_{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 Black Smoke Trigger, Saffron Gorman & The Black Eagle Band, Scarlet Rebels, Silvera, Mike Tramp and Kobra Paige.}

 

_{BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER – “Horizons” – 2^nd Aug}

_{New Zealand band Black Smoke Trigger released their debut album “Horizons” on 2^nd August. The band formed in 2019 and released an EP calles “Set It Off” that was produced by Michael Wagener that same year. first single from the album, “Perfect Torture”, was featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in February and March. The track “Proof Of Life” featured in February, followed by “Sun Cries Red” in July, “One More Chance (Don’t Let It Slip Away)” on 2^nd August and “Psycho” on 9^th August.}

 

_{The band recently toured the UK in support of Bruce Dickinson and features Baldrick on vocals, Charlie Wallace on guitar, Dan Fulton on bass and Josh Te Maro on drums. The album is available to order in a number of formats on their website.}

 

_{Website - https://blacksmoketrigger.com/}

 

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_{SAFFRON GORMAN & THE BLACK EAGLE BAND – “Paint Me Like The Bitch I Am” – 9^th Aug}

_{Local rockers Saffron Gorman and The Black Eagle Band released their debut album, “Paint Me Like The Bitch I Am”, on 9^th August. The band’s debut single, “Boo Hoo”, featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show three times during 2023 and again in April. “Come On Over” featured in January and on 28^th June, followed by “Paint Me Like the Bitch I Am” on 26^th July, “Make You Pay” on 9^th August and “Black Eagle Band” on 30^th August.}

 

_{Most recently, singer Saffron Gorman has fronted The Forged Hearts and Saffire but this is the first time she has released a full album. The other members of the band are guitarist Declan McDaid (Dead Star Heroes), drummer David Jeffers (Baleful Creed, The Forged Hearts etc) and bass player David Shields (guitarist for Stormzone, Ironheart etc). The album was recorded with Neal Calderwood at Manor Park Studios.}

 

_{Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063527252702}

 

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_{SCARLET REBELS – “Where The Colours Meet” - Earache 16^th Aug}

_{Welsh band Scarlet Rebels released their third album, “Where The Colours Meet”, through Earache Records on 16^th August. There was a special promo feature with singer Wayne Doyle talking about the new album on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 9^th August – this included the tracks “Grace”, “Divide and Conquer” and “Let Me In”. The latter had already featured on the Show on 19^th July, whilst “Secret Drug” was included in April and “Streets of Fire” in June and again on 16^th August.}

 

_{Scarlet Rebels are Wayne Doyle on vocals and guitar, Gary Doyle on drums, Carl Oag on bass and Chris Jones on lead guitar. The Doyle brothers had previously been in a band called VOiD which morphed into Scarlet Rebels; with a few line-up changes along the way. The band’s debut album, “Show Your Colours” was released in 2019, followed by “See Through Blue” in 2022.}

 

_{Website - https://www.scarletrebels.com/}

 

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_{SILVERA – “World Behind Doors” - Mighty Music 23^rd Aug}

_{Danish band Silvera released their second album, “World Behind Doors” through Mighty Music on 23^rd August. The title track was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show in March, followed by “Lifeline” on 26^th July and “Show Me How To Live” on 30^th August.}

 

_{Silvera formed in 2017 and released their debut album, “Edge of the World”, in 2020 and they have worked with Jacob Hansen on both albums. The latest includes contributions from Dreamshade and from Guernica Mancini (The Gems / Thundermother).}

 

_{The band features Michael Krogh on guitar and vocals, Simon Krabbesmark on guitar, Rasmus Lindegård Hovde on bass and Martin Nielsen on drums.}

 

_{Website - https://silvera.dk/}

 

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_{MIKE TRAMP – “Songs of White Lion Vol II” – Frontiers 23^rd Aug}

_{Mike Tramp released the second instalment of his reworked White Lion classics through Frontiers Music on 23^rd August. “Lights and Thunder” was featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in June, “Lonely Nights” on 19^th July and “All You Need is Rock ‘n Roll” on 30^th August.}

 

_{Mike released 4 studio albums with White Lion between 1985 and 1991 and another in 2008 as well as 2 studio albums with Freak of Nature in the early 90’s before commencing a productive solo career. The first volume of reworked White Lion tracks was released last year.}

 

_{Joining Mike on the album are guitarist Marcus Handm bass player Claus Langeskov, drummer Kenni Andy and keyboard player Claudio Pesavento. There are also harmonies from Johnny Gioeli and Emily Garriock Langeskov.}

 

_{Mike was a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show in 2015 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/2195-ni-rocks-interview-with-mike-tramp}

 

_{Website - https://miketrampofficial.com/}

 

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_{KOBRA PAIGE – “Like No Other” – Pasadena Records 30^th August}

_{Kobra Paige released her long-awaited solo album, “Like No Other” on 30^th August. The singles, “Love What I Hate”, “Under One Sun” and “Thank You” were all featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show during 2023 and early 2024. Since then, “Freedom” (March), “Hott” (May), “Dreamer” (June), “Like No Other” (July) and “Shakedown” (30^th Aug) have all featured on the Show.}

 

_{Kobra released six studio albums with Kobra and The Lotus between 2009 and 2019. She recorded her new solo album in 2020/2021, but it has taken some time and a few challenges to get it to being released.}

 

_{Website - https://www.kobrapaige.com/}