A few years ago I posted a succession of recommendations for albums by Chicago-based bands. I can’t recall as many recently, so this one is perhaps overdue. The Outfit hail from Chicago and they released their self-titled debut album through Pavement Music on 2nd February. It came to us via our friends at Palmer Turner Overdrive and I played the lead-off single “Soldier Boy” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 26th January.
Sons of Apollo, the new supergroup featuring Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Jeff Scott Soto, Billy Sheehan and Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal have announced European tour dates that see them coming to Belfast to play at Limelight 1 on Tuesday 3rd July. Tickets are on sale this Thursday 22nd February at 9am from usual outlets. Press release below via SD Entertainment. The band have also just released their latest video for the track “Alive” from their debut album “Psychotic Symphony”.
Read more: NEWS UPDATE - SONS OF APOLLO Announce Belfast Show in July
The last interview I posted in 2017 was a short one with Hardcore Superstar singer Jocke Berg; recorded when they played Belfast in November – http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3244-ni-rocks-interview-with-jocke-berg-from-hardcore-superstar.html . At that point it looked like the new album would appear in early 2018, but the release dates seems to have been pushed back. However, a new single “Bring The House Down” is released on 23rd February. Full press release below.
Read more: NEWS UPDATE - HARDCORE SUPERSTAR To Release New Single
“Raised on Rock” is the fifth album from German band Voodoo Circle and it is released on 9th February by AFM Music. This is the first album from the band to feature new vocalist Herbie Langhans from Avantasia following the departure of David Readman (Pink Cream 69) in 2016. The previous Voodoo Circle albums were always a great listen, and that certainly hasn’t changed. The classic rock influences remain, making “Raised on Rock” an album well worth checking out. I played the track “Running Away From Love” on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 19th January and “Higher Love” on the Show on 9th February.
Read more: NI ROCKS Recommends "Raised on Rock" by VOODOO CIRCLE