 MANIGANCE ‘D’UN AUTRE
SANG’(NTS RECORDS/ROCK INC.) The French band MANIGANCE was one of the big surprises of the year 2002, when they released their fantastic 2nd CD ‘Ange ou demon’. Well, now 2 years later the band releases it’s 3rd CD ‘D’un autre sang’ and then of course people want to hear something as good as (or even better than ‘Ange ou demon’). I think I am safe to say that this new MANIGANCE CD is a very good album that is almost as good as the previous record. 10 songs are included, and right from the start you can hear that we have to deal here with something very good (again). MANIGANCE does again prove they are the best French Hardrock/Metalband of all times! The sound is huge and musically this is fantastic Melodic Prog/Power Metal, a bit straighter than the previous VANDENPLAS orientated album, but nevertheless a very sensational album. The best songs are hard to choose, as almost all the tracks are very impressive, but for me the highlights are “Heritier” (lovely fast Melodic Power Metal with a very strong chorus), “Hors la loi” (great Melodic Progmetal), “Memoire” (fantastic fast Power Metal) and closing track “Enfin delivre” (another excellent piece of Melodic Progmetal). As a bonus there’s a live videoclip included of the PRETTY MAIDS classic “Future world”, which the band performs with their Danish heroes. So this is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED album and without a doubt a must for anyone who bought their ‘Ange ou demon’ Classic from 2002! (Points: 9.0 out of 10) TROOPER ‘TROOPER’ (HMM RECORDS) They look like an Italian band (read: LABYRINTH and RHAPSODY), but they surely don’t make the same kind of fast happy Power Metal. This band from Romania is called TROOPER, and should not be confused with the legendary Canadian band, and their same titled debut CD contains high quality Melodic Metal with some clear MAIDEN riffs here and there. However, it all sounds and looks very professional, and I can easily say that this is one of the better Eastern European Metal releases from the past few years. The band has a good high-pitched singer (who sounds like Rob Halford sometimes), and the songs are strong powerful True Metal songs, very much sounding like a mix between the typical 80s US Power Metal of SAVATAGE/METAL CHURCH and the big German Metalsound of PRIMAL FEAR, yet with some influences from ICED EARTH. The guitarwork is very impressive, and the best songs between the 10 included here are “Inca o lupta”, “Nu mai pot”, “Tari ca muntii”, “Totul e fals” and “Nori de hartie”. Check out their website at: http://www.hmm.ro (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  SCREAMING SHADOWS ‘BEHIND THE
MASK’ (INDEPENDENT)Here’s a quality band from Italy and they do not play typical Italo Power Metal a la RHAPSODY. SCREAMING SHADOWS is a very original 80s influenced Melodic Metal band with high pitched vocals. They remind me a lot of DOMINE, yet with some MAIDEN, PRIEST and even TNT influences here and there. Without a doubt, this is a high quality release, as the 10 songs (and sound quality) are very professional. They play True Original Metal they way it was meant to be played. Highlights on their CD are “Leave us here”, “I want you to burn”, “I’ll find my freedom” and “The cry of the king”. Highly recommended to fans of DOMINE, TWISTED TOWER DIRE and MAIDEN. More info at: http://www.screamingshadows.com and e-mail them at: francesco@screamingshadows.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) HUMANITY ‘WHEN SILENCE CALLS’ (KILLIN TIME RECORDS) HUMANITY is a new (and very young) band from the UK, and they have released a high quality release titled ‘When silence calls’. The album was produced by Pete ‘Pee Wee’ Coleman (PARADISE LOST, NAPALM DEATH...) and contains 11 tracks, of which closing track (and bonustrack) is the MAGNUM cover “Kingdom of madness”. It is good to finally hear a new quality band from the UK, because most of the new British bands are not interesting. HUMANITY however is clearly an exception, because this band is playing very impressive Progressive Metal. The band sounds a bit dark at times, but you can clearly hear similarities to THRESHOLD, EVERGREY and POVERTY’S NO CRIME here and there. Instrumental it sounds almost perfect, while vocally singer Simon Shedwell is not singing in the typical James LaBrie style, but is singing lower and darker, sometimes even a bit depressive. Anyway, this is good pure Progressive Metal, with as best songs “This endless pain”, “Justify” and “As humanity fades”. Concluded, a recommended new UK Prog. Metalband! More info at: http://www.humanity6.co.uk and http://www.killintime.co.uk (Points: 8.0 out of 10) PRETTY BOY FLOYD ‘TONIGHT BELONGS TO THE YOUNG’ (PERRIS RECORDS) In 1989 the LA band PRETTY BOY FLOYD released the best Glamrockalbum of all times, namely the MCA RECORDS released ‘Leather boyz with electric toyz’. After the release it became clear that this kind of LA Glamrock wasn’t popular anymore, and therefore it didn’t became a success, so the demos the band made for the 2nd album were never released. Happily, PERRIS RECORDS signed the band a few years ago, and many new releases were done, such as the re-release of the only CD release, and now it’s time for the release of a CD that contains the original demos for the 2nd CD on MCA RECORDS. It never happened, but now we are able to hear an official follow-up to the band’s classic debut LP ‘Leather boyz’. While listening to the album it strikes me that the style has changed clearly, as this is a pure Melodic Hardrockalbum like KANE ROBERTS and ALICE COOPER made them in the late 80s/early 90s. The 10 included songs sound like those typical late 80s American DESMOND CHILD written uptempo melodic rockers with big harmonyvocals (a la DEF LEPPARD) and it has actually nothing to do with Glamrock. Throw in some radio ballads (a la WARRANT’s “Heaven” and WINGER’s “Miles away”) in the shape of “Far away”, and basically what you have is a radio-ready record for the American radio back in 1989/1990 when bands like WARRANT, WINGER, FIREHOUSE, SLAUGHTER, NELSON, DANGER DANGER ruled the American radio airwaves! Now we are in the year 2004 and this is what PRETTY BOY FLOYD’s 2nd album ‘Tonight belongs to the young’ sounded like, but because it was never released the album has now finally got it’s official release through PERRIS RECORDS. Back then this kind of Melodic Hair Metal was mainstream in America and I was a huge fan as well, and even now I like the style and I must say that this PRETTY BOY FLOYD sounded very good, although it is not a Glamrockalbum like their debut, but a pure late 80s American orientated Melodic Hardrockalbum. Songs like “Tonight belongs to the young”, “Hands off my radio”, “Long days”, “Hold on to your dreams” and “Restless” are great uptempo melodic rockers remembering of a time when fun music was the big thing! Highly recommended to fans of mentioned bands, although I need to add that the sound quality of the album could have been a bit better! (Points: 8.5 out of 10) VIENTO NORTE ‘MAS FUERTE’ (INDEPENDENT) The Spanish band VEINTO NORTE released this CD in 2000 and currently they are recording a new CD, but I wanted to present it anyway to you, because the music performed on ‘Mas fuerte’ is very sensational. The band is playing Melodic Hardrock/Metal a la TIERRA SANTA, with Spanish lyrics (and a very good lead singer), but the included 8 songs are all very impressive. Highlights are such great uptempo melodic heavy rockers like “Mas fuerte”, “Cierra los ojos” and “No mires atras”. This band is a must for fans of AVALANCH, SARATOGA, TIERRA SANTA and even the melodic rockfans will like this a lot, because it is not pure Metal what we hear here, but much more melodic hard/heavy rock! More info at: http://www.vientonorte.tk and e-mail them at: geniplazas@hotmail.com and hopefully soon a review of their new CD! (Points: 8.5 out of 10) BALANCE ‘BORDER CROSS’ (DEMO CDR) In the 1980s we had a great AOR band called BALANCE, and now there’s a new band from Denmark called BALANCE, and they also play AOR, although not 80s orientated, because this is updated modern AOR with some Westcoast influences here and there. 4 songs are on their demo CDR and it sounds quite impressive, especially the fantastic midtempo AOR rockers “Awakening” and “Never too late”. The band has sort of an own style, but I think the AOR fans might like this a lot, especially if you like (for example) THOMAS VIKSTROM, PEO, RUSSELL, BRETT WALKER and ON THE RISE. I think the ON THE RISE comparison is the best one I can come up with, as this BALANCE is in the same vein. Check out their site at: http://www.balancemusic.dk and e-mail them at: info@balancemusic.dk (Points: 8.0 out of 10) DESOLATE WAYS ‘ETERNAL DREAMS’ (AVERNUS RECORDS) DESOLATE WAYS is a Brazilian band signed to a new recordlabel called AVERNUS RECORDS, which is also settled in Brazil. Musically DESOLATE WAYS is influenced by BLACK SABBATH, and the 10 songs on their well-produced debut CD are indeed reminding me of the Masters of Doom Metal. DESOLATE WAYS is indeed playing slow Doom Metal, but it’s slightly different from CANDLEMASS and KRUX for example, because the vocals on this record are very raw. Anyway, Doom Metal fans will like songs such as “Promised land”, “Blackness”, “Sleep” and “Lost illusions” a lot. Check out more info at: http://www.avernusrecords.com and e-mail them at: info@avernusrecords.com.br (Points: 7.5 out of 10) BLACK ARROW ‘KINGS OF SEVEN SEAS’ (INDEPENDENT) This German band is playing pure 80s Teutonic Heavy Metal like only the Germans are able to make. Back in the 80s there were thousands of bands in Germany playing this type of Metal, examples like RESTLESS, TYRANT, NOISEHUNTER, VETO, VAMPYR, IRON CROSS etc. etc. Well, now in 2004 there are still bands playing this pure Metalstyle, and although some people might say it sounds completely dated, I can still say that this is a good quality band. BLACK ARROW is playing pure 80s German Metal with very raw vocals, but it sounds very nice actually, especially during songs like “Black arrow” (great guitarwork), “Rhythm of the night” and “Valhalla”. It sounds a bit like a mix between STEELER, SINNER, KROKUS (very much sometimes) and ACCEPT, although here and there we can also hear Bluesy rock (“Hard as a rock” and “The silence”) and plain hardrock (“Foxy lady”), so if you’re starting to get interested, then go to: http://www.black-arrow.net (Points: 7.5 out of 10) TOMMY JAMES ‘HI-FI’ (AEGIS RECORDS) A very rare item indeed is this TOMMY JAMES, a singer/songwriter who released an album titled ‘Hi-fi’ back in 1990, but it had to wait until 2004 before it got easier to get. Musically it is anounced as a pure AOR album, but in fact this is soft Westcoast/Hi-Tech Poprock that is quite close to a poppier JOHN PARR (especially on the midtempo poprocker “Burnin’ for you”). I am afraid the AOR fans might find this a bit too soft for their taste, but the open-minded fan (who also appreciates the likes of the late GREG GUIDRY, DAVID HALLYDAY, JOHN PARR, DAVID CASSIDY and RICK SPRINGFIELD) might find something of interest here such as the great AORish ballads “What kind of love” (which sounds like a late 80s US Number 1 hitsingle, CHICAGO meets CHEAP TRICK ballads) and “Love you too much”. Although the album sounds very professional and could have easily been a major label release in the late 1980s, it’s definitely a very rare piece. However, I only recommend it to the die-hard aor/poprockfans, because the included music is a bit too soft here and there. You can get a copy through http://www.target-records.de (Points: 7.0 out of 10) JOHN WARREN ‘PRIVATE MOTION/ONE HEART’ (FUN HOUSE INC.) Another very rare aor/poprock item is JOHN WARREN, a vocalist with 2 good AOR/Poprockalbums that sound like a mix between STAN BUSH and JOHN PARR. Although it is sometimes a bit poppy, this is clearly pure 80s AOR sometimes. Both albums are only available through Japanese import, but for an AOR freak quite interesting I think. If we have a look at his CD ‘One heart’, I can start mentioning that this is his most AOR based release. The album was produced by ANDREW GOLD, who also played all instruments on the album. Andrew is well-known in the Popscene, because he played in the band WAX, who scored big-time with “Bridge to your heart” in 1987 or something. Back to JOHN WARREN, who has a very good voice, and his album ‘One heart’ starts with the fantastic catchy classy 80s AOR rocker “Rain down on me”, a song reminding me a lot of STAN BUSH. Next track “I get this feeling” take things down to a poppier approach unfortunately, but happily the fantastic midtempo AOR song “The chosen few” follows and is pure STAN BUSH again, with lovely hooks and a catchy chorus. The CD continues with it’s ups and downs, with pure AOR and poppier moments, ending up sounding like KYLE VINCENT, who did the same thing on his solo records. Well, basically the interesting songs on ‘One heart’ are the AOR songs, like “Rain down on me”, “The chosen few” and “We danced all night” (pure JAY GRAYDON meets JAY GRUSKA), although need to be said that the album also contains many Popsongs. The other CD is called ‘Private motion’, which is an even poppier hi-tech affair, kinda like JOHN O’BANION meets JOHN PARR. Although the album features a few nice AOR songs like “Watching Maria dance”, “Away so long” (great midtempo AOR) and “Private motion” (great uptempo aor/poprocker), I think the AOR fans who like a pure 80s vocal aor/westcoast approach in a JAY GRAYDON/JOHN FARNHAM (very much!)/DAVID HALLYDAY/JAY GRUSKA/DAVID ROBERTS style are better off with JOHN WARREN’s album ‘One heart’. One way or the other, both albums are available through http://www.target-records.de (Points: One heart – 7.5/Private motion – 7.0) KALISTA ‘ROCKROSPECT’ (INDEPENDENT) This concerns a recently released compilation CD of songs recorded between 1982 and 2002 by a singer called RON KALISTA. He was a singer who sang in bands like FLOPPY DISC, KNEE DEEP, JUKEBOX HEROES and a few others. The 10 songs included on this official CD were recorded with these bands the past 20 years. Ron has a very good voice, and especially the 80s tracks are quite interesting, because this is pure 80s AOR/Radiorock. Therefore highlights can be found in the uptempo AOR rockers “Soldier of fortune” (with the band FLOPPY DISC), “Everybody knows” (very catchy pure 80s, with KNEE DEEP) and “Cheat on me” (a STEVE GRIMM of BAD BOY penned tune recorded as JUKEBOX HEROES). Anyway, this is quite interesting for the dedicated 80s AOR fan. You can buy a copy of the CD through: http://www.target-records.de (Points: 7.5 out of 10) FIRESIGN ‘TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES’ (INDEPENDENT) The German band FIRESIGN has a new CD out, and it’s good to see they haven’t changed their style, because again (just like on the previous album I reviewed from them) we can hear a mix of 70s Bluesy Rock and 80s straight-ahead Hardrock. It sounds like a mix between UFO, THIN LIZZY, URIAH HEEP, KROKUS and BAD COMPANY. The first 2 songs are very good, namely “Ride on the highway” and the fantastic faster melodic heavy rocker “Another something” (a very sensational song actually, reminding of the early 80s, even some NWOBHM influences!). The following couple of songs are just nice, a bit bluesy groovy hardrock like UFO meets BAD COMPANY. Then there’s a good classy melodic rockballad titled “Comin’ on still strong”. The CD continues with the great catchy straight-ahead uptempo Melodic Hardrocksong “Toyboy” that has some SHAKRA and KROKUS similarities. Next up is the slow melodic heavy rocker “From the asylum”. The CD continues with 4 more quality Hardrocksongs, with as remaining highlights “Truth or consequences” and “Eyes of Maelstrom”. Fans of classy 70s/80s Hardrock can easily buy this quality CD from the German band FIRESIGN. More info at: http://www.firesignrockshard.de (Points: 8.0 out of 10) UNDERCOVER ‘ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 2’ (DIAMANTE) There have been quite a few bands named UNDERCOVER throughout the years, such as the BERT HEERINK fronted melodic rockband, but also a Christian Rockband. The 4-CD ‘Anthology volume 2’ set cotains 4 albums of this band and without a doubt, this is a very good way to start collecting the material of this band. Their music is hard to define, as it is a mixture of AOR, Pop, Poprock, 80s Gothic/Alternative and New Wave. It sounds like a mixture between U2 (the vocals) and LOVERBOY (the sound), if that would be possible at all of course! Anyway, some of their records are pretty good actually, with such great melodic rockers like “Is anyone thirsty”, “I’m just a man”, “I love God”, “Pilate” and “Darkest hour” (a la HIM!), all to be found on the first CD of this 4-CD set, namely on the record ‘3-28-87’. The band clearly created an own style, which sometimes is close to AOR, yet with some bizarre vocals (bit THE CULTish as well), but always with clean melodies and strong choruses. The other 3 CDs included here are ‘Devotion’, ‘Balance of power’ (their best album) and ‘Forum’ (their least interesting album), mostly in the same style as the first CD ‘3-28-87’, with also some great melodic rocksongs to be found on these 3 discs, such as “The eyes of love” (HONEYMOON SUITE style), “Land of luxury”, “Time”, “Love me dangerously”, “Last rites” and “So wonderful”. For the open-minded AOR/Poprockfan this might be a challenge to explore this band, especially if you also enjoy bands like JERUSALEM SLIM, HIM (!) and JETBOY, and then the best way to start is to buy this 4-CD set of UNDERCOVER. You can buy a copy of the 4-CD set through: http://www.target-records.de (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  SAM ALEX ‘PIECES’
(BASIC ENTERTAINMENT)The German singer SAM ALEX recorded his debut CD in the famous German SKY STUDIOS, together with producer/bassist/guitarist BOBBY ALTVATER (FRONTLINE). The album is called ‘Pieces’ and is a real sensational AOR/Melodic Rock record in the best European tradition of TREAT, FAIR WARNING, FRONTLINE, TERRA NOVA, ZINATRA... Especially the start is very promising, with such fantastic uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers like “Do it your way” (very catchy, pure TERRA NOVA), “Chance to win” (pure AOR, with a very good chorus and strong guitarwork), “Dancing with tears in my eyes” (cover, which now sounds a bit like EDGUY!), “Feel the fire” (JOURNEYish harmonyvocals) and the ROBBY VALENTINE cover “Magic breeze”. Although towards the end, the CD is a bit less sensational, in general speaking this is a highly recommended very strong AOR/Melodic Rockalbum from Germany, and actually it is better than the recent OUTLAND AOR album, just to mention a similar sounding record. Not only the production on the SAM ALEX CD is huge, but also the included songs are very impressive, so the AOR fans know what to do now! Get yourself a copy through http://www.target-records.de (Points: 9.0 out of 10) KRYSTAL TEARS ‘DEMO’ (DEMO CDR) This is just a demo with only 4 tracks, but happily the band KRYSTAL TEARS is a very good band. The 4 songs of their demo sound very impressive actually. They come out of Brazil, and they play AOR/Melodic Rock with a strong 80s approach, a bit like a mix between AUTOGRAPH, AIRKRAFT, AVIATOR and 80s BON JOVI. Yes, you can find here big keys, catchy harmonyvocals, flashing guitarwork and strong choruses, just listen to the opener “The last day”, which is a great uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker. The other 3 songs are “Dreams” (fantastic uptempo melodic rocker, very much like ’85 BON JOVI!!!), “Crystal tears” (another classy uptempo melodic rocker with nice keyboardsolo) and “Far away from the sky” (melodic rockballad). The production is impressive and the included music is very sensational, so AOR/Melodic Rockfans can easily check out the Brazilian band KRYSTAL TEARS through: http://www.krystaltears.com.br (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  JACK BLADES ‘JACK BLADES’(FRONTIERS RECORDS/BERTUS) In the 1980s NIGHT RANGER was one of the big AOR bands, but when the split up in 1989 it was really over for the band, because their comeback albums from the past 8 years are all very average and can not be compared with the band’s sensational 80s releases. One of the bandmembers who is also not able to make good records anymore is NIGHT RANGER frontman JACK BLADES, who went on to release 2 great Melodic Rockalbums with DAMN YANKEES, but since his return in NIGHT RANGER and now on his first solo-CD, the man still doesn’t reach the high level of the 1980s when classics like “Don’t tell me you love me” and “Sentimental streets” were produced. Anyway, Jack has released his first solo-CD, but musically this is modern Poprock like ERIC MARTIN also does nowadays. Sure, there are some good songs on it, such as the catchy uptempo melodic rockers “Sea of emotions” and “To touch the sky”, both even reminding of the classic NIGHT RANGER and DAMN YANKEES days, but the majority of this record is focused around modern Poprock, with some groovy 70s inspired rockstuff (“Shine on”, “We are the ones”, “Who you want to be” and “On top of the world”) and even TOM PETTYish Westcoast (“Someday” and “Breaking it down”). So, basically with just a few real interesting songs, this CD is only interesting for fans of lighter modern Pop/Rock... (Points: 7.0 out of 10)  THUNDERBOLT ‘DEMONS AND
DIAMONDS’ (MASSACRE RECORDS)Although this CD was released last summer, we now finally were able to hear and review it. THUNDERBOLT is a Norwegian band, and they play classy 80s Melodic Metal in the style of MAIDEN, MALICE, LIZZY BORDEN, OBSESSION... It also reminds me a bit of DOMINE, so I guess you know now how THUNDERBOLT sounds like a bit. This is Metal they way it sounded in it’s original days, and between the 11 tracks there are some excellent songs, such as “The great walls of stone” (a bit like EDGUY), “Enforcer” (classy 80s US Power Metal), “Haunted by shadows” (epic song) and “Crucified” (uptempo melodic heavy rocker). Concluded, a must for fans of classic 80s Melodic Metal, yet with an own identity and an updated sound, so this isn’t just a cliche record, but a Metal record they way it is supposed to sound! (Points: 8.5 out of 10) NAUGHTY BOYS ‘X TEN’ (INDEPENDENT) NAUGHTY BOYS is a Swedish band, and they were formed in 1991. In 1993 they released their debut CD on MEGAROCK RECORDS, but soon after the release, the band split and it took 10 long years to finally see a reunion of NAUGHTY BOYS, and now they have released a new CD, with 3 songs included. They play classy 80s Melodic Rock in the style of WHITE LION, BONFIRE and DANGER DANGER. The 3 songs sound very good actually, with opener “I will” being the strongest song on offer here, a great catchy uptempo melodic rocker in the best WHITE LION style. Next track “Believe” is a nice semi melodic rockballad, kinda like BONFIRE. The final track is the classy 80s melodic rocker “Crazy world” that has some DOKKEN guitar riffs, but a chorus the fans of old BONFIRE will absolutely love! Concluded, this NAUGHTY BOYS is a great Swedish band and let’s hope it doesn’t take another 10 years for a new CD! More info through e-mail at: naughtyboys_2003@hotmail.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW ‘SAME’ (WOOD/HILL MUSIC GROUP) This is somewhat different than the usual stuff we review here, because the American band INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW is playing a sort of updated version of 60s Rock, very Retro, but also modern. It has clearly influences of THE BEATLES, especially in the vocal/harmonyvocal department, and although it has nothing to do with AOR, Hardrock or Metal, this band is sort of interesting in what they do. One more similar band I can mention here is THE KNACK, because they also played modern Poprock with a BEATLES influence. Anyway, 13 songs are included, and most of the songs are in the same style, uptempo Poprock with BEATLES influences, and the best songs are “X-tended care”, “Cain and abel”, “The last one”, “New horizonte” and “I’ll remember”. The CD has a big production, done by JOHN PLUM (QUEENSRYCHE, CANDLEBOX, PEARL JAM), and if you’re into Poprock with both Retro and Modern influences, so-called NU-BREED, then this is a band to check out a.s.a.p.! (Points: 7.5 out of 10) THE OUTFIELD ‘EXTRA INNINGS (UNRELEASED)’ (PLATINUM ENTERTAINMENT) I always enjoyed the band THE OUTFIELD, they made radio-ready Melodic Poprock and were quite popular in the 1980s, scoring a lot of big hits, such as “Your love”. Well, the past 10 years it has been very quiet around the band, but a few years ago there was a very interesting new CD release titled ‘Extra innings’, which contained 15 unreleased songs, recorded in the 1990s. The Melodic Poprock hasn’t changed a bit happily, so again we can hear a full-length CD filled with catchy Melodic Poprocksongs that sound like a mix between the last couple of DEF LEPPARD records, the NELSON album ‘Life’, RICK SPRINGFIELD and THE POLICE. Highlights can be found in the shape of “Kiss The rain” (pure AOR actually!), “Girl of mine”, “Talking ‘bout us”, “Heaven’s little angel” and “Lay down”. A must for THE OUTFIELD fans and you can buy a copy of the CD through: http://www.target-records.de (Points: 8.0 out of 10) JOURNEY ‘GREATEST HITS DVD 1978-1997’ (SONY MUSIC) The majority of this excellent DVD contains video material taken from JOURNEY’s 80s videos, like the ‘Frontiers and beyond’ videotape. However, this is a DVD with remastered material, so the sound and view quality is from a very high level. This is without a doubt a must have for the JOURNEY fans, as 19 fantastic videoclips are included here. Most were recorded during the band’s live performances throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, but there are also some original videoclips like “Separate ways” and “After the fall”. Anyway, it’s very nice to watch all these JOURNEY AOR Classics in a row, all of them are included, such as “Don’t stop believin’”, “Wheel in the sky”, “Anyway you want it”, “Be good to yourself”, “Who’s crying now”, “Stone in love”, “Open arms”, “Feeling that way” etc. etc. It’s only a pity that there aren’t any extra’s included, but still this DVD is a must for every JOURNEY fan! You can buy a copy of the DVD through: http://www.target-records.de (Points: 9.0 out of 10)  CELTIC LEGACY
‘RESURRECTION’ (INDEPENDENT)Out of Ireland comes a new sensational band called CELTIC LEGACY. It took the band 12 months to finish their 2nd CD ‘Resurrection’, but the result is quite stunning. Musically this is prime-time classic 80s Melodic Rock with a strong British sound, a bit like TEN, PRAYING MANTIS, UFO, very early MAGNUM, THIN LIZZY, but also MAIDEN riffs here and there... Especially opener “Live by the sword” is a fantastic uptempo melodic heavy rocker with a classy guitarsound, lovely vocals and a very strong chorus. Next track “Guardian angel” follows in the same style, yet again with very impressive lead vocals of singer Mark Guildea. Other highlights on this 60-minutes counting high quality release are “Resurrection” (fantastic midtempo epic melodic rocker of 10 minutes, like MAGNUM’s “The spirit”), “Shine” (midtempo melodic rocker), “Always the hero” (uptempo melodic rocker), “Shadows of moonlight” (BLACK SABBATH riffs, midtempo melodic metal, excellent epic song!) and the classy melodic rockballad “When a stranger calls” (awesome vocal work here and a great twin-guitarsolo!). As you can see, the album is also very diverse, and concluded, this is a must to everyone who likes classy British guitar orientated Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock! More info at: http://www.celtic-legacy.com (Points: 9.0 out of 10)  APOLLO RA ‘RA PARIAH’
(UNISOUND RECORDS)Back to 1989 with this classy 80s type of US Metalstyle band! They recorded ‘Ra pariah’ back in 89, but it had to wait until this year before the Greek label UNISOUND RECORDS re-issued it onto CD, and I must say it is also the first time I hear it! I am glad that it is now available on CD, as this APOLLO RA record is a very impressive high quality Melodic Metal record in a pure 80s style, a bit like early METAL CHURCH, VICIOUS RUMOURS, RUFFIANS, SYRIS, SWORD, OBSESSION and CRIMSON GLORY (VERY MUCH!!!). The CD contains 12 tracks and right from the start you can hear that this is a quality record from a band that could have been bigger. The sound/production quality is also very good, so I can without a doubt highly recommend it to fans of classy 80s US Melodic Metal. The best songs are “Crimson streets”, “Out of the night”, “Ra pariah” and “March of fire”. Fans of 80s CRIMSON GLORY will totally go nuts when they hear this CD, an undiscovered gem! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 8.5 out of 10) EXORISTOI ‘EXORISTOI’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) EXORISTOI is one of many obscure bands from the late 1980s, releasing an LP and then disappearing without a trace. UNISOUND is the label to re-issue such rare albums onto CD, and so also this Greek band EXORISTOI has gotten a re-issue on CD of their 1989 record. The album counts 10 tracks, and because the lyrics are in Greek, I can not give any songtitles here, but there’s definitely some good music here. It starts with an AOR ballad, with lots of keys, but then we get to hear a great epic semi uptempo melodic rocker. The following song is weaker and shows that the lead vocals are a bit average, while the song itself is just typical 80s Metal. Then it gets quite weak on the following songs, average 80s Metal, nothing interesting unfortunately, although the start was quite nice. Happil, from track 6 on it gets better, as this is a good catchy melodic rocker with flashy guitarwork. Also some of the following songs (tracks 7 and 10) are very good melodic rocksongs (with MAIDEN riffs), so in the end we have some interesting stuff on our hands here, although the CD also contains some weaker stuff. Therefore I think this CD is only interesting for the die-hard fans! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.0 out of 10) NOVEL ‘SILENCE’ (DEMO CDR) NOVEL is a band from Switzerland and their demo CDR contains 5 tracks. Musically, the 5 songs are all calmer Sympho/Progressive AOR/Melodic Rockballads, with as best songs “Silence” and “Miracle” (very good AOR ballad duet with a guest female singer). Good demo, although some uptempo rockers would also be interesting. However, the ballads performed here are all very impressive and radio-ready if you ask me! More info at: http://www.access-productions.ch and e-mail at: info@access-productions.ch (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  VAVEL ‘VAVEL/THE SECOND
DEATH’(UNISOUND RECORDS) 2 albums of the Greek band VAVEL have been re-issued onto 2 separate CDs. Their debut ‘Vavel’ was recorded and released in 1986, and although the sound quality is typical 80s and very demo/independent sounding, you can clearly hear that VAVEL was a band ahead of it’s time. The music on ‘Vavel’ was uptempo melodic heavy rock, yet sometimes even sounding like all the Neo-Classical Power Metal bands (a la STRATOVARIUS) from nowadays, especially the use of Synthesizers is very remarkable, as not many Metalbands did this at that time. Anyway, closing track “Bach’s Toccata by Vavel” is indeed showing this Neo-Classical Metal style, a very fast instrumental piece like STRATOVARIUS and RHAPSODY does nowadays, but VAVEL did it back in 1986! Anyway, the rest of the CD features vocals, and those 7 songs are quite nice, with such good uptempo melodic heavy rockers like “Follow your mind” and “Remember” and some nice ballads as well (“Atomic energy” and “Another chance”). However, much better is the band’s 2nd CD ‘The second death’, which has a better sound/production and also stronger songs. Musically the band was still playing typical 80s Euro Melodic Heavy Rock a la PRETTY MAIDS, MAD MAX, yet with some keys (a la EUROPE), but on the other hand a song like “Confusion” is basically pure STRATOVARIUS (!), but I should not be make such a comparison, because this song was recorded in 1988 (!). Uptempo catchy melodic heavy rockers such as “Just for rock”, “Confusion”, “Let me try” and “United” (commercial AOR song, with 1983 BON JOVI keys added) sound very impressive, and are a must for fans of PRETTY MAIDS, MAD MAX, PRAYING MANTIS... The band’s diversity is also shown in the closing track, “Lies in your eyes”, a pure 80s MARILLION (“Incommunicado” style) uptempo Sympho Melodic Rocker (chorus is pure FISHera MARILLION), so I guess you can say that this 2nd VAVEL was very diverse, very interesting and also quite original for 1988! Therefore I would like to recommend you the 2nd VAVEL cd ‘The second death’. Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 8:0 – Vavel, Points: 8.5 – The second death)  STEEL ASSASSIN ‘FROM THE
VAULTS’(UNISOUND RECORDS) The Greek label UNISOUND RECORDS loves to re-issue underground 80s US Power Metal style albums onto CD, and STEEL ASSASSIN is no exception to the rule. This mid 1980s US band recorded a handful of recordings between 1983 and 1985, filled with typical 80s quality US Metal and lyrics about warriors, demons, steel and other Greek mythics. Imagine a mix between the first CRIMSON GLORY, JUDAS PRIEST and MANOWAR, with some MAIDEN riffs and basically you’ll have the pure 80s US Power Metalsound of STEEL ASSASSIN, the sound which so many European (especially Dutch/German people) loved in the 1980s. This CD contains 12 songs of the band, with a total playing time of almost 60 minutes, so enough to enjoy for the fans of pure Heavy Metal the way it was meant to be played. Highlights on ‘From the vaults’ are “Phaethon”, “Cobra”, “The sidewalk man” and “Executioner”. Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  VORTEX ‘METAL BATS/OPEN
THE GATES’(UNISOUND RECORDS) The legendary Dutch Metalband is much praised by many 80s Underground Metal collectors, but UNISOUND RECORDS re-issued both of their albums onto 1 CD, and now it is easier to obtain. The band hailed from the very North of The Netherlands, the city of Groningen, and although they indeed play True Metal in the style of PICTURE and SAXON, unfortunately VORTEX was definitely not as good as all the other Dutch or European Metalbands from the 1980s. ‘Metal bats’ and ‘Open the gates’ were released in the mid 1980s, when this kind of pure Heavy Metal was very popular amongst youngsters, but VORTEX clearly wasn’t a sensational band. The vocals were very weak, and also the songs got quite boring, especially their album ‘Open the gates’ is a very weak Metal affair. Some uptempo songs like “Gotta get away”, “Open the gate”, “Bastards” and “Horrible dolls” are nice, but I would not call this a classic. Only recommended to die-hard 80s Metalfreaks! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.0 out of 10) WHO KNOWS ‘AT LAST IT’S THE FIRST’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) Another very obscure rare piece on UNISOUND. This is a Greek band called WHO KNOWS, and they play 80s keyboard orientated AOR/Melodic Rock, and although it sounds nice, the vocals and songs are not as strong as their American rivals. The band recorded this album in 1992, and now 12 years later it’s re-released on CD by UNISOUND. 9 songs are included, and the best songs would be “Cry baby” (this is actually a strong uptempo AOR rocker a la AVIATOR, AGENT, URGENT, yet not of such a high level), “Red eyes” (midtempo AOR/Melodic Rock), “Talk of the town” (uptempo AOR) and closing track “Stay out” (good semi AOR ballad). Die-hard AOR freaks need to lok for this, but don’t expect anything as sensational as the typical American 80s AOR you all love so much! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.5 out of 10) SILVER RISC ‘SILVER RISC’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) The 80s and early 90s were a very good period for Hardrock, AOR and Metalgenre, although there were also many bands that were not good unfortunately. Some of them even secured a deal and released their records on big labels. But there were also hundreds of independent bands, such as SILVER RISC. Their same titled CD has been re-released through UNISOUND. Musically they play (ed) nice Melodic Rock, although the vocals were a bit poor (80s raw Germanstyle), instrumental it all sounded very good. There’s some good uptempo melodic (heavy) rock on their album, such as “The scream”, “Betrayed by a kiss”, “Shadows of the night” and “Trapped under the ice”, and even the occasional good melodic rockballad like “Away from home”. Despite some weaker songs like “Twin loving” and “I wanna know”, and also a weaker vocalist, I can still inform you that this is a nice melodic rock record, interesting to look for if you’re a fan of the genre. Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.5 out of 10) SYSTEM BREAKDOWN ‘SYSTEM BREAKDOWN’ (RIVEL RECORDS/BERTUS) The first song of the debut (?) CD of the Swedish band SYSTEM BREAKDOWN did not impress me at all, as this was a very weak slow modern rocksong, but happily next track “System breakdown” sounded better, a very BLACK SABBATH influenced Doom Metalsong with rather good vocals (a la CANDLEMASS). Happily, the CD also offers some uptempo rockers like “A little more of everything” (a very good song actually, a bit like DIO, great fast uptempo Melodic Metal). The band is quite diverse, because they also throw in a very melodic acoustic AOR ballad like “Paths”, and with some more groovy Melodic Heavy Rock here and there (“On the other side” sounds a bit like the last TALISMAN), it is not such a bad CD after all, although it will probably be unnoticed between all the other Hardrock and Metal releases done this month. (Points: 7.5 out of 10) GUILTY’S LAW ‘DEMO 2002/GENERATION STRUCK’ (DEMO CDR) Back to Tokyo, Japan with GUILTY’S LAW, yet another good typical Euro Power Metal based band with 3 songs in total on their 2 demo CDRs. “Generation struck” is a good typical fast Happy sing-a-long Power Metal tune that sounds a lot like HELLOWEEN, RAGE and BLIND GUARDIAN, so it could have been a German song! The other 2 songs of their other demo CDR from 2000 are titled “Deadlyman” (catchy, a bit like old MAD MAX!) and “Rebirth” (great Melodic Hardrock), 2 more Germanish Melodic Power Metalsongs, although with a weaker production, these songs are also quite good actually. More info at: http://guiltyslaw.cool.ne.jp and e-mail them at: guiltyslaw@hotmail.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) HOLY DRAGONS ‘GOTTERDAMMERUNG/JUDGMENT DAY’ (METALISM RECORDS) This band is coming out of Kazachstan, and they are probably the only Metalband from there, and they have released a few CDs. 2 of their albums have now been re-released (with bonustracks) by the label METALISM RECORDS. Musically they play 80s Heavy Metal with some of today’s Power Metal added here and there. Instrumental it sounds great and also the artwork is very professional, but vocally it isn’t that impressive unfortunately. The band has a very raw lead singer, who is not always able to sing the high notes, but like I said before instrumental it all sounds very impressive, and therefore it is still nice to hear some of their songs. Unfortunately they sing in their own language, so it is hard to mention songtitles here, but from their album ‘Judgment day’ some of the best songs are “6”, “7” and the 2 English bonustracks (“Mighty warriors” and “Rainbow’s gold”). And from their other album ‘Gotterdammerung’, which is by far the better album of the 2 releases, and actually on this album lead singer Holger Kovaroff sings better than on the other album, and therefore I can easily recommend this great Melodic Metalrecord, which features some great songs like “1”, “2” (very good fast song with impressive guitarwork), “6” and “8”. So after all this is an interesting band, although their album ‘Gotterdammerung’ much better than their ‘Judgment day’ CD. Both CDs have been released on http://www.metalism.com and you can buy yourself a copy through www.metal-cd.ru (Points: Gotterdammerung – 8.0, Judgment day – 7,5)  DIVORCE ‘TRIANGLE/DIVORCE’
(UNISOUND RECORDS)I remember hearing a DIVORCE album quite well, some 8 or 9 years ago. I even reviewed it in one of our first issues of Strutter (!), but didn’t play it ever since, but now both albums DIVORCE released are available on 1 CD through UNISOUND RECORDS. The Los Angeles settled outfit featured a great female lead singer called Johanna Gian, and musically this was prime-time 80s female fronted AOR/Poprock in the style of JACKLYN, TONE NORUM, FIONA, CINDY CRUSE, PAT BENATAR, CONNIE SCOTT, PATTY SMYTH... The CD released now features the 6 tracks of the band’s debut mini LP ‘Divorce’ (released in 1991) and the 9 tracks of their full-length follow up ‘Triangle’ from 1993. I must admit that I do prefer the band’s first mini-LP, as this was a very strong AOR record and featured real drums and a very good guitarplayer, instead of the drummachine of the band’s full-length from 1993. Anyway, highlights on this CD, which features all recordings of DIVORCE, are uptempo AOR rockers like “Let her go” (pure FIONA!), “Monica”, “Indian summer”, “Pain”, “Wedding day” and “Strange waves”. This was actually really good stuff, and it’s a pity we never got to hear anything more from this talented female lead singer Johanna Gian, but the fans of classy 80s female fronted AOR/Melodic Poprock (a la FIONA, JACKLYN etc.) need to get this CD a.s.a.p.! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 8.5 out of 10) AVERON ‘AN ECHO FROM BEYOND’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) AVERON is a Swedish band, and they recorded this CD back in 1998, with the Greek label UNISOUND releasing it in 1999. The music is typical Doom Metal, with some very raw vocals, so a bit different than CANDLEMASS or KRUX for example. The Doom Metal fans might like this band, but don’t expect anything as good as CANDLEMASS. Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.5 out of 10) DECEPTOR ‘THE LEGEND’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) Another interesting Greek band is DECEPTOR. They released a handfull of demos, and were about to release an album in 1992, but problems between the members and the label saw them breaking up, and that was really a pity, until now. UNISOUND has released a CD with 14 songs of the band, with a total playing length of more than 70 minutes. What we get to hear is high quality 80s orientated US Melodic Power/Prog. Metal a la 80s QUEENSRYCHE. The tracks are taken from 3 demos, from 1989, 1990 and 1991, and 5 tracks were recorded live in 1991. The sound quality is not that good, but some of the included songs here are very sensational. Songs like “Nemesis” and “Dome of wrath” are SUPERB HIGH CLASS Progressive Metal like only QUEENSRYCHE was able to make in the 1980s. The vocals were as good as GEOFF TATE (believe me!), and I was very interested in finding out what the DECEPTOR lead singer (his name is Yiannis Koutselinis) has been doing after DECEPTOR. Well, I then found out that he changed his name to JOHN K. and that’s the guy who is the new BALANCE OF POWER singer! So I was right that this was a sensational GEOFF TATEish vocalist, and therefore this CD is a must to fans of 80s QUEENSRYCHE and BALANCE OF POWER. The featured 14 songs are as good as those 2 bands, with such fantastic songs like “Nemesis”, “Dome of wrath”, “Chasing the dream”, “I can feel the power” and “Forever young”. The only thing is that the sound quality is not good, if only this would have been better, the rating below would have been much higher. Now I am afraid I have to rate it lower than it deserves, because of the poor demo quality sound on the CD. Nevertheless, fans of 80s QR and BOP will totally love this CD, as some of the included songs are MASTERPIECES! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 8.0 out of 10, because of bad demo sound quality, otherwise much much much higher!!!)  THRESHOLD ‘CRITICAL
ENERGY’(INSIDE OUT MUSIC/SUBURBAN/CMM MUSIC) This is without a doubt one of the best Live releases from the past few months. The fact I was actually present at the performed concert in Zoetermeer is of course a slight detail, but the concert THRESHOLD performed last year here in Holland was indeed very impressive, almost perfect! The recordings of the concert on this double live-CD have of course been mixed and now it sounds better than it did that particular night, but nevertheless, you can hear that THRESHOLD is by far one of the best Progressive Metalbands, and it’s not just DREAM THEATER and RUSH making quality stuff. In total 18 songs can be found on this double live CD, with a total playing lenght of almost 2 hours. Almost all the classics of THRESHOLD can be heard, such as “Oceanbound”, “Choices”, “Falling away”, “Long way home”, “Light and space” and crowd favourite “Paradox”. If you never checked out THRESHOLD, then you can do it now, as this double-live CD is featuring the very best of THRESHOLD performed at one of their best gigs! Of course there’s also a DVD version, so you can even see the fantastic THRESHOLD show! (Points: 9.0 out of 10) RITUAL ‘RITUAL’ (INSIDE OUT MUSIC/SUBURBAN/CMM MUSIC) This marks the re-release of the debut album of the Swedish band RITUAL, the band formed around lead singer Patrik Lundstrom from KAIPA. It was the first time time for me to hear and review the album, so I was quite interested in hearing what this band sounded like after all the mediatalk. Well, they play complex experimental Progressive Rock that sounds quite close to SPOCK’S BEARD, so very diverse and containing all sorts of influences (Pop, QUEEN, Modern, Jazz, Mediaval times). Songs like “Wingspread”, “Typhoons decide” and “Seasong for the moominpappa” are good Prog. Rocksongs, but sometimes the band goes a bit too much over the edge, with such experimental modern sounding songs like “Solitary man” and “Life has just begun”. If you’re a fan of SPOCK’S BEARD, you will quite like this band, and you probably already own it, but I found this Prog. Rock album a bit too experimental, and I rate FLOWER KINGS and KAIPA higher than RITUAL. Nevertheless, interesting (if you don’t own it already) for the open-minded Progfreak! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) SWITCHBLADE ‘SWITCHBLADE’ (DEMO) Out of Denmark comes SWITCHBLADE, a band featuring lead singer KEN ANTHONY, who is known for his management and help for bands like METALLICA, MERCYFUL FATE, PRETTY MAIDS etc. Anyway, with his band SWITCHBLADE he is playing quality 80s influenced LA Sleaze Metal in the style of CATS’N’BOOTS, FASTER PUSSYCAT, JUNKYARD, ROSE TATTOO, LITTLE CEASAR, BANG TANGO... I think you’ll get the picture now. The demo they sent contains 7 good uptempo rockers in the best Sleaze style that grab the US back in 1989-1991 for a short period, just before Grunge took over. The best songs are “Back up”, “Live it up” and “Switchblade serenade”. Recommended band to fans of this style, and the band is looking for a record deal, so they can release their debut CD on a decent label. More info through e-mail at: glam@post.tele.dk (Points: 7.5 out of 10) VICE HUMAN ‘VICE HUMAN/METAL ATTACK’ (UNISOUND RECORDS) Back to the 1980s with a Greek band called VICE HUMAN. The sound quality is very average, and this sounds very dated nowadays, but on the other hand there are freaks out there who totally love that pure 80s Metalsound, and so they will have to track down this VICE HUMAN. 2 albums on 1 CD can be found here, in total 20 songs, nothing spectacular, just plain 80s Hardrock/Metal, with some OZZY ish vocals. The albums were released in 1984 and 1985, so within a year 2 releases and then it became quiet. Songs like “I long to kill you beast”, “Can you feel the night”, “Alive in the night” and “Heavy Metal” are nice pure 80s Melodic Metalsongs, but nowadays it sounds very dated. Only recommended to die-hard Metal collectors, who long back to the 1980s sound! Available through UNISOUND at: unisound@acisgroup.gr (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  PAIN OF SALVATION ’12:5’(INSIDE OUT MUSIC/SUBURBAN/CMM MUSIC) The Swedish band PAIN OF SALVATION has been reaching the top in the Prog. Metal scene the past few years, and now they have released a new CD titled ’12:5’. It’s not a new full-blown studio CD unfortunately, but an unplugged CD. On the other hand, now we can finally hear how impressive this band could be if they drop some of their modern influences, because the 16 included songs here (spread on 3 parts as a sort of concept called ‘Genesis’) are all very melodic calmer acoustic tunes with great vocals as well. Some might call this a boring album, but it’s basically back-to-basic with the acoustic guitar and the voice, and late at night this sounds really well. It’s not only a must for PAIN OF SALVATION fans, but also people into calmer acoustic/piano-music might want to check out this band, because it has nothing to do with Rock or Metal! (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  REQUIEM ‘MASK OF
DAMNATION’(SOUND RIOT RECORDS/ROCK INC.) The Finnish Power Metalband REQUIEM returns with their 2nd CD ‘Mask of damnation’, a high quality release in the world of Neo-Classical Melodic Power Metal. Of course there are easy comparisons to SONATA ARCTICA and STRATOVARIUS, and with a crystal clear mastering of the album at the famous Finnvox studios by Mika Jussila, this is a typical Finish Metalrecord with lots of catchy harmonies, keyboards and a straight-forward sound. Only 8 songs are included, and with a playing length of only 42 minutes it is a short album, but nevertheless the music is of a high quality. Especially the songs “Mask fo damnation”, “Ethereal journey” and “Shrine of the ocean” are very impressive Neo-Classical Melodic Prog/Power Metal pieces in the well-known SONATA ARCTICA style. Sometimes REQUIEM is maybe a bit more aggressive, but if you’re a dedicated STRATO/SONATA fan, then this might be up your alley as well! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) ELVENPATH ‘GATEWAYS’ (INDEPENDENT) The German band ELVENPATH returns with their 2nd CD ‘Gateways’. 5 long songs can be found on the new album, which sounds quite impressive actually. The music is Melodic Metal, in a typical European style, somewhere between HAMMERFALL and EDGUY. Songs like “The land that could not be”, “Amazone queen” and “The sacred talisman” are very good uptempo Melodic (Power) Metal pieces. ELVENPATH are one of the better sounding bands in the underground scene, and it would not surprise me if they will be signed by some Metal label soon. For now, check out their site at: http://www.elvenpath.com and e-mail them at: metal@elvenpath.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) MAGUS BEAST ‘SAY YOUR PRAYERS’ (FOSSIL RECORDS) Out of New York comes MAGUS BEAST, a band playing Classic 80s US Melodic Power Metal. This CD sounds like if it was recorded back in 1986 or something and that’s actually a compliment, because I am a big fan of that ‘lost’ genre! MAGUS BEAST remind me of (give it a shot!) SAINT, LEATHERWOLF, HEIR APPARENT, SAVAGE GRACE, VICIOUS RUMOURS, early FATES WARNING, etc. etc. This is all-original high class 80s US Power Metal, with of course high pitched vocals and I can give it a HUGE recommendation to the people out there who are still hungry for this classy type of 80s US Metal style. Songs like “Magus beast”, “Death before dishonor”, “Born to kill” and “Devil’s advocate” are PURE CLASSIC 80S US POWER METAL, go check out this band a.s.a.p. at: http://www.MAGUSBEAST.com The band is currently recording a new CD, should be out in March... (Points: 8.5 out of 10) THUNDER RIDER ‘TALES OF DARKNESS AND NIGHT CHAPTER 2’ (INDEPENDENT) This is Classic 80s US Metal, a bit in the style of OMEN, FIST, SHOK PARIS..., although the band is from Canada actually. The vocals are low, and could have been a bit higher sometimes, but for a fan of pure 80s US Metal with some Doom Metal influences (a la TROUBLE), this is a much-recommended album, with some great guitarwork here and there, and very professionally done artwork. 15 songs are included with a total playing lenght of 66 minutes. Highlights are “Thy kingdom come”, “Holy terror”, “Heavy Metal wizzard” and “Evil slayer”. Check it out if you like for good quality pure 80s US Metal, more info at: http://www.thunderrider.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  OBUS ‘SEGUNDOS
FUERA’(RIMER ROCK/MUXXIC RECORDS) The legendary Spanish band OBUS returns with a new CD release titled ‘Segundos fuera’. The CD continues the style which made them so popular all over Spain and South America, namely pure Heavy Metal. The band still has a very raw lead singer, and they sound like a Spanish version of UDO with some AC/DC thrown in for good measure. Of course the lyrics are in Spanish, but that’s not a problem at all. 10 songs are included, with a playing time of 40 minutes. Highlights are “Besa mi culo”, “Segundos fuera”, “Salvajemente sexy”, “Habitacion 666” and “Sin direccion”. Highly recommended to fans of pure 80s Heavy Metal a la SAXON, UDO, yet with Spanish lyrics. The CD comes along in a nice digipack version, for more info go to: http://www.obusnet.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  DREAMSCAPE ‘END OF
SILENCE’ (MASSACRE RECORDS)The German band DREAMSCAPE exists for 18 years now, and ‘End of silence’ is their 3rd CD. It took some time to release their new album, because their previous album ‘Very’ was released in 1998, but finally it’s there, the new DREAMSCAPE album and without a doubt, this CD is a sensational record. The Melodic Progressive Metal of DREAMSCAPE sounds like a perfect mix between VANDENPLAS, BALANCE OF POWER (Lance King period), DREAM THEATER and THRESHOLD. 9 tracks are included, with a total playing time of 72 minutes. The production is big and the songs are very sensational. Some things have changed since their last album ‘Very’, with as most notable change, the new lead singer Roland Stoll in 2002 and he has a fantastic voice, which makes DREAMSCAPE very sensational. The best songs are “Short-time News” ( a song with fantastic hooks and a lovely memorable chorus, “The end of light” (an epic 20-minutes counting neo-classic Prog. Metal piece with some SYMPHONY X influences), “Flow” (again fantastic, like SUN CAGED and DREAM THEATER at their very best!), “More than” (the sensational Prog. Metal keeps on coming!) and “You don’t know me”. Concluded, this is a must for fans of high quality Melodic Prog. Metal! The new year is just a few weeks old and already I am able to say that the new DREAMSCAPE CD will be one of the best Prog. Metal releases of 2004! Also check out their website at: http://www.dreamscape.de (Points: 9.5 out of 10)  ARTHEMIS ‘GOLDEN DAWN’(UNDERGROUND SYMPHONY RECORDS/BERTUS) The Italian band ARTHEMIS returns with a new CD titled ‘Golden dawn’. Musically not much has changed, so again we can hear typical Euro power Metal, like a mix between DOMINE and HELLOWEEN. This is definitely quality stuff, although nothing new is presented here. Nevertheless, there’s some great material on the new ARTHEMIS CD, such as the fast uptempo Melodic Power Metal songs “Fire set us free”, “The traveller” (very catchy), “The axe is coming” and “Might for right” and the 80’s melodic heavy rocker “From hell to hell” (a very melodic song like TNT meets early EUROPE). Recommended to fans of quality Euro/Italian Power Metal! (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  DOUBLE CROSS ‘TIME AFTER
TIME’ (TB RECORDS)Much has been said about this new UK AOR band, and now finally I get to hear and review them. DOUBLE CROSS features former members of LIAR, 2 DIE 4 and MAMA’S BOYS/GRAFFITI (vocalist Rick Chase), and their debut CD ‘Time after time’ is a very impressive AOR/Melodic Rock record. Although there are clear comparisons to the mid 1990s AOR revival in the UK (ATLANTIC, WALK THE WIRE, PASSION STREET, GTS), it is a bit less sensational than those classic acts, but still I am very proud to say that DOUBLE CROSS is indeed a very impressive new UK AOR band, and that’s quite some time ago the last time I said this! Anyway, their debut CD ‘Time after time’ has a good big sound, and the typical high class 80s AOR will be loved by the same people that like stuff such as WALK THE WIRE, early FM, PRAYING MANTIS, PASSION STREET, early STRANGEWAYS, MORITZ, MONRO, ATLANTIC, but it sometimes also reminds me (a lot) of the 1991 HAREM SCAREM debut classic. I think the AOR fans will know by now what this band is all about: CLASSIC AOR! 12 songs are included on the CD, and most of them are uptempo rockers, with as highlights “Reach out”, “How do we know?”, “When we were young” (like MAGNUM), “All my days” and “My heart belongs to you”. I must also not forget to mention that BOB CATLEY (MAGNUM) did some backing vocals on a couple of songs, so better be sure that you get hold of a copy of this classy AOR record! More info at: http://www.double-crossuk.com (Points: 9.0 out of 10)  UNIVERSE ‘IS THERE
SOMETHING?’(POINT MUSIC/ROCK INC.) The German band UNIVERSE returns with a new CD and I can inform you that this is a very good (if not their best) album. Musically this is pure German Melodic Hardrock like a mix between VICTORY, WHITE LION and old BONFIRE. The production/sound quality is huge and songs like “Don’t wanna lose”, “End of the day”, “Is there something?” and “Lay it down” are great big-time Melodic Hardrocksongs! A highly recommended album to fans of quality Melodic Hardrock! (Points: 8.5 out of 10) AMSET ‘AMSET’ (RIMER ROCK RECORDS) Out of Spain comes AMSET and their debut CD on the Madrid based label RIMER ROCK RECORDS looks and sounds very professional. The CD was produced by Fortu Sanchez (OBUS) and the 10 included songs sound pretty good. They play typical Latin/Spanish Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal, and although they look very dangerous on the CD booklet, their music is not that heavy, just typical Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock with keyboards here and there and some catchy singable choruses. Highlights are “Samael”, “El valle de los Mercenarios”, “Necronomicon”, “Hijos de las llamas” and the WASP cover “Love machine” (in Spanish of course). Recommended to fans of OBUS, TIERRA SANTA, NU, MURO, BARON ROJO... More info at: http://www.amsetweb.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) ABADDYON ‘UNDER THE DREAMS OF ETERNITY’ (DEMO CDR) Out of Argentina comes ABADDYON, a band playing typical Neo-Classical Symphonic Prog/Power Metal with influences from SYMPHONY X, ANGRA, DREAM THEATER, RHAPSODY and MALMSTEEN. The artwork and songs sound nice, although the vocals are not that strong unfortunately. That’s a pity, because the songs itself sound pretty good, with as best tracks “Under the dreams of eternity” and “The awakening”. Although it’s nice to hear so many keys, the guitars seem to fade away in the mix. Nevertheless, I think this band has a future, if they are able (and can afford) better studio equipment. More info at: http://www.abaddyon.com and e-mail them at: abaddyon@hotmail.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) HYSTERIA ‘MAL DE LUNA’ (DEMO CD) This Madrid, Spain based band is playing the typical Latin/Spanish Melodic Metal (a la RATA BLANCA, OBUS, MURO, BARON ROJO) and they do it very well on their mini-debut CD ‘Mal de luna’. It’s heavy, fast, but very melodic and quite catchy actually, and besides, the band has a very good strong powerful lead singer (Jaime Garcia). Highlights are “Mal de luna” and “Misantropia”. This HYSTERIA is definitely a recommended band and all fans of TIERRA SANTA and RATA BLANCA will love this how new Spanish band! More info at: http://www.webcindario.com/hysteria and e-mail them at: ELYAIME666@HOTMAIL.COM (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  ANGELS GRACE ‘NEW ERA
RISING’(UNDERGROUND SYMPHONY RECORDS/BERTUS) I don’t have any info on this Italian band, but they do play quality Melodic Progressive Metal. Maybe nothing new is presented here and it is not as good as for example the recent albums of SUN CAGED, DREAMSCAPE and DREAM THEATER, this ANGELS GRACE CD is still quite good. There are definitely influences from QUEENSRYCHE (‘Empire’), DREAM THEATER and TIME MACHINE to be heard on the CD, but the typical Melodic Progressive Metal sounds very impressive sometimes, and therefore it isn’t just another Progmetalclone. The best songs are “My self again” (great midtempo melodic Progmetal with a very strong chorus), “Through the waves of time” (very good uptempo melodic Progmetal a la TIME MACHINE) and the QUEENSRYCHEish opener “Under a leaden sky”. Not a sensational record, but also nothing bad is presented here, just another nice Progmetal album which will sadly disappear between the countless other releases in this genre. (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  7 GATES ‘FIRE WALK WITH
ME’(SOUND RIOT RECORDS/ROCK INC.) Back to Sweden with 7 GATES, a band we reviewed sometime ago when they had just a demo out, but now they are signed to the Portuguese label SOUND RIOT RECORDS. And their official debut CD ‘Fire walk with me’ has been released. Musically this is prime-time 80s Classic Melodic Metal like a mix between DIO, PRIEST, MAIDEN and HAMMERFALL, although not of such a high level I am afraid, because their lead singer Criss Blackburn is trying to sound like BRUCE DICKINSON meets DIO, but that high level isn’t possible unfortunately. Nevertheless, this is still a good record, which should be picked up by fans of this genre. Best songs are “So far away” (great strong midtempo melodic rocker), “The saviour” (faster uptempo Melodic Power Metal, pure HAMMERFALL), “Under the crossed bones” (nice catchy uptempo melodic heavy rock/metal) and “Love bullet”. Check it out if you’re into any of the mentioned bands! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) SONICRUSH ‘DEMO CDR 2004’ (DEMO CDR) SONICRUSH is a band from Arizona, USA and main member is singer/songwriter Jason Witte. There are 5 short rockers on their EP and musically this is is 1980s inspired Hardrock. Like the bio says, it is indeed a mixture of AC/DC, DEF LEPPARD and THE DARKNESS, I can’t come up with a better description for SONICRUSH. Best songs on their EP are “Waiting for you” and “I found you”. Check it out if you want to hear classy Hardrock, more info at: http://www.sonicrush.net (Points: 7.5 out of 10) CRUSADER ‘FOOLS’ (PAINKILLER RECORDS) The Belgian band CRUSADER sent me their CD ‘Fools’ and of course with a bandname like CRUSADER it is obvious you are playing Classic 80s Heavy Metal. Influences can be heard from SAXON, PICTURE, KILLER, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, MAIDEN, ONSLAUGHT... In other words, this is clearly 80s Heavy Metal, the way it was originally played. Although some may say it sounds completely dated, I can assure you that CRUSADER has also added some more modern touches and actually it doesn’t sound dated at al. 9 tracks are included, and especially songs like “Wouldst thou me”, “Flowers of war” and “King of kings” are good 80s Metaltracks. If you’re starting to become interested, then go to: http://www.painkiller-records.com and find out all about CRUSADER! (Points: 7.5 out of 10) DAEDALUS ‘LEADING FAR FROM A MISTAKE’ (DEMO CDR) We’re moving down south again to Italy, where we can find a little progressive rock/metalband with the name DAEDALUS. They have recorded an album, with of course strong influences of DREAM THEATER and ARENA, but they do it quite well. The CD contains 8 tracks, with a total length of 41minutes. Highlights are “Time”, “Rem 8” and “Leading far from a mistake”. The keyboards in every song sound very good (pure IQ/ARENA), and I think this band has come up with a good balance between Neo-Prog and Prog. Metal. More info at: http://www.progdaedalus.it (Points: 7.5 out of 10) PARADICE ‘SEX, LIPSTICK AND ROCK’N’ROLL’ (DEMO CDR) This is like walking down on memory lane, as the Swedish band PARADICE is bringing us late 1980s Sleazy Glam Hardrock/Metal in the style of WASP, CRUE, LA GUNS... What they do is quite impressive and it’s like you’re really back in LA circa 1989, but PARADICE is coming out of Sweden. Anyway, 9 tracks are on the CDR and trust me when I say this is a must for all fans of late 80s LA Glam Hardrock. And with songtitles like “Give me action”, “Bad girl”, “Rock and roll” and “We want Rock” you simply can’t go wrong and therefore this is a highly recommended band to fans of 80s LA Glam/Sleaze, although there’s also some (good) melodic rock material on the album, such as “Alone again”, “We want rock” and “Lady of a thousand dreams” (a la early PAT BENATAR). More info at: http://www.paradice.tk and e-mail them at: karl@paradice.zzn.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  DEACON STREET PROJECT ‘DEACON STREET
PROJECT‘ (AOR HEAVEN/BERTUS)Although the debut CD of this new Swedish project will be released on , I can already inform you that it’s gonna be a sensational typical Classic Swedish AOR record in the style of JIM JIDHED, RADIOACTIVE, TOTO, JOURNEY and STRANGEWAYS, so pretty much pure AOR! 12 songs are included, and the list of musicians is quite impressive, with such talented Swedish lead singers like Jan Johansen (IGNITION), Chris Demming (AOR, SPIN GALLERY), Geir Ronning (STREET TALK), guitarists like Bruce Gaitsch (RICHARD MARX), Jeff Northrup (XYZ), SAYIT, Lars Chriss (LION’S SHARE) and bassists like TALISMAN/MALMSTEEN member Marcel Jacob. But the most important musician and also leader of the DEACON STREET PROJECT is multi-instrumentalist TOMMY DENANDER. Together with Chris Demming (who is about to release another Swedish AOR Classic with his own band SPIN GALLERY, review soon) he started this project and now it is finished and will be released very soon. Without a doubt, this CD is a must for all fans of classy 80s hookladen AOR, because it is a non-stop sensational CD with high class songs from start to finish. The vocals are perfect and the sound couldn’t be better. Highlights are the uptempo AOR rockers “Caught up in a fear of loving” and “Lost in the moment” (killer chorus), midtempo AOR songs like “I can’t go back” and “Find me a meaning” and the wonderful AOR ballad “Someday I’ll offer you surrender”. I can only conclude that the Swedish AOR saga continues with yet another excellent pure AOR release, to be issued on the 29th of March! (Points: 9.0 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem, except where noted) |