Soley Mourning – 'The Rocket Pool' (Saltdog Records – Hard-driving, at times slightly funky modern rock)
July 2015
1) Winger – 'Winger'/'In The Heart Of The Young' (Rock Candy – Two of the all-time greatest albums ever made!)
2) Damn Yankees – 'Damn Yankees' (Rock Candy – Their 1990 debut expanded; quintessential American hard rock)
3) The Allman Brothers Band – 'At Fillmore East' (Capricorn – Still among the finest double-live sets of all time)
4) Hanoi Rocks – 'Two Steps From The Move' (Rock Candy – Colourful, crazy, compulsive… and now with a disc of bonus tracks!)
5) Dokken – 'Back For The Attack' (Rock Candy – Great sounds from the days when Don and George still spoke, often with their fists)
6) Enuff Z'Nuff – 'Enuff Z'Nuff' (Rock Candy – Among the greatest debuts of all time)
7) Mr Mister – 'Welcome To The Real World' (Rock Candy – It sounds amazing in a summer haze… even in Catford!)
8) Symphony X – 'Underworld' (Nuclear Blast – Progressive-metal doesn't get much better than this)
9) Jared James Nichols – 'Old Glory And The Wild Revival' (Listenable – It's Southern, it's blues, it's rock – it's phenomenal)
10) Saga – 'Best Of – Now And Then – The Collection' (Ear Music – A track apiece from each of their 21 studio albums)
11) Tim Bowness – 'Stupid Things That Mean The World' (Inside Out – The No-Man lead singer hits the jackpot again)
12) Motor Sister – 'Ride' (Metal Blade – Better late than never… kick-ass hard rock featuring Scott 'Not' Ian and assorted chums)
13) Styx – 'Live At The Orleans Arena, Las Vegas' (Eagle – Quiver-inducing audio of a 2014 indoor show… with guest Don Felder)
14) The V – 'Now Or Never' (Frontiers – Benedictum's Veronica Freeman takes a trip on the melodic side)
15) Vardis – '200 MPH EP' (Hoplite – Five rather spiffing tracks from their brand new line-up)
16) Jackaman – 'No Halo EP' (SheSings – A welcome return for ex-St Jude singer Lynne, with Guy Griffin in tow!)
17) Storm Of Perception – 'Into The Sun' (Tru-B-Dor – Classic keys-driven metal with thrash overtones)
18) The Wynntown Marshals – 'The End Of A Golden Age' (Blue Rose – Stirring, tuneful country-rock)
19) Room Experience – 'Room Experience' (Melodic Rock Records – A parp-tastic Italian-English AOR alliance)
20) Axel Rudi Pell & Friends – 'Magic Moments: 25th Anniversary Special Show' (SPV – Triple disc of the ex-Steeler man's birthday celebration)
21) Edge Of The Blade – 'The Ghost Of Humans' (Escape Music – Powerful, melodic heavy rock with Shy/After Hours connections)
22) Estrella – 'We Will Go On' (SJS Entertainment – Slick, punchy and melodic rock from Scotland)
23) Jupiter Falls – 'Revolution' (Broken Road Records – High quality modern rock)
24) Canned Heat – 'Songs From The Road' (Ruf – A CD/DVD package from their 50th anniversary tour… respect!)
25) Tracer – 'Water For Thirsty Dogs' (OMN Label Services – Album number three from the upwardly mobile Aussies)
June 2015
1) Rush – 'Live At The Varsity Stadium, Toronto, 2.9.79' (Private Recording… thanks again, Bez!)
2) Spike – '100% Frankie Miller' (Livewire/Cargo – Guest-strewn tribute to a fantastic, underrated artist)
3) Trixter – 'Human Era' (Frontiers – Among the defining feelgood, fun-time releases of 2015)
4) Ted Nugent – 'Free For All' (Hear No Evil – Expanded edition of Uncle Ted's masterpiece from 1976)
5) Various Artists – 'Rock Legends' (Spectrum – 15 fantastic catalogue tracks… plus my sleeve notes!)
6) The Graveltones – 'Love Lies Dying' (Lagoon Dog – A splendid second effort from the London-based Aussies)
7) Royal Thunder – 'Crooked Doors' (Relapse – Dark, unpredictably nervy stoner-rock… on beautiful double-gatefold)
8) DiMino – 'Old Habits Die Hard' (Frontiers – This doesn't sound much like Angel, but Frank's new songs are strong)
9) Diamond Dogs – 'Quitters And Complainers' (Livewire/Cargo – Basic, sleazy rock 'n' roll, Swedish style!)
10) Anneke van Giersbergen – 'Day After Yesterday – Aqua De Annick (Collected)' (Inside Out – A fantastic four-CD boxed set)
11) Virgin Steele – 'Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation' (SPV – The neo-classical hard rockers are back after five years away)
12) Dark Horse Flyer – 'Breakaway' (Florida Street – A soothing slice of Southern-tinged blues-rock)
13) Mostly Autumn – 'Box Of Tears' (Mostly Autumn – A live album from their 2014 tour)
14) Living Colour – 'Pride' (Epic – A gem from the bargain racks… hard hitting 'best-of' from 1995)
15) John Lee Hooker – 'The Healer' (Pointblank – Ditto… with guests including Bonnie Raitt, Mr Thorogood, Robert Cray and more)
16) Godsized – 'Heavy Lies The Crown' (Metalville – Powerful, slick, tuneful, modern hard rock)
17) Osukaru – 'Transition' (City Of Lights – Flashy, hard rockin' AOR)
18) Void – 'Keep Fighting' (Raven Black Music – Hugely enjoyable gimmick free hard rock)
19) Cain's Offering – 'Stormcrow' (Frontiers – Highly melodic power-metal, with subtle progressive elements)
20) Châlice – 'Overyears Sensation' (Keiler – Forgive the beyond-shitty title… they're Germans!)
May 2015
1) Beauvoir-Free – 'American Trash' (Frontiers – Long awaited reunion of the Crown Of Thorns co-founders)
2) Helloween – 'My God Given Right' (Nuclear Blast – A power-metal 30th birthday party to enjoy)
3) Moxy – '40 Years And Still Riding High' (Escape Music – Three discs of Canadian retro-rock… awesome!)
4) Nelson – 'Peace Out' (Frontiers – If it's *really* their last melodic album they depart in style)
5) Romeo's Daughter – 'Spin' (RD – Darker but more immediate than 'Rapture'… to these ears, anyway!)
6) Gov't Mule – 'Dark Side Of The Mule' (Provogue – Pink Floyd live tribute set, over four side of vinyl)
7) Rush – 'R30'/'Rush In Rio' (Eagle Vision – "Re-released after having been unavailable for some time"… it says here!)
8) Dennis Churchill Dries – 'I' (AOR Heaven – A welcome return for the former White Sister/Tattoo Rodeo frontman)
9) Glass Hammer – 'The Breaking Of The World' (Arion Recordings – Wistful, inspiring neo-prog)
10) Big Big Train – 'Wassail EP' (English Electric Recordings – (Three brand new songs and a live track… superb!)
11) Tremonti – 'Cauterize' (Fred 12 – The Alter Bridge man rocks again out as a solo artist)
12) House Of Lords – 'Indestructible' (Frontiers – Album number #10 and still delivering!)
13) August Redmoon – 'Heavy Metal USA' (Hear No Evil – Complete Recordings of the long defunct NWOBHM-inspired Yank combo)
14) Mark Slaughter – 'Reflections In A Rear View Mirror' (Escape Music – A tasty solo release from Slaughter's frontman)
15) Erja Lyytinen – 'Live In London' (Tuohi – CD/DVD document of the Finn's Oct 2014 gig at the 100 Club)
16) Ten – 'Isla De Muerta' (Rocktopia – A Buccaneer-themed concept piece… nautical but nice!)
17) Butch Walker – 'Afraid Of Ghosts' (Dangerbird – Seductive singer/songwriter fare)
18) Buck & Evans – 'Live At Rockfield EP' (Tru-B-Dor – Hard hitting yet soulful blues-rock)
19) Samantha Fish – 'Wild Heart' (Ruf – Sinewy, sultry sexy blues-rock)
20) Europe – 'War Of Kings' (UDR – Far too one-paced… I'm told that it's a grower – bloody well hope so!)
21) The Mentulls – 'Reflections' (www.thementulls.com – Stupid name… great, adventurous bluesy rock band)
22) Next To None – 'A Light In The Dark' (Inside Out – Creditable prog from Max 'Son Of Mike' Portnoy and young cohorts)
23) Star Scream – 'Sexploitation' (Roseblood – A daring, technicolour mix of glam, rock 'n' roll and electronica)
24) Bite The Bullet – 'Wheels' (Target – Fuzz-rock-psychedelia from Scandinavia)
25) Lost Dawn – 'Lost Dawn' (Easy Action – T. Rex meets garage rock? Should suck… but doesn't!)
April 2015
1) FM –'Heroes & Villains' (Frontiers – Pretty damned close to perfection)
2) Bad Company – 'Bad Company'/'Straight Shooter' (Swan Song – Expanded double-discs of these all-time greats)
3) Radioactive – 'F4our' (Escape Music – Classy AOR from Tommy Denander and friends)
4) Jim Peterik-Marc Scherer – 'Risk Everything' (Frontiers – The ex-Survivor maestro is back!!)
5) Halestorm – 'Into The Wild Life' (Atlantic – Addictive… highly addictive…)
6) Eden's Curse – 'Live With The Curse' (AFM – Double-disc of 2014 show in Glasgow… excellent!)
7) Laurence Jones – 'What's It Gonna Be' (Ruf – His best yet… and by some distance!)
8) Ian Dury & The Blockheads – 'Reasons To be Cheerful: The Very Best Of' (Papillon – Charity shop bargain!)
9) Gun – 'Frantic' (Caroline – More high quality pop-rock from Glasgow's finest)
10) Beth Hart – 'Better Than Home' (Provogue – No Bonamassa required… no, sir!)
11) Trespass – 'Trespass' (www.trespassband.com – The Lars-approved Suffolk-based NWOBHM combo returns from the dead!)
12) Royal Southern Brotherhood – 'Don't Look Back' (Ruf – Still rather great despite the line-up changes)
13) Eddie & The Hot Rods – 'Life On The Line' (Island – Vinyl gem from 1977… hadn't played it in aeons!)
14) Blurred Vision – 'Organised Insanity' (Open Eyes – Terry Brown's latest protégés… some nice Floyd-y bits)
15) Nashville Pussy – 'Ten Years Of Pussy' (SPV – Recent 'best-of', plus incendiary live disc)
16) The Tangent – 'A Spark In The Aether: The Music That Died Alone, Volume Two' (Inside Out – Prog-rock with a sense of humour… who knew?)
17) Dan Patlansky – 'Dear Silence Thieves' (www.danpatlansky.com – Hard, sometimes edgy blues from South Africa)
18) Impellitteri – 'Venom' (Frontiers –Tune-friendly shredding with strong vox… surprisingly good!)
19) Jettblack – 'Disguises' (Cherry Red – I feel bad for that lukewarm review in Metal Hammer… it's a grower!)
20) We Are Harlot – 'We Are Harlot' (Roadrunner – Ex-Asking Alexandria frontman Danny Worsnop comes of age)
21) Robin George – 'Dangerous Music 2' (Angel Air – The 'shelved' sequel… contains some rather good moments)
22) Talon – 'Fourplay' (Escape Music – Chunky yet decidedly melodic hard rock)
23) Todd Rundgren – 'Global' (Esoteric Antenna – A frustrating mix of good, average and plain godawful)
24) Legion – 'Animal Inside' (Z – The Aldi version of Winger strikes again!)
25) Killer – 'Monsters Of Rock' (Mausoleum – Shouldn't really like this as it's just so cheesy… but I kinda do!)
March 2015
1) Led Zeppelin – 'Physical Graffiti' (Atlantic – Still stunning)
2) Toto – 'Toto XIV' (Frontiers – This will be among the finest records of 2015)
3) Steven Wilson – 'Hand. Cannot. Erase.' (Kscope – Took me a spin or two, but a real grower…)
4) Lonely Robot – 'Please Come Home' (Inside Out – A masterful John Mitchell solo project)
5) Robin Trower – 'Something's About To Change' (Manhaton – Who knew that he could sing too?!)
6) Black Star Riders – 'The Killer Instinct' (Nuclear Blast – A step up from their debut… great stuff!)
7) King King – 'Reaching For The Light' (Manhaton – A truly superb set of bluesy hard rock)
8) Randy Bachman – 'Heavy Blues' (Linus Entertainment – You won't believe how good this is!!)
9) Raven – 'ExtermiNation' (SPV – Pure neck-snapping metaaaaaaal!)
10) Sweet – 'New York Groove' (Angel Air – Expanded edition of their superb covers disc 'New York Connection')
11) Mother's Finest – 'Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts' (SPV – Female fronted funk-rock to die for!)
12) Von Hertzen Brothers – 'New Day Rising' (Spinefarm – Album number six from the ever-wonderful Finnish siblings)
13) Magnum – 'Escape From The Shadow Garden Live 2014' (SPV – New concert set from their most recent tour)
14) Roxette – 'XXX: The 30 Biggest Hits' (Parlophone – Okay okay, they're my guilty secret…)
15) The Cadillac Three – 'Peace Love & Dixie' (Spinefarm – Impressive mini-album from the fast-rising Southern rawkers)
16) Accept – 'Objection Overruled' (Hear No Evil – Nice to own it on CD at last!)
17) Scorpions – 'Return To Forever' (Sony Music – A few good moments but way too inconsistent)
18) Venom – 'From The Very Depths' (Spinefarm – Love 'em, hate 'em… I'm somewhere in the middle)
19) The Gentle Storm – 'The Diary' (Inside Out – A captivating exercise in light and heavy from Arjen Lucassen and Anneke van Giersbergen)
20) Demians – 'Mercury' (Ambersen Recordings – No it ain't prog-rock per se, but some tremendous songs here!)
21) Santa Cruz – 'Santa Cruz' (Spinefarm – The melodies and choruses are as huge as their hair!)
22) AOR – 'Return To LA' (www.slama101.fr – Is Frédéric Slama the most prolific man in melodic hard rock?!)
23) Last Great Dreamers – 'Crash Landing In Teenage Heaven' (Ray Records – Dandified, foot-stomping hard rock… very catchy!)
24) Bad Touch – 'Half Way Home' (Bad Touch Records – Bluesy hard rock with a pleasing Southern tinge)
25) Ranger – 'Where Evil Dwells' (Spinefarm – Minimalist thrash-metal from Finland)
February 2015
1) Thunder – 'Wonder Days' (Ear Music – Their best since 'Laughing On Judgement Day')
2) UFO – 'A Conspiracy Of Stars' (SPV – That run of excellent form continues…)
3) Revolution Saints – 'Revolution Saints' (Frontiers – What did you expect of members past 'n' present of Journey, Night Ranger, Whitesnake, Lion and more?)
4) China Sky – 'China Sky II' (Escape Music – Consummate North American AOR from the long-lost cult heroes)
5) Uli Jon Roth – 'Scorpions Revisited' (UDR – Double-disc of tunes played on his recent tour… great vox from Nathan James)
6) Eclipse – 'Armageddonize' (Frontiers – A Herculean mix of metal, pop and melodic hard rock)
7) H.E.A.T. – 'Live In London' (Ear Music – Their May 2014 gig at London's Garage – I woz there!)
8) Neal Morse – 'The Grand Experiment' (Inside Out – Spontaneously created, with immaculate results)
9) Issa – 'Crossfire' (Frontiers – For fans of Roxette and Romeo's Daughter… includes a great duet with Steve Overland)
10) HeKz – 'Caerus' (BHM Audio – Bold, confident, classy prog-metal, reminds me a bit of Threshold)
11) Blackberry Smoke – 'Holding All The Roses' (Earache – Is it as great as 'The Whippoorwill'? I'd have to say 'no'…)
12) Rick Springfield – 'Stripped Down' (Ear Music – CD/DVD document of a terrific one-man show)
13) Dan Reed – 'Transmission' (Zero One Entertainment – Smooth, sultry and gorgeous)
14) Jeff Scott Soto – 'Inside The Vertigo' (Ear Music – JSS revisits the heavier side of his oeuvre)
15) Michael Des Barres – 'The Key To The Universe' (FOD Records – Return of the former Silverhead, Detective, Chequered Past and Power Station frontman)
16) Skinny Molly – 'Here For A Good Time' (Moss Rose Records – These songs are (mostly) great… so why persist with the covers?)
17) Montrose – 'Warner Brothers Music Show 1975' (Oxbridge – Audience-recorded CD bootleg of a German show from 1975… thanks Ross Halfin!)
18) Massive Wagons – 'Fight The System' (Off Yer Rocka – Monstrous slabs of tuneful hard rawk… mist see them live!)
19) Last Autumn's Dream – 'Level Eleven' (AOR Heaven – Great Scandi-AOR from a cruelly underrated group)
20) The Amorettes – 'Game On' (Off Yer Rocka – Spirited, Runaways-esque punk 'n' rawl)
21) Deep Purple – 'Now What?!' (Ear Music – The expanded edition, includes a bonus live disc)
22) The Sweet – 'Funny How Sweet Co Co Can Be' (Cherry Red – Expanded edition of their bubblegum-era LP from 1971)
23) Virgil & The Accelerators – 'Army Of Three' (Mystic – Going in a heavier direction, mostly good but occasionally a bit stodgy…)
24) Santa Cruz – 'Wasted & Wounded' (Spinefarm –7" single on blood red vinyl… kicks ass!)
25) Climax Blues – 'Broke Heart Blues' (Angel Air – The epitaph of Pete Haycock… worth a listen)
26) Pat Travers Band – 'Live At The Iridium NYC' (Frontiers – Single-disc recording of a show from February 2012)
27) Kiko De Kobra – 'A Girl And Her Giraffe' (Target – Pop-rock with the amps turned up loud!)
28) Red Jasper – 'The Great And Secret Show' (Angel Air – Enjoyable neo-prog from the UK…)
29) Papa Roach – F.E.A.R.' (Eleven Seven Music – The haters destroy these guys, but I still kinda like 'em…)
30) Maverick – 'Quid Pro Quo' (Massacre – A young Irish combo raised on Winger, Guns N' Roses, Skid Row and Van Halen)
January 2015
1) Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock – 'Spirit On A Mission' (Inakustic – Hugely agreeable UFO/Scorps/Rainbow/Purps and Whitesnake-flavoured rawk)
2) The Almighty – 'Blood, Fire & Love'/'Soul Destruction' (Spinefarm – Newly re-mastered deluxe editions of their first two albums)
3) Martin Turner & Friends – 'The Garden Party: A Celebration Of Wishbone Ash Music' (Dirty Dog Discs – Brilliant memories of a fantastic day!)
4) The Winery Dogs – 'Live At The Camden Underworld, London 8.7.14' (Private recording… don't ask!)
5) Thunder – 'Live At Brooklyn Bowl, London 2014' (Classic Rock cover-mounted freebie!)
6) Åge Sten Nilsen's Ammunition – 'Shanghaied' (G-Netic Music – The ex-Wig Wam frontman's superb new band)
7) Hayseed Dixie – 'Hair Down To My Grass' (Hayseed Dixie Records – Hilarious hillbilly remakes of Journey, Survivor, Twisted Sister and more)
8) Fish On Friday – 'Godspeed' (Esoteric Antenna – Superb, melodic neo-prog)
9) Corrosion Of Conformity – 'Blind' (Hear No Evil – Expanded edition of the metal-punk-sludge-Southern masterpiece from 1991)
10) Paul Raymond – 'Rewind 50' (Pariah Music – Celebrating half a decade in the business!)
11) Impera – 'Empire Of Sin' (Escape Music – Album number #3 of melodic but robust hard rock from these classy Swedes)
12) Elf – 'Elf' (Hear No Evil – New edition of their 1972 debut)
13) Beardfish – '+4626–Comfortzone' (Inside Out – A prog-rock treat from the enduring Swedes!)
14) TNT – 'Live In Concert With The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra' (Indie Recordings – A symphonically enhanced 30th anniversary show)
15) Rebecca Downes – 'Back To The Start' (Reel To Real – Feisty blues-rock)
16) Paw – 'Dragline' (Hear No Evil – Expanded edition of one of the few grunge-era albums I really like)
17) Maverick – 'Quid Pro Quo' (Massacre – A winning mix of sleaze-rock, party-metal and AOR)
18) The Sixxis – 'Hollow Shrine' (GlassVille – Powerhouse prog-rock from Atlanta, GA)
19) Ian Siegal – 'One Night In Amsterdam' (Nugene – If this ain't high quality blues-rock then I'm a Dutchman!)
20) 23 Acez – 'Redemption Waves' (Target – What's that you say… they're from Belgium? No way, this is pretty good!)
December 2014
1) Led Zeppelin – 'IV'/'Houses Of The Holy' (Atlantic – Expanded, re-mastered versions of the all-time classics from 1971 and '73)
2) Harem Scarem – 'Thirteen' (Frontiers – These veteran Canadians make melodic hard rock sound so unbelievably easy!)
3) Whiskey Myers – 'Early Morning Shakes' (Spinefarm – Quite superb Southern rawk!)
4) Shades & Peters – 'Let The Record Spin' (Target – Remarkably intoxicating melodic rock from the Danish duo of René and Martie)
5) White Widdow – Crossfire' (AOR Heaven – Pomp-flavoured melodic hard rock from Down Under)
6) UFO – 'Showtime' (SPV – Now on Blu-ray)
7) Motörhead – 'Stage Fright' (SPV – Ditto)
8) Crazy Lixx – 'Crazy Lixx' (Frontiers – Kick-ass, Leppard-esque hard rock)
9) Within Temptation – 'Let Us Burn' (Dramatico Entertainment – A classy three-disc audio-visual live collection)
10) Mob Rules – 'Timekeeper: The Best –20th Anniversary Set' (SPV – A lavish and rather impressive numbered four-disc retrospective)
11) King 810 – 'Memoirs Of A Murderer' (Roadrunner – The haters destroyed this… I found it quite fascinating)
12) Zero Zero – 'Heroes Live Forever: The Lost UK Jewels Series, Vol 7' (Steelheart Memories – Recordings from the Glaswegian band's vault)
13) Kaipa – 'Sattyg' (Inside Out – Melody-driven progressive folk-rock to die for)
14) Andy Jackson – 'Signal To Note' (Esoteric Antenna – Seductive modern prog from the Floyd's engineer of choice)
15) Lynn Allen – 'Retro Maniacs 1982-1988' (AOR Blvd – Limited edition retrospective from the Iowa-based cult AOR crew)
16) FM – 'NEARFest 2006' (Esoteric Antenna – Classy fare from the reunited Canadian proggers)
17) Bonafide – 'Denim Devils' (Off Yer Rocka – Yet more bourbon-soaked boogie-rock from Sweden)
18) Wicked Sensation – 'Adrenaline Rush' (AOR Heaven – Treading the fine line between melodic hard rock and heavy metal)
19) Vince O'Regan – 'Temptation' (Z Records – Slick melodic rock, with special guest singers)
20) Jerusalem – 'Black Horses' (Angel Air – Hard rock-meets-prog from a band whose 1972 debut was produced by Ian Gillan)
21) Girls With Guitars – 'Girls With Guitars 2' (Ruf – Soft, warming blues-rock from Eliana Cargnelutti, Sadie Johnson and Heather Crosse)
22) Quantum Jump – 'Quantum Jump' (Esoteric – It's nice to have this curio from 1976 on CD at last!)
23) Planet Of Zeus – 'Vigilante' (I Have A Drum – Southern-infused stoner-rock – the best Greek band I've heard in aeons)
24) Gaeleri – 'Gates Of Rome' (TBM – Extremely catchy melodic hard rock)
25) Night Demon – 'Curse Of The Damned' (SPV – The ghost of the NWOBHM lives on… in California!)
26) Thee Image – 'Thee Image'/'Inside The Triangle' (Esoteric – Two-on-one re-issue of ELP-endorsed albums from 1974 and 1975)
27) Bailey – 'Long Way Down' – (Frontiers – Solo album from the Three Lions frontman)
28) The Gasoline Band – 'The Gasoline Band' (Esoteric – A slice of re-issued progressive/jazz-rock from 1972)
29) Alpha Tiger – 'Identity' (SPV – Queensrÿche-esque melodic power metal)
30) Various – 'Blues Caravan 2014 - Live' (Ruf – Laurence Jones, Christina Skjolberg and Castiglia captured onstage)
November 2014
1) AC/DC – 'Rock Or Bust' (Columbia – Not a patch on 'Black Ice' but the good bits are great!)
2) Accept – 'Blind Rage' (Nuclear Blast – Their third with Tornillo on vocals… it shouldn't work but by golly it does!)
3) Genesis – 'R-Kive' (Virgin – Triple-disc anthology of album cuts, hits and solo material)
4) Transatlantic – 'Ka-Live-oscope' (Inside Out – 3CD+DVD of this year's shows in Tilburg and Cologne)
5) Royal Blood – Royal Blood' (Imperial Galactic – Late to the party again… but now I understand the fuss)
6) Todd Rundgren – 'At The BBC 1972-1982' (Esoteric Recordings – Vaults-plundering four-disc set)
7) Status Quo – 'Aquostic' (Universal – Okay, it's a grower… you may need the 'skip' function, though!)
8) Machine Head – 'Bloodstone & Diamonds' (Nuclear Blast – The Bay Arena 'bangers are still making great music!)
9) Bend Sinister – 'Animals' (FU:M – Wonderful, hook-laden modern rock from Canada)
10) Persian Risk – 'Who Am I?' (Persianrisk.co.uk – Great, fresh-sounding songs, fantastic singing… what's not to love?)
11) Pain Of Salvation – 'Falling Home' (Inside Out – The Swedish proggers go unplugged with beautiful results)
12) Neonfly – 'Strangers In Paradise' (Inner Wound – "And the award for Most Improved Band of 2014 goes to…")
13) Jack Bruce – 'Silver Rails' (Esoteric Antenna – R.I.P., a true rock great)
14) The Korgis – '…By Appointment' (Angel Air – Anthology of the undervalued, recently reunited UK soft rockers)
15) Nightingale – 'Retribution' (Inside Out – Astonishingly melodic sounds from extreme metaller Dan Swanö)
16) Suzi Quatro – 'The Girl From Detroit City' (Cherry Red – A brand new 4 x CD collection of Suzi Q's best bits)
17) Coheed & Cambria – 'In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3' (Legacy – Their album from 1994, now re-mastered for double vinyl!)
18) Gong – 'I See You' (Madfish – Yet more gloriously bonkers space rock!)
19) Cavalera Conspiracy – 'Pandemonium' (Napalm – Still fucking sheeeet uppp!)
20) Teri Tims – 'Teri Tims' (Z – Colourful, engagingly sung melodic rock)
21) Jeff Green Project – 'Elder Creek' (Festival Music – A wonderfully melodic prog-rock concept piece about Alzheimer's Disease)
22) Grant Nicholas – 'Yorktown Heights' (Popping Candy – Superb solo debut from Feeder's frontman)
23) Girlschool – 'Running Wild' (Hear No Evil – On CD for the very first time, and nowhere near as iffy as I remembered it)
24) Skillet – 'Vital Signs' (Atlantic – I'd never heard these Christian rockers before… where have you been all my life?!)
25) Battleaxe – 'Power From Their Universe' (SPV - Their second album, first issued back in '84, now with bonus tracks)
26) Larry Miller – 'Soldier Of The Line' (Big Guitar – Hard rockin' blues… a bit ploddy in places but largely enjoyable)
27) Nubian Rose – 'Mental Revolution' (Livewire/Cargo – Quite a lot heavier than their debut)
28) Herman Rarebell & Friends – 'Herman's Scorpions Songs' (Solid Rockhouse – Ze German re-records past standards with string of guest vocalists)
29) Zoe Schwarz & Blue Commotion – 'Exposed' (33 Records – Classy, emotive blues-rock, and a nice mention of Jimmy Page!)
30) Lawless – 'R.I.S.E.' (Escape Music – Air-punching melodic metal from members of Demon, Persian Risk and Headrush)
October 2014
1) Judas Priest – 'Tyranny: Unleashed In The East' (Tarantura – 4 x disc bootleg of the legendary concerts from 1979)
2) H.E.A.T. – 'Live At Firefest 20.10.14' (Private Recording… pls don't ask!)
3) Vega – 'Stereo Messiah' (Frontiers – Just as I suspected, it's a grower!)
4) In Faith – 'There's A Storm Coming' (Rocktopia – British AOR at its best!)
5) Krokus – 'Metal Rendez-vous'/'Hardware'/'One Vice At A Time' (Rock Candy – How awesome to own these on CD at last!!)
6) Danger Danger – 'Danger Danger' (Rock Candy – Re-mastered and expanded version of their joyous debut from 1989)
7) Ten – 'Albion' (Rocktopia – Their best record in many a long year!)
8) DragonForce – 'Maximum Overload' (Ear Music – Still shreddin' and kickin' ass! Horns up!!)
9) Various Artists – 'Celebrating Jon Lord' (Ear Music – The star-studded Royal Albert Hall tribute show)
10) Freak Kitchen – 'Cooking With Pagans' (Thunderstruck Productions – Wonderfully insane melodic metal with stunning musicianship)
11) Massive – 'Full Throttle' (Earache – High-energy Antipodean hard rock)
12) Angels Or Kings – 'Kings Of Nowhere' (AOR Heaven – 1980s-style AOR given a post-Millennial twist)
13) The Jim Stapley Band – 'Long Time Coming' (MITA Records – Outstanding bluesy hard rock)
14) Dana Fuchs – 'Songs From The Road' (Ruf – Incendiary live gig from the gravel-voiced blues goddess!)
15) BulletBoys – 'BulletBoys' (Rock Candy – Their debut from 1988… inconsistent but the good bits are stellar!)
16) Grand Design – 'Thrill Of The Night' (AOR Heaven – Leppard-esque melodic hard rock)
17) Riot V – 'Unleash The Fire' (SPV – Validates their decision to carry on with the late Mark Reale)
18) Colosseum – 'Time On Our Side' (Ruf – Back after 11 years away with their usual mesmerising blend of styles!)
19) Nitrogods – 'Rats & Rumours' (SPV – Still sounding more Motörhead than Motörhead)
20) Martina Edoff – 'Martina Edoff' (MRM Productions – Stirring, confident melodies from an unashamed Swedish rock chick!)
21) Hion Martell – 'Riffs In A Box' (Visningar Och Vral – A brave, mostly compelling mix of styles)
22) John Kongos – 'Kongos' (Esoteric Recordings – Re-mastered, expanded version of the Joe Elliott-approved obscurity from 1971)
23) Ian Hunter & The Rant Band – 'Live In The UK 2010' (Rant Records – Recorded onstage and backed by string ensemble)
24) Dalton – 'Pit Stop' (Frontiers – Frills-free Scandi-AOR)
25) Gerard Way – 'Hesitant Alien' (Reprise – In which the former My Chemical Romance singer *really* spreads his wings)
26) Marmozets – 'The Weird And Wonderful' (Roadrunner – Melodic alt-rock from Yorkshire… with real tunes??!!)
27) Carl Carlton – 'Lights Out In Wonderland' (Caroline – Chewn-friendly blues-rock!)
28) Mike Zito & The Wheel – 'Songs From The Road' (Ruf – Fruity, sassy blues-rock from the Royal Southern Brotherhood guitarist)
29) Hellion – 'Karma's A Bitch' (Hear No Evil – A new five-song EP… ballsy stuff!)
30) StoneWire – 'When The Crow Flies' (22:11 – Female-fronted Southern, bluesy rawk!)
September 2014
1) Status Quo – 'Status Quo Live!' (Universal – Newly expanded and re-mastered edition of the greatest concert album of all time)
2) Threshold – 'For The Journey' (Nuclear Blast – Their tenth album is a bit of a bloody masterpiece)
3) Work Of Art – 'Framework' (Frontiers – These Swedes are keeping the spirit of AOR alive)
4) Flying Colours – 'Second Nature' (Music Theories Recordings – Quite a lot proggier than their debut)
5) Deep Purple – 'Graz 1975' (Ear Music – A mostly unheard concert from the Mk III line-up)
6) Joe Bonamassa – 'Different Shades Of Blue' (Provogue – Not as wonderful as '…Daylight' on first spin, but I'm sure it'll grow…)
7) Skyscraper – 'Elevation' (Ghost Dancer Music/Cargo – A fine mix of class and commerciality)
8) Bernie Tormé – 'Flowers & Dirt' (Retowrek – His first solo album in 15 years, how great to have him back!)
9) The Pineapple Thief – 'Magnolia' (Kscope – Prog with a Muse-esque modern twist)
10) Red Zone Rider – 'Red Zone Rider' (Magna Carta – Spirited hard rock from Vinnie Moore and Kelly Keeling)
11) Sepultura & Les Tambours Du Bronx – 'Metal Veins: Live At Rock In Rio 2014' (Armoury – Concert collaboration with the French percussive group)
12) Saracen – 'Redemption' (Escape Music – The NWOBHM band return with slab of robust melodic rock)
13) Enchant – 'The Great Divide' (Inside Out Music – More melodic neo-prog from the long-absent Yanks)
14) Shaman's Harvest – 'Smokin' Hearts & Broken Guns' (Mascot – For devotees of Black Stone Cherry…)
15) Rick Wakeman – 'In The Nick Of Time, Live 2003' (Esoteric Recordings – Suitably pompous!)
16) Lou Siffer & The Howling Demons – 'At Your Service' (Target – Punky, metallic, rawkenrawl from Sweden)
17) Jaded Heart – 'Fight The System' (Fastball Music – The German melodic rockers go a bit heavier… like it!)
18) Roger Ruskin Spear – 'Electric Shocks' (Esoteric Recordings – Inspired lunacy from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band man)
19) Steve Rothery Band – 'Live In Rome' (Inside Out Music – Tracks from the forthcoming solo studio opus 'Ghosts of Pripyat' and Marillion gems)
20) Prosperina – 'Harness - Minus' (Maybe Records – Enterprising modern hard rock)
21) Ben Poole – 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall' (Manhaton – His Bluesfest 2013 slot, plus a bonus studio track)
22) Tin Spirits – 'Scorch' (Esoteric Antenna – Adventurous, proggy pop from XTC guitarist Dave Gregory)
23) Idle Tears – 'Idle Tears' (Yesterrock – Female-fronted AOR obscurity from 1986 gets re-master treatment)
24) Keith Thompson Band – 'Catch The Fire' (Density Music – Accomplished blues-rock, with guests Buddy Whittington and Laurence Jones)
25) Rococo – 'Losing Ground' (Angel Air – AOR-tinged and jazz-flavoured prog-rock)
August 2014
1) Survivor – 'Vital Signs' (Rock Candy – Jimi Jamison, RIP)
2) Blues Pills – 'Blues Pills' (Nuclear Blast – Staggering voice, amazing songs…)
3) Neal Morse – 'Songs From November' (Inside Out – Contains some beautiful, beautiful chewns…)
4) Adrenaline Rush – 'Adrenaline Rush' (Frontiers – Female-fronted AOR, and what a grower these songs are!)
5) Lynyrd Skynyrd – 'Free Bird: The Essential Collection' (Spectrum – 16 of their best tunes… and my sleeve notes)
6) Kobra And The Lotus – 'High Priestess' (Spinefarm – Possibly their finest album to date…)
7) State Of Salazar – 'All The Way' (Frontiers – Sumptuous Scandi-AOR from a bunch of students at Malmö's Academy Of Music)
8) Devon Allman – 'Ragged & Dirty' (Ruf – He's just *so* underrated!)
9) Ace Frehley – 'Space Invader' (SPV – A little patchy but the peaks are worth the cost)
10) Therapy? – 'Stories: 'The Singles Collection' (Spectrum – Great music to leap around to!)
11) Moonshine – 'Moonshine' (Southern Blood – Great Southern-style hard rock, featuring ex-Babylon AD frontman Derek Davis)
12) Erja Lyytinen – 'The Sky Is Crying' (Tuohi – Finland's Queen Of The Slide Guitar reworks her fave Elmore James gems)
12) Darkhorse – 'Let It Ride' (Fuel The Jet – Paul Laine's Southern Rawk-meets-AOR crossover packs quite a kick)
13) Kory Clarke – 'Life's A Bitch' (Livewire/Cargo – A slab of punky, spunky, drunky (!) hard rock)
14) United Nations – 'The Lost UK Jewels Series: 2014' (Steelheart Dreams – Songs from the '80s re-recorded in 2013)
15) Chariot – 'Demons & Angels' (PFR – A bit too ploddy in places but plenty to set the head banging!)
16) Philip Sayce – 'Influence' (Mascot – Distorted, funky blues… and a nice cover of 'Sailing Shoes'!)
17) Help Yourself – 'Reaffirmation: An Anthology 1971-1973' (Esoteric Records – A superb two-disc collection of this 1970s cult band)
18) Man – 'The Twang Dynasty' (Esoteric Records – Their album from 1992, plus an entire live show from Glasto '94)
19) Higher Ground – 'Gravity' (Speechless Music – Slick, modern-sounding melodic pop-rock)
20) Cloud Atlas – 'Beyond The Vale' (Cloudatlast.org.uk – Mesmerising female-voiced folk-prog)
21) Houston – 'Relaunch II' (Livewire/Cargo – Four news tunes plus covers by John Farnham, Rick Springfield and, erm…, Lady Gaga!)
22) Bob Malone – 'Mojo EP' (Delta Moon – Enthralling stuff from a member of John Fogerty's touring band)
23) Winter In Eden – 'Court Of Conscience' (Firestreak Media – Way better than average female-fronted, symphonic prog-metal)
24) David A Saylor – 'Strength Of One' (AOR Blvd – More high quality, '80s-style AOR from the former singer of Push UK)
25) Halo Blind – 'Occupying Forces' (Nautical – Melodic, atmospheric prog-rock from York)
July 2014
1) Anathema – 'Distant Satellites' (Kscope – A work of soaring, magisterial beauty)
2) Blackberry Smoke – 'Leave A Scar: Live North Carolina' (Earache – Double goldfold concert set… on clear vinyl!)
3) Electric Boys – 'Starflight United' (Ninetone – Still funky, still kick-ass, still great!)
4) Mastodon – 'Once More 'Round The Sun' (Reprise – Their unique path continues…)
5) Saga – 'Sagacity' (EarMusic – Took a little longer than usual to absorb, but it's there now!)
6) Killers – 'Murder One' (Metal Mind – Expanded edition of the cult classic from 1992)
7) Arch Enemy – 'War Eternal' (Century Media – The new singer has revitalised them!)
8) Alan Kelly's Seven Hard Years – 'No Place In Heaven' (Lynchburg – The former Shy drummer returns with a right corker of an album!)
9) Helix – 'Bastard Of The Blues' (Perris – Rousing melodic hard rock from the Canuck veterans)
10) Loverboy – 'Unfinished Business' (Loverboy Music/Cargo – For an 'odds 'n' sods'-type release this has some fabulous moments!)
11) Rob Reed – 'Sanctuary' (Tigermoth – The Magenta guitarist's Mike Oldfield-inspired project is just… lovely!)
12) Judas Priest – 'Redeemer Of Souls' (Columbia – Mostly so-so, but a handful of strong tunes)
13) Mike Tramp – 'Museum' (Target – Definitely some of the ex-White Lion/Freak Of Nature singer's best songs)
14) AOR – 'LA Connection' (Escape Music – Frédéric Slama's fourth AOR album in three years… still strong stuff)
15) John Martyn – 'Well kept Secret' (Esoteric Recordings – Have owned it on vinyl for years; nice to have the re-mastered CD)
16) Linkin Park – 'The Hunting Party' (Warner Bros – Great except for the (c)rapping bits…)
17) Kjetitil By Featuring Robin Beck – 'Better Days' (Hit Music – Classy, guest-strewn Scandi-AOR)
18) Yes – 'Heaven & Earth' (Frontiers – Great singer, love the overall vibe but a bit too light on songs…)
19) Laney's Legion – 'Laney's Legion' (Perris – Sleazy, hooky hard rock)
20) Bad Touch – 'Down And Out' (Badtouchrocks.com – Their EPs on one handy 13-song disc)
21) Greenslade – 'Large Afternoon' (Angel Air – The reunion album from 2000)
22) Luke Tuchscherer – 'You Get So Alone That It Just Makes Sense' (Little Red Recording Company – Solo album from the Whybirds frontman)
23) BB & The Blues Shacks – 'Businessmen' (CrossCut – Soulful, authentic blues)
24) Scream Maker – 'Livin' In The Past' (Perris – Slightly shrill yet rightly endorsed by Jordan Rudess and Allesandro Del Vecchio)
25) Ted Nugent – 'ShutUp&Jam!' (Frontiers – Largely unlistenable but it does contain a standout song entitled 'Screaming Eagles'!)
June 2014
1) Led Zeppelin – 'Led Zeppelin'/'Led Zeppelin II'/'Led Zeppelin III' (Atlantic – Re-mastered, expanded and sounding better than ever!)
2) Uriah Heep – 'Outsider' (Frontiers – They've still got it!)
3) Tesla – 'Simplicity' (Frontiers – Ditto!)
4) Terraplane – 'Black And White' (Hear No Evil – Expanded edition of their utterly fantastic debut from 1975, with bonus material)
5) Nightwish – 'Showtime, Storytime' (Nuclear Blast – Their 2013 double-live album on gatefold vinyl… delicious!)
6) Night Ranger – 'High Road' (Frontiers – Melodic hard rock to die for!)
7) Mostly Autumn – 'Dressed In Voices' (Mostlyautumn.com – Quite possibly the best thing I've heard from them…)
8) The Dowling Poole – 'Bleak Strategies' (369 Records – Clever, infectious pop from Willie Dowling and Jon Poole)
9) Tim Bowness – 'Abandoned Dancehall Dreams' (Inside Out – Beautiful, entrancing ambient-prog)
10) Rival Sons – 'Great Western Valkyrie' (Earache – Their best so far…)
11) Seven – 'Seven' (Escape Music – Reunited UK AOR band with special guests including Mark Mangold and Dodge Digital!)
12) Night By Night – 'N x N' (Sun Hill – A quality debut from the Leppard-approved youngsters)
13) The Radio Sun – 'Wrong Things Right' (Melodic Rock – Brilliant modern hard rock from Down Under)
14) Robin George – 'History' (Angel Air – The 'shelved' first album)
15) Manitoba's Wild Kingdom – '…And You?' (MCA – Hadn't heard this in years… it's still wonderful!)
16) Deep Purple – 'Purpendicular' (Hear No Evil – Contains some truly wonderful moments)
17) Wishbone Ash – 'Bare Bones' (Talking Elephant – Double-disc re-issue of their unplugged album from 1999)
18) The Meanies – 'Cover Their Tracks' (Angel Air – Fragrant melodies from various Stackridge, Korgis alumni)
19) Circa Zero – 'Circus Hero' (429 Records – I always loathed The Police but Andy Summers' new band are a cool surprise)
20) Black Trip – 'Goin' Under' (SPV – Melodic, NWOBHM-influenced metal from Sweden)
21) Black State Highway – 'Black State Highway' (Hear No Evil – Bluesy, female-fronted hard rock)
22) Danny Bryant – 'Temperature Rising' (Jazzhaus – Blues with a hard rock edge)
23) Red Butler – 'Freedom Bound' (Red Butler Music – Ditto!)
24) The Idle Hands – 'Feeding The Machine' (Bone Idle – Ditto X 2!)
25) Killer Be Killed – 'Killer Be Killed'
(Nuclear Blast – Glorious noise from members of Soulfly, Mastodon, The Mars Volta and Dillinger Escape Plan)
May 2014
1) Sweet – 'Level Headed Tour Rehearsals 1977' (Angel Air – 16 songs by the classic line-up at Shepperton Studios… swoon!)
2) Gregg Allman – 'All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs & Voice' (Rounder – Guest-loaded 2 x CD/DVD tribute gig to the Southern rock icon)
3) Pantera – 'Far Beyond Driven' (Rhino – Re-mastered edition with bonus disc… still skull-crushingly 'eavy!)
4) Edguy – 'Space Police – Defenders Of The Crown' (Buclear Blast – I just can't stop playing this little blighter!!)
5) Black Stone Cherry – 'Magic Mountain' (Roadrunner – A wonderful run of form continues)
6) Thin Lizzy – 'Breakout' (Splendid two-disc bootleg from Philadelphia 20.10.77… thanks Ross Halfin!)
7) California Breed – 'California Breed' (Frontiers – Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham bounce back with hummable slab of retro hard rock)
8) Ian Anderson – 'Homo Erraticus' (Calliandra – A thought-engaging, one-legged, prog rock concept album)
9) Royal Southern Brotherhood – 'Heartsouldblood' (Ruf – Album #2 from the blues-rock supergroup hits the sweet spot)
10) Sontaag – 'Sontaag' (Esoteric Antenna – Delightfully bonkers prog-rock sci-fi concept album)
11) Diesel – 'Into The Fire' (Escape Music – Cool bluesy hard rock from ex-Bad Co singer Robert Hart and FM's Jim Kirkpatrick)
12) Brother Firetribe – 'Diamond In The Firepit' (Spinefarm – Possibly the best yet from these Finns?)
13) 'Fast' Eddie Clarke Featuring Bill Sharpe – 'Make My Day, Back To Blues'
(Secret – Surprisingly enjoyable blues album from ex-Motörhead/Fastway guitarist)
14) The Moons – 'Mindwaves' (Schnitzel – An intoxicatingly day-glo mix of bubblegum glam, modern pop and space-rock)
15) Fair Warning – 'The Box' (SPV – Five-disc set of blissful Teutonic rock)
16) Toto – 'Live In Poland: 35th Anniversary Tour' (Eagle – A wonderful DVD from the Joseph Williams line-up)
17) Gary Moore & The Midnight Blues Band – 'Live At Montreux 1990' (Salvo – CD and DVD, with guest Albert Collins)
18) Accept – 'All Areas – Worldwide' (Hear No Evil – New edition of the double-live album from 1997)
19) Arrival – 'Light From A Dying Star' (Landing Gear – Melodic hard rock with a pleasing panoramic feel)
20) Weapon UK – 'Rising From The Ashes' (weapon-uk.com – First new music from the NWOBHM-ers in almost 34 years!)
21) Modern Earl – 'Hot Damn!' (CBM Entertainment – Southern Rawwwk with a bluesy, country twang)
22) Sons Of Merrick – 'Of English Exeuction' (Sounds Of Caligula – Groovy, dark, retro rock 'n' roll)
23) The Wirepushers – 'Electric Puppetry' (UP Rock – Quirky, rhythmic pop-punk-rock)
24) Rainbows Are Free – 'Waves Ahead Of The Ocean' (Guestroom/Cargo – Thunderous pysch-blues from Oklahoma)
25) Keith Cross & Peter Ross – 'Bored Civilians' (Esoteric Recordings – An obscure yet fascinating re-release from 1972)
April 2014
1) Various – 'Ronnie James Dio, This Is Your Life' (Rhino – Members of Metallica, the Scorps, Priest and more pay tribute to the little master)
2) Triptykon – 'Melana Chasmata' (Century Media – Quite possibly the heavy metal record of 2014… so far, at least!)
3) Therapy? – 'Troublegum, Deluxe Edition' (Universal – The game-changing classic from 1994, with bonus disc)
4) Little Feat – 'Live In Holland 1976' (Eagle – CD and DVD set of a fabulous vintage show)
5) Status Quo – 'Tokyo Quo' (Universal – A Record Store day vinyl gem, recorded in 1976!)
6) Alien – 'Eternity (AOR Heaven – The Dutchmen return with a stunning AOR record)
7) Gotthard 'Bang!' (PIAS – Phew… so 'Firebirth' was a perfectly forgivable blip)
8) Winger – 'Better Days Comin'' (Frontiers – If only it didn't peter out halfway through…)
9) Wilko Johnson – 'The Best Of' (Cadiz Music – Repackaged with great notes from Charles Shaar Murray)
10) Collibus – 'The False Awakening' (www.collibus.com – Female-fronted UK progressive metal par excellence)
11) Howlin' Rain – 'Live Rain' (Agitated – Proof that the Fan Francisco beardies *really* deliver onstage)
12) Three Lions – 'Three Lions' (Frontiers – Quality melodic hard rock, featuring ex-Dare man Vinny Burns)
13) Gamma Ray – 'Empire Of The Undead' (Ear Music – The Teutonic power-metallers roar onwards)
14) Jonas Lindberg & The Other Side – 'The Other Side' (Mode Music – Where prog-rock meets AOR… sumptuous!)
15) Anti-Mortem – 'New Southern' (Nuclear Blast - Steroid-enhanced, wide-tread Southern Rawk!)
16) Steel Panther – 'All You Can Eat' (Open E Music – A very clever parody, at times this is hilarious!)
17) IQ – 'The Road Of Bones' (Giant Electric Pea – Splendid new double-studio album from the veteran UK proggers)
18) Reckless Love/The Treatment – 'Split EP' (Four songs on 12 inches of orange vinyl)
19) Sassafras – 'Expecting Company' (Esoteric Recordings – Deliciously versatile mid-'70s rock from Wales)
20) Accept – 'Russian Roulette'/'Eat The Heat' (Hear No Evil – Both are much better than I recalled them…)
21) Crowd Company – 'Now Or Never' (Proper – Funky, melodic blues-rock)
22) Daniel Trigger – 'Army Of One' (Reverbnation.com – Detuned riffs, powerhouse vocals and strong hooklines)
23) The Spellkasters – 'Kastin' The Spell' (Angel Air – Lively rock 'n' roll from the Pirates' rhythm section)
24) Tyla Gang – 'Live In Stockholm' (Angel Air – John McCoy plucks the bass at the Akkurat Bar)
25) E-Force – 'The Curse…' (Mausoleum – The return of ex-Voivod man Eric Forrest)
March 2014
1) Status Quo – 'Piledriver, Deluxe Edition' (Universal – Manna from 12-bar heaven)
2) H.E.A.T. – 'Tearing Down The Walls' (Ear Music – Not as instant as 'Address The Nation' but a real grower!)
3) Ratt – 'Out Of The Cellar' (Rock Candy – Newly re-mastered version of an all-time classic)
4) Speedway Blvd. – 'Speedway Blvd.' (Rock Candy – On CD at last!)
5) Dokken – Tooth And Nail'/'Under Lock And Key' (Rock Candy – Ditto!)
6) King's X – 'Out Of The Silent Planet' (Rock Candy – Er… ditto!)
7) FM – 'Futurama' (Riff City – A remarkably VFM 11 song EP!)
8) It Bites – 'Once Around The World' (Virgin – Have been playing this a lot again of late!)
8) Linda & The Punch – 'Linda & The Punch' (Escape Music – Her style has been termed "Pink meets Pat Benatar" and it's hard to disagree)
9) Asia – 'Gravitas' (Frontiers – Smooth and understated at times, but the songs are great)
10) Wishbone Ash – 'Blue Horizon' (Solid Rockhouse – It's great to hear more new material from Andy Powell and cohorts)
11) Ambrosia – 'One Eighty'/'Road Island' (Rock Candy – How have these guys stayed off my radar till now??!!)
12) Thunder – 'Back To The Black Country'/'The Xmas Show Live 2013' (Dodgy Discs – Their festive shows from Wolverhampton – superb!)
13) Shakin' Street – 'Psychic' (Hear No Evil – Impressive reunion CD with Ross The Boss on some tracks)
14) Derringer – 'Derringer Live'/'Live In Cleveland' (Floating World – Concerts from 1976 and '77)
15) Don Airey – 'Keyed Up' (Music Theories Recordings – Purple's keyboard maestro with guests including Graham Bonnet and the late Gary Moore)
16) Vardis – 'Vigilante' (Hoplite – (I *never* thought I'd own this on CD… wrong again!)
17) Within Temptation – 'Hydra' (Dramatico – Except for the awful hip-hop bit, obviously!)
18) Marcus Malone – 'Stand Or Fall' (Redline Music – Top quality blues-rock)
19) Hellion – 'To Hellion And Back: Anthology 1983-2014 (Hear No Evil – Double-disc collection, includes unheard songs)
20) The Pretty Reckless – 'Going To Hell' (Cooking Vinyl – Laugh all you like, they're a bit of a guilty pleasure)
21) Black Label Society – 'Catacombs Of The Black Vatican' (Mascot – Zakk Wylde returns with more quality biker rock!)
22) Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson – 'Do Tell' (Manhaton – Eclectic, hypnotising blues!)
23) Tyla J Pallas – 'Live In London MMXIII' (King Outlaw – Better late than never… it fell down the back of a filing cabinet!)
24) The Pineapple Thief – 'Tightly Unwound – Special Two Disc Edition' (Kscope – Ditto!)
25) Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado – 'Many Roads' (Ruf – Robust blues from Copenhagen)
26) Kyle & Moore – 'The Whale & The Wa'ah' (kyleandmoore.com – Ex-Samson man Nicky Moore in stripped-down blues mode)
27) Salem – 'Forgotten Dreams' (Pure Rock – Stirring but melodically appealing NWOBHM fare)
28) Betzefer – 'The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land' (SPV – Took ages to work its way up the pile, but this is mostly great!)
29) Holy Moses – 'Redefined Mayhem' (SPV – Female-fronted Teutonic frash-hem!)
30) The Road Kings – 'Dust & Gasoline' (theroadkings.co.uk – Soulful blues-rock)
February 2014
1) Bigelf – 'Into The Maelstrom' (Inside Out – Great songs and awesome playing; almost beyond criticism)
2) Magnum – 'Escape From The Shadow Garden' (SPV – Contains some of their best songs ever!)
3) The Eagles – 'Live At The IndigO2, London 31.10.07 ' (Private recording – no requests please!)
4) Overland – 'Epic' (Escape Music – A pure-AOR solo album from the FM maestro)
5) W.E.T. – 'One Live – In Stockholm' (Frontiers – Fantastic concert from the AOR supergroup)
6) Cry Of Love – 'Brother' (Columbia – RIP, Kelly Holland)
7) Rainbow – 'Since You Been Gone – The Best Of' (Spectrum – Budget-priced sampler of Blackmore and his revolving cast of musos)
8) Battleaxe – 'Heavy Metal Sanctuary' (SPV – Their first album in three decades is a bit of a monster!)
9) Steely Dan – 'Greatest Hits 1972-1978' (ABC – There's no better Sunday afternoon music in the world!)
10) Motörhead – '1916'/'March Ör Die' (Hear No Evil – New re-mastered editions… I've never owned 'em on CD before!)
11) Spider – 'Friday Rock Show Session, 1986' (Four tracks for TV On The Radio… many thanks to Steve Leslie!)
12) Michael Katon – 'Hard On! (The Boogie) (Mystic – At last! New music from the Boogieman from Hell, Michigan)
13) Michael Katon & The Helltown Blues Band – 'Blue Tooth (Blues I Cut My Teeth On')
(Sunhair Music – Just like London buses, two come along at once!)
14) Space Elevator – 'Space Elevator' (spaceelevatoronline.com – Melodic pomp with a pleasing Queen-like twist)
15) House Of Lords – 'Precious Metal' (Frontiers – A tad heavier than their heyday, but quality of tunes is undeniable)
16) Robin Trower – 'Living Out Of Time' (Repertoire – Re-mastered edition of his album from 2003)
17) Robin Trower – 'Compendium 1987-2013' (Repertoire – Two-CD collection of Trower's latterday material)
18) Marc Ford – 'Holy Ghost' (Naim Audio – Blissful, intoxicating singer-songwriter fare from the former Black Crowe)
19) Man – 'All's Well That Ends Well' (Esoteric – Expanded three-disc of the Welsh band's so-called swansong in 1976)
20) Laurence Jones – 'Temptation' (Ruf – Accomplished blues-rock from a Brit guitarist/vocalist to watch)
21) Stray – 'Live In Japan 2013' (Angel Air – You've gotta love its introduction of: "Riving regends… Stray!")
22) Alice Cooper – 'The Last Temptation' (Hear No Evil – New 2014 edition, forgot how good it was!)
23) Lee Abraham – 'Distant Days' (leeabraham.co.uk – Melodic prog-rock from the former Galahad bassist)
24) Sabbath Assembly – 'Quaternity' (Svart – Influenced by Jehovah, Christ, Satan and Lucifer… fascinating stuff!)
25) Ring Of Fire – 'Battle Of Leningrad' (Frontiers – Preposterously pompous neo-classical rock tribute to the 900-day siege from WWII)
26) Savage Messiah – 'The Fateful Dark' (Earache – A tuneful collision of thrash and mainstream metal)
27) Various – 'Thriller: A Metal Tribute To Michael Jackson' (Deadline Music – The good, the bad, the downright hilarious!)
28) Vandenberg's MoonKings – 'Vandenberg's MoonKings' (Mascot Feb 24 – Hit and miss but contains some very good bits)
29) Hirax – 'Immortal Legacy' (SPV – The veteran Californians continue to thrash it up!)
30) Albert Castliglia – 'Solid Ground' (Ruf – Rock solid blues)
January 2014
1) Transatlantic – 'Kaleidoscope' (Inside Out – The lavish, three-disc edition! Accept no substitute!)
2) The Treatment – 'Running With The Dogs' (Spinefarm – The Cambridge whippersnappers are ready to run with the *big* dogs!)
3) Blackberry Smoke – 'The Whippoorwill' (Earache – Now available in the UK at last, with bonus tracks)
4) Primal Fear – 'Delivering The Black' (Frontiers – Ass-kickin' yet melodic Judas Priest-style heavy metaaaal!)
5) Iced Earth – 'Plagues Of Babylon' (Century Media – 11 albums in and still making music of distinction)
6) Red Dragon Cartel – 'Red Dragon Cartel' (Frontiers – The long-awaited return of Jake E Lee doesn't disappoint)
7) Tommy Shaw – 'Ambition' (Atlantic – Revisited on a whim, his solo album from 1987 is still exquisite!)
8) Sepultura – 'Beneath The Remains' (Roadrunner – Another spontaneous refresher course… wonderful stuff!)
9) Jack Bruce – 'Silver Rails' (Esoteric Antenna – Ex-Cream legend joined by Uli Jon Roth, Robin Tower and many more)
10) Jack Bruce – 'Cities Of The Heart' (Esoteric – Re-mastered re-issue of his live album from 1994)
11) Axel Rudy Pell – 'Into The Storm' (SPV – Teutonic, melodic hard rock with balls!)
12) Peter Hammill & Gary Lucas – 'Other World' (Esoteric – The VdGG and The Magic Band men in an often mesmerising collusion)
13) Alice Cooper – 'Trash' (See No Evil – Re-mastered re-issue of his mega-seller from 1989)
14) Alice Cooper – 'Brutally Live' (Salvo – CD/DVD package of a Hammersmith gig in 2000)
16) The Small Faces – 'Greatest Hits: The Immediate Years 1967-1969' (Charly – Available on sexy blue vinyl!)
16) Paul Rodgers – 'The Royal Sessions' (429 Records – A selection of R&B and Soul standards, given a right ol' Rodgering!)
17) Nashville Pussy – 'Up The Dosage' (SPV – C'mon, it's Nashville Pussy… what do you think it sounds like?!)
18) Kodiak Jack – 'Alhambra' (Angry Badger – Bruising, hummable hard rock from Portsmouth, produced by Tesla's Brian 'Shredded' Wheat)
19) Lover Under Cover' – Into The Night' (Escape Music – Crisp, pulsating melodic hard rock/Scandi-AOR)
20) Freedom Call – 'Beyond' (SPV – Infectious, exuberant melodic metal)
21) Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends – 'Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends'
(Esoteric – Re-mastered re-issue of cult classic from 1970, with Page, Bonham, Beck and more)
22) King Lizard – 'A Nightmare Livin' The Dream' (Bad Reputation – Sleazy, energetic, riff-tastic hard rock)
23) Ted Nugent – 'Motor City Mayhem: The 6,000th Concert'/'Sweden Rocks (Armoury — Live albums from 2009 and 2006)
24) Sonja Kristina – 'Sonja Kristina' (Angel Air – Re-issue of the Curved Air singer's solo album from 1980)
25) The Damned – 'Toki Nightmare: Live In London' (Salvo – 2 x CD/DVD of their Shep Bush Empire gig in '02)
26) Jaded Heart – 'Live In Cologne' (Fastball Music – The Kraut hair-metallers caught in full flight!)
27) Benesser – 'The Start Of Something New' (Doolittle – Appealing, Muse-esque rock from Sweden)
28) Wolves Like Us – 'Black Soul Choir' (Prosthetic – Tuneful, dark post-hardcore)
29) Various Artists – 'Krossborder Vol 1: The Best Of British Blues' (Krossborder – Some great songs here!)
30) Armory – 'Empyrean Realms' (Metavania Music – Melodic, muscular power/prog-metal)
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!