Dennis Jarman

Full time downtrodden album/gig reviewer and part time rock God!

Voluntas – Walk To Hell

A winning performance at the Bristol leg of the M2TM 2019 resulted in Voluntas securing a slot on the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival. I’ve been to the last ten and as long as they keep booking bands like Voluntas then I’ll keep on returning! Their debut …

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The Wildhearts – The Tivoli, Buckley.

Wildhearts

When is a gig not a gig? When it’s an event and I can honestly say that every Wildhearts gig I’ve been to since the early 90’s has been an event as they are a rare breed of band who have never let me down. I’ve always wondered how they …

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Grand Slam – Hit The Ground

Grand Slam

 Grand Slam, formed as a solo band in 1983 (that included Magnum keyboard player Mark Stanway) by Phil Lynott that took on the name when Thin Lizzy had completed their farewell tour the same year. A revolving line up included ex Stampede guitarist Laurence Archer who joined in 1984 but …

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Tygers Of Pan Tang – Ritual

Currently blazing a trail around Europe promoting their latest studio album Ritual, NWOBHM legends Tygers Of Pan Tang are showing that they are wildcats not to be messed with, point proven by these eleven songs here. Formed in Whitley Bay 1978, band leader Robb Weir still exists from the original …

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Praying Mantis – Keep It Alive!

Only a few years from their 50th anniversary since forming in London 1973 by brothers Chris and Tino Troy, melodic hard rockers Praying Mantis prove they are still a force to be reckoned with judging by this performance for the Keep It Alive album, due for release on Dec.6th 2019 …

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Marisa And The Moths – Marisa And The Moths

  The self titled debut album from Reading based Marisa And The Moths is a bakers dozen of tunes that totally captivate from the pile driving opener ‘Needy’ to the haunting closer ‘Everything Is Going Swimmingly’. Fronted by the honey coated vocals of Marisa Rodriguez, it commands your total attention …

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Salem UK – Win Lose Or Draw

  NWOBHM stalwarts Salem UK return to the studio to hedge their bets with their latest studio album Win Lose Or Draw. Released via Dissonance Productions, their brand of hard rock is of a very high standard as opening track ‘The Wraith’ crackles with energy throughout. Bullying riffs are the …

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Angel Witch – Angel Of Light

Since their formation in 1976, Angel Witch albums are as rare as Halleys Comet as latest release Angel Of Light is their fourth studio since their self titled 1980 debut but the wait is definitely worth it! Released via Metal Blade Records the eight tracks here are all killer, no …

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Slayer – The Repentless Killogy

I’ve been a fan of Slayer way back since 1983 after buying their debut album Show No Mercy. 1985 saw Hell Awaits with the band playing a darn sight faster but the major game changer was Reign In Blood in 1986. For a measly £5.50 I got to see them …

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The Midnight Dogs – Hotel Mango.

Hotel Mango, the second studio album from The Midnight Dogs can be described by a Rolling Stones song title, ‘It’s Only Rock And Roll (But I Like It)’. Their self titled 2016 debut showed promise but this release is a real humdinger! Twelve songs will kick your ears one minute, …

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King Creature – Desolation (Single)

I first heard Desolation, brand new single from King Creature when they played it live in Manchester last Friday, the day it was released It was one of my highlights of their set and they have captured that intensity in the studio. Earworm buzzing riffing backed by a vocal delivery …

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Motorhead 1979 – Double Vinyl Box Set.

Forty years? Has it really been that long since the titanic trio of Lemmy Kilmister, ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke and Philthy ‘Animal’ Taylor bashed out not one, but two ground breaking albums in 1979? From 1976-1982, Motorhead ,with this line up shook the Earth to its very core! Overkill on March …

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Burnt Out Wreck – This Is Hell

I first came across Burnt Out Wreck at a RACPA festival in Nottingham a few years ago and to say I was blown away by their full on delivery is an understatement. Thankfully that vibe has been caught in the studio for their latest album This Is Hell, currently on …

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District 13 – Soma.

Caught this groovy three piece at a festival in the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool last April. First band on at 1pm since being on the road from 5am in London, District 13 tore the place apart so here they are now doing the same thing in the studio with …

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Phil Campbell – Old Lions Still Roar

Older rock fans (myself included) would remember Phil Campbell from heavy metal band Persian Risk but most know him as lead guitarist from Motorhead whom he played with from 1984 until 2015 when band founder Lemmy Kilmister sadly passed away. It did not take Phil long to get back onto …

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Sam Millar – Holy Sass EP

Normally the class clown on and offstage with Bigfoot, guitarist Sam Millar seems to have surprisingly grown up (but I doubt it will last) by releasing his first solo EP Holy Sass and very impressive it is to! Its five tracks bristle with confidence, opening up with ‘Eyes’ it has …

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Opeth – In Cauda Venenum.

Since forming in Stockholm, Sweden in 1989, Opeth have eschewed from their death metal beginnings to a much proggier outfit without losing their heaviness and this point is proven vehemently with their thirteenth studio album In Cauda Venenum, Latin for poison in the tail. Out on Nuclear Blast Records, eight …

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The HU – The Gereg.

Metal music comes in many different forms. Heavy, thrash, black, death, hair, glam etc, so here comes Mongolian metal from The HU on their mindblowing debut album The Gereg, released by Seven Eleven Music. They first came to my attention when Planet Rock played ‘Yuve Yuve Yu’ and the instrumentation …

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