Classic Rock Reviews

Mystic Festival 2026: Black Label Society, Blood Incantation, Megadeth and more descend on Gdansk

By Rich Hobson Published 11 June 26

Poland's biggest metal festival hosted everyone from Megadeth and Black Label Society to Ice Nine Kills, Blood Incantation, Cavalera and more

Ambition and big-time dreams shine through on Des Roc's To Hell And Back

By Emma Johnston Published 11 June 26

To Hell And Back is the third album from New Yorker Des Rocs, and the garage has been repurposed as a glitter-encrusted drag cave

Def Leppard's Greatest Hits: Built with Queen's Greatest Hits in mind?

By Neil Jeffries Published 11 June 26

All-killer, no-filler compilation that pairs bludgeon riffola with melody. Single-disc minimalism rules!

Cream's classic studio/live double album Wheels Of Fire has been pumped full of hot air

By Paul Henderson Published 11 June 26

The super deluxe version of Cream's Wheels Of Fire: Now available in triple vinyl or quintuple CD

Yes fail to gel as Yes can on cautious 24th album Aurora

By Fraser Lewry Published 11 June 26

All the constituent parts are in place - but there’s no real spark, no moment when the band sound like they might attain musical nirvana

Avalon: The album that consolidated Roxy Music's shift from art-rock to gossamer smooth adult pop

By Classic Rock Magazine Published 8 June 26

Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy MacKay reach peak maturity

Type O Negative do both doom and gloom on October Rust

By Classic Rock Magazine Published 1 June 26

October Rust: the culmination of Type O Negative’s progress from ugly ducklings to uglier swans

Violet Grohl's debut album Be Sweet To Me is a love letter to the '90s

By Emma Johnston Published 29 May 26

Dave Grohl's 20-year-old daughter Violet steps into the spotlight

Saint Agnes's winning formula clicks into place on Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin

By Mark Beaumont Published 28 May 26

Saint Agnes's third album Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin is a finely tuned beast

Smashing Pumpkins' Gish mixes Zep rock grooves, acid folk, shoegaze and trippy psychedelic angst

By Mark Beaumont Published 28 May 26

Gish is celebrating its 35th birthday in shades of variously coloured vinyl

Paul McCartney's The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is not the late-period masterpiece you were hoping for

By Pat Carty Published 28 May 26

A mixed bag from arguably the world's greatest songwriter

All Them Witches are predictably unpredictable on the delectable House Of Mirrors

By Fraser Lewry Published 28 May 26

The seventh album from enigmatic Nashville rockers All Them Witches comes after a period of upheaval and regrouping

A reunited Sugar roll back the years with a deafening, joyous return to London

By Simon Young Published 25 May 26

Sugar make their first UK appearances in more than 30 years – and suddenly it feels like 1994 again

Album Of The Week Club review: Deep Purple climb an early pinnacle on Machine Head

By Classic Rock Magazine Published 25 May 26

Machine Head was the album that set the template for Deep Purple’s entire future direction

Megadeth roll back the years with a fiery showing at Sonic Temple

By Rich Hobson Published 18 May 26

Rumours of Megadeth going quietly are clearly unfounded

Van Morrison perfects his blues/rock/Celtic soul thing on Saint Dominic's Preview

By Classic Rock Magazine Published 18 May 26

In which Van the Man accidentally invents Montrose

Green Lung’s first festival headline show cements them as the future of metal

By Matt Mills Published 17 May 26

At London’s Desertfest, the occult five-piece perform all of their darkly fun anthems while backed up by gorgeous videos, returning members and a malfunctioning, Eddie-like mascot

Halestorm showcase their stadium-sized ambitions at Sonic Temple

By Rich Hobson Published 16 May 26

Halestorm put on the performance of a lifetime at Sonic Temple 2026

Review: Peter Frampton's long adventure continues on Carry The Light

By Claudia Elliott Published 15 May 26

Peter Frampton picks up the torch again