Obsessive Compulsive - Dreams Of Death and the Death Of Dreams

Genre - Gothic / Punk / Metal / Hard rock
Label - Vociferous Records

Track listing -

01.$$
02.Man Vs Machine
03.The Decay of Hope
04.A Cocktail of Toxins
05.Spit The Medicine
06.Virago
07.Autopsy
08.Future Closing In
09.Exit
10.Hell is a Circle
11.27½

"Obsessive Compulsive Are A Gothic/Punk Band From Manchester, UK. Signed To Their Own Label Vociferous Rocords. They've Released Two EPs, June 2004's 'A Demon For Every Occasion' & 'The Corpses Of Thought' In January 2007. As well as this their debut full length album, 'Dreams Of Death & The Death Of Dreams'."

Imagine a modern day Die Cheerleader (from the early 90's) , with a more sophisticated and polished sound, then you'll be on the right tracks to understanding Obsessive Compulsives sound.

On this album the band have produced 11 great songs, that really showcase the terrific vocals of lead vocalist kelii's voice. (The line up is completed by Pete - Bass, Giz - Guitar and Dani - Drums.) Their sound is familiar angst-ridden, guitar-driven punk rock complemented by Kelii’s dirty, gutteral growls and creamy crooning. The music and composition is not particularly complex, but it works, and it works well. This is a refreshing album, and nothing like I expected it to be which can only be a good thing!
Id like to see the band try to push their musical boundries a little further on their next release but saying that this, their debut album is a great album well worth a few repeated listens!


Website - Obsessive Compulsive
Rating - 9/10

LUTHER GROSVENOR - If You Dare

Genre - Melodic Rock / AOR / Blues /Pop
Label - Angel Air Records

Track listing -

01. Dusty Track
02. If You Dare
03. Say Never
04. Emis Song
05. Fire And Water
06. Tears Run Dry
07. Kids
08. Heroes
09. Nobody Knows
10. If You Dare (version 2)

"LUTHER GROSVENOR a.k.a ARIEL BENDER past reads like a who's who of the rock elite. A member of SPOOKY TOOTH, STEALERS WHEEL, WIDOWMAKER and MOTT THE HOOPLE he has constantly delivered a performance as a guitarist that rates amongst the finest. Luther has always rewritten the guitar players rule book, simply by remembering that technique isn’t everything: you have to have some fun as well.
Having released over the years a number of solo albums Luther has been recording for the past year the "If You Dare" album which captures both his stunning guitar playing as well as his substantial song writing and vocal talents."

Here we have a stunning peice of melodic rock / bluesy pop, written and performed by a true veteren of the industry.
Every song is a well crafted masterpeice, with tracks like If i Dare, Dusty Track and Heroes really standing out

An album well worth checking out!

Website - Angel Air
Rating - 10/10

Young Blood - Transfussion

Genre - hard rock / NWoBHM
Label - Angel Air Records

Track listing -

01 - Fantasy
02 - American Bride
03 - Run For Your Life
04 - Doin' The Best That I Can
05 - Can't Stop Rocking
06 - Talkin' About L.O.V.E.
07 - Heartache
08 - Shine On
09 - Thunder In The Mountains
10 - Hold On To Love
11 - Your Money Or Your Life
12 - Good Time Tonight
13 - Dangerous Games
14 - Ray Gun (Shoot Me Like A)
15 - Shoulda Known Better

"YOUNG BLOOD were formed in the early 80’s in the NWOBHM era and like lots of new young bands they soon found critical acclaim with their Conquest Records release 12" EP "First Blood" and massive amounts of touring including Marquee, Dingwalls as well as a 22 date supporting to PHIL LYNOTT and his new band GRAND SLAM. Numerous other support dates with TOKYO BLADE, She, Thor Stray followed culminating with their support of MOTORHEAD at Hammersmith Odeon during May 1984. They signed to The Agency who immediately offered them the all important exclusive tour contracts.

The band became the "darlings" of the rock press with GARRY BUSHELL of SOUNDS placing the band on the front cover of their May 12 th issue. Other notable press reviews followed in KERRANG which culminated with offers of record deals from Bronze and Capitol Records. The band was hot and they accepted a deal with Bronze but at the same time there were issues with personnel so the signing was put on hold until these were resolved. By the time the personnel issues were resolved personal changes at record companies meant that there was now no deal on the table and the band sadly continued another 12 months before they called it a day.

Now released for the first time on CD the rare "First Blood" EP and the full previously unreleased album"

I was unlucky enough to have been born a little too late to full appreciate the NWoBHM the first time around, but have become a massive fan of many of the bands from that era including the heavy weights such as Iron Maiden, Saxon, Samson, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, Praying Mantis, Vardis, Demon and the like, but to my shame I had never heard any of Young Bloods songs.
Falling into the same vein as the more melodic bands from the era such as Vardis, Demon, Praying Mantis, Samson and Diamond Head, Young Blood were a damn good band in my honest opinion.
Well crafted songs, with great polished production, maybe even for-seeing the musical trends that were to come and make success's of bands like Foreigner and FM.
this is a great album, and one that I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I'd like to thank those at Angel Air Records for putting this collection out and drawing my attention to a lost gem from an era filled with shinning stars.

Website - Angel Air
Rating - 9/10

Sister - Hated

Genre - Hard rock / Sleaze / Punk
Label - Metal Blade

Track listing -

01 – Radioactive Misery
02 – Body Blow ‘Pissed Off N’ Beautiful’
03 – Bullshit & Backstabbing ‘We All Were Born Lobotomized’
04 – Hated ‘The Snakes You Thought Were Safe Spit In Your Face’
05 – Motherfuckers (Like You) ‘Can’t Destroy Me, Can’t Hold Me Down’
06 – Werewolves On Blackstreet ‘Peel The Skin From Your Broken Bones’
07 – Spit On Me ‘You Ain’t Got What It Takes To Stay In Hell’
08 – The Unlucky Minority ‘That’s Why I Tore Out My Eyes’
09 – Would You Love A Creature ‘Hypnotized Alcoholized’
10 – Too Bad For You ‘A Living Disease, Too Hard To Please’
11 – Drag Me To The Grave ‘Bottoms Up At The Edge Of The Fall’


This is not the Sister from the late 70's that once featured such members as blackie Lawless and Nikki Sixx, no this incarnation of Sister were formed in Stockholm/Jonkoping Sweden,2006.
Sister's Metal Blade debut, Hated, is a punk-laced slab of angry hard rock. “Hated” is an album that combines this new wave of Glam/Sleaze along with some Punk elements. If you’re into this new stuff you’ll understand what I’m talking about. The music is pretty filthy and raw and in combination with Jamie’s vocals they kick major ass reminding of bands like HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and BACKYARD BABIES with a Gothic / Shock Rock edge ala the likes of Alice Cooper and WASP.
These songs are not exactly going to set the world of fire, but they will enterain make a great party!
I love the angst, I love the passion and I love the tongue in cheek lyrics, this is what rock was all about back in the day!
GREAT album!!

Website - Sister
Rating - 9/10

HEAVEN'S BASEMENT - Unbreakable (2011)

Genre - Hard Rock
Label -

Track listing -

01 - Unbreakable
02 - Guilt Trips And Sins
03 - The Long Goodbye
04 - Close Encounters
05 - Paranoia *
06 - Let Me Out Of Here
07 - Leeches


"HEAVEN'S BASEMENT born from the ashes of a promising British combo formerly known as Hurricane Party, and then Roadstar which was surprisingly dissolved after only two albums.
After their self released EP debut in 2009, Heaven's Basement certainly managed to create a buzz. The band has been featured in Classic Rock Magazine and also two tunes from the EP have aired on the accompanied Classic Rock CD.
The band has seen a couple of line-up changes since they formed in 2007. The latest version has Aaron Buchanan (vocals), Sid Glover (guitar and vocals), Rob Ellershaw (bass) and Chris Rivers (drums). Now they're presenting a brand new EP; "Unbreakable" (again, self-managed) with some tracks produced by legendary mutli-platium Grammy nominated U.S. producer Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Stone Cherry, Alice Cooper). Heaven's Basement sound and style reminded me a lot of the bands that came out of the late eighties, except heavier.
"Unbreakable" is trashed-up guitar-driven release, chock full of hard bluesy, ballsy tunes that are extremely fun and enjoyable to listen.
Each track is full of swagger and attitude, packed with screaming choruses and tons of hot and vintage valvular guitar work."

Unbreakable is a great little Ep, whose only fault is the simple fact that its too short, this should have had a few extra tracks and been made into the new album.
Unbreakable presents the band with a heavioer sound than its predecessor, with seven extremly well written and executed songs and boy have they found a set of pipes in new vocalist Aaron Buchanan.
Im loving tracks like Unbreakable, The Long Goodbye and Leeches!
On the strength of this Ep, I really cant wait to hear the new album!

Website - Heavens Basement
Rating 10/10

Dustineyes - Bullet For My Generation

Genre – Hard Rock / Metal / Punk / Sleaze
Label – logic(il)logic

Track listing –
01. Bullet For My Generation
02. Wild 'N' Alone
03. Get Away
04. This Is My Ring
05. Bet With Life
06. No Redemption
07. Eyes In The Jar
08. Spinning On My Hell
09. Sick Of You
10. Joe
11. Under The Ashe


Okay, imagine Hardcore Superstar covering Motorhead, well that’s as close as I can get to describing the sound of Dustineyes. With Bullet For My Generation the band have unleashed on hell of a rocking album, and yes many of the songs can blend into each other, but the sheer energy and vibe really does disguise this minor faux par. Great hard rock with a sleazy punky edge is the best way to describe what come out of the speakers when you put this cd on your system. The lyrics can be a little hard to make out at times with the vocals sometimes sounding a little like Southpark’s Cartmen doing Lemmy impressions, but it all sounds good to me!
Thoroughly enjoyable

Website – Dustineyes
Rating – 8/10

Hollywood Killerz - Dead On Arrival

Genre – Hard Rock / Glam / Sleaze
Label – logic(il)logic

Track listing –
01. 700.000
02. Grey Celebrations
03. Luxury Depression
04. Girls ® Dead
05. How (Could I)
06. Going Down
07. Somewhere Out Of This Mind
08. All Tomorrow's Parties
09. Over And Over
10. Through The Sand
11. Our Memories May Be Right
12. Lovecrash
13. More Than It Hurts You

Italian sleaze / glam / hard rockers Hollywood Killerz unleash Dead On Arrival upon the world, and well, it’s not at all bad. I can truly imagine fans of Alice Cooper, Dogs d’ Amour, Michael Monroe and Demolition 23 falling in love with this album. Straight up sleaze rock with a punky edge. This album is filled with catchy melodies punctuated by spiky guitars, sleaze heaven!
The only faults I can really pick out here are that, one there’s nothing really new on offer here, it’s all been done before, but Hollywood Killerz do it very well! And two, a problem for a lot of European vocalists where English is not their native language, sometimes the pronunciation of certain lyrics can be off, but that said it does add a little something to the all over charm of the songs.
If you like your rock downright dirty and truly sleazy then check out this album!

Website - Hollywood Killerz
Rating – 8/10

Lost In Vegas - A State Of Mind

Genre – Alternative / Modern Rock
Label – Independent

Track listing –

01. Wash Away
02. Nothing
03. Looking Back
04. Breathe
05. Chasing The Dragon
06. The World Is Ending

Tamworth rockers deliver up their second release with A State Of Mind, following up 2006’s Addiction.
Here we have a pretty solid selection of 6 tracks with Chasing The Dragon (Not a cover of the LA Guns track of the same name!) and The World is Ending proving to be the strongest on offer, although to be fair the other four are very solid, just not quite as grasping in my honest opinion.
Sound wise, Lost In Vegas deliver up the usually meaty Alternative Rock riffs, with some catching melodies liberally sprinkled over the top that wouldn’t be out of place on a Green Day release. Chris Lynch's vocals occasionally leave a little to be desired, but there is plenty on offer here to like, well worth checking out!




Website - Lost In Vegas
Rating – 9/10

Lionsex - Get It

Genre – Hard Rock / Sleaze
Label – Roar Power Records

Track listing –
01. Get It
02. M.I.A
03. Too Good
04. Smokin Out The Neighborhood
05. Nobody Said It Was Gonna Be Easy
06. Midnight
07. Rip-Off Britain
08. Used To Be
09. Rocket To Ur Heart
10. Bringing Back The Heartache

Hailing from Milton Keynes in the UK, LIONSEX boast a front man with the moniker Jef Leppard and count the likes of Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, The Rolling Stones, The Wildhearts and Hanoi Rocks among their influences to name just a few. For some reason vocalist Jef’s voice seems to bring a certain Billy Idol to my mind in places. The songs are solid, well written and delivered, and some of the guitar work is truly stunning!
Some great tracks here, with the stand outs for me including, Nobody Said It Was Gonna Be Easy, Rip-Off Britain and Midnight.
A refreshing band with some great songs well worth checking out



Website - Lionsex

Rating – 8/10

Le Reverie - Truth & Lies

Genre – Hard Rock / Alternative / Modern Rock / Gothic
Label – Independent?

Track listing –

01 – Hold Me Down
02 – Truth & Lies
03 – Ghost of You


I couldn’t find out much about the band Le Reverie, except that they’re an American female fronted band, who was touted for break out sing of the year with Hold Me Down.
The band has a song writing style that is very similar to bands like Evanescence and System of a Down, yet unique and potent enough to warrant interest. Most of the tracks are piano led, with fuzzy guitars providing Zepplin style riffs all over them. This is an Ep that you need to listen to once or twice, it’s not immediately instant, to me anyway, but with repeated listens the songs give up their magic, and the songs are very well written and performed. Vocalist Allie Jorgen, has a great voice very much in the vein of female rock legends Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson and Amy Lee.
Truth & Lies is an interesting little Ep, cant wait to hear the debut album when it’s released.

Web Site: www.lereverie.com
Rating – 8/10