The Gentle Storm + Rain @ Locomotive Club, Bologna (IT) 25/02/2015

Report by Miriam C.

Thanks to his numerous music projects, Arjen Lucassen is still nowadays considered as one of the main International artists devoted to the progressive metal genre. The most important one is surely the one concerning Ayreon, but at the same time he is one of the most shyest musicians in performing live on stage. The important announcement he made quite a long time ago concerning his music project, The Gentle Storm, in which he also announced the patecipation of the beautiful Anneke Van Giersbergen has aroused people’s curiosity, but at the same time this magnificent artist has confirmed that he also wanted to take part in this new experience that has given him a new chance to get on tour again. Of course Italy has accommodated this amazing duo for three special gigs in Rome, Milan and Bologna and tonight we had the chance to attend the latest Italian date at the Locomotiv Club, that is a still unknown venue in the Northern part of the country but that lately is offering such an important musical bill. Continue reading »

Lonely Robot – “Please Come Home” (2015)

Label: Inside Out

Review by Tony Cannella

Lonely Robot is the progressive rock project featuring John Mitchell. On the new album “Please Come Home” John Mitchell presents an album with a Marillion meets Peter Gabriel vibe. A number of special guests are enlisted helping to make this a strong record.

Make no mistake about it, Lonely Robot is good old fashioned progressive rock. In addition to vocals, John Mitchell also contributes on guitar, bass and keyboards. Some of the guests who can be found here include: Kim Seviour from Touchstone, Heather Findlay (former Mostly Autumn), Steve Hogarth from Marillion and Nik Kershaw among others. It’s a great cast of talent, no doubt about it. Does that translate to a great album? If it’s not great, it’s certainly very good. Continue reading »

Doro – “Raise Your Fist” – 30 Years Anniversary Edition (2014)

Label: Nuclear Blast

Review by Tony Cannella

The latest studio album from the reigning metal queen Doro Pesch “Raise Your Fist” was released back in 2012. Time flies… It seems like it was only yesterday when this excellent album was unleashed on the world. To celebrate her 30th anniversary, the album has been re-released with a special bonus CD entitled “Powerful Passionate Favorites” which features rare covers, alternate version of songs and assorted other goodies.

Since the original “Raise Your Fist” album was released in 2012, there is probably no need to go into it at this point. Suffice it to say, it’s still pretty damn good, so fans old and new should check it out if you haven’t done so already. The bonus CD on this one “Powerful Passionate Favorites” is a pretty cool collection in its own right. Continue reading »

Pearl Aday – Motor Sister

Interview by Tony Cannella

Motor Sister is the new project featuring Jim Wilson from Mother Superior, Scott Ian from Anthrax, Joey Vera from Armored Saint, John Tempesta from The Cult and Pearl Aday. They got together to perform songs from one of their favorite bands Mother Superior, and the result is their debut album “Ride”. The vibe of the record is classic, authentic rock n’ roll. Sadly that is something that we are not getting a ton of these days which makes “Ride” a pretty fresh sounding record. Recently, vocalist Pearl Aday was kind enough to take a few moments to discuss the album and what she has planned for the future.

Le Butcherettes – Cry Is For The Flies (2014)

Label: Ipecac Recordings

Review by Alessandra Cognetta

“Cry Is For The Flies” is the second album of the Mexican duo Le Butcherettes. For those who are familiar with Le Butcherettes’ first album, “Sin Sin Sin” (2011), this is a worthy successor. New listeners may be surprised by the almost dissonant tunes of the first few minutes, but the unexpected vocal lines keep the opening more enticing than ever.

The energetic combination of rough guitar and bass sounds is a perfect base for Teri’s voice to shine through, like in “Demon Stuck In Your Eye”, where hard rock and punk come together in a defiant, exciting performance. A different groove can be found in “My Child”, a well-placed break after the ruthless energy of the first two tracks. Another example of how Le Butcherettes grew and evolved in the past few years is the bizarre “Boulders Love over Layers of Rock”, a clear display of the band’s versatility. Continue reading »