_{“Boneyard” is the new album from singer Reuben Archer and it was released by Toxic Arrow Records on the 12th July. Archer is best known for fronting the band Stampede in the early 80’s and again following their reformation in 2009. He has also released two great albums as Reuben Archer and Personal Sin between 2013 and 2017. On this new album he has teamed up with a group of musicians called The Brand. I featured the track “Love Is Blind” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 19th July.}

_{“Between Wild Landscapes And Deep Blue Seas” is the new, rather eloquently titled, album from Italian band Hollow Haze and their first since reforming after a short-lived disbanding. It was released by Frontiers Music on 12th July and the album title reflects tracks that focus on life and adventures. The tracks themselves blend melodic, heavy and symphonic influences. The single “Oblivion” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show in April and “Destinations” on 28th June.}

_{“Enigma Fire” is the second album from German symphonic metal band Visionatica and it was released on 12th July by Frontiers Music. The female fronted band formed in Bavaria in 2013 and released their debut album in 2016 before signing with Frontiers. I played the first single from the album, “The Pharoah”, on the Friday NI Rocks Show back in April and the second single “Fear” on the NI Rocks A-Z Show on 16th July.}

_{I’ve been a fan of Canadian band Kobra and the Lotus for quite a few years so it’s great to see details being released about their next album. “Evolution” is due for release on 20th September by Napalm Records. The album will be the band’s sixth studio album since their formation in 2009. It follows the release by Napalm Records of “Prevail I” in 2017 and “Prevail II” in 2018.}

_{I did an e-mail interview with lead singer Kobra Paige in January 2013 and she was my guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show in August 2017 following the release of “Prevail I”. The latter interview can be found here – http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3178-ni-rocks-interview-with-kobra-paige-from-kobra-and-the-lotus.html}

_{The Napalm Records press release can be read here -}

_{“The Great Escape” is the debut album from Irish band Jailbirds and it was released on 5th July by Golden Robot Records. Although based in Dublin, the band was actually formed by two Australians who had ended up living there. Jailbirds released an EP in 2017 and have secured some great support slots over the last couple of years. The track “Nothing Good Lasts Forever” opened the Friday NI Rocks Show on 14th June and “Thrill of the Chase” is on the Show on 26th July.}

_{“Open Wide” is the second album from Nitrate, an English band with a Swedish singer. It was released on 21st June on the AOR Heaven label. Nitrate are inspired by the 80’s rock sound and the band features a number of musicians who will be well known to fans of the British music scene. The track “You Want It You Got It” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 5th July.}

_{“Afterburner” is the new album from Indian metal band Kryptos and it was released via AFM Records on 21st June. This is the fifth album from the band since they formed twenty years ago. Over those years the band has been at the forefront of the Indian metal scene and they were one of the first metal bands from that country to sign with a major label or tour Europe. I played the album’s title track on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 5th July.}

_{Girlschool have had an iconic status in the British rock and metal scene for over forty years and world-wide recognition as one of the most long-running female bands in history. Guitarist Jackie ‘Jax’ Chambers has been part of Girlschool now for twenty years and I spoke to her via Skype on 11th July to chat about the band ahead of their headline shows in Dublin and Belfast on 18th and 19th July and at the Disturbance Festival in Letterkenny on 20th July.}

_{In addition to talking about Girlschool and picking some of their tracks to play we also chatted about Jackie’s other band, Syteria, and we play one of their tracks.}

_{The interview can be heard on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 19th July – which has been uploaded already and is available here - http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/hosts/ni-rocks-friday-rock-show.html (uploaded 15th July)}

_{“Return To Eden” is the third and final part of Timo Tolkki’s metal opera Avalon and it was released on 14th June by Frontiers Music. The former Stratovarius guitarist had revealed the Avalon project back in 2013 and the three albums released have featured a number of high profile singers and musicians. I included the track “Promises” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 3rd May and the NI Rocks A-Z Show on 11th June, whilst “Hear My Call” was part of the Friday NI Rocks Show on 24th May.}

_{Back in 2015 I posted an interview with Chilean singer Caterina Nix that we had completed by e-mail following the release of the first album from Chaos Magic. Almost four years later we’ve recorded an interview to mark the release of the second Chaos Magic album “Furyborn”. The album was released by Frontiers Music on 14th June and includes guest appearances by Rainbow frontman Ronnie Romero and Tom Englund from Evergrey.}

_{Caterina chats about the recording of the latest album, future plans for Chaos Magic, working with Timo Tolkki, the growing position of women in rock and metal and more. We also play four tracks from the new album.}

_{The interview can be heard on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 12th July - available from our MixCloud page - https://www.micloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-caterina-nix-from-chaos-magic-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-12th-july/}