Author: Team Uber

Honey Joy – ‘II’ (Everything Sucks Music)

With a name that pretty accurately describes their effect on the listener, London five-piece hyperactive punks Honey Joy are back with their appropriately titled second album ‘II’. Like being blasted by a ray of sunshine while on a sugar-rush, the band blast out the speakers with ‘Diversion Tactics’ and don’t let up with their infectiously fun brand of brilliance from then on in. Nine tracks clocking in at under 20 minutes, Honey Joy most definitely subscribe to the ethos that less is more – and you can’t argue with the results.

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Dukes Of The Orient – ‘Freakshow’ (Frontiers)

Dukes Of The Orient frontman John Payne will be a talent and a voice well known to fans of that mid-Atlantic prog-meets-AOR style of radio-friendly rock as propounded most especially by the likes of Asia. Which should not be surprising as he also fronted that same band for 15 years, in between John Wetton’s departure and subsequent reunion with Geoff Downes, helming the band through six albums and into increasingly muddied musical waters, beset by the storms brought about by decreasing commercial success. Like many artists from that era, Payne initially soldiered on with the Asia name before, out of respect for Wetton following his death in 2017, deciding to place some clear water between his past and present projects…

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The Allman Betts Band – ‘Bless Your Heart’ (BMG)

Just as a recap, the Allman and Betts we are talking about here are Devon and Duane, offspring of two legends of American rock music, namely Greg Allman and Dicky Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. The seven-piece band, which also features Berry Duane Oakley, son of the late Berry Oakley, the Allman Brothers Band original bassist, released their debut album Down To The River’ last year. Now sometimes the children of legendary rock greats who follow in their parents footsteps can fall short of the mark, but that was certainly not the case with this band – they absolutely smashed it, producing an outstanding debut album that echoed the greatness of their parents’ band whilst forging ahead into new territory. Second album ‘Bless Your Heart’ follows little more than a year later, with the band promising to push themselves artistically, and to widen the spectrum.

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Fame On Fire – ‘Levels’ (Hopeless Records)

According to our resident pop punk expert, Fame On Fire is a band that should definitely be on your radar, and there’s a chance that you’ve heard one of their cover songs as it’s what got them straight into the limelight and on people’s minds. This is their debut album where they want to put out everything they can do and show everyone what they have to bring to the world of rock. The album name, ‘Levels’, holds multiple meanings: going through the motions of life, the various ups and downs that everyone can relate to, and about the quest to level-up and continue to progress and move forward.

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Various Artists – ‘Dirt [Redux]’ (Magnetic Eye)

Losing Layne Staley will still go down as one of the biggest losses that rock music has had, certainly, in terms of the manner and age we lost him at. His voice was and remains the inspiration for so many vocalists and was a big part of Alice in Chains’ sound, one that has been since rightfully continued – and in a good manner – by William Duvall. ‘Dirt’ will likely forever be amongst DJ Astrocreep’s favourite albums recorded, so the chance to hear the next generation of artists do their version of such songs was one the big lad couldn’t really pass up.

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