In 2023, Trashcan Sinatras frontman John Douglas released his long awaited solo debut. Rooted in acoustic based material, the eponymously named record allowed fans to experience a much more introspective performer. This follow up EP finds the musician branching out just a little – with the help of friends Boo Hewerdine, Eddi Reader and others – but the material still retains a very sophisticated singer-songwriter approach, which fans mightn’t associate with his better known band work.
Author Archives: Real Gone
Ember Belladonna shares new video for ‘The Grove’
Ember Belladonna’s debut album ‘The Grove’ is one of 2024’s more interesting metal releases. Promoted under the folk metal banner, the bulk of the material takes the cult subgenre beyond its typical remit. Ember isn’t interested in assaulting her audience with massive jigs – as per those pioneering Skyclad records – and her material doesn’t venture into the black metal infused extremes of a band like Northern Oak. Her take on folk metal comes from a much purer place where gothic metal riffs prop up some fantasic new age melodies, often with Ember’s flute work at the forefront.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #79
Welcome back to the Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This selection brings the arrival of a couple of familiar faces under a new name, a moody number from an up-and-coming singer songwriter, a noisy reworking of something very familiar, a brilliant acoustic offering…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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The Kilograms to head out on US tour; appearing with Big D & The Kids Table on select dates
Ska punk reggae supergroup The Kilograms, featuring Sammy Kay and ex-Mighty Mighty Bosstones man Joe Gittleman, released an enjoyable EP during the first quarter of 2024. Although only a two track single has emerged since then, The Kilograms have continued to be a going concern and have been appearing at live venues across the US.
They’ve got another tour on the horizon, kicking off in December, then taking the band into 2025. Many of next year’s early dates will find The Kilograms sharing stages with 90s ska favourites Big D & The Kids Table.
SUNSTORM – Restless Fight
When Joe Lynn Turner left Sunstorm it was truly the end of an era. The arrival of the always busy Ronnie Romero allowed the band to explore a harder sound on 2021’s ‘Afterlife’ and 2022’s ‘Brothers In Arms’, but they essentially sounded like a different band. They were still capable of enjoyable tunes, but for those who’d enjoyed hearing Joe belt out classic AOR tunes like ‘Gina’ (originally recorded by Michael Bolton before he turned his back on rock music in favour of an easy listening crowd) and ‘You Wouldn’t Know Love’ (a staple from Cher’s rock period), the “new” Sunstorm might not have always hit the mark.
The band’s eighth studio album ‘Restless Fight’ could easily have had its name inspired by Sunstorm’s inner turmoil. The only musician on this record to have appeared on a prior Sunstorm disc is Romero – the golden boy of the Frontiers Records stable – who with three years loyal service can now consider himself a Sunstorm veteran. Everyone else has been a member of this band since 2023. The record label obviously considers the Sunstorm name to be of some bankable value, even if, on paper, this seems a little too close to “Rod Evans’ New Deep Purple” for comfort. Moving on from any quibbles as to how this could possibly be anything more than another Ronnie Romero album, on its own terms, most of ‘Restless Fight’ is actually great. Far better than it had any real right to be.