Formed in 2017 by English vocalist/guitarist John Payne (ex-Asia, GPS) and American keyboard player Erik Norlander (Last In Line, Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists), Dukes Of The Orient's ‘Freakshow' is due to be released next Friday 7th August, of which, 'The Monitors', is today's Video Of The Day. It's the second album by the Prog AOR duo, and Payne’s powerful arena-seasoned vocals carry soaring melodies and lush harmonies over the sea of classic synthesisers and keyboards, artfully painted with Norlander’s signature sonic palette. Payne and Norlander had worked together in 'Asia Featuring John Payne', an offshoot of the British Progressive Rock group which Payne was a member from 1991 to 2006, when Asia's original lineup reunited. Following lead singer John Wetton's death, Payne and Norlander formed DOTO as a vehicle to release new material, both out of respect for Wetton, and to distinguish themselves from Payne's former band.

Seminal US Bay Area Melodic Power Metal band Vicious Rumors are set to unleash their searing new studio album ‘Celebration Decay’ on Friday 21st August, and in advance they have already released earlier this month their first single from the album, ‘Death Eternal’, to be followed by their second single, ‘Pulse Of The Dead', on Friday 7th August. It's the follow-up to 2016’s highly acclaimed ‘Concussion Protocol’, and ‘Celebration Decay’ is the band's lucky thirteenth studio album - an even more more accomplished successor, which packs an even harder musical punch. Originally when they set off on tour in 2018, Vicious Rumors mastermind Geoff Thorpe, long-standing drummer Larry Howe, new vocalist Nick Courtney plus new guitarist Gunnar Dügrey had only planned twenty concerts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1988 classic ‘Digital Dictator! As they say, the rest is history, as Vicious Rumors march on, including a three part mini documentary on the making of ‘Celebration Decay', the first episode of which was aired at the end of last month.

ike many musicians and bands around the world, members of Montreal's Heavy Stoner Rockers Paradise have been separated from one another as a precaution to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not able to see each other to have regular jams along with postponements of performances, the band, consisting of Fred Crew Grr (guitar), Matt Hias (drums), Fred Kelly (bass), R.L. Black (vocals) and Frank Kelly (lead guitar), has adapted to the state of the world and continues to promote their heavy and winding arrangements of Corrosive Rock with the creation of a new quarantine video series entitled "From The Van". Today's Track Of The Day is their first FTV video, 'Away From You', taken from their new eponymous album released in March, that sways on the line between Hard Stoner Rock and Pure Heavy Metal.

Multi-talented, pigeonhole-defying guitarmeister and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Ross recently released his first sweet-sounding single, and today's Video Of The Day, 'The Loser', from his excellent new, genre-crossing 10-track solo album ‘The Clovis Limit Pt.2’, which itself is due out on Friday 30th October. Listeners may well detect the piquant flavours of Humble Pie and similar ingredients in the sound and feel of ‘The Loser’, yet it has less of Mike’s trademark Heavy Blues electric guitar fuzz and drive than many of the tracks on the new album, but that just gives the limelight to his other facets. Indeed, it’s a fine, original song, which begins the roll-out of fresh material from a new album that’s remarkably strong on multiple fronts: a showcase for Mike’s songwriting and musicianship on multiple instruments. The close-knit sound that this impressive, multi-tracked, approach produces belies its one-man-band origins! A man wearing many hats, with aplomb and a grin, Ross is also the vocalist and producer, and he whistles too!

Six-time Grammy nominees Brothers Osborne will release their third studio album, 'Skeletons', on Friday 9th October, and the duo recently played one of its tracks, 'All Night', as part of “CMA Summer Stay-Cay”, which is today's Track Of The Day. The single has already cracked Top 40 on the Country airplay charts in the US, and was the No.1 most added song upon its debut. Guitarist John and vocalist/guitarist TJ Osborne teamed up with longtime producer Jay Joyce for 'Skeletons', co-writing every track on the project along with frequent collaborators Lee Miller, Craig Wiseman, Natalie Hemby, Casey Beathard and more.

Peter Green, the dexterous Blues guitarist who led the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, sady passed away yesterday, aged 73. The legendary guitarist and singer founded the group alongside Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Jeremy Spencer in 1967, and despite his latter demons, he was still ranked as one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Indeed, he was responsible for many of the band's early hits, including 'Black Magic Woman', 'Albatross' and today's Video Of The Day, 'Oh Well'.

Musician Jack Bates (The Loved & Lost) along with Guido McFister and Mucka Jay of Breaking Bands Festival, have been working on a new music magazine TV show, Eyes on the Scene, which tonight launches its pilot episode here at 7pm UK time. The three hour programme brings together live lockdown performances, special guest appearances, music news and some fun too! Each subsequent episode will be live on the last Sunday of the next three months.

"You can find yourself asking yourself why they bothered. Happily, that is not remotely the case here. There are probably two reasons for that: firstly, these are all great songs that would sound good recorded with a bunch of anonymous session players – Dion has written this collection over a period of 3-4 years (with long time co-writer Mike Aquilina) and they reflect writing skills honed over six decades (in one case revisiting the title number for non-released 1965 album ‘Kickin’ Child’) - and secondly, rather than being the dreamchild of a business exec’ looking to cash in, the collaborations began in an organic, non-planned manner, with happy results.” Today read another one of our great album reviews, as Simon Green gives you his take here on Dion's CD 'Blues With Friends', which was released last month, plus check out our Video Of The Day.

Be warned that comedian, DJ and author Pete K Mally, is streaming The Pete K Mally Stand-Up Show Show at 7pm on Friday 14 August, and if you use the limited code PETEK2020, you can get a discount off your ticket here. Pete spent his youth defending his love of Classic Rock and Metal, and he gets the hump when High Street stores are flaunting AC/DC , Iron Maiden and Ramones t-shirts as simple fashion accessories (we've earned these stripes). He is a regular compere at Rock festivals and recently supported Wayward Sons and The Last Great Dreamers before lockdown. Now in his forties he openly listens to Poison and is unashamed in this (a little).

Following their critically acclaimed 2019 album, 'City Night', legendary British Blues Rock band Savoy Brownrelease their exciting new album, 'Ain’t Done Yet', on Friday 28th August via Quarto Valley Records, of which 'All Gone Wrong' is today's Track Of The Day. Led by guitarist/singer/songwriter Kim Simmonds, who formed the band in 1965 in London, Savoy Brown is one of the longest running Blues Rock bands in existence. Blues Rock became the catch-all phrase in the late 1960's to describe the band’s music along with that of their contemporaries, and they helped spawn the 1968 UK Blues Rock boom and later opened the eyes of many 1970's American teenagers to their own home territory Blues artists.

Today's latest Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day is another two hours of non stop Best in Blues and beyond with More Music and Less Chat, featuring new releases, classic tracks and UK IBBA Presenters' Picks, including music from Willie Nelson, Dave Thomas, Nathaniel Rateliff, Gravel & Grace, Ruthie Foster, Bridget Kelly Band, Dion, Wily Bo Walker, Emma Wilson (pictured), Roomful Of Blues, Albert Collins, Nick Steed, Tower Of Power, Jim Kilpatrick, Jose Ramirez, Brent Carter & Friends and many more.

Today heralds the release of Geoff Carne & The Raw Rox Band's ‘Big Town’ album, a ten-song collective, of which the second track on the album, 'Hold On', is today's Video Of The Day. This release not only follows on from the full studio production of Geoff Carne & The Hatz's 'Caught on the Outside', with its Tom Petty vibe, at the start of this year, but the single was also released prior to longstanding drummer Mick Hatz announcing his retirement in February. Since then vocalist/guitarist Carne has released three acoustic EP's, and to bring the versions to life, Geoff’s producer Paul Mex reached out to experienced session musicians, the Raw Rox Band, namely Jim Black – bass guitar, Zoki Jovanoski – drums, Bob Calvert – keyboards and Arby ‘Slash’ Rockman – lead guitar.