Mark Diggins, Author at The Rockpit

ALBUM REVIEW: The New Roses – Nothing But Wild

27 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I must admit that The New Roses are one of my favorite bands of the last few years, so it’s great to see a new album about to drop after 2017’s wonderful ‘One More […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Mollo Rilla – Mollo Rilla

26 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Formed in 2017 the oddly named ‘Mollo Rilla’ produce some wonderful noise that isn’t your usual fare, and while some ‘experimental’ outfits can lose you in their sonic clutter, in this case that experimentation is […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Brink – Nowhere To Run

22 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Sweden may be laying down the benchmark for 80’s styled Rock but the UK has had its fair share of great bands that plow that same fertile ground over the last few years, from those […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Mississippi Nova

21 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Here’s something a little different from Phoenix, a vintage mash of Space Blues with influences name-checking the iconic – Hendrix, The Stones and Zeppelin as well as the newer revival sounds of The Black […]

EP REVIEW: Sin Savage – Sin Savage

21 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Sin Savage previously known as ‘Nightmare (BE)’ has been doing the rounds since 2011 and was founded by Kristof Michiels, Zan Geeraerts and Jasper Vanderheyden – they play a mix of what you might call […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Pretty Wild – Interstate 13

20 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Founded in Sweden in 2006 ‘Interstate 13’ is Pretty Wild’s follow up to their 2014 self-titled debut which came after a couple of sizzling EP’s. It’s a little more mature than that debut but still […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Dogface – From The End To The Beginning

19 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I must admit I’d not heard of Dogface until this album dropped on the desk. It’s a shame as it’s great and I will certainly be backtracking to their 2000 debut, ‘Dogface Unleashed’ and the […]

EP REVIEW: The Great Affairs – The 2019 Sessions Volume 1

19 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Signed by Kivel Records for last year’s ‘Ten & 2’ album, Nashville’s The Great Affairs are back with a skinny yet perfectly formed three track EP ‘The 2019 Sessions Volume 1.’ If you know the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Crystal Cities – Under the Cold Light of the Moon

17 June 2019 Mark Diggins

If you’re a fan of Indie-Pop Rock with a ‘Dream Rock’ feel then Sydney’s Crystal Cities are a band to lookout for. Their debut LP opens with a snatch of a Pop-Centred Echo and the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Hell and Hollar – 442

14 June 2019 Mark Diggins

You can do all kinds of crazy stuff when you review as many albums as I do, I once went through a month where I started every review with “I love…” a few years […]

ALBUM REVIEW: First Signal – Line of Fire

13 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I loved the first First Signal album from 2010 which matched the wonderful vocals of Harem Scarem’s Harry Hess with the production of bassist/song-writer Dennis Ward. ‘One Step Over the Line’ from 2016 was even […]

ALBUM REVIEW: EMN – Backtraxx

12 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Perris Records originally released this album way back in 2001 which is when I picked up my copy and over the years I managed to lay hands on a spare (yes it was that good) […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Bonfire – Live On Holy Ground – Wacken 2018

11 June 2019 Mark Diggins

In my humble opinion 1987’s ‘Fireworks’ is one of the best Hard Rock albums of that decade and any reminder of that is most welcome. Here you get six of those classic tracks amongst the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: H.E.A.T. – Live at Sweden Rock

10 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Don’t Let anyone tell you otherwise H.E.A.T. is one of the finest Hard Rock bands out there at the moment to play music that has all the hallmarks of the great Melodic Hard Rock bands […]

INTERVIEW: Danny Vaughn – the ‘Myths Legends and Lies’ Interview

10 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I couldn’t be happier for Danny Vaughn at the minute, his first solo album in eleven years ‘Myths Legends & Lies’ has just been released and it is something rather special indeed. A few days […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Danny Vaughn – Myths, Legends & Lies

7 June 2019 Mark Diggins

Sometimes you have to have the courage of your convictions, do things your own way, listen to no one but that voice in your head and create something just for yourself. Rarely does that roll […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Janet Gardner – Your Place In The Sun

6 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I guess there comes a time in every artist’s life when they learn to stop looking back and start looking forward, and whist that comes naturally to some, there are those that had a taste […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Northwind – Remarkable Rock

3 June 2019 Mark Diggins

At an hour and twelve minutes the new album by Norway’s Northwind is a a robust debut from a band that features musicians from both Horten and Sandefjord, all of whom with roots in different […]

INTERVIEW: Josh Todd – Buckcherry

2 June 2019 Mark Diggins

It’s Buckcherry’s 20th Anniversary this year and we’ve already celebrated that with a new album ‘Warpaint’ – a record that clearly demonstrates that Josh Todd and co. are showing no signs of slowing down. A […]

OFF THE RECORD: Brennan Mileto – Sisters Doll

1 June 2019 Mark Diggins

As part of our new ‘Off the Record’ feature, after our May 2019 interview with Sisters Doll’s Brennan Mileto all about the new single ‘Black Mirror’ we took time out to dig deeper and […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Collective Soul – Blood

1 June 2019 Mark Diggins

I’ve followed Collective Soul since their remarkable debut ‘Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid’ and along the way found plenty in their catalogue to make me a fan, not least their self-titled release from 1995 […]

INTERVIEW: Graham Bonnet

26 May 2019 Mark Diggins

Graham Bonnet with Alcatrazz are on their way to Australia to play three select dates in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney from the 6th to the 8th of June. For fans of Hard Rock it’s a […]

Willy Bo Walker & Ed Brayshaw - The Roads We Ride

ALBUM REVIEW: Wily Bo Walker and Ed Brayshaw – The Roads We Ride

24 May 2019 Mark Diggins

I must admit over all the years of the Rockpit I can’t recall reviewing more than a handful of ‘Concept Albums’ yet here on the desk, beautifully packaged, and screaming “listen to me” is the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: The Wildhearts – Renaissance Men

23 May 2019 Mark Diggins

There aren’t many latter day songwriters I’d tag with the accolade ‘genius.’ There are many great writers of course, but for me just three real greats over the last three decades – Donnie Vie, Tyla […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Joanovarc – Joanovarc

20 May 2019 Mark Diggins

A couple of years back I stumbled on Joanovarc by accident when I was put onto their debut ‘Ride of Your Life’ by a friend when he sent an email to the wrong friend and […]