IVORY GATES is a new band from Brazil and their debut CD is very impressive. Musically it is the perfect mixture between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal, sounding like a mix between ENCHANT, STYX and KANSAS. Although there are only 7 tracks on the CD, the playing length is still about 53 minutes, due to the long-playing time of each song. All songs are sensational, besides, the CD has a crystal clear production and finally, lead singer Miguel Puppin has an excellent voice. Concluded, this is a highly recommended CD!

Songs like "Unchained", "Images reflected", "The witness" and "Masquerade" are all superb Neo-progressive Rock/Metal songs a la ENCHANT, CAIRO, SHADOW GALLERY, STYX, with perfect melodic lead and harmonyvocals and pleasant melodies during the choruses, while also the keyboardwork should not be forgotten as it has a important part in IVORY GATES' music. On "Transcendence" we can hear a guest female lead singer (Veruska Camillo), while the song itself is a great epic semi-ballad like LANA LANE meets ENCHANT. Closing track "What I believe" is one of the most stunning tracks on the album, as this 12-minutes counting Prog masterpiece has many tempo changes, starting very calm, but ending up as a fast uptempo melodic Power Metal piece! The song also has a great keyboardbreak. All I can say to you is that this IVORY GATES is a total must if you're into bands like CAIRO, SHADOW GALLERY, ENCHANT, ARTENSION… More info at: http://www.ivorygates.hpg.com.br and e-mail them at: hmneto@hotmail.com

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This band is formed around ex-GOTHIC KNIGHTS lead singer George Tsalikis, and they have already released 2 albums, so 'Twilight on humanity' is their 3rd release. ZANDELLE's music is pure 80s US Melodic Power Metal in the style of SYRIS, WARLORD, RIOT, HELSTAR and early CRIMSON GLORY. This is really a high quality release and maybe therefore LIMB MUSIC decided to release it on their label. 10 tracks are included, and from start to finish it's pure 80s US Melodic Power Metal all the way! Highlights are "Warlords of steel" (uptempo melodic metal), "The champion" (superb midtempo melodic hardrock/metal like early CRIMSON GLORY), "A hero's quest" (high-class prog/power), "Eternal love" (strong melodic rockballad) and the epic 12-minutes counting closing track "Twilights on humanity". This CD is highly recommended to all true Metal believers!

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Sometime ago I reviewed the debut CD 'Truth from a lie' of the Portuguese band EVIDENCE, and now they have released a new CD entitled 'Spiral'. The album is an improvement, because from start to finish it's quality music. The album was mastered by TOMMY NEWTON (ELEGY, HELLOWEEN, TARANTULA), and 11 powerful tracks are included. The music is strong 'German' orientated Melodic Heavy Rock in the style of VICTORY, PINK CREAM 69, CRYSTAL BALL, LETTER X… The sound/production is very big, and most of the songs have catchy choruses. Especially the first 3 songs are quite impressive, because "Line of fire", "Promised land" and "Desperation" are all very good uptempo Melodic Hardrocksongs. The rest of the CD is a little less sensational, but still enjoyable good solid melodic rock with a bit 80s DOKKEN influences here and there ("Chances", "Laughing at you" and "Spiral") and also some pure Metal ("Against the tide" and "Prison walls"). The new EVIDENCE CD is definitely recommended to anyone into bands like CRYSTAL BALL, PINK CREAM 69, CASANOVA, LETTER X, BONFIRE, VICTORY… More info can be found at: http://www.evidence.online.pt and e-mail them at: evidencemetal@hotmail.com

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

FAITHFULL is a Portuguese band formed around EVIDENCE lead singer Sergio Sabino. The demo CD of FAITHFULL is titled 'Light this city' and contains 11 tracks. Musically what we hear is sensational high quality 80s AOR/Melodic Rock with a strong early BON JOVI influence, although I also heard clear similarities to bands like HAREM SCAREM, HONEYMOON SUITE and HARDLINE. The only pity is that the production of the CD isn't that huge, and that's the only negative point about FAITHFULL, because the songs are also fantastic, and also lead singer Sergio proves to be a great singer (without accent). This could've easily been a US band, but FAITHFULL hail from Portugal, so another interesting European AOR act on the horizon!

There are a lot of great songs on the demo CD. Highlights are "All I want, all I need" (fantastic classic 80s uptempo AOR a la first HAREM SCAREM, HONEYMOOON SUITE, 707, PREVIEW), "Melting your ice" (great midtempo melodic rocker a la HARDLINE, TYKETTO, NORWAY), "Light this city" (great uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker), "Cast out the rain" (HUGE melodic rockballad a la HARDLINE), "Ending song" (another great rockballad, a la BON JOVI circa 1980s) and the uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers "There's no turning back" and "The way I am". It's great to hear so many great new bands from Portugal. If only this CD would have a big production, then it could easily turn out to be a winner for the true AOR fans. Now it's more like if you enjoyed the albums by TEER and TALON recently released on FRONTIERS RECORDS, you will also love this one. However, keep your eyes on this band as the future might bring something sensational in the form of a 'classic' CD release! For now, check out this great band at: http://www.faithfullrocks.com and e-mail them at: faithfullrocks@hotmail.com

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This French band features Gerard Fois, former member of the band DREAM CHILD. That band released 2 CDs (on Brennus Records and Metal Blade Records), but split up early 2001. This demo CD contains 4 tracks and was released a few months ago. I must say that it's a very good release and the CD comes with beautiful artwork executed by Jean-Pascal Fournier (AVANTASIA, EDGUY, NIGHTMARE). The musicstyle of ETERNAL FLIGHT is clearly Progressive Metal with a light Power Metal approach. The best songs are the midtempo "Back into the light" and the uptempo "Beyond the golden gates". So, basically this is a great new band, and I look forward to a future full-length CD. In the meantime, check out their site at: http://www.eternalflight.fr.st and e-mail them at: eternalflight@ifrance.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

MACHINE MEN are a band from Finland, and their debut untitled mini-CD sounds very impressive. It has a clear 80s orientated melodic metal sound like a mix between early QUEENSRYCHE and IRON MAIDEN. The production is very good, and especially the first two songs are sensational. Opener "Men inside the machine" is a fantastic high quality uptempo melodic metal like 80s MAIDEN, EDGUY, early CRIMSON GLORY… The melodies, vocals and guitarsound are just perfect and reflect how good Metal can sound. Also the following track "Eye of the truth" is very good, this is midtempo melodic hardrock and it sounds super strong! "The slave trade" is the first weaker song, as this is a simple Heavy Metal song a la ACCEPT with some Modern influences. Next track "Enjoy insanity" is then again a classy midtempo melodic rock/metal piece a la CRIMSON GLORY, LETHAL, SYRIS… Closing track of this 5-track mini-CD is the MAIDEN cover "Aces high", which is done very well. Check out this awesome band at: http://www.machinemen.net and e-mail them at: info@machinemen.net or markus@dynamicartsrecords.com

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

A few years ago I reviewed the debut CD of the German Melodic Rockband DARK SKY. I remember that it was a good clean 80s type of Melodic Hardrockalbum in the style of EUROPE and PRETTY MAIDS. Now, I received a promo CD of the new album 'Edge of time', and this is definitely a fantastic record. The album is much better than their debut, especially the sound/production quality is from a very high level. The first 5 songs are very strong and belong to the best melodic rock has to offer nowadays. The band sounds like a mixture between BONFIRE, SHY and WHITE LION.

Opener "Bartimaeus" is an excellent 80s influenced uptempo melodic rocker (BONFIRE meets SHY), with a very catchy hook and memorable chorus. In the same style is the following track "Searchin' for better tears". Some lovely keyboardwork can be heard in the superb AOR/Melodic Rockballad "Hope still hasn't gone", a song reminding me of ROBBY VALENTINE, and this is clearly a potential radio hit! Moving on with another great uptempo melodic rocker entitled "Judgement day" with it's super catchy harmonyvocals. "Look in my eyes" is the fifth sensational track of the CD, and yet another catchy uptempo melodic rocker.

The following 3 tracks are not as good as the first 5 tracks, but still enjoyable, such as the fast 'typical German' melodic metal piece "Hard life". The last 4 tracks are then again quite sensational. They are titled "Fading light", "By your side" and "Turn away", all 3 great catchy uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers. The 4th track is the short instrumental intro "The edge" that has nice keys. Well, concluded I can say that this is one of the better German Melodic Rock releases from the past few years. Think of a
mixture between BONFIRE, WHITE LION and EUROPE, then you're close to DARK SKY. More info at: http://www.goodliferecords.de and e-mail them at: info@goodlife-records.de

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Here's another new sensational band from France, and they are called H3O+. Their CD 'The ultimate best if' contains professional high quality Melodic Progressive Power Metal in the style of VANDENPLAS, MANIGANCE, TIME MACHINE, ROYAL HUNT, ANGRA… The band has a fantastic lead singer (Wince), the CD has a big sound, and (almost) all included songs are very impressive. Highlights are "The old dreamer", "Shadows whispers" and "Awaken children", all great Progressive Metal tunes a la VANDENPLAS. The only song that was a letdown was a song with only Children singing the verses and choruses ("Demons will tell"). But I can really recommend this band to fans of high quality progressive metal. More info at: http://www.h3oplus.fr.st and e-mail them at: legroupe@h3oplus.fr.st

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

LAKEHURST is coming out of Germany, and they play awesome AOR/Melodic Rock with obviously a clear 80s approach. The band has a very good female lead vocalist, and musically you can compare them to VIXEN, LAOS, ALLISON, JACKLYN… The band sent me a new mini-CD entitled 'So seaxy', which contains 4 tracks of which 2 are covers (Michael Jackson's "Beat it" and "Billy Jean" are performed in 1 song, while the other song contains EURYTHMICS' "Sweet dreams" and FALCO's "Jeanny"). The covers are performed in a great melodic rockstyle, but the best songs on this mini album are the two other songs. These are the strong uptempo melodic rocker "Daylight" (own composition) and the AOR song "Stay" (NO ANGELS cover) that has excellent keys.

The band's full-length CD 'Miracles' contains 12 tracks and is a highly recommended melodic rockalbum. LAKEHURST's melodic rock comes along with a lot of 80s AOR type of keyboards which are quite prominent in each song and that makes LAKEHURST even more interesting than most other female fronted rockbands. The CD has a great sound and production, and from start to finish it's AOR/Melodic Rock all the way! The best songs are "Someone like me" (good strong uptempo AOR), "What I feel" (melodic rockballad with violin solo), "Face to face" (strong midtempo AOR a la LAOS) and the uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers "I can't stop this feeling", "On and on" and "Take good care". Take it from me, fans of female fronted melodic rock will totally go nuts when hearing this fantastic German band. Check them out at: http://www.lakehurst.de and e-mail them at: milan-brk@web.de joern.jahnke@gmx.de

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This is a band from Namibia (!), and believe me, I never heard a band from that country before, so here we go then… On the other hand, when I see the names of the bandmembers, I need to add here that they are from German and Dutch origin (I think), but still nice to see some African Metal movements. Their CD is a professional sounding Metal record. They play a mixture of 80s US Power Metal and today's Gothic Metal. Although the band has created an own style, because you can hear all sorts of vocals (death grunts, melodic vocals, gothic vocals), it makes it hard to recommend the band to a specific Metal fan, but I think a lot of Metalfans will like this band. Opener "Ramses" is definitely one of the highlights, as this is good old 80s orientated US Melodic Power/Prog Metal. The rest of the CD is more leaning towards Melodic Metal with both Gothic and Melodic Vocals, with as highlights "Like a God", "Burning darkness" and "Imago mundi". There are also a few songs which I think are a bit too much focused around the Gothic vocals and Death grunts, these are "Remember forever", "Breathing in me" and "Afterburner". Nevertheless, this is a recommended band to all Metalfans, and definitely one of the best African Metal bands at the moment! Website: http://www.arcana22.de and e-mail them at: arcaneland@hotmail.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Some time ago I reviewed a demo of the Swedish band FATAL SMILE. Well, now they have released their full-length debut CD 'Beyond reality'. The album contains 10 tracks and was produced by Jonas Ostman (MALMSTEEN). Musically FATAL SMILE is playing a mixture of Melodic Metal, Doom Metal and US type of Power Metal. Most of the songs have a slow groovy kinda rhythm, but are filled with catchy melodies. Besides, the band has a very strong melodic lead singer and the big sound/production of the CD is also notable. FATAL SMILE sounds like a mixture between BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, CANDLEMASS and LION'S SHARE, combining melodies with heavy guitar riffs and a slow 'doomy' rhythm. It doesn't always work that well ("Bad kharma", "Beyond reality" and "Crush on"), but mainly this CD has a lot of great material that needs to be heard by fans of quality metal. Highlights are the songs "The saviour" (great melodic chorus), "Circle of fire" (80s US Power Metal), "Scene of a crime" (strong midtempo melodic metal) and closing track "No love" (uptempo melodic heavy rock a la WHITESNAKE). This Swedish band needs to be heard, more info at: http://www.fatalsmile.nu and e-mail them at: yuksel.unutmaz@swipnet.se

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Phoenix comes guitarist Vince Lupone, and his 4-track demo CDR 'Welcome to my world' is a quality record. Not only the production is quite good, but also the 4 included instrumental tracks are impressive. Especially the uptempo melodic rockers "Welcome to my world" and "Song for Joe" are very good. Soon Vince will release his first full-length album, but for now check out his site at: http://www.castofshadows.com and e-mail them at: music@castofshadows.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

'Eos' is the new CD of the German band THOUGHT SPHERE, and it follows the same quality progressive metalstyle played on their previous albums. This time however, there are also some modern metal (nu-metal) influences, although it is still pure Prog Metal (a la EVERGREY, THRESHOLD). The CD has a big sound/production and 9 tracks are included. The best songs are "Each passing moment", "Shrine of the saint", "Prophecy" and "Eos" (typical German uptempo melodic metal). At first sight, I thought the older albums of THOUGHT SPHERE were better, but after a few spins you'll discover there's enough quality prog metal on this enw CD as well. More info at: http://www.thoughtsphere.net and e-mail them at: adrian@thoughtsphere.de

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This is an old French band who recently returned with a new CD release titled 'Spirit of your song'. MYSTERY BLUE also released 2 LPs in the 1980s, and this Demo is a preview of their upcoming new album. The demo contains 3 tracks and was produced by Andy Lubbert and Stefan Glass (IAN PARRY, VANDENPLAS). The 3 tracks are very good Progressive Metal orientated songs with strong lead vocals of the female lead singer Nathalie. The best songs are "Dark visions" and "Angel". Sometimes the music reminds me of CONSORTIUM PROJECT, only with female vocals. This is really quality stuff, just check out their site for more info at: http://www.mysteryblue.com and e-mail them at: HMysteryblue@aol.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

It is a busy time for the Progressive Rockfan, because we just had 2 great new albums by ENCHANT and SPOCK'S BEARD. And now we have the new CD of the Canadian band HEAVEN'S CRY that fits nicely stylish between the melodic progressive rock/aor of ENCHANT and the more experimental 70s orientated progressive rock of SPOCK'S BEARD. The songs are all quite progressive, but not too long in length. The melodies are very pleasant to listen to, and the band has 2 great lead singers, while 3 members are playing guitar, but still the sound is somewhere between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal. The harmonyvocals on most of the songs sound very much like 70s KANSAS, while the complex rhythmstructures of each song are sometimes also reminding me of KANSAS, yet with a slight modern touch. There are 11 tracks on the CD, and if you like one song, you'll probably dig them all. However, my favourites are "Divisions", "Remembrance" (great calmer semi-ballad), "Masterdom's profit", "A new paradigm" and "Waves". If you enjoyed the recent new CDs of ENCHANT and SPOCK'S BEARD, then this new HEAVEN'S CRY CD is a total must!

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

On the 23rd of September the CD of AIRBORN will be released. I can't tell you too much background info, because I only have a promo without any additional info. However, I do know that AIRBORN is a Italian band and their CD 'Against the world' is a good quality 'German orientated' Melodic Power Metal record. The CD contains 13 tracks, and besides a good production, the album is from start to finish a pleasure to listen to. Most of the songs are fast uptempo Power Metal pieces with 'big' choruses to sing-a-long with. Examples are songs like "Against the world", "Born to fly", "The hero" (catchy tune which also is featured as videoclip on the CD) and "Return to the sky". The real highlights are "Cry now" (great semi melodic rockballad), "Wings" (Power Metal with very good strong harmonyvocal-chorus), "Freedom to the world" (uptempo melodic heavy rocker) and "Sky city" (another uptempo melodic heavy rocker with big chorus and nice keyboardwork). I heard some similarities to VISION DIVINE, but in general this Italian band sounds more like a German Power Metal band (read: FREEDOM CALL), so the real fans of this genre know what to expect!

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of California (but originally from Armenia) comes ARIN VAHANIAN, a multi-instrumentalist who sent me a 3-track demo cdr. The songs are pretty soft, but can still be seen as AOR material. Opener "Dream girl" is a calm semi AOR ballad, and although Aron's vocals are quite good, and the song itself is also nice, the song could use some more electric guitar. The same can be said about "You're the only one", and again, this is a good AOR song, but with more guitar and a real drummer instead of the drumcomputer it would all sound much better. Now you can only hear an electric guitar in the guitarsolo, and no riff can be heard before the solo. I'm not saying the songs are bad, because they are definitely good quality AOR, but the sound is a bit empty at the moment. Also closing track "Annamaria" is a great semi AOR ballad (sung in Italian!), but again not the full sound I had hoped for. Who knows a future CD will see a more Rockin' ARIN VAHANIAN, because the man can surely write a good AOR song. More info at: www.geocities.com/a_vahanian

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Actually this is a re-release of an album former MEGADETH/DAMN THE MACHINE guitarist CHRIS POLAND released some time ago. The new version has 2 bonustracks, and for those who missed the first release, this is a good opportunity to purchase the new version. The music on 'Return to Metalopolis 2002' is instrumental Hardrock with some Progressive Metal and Bluesrock influences here and there. This is definitely a quality release, but like many other instrumental albums probably only interesting for fans of this genre. On the other hand, if you never heard an instrumental record, then this is a good way to start…

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

UNDER RADIO is a new project put together by guitarist Eric Zimmermann, who recently played on the JASON BECKER tribute. The same titled debut CD of UNDER RADIO is not really a recommended piece. The CD starts with the very dark modern average rocksong "Acrobat". Next track "Spinningwheels" is better, and also features good soulful lead vocals (a la GLENN HUGHES). As the CD continues, I hear that this CD is really one of the least interesting LION MUSIC releases. The only track worth mentioning is the midtempo "Every time". The rest of the CD is hardly interesting, and also the short playing length is not making this album worth listening. Maybe a BADLANDS fan might find something he/she likes, but I didn't think too much of this CD.

Rating: 5,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Another instrumental album on LION MUSIC. Guitarist Tony Hernando comes out of Salamanca, Spain and I believe 'The shades of truth' is his 2nd CD. The album contains 11 tracks and is basically another good quality instrumental rockalbum. Musically it sounds like a mixture of Classical Hardrock and Progressive Metal. You can hear clear influences from YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOEY TAFOLLA, TONY MACALPINE, STEVE VAI etc. The list of guest musicians is incredible, because on drums we can hear Mike Terrana (DREAM THEATER), on keys Vitalij Kuprij (ARTENSION), on bass Pepe Bao and finally, Andy Timmons (DANGER DANGER) on additional guitar. Tony is clearly an excellent guitarist, as you can hear on his new CD. Highlights for me are uptempo Classic Hardrock pieces like "The edge" and "House of glass". MALMSTEEN, MASI and MACALPINE fans (the 3 M guitarists!) can easily buy this CD of TONY HERNANDO.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

'Save the world' is the third CD of the Swedish guitarist Benny Jansson. He also played in the band TWO ROCKS with whom he released an album in 1992 (though I can't remember how it sounded as I haven't played it in ages). Anyway, his new solo-CD is a semi-instrumental album. There are 4 vocal and 8 instrumental tracks included. Goran Edman (MALMSTEEN, STREET TALK) does the lead vocals on the 4 vocal tracks, while other musicians involved are among others Jens Johansson on keys and Daniel Flores on drums. The music is not that heavy, and is a nice relaxing mixture of late night Jazz and Progressive Rock/Metal with a clear swing to Fusion-Rock at times (especially on the instrumental songs it sounds like TOTO when they go experimental). Pretty nice are the TOTO orientated semi-ballads "Winter night" and "Deep wood" with of course excellent lead vocals of Goran, who is still one of the best Swedish singers ever! Fans of TOTO and TOMMY DENANDER can easily buy this new album of Benny Jansson, but don't expect anything sensational!

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Philadelphia comes MIKE GALLAGHER, an amazing guitarist who also played in the Hardrockband MIDNIGHT ANGEL (see REVIEWSINDEXPAGE for a review). Now he has released a solo-CD and I must say it sounds FANTASTIC! Although many would say it's a 'safe' record, I am glad to finally hear a good instrumental album. Most of the instrumental albums these days are filled with endless bass freaking and complicated guitar solo's. Forget all of the recent instrumental albums, and have a listen to the CD of MIKE GALLAGHER. The CD contains 10 tracks and from start to finish it's high quality upbeat instrumental melodic rock/metal that sounds best while driving in a car… Best songs are "Pure instinct", "Last chance", "Never surrender" and "Untamed spirit", but actually all songs are in the same fun 80s melodic rockstyle… This album is recommended to fans of no-nonsense instrumental melodic rock like early VAI/SATRIANI… More info at: www.mikegallagheronline.com and e-mail him at: mikerocks@comcast.net

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

The Welsh band KARNATAKA got a lot of attention in the press the past few years, especially in the UK. The result is a DVD release on CLASSIC ROCK RECORDS. The DVD included a concert of 90 minutes that took place last year in London. The female fronted melodic rock/prog band performed an excellent concert that included the best songs from their 2 albums. The band is mainly focused on the warm melodic lead vocals of female singer Rachel Jones, but the other members also prove they can play very well. The music of KARNATAKA is not really heavy, but perfect to watch on a DVD, as it is high quality melodic music that makes you dream about the good things in life. 15 tracks are played, and from start to finish you're hooked onto your TV screen. This is really a great band that could easily become as big as bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, LANA LANE and NIGHTWISH, although the music is a bit softer, I think fans of those bands will also like KARNATAKA. Songs like "Time stands still", "Heaven can wait", "The right time", "Tell me why" and "Shine" are just a few of the highlights on the DVD. I think this DVD is a good way to start colelcting the music of KARNATAKA if you haven't been able to buy one of their CDs. On the other hand, if you're a fan of the band, then this is a total must, although it's a pity there aren't any extra's included on this DVD. Nevertheless, this is a welcome to the collection of every fan of female fronted rock.

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

AMERICAN DOG has a new CD out, and for those who don't know the band yet, they play good-old raw American Rock'n'roll with Southern influences. Imagine a mixture between GUNS'N'ROSES, ALICE COOPER, AEROSMITH and ZZ TOP, and you have AMERICAN DOG. With bands like AMERICAN DOG you either love them or hate them, there's no in-between! Most of the songs are uptempo rockers (like "Swallow my pride", "Shitkicker", "Train" and "Can't throw stones"), but the band also sometimes takes a step back ("Can't stop the rain"). However, if you like your Rock to sound raw and pure with a clear 70s approach, then go for AMERICAN DOG. More info at: http://www.outlawrecordings.com

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

THE ARMADA comes out of Germany, and 'The scent of darkness' is their debut Maxi-CD. The album contains 5 tracks, of which 2 are short intro's. Left are 3 good performed tracks that can be described as Power/Prog Melodic Heavy Rock a la EDGUY. The best song is definitely closing track "Wheel of fate", as this is a great uptempo melodic power metal piece with a catchy chorus and a big sound a la AT VANCE and ARTENSION. The other 2 songs are not that good, but still nice and reminding me a lot of EDGUY. So, THE ARMADA is another quality band from Germany, but I think a full-length CD with more uptempo tracks a la "Wheel of fate" might place this band next to other well-known German acts at the moment. More info at: http://www.the-armada.de and e-mail them at: info@the-armada.de

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Canada comes SNAKE EYES, and their CD 'The journey begins' was released 3 years ago, but was recently remastered and re-released. Leader of the band is guitarist Wizard Oz, and the CD they released contains 10 tracks. Musically it's a taste into several Rock and Metalstyles, ranging from 70s Rock to 80s Metal. For example, the CD opens with the early 80s orientated uptempo NWOBHM song "Sheet Metal" that reminds me of RIOT and TYGERS OF PAN TANG in their early days. The real highlights on the CD are the pure 80s US Metal type of songs "19 BC Bylaw", "Snakebite", "That's life" (even a bit TWISTED SISTER) and "Having a revolution", all sounding like HELSTAR and SYRIS. Also very good is the typical 70s US midwestern rocker "King guy" (a la HELIX, HEAD EAST). There are also some weaker songs, such as "Make my day", "Dream girl", "Mind full of guilt" and "Down the street" (acoustic folk/country). This is an enjoyable record, but too diverse to give it a recommendation to a specific metal fan. More info can be found at: http://glenn323.tripod.com/wizardsguitars and e-mail at: wizardoz@ntlworld.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)