As the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney turned dark, and the stage immersed in purple lighting, the roar of the crowd was nothing short of deafening as the reformed Tea Party took the stage. Plain and simple, I’m pretty sure we’re in for something special tonight and as front man Jeff Martin opened his mouth for the first time the crowd […]

In summary: “These guys have made a really good rock record that has something for everyone and here’s hoping that everyone will give it a chance. It deserves it.” Here in Australia, it’s easy to remember Saving Abel for one song, that one being ‘Addicted’ as really, that’s the only one that got any love down here, well for those […]

I personally love getting new music, and I don’t mean ‘oh awesome the new Bon Jovi record is out!’ I’m talking about new bands I’ve never heard of, I get to make my own mind up, I have no preconceived ideas or notion of what they will sound like and I dig that.  Today, I get presented to me Fait […]

In summary: ‘This album is like someone has finally turned on the blender and made a Pantera, Mudvayne, Damage Plan and Nothingface cocktail, and called it a Hellyeah. This album kicks ass.’ It’s been two years since Hellyeah’s last release, being ‘Stampede’ and now they’re back, this time they’ve taken a turn, and by turn I mean the volume knobs […]

In 25 words or less: “I can see why they’ve been around for so long and will be for much longer.  Clockwork Angels, yeah, check it out.” Now this may shock a lot of people but this is in fact the first Rush album I’ve ever listened to. Yeah. I know right? So here’s me losing my virginity to their […]

Tonight I’m once again at the Sydney Opera House, an iconic venue I’ve been lucky enough to attend a number of concerts now, and every time the artists are more than ‘blown away’ (pun intended) by being able to have the opportunity to do play here. None more than tonight’s performer the gorgeous and extremely talented Carrie Underwood. With artists […]

In 25 words or less: ‘Invisible Stars’ is a welcome return after six years for Everclear and to a sound you instantly know that has been updated to suit today. Remember this one… “We can live beside the ocean, leave the fire behind.  Swim out past the breakers, watch the world die…” We first heard Everclear back in 1995 with […]

In 25 words or less:  ‘The Brightest Light’ is fresh, it’s new, it’s diverse, it’s rockin’ and King Cannons may just be your new favourite band. I’ve been excited about this pending release from the second I heard ‘Take The Rock’ from King Cannons’ debut EP back in 2010… yeah, that long I personally have been waiting for this debut […]

In 25 words or less: Rick Springfield rules! Tribute albums – now aren’t they always an interesting proposition, there sure have been some shockers released over the years, others just unnecessarily bastardise some true classic songs, then there’s the flip side….who are these albums for the listening pleasure of?  In the case of the cynical out there reading this, you […]

Third albums are generally an interesting enough prospect in themselves for both band and fan, but combine that with some lineup changes, releasing said third album via a new record label and on the back of all six band members making the commitment to basically drop everything and head to Sweden with the determination to come back with a career […]

“Legacy is a high octane concoction of 80’s influenced hard rock, AOR, modern metal and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal…full of fist pumping whoaaaaaaa, whoooooaaaa’s” Well aren’t these boys from Essex, UK who call themselves The Morning After and deliver a totally 80’s influenced amalgam of hard rock, AOR, modern metal and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, an […]

“When it comes to Hartmann it’s all about earthy melodic rock songs with a dollop of blues and modern rock elements” Hartmann – Balance, this being the fourth album now from the former At Vance frontman Oliver Hartmann.  More than just that claim to fame however, Oliver Hartmann possesses some mighty vocal chords which has seen him contribute them to […]

It’s been interesting following the fortunes of Norway’s Wig Wam who initially blasted onto the scene back in 2005 with their entry into the Eurovision song contest with In My Dreams.  Similarly over in Sweden, there was The Poodles who followed a similar trajectory.  Both bands have struggled to shake their Eurovision moniker and quite frankly, also to be taken […]

“Delivers everything you would expect from an album featuring a Rambo like guitarist with a machine gun guitar.  There’s loads of gargantuan guitar work, some massive fist pumping anthems” Kane Roberts – for some he may be best known as probably one of the most identifiable members of Alice Cooper’s band, the hulk like guitarist with an arsenal of machine […]

“World Of Pain shows that Angel King are more than adept at delivering some pretty hot sleaze rock songs, but just not a whole albums worth.” Unfortunately, when you come from Sweden as Angel King do and when you have the tag of glam/sleaze rock, immediately the expectations of those from this corner of the world in Australia are sky high. […]

Eve 6, yes this is the same band that back in 1998 had a radio hit here in Australia with Inside Out, the song that saw the at the time teenagers “wanting to put their tender heart in a blender”.  For me, Eve 6 is best defined by their second album Horrorscope which in the year 2000 was as close […]

In 25 words or less: Millencolin fans out there, I’m sure most of you have already bought this already….if you haven’t, what the hell are you waiting for?  First things first, Happy 20th anniversary to Millencolin, you crazy Swedish punksters!  In celebration of their 20 years, the guys have just released The Melancholy Connection, which is essentially a follow on from the 1999 […]

Sydney couldn’t have been more beautiful tonight, with the Vivid festival lighting up Circular Quay and people flocking to watch the lights covering the buildings, there were even more people in the area this evening to head in to the iconic Sydney Opera House to catch Train and Matt Nathanson in probably my favourite pairing of the year so far. […]

“From seriously the most dependable artist in my entire collection, I applaud Richard Marx for yet another exceptional release.” Whilst this observation hasn’t been completely lost on me over the years, sitting down to write this review, I was reminded that when it comes to albums I’ve owned, Marx’s bazillion selling Repeat Offender album would sit somewhere amongst the first 10 […]

“Dominated by melodic rock right to the very end, this is the album that many Hardline fans have most likely been waiting for since Double Eclipse.” Whilst the lineup of Hardline has changed much over the course of the bands 20 odd year history and 4 albums, there has been one constant – the unmistakable vocals of Johnny Gioeli, surely […]

“I can’t explain why it only took the opening 10 seconds of Wishing Well for Daniel Pearson to have me completely hooked, but it did.” Isn’t music just a wonderful thing, or more specifically, aren’t our own personal reactions to music an even more wonderful thing?  Like I often do, do you often sit and wonder why sometimes your ears and […]

The Delta Riggs have been kicking around now for the best part of around 5 years or so, and on this, their latest EP, this really shows, for this is one heck of a great rock ‘n’ roll release from one very tight, highly capable band.  With fellow bands like Stonefield and My Dynamite currently blazing the trail of Aussie […]

Melbourne four piece The Hiding have recently released their debut EP, which given the comparative success of the anthemic, textured style of pop rock that they play, it’s an EP with a potential massive reach not only here in Australia, but undoubtedly the USA.  Million Miles Away opens the EP with it’s boundless energy and electro rock tinges, whilst 6 […]

In 25 words or less: “It is the music of H.E.A.T that provides the soundtrack for the utopian world that I, Scott A Smith, Esquire lives, here in 2012.” When I first discovered Swedish melodic rockers H.E.A.T back in 2008 on the back of their self titled, debut release, there was something so magical for me personally in what H.E.A.T […]

In 25 words or less:  Great songs, perfect harmonies, and an overall well-made modern country rock record. You should know by now that we cover a wide range of Rock music here at May The Rock Be With You, and one of my personal favourite genres is the new breed of ‘Country Rock’. Gone are the days of the traditional […]

Buckcherry – Paramount, Huntington, NY, USA 18 May 2012, by Paul Miles Photo Gallery:  http://rockshots.paul-miles.com/Music/Buckcherry-Long-Island-NY/23117936_PHWQFm As the train from Manhattan pulled out and headed towards the leafy town of Huntington on the north shore of Long Island, I cast my mind back to the previous times I had seen Buckcherry play: a few shows around Japan back in 2008, then the […]

In summary: Love them, hate them or just like them a little bit, Trixter make fun rock songs, so just listen to this and enjoy it for what it is, a cool rock record. Frontiers Records is renowned for reinventing artists and giving these 80’s and 90’s bands in essence a second shot at what they love, and that’s making […]

In 25 words or less: “A friendly, accessible, enjoyable album that is perfect to just relax to and zone out.” The newest album from Keane has just been released and only being familiar with previous hits I’ve never sat down and listened to a full album but I’m looking forward to doing so this time around if the opening track […]

In 25 words or less: ‘Prog, Metal, Thrash, Rock, Doom, take your pick, you’ve got it all here…’ In the what seems to be an ever growing list of bands we’ve not heard of contacting us, we give you Tribune and their new album ‘Elder Lore / The Dark Arts’, so let’s see what we’re in for. This band from […]

Being a hometown show for Calling All Cars, I rocked up to the Hi-Fi Bar on a wintery Melbourne, Friday night, expecting to be greeted by a reasonably packed house, so was somewhat amazed upon entry to find the Hi-Fi Bar pretty damn empty.  For those who turned up later on, shame on you for missing Perth band Arts Martial […]