Something a little different! When I hear the name Luke Appleton, I think bass player for Iced Earth and guitarist for Absolva – acoustic guitarist doesn’t naturally spring to mind. However he has proven adept at that genre too – as has his brother Chris previously! Last year Luke released the acoustic EP “How Does It Feel To Be Alive” and on 26th April Rocksector Records released the album “Snake Eyes”. The album is acoustic-based as there is also some electric guitar on there too. I played the track “Inside Out” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 19th April.
Read more: NI ROCKS Recommends "Snake Eyes" by LUKE APPLETON
Swedish band Crazy Lixx released their sixth studio album, “Forever Wild”, through Frontiers Music on 17th May. I’d recorded an interview with lead singer Danny Rexon back in 2014 just ahead of the release of their fourth album, but was keen for another chat to discuss the excellent new album and find out more about what Crazy Lixx had been doing over the last five years. I spoke to Danny via Skype on 22nd May and that interview was on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 24th May 2019.
Initially the Show included four tracks from the new album (and one from their re-issued debut album) but one track had to be removed later when MixCloud rules required an edit. This edited version is available on our MixCloud page - https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-danny-rexon-from-crazy-lixx-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-24th-may-2019-edit/
Read more: NI ROCKS Interview with DANNY REXON from CRAZY LIXX (2019)
American guitarist and song-writer Jim Peterik is best known as a founding member of rock legends Survivor, but over the years has been involved with many other bands and projects, notably Pride of Lions. One of those other projects was Jim Peterik & World Stage which released an album of the same name in 2000 and then a live album in 2002. Jim Peterik & World Stage has now released a follow-up album that features a host of guest appearances. The album, “Winds of Change” was released by Frontiers Music on 26th April. The track “The Hand I Was Dealt” that includes Danny Vaughn on vocals is featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show this week (24th May).
Read more: NI ROCKS Recommends "Winds of Change" by JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE
Mass was a German based band with a multi-national line-up that released eight studio albums between 1973 and 1986. (They are not to be confused with the Boston, USA based band of the same name that has been active since the early 80’s. I posted a recommendation for their latest album last year!) Thirty years after splitting up, Mass was reformed by original bassist Günther V Radny with a whole new line-up. They released a new album called “Still Chained” through Pride & Joy Music on 26th April. I included the track “Back To The Music” on the Friday NI Rocks Show this week (24th May).