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SMOKE OR FIRE
'THIS SINKING SHIP' (FAT WRECK RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS)
SMOKE OR FIRE are a band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and currently residing in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Their debut album, Above The City, was co-produced by Fat Mike of NOFX and was released in March 2005, yet the band was formed in 1998. Now they have released their 2nd CD 'This sinking ship' and musically it is typical American Punkpoprock in the style of NOFX, LAGWAGON, PENNYWISE, ANTI-FLAG, RANCID, BAD RELIGION, etc. etc. Not original of course, but SMOKE OR FIRE is doing it very well. The typical american melodic punkpoprock is pretty catchy, especially during songs like ""The Patty Hearst syndrome", "This sinking ship" and "Melatonin", which will please all fans of PENNYWISE/BAD RELIGION etc. Highly recommended to fans of the American melodic punkpoprockstyle. More info at: http://www.myspace.com/smokeorfire (Points: 8.2 out of 10) EARTHBEND 'YOUNG MEN AFRAID' (ROOKIE RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS) EARTHBEND is a German band playing a pretty good mix of classic British rock and American Emo, sort of FALL OUT BOY meets ARCTIC MONKEYS. Without a doubt, songs like "Scene and heart" and "Open man" are pretty good songs and one should definitely check out this band at: http://www.myspace.com/earthbend (Points: 8.3 out of 10) JAGUAR 'LIVE IN HOLLAND' (MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS) In the early 80s NWOBHM was very popular in Holland, with many bands from the UK coming over to play fast unpolished Metal in front of quite large audiences in small clubs. JAGUAR was one of those bands. Remarkable someone actually recorded one of their shows from back then. This concerns the dec 17 1982 Hengelo recorded show, which now finds it's way remastered on a CD put out by MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS. OK, sound quality is not that good, but this release has a more historic value. People who attended this concert and especially long-time JAGUAR fans will absolutely be interested in this CD. You can definitely hear JAGUAR were really anger to play as fast and loud as possible, because they almost sounded like the very first Speed Metalband 25 years ago. In the years to follow JAGUAR changed it's sound to a more Americanised melodic rocksound, but this new Live CD shows them at their most Metalish way. Like said, sound is ok for what it is, but the historic value makes this CD a worthy release! (Points: 7.8 out of 10) POWER QUEST 'NEVERWORLD/WINGS OF FOREVER' (MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS) The first 2 CDs of the UK band POWER QUEST have been re-released, with as bonus for each CD a Bonus DVD. The DVD's contain amateurish footage, so not really quality material, but for a die-hard fan nice to watch, as it features live, backstage and videoclips. Anyway, POWER QUEST musically is playing two styles, kinda like PRETTY MAIDS have been doing for 25 years, although POWER QUEST's Melodic Rock and Power Metal sound more like SHY when they slow down the tempo and speeding it up they come close to LABYRINTH in their old days. I think POWER QUEST is a very good band and it seems like we can expect a new CD soon, the follow-up to their 2005 album 'Magic never dies'. In the meantime, if you haven’t heard this band before, these new re-releases on MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS are definitely recommended to both fans of SHY/TNT and LABYRINTH/VISION DIVINE! (Points: 8.5 out of 10) MILLION 'KINGSIZE LIVE DVD' (MAJESTIC ROCK RECORDS) The Swedish band MILLION has been active for some 20 years and released some good strong albums. Now there is a live DVD of the band available. The concert footage was recorded in their hometown of Gothenburg on the 24th of October 2004. Footage is of a rather good quality, but maybe a bit short, because you only get the 60+ minutes concert and no extras. Happily, the performance is quite good and shows that MILLION is a good strong Melodic Hardrockband that can nail it live for sure. Must-have for any fan of Swedish Melodic Hardrock! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MAGGIE BELL AND MIDNIGHT FLYER 'LIVE MONTREUX JULY 1981 DVD' (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) MAGGIE BELL was sort of a JANIS JOPLIN type of female singer, with her very raw and bluesy voice and boogie rock and roll backing that up. With MIDNIGHT FLYER she went into a more Rock/Hardrock direction and toured as support for AC/DC during the early 80s. This DVD is featuring Maggie's performance with MIDNIGHT FLYER on the famous MONTREUX festival back in 1981. A rather good performance and musically back-to-basic rootsy classic rock/hardrock which does not even sound dated 26 years later. Besides the concert there is an interview with maggie and some additional information. Recommended if you're familiar with MAGGIE BELL. Available at: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.0 out of 10) RACING CARS '76-06 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT+LOVE BLIND' (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) The UK band RACING CARS exists for 30 years now and recently celebrated this with a live performance. ANGEL AIR RECORDS released this performance on CD, with as bonus 2nd CD the remastered album 'Love Blind' from 1981. Musically this band was all about Classic Rock, sometimes bluesy, sometimes rocking hard and at other times even a touch of AOR/Melodic Poprock. The band has a great lead singer (sounding like JOHN LAWTON) and especially their concert is quite nice to hear as the band still sounds quite tight. Must-have for the fans this 2-CD set release! Available at: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.2 out of 10) STACKRIDGE 'MR. MICK' (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) The UK band STACKRIDGE has another of their 70s albums re-issued onto CD. This time it concerns their 1976 album 'Mr. Mick'. Complete with bonustracks and some very nice artwork, this CD is of course a must for anyone familiar with this lost 70s UK Pop/Rockband. Also check out their other re-issues! Available at: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 7.0 out of 10)
KRISTIN GLASGOW started developing her music career at a young age and
it was in 2001 when she met music producer Rich Vogellehner. With him she
recorded in 2004 a CD titled 'Eyes of an Angel'. Now there is a follow-up
titled 'Danger's callin'. This CD features some great 80s orientated female
fronted melodic rock that really is not far away from CINDY CRUSE, PAT
BENATAR, LITA FORD, DONNA CHRISTY, DEVAY, TC KROSS, etc. etc. Songs like
"I'm Fallin'" and "We'll Never Stop Believin'" are awesome 80s aor/melodic
rockers. The sound is good and it really is great stuff what we get to hear,
although not as huge sounding as HEART/VIXEN/LAOS, but nevertheless a
must-have for fans of the classic 80s FF Melodic Rocksound. There's also a
cover of REO SPEEDWAGON included, namely their classic "Keep pushin'" from
30 years ago, done very nicely! So, instead of the typical modern sounding
FF Rock and the Gothic Metal sound, this female rocker goes musically back
to the mid 1980s when all girls made this kind of catchy AOR/Melodic Rock!
Email Kristin at:
kristinglasgow@kristinglasgow.com and more info at: (Points: 8.2 out of 10) RAZER 'FALLING IN LINE' (INDEPENDENT) RAZER from Phoenix, AZ, USA Razer is Metal outfit consisting of Bassist Chris Catero, Guitarist Paul Sullivan and drummer Eric Bongiorno out of the ashes of METAL BLADE recording act WARDOG. Catero, who also serves as a touring bassist in former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman's solo band was the original singer, but when they found Chris Powers they knew he was the right singer. RAZER as a band are a typical American sounding band, aggressive raw and sounding like a typical metalband of the present day with still traditional Metal influences, like the NEVERMORE/DISTURBED kind, yet with a difference, because RAZER throws in very strong Melodies, because if you listen to "Fall from grace" you can hear a very strong chorus with melodic guitarsolo. As the CD of the band continues, this is getting more and more classic Melodic US Power Metal a la JAG PANZER and such. With a very good lead singer (Chris Powers), a big sound this is actually highly recommended! Towards the end we get some serious sensational tracks, such as "Cut and paste" that has a pure 80s guitar riff and is more European type straight-forward uptempo Melodic Metal, very catchy a la BLOODBOUND/DREAM EVIL! However, RAZER is mainly all about typical US Power Metal and is best recommended to fans of JAG PANZER, SYMPHORCE, BRAINSTORM... Check out all the info on their 12 songs counting debut CD at: www.razerband.com and www.myspace.com/razer (Points: 8.3 out of 10) LOS BASTARDOS FINLANDESES 'MY NAME IS EL MUERTE' (100% COMPANY/EDEL RECORDS) Funny but classy, because it might look like a joke, but this is deadly serious kick-ass rock and roll. LOS BASTARDOS FINLANDES are from Finland and about it's line-up I can't say too much, because that is a secret! Anyway, their CD is filled with sort of typical Finnish orientated Rock/metal. Catchy songs like "Born'N'Raised" and "No diamonds to heaven" are great songs like MOTORHEAD meets Melodic Punkrock and some LORDI added too, dirty mean and raw, still catchy and melodic, but what else to expect from Finland! They also have a twin-guitarsound and it all sounds quite impressive, despite the band's funny looking image. Check it out for yourself at: www.100pros.fi and www.losbastardos.fi/ (Points: 8.3 out of 10) 40 STONE '40 STONE' (DEMO CDR) Here we have a Dutch band, from The Hague to be exact. They have recorded a demo in the well-known Excess Studios in Rotterdam. 4 songs are on their demo, which musically is strong catchy Melodic Progmetal, with a bit modern American influences (DISTURBED!). The band has a good lead singer and especially their song "Sunday" and the cover of the KILLING JOKE classic "Love like blood" are quite good. Funny thing is that the band performed together with KILLING JOKE at one of Dutch's largest outdoor festivals (Parkpop), so this band surely has a bright future. Check out their site at: www.40stone.com and email at: info@40stone.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) OHM 'FIXING THE SHADOWS' (ORIGINAL HARD MUSIC) Swiss band, but no GOTTHARD quality here, just nice melodic heavy rock
in the style of AXXIS/ANGEL HEART. The band's singer is not that strong, but
as a band OHM sound quite tight. 10 songs are included and for the die-hard
Melodic Heavy Rockfans, this might well be interesting to check out,
although it is quite standard to hear. Check out OHM for yourself at:
www.go4ohm.com and e-mail at: (Points: 7.6 out of 10) MOTHERNIGHT 'MOTHERNIGHT' (LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC/ROCK INC) MOTHERNIGHT is a female fronted band from Poland. Actually it is pretty good what they bring us on their debut CD. Instead of bringing uptempo songs, the music of MOTHERNIGHT is very slow Gothic Doom. The songs are very dark sounding and quite slow, but pretty good and also very melodic. 12 songs are included and LACUNA COIL is a good comparison, although MOTHERNIGHT is slower and more Doom Metal, which does not happen too often with a female fronted band. Anyway, lead singer Freya is a great singer and the songs have very melodic choruses (such as in "Illumination"). You can also compare this band to DELIGHT, but the very strange thing happens towards the end of the CD, because then suddenly "Don't wanna listen" is uptempo more modern Metal and from then on the band changes the sound pretty much to aggressive metal with a ballad too called "The dawn". It seems like in the end, the band likes to play 2 styles, slow Doom Gothic and aggressive uptempo modern sounding Metal. I definitely prefer the slower songs, which show a very impressive band. More info at: http://www.mothernight.eu/ and http://www.myspace.com/mothernightprofile (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MAINPAIN 'FOOD FOR THOUGHT' (POWERZONE RECORDS/ROCK INC) Italian band, with clearly an independent sound, although they have released their CD on a label (POWERZONE RECORDS). Despite the lack in sound quality, musically we get to hear classic 80s traditional melodic power metal with some modern aggressive riffs. The song "Running blood" is a very catchy tune,but like I said before there is some aggressiveness in there too, with some thrashy metal influences. It all sounds a bit amateuristic actually. I think the band went too soon into the studio, because the sound is really of a low level, which is a pity, because the traditional melodic metal of MAINPAIN sounds pretty good. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.mainpain.it/news.html (Points: 7.8 out of 10)
3rd CD of Mr. KOTIPELTO and musically he is getting more and more into a melodic rockstyle, sort of going back to the sound STRATOVARIUS produced during the late 90s. Although his vocal style is still ok for what it is, the melodic rock on his new solo-CD sounds quite good, with such great uptempo melodic rockers like "Sleep Well" and "Serenity", faster STRATO like tunes "Once upon a Time" and "Angels Will Cry", but the highlight is definitely the midtempo "Dreams and reality". Nice new album of KOTIPELTO, which is a little better than the average STRATOVARIUS album from last year. In the next few months a tour to promote the new album will start, be there if you wanna hear the singer of STRATOVARIUS doing some great Melodic Rock. (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
2007 is the year of the Dutch Female Fronted Goth Metal invasion, because new releases of AFTER FOREVER and WITHIN TEMPTATION are being released and we had the amazing DELAIN album recently and now there is the new AUTUMN album 'My new time', which is also a very impressive release. This superb piece of ff gothic melodic metal is a must-have for fans of DELAIN, DELIGHT, EPICA, AFTER FOREVER, WITHIN TEMPTATION, etc. AUTUMN was formed back in 1995, so already 12 years on their way, with a couple of releases before this one, but this new one is definitely their finest release so far. It's their 3rd CD and with fantastic songs like "Satellites", "Angel of Desire" and "Communication On Opium", the band has come up with some excellent material. Production is very well, lead singer Nienke de Jong has a wonderful voice, while musically the band has done their absolutely best in making this their strongest effort. This is their 3rd CD, first one on their new label METAL BLADE RECORDS and anyone into AFTER FOREVER, WITHIN TEMPTATION, LUNATICA, XANDRIA, KRYPTERIA, DELIGHT, DELAIN, etc. etc. will absolutely love this new AUTUMN record! Also check out their site at: http://www.autumn-band.com (Points: 8.7 out of 10) HOLY MARTYR 'STILL AT WAR' (DRAGONHEART/AUDIOGLOBE) The Greek band HOLY MARTYR were formed back in the mid 1990s, named and inspired by the track of the same name by cult US 80's Metal act OMEN. Although the band released some demos and independent CDs in the past, I believe 'Still at war' is their very first release. Musically very much classic US Metal inspired, not far away from CIRITH UNGOL, OMEN, LEATHERWOLF, MANOWAR, MEDIEVAL METAL, SABATON... It's not really a sensational release, just a nice effort and only recommended to the die-hard fans! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) MESSAGE 'LIVE' (INDEPENDENT) MESSAGE was one of the bands RICHIE SAMBORA played in before joining BON JOVI. Also Alec John Such (BON JOVI bassist) was part of the band for some time. In the mid 1990s the first MESSAGE CD with recordings from the early 80s was released, and through the years a few more followed, with different line-ups and new recordings, but now we have a new MESSAGE release that truly contains material from back in the day when Richie was in MESSAGE. The sound quality is quite bad sadly, but this is very rare stuff and a must-have for the BON JOVI/RICHIE SAMBORA fans, especially since 5 songs were never released until now, all of which were co-written with one of Richie. It concerns here a live CD, with 9 tracks in total, but the real highlight is the untitled bonustrack (song number 10), an awesome AOR song! This CD has historic value and therefore the weaker sound quality should be taken for granted. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.myspace.com/deanfasano and http://cdbaby.com/cd/message (Points: 7.6 out of 10)
POWERWOLF is an Essen/Germany based Power Metal act, founded by the brothers Charles and Matthew Greywolf, and led by Rumanian classically trained Opera singer Attila Dorn, who indeed has a very strong voice. They play awesome Euro Melodic Power Metal like NOCTURNAL RITES/MYSTIC PROPHECY meets SABATON, with very strong vocals and and catchy songs. The band's debut 'Return In Bloodred' was released in April 2005, produced by DREAM EVIL's Fredrik Nordström. Just like their debut, the new second album 'Lupus Dei' is also released on METAL BLADE RECORDS. The album will be released in May 2007 and some parts of the album were recorded in a 12th century chapel, while the song "In Blood We Trust" was embellished with a 30-piece classical choir. Anyway, their new CD is a lovely piece of Melodic Metal, big sound and very strong songs like "Prayer In The Dark", "Saturday Satan" and "When The Moon Shines Red". An absolute must-have for fans of NOCTURNAL RITES, MYSTIC PROPHECY, DREAM EVIL, BLOODBOUND, SABATON... Check out their site at: http://www.powerwolf.net/indexflash.htm (Points: 8.7 out of 10) SOMNIAE STATUS 'ECHOES' (DRAGONHEART/AUDIOGLOBE/SPV) High quality Melodic Prog Metal is what to expect on the new CD
'Echoes' of the Italian band SOMNIAE STATUS. They were formed in 1996 and in
2002 they recorded their debut album 'Cassandra, co-produced by Alex De
Rosso (Dark Lord, Dokken) and the band, released on the Italian label
ADRENALINE RECORDS. Now 4 years later they return with their 2nd CD. In the
meantime they switched labels and are now under the wings of DRAGONHEART
RECORDS, a sublabel of the mighty SPV. Co-produced by Pat Scalabrino and
Luigi Stefanini, recorded and Mastered at New Sin Audio Design by Luigi
Stefanini (LABYRINTH), this is a very impressive sounding album. Not the
typical sounding Italo Power Metal, but a well-thought Melodic
Progmetalalbum that should please the fans of VANDENPLAS, PAGAN'S MIND,
MIND'S EYE, etc. 12 songs are included and with strong songs like "Evil
Thought", "On Your Skin" and "Echoes Of Sin", this new CD of SOMNIAE STATUS
is a recommended piece to the Melodic Progmetalfans out there! More info at:
(Points: 8.4 out of 10) SAVAGE HEART 'COME ON IN' (INDEPENDENT) SAVAGE HEART is a Swedish band and their latest album 'Come on in' is available for free download at: http://www.savageheart.nu/ They were formed in 2005 and already a year later they released this first mini-CD. 'Come on in' contains 4 tracks and musically it is typical Swedish catchy melodic Glam/Hardrock a la CRASH DIET, WIG WAM, THE POODLES... The songs ("Come on in", "Living a lie", "Spit it out' and "Far from fame") might not be original, but are definitely quality Glam/Hardrock. Fans of mentioned bands should definitely check out SAVAGE HEART. E-mail the band at: casey@savageheart.nu (Points: 8.1 out of 10) SCHIZO 'CICATRIZ BLACK' (SCARLET RECORDS) Actually I have never heard of this band, but apparantly they have been present since the 1980s, releasing their debut way back in 1989. Their new CD 'Cicatriz Black' is released on SCARLET RECORDS. Production duties were held by Schizo themselves, mastering by Peter In De Betou (MARDUK, MESHUGGAH, BOKOR). Guest appearance include Steve Sylvester (Death SS), AC Wild (Bulldozer) and Flegias (Necrodeath), well... I guess it becomes clear with all these names we are looking at an Extreme Metal release here. No melodies allowed, just endless screaming and growling and being as loud and heavy as possible. Only interesting for fans of extreme death metalcore! (Points: -)
SHANNON is a French band, formed in 1998, released their debut CD a few years ago and are about to release their 2nd CD this year. In the meantime a demo cd is available and I must say it sounds very strong. What we get to hear is catchy melodic hardrock in the best 80s DOKKEN/WHITE LION/SCORPIONS style. The demo has a very good sound and 5 songs are included. Especially "Hungry for love" and "Do you know" are very catchy uptempo melodic rockers a la BONFIRE, SHY, CRAAFT, ZENO, VICE, etc. Absolute highlight is "Long gone", a lovely midtempo melodic rocker with a superstrong chorus a la 80s DOKKEN/ NORWAY... By the way, SHANNON has a sort of all star line-up, because it features ex-members of JANNYLEE (French band we praised in the mid 1990s) and HEAVENLY. The band keeps on working on their upcoming new CD, for which they are also looking for a recorddeal. In the meantime check out their new songs and new demo cd at: http://www.shannon.free.fr/ (Points: 8.4 out of 10) BROKEN DAGGER 'CHAIN OF COMMAND' (RECORD HEAVEN) BROKEN DAGGER is a Swedish band with a debut CD release 'Chain of command', after releasing a few demos in the past. Although it is a good quality CD, I have some problems with their slightly weak singer. He pretends to be a sort of KING DIAMOND style singer and the music is kinda theatrical melodic metal that also reminds me a lot of SAVIOUR MACHINE. Big sound, but sadly lacking any really good songs and this might only be interesting for the fans of mentioned bands, although do not expect anything sensational. More info at: www.broken-dagger.com/ (Points: 7.6 out of 10) ABRAMIS BRAMA 'LIVE 129' (RECORD HEAVEN) In the 1970s there were many Swedish progbands and ABRAMIS BRAMA were one of them. Now there is a live-CD available of the band. Actually what we get to hear is heavy groovy Stoner Rock/Metal a la KYUSS, BLACK SABBATH... Sung in Swedish lyrics, this is the band's first live album with all their hits from their previous albums + 1 new unreleased song called "I evighetens nav". Tracks are from '05 ' - '06, originally broadcasted on radio, including Swedish hits like "Vad jag ser", "Nalen", "Mamma talar" and the NOVEMBER cover of "Men mitt hjarta ska vara gjort av sten". NOVEMBER was one of the early Swedish Prog/Stoner bands in the 1970s. Maybe it is recommended to also check out the recently released Book concerning Swedish prog/psychedelic Rock in the 1970s, which contains all info on bands like NOVEMBER and this ABRAMIS BRAMA. One way or the other, fans know what to do... (Points: 8.0 out of 10) FENRIS 'FILL THE VOID' (TWS/SOURCE OF DELUGE RECORDS) Here we have a band from the underground, because FENRIS is a German band that released a demo and a CD in the early 90s, before disappearing into obscurity. Now 13 years after the release of the album, TWS/SOURCE OF DELUGE RECORDS has re-released the album 'Fill the void'. Included is pretty awesome 80s US Prog/Power Metal in the style of CRIMSON GLORY, SYRIS, HELSTAR, etc. Quite high quality and with a high pitched singer, this re-release with 6 tracks is a very good one, because it was hard to get for almost 15 years. "Anvil of Crom" is definitely the best song, but also "The thought" is typical old style FATES WARNING/CRIMSON GLORY... There is also some complicated Prog Metal a la PSYCHOTIC WALTZ included here. Recommended to fans of mentioned bands. CD is available at: www.sod-rec.de (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MOON MADNESS 'TORN CD-SINGLE' (INDEPENDENT) 'Torn' is the 2nd cd-single from the female fronted melodic rockband MOON MADNESS from Finland. MOON MADNESS was formed in the late 90s and in February 2006 they released their debut single 'Thunder'. The band played support for SONATA ARCTICA recently and is going all the way up as it seems. The band is working on a full-CD, which should be released in spring 2007. In the meantime, the new CD-single contains 2 new songs. First the titletrack "Torn", a great uptempo 80s melodic rocker and also the song "Ain't no angel" which is included as a live video track. More info at: WWW.moonmadness.fi and http://www.myspace.com/moonmadnessband and e-mail at: tanja@karppanen.fi (Points: 8.2 out of 10) CALLISTO 'NOIR' (FULLSTEAM RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) Here we have another Finnish band. CALLISTO is playing a sort of slow Doom, very dark melancholic Rock style, which reminds a bit of MY DYING BRIDE, OPETH..., but it's not Metal related at all, more Rock based, still with the slow Doom kinda approach metalbands as mentioned are playing. 'Noir' is their 2nd album, with 8 tracks included. The songs are very slow and it all feels very dark, but still quite good. It's a sort of atmospheric journey, a trip spread on 8 songs. Check out the band's website for more info at: www.callistochaos.com and www.myspace.com/callistochaos (Points: 8.0 out of 10) UNITING THE ELEMENTS 'BILLS OUT' (INDEPENDENT) UNITING THE ELEMENTS is a band from the UK, with as most notable fact that they have been playing 270+ live concerts within the last 12 months worldwide, including support for acts like URIAH HEEP, THE SWEET, THE ANIMALS... Anyway, they have a CD out titled 'Bills out'. 4 songs can be found on this mini-cd, which contains strong female fronted gothic melodic rock. Opener "Who do you lie to" is an excellent uptempo rocker actually and the band even adds some prog influences ("Denver stone") that reminds slightly of MOSTLY AUTUMN, however vocally with a slight raw touch from female singer DAWN, who is a rather good singer. You should check out this band at: WWW.UNITING-THE-ELEMENTS.COM and http://www.myspace.com/unitingtheelements (Points: 8.2 out of 10) LATEXXX TEENS 'MOLOKO & ULTRA-VIOLENCE' (INDEPENDENT) Italian band with a style that mixes old 80s style Gothic Rock with slightly Techno/Industrial but also Glam/Punk Influences can be heard on the band's album 'Moloko & ultra-violence'. Call it Cyber-Punk-Gothic with an 80s vibe like mixing THE MISSION/NEW WORLD ORDER/DEAD CAN DANCE... with MARILYN MANSON and adding some of the SHOTGUN MESSIAH style. If you're starting to become interested, then email at: info@latexxxteens.com and visit their website at: www.latexxxteens.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) FROGG CAFÉ 'THE SAFENZEE DIARIES' (10T RECORDS) FROGG CAFÉ is a 6-piece band from New York. They already released a couple of CDs and this new one is a live-album. It is a 2-CD set recorded at the famous US Progfestival Nearfest, of which we also saw a live-CD of the band CRYPTIC VISION sometime ago. Anyway, FROGG CAFÉ is playing Jazz/Fusion-Prog that sounds like TOTO jamming with DIXIE DREGS. This is one big Jam, which for the fans is of course a must-have. Songs like "You're Still Sleeping (10:43)" and "Abyss Of Dissension (14:38)" are fine examples of the band's live spirit. The band has a huge line-up and with already 4 studio-CDs, this new 2-CD live record is a nice addition to their catalogue. More info at: www.froggcafe.com and www.10trecords.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
The US band GOODNIGHT CITY are all about typical American Emo/Punkpoprock, not original but good for what it is. They were formed in the late 90s and 7 songs are on their new CD 'Better with the lights down', which is the follow-up to their debut 'You are almost there' from 2003. Songs like "By the time, I hit the border" and "Tragedy" are quite catchy Melodic Punkpoprockers in the style of LOST PROPHETS, FALL OUT BOY, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE... The CD was produced by Jeff Tornei (MATCHBOX 30/SMASHING PUMPKINS) and if you're a fan of this style you will absolutely love GOODNIGHT CITY. More info at: www.gncmusic.com and http://myspace.com/goodnightcity and e-mail them at: mgmt@goodnightmusic.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) SOUTHERN VOODOO ‘DEVIL’S DRIVE’ (APACHE PRODUCTIONS) Dirty mean raw Rock and Roll is what to expect from the Belgian band SOUTHERN VOODOO, reminding a lot of MOTORHEAD/NASHVILLE PUSSY/ROGUE MALE/KILLER. Their new CD was produced by Chips Kiesbye (THE HELLACOPTERS) and fans of mentioned bands will absolutely love this record, although do not expect anything really sensational, just basic raw mean rock and roll in the style of HELLACOPTERS/MOTORHEAD, etc. More info at: http://www.southernvoodoo.com (Points: 7.7 out of 10) PAUL DESLAURIERS ‘RIPPING INTO RED’ (PRODUCTIONS ZEB) Here we have a very strong Bluesguitarist from Canada, who has released a great CD, on which he sings and plays guitar. Paul does do that very well, reminding of JOE BONAMASSA and GARY MOORE a lot, so we have here Heavy Bluesrock with strong melodies. The CD contains 10 original tracks and a BEATLES cover (“Strawberry fields forever” that even reminds of SPOCK’S BEARD). The original tracks are rocking very well, not the slow Blues, but like said before Heavy Bluesrock with an uptempo feeling, strong melodic soulful vocalwork and excellent guitarwork (a la DAVE MENIKETTI). All together a great album and for more info on Paul go to: http://www.pauldeslauriers.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) AMERICAN DOG ‘HARD’ (BAD REPUTATION RECORDS) The American band AMERICAN DOG has a new CD out on the French label BAD REPUTATION RECORDS. Musically very 80s/70s orientated raw Rock/Hardrock that reminds me of STRANGER, NAZARETH, UFO, URIAH HEEP… very Classic Rock orientated and quite good actually, although not as sensational or in the same league as aforementioned bands. Nevertheless, people into old-fashioned Hardrock with flashy guitarwork will like this AMERICAN DOG a lot! More info at: http://www.americandog.us (Points: 7.9 out of 10) SCOTT BLASEY ‘TRAVELIN’ ON’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) American singer/songwriter started his music career some 20 years ago and has played for quite some time in the popular band THE CLARKS, but always managed to release solo-albums here and there, with this ‘Travelin’ on’ being his latest solo effort. Musically a typical singer/songwriter album, not much Rock, but more something like NEAL MORSE does on his solo albums, although this CD is way more laid-back and even reminds one of ELVIS COSTELLO/MOON MARTIN. More info at: http://www.scottblasey.com (Points: 7.7 out of 10)
I remember reviewing one of the demos of the Brazilian band SHADOWSIDE sometime ago and look now, the band has a full-length CD out on a sublabel of UNIVERSAL MUSIC BRAZIL! Musically a mix of typical faster uptempo Melodic Power Metal a la ANGRA and catchy Melodic Hardrock a la EDGUY/PINK CREAM 69. The band has released a very strong album, with such great tracks like “Highlight” (catchy Melodic Hardrock a la PC’69), “Illusions” (fast a la old EDGUY/HELLOWEEN) and “We want a miracle” (sounding like a cross between MASTERPLAN at the start and PRETTY MAIDS during the catchy chorus). Especially the big sound of the CD, thanks to the mastering of TOMMY HANSEN (TNT, HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS) makes this CD a recommended piece to anyone into Euro Melodic Metal, because that is what this Brazilian band is bringing us on their debut CD! Funny thing is that the band has a female singer (DANI NOLDEN), but it is actually quite hard to hear, but think LEE AARON and you’re quite close too! The Japanese version will feature a cover of MARI HAMADA and the European a DIO cover, while this Brazilian release contains 12 original songs and it is quite strange the only weaker song is opener “Enter the shadowside”, because the rest of the album is very impressive. More info at: http://www.shadowside.ws and e-mail at: manager@shadowside.ws (Points: 8.4 out of 10) DAVID SURKAMP ‘THE PAVLOV’S DOG TRINITY SESSIONS’ (ROCKVILLE/GERMUSICA) Singer/Songwriter DAVID SURKAMP is known for being a member of the US band PAVLOV’S DOG in the early 1970s with whom he released a couple strong heavy progrockalbums that sounded like a cross between LED ZEPPELIN, YES and GENESIS. Since 2001 David also releases solo-albums and his latest effort is this record ‘The pavlov’s dog trinity sessions’, which musically is filled with well-thought laid-back Progressive Music that reminds one of FISH and PETER GABRIEL. Although removed a bit from the PAVLOV’S DOG sound, this CD I surely recommended to fans of calmer progrock, more something for the open-minded fan, who also enjoys NEAL MORSE for example. Check out more info at: http://www.pavlovs-dog.de (Points: 7.7 out of 10) DRIFT EFFECT ‘BE SOMETHING’ (MOXIE STAR PUBLICITY) The band DRIFT EFFECT comes out of Minnesota/USA and is playing a sort of mix of Classic Rock from the 1970s with modern rock influences, sort of like JIMI HENDRIX jamming with AUDIOSLAVE/CREED. 12 songs are included on the band’s 12 songs counting debut CD. Especially the guitar department sounds quite good, although vocally it is a bit more typical American, so slightly depressive and very dark. Groovy American Modern Rock is what this CD is all about and people who start to become interested should check out this DRIFT EFFECT. More info at: http://www.drifteffect.com and e-mail at: crystal@moxiestar.net (Points: 7.9 out of 10) SLOWMOTION APOCALYPSE OBSIDIAN’ (SCARLET RECORDS) Metalcore I am afraid, endless screaming from this Italian band… (Points: -) BLACK RAIN ‘BLACK RAIN’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) BLACK RAIN are a French band with a very sensational debut CD release that contains high class 80s inspired US Power Metal with a touch of ANGRA and TNT as well. The sound is huge and the songs are also very strong, melodic and powerful with some very good singing. I have absolutely no clue where on earth this band has been working their way onto such an impressive first CD release, but I do can inform you this is a must-have CD if you’re into Melodic Metal with high pitched vocals. 9 long songs are included, ranging from faster uptempo pieces (“Kill ‘em all”, “Phtoneros daimon”, “Gods of Metal” and “Hate, disgust and power” that remind of PRIMAL FEAR) to more Melodic Metal pieces like TNT meets CRIMSON GLORY (“Winterwind” and “Crystal night”) and even a ballad like “Samsara”. All together a very impressive debut CD of BLACK RAIN, definitely one to check out. More info at: http://blackrain.atspace.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) DSK ‘OPPRESSED’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) This is Death Metal, nothing more, nothing less… (Points: -) KEMET ‘THE RULES OF EQUILIBRIUM’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) KEMET is a band with a strong Melodic Metalsound. They hail from France and their CD ‘The rules of equilibrium’ was released late 2006 and contains good strong music, which is not typical Melodic Metal as some other influences can also be heard, such as ProgMetal. The song “Saturday night sinner” for example is a very good tune that reminds one of VANDENPLAS, but the band is quite diverse actually, sometimes aggressive, but also very melodic most of the time, sort of mixing Melodic ProgMetal with some modern approaches, also reminding of SUNCAGED at times. This is their first official CD release and you better check ‘em out for yourself if you’re starting to become interested at: http://kemetmusic.free.fr (Points: 8.0 out of 10) AKROMA ‘SEVEN’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) This French band is actually playing Black Metal with a Symphonic touch, sort of like CHILDREN OF BODOM/CRADLE OF FILTH, yet then with some melodic parts here and there. Overall not bad, but a bit too much Black Metal screaming after a while, only for fans of mentioned bands…. More info at: http://akroma-metal.net (Points: -) ELLIPSIS ‘IMPERIAL TZADIK’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) Already the 4th CD of the French band ELLIPSIS, but definitely a strong album that contains Dark Melodic Metal with influences from Doom and Gothic, ending up reminding me of EVERGREY a lot. 11 songs are included and with a big production, which was done at the Soundsuite Studios (TRISTANIA, THEATRE OF TRAGEDY), this CD is recommended to fans of Dark Melodic Metal. The band has a good powerful lead singer, instrumental it all sounds quite perfect and last but not least, the songs contain some very nice melodies, with as highlights “Perfect rage”, “A box in Ocean” and “Possessed by Dilemna”. Sometimes there is an interference of some growling, but most of the time this CD will appeal to fans of EVERGREY! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) AMPHITRYON ‘SUMPHOKERAS’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) Doom/Death-Metal is what to expect from this French band, very much reminding of THERION, yet more Death Metal growls, but happily also clean female soprano vocals to give the sound a melodic touch. Recommended to fans of OPETH, MOONSPELL, THERION… More info at: http://www.amphitryon.music.com (Points: -) MZ ‘NOSTALGIC HEROES’ (THUNDERING RECORDS) Already the 5th CD of the French band MZ, musically continue playing good strong Melodic Neo-Classical Metal a la SYMPHONY X, ROYAL HUNT, MALMSTEEN, yet not that sensational. The song “Before the sun goes down” is a very impressive tune that almost is close to the high level of aforementioned bands, but be aware that MZ is in general not reaching the high level of the well-known Neo-Classical Melodic Metalbands. Nevertheless, this new MZ album is really recommended if you’re a fan of mentioned bands. More info at: http://www.mz-music.com (Points: -)
After the sensational SUNSTORM record, which was filled with a lot of songs written in the past (80s), but newly recorded by Joe and his friends, there now is a new solo-CD available of Joe himself. Some songs were also written a long time ago, such as the BONFIRE cover "Sweet obsession", but anyway, this is a real new solo-album of Joe. Musically sounding like a mix between the SUNSTORM AOR/Melodic Rock stuff and the more Bluesy Melodic Hardrock approach of Joe's 90s solo records. Without a doubt, a very good album, although not as good as SUNSTORM or Joe's first solo-album 'Rescue you' from 20+ years ago. Nevertheless, songs like "Love is Life", "Stroke of Midnight", "In Your Eyes" and the lovely "Blood Red Sky" are very impressive and despite a few weaker bluesier songs, this is one of Joe's best solo-album in ages. Jim Peterik (PRIDE OF LIONS/SURVIVOR), Bob Held, Karl Cochran and Martin Briley co-wrote songs on the album, while there even is a track included that Joe co-wrote with Ritchie Blackmore, Jim Peterik and Roger Glover entitled "Stroke of Midnight". The players on the new disc are Karl Cochran (ACE FREHLEY) on guitar and bass, Bob Held on bass, Gary Corbett on keyboards and DAMN YANKEES/LYNYRD SKYNYRD drummer Michael Cartellone. All together a good album, showing that Joe still is one of the best singers around. More info at: www.joelynnturner.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Name one band from the classic aor scene that is still active nowadays, which is not signed to the Italian label FRONTIERS RECORDS... well that is almost impossible... NIGHT RANGER is the latest addition and here we have a new studio-CD of the band. NIGHT RANGER released about 5 sensational records in the 1980s with such classic tunes like "When you close your eyes", "Don't tell me you love me", "The secret of my success", "Four in the morning", "Sing me away" and AOR ballads like "Sister Christian", "Goodbye" and "Sentimental streets". They were one of the best bands with a mixture of smooth melodies, twin-guitars, catchy hooks and killer choruses to sing-a-long with. Then came the 90s and the band went into a very average phase, releasing nothing but very weak modern rock albums. Now in 2007 a complete new studio-CD titled 'Hole in the sun' is sounding like their best effort since the 1980s ended. Nevertheless, keep in mind that also this new record is not at all reminding of the glorious 80s days of the band. The band is still sounding very modern, heavy, groovy, especially in the guitar department with down-tuned guitars. Happily, this time there are also some pleasant melodies to be heard, such as in the song "Whatever Happened". However, I am afraid the band will never write and record music that is as good as the stuff they did some 20 years ago, because back then they were absolutely fantastic. Me looking at a bunch of video concert footage from 1985 of the band shows they were amazing live and I guess they still are, but somehow their studio-albums are just o.k.... (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
American singer/songwriter STAN BUSH does not need any introduction if you call yourself an AOR fan. For more than 25 years Stan has been active in the music business and ever since his 1983 solo debut he has been releasing every now and then a sensational AOR release. He never gave up the AOR style and always released amazing stuff. The new album 'In this life' is his best effort since his own classic from 1987 with THE BARRAGE. This time he got help from Producer/Guitarist Holger Fath , guitarist Rocket Ritchotte (DAVID LEE ROTH, RICK SRINGFIELD), Curt Cuomo (KISS, EDDIE MONEY), drummer Matt Laug (ALICE COOPER, RICHARD MARX, EDDIE MONEY, ANASTACIA etc.) and Lance Morrison on bass guitar (ALANIS MORRISSETTE, DON HENLEY etc.). I don't know how he did it, but he delivered once again a TOP SENSATIONAL AOR record that maybe even beats the new PRIDE OF LIONS record. Uptempo AOR rockers like "I'll Never Fall", "In This Moment", "Over You" and "In This Life" and the midtempo AOR pieces "I Can't Cry" and "Waiting For You" belong to some of the best STAN BUSH songs in a long time and are a must-hear for the AOR fans! This is one of those albums you want to hear over and over again, HIGH CLASS AOR at it's best! (Points: 9.2 out of 10)
The German/Scandinavian band Razorback was founded in 2002 by guitarist Rolf Munkes (EMPIRE, TONY MARTIN BAND), bassist Chris Heun (Ex-LANZER, ex-SHYLOCK) and drummer Marcus Bielenberg (Ex-VANIZE, MAJESTY), with lead singer Stefan Berggren from Stockholm (ex-COMPANY OF SNAKES) joining them shortly after. The band released 2 albums, 'Animal Anger' and 'Criminal Justice', with a change of drummer a few times, including the short appearance of Andre Hilgers, who actually plays with AXXIS, RAGE and SILENT FORCE. The new third album 'Deadringer' shows an improvement musically, partly thanks to the strong drumsound of mr. MIKE TERRANA (MALMSTEEN, PELL, MASTERPLAN, RAGE...) an much better songwriting than on the first 2 albums. 'Deadringer' is filled with strong high quality Melodic Hardrock that sounds like a cross between SCORPIONS, DOKKEN and PINK CREAM 69, combining Metal riffs with strong catchy melodies. Songs like "Deadringer", "The Last Man Standing", "Hero", "Miracle baby", etc. are very high class Melodic Hardrocksongs, must-hear for the fans of the genre. Although 80s influenced, still sounding up-to-date and highly recommended to fans of SCORPIONS, DOKKEN and PINK CREAM 69! (Points: 8.4 out of 10) ALTARIA 'DIVINE INVITATION' (METAL HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) The Finnish band ALTARIA released a great record titled 'The fallen empire' last year and due to the fact their first two albums were completely sold out ('Invitation' (2003) and 'Divinity' (2004)), the idea came up to make the best 5 songs each available again, to introduce new singer Marco Luponero (ex TERRORWHEEL) with 2 brand new songs and add another 7 (!) bonus tracks which originally appeared on the band's sought after demos 'Sleeping Visions' (2001) and 'Feed The Fire' (2002). The resuly is 'Divine Invitation', a mid-price release through METAL HEAVEN RECORDS. Musically it's all about Melodic Metal and with songs like "Fire & Ice", "History Of Times To Come", "Try To Remember" amd "Ball & Chain" offering some great stuff, although the band's 3rd album 'The fallen empire' is by far their finest release. In the meantime, the fans might enjoy this a lot due to the fact it includes the following unreleased songs (13. Fire & Ice (Demo 2001), 14. Innocent (Demo 2001),15. Kingdom Of The Night (Demo 2001), 16. Unicorn (Demo 2002), 17. History Of Times To Come (Demo 2002), 18. Immortal Disorder (Demo 2002), 19. Emerald Eye (Demo 2002). More info at: www.altariamusic.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
DECOY is a new project featuring songwriter/guitarist Torben Enevoldsen (SECTION A/FATAL FORCE) and singer Peter Sundell (Ex-GRAND ILLUSION). Peter is a great singer and it was sad to see him leave GRAND ILLUSION in May 2005. Torben is a great guitarist, who continues doing projects like these. Nevertheless, despite the high quality musicianship, somehow the music of DECOY does not sound sensational at all. It is a mixture of AOR/Melodic Rock choruses and Metal riffs, sort of like MILLENNIUM/EYEWITNESS/TEER did in the past, but here it does not really work. A couple of songs (like "Divided", "Make A Stand", "Break Through" and "How Long") are nice, but on the other hand a lot of the included songs go in one ear and out the other. A huge pity, because vocally it is really good, but in the past we have heard Peter singing way better material, so let's hope he goes back to GRAND ILLUSION and record one-helluva-AOR album instead of this OK Melodic Metal release... (Points: 7.8 out of 10) THE THIRD ENDING 'THE THIRD ENDING' (PROGROCK RECORDS) Never thought I would hear and review a band from the unlikely city of Hobart on the island of Tasmania, just below Australia, but THE THIRD ENDING is a band from way down under that has come up with a very impressive self titled debut album. The band signed with PROGROCK RECORDS and their first CD is filled with high quality super Melodic Neo-Progrock that is very close to ENCHANT. Songs like "Eleven", "Back Home", "Can You Hear Me?" and "Falling" are terrific sensational Neo-Progsongs with not the focus on keyboards (like the British tend to do), but more American based, so with strong melodies/hooks (a la ENCHANT/KANSAS). The band's bassist Bryan Beller played with The Mike Keneally Band, Steve Vai, James LaBrie, Kevin Gilbert, and Dweezil Zappa among others, while lead singer (and keyboardplayer) Nick Storr has an excellent voice, perfectly suitable for THE THIRD ENDING's very melodic progrock. 11 songs are included and especially the fans of American super melodic Neo-Prog a la ENCHANT, SHADOW GALLERY, CAIRO, ICE AGE... will love the debut CD of the Tasmanian band THE THIRD ENDING. More info at: http://www.thethirdending.com (Points: 8.7 out of 10)
PUPPET SHOW is a group of musicians based in the heart of Northern California's 'Silicon Valley' formed in 1994. The band released their debut album 'Traumatized' in 1998 and afterwards they played a series of concerts, such as performances at the international festivals Baja Prog and ProgFest. It took the band quite some time, but finally 2007 brings the release of their second release 'The Tale Of Woe' on the best proglabel around these days (PROGROCK RECORDS). The album is filled with Progrock like the Progfans want to hear it, reminding of classic 70s GENESIS, FLOWER KINGS and such. 6 long songs are included ("Seasons", "Seven Gentle Spirits", "Harold Cain", "The Past Has Just Begun", "God's Angry Man" and "On Second Thought") and for a fan of the classic 70s Progrocksound this is a must-hear! The band got help of mixer and producer Terry Brown (RUSH, IQ, FM, FATES WARNING) and producer/mastering engineer Peter J. Moore (THE BAND, CRASH TEST DUMMIES) who respectively mixed and mastered 'The Tale Of Woe'. Sound is excellent and all I can say is that this is Progrock the way it used to sound (long instrumental breaks, many keys and a pure 70s approach). More info at: http://www.puppetshow.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
The 1970s was the time when STARCASTLE was very active, making pure YES orientated Prog/Symphonic Rock, yet with an American touch in the harmonyvocal department and some Pomprock influences. In the later years the band switched to a more pure American Radiorock/AOR format a la AXE. Anyway, many years have passed, but the band always kept performing live, despite the fact they never released a studio record after 1978. STARCASTLE was formed in the late 1960's in Champaign, Illinois and released 4 records on CBS/Epic Records: Starcastle (1976), Fountains of Light (1976), Citadel (1977), and Real to Reel (1978). Together these records have sold more than a million copies. The middle two albums were produced by Queen/Cars/Darkness producer Roy Thomas Baker. Now finally a new album and completely in the style of their early records, pure YES orientated Sympho/Progrock with many vocal harmonies, twin guitars, fluid and driving bass playing, and grand synthesizer lines, it feels like the 1970s all over again. The touch of American Pomprock in the song "Babylon" makes this 9 minutes counting tune an absolute winner of the record. The band's line-up on this record is Gary Strater (bass and vocals), Matt Stewart (guitars and vocals), Steve Tassler (drums, vocals and keyboards), Herb Schildt (keyboards), Steve Hagler (guitar and vocals), and Terry Luttrell (vocals, original REO SPEEDWAGON vocalist)- alongside a number of new players and singers, including current Starcastle vocalist Al Lewis and guitarist Bruce Botts. The record was mastered by Emily Lazar (Bowie, Lou Reed, Moby, etc) and the album was actually recorded over many years. It includes the work of band mainstay, Gary Strater, who sadly died in 2004 and is featured on all tracks. Terry Luttrell returns for a single track but the rest of the album is well sung by Al Lewis, previously of ALASKA. All together a very strong return of a band that once was seen as the American version of YES. More info at: www.starcastlemusic.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) LAKE OF TEARS 'MOONS AND MUSHROOMS' (NAPALM RECORDS) LAKE OF TEARS is a Swedish band founded in the early 1990s. The band has just released their 7th CD titled 'Moons and mushrooms'. Musically they started as a band mixing all kinds of influences (ranging from doom metal to psychedelic pop to classic rock to progressive metal), for which they received a lot of respect. However, on their new CD they start to sound more and more like HIM and should actually be qualified as a band playing dark melodic melancholic metal. What we get to hear is some pretty good stuff that sounds very dark and melancholic, but is also very melodic. LAKE OF TEARS is a Metalband, although in the past they played with a lot of other musicgenres as well. They have that typical Scandinavian sort of sound and I guess fans who want to hear a darker HIM should check out the new CD of the Swedish band LAKE OF TEARS a.s.a.p. Check out all about LAKE OF TEARS at: www.myspace.com/thelakeoftears and www.lakeoftears.net/ (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
THE MARTIE PETERS GROUP is formed around MARTIE PETERS of course. The new CD 'Road To Salvation' is a little poppier than his past work, but the WHITE LION similarities are still present, especially since Martie's vocals sound so much like MIKE TRAMP. 'Road To Salvation' has been produced by Martie himself, while TOMMY HANSEN (FATE, HELLOWEEN) mastered the album. Martie's other influences besides MIKE TRAMP are BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, BRYAN ADAMS, DEF LEPPARD, ENUFF Z'NUFF, JOHN WAITE, KIP WINGER, MIKE TRAMP, TESLA and ROD STEWART, which can also be heard on this new album. The first song is not that good, but most of the rest of the CD is pretty good catchy Melodic Rock, with as highlights "Chosen one", "Shallow" and "Waitin' in line". Not calling this a sensational release, but it's a good solid catchy melodic pop/rock album like BRYAN ADAMS, MIKE TRAMP, JOHN WAITE, DANNY WILDE... (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Formed way back in the early 1990s, although some of the members even played in bands in the 1970s, so there is a lot of experience behind this LOST WEEKEND. In the mid 1990s they released their debut CD on Now and Then Records, me remembering we reviewed their first CD some 10 years ago and also interviewed them. Through 1996 and 1997 they played 127 shows around the country, building up a loyal following wherever they performed. Releasing albums has always been a problem for LOST WEEKEND, because studio's and equipment seem to give up whenever the band starts to record something. The band also switched labels in the past 10 years, with as result that their 3rd CD 'Forever moving on' is released on Z RECORDS. Musically the band never changed and so we can once again enjoy some Classic 80s orientated Melodic Rock in the shape of some really great songs like "Don't Go", "Seize The Day", "Is This Our Limit" and "Forever moving on". With a running time of more than 70 minutes and quite a bunch of songs, this is a highly recommended piece to fans of classic 80s Melodic Rock! (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
4th CD of this Finnish band, which are playing a mix of AOR/Melodic Rock and Progressive Melodic Metal, kinda like ELDRITCH/SECRET SPHERE, yet a bit less heavy and more melodic. The band was formed in the early 90s, and switched quite a lot from labels, because Noise International released their debut, then they went to Escape Music and now this new CD is released on the Finnish label SOUNDMIX FINLAND. Also the band switched from lead singer, because a few years ago Sami Huotari was replaced by Jukka Nummi. Their new CD 'Frame works' is a bit short, with a playing time of under 40 minutes, but musically quite good, at the start mixing melodic metal and progrock, but from track 3 on this is actually very much pure Melodic Rock like ALTARIA meets TNT on such great songs like "Stress code", "Freak of nature" and "Silent farewell". Only 8 songs, but recommended if you want to hear a mix of old QUEENSRYCHE Progmetal and TNT/SHYish Melodic Rock! More info at: www.myonmusic.com and www.myspace.com/myonmusic (Points: 8.2 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
KRISTIN
GLASGOW 'DANGER'S CALLIN' (SIMONE ENTERTAINMENT) 
KOTIPELTO
'SERENITY' (AFM RECORDS/ROCK INC) 
AUTUMN
'MY NEW TIME' (METAL BLADE RECORDS) 
POWERWOLF
'LUPUS DEI' (METAL BLADE RECORDS) 
SHANNON
'WORLD OF DESIRE' (DEMO CDR) 
GOODNIGHT
CITY 'BETTER WITH THE LIGHTS DOWN' (BG ENTERTAINMENT) 
SHADOWSIDE
‘THEATRE OF SHADOWS’ (SEVEN MUSIC/UNIVERSAL MUSIC BRAZIL) 
JOE
LYNN TURNER 'SECOND HAND LIFE' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
NIGHT
RANGER 'HOLE IN THE SUN' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
STAN
BUSH 'IN THIS LIFE' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
RAZORBACK
'DEADRINGER' (AOR HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
DECOY
'CALL OF THE WILD' (AOR HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
PUPPET
SHOW 'THE TALE OF WOE' (PROGROCK RECORDS) 
STARCASTLE
'SONG OF TIMES' (PROGROCK RECORDS) 
MARTIE
PETERS GROUP 'ROAD TO SALVATION' (SHEER CLASS MUSIC/(NL DISTRIBUTION) 
LOST
WEEKEND 'FOREVER MOVING ON' (Z RECORDS) 
MYON
'FRAME WORKS' (SOUNDMIX FINLAND)