review

What the press say: Chinawhite – Evolution (?)

chinawhite - evolutionContinuing on my quest to catch up on a lot of things for the label, how about some quotes for the latest album by Chinawhite? No objection you say? Fine, here we go!

  • Stutter’s Gabor had lots of nice things to say: 8.3 / 10. Read what he writes here
  • French site Metal Integral hand out a 16/20 and say “musicians and a singer of very good level who will save you the sometimes disappointments linked to groups of young people who are just starting out”
  • Fabulous wordsmith Dmitry from Canada writes on his DMME site “Philosophical treatise on existential crisis from international think-tank who thrive on melody”and 4 / 5 stars
  • Dutch site White Room Reviews is pleased: “Anyone who likes hard rock that is easy to pick up, is well served with this foursome”
  • Spanish writes Viri AOR recommends the album and says “Hard rock with progressive influences. A very solid and interesting release!
  • a 7 / 10 from German site Crossfire Metal
  • a 3.7 / 5 from Rock Hard Slovakia “Most of the eleven songs sound like melodic hard rock with a pinch of progressive elements, with well-crafted, harmonious vocals and catchy choruses. There is an interesting rhythm section, sharp guitar riffs and quite impressive solos. The bass guitar is also an ornament of the recording”
  • a whopping 4/5 stars from Jon Neudorf at Sea Of Tranquility (USA) who confesses “This is the first time I have heard the band and what a revelation it has been. Evolution is an excellent hard rock/metal disc. The lead vocals are stellar, the riffs catchy, and the rhythm section drives it all home in dramatic and powerful fashion”
  • a mindblowing 9/10 comes from UK’s Powerplay magazine: chinawhite powerplay review
  • also from the UK, Fireworks: fireworks review chinawhite
  • also a review from the German Rock Hard: rock hard review chinawhite
  • and last but not least: there has also been an extensive interview with the band and PowerPlay writer Nicky Baldrian. This is a big file (8MB) so be patient…

 

What the Press say: Tragik – Ultima Ratio

tragik - ultima ratioOn the brink of the release of the new Tragik Album, high time we let you in on the comments from the press about current Tragik release Ultima Ratio:

  • Get Ready To Rock hand out 3.5 / 5 stars and say: “Tragik is the most melodic rock sounding and certainly where I’d recommend a new listener to Phil Vincent’s extensive catalogue of music to start. In fact this album is as good as any place to start and existing fans of his work & Tragik will find much to enjoy on ‘Utlima Ratio’ “
  • Dutch site Rock Portaal write: “Just nice unadulterated and above all pure rock”
  • From Canada DMME writer Dmitry writes “Drawing the line through this divided world, hard rock veterans deliver a blow to boredom” resulting in 4/5 stars!
  • Basbayannis from Greece: “For all of you who like their rock, catchy, modern and a bit sugar coated at some points, TRAGIK have the package” 7/0
  • Dutch site White Room Reviews: “the diversity in the songs and the excellent guitar work ensure that the enthusiast can enjoy this extensively”
  • from the USA writer Jon Neudorf writes on the Sea Of Tranquility website: “Ultima Ratio is an excellent slice of catchy hard rock that is positively addictive. Highly recommended”
  • UK’s own Woody’s Rock Reviews say: “Another strong and enjoyable album from Phil Vincent which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and its with a big smile I add Tragik’s ‘Ultima Ratio’ to my ever-expanding Phil Vincent collection!” and note a 8/10
  • and somewhere on this Strutter page you can read Gabor’s thoughts about the album, a 8.2 / 10 points “the result is always crystal clear quality melodic rock”

Find the album here or here, ask your favourite cd seller and it is also available on all digital platforms.

 

What the Press say: Phil Vincent – Stigmata

phil vincent - stigmataWith another album (No Respect) just released, this seems a little late to the party. Still I think it’s worthwhile to inform you about the things the press had to say about this one:

  • Rockportaal writes: “filled with classic rock songs”
  • a 7 / 10 from Italian Heavy Metal Webzine
  • 8.5 / 10 from German site Crossfire  “well made Eighties Arena Rock. Onwards!”
  • another 8 comes from Basbayiannis “Phil Vincent along with O’Regan delivers an album that should be on the list of the top melodic albums for 2021, but as we all know life is not fair, at least he is persistent and productive and we support his artistic dream”
  • no less than 18/20 comes from French site Metal Integral “The result is this inspired, varied album which is surely my favorite since the first CRANSTON in 2016. I invite you to discover this talented musician through this superb Stigmata”
  • The Rocker says “this is up there with his best recordings”
  • Swiss Metal Factory hand out 7.6 / 10 and think it is a fun listen
  • UK’s The Mayfair Mallzine urge you to buy it: “And there you have it folks, another cracking solo album from Rock worlds hardest worker, Phil Vincent, and one that you definitely need to check out … so go on then, don’t just sit there reading this, it’s called ‘STIGMATA’!!!”

Album available on al digital platforms as well as on CD. For instance here.

What the Press Say: D’Ercole, Age of Aqarius, Earthshine

D'Ercole - Hard Core front age of aquarius - out there earthshine - bridge to infinity front

In this summary you will find reviews for D’Ercole’s Hard Core album, and some more words on Age Of Aquarius’ Out There as well as Earthshine’s Bridge to Infinity album.

  • 81/100 for D’Ercole on Zware Metalen (Heavy Metal) with compliments on vocals, sound, songs and the experienced musicians
  • 17/20 for D’Ercole on Metal Integral “hard rock the way we like it”
  • White Room Reviews compliments D’Ercole for showcasing the width of the rock genre
  • 8.5 / 10 from Crossfire for D’Ercole “strong vocals and catchy tunes”
  • a recommended for a strong album from D’Ercole comes from Rockportaal
  • many compliments for Age Of Aquarius from White Room Reviews “a nice approach to progressive rock in which the balance is well guarded on many fronts. Those who set up and work out all of this themselves, deserve the compliments”.
  • Heavy Metal Webzine took time to discuss the instrumental electronic music of Earthshine. The editor gives it a 6.5, where as readers appoint no less that 7.5 points to the album!
  • The Dutch Progressive Rock Pages also wrote about the Earthshine album. Find that here.

What the Press say: Trigger Mafia

trigger mafia - the brotherhoodSince this album is a year out now, it is high time we let you know about the many amazing reviews this album has been receiving. Just in case you missed it. And, well, because we’re obviously very proud of the album!

So here we go:

  • Interview with The Permanent Rain Press. Founding member Shawn Meehan talks about the band’s origins, their new record and the themes listeners can expect to hear.
  • Sinusoidalmusic.com writes: “The Brotherhood is a tightly packed album with great rock revival hits that sound like the late 90’s and early 00’s. The songs have all the energy you would have before an event (pre-pandemic) and the will to have the time of your life”
  • And Brazilian site Roadie Music says it all with “TRIGGER MAFIA REVIVES CLASSIC HARD ROCK ON “THE BROTHERHOOD””
  • French site Metal Integral hand out a whopping 17/20 stars
  • Given to Rock say: “I definitely recommend listening to The brotherhood by Trigger Mafia, a very enjoyable classic rock album amazingly played and recorded, with great vocals and with the right attitude you want to hear in a record like this but also with a very personal touch by the band. Well done, guys.”
  • More high praise comes from Dmitry at DMME: ” “The Brotherhood” is a fantastic ride – or, rather, the start thereof”, handing out an amazing 4 4/5 out of 5!
  • On to Roxx 2 Metal. A short overview and a couple of video’s to check the album with.
  • Another 8/10 from  Gabor at My Global Mind. “Without a doubt, a must-hear band to check out if you want to hear high class original Melodic Hardrock!”
  • Dutch site White Room Reviews speaks of a “more than fine debut”
  • Another Highly Recommended from Dutch site Rockportaal
  • Strutter are quite overwhelmed by the superb debut album and hand out a 8.8 / 10!
  • and the last one for now is a 7.5 coming from Basbayiannis Music and Book Tales

So there you go, lots of praise and fans of bands like Triumph, Rush, Van Halen, etc, should check it out. The album is available in digital formats and on CD. For instance here.

more reviews catch up

age of aquarius - out there phil vincent - stigmata Legion - Redemption D'Ercole - Hard Core frontStill lots of catching up to do, so here another batch of reviews that our releases received. Click the links to read the full review:

  • no less than 18/20 points for Phil Vincent’s Stigmata opus on French site Metal Integral.
  • also a whopping 8/10 for Age of Aquarius album Out There on Swiss site Metal Factory
  • 4/5 stars for Vincent’s Stigmata album on Get Ready To Rock
  • according to White Room Reviews Legion’s Redemption album proves that they are back for good and are worthy to add to your collection
  • Clair & Obscure wrote quite a long piece on D’Ercole’s Hard Core album and even contacted Phil with some questions.
  • both Stigmata and Hard Core come recommended from Dutch site Rockportaal who applaud the quality on offer
  • more praise for AoA’s Out There CD comes from DMME: “a highly entertaining, and intelligent, opus”, resulting in 4,25 / 5 stars
  • almost the highest possible score (4,8 / 5) from DMME for Phils Stigmata album “Going from strength to strength”
  • crossing many (prog) genres and incorporating many nuances is what Prog Critique says about AoA album Out There
  • and somewhere on this Strutter zine page you can find Gabor’s thoughts on D’Ercole, Age Of Aquarius and Phil Vincent!
  • another Recommended from Made In Metal (Spain) for D’Ercole
  • and according to ViriAOR “This new album from D’Ercole will satisfy even the most demanding listener”

reviews catch up

Legion - Redemptiontragik - faith healerphil vincent - today tomorrow yesterdayD'Ercole - Hard Core frontage of aquarius - out there

 

 

 

The past year(s) have been pretty crazy, so it is way beyond time to reflect on the many great reviews our releases received. It will take a couple of posts, so here we go! (hit the links for full details)

  • The Rocker describes the latest Legion album as “another excellent release”
  • White Room Reviews says Tragik’s Faith Healer is a fine album which will please any lover of melodic hard rock
  • Tragik is also # 16 in the Top 20 of 2020 by Janne Stark.
  • White Room Reviews writes about Phil Vincent’s Today Tomorrow Yesterday: “a CD that celebrates the diversity of PHil Vincent within the hard rock domain”
  • The Rocker, a self proclaimed child of the Eighties says about Tragik’s Faith Healer: “It’s the sound of rock the way it used to be. And the way it should be. A gem.”
  • Janne Stark writes about Phil’s TTY album: “a really good album. I must also point out that Phil is a kick-ass singer who deserves to be heard! “
  • Metal Integral from France describe D’Ercole’s HArd Core album as “Hard US rock the way I like it” and rewards it with 17.5 / 20 points!
  • An extensive review of the second Age Of Aquarius album Out There kan be found on Muzikman: “Out There offers a combination of action-packed, comic book imagery, along with surprise hints of pop-up styles inside the effects of progressive-rock. “
  • Woody’s praises the D’Ercole album as “A top notch melodic hard rock album, get it, enjoy it, smile and Crank it Up!”
  • the 4.5 / 5 stars for Tragik’s Faith Healer from DMME tells you everything. At least it should 🙂
  • rockerhead wastes few words on the Age Of Aquarius album: “great piece of work”
  • For DMME, Phil’s TTY album is “impressive: arguably, the best Vincent’s album to date.”

Reviews Update

aeons in solitude - mourning cloak

phil vincent - today tomorrow yesterdaytragik - faith healerD'Ercole - Hard Core frontLegion - Redemption

 

 

 

It’s been a while since we added new reviews here. And yes, a bunch of last years writings will be missing. But for now let’s try to inform you about what critcs all around had to say about our releases:

  • Pete’s rock news writes about Aeons In Solitude: ““Mourning Cloak” debut is a very promising work. It is intended for the open minded fans of doom metal and gothic metal, but fans of gothic rock and progressive rock/metal will find interest in it. The album’s sweet melancholy and goth vibes reveal the darker shades of human behaviour and psychology. We impatiently await for their next work.”
  • Basbayiannis writes about Phil Vincent’s Today Tomorrow Yesterday: “Surprising uplifting and fresh sounding,… a truly remarkable album”
  • The Mayfair Mall Zine has written more favourable reviews, now for Tragik’s  Faith Healer and for D’Ercole’s Hard Core: “smashing stuff”. Oh and find a heartwarming reaction to Phil’s TTY album there too!
  • Your Music Blog on Legion’s Redemption: “another great album that will not need much time winning you over.”
  • Another “Recommended” from ViriAOR for Phil’s TTY album
  • Get Ready To Rock think Tragik’s Faith Healer is: “Quite possibly the band’s best outing to date and one to play loud, enjoy and forget about all the crap going on in the world right now. ****”
  • Dutch site Rockportaal compliment is that “fans of last century’s rock music will find much to their delight” in regard to Legion, Phil and Tragik
  • Also Strutter reports on Legion, Tragik and Phil’s solo offering in one go. All points are above an 8 so we do not complain!
  • a whopping 4 3/4 (out of 5) stars for Legion from Dmitry at DMME
  • a nice read from The Rocker on Phil: “At least you know where you are with one of his albums, an increasingly rare thing in a fragile world.”

Reviews 2019-12

legion - risingforest field - seasons battersea - arguments & sentiments

On the brink of the new year a last view at some reviews our releases received:

  • Your Music Blog on Legion – Rising ” I know some people are afraid Phil is saturating his fan base with all these releases. But when the outcome is this good, who cares… Bring it on! Well, we already know there is no stopping Phil”
  • DPRP wrote lots of (very positive) things about Forest Field – Seasons: “the music is actually quite enjoyable and definitely worth checking out if you like smooth melodic AOR with an occasional heavy touch.” But they do acknowledge some tracks being more progressive 😉
  • Sea Of Tranquility gives Battersea – Arguments & Sentiments 3 / 5 stars. Not bad considering this release is a bit out of their normal scope. They say ” there’s no denying that Battersea know how to snag a hook and construct a chorus”
  • They also write about Legion and hand it 3.5 / 5 stars. It’s metal you know… “For me Legion finds Phil Vincent at his strongest and I personally wish he’d temper all the other musical activity he’s involved in to really focus his energies here”
  • Next Background Magazine on Forest Field – Seasons: “a step forward for me, more power and not afraid of an experiment” 3/5 stars
  • Then we have Festival Info handing 4/5 stars to Legion – Rising. They recommend checking the album if you are into quality hard rock.
  • On to France where MusicWaves give Forest Field – Seasons 3/5. Despite some strange mistakes and assumptions from the writer, still lots of good things from them.
  • We continue with a 3.75 / 5 from another French magazine, Highlands. This is a very extensive one but my French lacks adequate translation skills.
    FOREST FIELD – SEASONS review in Highlands Mag 99
  • And last but not least a 75/100 from BURRN Japan for Forest Field!
    burrn - forest fieldIf someone would be so kind to translate…

 

 

 

 

Stay Safe and enjoy the festive season!

Reviews 2019-11

forest field - seasonsbattersea - arguments & sentimentsThe Essential Claudio DelgiftCranston IIPhil Vincent - Hypocritelegion - rising

Time to show you another batch of reviews we are very happy to share!

  • first is Dutch site Rockportaal. Writer Hans says “with this fifth Forest Field album, Peter Cox proves our country has a lot to offer musically. This album surprised me in a positive way”
  • Next the feature of Battersea on Your Music Blog: “This is high calibre melodic power pop / pop rock with a slight alternative touch and catchy as the flu in kindergarten”
  • another Dutch one for Forest Field; White Room Reviews writer Ralf says: “The beauty of quality studio work is that one never hears only a few people were involved. Because Peter Cox has everything well organised, Seasons sounds as the result of a well rehearsed progressive rock band”
  • next are a couple from Rock Hard Slovakia. First one concerns Claudio Delgift and his the Essential release: 4/5 stars from Erik who says “”The Essential” is a quality album, where fans of not only progressive and instrumental rock come to their taste and at the same time taste the fruits of the remote fireland of Argentina”
  • Second one is for the second Cranston album who also gets a 4/5 star rating: “The second album is simply labelled with sequential number II and features eleven fresh, crunchy and striking songs”
  • last one from them is from writer Eduard and for Seasons from Forest Field. Another 4/5 stars “If you have met this project in the past and you liked their previous material, you will also like this one. “Seasons” is an aesthetically pleasing piece of music that positively surprised”
  • Also about Forest Field is Jason Ritchie and Get Ready To Rock (UK). 3 1/2 / 5 stars “Forest Field are progressing nicely with their own brand of melodic prog rock. The most rounded and enjoyable to date by them”.  The page also features an interview with Phil Vincent.
  • On the Mayfair Mall homepage you can find links to reviews for Legion, Cranston and Phil Vincent as well as reviews for distribution titles D’Ercole and Tragik. Let’s just say they love them 🙂
  • and the last ones are from The Rocker (UK) and Powerplay Magazine (UK) (wait, 4 instrumentals??) and are also for Forest Field:

the rocker - forest fieldpowerplay - forest field

 

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