George Simpson

All About The Rock • 22nd May 2024

These Wicked Rivers / Oli Brown and the Dead Collective- Night & Day Cafe - Manchester 19th May 2024 - Live Review

Sunday nights tend to signal a quiet end to an all-too-quick weekend, don’t they? However, heading into Manchester an hour or so after Man City had been crowned EPL Champions meant there was something very different in the air tonight. Indeed, hundreds in sky blue partied and sang outside pubs and bars, as we made our way to the gig. Though, we were in for a party of our own, a storming show by These Wicked Rivers.

First of all, the location. The more I visit the Night and Day Cafe, the more I

All About The Rock • 1st May 2024

Transatlantic - Live At Morsefest 2022: The Absolute Whirlwind - Album Review

To randomly quote a caped crusader, ‘Holy prog overload Batman’! From the band who clearly believe that if something is worth doing, then it’s worth over doing, comes this truly epic package. Weighing in a colossal four-and-a-half hours, this thirty-eight-track monster takes you through some of the finest moments of Transatlantic‘s twenty-five-year recording career.

For the uninitiated, Morsefest is a two-day festival curated by American Prog legend Neal Morse, largely featuring his one of his

All About The Rock • 11th April 2024

Gun - Hombres - Album Review

I’m not sure what is more unbelievable. The fact that it’s now thirty-five years since Scottish rockers Gun released their debut album Taking On The World, or that they are still here, and still capable of releasing an album as good as this. It’s a bit early for album of the year nominations, but this one will certainly be in the running for yours truly’s top spot.

Hombres is easily their strongest album since their 2009 reformation. Whereas Break The Silence, Frantic, and 2017’s Favourite Plea

All About The Rock • 26th March 2024

Nick Johnston - Child Of Bliss - Album Review

When I tell you that this is an instrumental album by a virtuoso guitarist, hands up all those expecting a relentless widdle fest. Thankfully you’d all be wrong, as Nick Johnston‘s new album Child Of Bliss sees him bypass the world of the endless guitar solo, instead delivering an emotive, deep collection of music, where nothing is overplayed for the sake of it.

Being that this is my first encounter with his music, I did a quick bit of Wikipedia research whilst listening to it. Upon seeing the

All About The Rock • 4th March 2024

John 'Rhino' Edwards - Just Sayin' - Album Review

You may not have heard of John ‘Rhino’ Edwards himself, but you’d have to have been living on Planet Zog not to have heard of the band he’s been playing bass in for the last 39 years, Status Quo. The band is now finally winding down after all those years. Indeed main man Francis Rossi has hinted that this year will be Quo’s last, but where have we heard that before?! Anyhoo, it has allowed time for other things, such as Just Sayin’, Rhino‘s third solo album.

Firstly, cast aside all stereotypica

All About The Rock • 21st February 2024

Today Was Yesterday - Today Was Yesterday - Album Review

Here’s a challenge for you, listen to this album and try and decide which genre it fits into. I’ve listened to it numerous times now, and am still no closer. There are elements of prog, pop, industrial and classic rock here to name but a few. They have been described by some as art rock, a term I hate. It always conjures up images of pretentiousness to me, self-indulgent noodlers playing a musical equivalent of the emperor’s new clothes. No sir, Today Was Yesterday has created a pretty good, gen

All About The Rock • 14th December 2023

Mark Tremonti - Christmas Classics New & Old

As far as side projects go, Mark Tremonti‘s part time delving into the world of easy listening crooning certainly left the collective flabbers of fans of his work with Alter Bridge, Tremonti and Creed well and truly ghasted. Having released an album of Frank Sinatra covers in 2022, here he follows it up with this seasonal offering. It’ll get even the hardest metal heart spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear, as Buddy the Elf would say.

Let’s be honest, we’ve seen and heard h

All About The Rock • 5th December 2023

Extreme / Living Colour - Manchester Academy - November 30th 2023

As a wise man once sang, well the weather outside is frightful… Riding high on the back of what is, to my ears, the best album of their career so far, Extreme breezed into town on a biblically cold Manchester night, and thoroughly warmed the cockles of every member of the sold out crowd at The Academy. Not only that, they also brought along fellow funksters Living Colour and between them delivered a cracking gig from start to finish.

Despite the conditions and traffic, I still managed to arrive

All About The Rock • 13th November 2023

Bonafide - Are You Listening? - Album Review

After listening to this album a couple of times, I pondered giving myself a challenge. Could I complete a review of it without mentioning AC/DC by way of comparison? The simple answer to that is, no I couldn’t! This is 38 minutes of solid blues-based hard rock that the Antipodean legends have spent nearly 50 years making their signature sound. As a result, Swedish rockers Bonafide have made an album, that fans of that sound are going to love.

There has been a 6-year gap since 2017’s Flames. Are

All About The Rock • 10th October 2023

Dio - The Studio Albums 1996 - 2004 - Box Set Review

Let’s be honest, when you think of genuine Heavy Metal legends, the words Ronnie James Dio will invariably be not be too far from the top of the list. Over the course of thirty-five years, he was involved in many tracks, albums, and bands that form the cornerstones of the House of Metal. Through Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell and his own eponymously titled band he produced a discography that continues to influence the genre to this very day. And will probably continue to do so for many

All About The Rock • 2nd October 2023

Black Stone Cherry - Screamin' At The Sky - Album Review

It’s hard to believe that Kentucky-based rockers Black Stone Cherry have now released eight albums, as in some ways I still think of them as a young band. However, being as it’s now seventeen years since their self-titled debut arrived, you could almost describe these guys as veterans. But one thing you can certainly describe them as, is one of the most consistent bands on the planet, both live and in the studio. Screamin’ At The Sky is a further example of the latter.

Whilst it musically follo

All About The Rock • 11th September 2023

Magnum - Great Adventure - The Jet Years 1978-1983 6CD Set - Album Review

Not many bands can boast longevity to match that of British stalwarts Magnum. Indeed, as this box set demonstrates, even fewer have got a consistency to match theirs. Last years The Monster Roars showed that there is plenty of fire left in their Brummie bellies. Focussing on their first five albums, it tells the story of how they became the band we all know and love.

They achieved their commercial breakthrough with 1985’s utterly brilliant On A Story Tellers Night album. Thus began their most s

All About The Rock • 1st September 2023

Bad News - Every Mistake Imaginable: The Complete Frilly Pink Years 1987-1988 - Review

I know what you’re thinking. Surely this is a comedy album, isn’t it? Well, yes it is, but there are a few reasons why it’s of interest to us all on Planet Rock and Metal. Firstly it’s about a spoof metal band. Bad News were the British Spinal Tap, though albeit were far less subtle in their lampooning. Secondly, when the cast exploded on the scene in the early 80s, they were practically rock stars. They were the Sex Pistols of comedy, in that they changed the face of comedy almost overnight, wi

MNPR Magazine • 26th June 2023

Luke Morley Takes a Musical Detour with His Eclectic and Compelling Solo Album: Songs from the Blue Room

Now this is an album I’ve been looking forward to hearing, and I’m glad to say that it certainly doesn’t disappoint. After fourteen albums as lead guitarist and songwriter with British rock legends Thunder, Luke Morley has put himself front and centre for only the second time, and finally released another solo album. Songs from the Blue Room being his first since 2001’s El Gringo Retro. Like so many albums from the last few years, this is an album that was born during the 2020 Covid pandemic. Ha

All About The Rock • 9th June 2023

Phil Lynott's Grand Slam - Slam Anthems - Album Review

Even though he sadly passed away in 1986, the music of Phil Lynott is still very much with us. Indeed, Thin Lizzy is still an on-off going concern since reuniting in the mid ’90s. In addition, they also spawned the excellent Black Star Riders too. As a result, he is quite rightly viewed as a legend and arguably held in higher regard now than when he was alive, which is a real shame.

He also left behind a body of solo work outside of Lizzy. This set, however, focuses on unreleased material recor

All About The Rock • 9th May 2023

King's X - In The New Age - The Atlantic Recordings 1988 - 1995

Welcome to Bands who never became as big as they should have done: Part 4526. This week’s guests are King’s X. Listening to this collection of their first half dozen albums today makes you wonder how they’re even on that list at all. But like the vast majority of the 4525 bands before them, they have a musical legacy that can’t be taken away. Who knows, this box set may finally redress that balance, and show the uninitiated what they’ve been missing.

This set marks the thirty-fifth anniversary

All About The Rock • 25th April 2023

Riverside - Manchester Academy 2 - 22/04/23 - Live Review - All About The Rock

Polish prog rockers Riverside returned to Manchester for the first time in over four and a half years this weekend, and delivered a remarkable show in the process. It’s a long time since I enjoyed a gig as much as this, if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing these guys live, you really are missing out. Whilst most progressive gigs involved merely watching and listening, Riverside almost demand audience interaction, and clearly feed off that energy. 
Upon arriving at the venue, I joined a long...

All About The Rock • 17th April 2023

Metallica - 72 Seasons - Album Review

Let’s face it, the arrival of a new Metallica album has been a case of the Emperor’s new clothes in recent years, hasn’t it? The PR and Marketing machines batter the media as a whole into convincing us of its’ undoubted brilliance. However, the humble metal fan isn’t as easily fooled. Especially those of us who have been with the band for their entire four-decade journey.

So, is he actually wearing any clothes this time? The good news is, that he is most certainly covering his modesty this time

All About The Rock • 4th April 2023

Paul Gilbert - The Dio Album - Review

Since his untimely passing in 2010, there have been many tributes paid top the late great Ronnie James Dio. The latest of these is a full album of his finest work given an instrument treatment by virtuoso guitarist Paul Gilbert. Being a big fan of both for many years standing, this was an album I was eager to hear.

Judging by the attention to detail on display here, this album is clearly a labour of love for Paul. Each track gets a faithful re-recording, with the majestic vocals swapped for som

All About The Rock • 24th March 2023

Ice Age - Waves Of Loss And Power - Album Review

When I came across this album for review, I assumed that Ice Age was a new band, having never encountered them in the past. Whilst researching Ice Age, I found out that the opposite was the case. Whilst Waves Of Loss And Power is indeed their third album, it arrives a whopping 22 years after their second, 2001’s Liberation. But luckily, there’s no hint of rustiness on display, as, it hasn’t been said, this is a pretty good album to return with.

Indeed, as if to emphasize that they’re picking up

All About The Rock • 8th March 2023

Haken - Fauna - Album Review

I often think of prog-rock albums as taking the listener on a bit of a journey. You sit back and let yourself be carried along as the music takes you off into the musical stratosphere, before you arrive back in the here and now an hour or so later. Brit Prog Rock standard bearers Haken‘s new album Fauna leads you through the wardrobe door into Narnia, where you encounter more than you ever imagined.

When starting this album, they approached it with a ‘no limits’ attitude. Nothing was off limits

All About The Rock • 22nd February 2023

Host - IX - Album Review

It’s not often that an album can be referred to as being intriguing, but this one is most certainly in that category. When I heard it was a Paradise Lost side project called Host, and I remembered the relevance of that title, I knew I had to hear it.

Paradise Lost had started the nineties as one of the shining lights of the UK gothic metal scene. By the time they had released the rather marvellous Icon in 1993, and the following year’s equally ace Draconian Times, their sound had begun to expan

All About The Rock • 14th February 2023

Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous (Super Deluxe 8 CD Reissue) Review

There’s not a lot that can be said about Live And Dangerous that hasn’t already been said is there? Forty five years after it was unleashed on us, it’s received the mother and father of reissues. Here it is expanded from one disc, up to eight. If you’re a Thin Lizzy nut, this will be your Christmas coming early. One of the greatest albums of all time, just got a whole lot greater.

Whenever there is a poll of the greatest live albums of all time, the original album is always there. Indeed, so ar

All About The Rock • 1st February 2023

DeWolff - Love, Death & In Between - Album Review

To say there’s a chilled-out seventies vibe on this album would be something of an understatement. Indeed, the new album by Dutch psychedelic rockers DeWolff perfectly captures the vibe of seeing a band in a smokey club. So much so, that you actually feel like you’ve been there by the end of Love, Death & In Between. It’s like an audio time machine, that captures a live ambiance more than any album I’ve heard in a long time.

Despite the band having formed in 2007 and released numerous albums si