
Chris Lord
Copywriter, music journalist and drummer. Once fist bumped James Hetfield. Words for The Guardian, Gear4Music, Metro, Exposed Mag.
Latest articles by Chris Lord

"Still pumping out bottle-rocket earworms": Buckcherry are rollickingly focused on Roar Like Thunder
By Chris Lord published
Nothing broken, nothing fixed. Californian veterans Buckcherry are still good for a hard-rock earworm

The Darkness: Every album ranked from worst to best
By Chris Lord last updated
Updated! Few bands do OTT rock’n’roll quite like The Darkness - and here’s where to start with their back catalogue

10 years in, Dorothy delivers her best album yet with The Way
By Chris Lord published
Dorothy’s The Way is a modern rock gem – with added Slash

Nine albums by Tom Morello you should listen to... and one you should ignore
By Chris Lord published
Tom Morello is best known as the guitarist with RATM, but there’s much more of his playing to marvel at than that - and these are his best albums

The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2024
By Classic Rock Magazine published
A-listers, established artists, up-and-comers, previously unknowns and more

Gorilla Riot make the right noises but ultimately fall short on second album Salvation
By Chris Lord published
Southern-fried blues by way of Manchester, in need of more stardust

The Dead Daisies revert to meat-and-potatoes type on Light Em Up
By Chris Lord published
After inspired work with Glenn Hughes on board, Dead Daisies album seven is a step backwards

Georgia Thunderbolts fail to rise above it all on second album Rise Above It All
By Chris Lord published
Georgia Thunderbolts' inconsistent second album sounds like different bands battling for space

The Warning sound bound for the big time on Keep Me Fed
By Chris Lord published
Rising Mexican all-sister trio The Warning's fouth album is taut and assured with ample shit-kicking swagger

Five decades in, the metal is still good for Anvil
By Chris Lord published
Veteran metal maniacs Anvil don’t switch things up on album 20

"I felt that if I didn't open myself up, then it might limit or hurt the songs": The Cold Stares look back on one of 2023's best albums, Voices
By Chris Lord published
Having delivered a career highlight with Voices, The Cold Stares aren’t resting on their laurels, having already returned to the studio to work on their seventh album

The 50 best rock albums of 2023
By Fraser Lewry published
The past 12 months may go down in history as a period of tumult and turmoil, but on the positive side, rock'n'roll is very much alive and well – as the best 50 albums of 2023 reflect

The Myles Kennedy albums you should definitely own
By Chris Lord published
With Alter Bridge, Slash’s Conspirators, solo and more, vocalist/guitarist Myles Kennedy has an impressive and still-growing catalogue - and these are his best albums

Warning: Joe Bonamassa's Tales Of Time guarantees serious gig envy
By Chris Lord published
Recorded at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the songs on Tales Of Time radiate with bluesy majesty

The Dio Album by Paul Gilbert reduces the originals to a jarring, overplayed jumbles
By Chris Lord published
Paul Gilbert's misguided Ronnie James Dio tribute is more hell than heaven

Måneskin: "It's not our goal to convince rock’n’roll fans that we're real rock"
By Chris Lord published
Winners of Eurovision 2021 and runners-up on the Italian X Factor in 2017, glam hard rockers Måneskin have gone from hopefuls to arena-filling stars. Here’s why they’re the real deal

October Drift grew up on Queen and Bowie: now they're climbing trees and having Anvil moments
By Chris Lord published
UK alt.rockers October Drift hope to prove they belong somewhere with latest album I Don’t Belong Anywhere

Cardinal Black: debut albums seldom sound so impeccably assured
By Chris Lord last updated
Compelling Cardiff collective Cardinal Black have lift-off with sublime debut LP January Come Close

Mike Tramp on singing in Danish, the demise of White Lion, and how to spoil a dinner party
By Chris Lord published
Singing in his mother tongue for the first time, Mike Tramp shows that an old dog can learn new tricks - just don't get him started on 9/11

The Dead Daisies: taut, vibrant rock that ticks every box
By Chris Lord published
Glenn Hughes and co shine bright with more hefty, sun-soaked rock on sixth Dead Daisies album Radiance

Jeff Scott Soto: solid but frustrating on Complicated solo album
By Chris Lord published
AOR talisman Jeff Scott Soto keeps the hooks coming on solo album number eight, Complicated
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