Generally I’ll only publish an album recommendation for new releases that have been sent to us for potential airplay. I don’t write “reviews” and the album recommendations are my way of highlighting those releases that I think others with similar musical tastes should check out. Sometimes we’ll purchase a new album that isn’t from one of the “mainstream” recognised bands, which hasn’t been sent to the station, that I like so much that I feel the urge to publish a recommendation for it. The new album from Devil’s Train, simply entitled “II”, is one of those. The album was released through Ear Music in the UK on 26th January and you’ll already have heard a few tracks from it if you’ve tuned into the Friday NI Rocks Show over the past few weeks or checked out the videos on Facebook.
Thus, while were reviewing the Hammerfest stage at last weekend's HRH United our friend in metal, Mark Ashby of Planet Mosh fame nabbed a few words with Evil Scarecrow ahead of
Read more: INTERVIEW: Evil Scarecrow snagged by our colleague Mark Ashby ahead of Belfast date
Trucker Diablo recently released their third album “Rise Above The Noise” following a successful PledgeMusic campaign. The album marks the return of the band following the decision to withdraw from the music scene temporarily in early 2014. An album launch was held in the Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghill on 7th March and there have been many great reviews for “Rise Above The Noise” as well as my own recommendation - http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/back-stage/music-reviews/1835-ni-rocks-recommends-qrise-above-the-noiseq-by-trucker-diablo.html
I spoke to lead singer and guitarist Tom Harte from Trucker Diablo recently and this interview was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 13th March along with four tracks from the new album. That show is now available via our MixCloud site - https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-tom-harte-from-trucker-diablo-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-13th-march-2015/
Read more: NI ROCKS Interview with TOM HARTE from TRUCKER DIABLO
“Chapter 1” is the debut album from Grindhouse who are an Italian band with a German lead singer in the form of Michael Bormann. The album is released through RMB records on 20th March. This is one of those albums that I checked out, knowing nothing about the band, but which I quickly realised that I liked the sound of once I flicked through the tracks. Several of the Italian band-members have worked together in Iron Maiden tribute bands over the years, so that gives a hint to their musical tastes. The band formed in 2013 when they brought in Michael Bormann to provide vocals.