_{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 D-A-D, The New Roses, House of Lords, Ad Infinitum, Cleanbreak, Myles Kennedy, Black Oak County, Cassandra’s Crossing, Trucker Diablo and Kings of Mercia.}

 

_{D-A-D – Speed of Darkness – AFM 4^th Oct}

_{Danish band D-A-D released their thirteenth album “Speed of Darkness” through AFM Records on 4^th October. It’s the band’s first studio album in over five years – since the release of “A Prayer for the Loud” in 2019. The track “The Ghost” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in May and “Keep That Mother Down” on 30^th Aug.}

 

_{D-A-D celebrated their 40^th anniversary earlier this year although the band’s first line-up dates back to 1982. Their debut album was released in 1986 but their 1989 album “No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims” and the follow up “Riskin It All” from 1991 were their most successful.}

 

_{Three of the four band members have been there from the outset – singer and guitarist Jesper Binzer, his younger brother Jacob on guitar and Stig Pederson on bass. Drummer Peter Lundholm Jensen joined in 1999.}

 

_{Website - https://d-a-d.com/}

 

 

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_{THE NEW ROSES – “Attracted to Danger” – Napalm 4^th Oct}

_{“Attracted to Danger” is the sixth album from German band The New Roses and it was released on 4^th October by Napalm Records. The track “When You Fall in Love” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show in July, followed by “Attracted to Danger” on 23^rd Aug and “Hold Me Up” on 4^th Oct.}

 

_{The band traces its roots back to 2007, although the name The New Roses dates to 2012. Their debut album “Without a Trace” was released in 2013 and the title track was featured on ‘Sons of Anarchy’. Further albums were released in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022 with the band touring heavily and supporting bands such as The Dead Daisies on tour.}

 

_{The New Roses are Timmy Rough on lead vocals and guitar, Dizzy Daniels and Norman Bites on guitar, Hardy on bass and Urban Berz on drums.}

 

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

 

 

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_{HOUSE OF LORDS – “Full Tilt Overdrive” – Frontiers 11^th Oct}

_{American rock legends House of Lords are just a few years short of celebrating 40 years of music and they released their fourteenth studio album, “Full Tilt Overdrive” through Frontiers Music on 11^th October. The track “Crowed Room” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 9^th Aug, followed by “Bad Karma” on 30^th Aug, “Taking The Fall” on 27^th Sept and “Full Tilt Overdrive” on 1^st Nov.}

 

_{The band was formed in 1987 by Gregg Giuffria and three albums were released before the band split up in 1993. House of Lords reformed in 2000 and have released eleven albums since 2004.}

 

_{Singer James Christian has been with the band since the outset, whilst guitarist Jimi Bell both joined in 2005. The other band members are Mark Mangold on keyboards and Johan Koleberg on drums.}

 

_{James was a guest on the Show ten years ago, back in February 2014 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/1474-ni-rocks-interview-with-james-christian-from-house-of-lords - whilst Jimi was a guest in 2017 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3105-ni-rocks-interview-with-jimi-bell-from-house-of-lords - and Mark was a guest in 2021 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3806-ni-rocks-interview-with-mark-mangold}

 

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

 

 

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_{AD INFINITUM – “Abyss” – Napalm 11^th Oct}

_{I’ve been a big fan of Ad Infinitum since the first album was released in 2020 and have purchased all four of their albums on vinyl. Their latest album, “Abyss” was released by Napalm Records on 11^th October. Five tracks from the album have been included on the Friday NI Rocks Show so far – “Outer Space” in April and on 4^th Oct, “My Halo” in July and again in August, “Surrender” on 30^th August and “Follow Me Down” on 18^th Oct.}

 

_{Singer Melissa Bonny initially started the band as a solo project in 2018 whilst she was still in Rage of Light but it morphed into a full band in 2019. Their debut album “Chapter 1: Monarchy” was released in April 2020, followed by an acoustic version of the album in December. “Chapter II: Legacy” was released in Oct 2021, followed by “Chapter III: Downfall” in March 2023.}

 

_{Ad Infinitum are Melissa Bonny on vocals, Adrian Thessenvitz on guitar, Korbinian Benedict on bass and Niklas Müller on drums.}

 

_{Melissa Bonny was my guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show in December 2020 just after the release of their acoustic album “Chapter 1 Revisited” - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3794-ni-rocks-interview-with-melissa-bonny-from-ad-infinitum-rage-of-light}

 

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

 

 

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_{CLEANBREAK – “We Are The Fire” – Frontiers 11^th Oct}

_{Cleanbreak is a collaboration between singer James Durbin and guitarist Mike Flyntz and they released their second album, “We Are The Fire” through Frontiers Music on 11^th Oct. Their debut album “Coming Home” was released in 2022. The tracks “Unbreakable” and “Breathless” were included on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 1^st Nov.}

 

_{James Durbin is a former contestant on American Idol who has released four solo albums, two albums as Durbin and two albums with Quiet Riot. Mike Flyntz is best known as the guitarist in Riot / Riot V. They are joined in Cleanbreak by Alessandro Del Veccio on bass and keyboard and by Nicholas Papapicco on drums.}

 

_{James has been a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show twice; most recently in 2021 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3800-ni-rocks-interview-with-james-durbin}

 

 

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_{MYLES KENNEDY – “The Art of Letting Go” – Napalm 11^th Oct}

_{Myles Kennedy released his third solo album, “The Art of Letting Go” through Napalm Records on 11^th October. The Alter Bridge singer, who also fronts Slash’s band, released his first solo album in 2018 and the second one in 2021.}

 

_{There was a special promo feature with Myles talking about the new album on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 4^th October and that included three tracks – all of which had featured on an earlier Show: “Say What You Will” in June, “Nothing More To Gain” in August and “Miss You When You’re Gone” on 13^th Sept.  A fourth track, “Saving Face” featured in the Show on 18^th October.}

 

_{Myles plays guitar on the album and is joined by Zia Udin on frums and Tim Tournier on bass.}

 

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

 

 

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_{BLACK OAK COUNTY – “III” – Mighty Music 25^th Oct}

_{“III” is the third album from Danish band Black Oak County and it was released on 25^th Oct by Mighty Music. The band formed in 2012 and released their self-titled debut album in 2017, followed by “Theatre of the Mind” in 2019. Both those albums were also released by Mighty Music.}

 

_{Five tracks have featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show – “Save Your Breath” in February, “Fire Inside” in April, “Boom Boom Baby” in August, “Crossed The Line” on 20^th Sept and “Camoflage” on 11^th Oct.}

 

_{Black Oak County are Niels Beier on guitar and vocals, Rene Kristensen on bass and vocals, Jack Svensen on guitar and Mike Svensen on drums.}

 

_{Website - http://blackoakcounty.com/}

 

 

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_{CASANDRA’S CROSSING – “Garden of Earthly Delight” – Frontiers 25^th Oct}

_{Casandra’s Crossing is a collaboration between singer Casandra Carson and guitarist George Lynch. Carson fronts the band Paralandra whilst Lynch has a long history with Dokken, Lynch Mob, The End Machine, KXM and many, many more. The album was released through Frontiers Music on 25^th Oct.}

 

_{The track “Stranger” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in August, followed by “Impatient” on 13^th Sept and “Closer To Heaven” on 11^th Oct.}

 

_{Websites - https://georgelynch.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCasandraCarson}

 

_{George was a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show back in 2015 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/1831-ni-rocks-interview-with-george-lynch}

 

 

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_{TRUCKER DIABLO – “Social Hand Grenade” – Big Unit Records 25^th Oct}

_{Local rockers Trucker Diablo released their sixth album, “Social Hand Grenade” on 25^th October. The band formed in 2008 and released their debut album, “The Devil Rhythm” in 2011. They then released an album every other year until 2017 before their fifth album “Tail End of a Hurricane” dropped in 2021. I’d pre-ordered the yellow vinyl version of “Social Hand Grenade”.}

 

_{The lead-off single “Kill The Lights” has featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show three times – in July and August and again on 18^th Oct; followed by “What I See” in August, “Show Me The Way” on 13^th Sept, “Dig” on 4^th Oct and “Stop The Bleed” on 25^th Oct.}

 

_{Trucker Diablo are Tom Harte on guitar and lead vocals, Simon Haddock on guitar, Jim McGurk on bass and Terry Crawford on drums.}

 

_{Tom has been a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show three times – most recently in 2021 after the release of the band’s previous album - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3812-ni-rocks-interview-with-tom-harte-from-trucker-diablo-sp-1375121191}

 

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

 

 

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_{KINGS OF MERCIA – “Battle Scars” – Metal Blade Records 25^th Oct}

_{Kings of Mercia is a collaboration between FM frontman Steve Overland and Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos. They’d delivered their self-titled album in 2022 and followed it up with “Battle Scars”, through Metal Blade Records., on 25^th October. I’d pre-ordered the ‘sanguine swash’ splatter vinyl version that was limited to 200 copies.}

 

_{The track “Don’t Ask” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show in August and that was followed by “Aftermath” on 18^th Oct and “Guns And Ammunition” on 1^st Nov.}

 

_{Steve and Jim are joined by Simon Phillips on drums and Joey Vera on bass.}

 

_{Steve Overland was my guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show in November 2023 and we chatted about Kings of Mercia then - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3890-ni-rocks-interview-with-steve-overland}

 

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