HOT NEW REVIEWS
 RISER 'RESURRECTION' (FULL HOUSE RECORDS) RISER was (and still is) a band from Boston, USA and they have been around for quite some time now. One of their earliest recordings, "Music man", led the band to the attention of Bill Aucoin, manager of KISS, who brought them to New York to discuss management. They even got close to a deal with MCA Records, but unfortunately the deal fell through. However, RISER moved on, and recorded a lot more songs, but they had to wait until the year 1999 for an official album release. In 1999, RISER released a CD of 10-tunes on FULLHOUSE RECORDS, and I am glad to review that particular CD 'Resurrection', as this is an oustanding classic piece of late 70s/early 80s Pomprock/AOR in the style of STYX, TYCOON, THRILLS, ROADMASTER, STARCASTLE… Yes, it's hardly believable, but we have found another band playing that forgotten classic 70s Pomprockstyle, with soaring vocals, swirling keys, progressive rock influences, multi-harmonyvocals, memorable catchy choruses and all packed in a very melodic rockin' style. You can easily put this band next to the already mentioned acts, alongside HOBBIT and LE ROUX. The band has 2 keyboardplayers in their line-up, and a fantastic melodic lead singer called Tom Fey. The CD contains 10 tracks, and most of them have a good sound and production quality, except for a couple songs towards the end, but the music is always from a high quality. Opener "They've all come out to fight" is a fantastic high quality pure 70s Pomprocker, with really big harmonyvocals and a sound very close to that of STYX, STARCASTLE, URIAH HEEP, HOBBIT… Just listen to that chorus, this is a complete must for any fan of 70s Pomprock! Next track "Never get to heaven" is a very relaxing calmer song, that is in the exact same style as LE ROUX's "You know how those boys are", so classy laid-back early 1980s AOR. The only letdown on the CD is the track "Was it the last time", a song that is disturbed by a saxsolo, although the song itself is a nice (but sweet) poprocker. The following two tracks ("Where we will be tomorrow" and "Tin shield") are then again CLASSIC 1970S POMPROCK, very very much like STYX sounded in the mid 1970s, but there's also a clear similarance to ROADMASTER. The keyboards and harmonies are all over the place on these two songs, a wet dream for the fans of Pure Pomprock! It's unbelievable, but it's the truth, because the 70s Pomprock just goes on and on, as you can hear on the next track "Through a fawns eye", a 6-minutes counting Pomp epos with some very nice instrumental work (flute/keys/guitar) and a sound somewhere between STARCASTLE and STYX. "Music man" and the following two tracks have a weaker sound/production quality, but the music is still pretty good. "Music man" is a great keyboard driven uptempo early 1980s type of AOR/Pomprock like HOBBIT, STEEL BREEZE and THRILLS. Slightly poppier is the uptempo poprocker "Story in your eyes" that sounds like BENTWOOD ROCKER and early THRILLS, with a hook that has a LE ROUX feeling written all over. The acoustic tingled "Listen son" is also nothing that special, although there are again some STYX similarities to be heard. Closing track "C'est goodbye" has the best sound/production quality, and sounds like a newly recorded tune. This final track is a great pure early 1980s uptempo AOR rocker that reminds me a lot of AIRBORNE (yes, the Beau Hill band that put out one record in 1979 and is going to release a new CD this year!). The harmonyvocals and keyboardsolo on "C'est goodbye" are quite stunning and interesting, as it sounds like the 1970s, but is now for the first time released on CD, so still a fresh sound! Then it's over and out with the Pomprock of RISER. A band that never got that much attention, and although not the whole CD is filled with Classic Pomprocksongs, I still can easily recommend it to fans of STYX, AIRBORNE, ROADMASTER, LE ROUX and you name it further. There are some great songs on the RISER CD, and the lead and harmonyvocals are very impressive. Nice to know is that RISER is going to record a new CD later this year, I can't wait to hear that album, hope it follows the same style as on this CD, only with a better production. It's been a busy month for the Pomprockfans, because this RISER is almost as good as the new HOBBIT, so go to their site and check out all you need to know of this newly discovered old Boston band at: http://www.fullhouserecording.com and e-mail them at: JAGG258730@aol.com Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 REB BEACH 'MASQUERADE'
(FRONTIERS RECORDS)Former WINGER/DOKKEN guitarist Reb Beach will soon release his first solo-CD entitled 'Masquerade'. The album has a crystal clear production, some impressive guitarwork and further high quality instrumental approach, but sadly, the included songs are not all convincing enough to make this a true winner. I am not saying it's bad or anything, but the music is very modern and groovy, kinda like ENUFF'Z'NUFF, MR. BIG and DOKKEN (circa mid 1990s). Just listen to the first two songs, "Dark places" and "Masquerade", there's some good quality music in there, but the songs are just so and so… However, there are still some good tunes on the CD, such as the great semi melodic rocker "Ghost" (a la STUART SMITH), the groovy melodic hardrocksong "Red" (a la GLENN HUGHES) and the modern melodic rocker "Sorrow stained eyes" (a song with a good melodic memorable chorus, kinda like the last couple of NIGHT RANGER albums). Apart from these songs, most of the stuff on this record is quite modern heavy rock (such as "Bleed", "Fanatic" and "Better shade of gray"), so I can best recommend the album to fans of late DOKKEN/NIGHT RANGER, MR. BIG and of course people who like Reb's guitarplaying, because my compliments must go out to the man himself for bringing in some great guitar riffs and licks. He also proves he can sing very well, something that we never heard when he was playing in DOKKEN and WINGER. Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| REPTILIAN 'CASTLE OF
YESTERDAY' (REGAIN RECORDS/SUBURBAN) The CD of the Swedish band REPTILIAN was already released some time ago, but so far we didn't do a review of it, so here it is. The band consists of the brothers Jonas and Thomas Blum as leaders of the band, and also features bassist JONAS REINGOLD in the line-up. The CD 'Castle of yesterday' is a very well produced album that contains a style that somewhere mixes Fantasy Metal with AOR/Melodic Rock. Songs like "Preludium - oblivion", "Veins of hell", "The deceiver", "Steel of the dagger" and "Signing out" (very catchy chorus) are fast fantasy uptempo melodic metal songs with many keys, catchy choruses and a fun and easy approach, also quite bombastic and a sound close to that of SONATA ARCTICA, STRATOVARIUS… Just like NARNIA, also REPTILIAN slow things down on a few songs and those tracks are (to me) also the best tracks. These are the fantastic midtempo melodic rocker "Castle of yesterday" (very catchy chorus), "Change your heart" (pure 80s, lovely semi melodic rockballad, very catchy AOR chorus) and "I'll be back" (AORish chorus, midtempo melodic rocker). The remaining tracks are the instrumental "Skeleton scales" and the melodic heavy rocker "Masterplan" (closing track, only weaker song). Concluded I can easily say that REPTILIAN is another great Swedish band, recommended to fans of both Fantasy Melodic Power Metal and Melodic Rock, somewhere a cross between NARNIA, EUROPE, MADISON and STRATOVARIUS and SONATA ARCTICA. Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| BALTIMOORE 'THE BEST OF' (LION
MUSIC) The Swedish band BALTIMOORE has been active for quite sometime now, releasing records ever since the mid 1980s. The band also has had a lot of changes in their line-up, but vocalist BJON LODIN has always been the leader of the band. Now, LION MUSIC has released a best of record of the band, but this is not your typical best of release, because this CD features 12 brand new recordings of old BALTIMOORE tunes. In case, you never heard the band, then this is the right time to start. What you get is good groovy melodic hardrock, like a mix between GREAT WHITE and TESLA. The best songs are "My blue moon" (their best tune, classy Scandi melodic rock, this is a rougher version of their own classic), "…In love", "Memories calling", "Try change to better" and "Till the end of day". So, this CD is not only recommended to people who haven't heard BALTIMOORE before, but also the regular BALTIMOORE fans will enjoy this best of release a lot. Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| CYRIL ACHARD'S MORBID
FEELING '…IN INCONSTANCIA CONSTANS' (LION MUSIC) The French guitarist Cyril Achard released a solo-album a few years ago, that was an instrumental album, on which we could already hear the qualities of this man. Now, he has released a new CD, on the Finish recordlabel LION MUSIC, and this new album features a whole line-up around him (called MORBID FEELING) and included a great vocalist called Patrick Peek. There's even a guest appearance of TONY MACALPINE on 3 songs. The result is a unique own style, which can best be described as very melodic progressive hardrock. There are some really great tunes on the CD, and I can even call it a sensational releae, that will mostly be loved by fans of Progressive Rock. There are only 8 songs, but the playing length of each song is above the normal length of a song, so the CD still crosses the 45 minutes. Opener "Alone among my friends" is a progressive melodic rocker with some bluesy and groovy touches, and also a nice keyboardsolo. Next track "Fallen from grace" is a good progressive rocker, while "Empty vow" is a nice semi progressive ballad, with a great melodic chorus, a lot of tempo changes and some clear 70s influences. Then comes the best track, the excellent progressive "Fields of graves", with some great hooks and an excellent melodic chorus. Also next track "Exile is over" is a great progressive rocker. The only instrumental ("The deep one's") follows. The last 2 songs are again good progressive rockers, "Be my thing" and "The lucky one". This CD is a kind of surprise, as not only the musicianship is impressive, also the songs are really great. This is highly recommended to any fan of progressive rock. Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| MISERY INC. 'CHAINS' (PROMO CD) This is the debut Promo CD of the Finish band MISERY INC. They already sold 300 copies in just one week, so that's pretty much for a new band. Nino Lauranne from THUNDERSTONE produced the 3 songs on their promo CD. Opener "Pray" is definitely one of the best tunes here, as this is a good uptempo melodic hardrocksong, with a very catchy melodic chorus, but with raw lead vocals, making it sound a bit like HAREM SCAREM. Next track "Chains" is a nice midtempo tune, while closing track "Darkest night" is another uptempo piece of melodic metal. If the band can make some more tunes in the style of the opening song, then this could turn out to be another sensation from Finland. Recommended to fans of HAREM SCAREM. More info at: http://www.mp3.com/misery_inc and e-mail them at: YANNE75@HOTMAIL.COM Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| EXSIMIO 'EXSIMIO'
(INDEPENDENT) This is a band from Santiago, Chile and they sent me a good quality instrumental rockalbum they made a few years ago. Musically it is progressive hardrock, and with a good production, it is a pleasure to listen to. There's also some groovy stuff on the record, but the band is at their best during the progressive hardrocksongs "Baretta" and "Travolta". More info at: http://exsimio.iscool.net and e-mail them at: exsimio@iname.com Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| PAIN AND PASSION '2001' (DEMO CD) PAIN AND PASSION is a band from Gothenburg, Sweden and this is the second demo CD I review of this quality band. They play a somewhat bluesy and groovy Hardrockstyle, comparable to the old WHITESNAKE, especially on songs like "Don't think tomorrow" and "Won't tell you anyway". The best song out of the included 3 is the semi ballad "Nobody listens to the old". The band can surely play very well, but what I do miss are some catchy tunes, nevertheless, fans of the old WHITESNAKE will enjoy this a lot. More info at: http://www.painandpassion.com and e-mail them at: mail@painandpassion.com Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| SATORI CRUSH 'PROMO CD' (PROMO
CD) This American band is working on a full-length CD that should be out this summer and I really look forward to hear and review it, because this 4-song promo CD gives me the impression that SATORI CRUSH is a band to look out for in the near future. The first 3 songs ("A place in the sun", "Touch the sky" and "Blaze of grey") are all nice laid-back AORish melodic rockballads, with a lot of acoustic guitars, but also good lead vocals and a very melodic approach. The 4th song however has the electric guitars plugged on and this track called "Sundown shoot-out" is definitely the best song. This final track is a great midtempo AOR song that calls memories of JIMI JAMISON's SURVIVOR, JIM PETERIK's WORLD STAGE and the MARK ALEN BAND. If the full-length CD is gonna sound like this song, then who knows, how good it will be when it is released this summer. Anyway, check out this band for yourself at: http://www.geocities.com/satoricrush Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| PASCAL ALLAIGRE 'OUT OF NOWHERE'
(INDEPENDENT) Out of New Caledonia comes guitarist PASCAL ALLAIGRE. He is a highly skilled musician, who even graduated at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, and you can definitely hear that Pascal is playing on a high level the electric and acoustic guitar. His debut CD 'Out of nowhere' contains excellent high quality instrumental Progressive melodic hardrock. The guitarwork is as good as anything we hear from guys like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, STEVE VAI or ADJE VANDENBERG. The 10 songs on the CD are also quite good and very diverse, from groovy to very progressive, but always melodic and in the Metal/Hardrock genre. The best songs are "Out of nowhere", "Paladins", "Anubis revival", "Secret dreams" (a la TOMMY DENANDER, TOTO) and "Hidden oasis" (best song, 80s guitar riffs). Without any doubts, this is a highly recommended instrumental progressive melodic rock/metal album. Pascal Allaigre is a promise for the future! More info at: http://www.multimania.comguitarweb and e-mail him at: mad_nc@yahoo.com Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 GAIA EPICUS 'CYBER FUTURE'
(INDEPENDENT)Here's another interesting Scandi act. GAIA EPICUS come out of Trondheim, Norway. There are 5 songs on their debut demo CDR, but still the playing length is over 35 minutes. Musically they play typical new style melodic power metal a la STRATOVARIUS, SONATA ARCTICA, only without the big production quality. Still, there are some great tunes on their CD, such as the very good melodic fantasy power metal song "Fire and ice", with it's great melodic strong chorus and interesting keyboardwork. Other good songs are "Cyber future" and "Star wars", a 10-minute counting epos. Although the band has a demo quality sound, still the songs are quite good and so I can recommend anyone into EDGUY, SONATA ARCTICA… to check out this band from Norway at: http://www.gaia-epicus.net and e-mail them at: contact@gaia-epicus.net Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 ZPLAN 'A CHANGE FROM
WITHIN' (VICTORY ALLEY RECORDS)A few years ago I discussed ZPLAN's debut CD and remember it was a good progressive melodic rockalbum, in the style of RUSH. Now, the band has released a new CD, entitled 'A change from within'. The playing length is only 37 minutes, but happily, the included music is quality progressive rock, although it sounded a bit poppy here and there, and also some modern influences has slipped through ZPLAN's music nowadays. Especially the first 5 songs were a bit calm, not unlike YES and RUSH when they slow things down. Much better is the great semi melodic rockballad "Carrie Ann", a song with a great chorus a la STYX, NIGHT RANGER, DAMN YANKEES). Some more steps away from Progressive rock are the poppy westcoast song "Real love" and the Jazzy "Loose lips". More interesting are the good semi progressive AOR tune "Forgiveness" and the STYX orientated "A million miles away". I had expected a bit more, but well, if you enjoy the calmer sounds of RUSH and YES, with a bit ZEBRA and STYX mixed into some songs, while also having some other musical styles on a few occasions, then do check out ZPLAN's new CD 'A change fromn within'. More info at: http://www.z-plan.com Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 SHINING FORCE 'HOLY NATION'
(INDEPENDENT)SHINING FORCE is a White-Metal band from Pasadena, Texas and their debut CD sounds pretty good. They mix the 80s melodic metal with a slight modern attitude, and come across sounding like RAGE OF ANGELS, BLOODGOOD, BARREN CROSS and those type of classy melodic white-metal bands that ruled the late 1980s in The States, after STRYPER opened the doors for them years before. There are some really great tunes on the CD of SHINING FORCE, such as the powerful semi melodic rockballads "Precious holy spirit" and "The holy one", both even akin to SURE CONVICTION. If you like your metal to sound as melodic as BLOODGOOD and early GOTTHARD, then you will love songs like "Take authority", "Holy nation" (straight-ahead pure 80s approach), "Bow down" and "Moving on to Zion". The only song that didn't appeal to me was the 90s inspired "The blood". This is a highly recommended band to fans of classy 80s White Metal a la BLOODGOOD, RAGE OF ANGELS, BARREN CROSS, HOLY SOLDIER, NEON CROSS, ZION, DELIVERANCE… More info at: http://www.eternityministry.org Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 OVNI 'LA EXPERIENCIA'
(INDEPENDENT)It's hard to believe, but OVNI is a band from EL SALVADOR! Yes, that's surely the first time I hear a band from that country, and I can inform you that OVNI is a high quality band, because their Live recorded CD 'La experienca' is a fantastic Neo-prog record. The production is great, the songs are very impressive, so is the musicianship and the vocals, and the CD has a playing time of 70 minutes, so what more do you want! You can compare OVNI to bands like IQ, JADIS, PALLAS, PENDRAGON, so melodic keyboard orientated Neo-prog. The band has been around ever since the late 1970s, but this is the first CD I hear of them, so I am definitely gonna look for their previous albums (if they made more of course). There's not a weak moment on this CD and the only thing that sets them apart from the UK Progacts is the fact that they sing in the Spanish language. To me that doesn't matter, because what we get to hear is great melodic Neo-prog music. There are a lot of sensational songs on this live recorded CD, such as "Mentesolidaverdad", "Y si vuelve" (bit AORish prog ballad, like last JADIS), "Erase un ser", "El angel", "Cienca muerta" and "En el reino de la rosa" (best song, pomp orientated Sympho-AOR a la 80s ASIA). Without any doubts, this OVNI is one of the best Latin Prog/AOR/Melodic Rock bands around. This is a true must-have band if you're into stuff like IQ, JADIS, PENDRAGON, LANDMARQ, TIMELOCK… More info can be found at: http://www.ovni.com.sv and e-mail them at: seres@ovni.com.sv or rafaelalfa65@hotmail.com Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 NEDRA 'DEMO CDR' (DEMO
CDR)NEDRA is a French band and their demo CDR contains 3 well-produced tracks, sung in the French language. The band has a good melodic lead singer (Olivier G. Vincent), while also the songs are a pleasure to listen to. First track "Oeil pour oeil" is a good progressive melodic metal song. "Tenebres" follows, and is a good uptempo melodic heavy rocker. Closing track is the nice calmer semi-ballad "Chambre 217", a song that becomes heavier halfway the song. In general, this NEDRA is an interesting band for fans of progressive melodic heavy rock, only difference with other bands is the fact that NEDRA sings in their own language, French. Check out their site at: http://www.nedra.fr.st and e-mail them at: nedracontact@hotmail.com Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| G-FORCE 'CODE RED'
(INDEPENDENT) G-FORCE is a band formed around guitarist Michael Corsaro from Philadelphia, who has been writing and recording the past 25 years. G-FORCE is his band, and they play instrumental Hard Rock, with influences from the Blues, 70s Rock, 80s Hard Rock and Progressive Rock, all together mixing it up and sounding like G-FORCE! There are still clear comparisons to instrumental artists like STEVE VAI and JOE SATRIANI, but in general G-FORCE has created an own melodic rockin' style. The best songs are the melodic rocker "Stronger then before", the progressive rocker "Swept away", the straight-ahead Hardrocksong "Freeway" and the semi-ballad "Miracles". There's also some Boogie Hardrock and some Blues tingled tunes, but mainly G-FORCE is a pure instrumental Hard Rockband. Do not confuse them with Gary Moore's early 80s Poprockband! Check out this G-FORCE at: http://www.gforcerocks.com and e-mail them at: MMMusic703@aol.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 RICHARD KENDRICK 'MURDER AND THE
F-WORD' (VERSAILLES RECORDS)Out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana comes RICHARD KENDRICK, a multi-instrumentalist who is also playing in the band STRAITJACKET SMILE, and worked on 3 tribute CDs on VERSAILLES RECORDS, so I think this he's quite a busy guy. In between all the other projects, he recorded this solo-CD 'Murder and the F-word', a concept-album that contains all kinds of hard rock styles, but mainly is focused on high quality melodic rock stuff. There are 17 tracks, of which the last couple of tracks are not that interesting, but the first 7 songs are really impressive. The production is very good and I also have to admit that Richard's lead vocals are very melodic and a pleasure to listen to. Opener "I know why" is not a good start though, as this is an average uptempo boogie rocker a la DAVID LEE ROTH. Much better is the big sounding midtempo progressive AOR/Melodic rocker "One life stand", a song with some lovely harmonies. "Don't fly away" starts with some JOURNEY type of piano-keys, while the song itself develops into a great melodic rockballad. The CD continues with the progressive melodic rocker "Start again". There is some great 'Pomp' orientated keyboardplay on this song, and some biting groovy guitarwork, but the chorus lacks a bit, nevertheless, it's an enjoyable 6 1/2 minutes counting tune. Up next is one of the best tracks, the fantastic classy late 80s orientated fun uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker "Sherri's song" that easily can be compared to the best stuff DANGER DANGER and FIREHOUSE put out on their debut albums. This last mentioned song has some lovely melodic guitarwork and also has a playing time of more than 6 minutes. The uptempo melodic heavy rocker "Share this tender moment" follows, but is just a nice tune, with some SKID ROW influences, although I also noticed some slight progressive metal influences. Then comes "Don't touch", a great progressive melodic rocker with many good harmonyvocals, and actually this song shows an own direction of Richard that isn't easy to compare, but remains to sound melodic all throughout the song. From track 9 on, which is the terrible industrial 90s inspired "Now I'm alive", the CD goes has many average songs to offer and has barely something to do with the glorious melodic rock of the first 7 songs on the CD. The instrumentals "Losing my place", "The pieces" and "Reprisal" as well as the groovy modern metal songs "Freedumb" and "The attitude song" and the boogie rocker "Laughin' myself goodbye" all have nothing interesting to offer for fans of melodic or progressive rock/metal. That's a pity, because the beginning of the CD was very impressive, with great high quality melodic songs like "One life stand", "Don't fly away", "Sherri's song" and "Don't touch". I hope a future solo record of Richard will follow that direction, instead of the average material of the second part of his debut solo-CD. Anyway, hopefully soon reviews of his 3 tributes and his band STRAITJACKET SMILE's CD release (which is said to be a great melodic rockalbum). In the meantime, more info on Richard and his projects can be found at: http://www.versaillesrecords.com or www.richardkendrick.com and e-mail him at: DaSnotty1@aol.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 FORGOTTEN TALES 'THE PROMISE' (INDEPENDENT) FORGOTTEN TALES is a high quality band from Quebec, Canada and they are one of the first bands out of North America to play European Power Metal. Their CD 'The promise' is filled with some very good melodic power metal, and besides that they are from Canada, another thing that sets them apart from most other bands is that they have a female lead singer called Sonia Pineault, who has a great melodic voice (a la LANA LANE). The music can often be compared to RHAPSODY, yet with female lead vocals. The sound and production quality of the CD is also very impressive, while almost every song also features excellent high skilled classical keyboardwork (by Frederick Desroches). Finally, the CD artwork is pretty nice, just look at the beautiful CD cover that shows a real medieval European picture. Then on to the included songs, because it's all about the music, and like I already saif, FORGOTTEN TALES is playing high quality melodic pwoer metal that sounds like a cross between RHAPSODY and LANA LANE. If you're into faster melodic fantasy power metal a la HEAVENLY, RHAPSODY… then you will totally love great songs such as "Word of truth", "Gates beyond reality", "Endless dream" and "The promise". My favourite tracks are the semi melodic rockballads "Far away" and "She's falling" (both very much like LANA LANE) and the EDGUY orientated uptempo melodic progressive metal song "Deadly grasp". Without any doubts, this is a promising band for the future, and it wouldn't surprise me if they are signed to an European label someday soon, because FORGOTTEN TALES is as good as any melodic power/progressive metal band that is signed to labels here in Europe. For more info, go to: http://www.ForgottenTales.com and e-mail them at: forgottentales@forgottentales.com Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| CRYONIC TEMPLE 'ALBUM PREVIEWS'
(DEMO CDR) CRYONIC TEMPLE is a high quality band from Sweden and they will soon release their debut CD on the Italian label UNDERGROUND SYMPHONY RECORDS. I got a 4-track preview CDR, and I must say this band is quite a sensation in the progressive/power metal scene. Songs like "heavy Metal never dies", "King of Transylvania" and "Over and over" are true winners for fans of fantasy/power metal a la STRATOVARIUS, HEAVENLY, HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, VISION DIVINE… I look forward to see their debut CD, which should be out in a few months from now. In the meantime, check out their site at: http://www.cryonictemple.com and e-mail them at: cryonictemple@yahoo.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| MINATON 'EVOLUTION 1'
(MINATON MUSIC) This is a German band and they have been around for some time now. MINATON's leader is vocalist/ keyboardplayer Nedy John Cross. He produced and wrote all the songs on their CD 'Evolution 1'. This CD features many different styles, such as terrible industrial 90s Nu-Metal ("Entertaining man", "It's gonna rain" and "Fire"), nice typical German Melodic Heavy Rock ("Stay cool!", "Way of life" and "Boom bang sexy ass"), a MANOWAR metal song ("We are the gang"), but the band is at their best during the good melodic rockballads "Always be there" and "One more try", both sounding a bit like FAIR WARNING. I wasn't that impressed with their CD, but happily, the band also sent me a CDR with demos for their upcoming new album, and they sound really good! First off, the Nu-metal influences are vanished, and the band has chosen for a more melodic rock approach a la ZENO, FRONTLINE, 80s SCORPIONS, FAIR WARNING, which can clearly be heard on the great AOR/Melodic Rocker "Living in my dreams". A bit less interesting is the "We will rock you" type of song called "Take the power". "Faraway" then again is a great Euro Power AOR ballad in the best tradition of ZENO, FAIR WARNING and SCORPIONS. "Life is too short" is something else again, this is a strange mixture of 80s melodic rock and today's power metal, especially the happy HELLOWEEN type of chorus is notable. The best track however is kept until the very end, namely the superb classy 80s semi melodic rocker "Hold me", which sounds like a cross between BONFIRE, AXXIS and SCORPIONS, a very 80s style and a great catchy memorbale chorus. If the band would make more songs a la "Hol me", then we could have a winner on our hands! So, I think the new album will be more interesting than the 'Evolution 1' CD. Check out MINATON at: http://www.minaton.com and e-mail them at: nedy@minaton.de Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| PAGAN CHILD 'FABLE'
(INDEPENDENT) This UK band recorded their album 'Fable' back in 1990, but as it never got that much response, here's our review. PAGAN CHILD played a mixture of typical 1980s AOR/Poprock and Neo-Prog, and they had a great singer called Tony Tomkinson. Although my CDR copy of the album has a very low budget sound quality, the included music is pretty good. Songs like "The dreaming city", "I am the face", "Every silver cloud", "Front page news" (more Pomprock a la THRILLS) and "Black cars" are all great high-clas Neo-prog songs like IQ, PALLAS and PENDRAGON's 80s albums. Unfortunately there are also 3 non-prog songs on the album, namely "Forever war", "Wash your mind" and "You're not too tall". But if you're into classy neo-prog, you will like most of the songs on this album. Some of the members went on to form a new band called THE ALL NEW SINISTER DEXTER BAND, but this band is not playing any of the musical genres we promote. Nevertheless, I think Neo-prog fans will love PAGAN CHILD's record. More info at: http://www.paganchild.com and e-mail at: stewart.brough@btinternet.com Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| MENNEN 'CIRCLE OF LIVE' (SNAKEBITE
RECORDS/ROCK INC.) In the 1980s there was this great AOR/Melodic Rockband called ZINATRA, a Dutch band that was quite popular back then over here and in Japan. After they split, everyone went their own way, among them was ROBBY VALENTINE who became very successfull with his solo career, releasing many great CDs. The lead singer of ZINATRA was Joss Mennen, and he formed his own band MENNEN. They released their debut in the early 1990s, a great strong melodic rockalbum. It became a bit quiet after the release of their debut CD, well, they released a CD-single "River of tears", but it took until the mid 1990s before we could hear a new full-length CD, entitled 'Back to the real world'. This was a very dissapointing record, which saw MENNEN move into a modern metal direction, with not much melody. A few years later
another album was released in the same vein, and now
there's a new album, called 'Circle of live'. Like the
title says, this is a Live CD and I must say it sounds
much better than the previous two studio albums of
MENNEN. Nice detail is that the last concert I saw of
MENNEN was a few weeks ago, and then only about 10 (!)
people showed up, so pretty lame for a band that has some
popularity here in Holland and abroad. Anyway, this live
CD sounds pretty good, with a lot of songs of the band's
two previous albums, but they Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| SQUEALER 'UNDER THE CROSS' (AFM RECORDS/ROCK
INC.) 'Under the cross' is the new album of the German band SQUEALER. The CD has been recorded by Tommy Newton (HELLOWEEN) and produced by Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE). The band sounds heavier than on their previous record, and also the start is not really promising, because opener "Painful lust" is a 90s orientated Metal song, with average lead vocals. Next track "Facing the death" is better, and has a nice chorus, but things really are starting to sound good on the song "My last goodbye". This is a great midtempo melodic rocker, with a very catchy chorus, a little like EDGUY and PINK CREAM 69. The fans of uptempo Power Metal will like the following two songs a lot ("Thinking allowed!" and "Under the cross"). One of my favourite tracks is "Rules of life", a great typical German melodic rockballad, just sing-a-long! "Down and out" starts a bit weak, with Thrash influences, but the catchy melodic chorus makes it another winner for Power Metal freaks. "Fade away" follows, and is a great midtempo melodic rocker. Some more Power Metal can be heard on the songs "Out of the dark" and bonus track "Low budget heroes". "In Zaire" is a letdown, a weak slow Metal song with a very average chorus. Still, there's enough to enjoy on this new SQUEALER record if you're into Melodic heavy Rock/Metal and Power Metal. Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| SABATAN 'METAL LOUDER'
(INDEPENDENT) SABATAN is yet another band out of Madrid, Spain and they sent me a 4-track CDR. They used to feature the singer of DARK MOOR, a Power Metal band. Anyway, this SABATAN sounds pretty good, as their CDR has a very good sound and production quality, and above all, the music is good powerful melodic metal, a bit like a mix between SAXON, AXEL RUDI PELL, BARON ROJO and OBUS. The band sings in English, unlike many other Spanish Metal bands. The best songs are the uptempo melodic hardrocksongs "Terror mind" (catchy melodic chorus) and "Flame in my soul" (8 minutes, like AXEL RUDI PELL). The other 2 songs are slightly heavier, and akin to PRIEST. This SABATAN is a good act from Spain and a must if you're into pure melodic metal like the bands I just mentioned. More info at: http://www.sabatan.es.vg and e-mail them at: sabatan@inicia.es Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 ABSURD 'POUR UN OUI, POUR
UN NOM' (INDEPENDENT)This is really great stuff! ABSURD is a French band and they mix up melodic rock, French Heavy Metal and Progressive rock into one exciting melodic rockin' progressive metal style! The sound and production of their debut CD 'Pour un oui, pour un nom' is from a very high quality and the included songs are very impressive. Instrumental this band sounds just perfect, and the only thing that sets them apart from other bands is the fact that they sing in their own native language, French. I think that doesn't matter, in fact, it gives this band an own style, something which can also be heard in the music itself, because there's something for everyone on this album. There are 11 tracks on the CD, which has a playing length of 60 minutes. "Jusqy'ou peut-on aller?" starts the CD very well, as this is a great progressive melodic rocker, with a very catchy memorable chorus. The 10 minutes counting tune "La peur au ventre" is yet another great progressive/metal song! And actualy the following 3 songs, "Le periple lunaire de Pachy Telephant", "Matthias Grunewald" and "Istanbul", are all great progressive rock/metal songs that continue the high quality of the first couple of tunes. "Liberez la libellule" is the first weaker song, but it's actually more like a filler, as it only has a playing time of 2 minutes, in contrary to all the great previous tracks that had 5-10 minutes playing time length. The progressive melodic heavy rocker "Mythomane" follows, and has a very catchy chorus. One of my favourite tracks is the great progressive melodic rockballad "Justice est faite", another 10-minute-epos. Slightly weaker is the 80s French Metal song "Avant qu'il ne soit trop tard". But apart from 2 songs, this CD is an excellent release and highly recommended if you're looking for quality melodic progressive heavy rock/metal. More info at: http://www.absurd.fr.st and e-mail them at: eric.martelat@club-internet.fr Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 THE LENS 'A WORD IN YOUR EYE'
(GIANT ELECTRIC PEA) THE LENS is the forerunner of IQ, the fantastic Neo-progressive rockband that has been active for 20 years now and releasing an amazing collection of classic prog albums. Before IQ, Mike Holmes and Martin Orford played in the band THE LENS, a band that dates back to 1976, when progressive rock had just started a few years earlier with the popularity of GENESIS and YES. Although THE LENS never released an official LP, the band qas quite popular and played progressive rock in the HAWKWIND/ASH RA style, so a bit complex at times. Anyway, after they split in 1981, the main leaders went on to form IQ, and became big stars for everyone who likes progressive rock or plays in a prog band, because IQ has had an enormous influence on any band in this genre today the day. Now 20 years after the break up of THE LENS, Martin Orford's own label GIANT ELECTRIC PEA has released a complete CD with brand-new THE LENS recordings. Martin Orford (keys, flute, vocals) and Michael Holmes (guitar, bass, keys) re-recorded old and wrote new songs for this THE LENS CD, a big must for everyone who is into progressive rock. The instrumental progressive rock on 'A word in your eye' is from a very high quality, with such stunning classy progressive rocksongs like "Choosing a farmer", "Frost and fire" and "Of tida and change". There's also space for calmer spacy material that capture a pure 70s sound, which can be heard on songs like "Childhood's end" and "From the sublime". This is not only a must for IQ fans, but also recommended to every progressive rockfan, because THE LENS play(ed) a high quality instrumental progressive rockstyle back in the 1970s and now finally, there is a CD filled with their material (although it now sounds very fresh and new, because everything has been re-recorded by the original members). For more info, please visit the website of GEP at: http://www.gep.co.uk and e-mail Martin at: gepuk@email.msn.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 TEMPANO 'CHILDHOOD'S END'
(MUSEA)TEMPANO is a high quality progressive rockband from Venezuela and they sent me their CD 'Childhood's end', an album that has been released by MUSEA RECORDS back in 2000. The music of TEMPANO is instrumental progressive rock, with some Neo-prog influences, and one vocal track. This vocal track is titled "Sin retorno", and I think it's also the best song, because this is a great semi-progressive/aor song with very good lead vocals. It's a pity there aren't more songs with vocals on it, because that one vocal track is really impressive. Notable is the fact that all the material was composed about 25-30 years ago (!!), so I guess you can say that this TEMPANO is a unique band that already had a lot to offer back in the 1970s, and can now be heard on CD. Anyway, fans of instrumental progressive rock will love songs like "Lugar de casas nuevas" (pure Neo-prog), "Grillos" and "El fin de la infancia" (25 minutes! And written in 1973!). More info can be found at: http://www.tempano.com and e-mail them at: tempano@tempano.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| NEW SUN 'EXPECTATIONS' (BLUE
SEVEN MUSIC) This is a Californian band, and they play progressive rock, with a modern edge. NEW SUN released this CD last year. I would like to compare them to bands like GREY LADY DOWN and TIMOTHY PURE. Sometimes the band sounds quite dark, such as on the opening track "Mammoth". Happily, next track "Cause and effect" is much better, as this is a great calmer Neo-prog song, with a nice violin solo. "Land of not so" then again is more modern, but then we get to hear the best song on the album, namely the Neo-progressive rocker "Expectations". This song has a playing time of 10 minutes, and contains all the aspects a progressive rockfan demands, especially the instrumental part is quite good. The rest of the CD is again a bit darker modern influenced progressive rock. there are some ups and downs on the band's CD, but it's all quality progressive rock, no doubt about that! I only hope for some more Neo-prog songs on their next CD, because their songs "Cause and effect" and "Expectations" show that this band is at their best during the less modern type of songs. Anyway, check out their site at: http://www.new-sun.com and e-mail them at: chrisc@annexdigital.com Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| FREEWAY! 'RED SKIES'
(INDEPENDENT) FREEWAY! is a Hardrock/Metal band from Brazil, and 'Red skies' is their first demo. It was released one year ago, but the band will release a full-length CD soon, so we can hear a little more from the band. Now, this demo 'Red skies' contains 4 tracks, and most of them are groovy Metal songs that remind me of SKID ROW. The song that stood out was the semi melodic rocker "Promises" (a la SLAUGHTER). I think their first full-length CD will tell us more about the capabilities of this band. More info at: http://www.firewayonline.cjb.net and e-mail them at: andrecauzzi@yahoo.com.br Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| CAPTAIN NEMO 'CAPTAIN NEMO'
(INDEPENDENT) There are not many Greek bands out there, but still every now and then a band comes around, like this CAPTAIN NEMO. Normally I don't mind that a band is singing in their own language, but the Greek language is hard to describe in reviews. So I decided to talk about the songnumber on the CD instead of the songtitle. Well, here we go then. First off though I need to add that this CD has a very good sound quality and an excellent production, unlike other independent Greek bands. Musically they play melodic hardrock that sounds convincing, although I miss some catchy tunes here. Anyway, the first 3 songs are nice melodic hardrocksongs. Things really get rollin' on the song "4", this is a great semi AOR ballad. I also need to mention here that the bandleaders deliver some excellent work (vocalist and guitarist, sorry can't read their names, it's in Greek!). Other highlights are track "6", a nice semi melodic rocker with some STYX influences, and the keyboardwork on track "10". I found this a rather good melodic hardrockband, not sensational, but a decent release with some great guitarplaying and very good vocals. The only thing they need to do is to write some more catchy tunes (like song number 4) and besides, sing in English, because they make it hard to review now. Anyway, go to their site at: http://www.captainnemo.gr and e-mail them at: mfighters@hotmail.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| FABLE SILENCE '…SILENCE IS
THE WORD…' (INDEPENDENT) Here's another Greek band. They are called FABLE SILENCE, and they released a 4-track CD. Musically they play melodic hardrock, mostly uptempo. The thing is they do it well, but the vocals just don't sound convincing enough, there's not enough power in the singer's vocals. The last song on the CD is the best song, it's called "Fable silence", and starts as a ballad, but develops into a good uptempo melodic hardrocksong with a strong chorus. Other tunes, such as "Eyes of sorrow" and "Smoke in your eyes" are nice uptempo melodic rockers, but are not as good as that final track. I think this band needs some more development in the future, and eventually they will become better. For now, e-mail them at: fablesil@hotmail.com Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 SUNCAGED 'DOMINION'
(INDEPENDENT)SUNCAGED is a new Dutch band featuring former members of WITHIN TEMPTATION (currently working their way up in the Dutch charts) and LEMUR VOICE (a high quality progressive rockband, signed to MAGNA CARTA). The band has released a 4-track CD, their third EP so far. 'Dominion' has a high quality sound and production, while the music is very impressive progressive rock/metal, and besides, the lead singer has a very good voice. Opener "Curiousity kills" starts a bit complex and experimental, but the chorus is very melodic, while the instrumental aprts are very interesting for prog rock/metal freaks. This song shows a lot of influences, and the qualities of the lead singer, who can sing very low, but also very high, with him you can basically go everywhere on a song! The song itself reminds me a bit of PAIN AND SALVATION. Next track "Four guilders" is a good instrumental progressive metal song. The best has yet to come, namely the final two tracks are the best songs on this mini-CD. "Sides" (they should change the songtitle now I guess) and "The escape" are both great high quality classy progressive rockers, sounding like a mix between early QUEENSRYCHE, FATES WARNING, ENCHANT, DREAM THEATER and VANDENPLAS. These last two songs are very melodic and a must for fans of US type of progressive rock/metal with a good ear for a decent melody. This band is quite good and belongs to the best in the underground Prog rock/metal genre, and most definitely is one of the best Dutch bands around today! Check out their site at: http://www.suncaged.com and e-mail them at: mcoenen@home.nl Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| THE ACHING BEAUTY 'ONE MORE STEP'
(INDEPENDENT) We have had a lot of good French Progressive Rock/Metal bands lately, and well, here's another one! THE ACHING BEAUTY has released a 3-track CD, that still has a playing length of 20 minutes. The band has a very good singer, and especially the first track "Sublimation" is very impressive. This first song is a great high quality progressive rocker with also some excellent keyboardsolo's. The song is split in two parts, the instrumental part "Peter Pan Syndrome" and the vocal part "Steps". Next track "The hundredth name" is a nice progressive rocker, but not as good as that sensational opening cut. The final track "Pendulum" has a playing length of 9 minutes, and is again very good progressive rock. I should say, check out this French band, because what they do is very good, and I think the future will bring even better material of THE ACHING BEAUTY. More info at: http://www.aching-beauty.com and e-mail them at: contact@aching-beauty.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| SWEET SORROW 'ON LIFE AND DEATH'
(DEMO CDR) Out of Slovenia comes SWEET SORROW. I had hoped for either a band like PROSPECT or SHANK ROCK, but SWEET SORROW has a sound somewhere between these bands. So that's not really the problem, because the music is good uptempo melodic progressive metal, but the lead vocals are just not good enough to keep you interested listening to all the 14 included songs. The lead vocals are very raw and METALLICAish, and that's a pity, because songs like "When I'm dead", "On the death", "Cradle song" and "Ask me no more" prove that SWEET SORROW can play good music, just listen to the very impressive guitarplay on "Cradle song". In the end, the conclusion is that this band should write some catchier tunes, and most important, replace the singer or led him sing different, because now SWEET SORROW sounds just o.k. More info at: http://www.sweetsorrow.com Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
| THE PAINTED MAN 'GET PAINTED' (DEMO
CDR) A few weeks ago I reviewed the debut demo CD of the Swedish band THE PAINTED MAN. I was quite impressed, and now there is already a new demo CDR out, entitled 'Get painted'. And yet again it is filled with some great material. The band is mixing progressive hardrock with typical Scandi melodic rock. Opener "Liar" is a very good midtempo melodic rocker with a strong catchy AORish chorus, making the song sound like LION'S SHARE and STORMWIND. The following 3 songs are not as good as that first track, but still enjoyable progressive melodic rockers, with as best one "Heart to heart". "Goodbye for now" is a great melodic rockballad, while the semi melodic rocker "In those eyes" closes the CD nicely. And so THE PAINTED MAN has released another great album, and they can easily be put next to BLACK ROSE, another quality Swedish melodic rockband without a label. C'mon labels, these guys are really good and can deliver an excellent release. Anyway, check out this great band at: http://w1.193.telia.com/~u19308234/ and e-mail them at: jeppe.lindbergh@telia.com Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
 STRANGE LAND 'ANOMALY'
(INDEPENDENT)A long time ago I reviewed a demo CD of the US band STRANGE LAND, and back then I already said that they could deliver an awesome release somewhere in the future. And now we're in the year 2002, and in front of me is the first full-length CD of this Wisconsin settled band. After hearing the first couple of minutes, I knew right away that I was listening to something really good. This STRANGE LAND has released an excellent melodic progressive rock/metal album in the style of ENCHANT, KAMELOT, VANDENPLAS, THRESHOLD, SHADOW GALLERY, 7 MONTHS… There are 12 tracks on the CD, which has a total playing length of almost 65 minutes! Especially the beginning features some excellent songs, such as "All things considered" (very nice melodies), "Unstuck" (a la VANDENPLAS), "Foundation" (lovely progressive melodic rockballad with great keys, chorus, melodic vocals, and the typical progressive instrumental parts, a bit like the independent band HARMONY PARK). There's not a single weak song on this CD, or it should be the slightly modern sounding "Fatal flaw", but even that song has a good melody (a la PAIN OF SALVATION). Other highlights are "Flight" (great straight-ahead uptempo progressive melodic rocker), "I don't know you anymore" (good progressive melodic metal a la THRESHOLD), "Injustice rising" (great progressive rock with excellent keyboardwork towards the end) and "Distorted grandeur" (another great uptempo progressive melodic rocker). This is a highly recommendable album, especially if you're into any of the mentioned high quality progressive rockbands. Check out more on STRANGE LAND at: http://www.strange-land.net and e-mail them at: strange-land@apexmail.com Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
TONY MILLS 'CRUISER' 
TWO FIRES 'IGNITON' 
VITAL SIGNS 'VITAL SIGNS'