_{A regular feature highlighting some of the best album releases each month. I don’t do album “reviews” – this is simply a personal recommendation to check out an album - just a few words about the albums that appeal to me and about the artists releasing them. These will also be albums from which I’ll have been playing tracks on the Friday NI Rocks Shows recently. This month it includes albums from The Commoners, Kissin’ Dynamite, Mr Big, Dark Mile and Palace.}

_{THE COMMONERS – “Restless” – Gypsy Soul Records 5^th July}

_{Canadian band The Commoners released their third album on 5^th July. “Restless” was released through Gypsy Soul Records just ahead of a UK tour that culminates at Steelhouse Festival on 28^th July. The track “The Way I Am” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in January, followed by “See You Again” in April and “Shake You Off” on 7^th June.}

_{The band released their debut album “No Stranger” in 2016, followed by “Find a Better Way” in 2022. The line-up features Chris Medhurst on vocals, Ross Hayes Citrullo on guitar, Ben Spiller on bass, Adam Cannon on drums and Miles Evans-Branagh on keyboards.}

_{Website - https://thecommoners.ca/}

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_{KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – “Back With A Bang” – Napalm 5^th July}

_{German band Kissin’ Dynamite released their eighth studio album, “Back With A Bang”, through Napalm Records on 5^th July. The band have featured regularly on the NI Rocks Shows since 2014 and two tracks have been included on the Friday Show so far - “The Devil is a Woman” on 31^st May and “Back With a Bang” on 5^th July.}

_{Kissin’ Dynamite formed in 2007 and released their debut album, “Steel of Swabia” the following year. They signed to AFM Records for the release of their third album in 2012, then to Metal Blade Records for their sixth album, “Ecstasy” in 2018 before moving to Napalm Records for “Not the End of the Road” in 2022.}

_{The band features Hannes Braun on vocals, Ande Braun and Jim Müller on guitars, Steffan Haile on bass and Sebastian Berg on drums.}

_{Website - https://www.kissin-dynamite.de/en/}

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_{MR BIG – “Ten” – Frontiers 12^th July}

_{Thirty five years after the release of their debut album Mr Big released their tenth album, simply called “Ten”. It was released through Frontiers Records on 12^th July; in the midst of what is billed as the band’s BIG Finish tour. The track “Good Luck Trying” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show on the same date.}

_{Mr Big formed in 1988 with Eric Martin on vocals, Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass and Pat Torpey on drums. They released four albums with that line-up between 1989 and 1996 before Richie Kotzen replaced Gilbert for two albums and the band then went on hiatus for a few years. They reformed in 2009 with the original line-up and released three more studio albums between 2010 and 2017. Following the death of Torpey in 2018, drummer Nick D'Virgilio was brought in to record “Ten”.}

_{Website - http://www.mrbigsite.com/}

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_{DARK MILE – “Dark Mile” – Pride & Joy 12^th July}

_{As I’d liked what I heard, I’d downloaded the self-titled debut album from Dark Mile when the PR e-mail came through in May; but as often happens I forgot to follow up on it! Hence why there hasn’t been any tracks featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show until a few weeks after its release by Pride & Joy on 12^th July. “The Boy” was included on the Show on 2^nd August.}

_{Dark Mile is a band that was formed by friends who have been around the rock scene for some time. Vocalist Mark Huff had fronted Quiet Riot between 2010-12; guitarist Tracy G had been a member of Dio from 1993-99; guitarist and key-board player Paul Alfery has worked with many high profile names and most recently was part of Walk the Walk for their self-titled debut album in 2021 and bass player Randy Oviedo was part of the band Streek in the 80’s.}

_{Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042420831}

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_{PALACE – “Reckless Heart” – Frontiers 12^th July}

_{Palace is a band formed around multi-instrumentalist, song-writer and producer Michael Palace and “Reckless Heart” is the fifth album to be released since 2016. It was released by Frontiers Music on 12^th July. The track “The Widows Web” was featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in May and “Girl is an Angel” on 5^th July. The former was also included on the NI Rocks A-Z Show on 4^th June.}

_{Michael Palace had worked on several Frontiers projects as a writer or guitarist before releasing his first ‘solo’ album, “Master of the Universe” in 2016. He has delivered a new album every two years since then, singing and playing all the instruments himself.}

_{Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/palacesweden}