LAYLA ZOE

LOUD PARK

RITCHIE KOTZEN

MOONKINGS

URIAH HEEP & SAXON

RE VAMP!

See some amazing shots of ReVamps try out gig in Roermond, The Netherlands.

Let’s admit... We had some doubts before going to the show, but afterwards all we can say is... It was a blast! Floor Janssen is back with an exciting band and a superb album called “Wild Card”... And the world should know it. Click HERE to see some nice shots taken at the ECI in Roermond. Our thanx goes out to Roger Rutten.

Upcoming ReVAmp shows at the Metal Female Voices Fest in Wieze, Belgium and a double tour with Kamelot which takes them to fi Cologne and Genk (Belgium).

Check them out!

THEY ARE JOLLY GOOD FELLAS!

Believe it or not, but we never heard of this band before we saw them on tour opening for Riverside... So we had no idea what to expect. In fact we had no idea if we “had” to be on time for ‘thàt’ opening band. But from the first notes playing they catched us by full surprise.

This band, JOLLY, is a band to check out. Some call it progressive Rock, others might go for alternative rock... We call it JOLLY-rock. It’s fun, it’s loud, it’s a complete guide to Hapiness... But most of all, amazing musicians and a style which you can compare in fact with... no-one, with... nothing else.

The latest two JOLLY Albums are out in Europe on “Inside Out” and our tip goes out to The audio Guide to Happiness Volume 1.

The strange thing about this album is actually that there are at least two songs on it which are thàt good that they should bring the band the status of global-fame. But if not and 2014 will ‘just’ bring them towards the smaller halls like de Bosuil or Spirit of 66 once again... No big deal: WE WILL BE ON THE FRONT ROW!

A perfect song fi to discover this band is: JOY

Another way to discover them is: the JOLLY picture page. Ha!

Our thx goes out to Rob Palmen for introuding us. Cheers!

Btw, Jolly is opening some gigs in the US for... The Winery Dogs!

WINERY DOGS COMING UP!

Let’s be honest, I could have KILLED Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan when they first came up with John Sykes as guitarist and singer for their new project and later on cancelled ‘the whole damn thing’ because it took John toooo long to get his car rollin’.

I am a big Billy Sheehan fan since the early days of TALAS’, I am a big Mike Portnoy fan since he came walkin’ in with Dream Theater and I am an even bigger John Sykes fan since I saw him playing his first gigs with the Tygers... So THE dream died before even starting!

Ritchie Kotzen took over and their first -selftitled- album is out since a few weeks.

Am I dissapointed?

Far from...

Ritchie Kotzen did a job like John Sykes could NEVER EVER have done and the 13 track debutalbum (Yes we went for the Japanese one, as this CD features ‘Criminal’ as extra track)  is so far my favorite album of 2013. Watch the track CRIMINAL Live in Sao Paulo HERE

Next saturday we will see the band performing in Cologne, so in less than a week you can expect a bunch of live pictures of this amazing trio.

And yes...

We are still waiting for the next John Sykes-release...

But once again Kotzen is at his very best on this CD and amazes me

with every listening. Respect!

PPM FEST ROCKED!

We have our first big Festival of the year behind us, and all we can say in PPM ROCKED! It’s time that this festival in Mons finds it’s place between the biggest names in Rockfestivals on this continent. The line-up was promising with bands as Helloween, Gamma Ray, Firewind, Behemoth and so many others. And of course, especially NOT to forget, the re-born QUEENSRYCHE.  Due to the fact that we know many of these bands already longer than 20-25 years, we had the priviledge to photograph quite often the full show, instead of (just) the 3 first songs, which brought up some spectacular photographs.

Click HERE to go to the special PPM-division, knowing that we are building it up right now... So please be patient! Enjoy!

RITCHIE KOTZEN - WE WALKED WITH HIM (All the way!)

My memories towards Ritchie Kotzen go long way back.

I guess it was somewhere in the middle of the eighties, maybe end of, when Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records did send me a demo over, asking what I thought of the stuff on „that” tape with Ritchie Kotzen written on it. Yes, we are indeed talking about those good old days, featuring demo tracks on cassette… and if the dream would come true, maybe even a recorddeal to follow up. I did work a bit with Mike in the early eighties, when he just started his Recordlabel as a young guy, full of R&R dreams (hopes and goals) and my name even ended up on some of his first US METAL releases during those magic moments.

Back to that demo and back to when it all started, it is not really needed to say that Kotzen has travelled a long way since. Somehow I must say that my interest in his music had some serious hills to climb. Going up and sometimes falling even deeper down. Of course there was his period in Poison, his amazing Project with Greg Howe, his work with Mr. Big and for sure not to forget, his immense victory with the Winery Dogs… But solo-wise I did miss a few steps in his career. Let’s say somewhere between 2000 and 2010 I kinda lost him out of sight.

READ MORE>>>

JAKE E LEE IS BACK (NO VENGEANCE NEEDED!)

Hell Yeah! Their debutalbum just begged for live-versions of the songs, so we were -the least to say- excited when Red Dragon Cartel’s management announced a small European Tour, with highlights at Download Festival and Sweden Rock!

But of course also some small club Tour concerts were planned, so we picked up the Tilburg 013 gig to start with...

The band Jake brought over  exists out of rather unknown musicians, and due to some critics I read on the web, I had little doubts about the live performance of  singer D.J. Smith (who is also the drummer of the current Harem Scarem Line-up). But to start right away, D.J blew the audience away. This guy has a GREAT voice and is a great performer, so don’t bullshit me!

Although the lead vocals on some songs on the album are done by different singers( Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Paul Di Anno of old Maiden glory), Darren handled thàt  job in his own extraordinary way. “Showbeast with a troath to die for!” Jake E Lee took the right one for this job!

But it would be wrong to give this guy all the honours as Jake has put together a damn good rythmn section with Jonas Fairley on drums and the awesome Ronnie Mancuso on bass. And Jake E...? Well HE IS BACK and for sure doesn’t need any VENGEANCE! He was one of the finest guitarplayers on this planet and stiil is.

He gives a little glimpse towards his Ozzy Period, takes just a small part out of the amazing Badlands-collection (Yes, Ray Gillen is still among us!)... but, and that’s a little bit dissapointing.... forgot a little bit how good his own new album is! As long time fan I wanted to hear the freshly born Wasted, I wanted to hear Deceived at least 3 times and in fact... I needed to hear that new album LIVE in it’s totality. But apart from that: AWESOME GIG! Later on some more pictures of the gig in Maastricht, but for now, click HERE to see, what the band itself calls, the best RED DRAGON CARTEL-live pictures they ever saw. Who are we to disagree with them???

New FIREWIND pictures updated!

New BLACK LABEL SOCIETY pics!

AVANTASIA alive in Sweden online!

DANI KOI

www.rommelrock.be

NEW EVERGREY PICTURES ONLINE  

NEW EXCLUSIVE

Soon online: Axel Rudi Pell, Tyketto, Jaded Heart, Shinedown, Y&T, Dead By April, Thin Lizzy, Gotthard, Doro, Uriah Heep, Loudness, ...