DEEP PURPLE - Infinite (2017)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label - earMUSIC

Track listing:

01. Time for Bedlam
02. Hip Boots
03. All I Got is You
04. One Night in Vegas
05. Get Me Outta Here
06. The Surprising
07. Johnny's Band
08. On Top of the World
09. Birds of Prey
10. Roadhouse Blues

British rock legends Deep Purple return with their latest release in the form of Infinite.
Starting out with the ‘quasi-religious computer voice’ of ‘Time For Bedlam’ you’re immediately plunged into recognisable ‘Purple’ territory, its all there from Gillan’s distinctive croon to the keyboard and guitar breaks that punctuate this swaggering rocker.
‘Hip Boots’ which follows is a rather direct bluesy rocker augmented by that distinctive Hammond sound. ‘All I Got It You’ is a track that manages to capture vintage sounds and past glories, then ‘One Night in Vegas’ has an assured, almost funky groove going on. ‘The Surprising’ is a dreamy, almost trancelike musing until two minutes in when the keys and drums fire up and we take a progressive ‘day trip’. ‘Johnny’s Band’ is more direct and guitar led, the tale of ‘Johnny Jones and his band’ and their rise to success and fall. ‘On Top of the World’, is another blues-infused story from Gillan, whilst ‘Birds of Prey’ has a little of the opener ‘Time For Bedlam’ about it, there’s that swagger, that vintage Deep Purple sound and fine performances by all.
The final word goes to a cover of the 47 year of ‘Roadhouse Blues’ by The Doors, it’s one of those landmarks songs, one of the greats in Rock’s pantheon and also one of those songs that’s deceptively simple in structure but so easy to get wrong. Deep Purple play it with a relatively straight bat, and seem to be having a lot of fun doing so. It’s a surprisingly great way to round out what has to be Purple’s finest hour in many a year.

Well worth checking out.

Rating: 9/10

Dirt Box Disco - Poppycock (2017)

Genre - Punk / Rock

Label - STP Records

Track listing:

01 - The Bullshit Kids

02 - Fingerblast

03 - Punk Rock Riot

04 - Little White Lie

05 - Working For Wankers

06 - Fat Kid

07 - Snorting Crack From A Girls Top Rack

08 - Lazy Bastard

09 - Slapdash And Haphazzard

10 - Geronimo

11 - Imaginary Friend

12 - Somethings Are Better Off Left Unsaid

13 - I Hate This City

The mighty Dirt Box Disco return with latest slab of unadulterated social commentary in the form of their latest album, Poppycock.
The album opens with "The Bullshit Kids", a song about certain elements of todays youth that is becoming more and more prevalent. Next up the album launches into "Fingerblast", a song about a woman's love of self pleasure! "Punk Rock Riot" follows and to be honest I think for me this is the weakest track on the entire album, although it will no doubt be lots of fun live . Things pick up again with "Little White Lie", almost a ballad without being a ballad, and a story with a moral to it!
the next song, "Working For Wankers", will ring true with many of us, and will I will no doubt be singing it to myself during my endless shifts at hells pit!
"Fat Kid" is rather cruel but still fun, "Snorting Crack..." whizzies by, before the excellent "Lazy Bastard" slows the pace down a little. A great song and we all know a person that fits the subject matter all too well!
"Slapdash and Haphazzard" is up next, a great song about that half arsed attitude that plagues elements of todays society, that just happens to have a little rock n roll feel to it. Next we have "Geronimo", a two minute blast about having a leap of faith. "Imaginary Friend" follows, a great song destined to become a dirt Box classic!
The albums penultimate track is the rather excellent "Somethings Are Better Left Unsaid", something that I have personally learnt all too well over the years!
The album closes out with "I Hate This City" which proves to be a real ska fest.

So there we have it, the latest slab of punk rock angst from Dirt Box Disco, thirteen tracks closcking in at thirty seven minutes long.

Well worth checking out as Dirt Box Disco are proving to be one the best English Punk bands around today!

Highly Recommended

Rating: 10/10

Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions - Ram Raid EP (2017)

Genre - Rock / Punk

Label - STP Records

Track listing:

01 - Ram Raid

02 - Stop Looking At Your Phone

03 - Hanging Around The Shops

04 - I Think Her Name Was Tracey?

05 - Snap Backbone

The indomitable Spunk Volcano and the Eruptions return with their latest slab of angst filled social commentary in the form of their Ram Raid EP.
The EP opens with the angst driven title track, a song that addresses the mind set of delinquent car thieves and boy racers. A great start. Next up we have the blistering "Stop Looking At Your Phone", which funnily enough address the modern day obsession people seem to have with their mobile phones. "Hanging Around The Shops" follows, addressing the problems of getting your fix of booze and fags when you are underage. Another great song forged in typical Spunk Volcano fashion. Next comes "I Think Her Name Was Tracey?"  another blistering angst filled track, discussing a poor girls life. The EP closes out with "Snap Backbone", which also happens to the EP's most melodic and commercial track. A song and a great closer for a five track EP that clocks in at just twelve minutes in length!

Check these guys out!

Rating: 10/10

 

Ginger Wildheart - Ghost In The Tanglewood (2017)

Genre - Rock / Country / Folk / Roots

Label - Pledge Music / Round Records

Track listing:

01 - The Daylight Hotel

02 - Paying It Forward

03 - Golden Tears

04 - Phantom Memories

05 - Minus You

06 - Remains

07 - The Words Are Gonna Have To Wait

08 - My Old Friend The Blues (Stevie Earle Cover)

09 - The Reaper

10 - Don't Say Goodbye

available as part of the "This Is Not A Raffle" pledge.

11 - A Few Old Memories (Acapella) (Dolly Parton Cover)

12 - Has She Got A Friend For Me? (Richard and Linda Thompson Cover)

13 - I Could Have Cared For You

So here we have it folks, "Ghost In The Tanglewood", that album the Ginger Wildheart has promised and threatened to make since time began. In all seriousness Ginger has been hinting at this kind of album for years now, with the folksy Wildhearts classic, "Geordie In Wonderland", through the spoof country album World Of Filth, released under the pseudonym Howling Willy C##T, and through the Rootsy tracks that emerged as part of the tremendous G.A.S.S. project such as "Toxins & Tea", "Last day Of Summer", "The Pendine Incident" and "Cear Urfa". Now he delivers a full 10 track album of sublime heartfelt country / folk music
As Ginger himself puts it, "My fairly unavoidable accent means that the songs come off less Willie Nelson and more Bobby Thompson, but every lyric is purely heartfelt and every song is as true a story as you’ll ever hear in roots based music. This is Country music, played by a working class Geordie raised on Country and Northern Folk music. This stuff has always been in my blood since I was a wee nipper and it’s an honour to finally get to play it for you."
And what an album it is, sure it lacks the venom and attitude that has made some of Ginger's Wildhearts songs such classics, but here was have out favourite Geordie once again opening up his heart and bearing his soul in such a moving and tender way that you would have to be one cold hearted mutherpuger not to be moved, especially with the way in which the albums closing track, "Don't Say Goodbye" tugs at the old heart strings. The album really does run the full range of emotions, with songs such as "Golden Tears" and "Paying It Forward" giving hope and imploring faith and "Minus You" and "The Words Are Gonna Have To Wait" and the aforementioned "Don't Say Goodbye" giving glimpses of Ginger's more fragile side, together with the honest genius of "The Reaper". Plus Gingers cover of the Stevie Earle classic, "My Old Friend The Blues" is simply sublime!
This really is an album that needs to be digested and absorbed. Quite possibly Gingers crowning glory that tops off his long, long list of song writing achievements.

I have included three bonus tracks in the track listing that do not appear on the album proper, primarily because they were recorded as part of the albums sessions and are available through the albums pledge campaign, but also because they are great songs. The three part acapella harmonies of "A Few Old Memories", the melancholy bleakness of "Has She Got A Friend For Me" and the pure brilliance of "I Could Have Cared For You". All worth having and adding to any Ginger fans collection.


Rating: 10/10