Hear 'n Now supports Vocalist Steve Grimmett's surviving widow and family with free download

Vocalist Steve Grimmett passed away unexpectedly on August 15, 2022. Steve rose to fame in the early 80s with the NWoBHM band Grim Reaper. The band carried on in recent years touring worldwide and continuing to release music under his namesake, Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper.

A GoFundMe Campaign has been organized to assist his surviving widow and family.

The Hear 'n Now project's first single, "No Road to Ruin" has been made available as a free digital download in an effort to encourage Heavy Metal fans everywhere to donate to the Steve Grimmett GoFundMe Campaign. You can pick up the song here.

The cover of "No road to ruin".

It is a great song that not only rocks out straight but also has a uplifting note in it. Steve Grimmett's vocal performance quickly sticked into my mind with his voice being present boldly in front and sometimes a little held in the backround.

The single has roughness and this typical 80's feeling in it at the proper moments when it sometimes feels as if the song could become a bit flat - you know it just get's a kick in with the refrain coming a little dirty.

It's also a fine track if you see the list of artists who joined the project. I'm sure you'll remember some of them you may have heard of some time ago but lost sight of. It's great to see them still being active in the music scene of today.

Steve Grimmett (vocals) of Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper

Patrick Kennison (lead guitar) of Lita Ford/Heaven Below

Chris Natalini (vocals) former Blood Feast

Ed Mischke (lead guitar) of Veronica Freeman

Danny Gomez (vocals) of Gothic Slam/Messonic

Frankie Cross (vocals) of Corners of Sanctuary

Alex Olivetti (lead guitar) of Threatpoint

Mick Michaels (rhythm guitars, keys, backing vocals) of Corners of Sanctuary

Mad T (drums) of Corners of Sanctuary

James Pera (bass) of Corners of Sanctuary

Billy Loney (backing vocals) of Keep it Metal Promotions

Written and Produced by Mick Michaels

Post-Production Producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Armored Saint)

Single Review: Lady Beast - The Gift (True Power Metal, 2020)

The single "The Gift" is a appetizer to the upcoming Lady Beast album called "The Vulture's Amulet" (Release Date: April 3rd 2020) . It's kept in a 80s Metal soundshell but hold's some extra's that prevent it from being one of the many releases out there.

The cover already spreads a classic vibe but taking a closer look reveals a lot of details.

The guitars spread a riff that feels a bit unusual. It starts out in the first seconds of the digital release. In those moments a melody can be heard that works as a introduction moment that opens up the listeners ears wide. It's those seconds that made me listen closer to what's to come. It creates a little mystic atmosphere.

Next to go are the vocals which follow a more modern format without a highlighted refrain in it. Instead it feels more like a constant telling of a ongoing plot divided into several sections but with higher pitched parts like in the classic days. All those is packed in another riff that constantly let's a difference shine through. It' s cleverly mixed into the sound so it won't ruin the listening experience but let you continue to enjoy the track further.

Finally the only thing I disliked was the mix of the drums. It would have been great to have that element a bit louder. Don't let that keep you from listening to the new material in the YouTube player below.

Make sure to keep the eye on the band on Facebook or support them on Bandcamp with a follow click.

Single Review: Marc Vanderberg - Legalize Crime (Neo-classical Hard Rock, 2018)

Neo-classical guitarist Marc Vanderberg get's support of Stefan Zoerner, a well known voice from bands such as Strangelet and SpiteFuel. Can such a cooperation of concentrated guitar power and melodic vocals work out for both sides ?

The coverart of Marc Vanderberg's single "Legalize Crime", (c) by Marc Vanderberg, used with kind permission

A little hurdle at the start
The intro is a proper introduction to the song theme. This song needs some "getting inside the sound first" as the sound may feel unfamilar from the "standard metal track". The massiveness of the guitars and vocals overwhelmed me a bit.

Both are mixed up to the very front. Once you've taken this point the new single of neo-classical guitarist Marc Vanderberg starts to unfold it's power.

The vocals take over
It spreads heavy 80s vibe to me with the slightly echoing vocals but without forgetting the here and now. This said those vocal performance of Stefan Zoerner shows more variations in it like ever before. His words feel as if they are constantly flowing though the whole track duration. They change a lot and morph which makes it a pleasure to listen again and again.

This first single of the upcoming record "Phoenix of the ashes" is surprisingly more dominated by the vocals than through the guitar work which doesn't happen too often in this genre of metal music. There are times the vox are more spoken, afterwards they get louder and finally there's a shout out to be heard giving it a alarming note.

Having written this review over a couple of time it's cool to see with reflection that it's this shout out that remained in my mind - that's not happening too often. Like one of those refrains you've heard before and are now searching your brain to which song it belongs.

The rhythm section pushes this power track but is set more to the background. You can feel the beat and the bass as if they're moving from the underground to the top but there's a ghostly border that keeps them from breaking out and taking over. Marc Vanderberg demonstrates his skills with few extra potions of guitar work but as said before they are kept to a limit so they're not destroying the feeling of the music.

Song Stream and Purchase-Links
Listen instantly to the music below in the YouTube player and get this track from the online stores like Amazon or iTunes. You'll push and motivate musicians this way to produce and release more content so it will be a investment into your own future pleasures.

Contact Links
Finally follow Marc Vanderberg through social channels such as Facebook or YouTube. Next to go will be the second single "Odin's Words" which will follow this very friday.

Raptore take us on board for a Night On Fire

This is oldschool heavy 'n' speed metal with a cool vibe and catchy chorus in it coming all the way from Argentina. The band takes a journey through the night and I like the way the video is done in a simple self-filming style. The cuts taken of a show at a small club with few light in it add to the 80s feeling this one strongly spreads around. Come and join the band on their way until the dawn breaks.

The whole album “Rage n' Fever” is held in this traditional way but with variations. There is room for Accept and early Scorpions influenced heavy metal, speedy elements of Exciter, vibe of 70s rock n roll, thrashy aggression and of course appeal of NWOBHM. While listening to it it's hard to believe that this one has been created and recorded in these times we're living in and not way back in the 70s or 80s.

The re-issued album contains two bonus tracks and can be heard at the Bandcamp page of their label Witches Brew. It comes with a cover version of Venom’s Witching Hour and Charger’s Desperadoes (a lost but underrated NWOBHM gem).

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