The second Hungarian album is much better than the amateurish debut, but the sound and style of the band is still not fully developed. Traces of psychedelic pop beat in "Petróleum lámpa" are being ever more informed by the burgeoning heavy rock guitar and organ riffs in "Túzvihar". The best compositions, the all-time favourite love ballad "Györgyhajú lány" (shamelessly copied and plagiarised by many, including the German metal legends Scorpions) and the powerfull, with excellent solo guitar, heavy stomping title track ("Ten Thousand Steps" in English), are at the same time the most progressive ones. The gatefold cover desing is very good showing the legacy of psychedelia.

Funky Junction were a kind of lrish 'supergroup' formed in 1972 specifically to record a single album of Deep Purple songs. The band itself consisted of all three members of early Thin Lizzy (Lynott, Bell & Downey) and 2 musicians from less-known band Elmer Fudd. This happened because Lizzy didn't have a keyboard player and Phil Lynott was unable to sing like Ian Gillan, so he ended up playing the bass. Nine tracks (including 3 instrumentals and one original song) were recorded in one day and released in January 1973 in two versions: in UK and USA as ‘Funky Junction Play a Tribute to Deep Purple‘ (on Stereo Gold Award label) and in Germany under the name ‘The Rock Machine Play the Best of Deep Purple‘ (Sonic Records). Front cover of UK edition featured the photo of heavy rock band Hard Stuff (at the time signed to Purple Records)! This very fine and underrated album is recommended to the all fans of hard rock!

Temper Temper is the upcoming fourth studio album by the Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine to be released on February 12, 2013 under RCA Records.The album was once again produced by Don Gilmore, who worked on the group's last album, 2010's Fever, and was mixed by noted engineer Chris Lord-Alge.The band debuted the album's title track live on October 22, 2012 as part of BBC Radio 1's Rock Week. Bullet for My Valentine released the track entitled "Temper Temper" on October 30, 2012 worldwide across all digital providers apart from in the UK where it was released on November 25, 2012. On November 12 a music video for the single "Temper Temper" was released. It was shot in Los Angeles and directed by Michael Dispenza. On December 17th, 2012 the next single was released via YouTube named "Riot". On January 11th, 2013 the music video for "Riot" was released. The band collaborated with Chris Jericho from Fozzy on the song Dead To The World. Jericho helped write the lyrics to the song.

Acclaimed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "one of the great quartets of our times," the Pro Arte Quartet has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as one of the most enduring string quartets in existence. Founded in Brussels in 1912 by violinist Alphonse Annou and violist Germain Prevost, the Pro Arte became the court quartet to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Its world reputation soared with a European tour in 1919, earning the …..

Celebrated as the European electronic music community's premier ambassador, composer Jean Michel Jarre elevated the synthesizer to new peaks of popularity during the 1970s, in the process emerging as an international superstar renowned for his dazzling concert spectacles…

Big hair, big stage presence, big chainsaws, big tanks and heavy metal. What more could you ask for from a 1980's metal band? Metal Blade's house band, Lizzy Borden cranks out some decent heavy metal on this disc. Frizzy Lizzy's voice sounds good, having a sound like a more theatrical LA rocker. Reminds me slightly of W.A.S.P. with a different vocalist.

Giuseppe Verdi was born in the little town of Roncole in the vicinity of Parma and spent the longest period of his life in seclusion close to Parma. He died in Milan in 1901. Today, the region of Parma honours its one-time fellow citizen with the international Verdi Festival organized by the Teatro Regio di Parma. Every year, Verdi’s masterworks are performed in the historical theatres of Parma and neighbouring Busseto over 28 days in the autumn…

This Californian quintet was led hy Gerald Mauser, who was romantically involved with singer Jane Boltinhouse. They rehearsed their material at the Lake Sherwood home of TV star Bob Denver (best-known for his role in Gilligan's Island), in what drummer Andy Douglas has subsequently decribed as 'a large rec room overlooking the pool, with a view of the lake'…

I’ve enjoyed Symphonic immensely, it’s a colossal album that contains a careful selection of tracks that maybe weren’t Jorn’s most popular offerings, but they’re definitely one’s that shouldn’t be forgotten, all delivered with huge and dramatic orchestral style that dictates you turn the volume up…

There is much to enjoy here and as a listening experience there are many original and ear-tickling moments. This music is, in fact, quite a discovery and if you were as disappointed as I was by the Grieg symphony do not be concerned; the Lange-Müller symphonies are much fresher in impulse.

Rob Barnett @ musicweb-international.com