Articles by Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.

Articles by: Essi Berelian

Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog album art

"Chris Cornell shows why he was one of the premier vocalists of his era": Temple Of The Dog's eulogy for a fallen friend still shines

By Classic Rock Magazine published 2 December 24

Rooted in tragedy, Temple Of The Dog's 10 original tracks are a kind of catharsis through music

"Leslie West's sparky and inventive improvisations mesh neatly with Corky Laing’s instinct for power and groove": Mountain's noughties' incarnation celebrated across six live discs of varying quality

By Essi Berelian published 27 October 24

Six Mountain live sets – get ready to climb!

"Southern rock, blues rock, what does it matter what you tag it when the tracks are this good?": The Cold Stares prepare for a big future on The Southern

By Essi Berelian published 6 September 24

Finger-picking good Kentucky-fried blues

Kissin’ Dynamite: Back With A Bang cover art

"Memorable hooks abound and no opportunity for an anthemic chorus is ignored": Kissin' Dynamite light the fuse on Back With A Bang

By Essi Berelian published 5 July 24

Pucker up for an explosive eighth album from German 80s-friendly rockers Kissin' Dynamite

"Royal Republic have now fully assimilated the power of disco and aren't afraid to use it": Royal Republic continue to party on the exuberant Lovecop

By Essi Berelian published 7 June 24

It's a rock'n'roll boogie wonderland

Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse Hot Nostalgia Radio - Hot Nostalgia Radio cover art

Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse defy expectations and boundaries on tour de force third album Hot Nostalgia Radio

By Essi Berelian published 4 May 24

A wild ride across the airwaves from California-by-way-of-New Orleans roots rockers Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse

These Wicked Rivers: Force Of Nature cover art

These Wicked Rivers rock the preacher hats and grizzled beards, but it's the songwriting on second album Force Of Nature that's turned them into real contenders

By Essi Berelian published 2 March 24

The songs on These Wicker Rivers' Force Of Nature are well-crafted and designed for maximum live effect

Graveyard's 6: inward-looking and melancholy, but a masterclass in psychedelic light and shade

By Essi Berelian published 29 September 23

More psychedelic raves from the grave on Graveyard's enticingly titled sixth album 6

Expansive and ambitious, The Dust Coda's Loco Paradise is much more than just a bit good

By Essi Berelian published 7 July 23

London hard rockers The Dust Coda come up trumps on incendiary third album Loco Paradise

Nita Strauss: The Call Of The Void cover art

Nita Strauss lines up the special guest vocalists to augment the shredding on impressively slick album

By Essi Berelian published 7 July 23

Ace guitarist Nita Strauss takes a break from the Alice Cooper/Demi Lovato day jobs to deliver steely solo second album The Call Of The Void

Hollywood Vampires: Live In Rio cover art

Hollywood Vampires' Live In Rio is the jukebox of the damned

By Essi Berelian published 2 June 23

Fortune favours the grave as superstar supergroup Hollywood Vampires launch their first live album

Steppenwolf: The Epic Years 1974-1979 cover art

Steppenwolf lack heavy metal thunder on three albums of declining in potency

By Essi Berelian published 28 January 23

Steppenwolf box set the Epic Years 1974-1979 is a far cry from the band's million-selling golden era

The Moon City Masters: The Famous Moon City Masters cover art

The Moon City Masters: feel-good rock'n'roll the way they used to make it

By Essi Berelian published 4 November 22

You want classic? You got it: The Moon City Masters mine rock's rich past on joyously upbeat new album The Famous Moon City Masters

Brant Bjork: Bougainvillea Suite cover art

Brant Bjork's Bougainvillea Suite: the sweet spot where The Doors and Iron Butterfly meet

By Essi Berelian published 30 October 22

Son of the desert Brant Bjork goes back in time on the sweet-smelling Bougainvillea Suite

Orianthi falls short on album that feels uneven and unfinished

By Essi Berelian published 16 October 22

Orianthi's strangely short album Rock Candy needs more killer, less filler

The Top 10 Essential Nu Metal Albums

By Essi Berelian last updated 21 September 22

Dig out your massive trousers and wallet chains, these are the bands that owned the nu metal takeover of the late 90s.

The Rataliators Motion Picture Soundtrack cover art

Rock, metal and horror make prefect companions on The Retaliators soundtrack

By Essi Berelian published 17 September 22

Papa Roach, The Hu, Ice Nine Kills, Five Finger Death Punch and more add music to film dialogue and screaming

Supersonic Blues Machine: Voodoo Nation cover art

Supersonic Blues Machine are the sound of modern blues in the ascendant

By Essi Berelian published 24 June 22

Littered with special guests, Voodoo Nation by Supersonic Blues Machine sets the modern blues bar ever higher

Raven's expanded Rock Until You Drop: energetic proof that 'athletic rock' should have been huge

By Essi Berelian published 27 May 22

The flying start of NWOBHM might-have-beens Raven lauded with four disc version of Rock Until You Drop

Dirty Honey conjure up the ghosts of classic Zeppelin and Aerosmith on expanded debut

By Essi Berelian published 25 May 22

Rock doesn’t come more classic than this, as Dirty Honey prepare for debut European dates with a combination CD

Evergrey: A Heartless Portrait cover art

Evergrey: more crunching prog as brutal riff power pounds into the gothic bleakness

By Essi Berelian published 20 May 22

Feel-sad prog metallers Evergrey return with 13th studio album A Heartless Portrait

Stöner's new album is a consummate lesson in High Desert grooviness

By Essi Berelian published 6 May 22

More sun-baked high jinks from Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri and stoned company

Bonham-Bullick: powerful, immaculately played, and perfectly smoky

By Essi Berelian published 6 May 22

Rock, blues and soul covers done right from John Bonham's daughter Deborah Bonham and Paul Rodgers' guitarist Peter Bullick

Thunder's Dopamine double is super-creative, their most ambitious album yet

By Essi Berelian published 29 April 22

Dopamine is a sprawling but cohesive collection of 16 tracks, exploring what Thunder are and can be

Don't own a Nektar album? ...Sounds Like This might just be the place to start

By Essi Berelian published 29 April 22

Nektar's divisive live in the studio album ...Sounds Like This: remastered, expanded, and still heavy

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Essi Berelian

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