^{A regular recap highlighting some of my favourite album releases each month. I don’t do “reviews” – this is simply a few words about the albums that appeal to me and about the artists releasing them. Tracks from these albums will have been featured on the Friday NI Rocks Shows over the past few months. This month we focus on new albums from L.A. Guns, Rock Out, Those Damn Crows, Laurenne/Louhimo, Sign of the Wolf, Harem Scarem and Anthony Gomes}

 

_{L.A. GUNS – “Leopard Skin” – Cleopatra 4^th April}

_{Californian legends L.A. Guns released their latest album, “Leopard Skin”, through Cleopatra Records on 4^th April. This is the fifth studio album to be released since singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns reunited in 2017.   The track “Taste It” featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in February, followed by “Lucky Motherfucker” on 5^th April.}

 

_{Phil Lewis was a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show in 2017 - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3228-ni-rocks-interview-with-phil-lewis-from-la-guns - whilst Tracii Guns had been a guest back in 2015, prior to him re-uniting with Phil for L.A. Guns - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/2196-ni-rocks-interview-with-tracii-guns.html}

 

_{The full band line-up is Phil Lewis on vocals, Tracii Guns on guitar, Adam Hamilton on drums, Johnny Martin on bass and Ace Von Johnson on guitar.}

 

_{Website - http://www.lagunsmusic.com/}

 

 _{****************************************}

 _{ROCK-OUT – “Let’s Call It Rock N Roll” – Frontiers 11^th April}

_{Swiss band Rock-Out released their third album, “Let’s Call It Rock n Roll” through Frontiers Music on 11^th April. The band formed in 2012 and released their debut album in 2018. Their second album, “Stand Together” followed in 2020. This is their first release with Frontiers.}

 

_{The title track featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 14^th March, whilst “American Way” was included on the Show on 11^th April and again on 2^nd May.}

 

_{Rock-Out are Florian Badertscher on lead vocals and guitar, Severin Held on guitar, Luca Gfeller on bass and David Bärtschi on drums.}

 

_{Website - https://rockoutband.ch/}

 

 _{****************************************}

 _{THOSE DAMN CROWS – “God Shaped Hole” – Earache 11^th April}

_{Welsh band Those Damn Crows released their fourth album, “God Shaped Hole”, through Earache Records on 11^th April. It then went to number one on the UK album charts. There was a special promo feature for the new album on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 11^th April; which included the track “Let’s Go Psycho”, “The Night Train” and “Glass Heart”. That first track had featured on the Show back in June 2024, whilst “Glass Heart” was included previously in November. The track “No Surrender” was on the Show on 7^th February ; “Dreaming” on 4^th April and “Dancing With The Enemy” on 2^nd May.  In addition, “Glass Heart” was included on the NI Rocks A-Z Show on 6^th May and “Let’s Go Psycho!” on 13^th May.}    

  

 

_{The band formed in 2014 and their debut album “Murder and the Motive” was originally released independently in 2016, before being re-released in 2018. The guys were guests on the Friday NI Rocks Show a couple of weeks after the initial release - https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/2835-ni-rocks-interview-with-those-damn-crows}

 

_{Those Damn Crows are Shane Greenhall on vocals, David Winchurch and Ian ‘Shiner’ Thomas on guitars, Lloyd Wood on bass and Ronnie Huwford on drums.}

 

_{Website - https://thosedamncrows.com/}

 

_{*****************************************************}

_{LAURENNE/LOUHIMO – “Falling Through Stars” – Frontiers 18^th April}

_{“Falling Through Stars” is the second album from the collaboration between Finnish singers Noora Louhimo from Battle Beast and Netta Laurenne from Smackbound. It was released on 18^th April through Frontiers Music. The track “Damned” was featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show in February, followed by “The Cradle” on 21^st March and the title track on 4^th April.}

 

_{In addition to Noora and Netta, the album features Sampo Haapaniemi on drums, Pasi Heikkilä on bass, Vili Itäpelto on keyboards and Mikko Kosonen and Nino Laurenne on guitars.}

 

_{Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/laurennelouhimo}

 

 _{*********************************************************}

_{SIGN OF THE WOLF – “Sign of the Wolf” – Escape Music 24^th April}

_{Sign of the Wolf is a new project created by producer Bruce Mee and Escape Music with the aim of replicating the sound of Ronnie James Dio and the classic Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio albums. All the tracks on the album feature Andrew Freeman on vocals as well as a host of top-notch musicians.}

 

_{On guitar there is Doug Aldrich, Fredrik Folkare and Steve Morris; on drums there is Vinny Appice, Josh Devine and Johan Kullberg; on bass there is Chuck Wright and Mark Boals and on keyboards there is Tony Carey, Mark Mangold and Steve Mann.}

 

_{The track “Rage of Angels” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 7^th March and “The Last Unicorn” on 2^nd May.}

 

_{I had the ash grey and Dracula double vinyl version pre-ordered from the Escape Music website - https://www.the-music-shop.net/}

 

_{Several of the artists have been guests on the Friday NI Rocks Show – Doug Aldrich (2020), Steve Mann (2022) and Mark Mangold (2021)}

_{https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3721-ni-rocks-interview-with-doug-aldrich-revolution-saints-the-dead-daisies-etc}

_{https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3850-ni-rocks-interview-with-steve-mann}

_{https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3806-ni-rocks-interview-with-mark-mangold}

 

_{*********************************************************}

_{HAREM SCAREM – “Chasing Euphoria” – Frontiers 25^th April}

_{“Chasing Euphoria” is the sixteenth studio album from Canadian band Harem Scarem – if you include the two that they released as ‘Rubber’ and don’t include the re-recordings of “Mood Swings”. The album was released by Frontiers Music on 25^th April. The track “Reliving History” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show in February, followed by “Chasing Euphoria” on 7^th March.}

 

_{Harem Scarem formed in 1987 and over the next 21 years released twelve albums before taking a five year hiatus and returning in 2013. This is just their fourth album since reforming. Founding members vocalist Harry Hess and guitarist Pete Leperance remain in the band, with the latter also playing bass on the new album. Original drummer Darren Smith has credits for lead and back vocals on the album, with Creighton Doane being the drummer (since 2001).}

 

_{Harry Hess, who also has a very successful history as a producer and song writer. He was a guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show back in 2017.}

_{https://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3129-ni-rocks-interview-with-harry-hess-from-harem-scarem}

 

_{Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/harem.scarem.band}

 

 _{*******************************************}

_{ANTHONY GOMES – “Praise The Loud” – RatPak Records 25^th April}

_{Canadian artist Anthony Gomes released his latest album, “Praise The Loud”, through RatPak Records on 25^th April. I had the blue and black splatter vinyl version ordered from his website. The title track featured on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 14th and 28^th March, followed by “True That” on 11^th April, “Rock and Roll Bluesman” on 25^th April and “Blame It On Rock n Roll” on 9^th May.}

 

_{Various sources state that Anthony Gomes released his debut album “Blues In Technicolour” in 1998, although there seem to be some earlier recordings that were re-released after he signed to Up 2 Zero Entertainment. He has built up a strong following over the years, supporting artists such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Heart and Robert Plant and touring widely. We were fortunate enough to see him play Belfast earlier this year.}

 

_{Gomes signed with Rat Pak Records for the release of “High Voltage Blues” in 2022.}

_{Website - https://www.anthonygomes.com/}