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To follow 2011’s critically-acclaimed debut The Radium, Virgil & The Accelerators have employed Chris Tsangarides as producer to deliver something altogether more powerful.

Which means openers Take Me Higher and Blow To The Head have riffs to raise a wry smile from Tony Iommi. V&TA remain a blues-rock band at heart though, as can be heard on Anymore or Free and – honed into sharper focus – the excellent Love Aggression.

There’s a certain NWOBHM-like charm to some of the rockers. And while a harder taskmaster than Tsangarides might have shortened some of the 10 tracks for extra punch, Give It Up (hard-driving rock with a powerful chorus and rasping harmonica) and the radio-friendly Through The Night never outstay their welcome.

Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.