'Blink of an eye' is the 6th CD of the American Progressive Rockband ENCHANT. And with this new album they can easily be seen as the new pioneers of traditional progressive rock, because 'Blink of an eye' is one of the best albums at the moment. The band combines the best of KANSAS, early DREAM THEATER and SYMPHONY X into an exciting super melodic progressive rocksound. Secondly, the band has a fantastic lead singer (Ted Leonard) who has developed since their debut, resulting in his best performance on this new ENCHANT record. He reminds me a lot of STEVE WALSH (KANSAS). The album itself is a must for every music fan, as it will not only attract prog fans, but also AOR/Melodic Rock/Pomprock, Metal and even fans of Popmusic will like this album, because 'Blink of an eye' stands for HIGH QUALITY MUSIC!

The album contains 10 tracks, and without a doubt, this is one of the best albums INSIDE OUT has ever released. The album is so perfect, and shows ENCHANT at their very best. It's hard to pick favorite tracks, because all tracks are excellent, but here are a few of the absolute highlights: "Under fire" (pure 70s KANSAS), "Flat line" (excellent!), "Ultimate gift" (best song, great prog AOR), "My everafter" (great melodic prog metal a la early DREAM THEATER) and the uptempo progressive rocker "Despicable" (pure KANSAS). What more can I add then to say that this is one of the best CDs of 2002, buy it a.s.a.p. or you'll miss a soon-to-be classic!

Rating: 9,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Washington comes JOSEPH LEE WOOD, and the CD he has released was recorded in 1989, but never released until now. Joseph's own label WOOD/HILL MUSIC GROUP has released the CD and I must say I am glad they did, because this CD is a total must for every living soul that likes good old high class AOR. This album has a pure big 80s AOR sound similar to AVIATOR, BEAU COUP, SHY, TOUR DE FORCE, SURVIVOR, JOURNEY, STAN BUSH, SIGNAL and all the other bands/artists that made AOR so big in the 1980s.

The production by Tom Hall (QUEENSRYCHE) is also very good. Singer/songwriter Joseph Lee Wood was helped on this disc by the following musicians; bassist/drummer/guitarist Marty Randles, guitarist Monty Smith, keyboardplayer Gregg Fox (once a member of TKO) and drummer Chris Leighton (played and recorded with hundreds of performers). We had to wait a long time to hear something that sensational as this record, but now it's released, a true AOR gem! Although it was recorded in 1989, it still sounds fresh and more importantly, nobody ever has heard it before, because it has been kept secret for over a decade. Maybe that's a pity, because if it had been released in 89, it would have been praised as much as SIGNAL or ALIAS in that period. Happily, we can now enjoy this AOR gem, and I can not say this enough, all AOR fans purchase this CD a.s.a.p.! Now let's have a look at the songs, because almost all included tracks are sensational.

It all starts with the superb midtempo AOR Classic "Don't stand so far away", a song that basically has everything an AOR fan is asking for the perfect song. What a better way to start a CD then with this high class piece of AOR song called "Don't stand so far away" with it's catchy hooks, lovely harmonyvocals, soaring lead and harmonyvocals (like JOURNEY meets TRIUMPH) and big AOR based guitar and keyboardsound, just PERFECT! Moving on with "Flirting eyes", a nice uptempo AOR rocker like JEFF PARIS and STAN BUSH in their heydays, although the chorus isn't as strong as the chorus of the opening track. While listening to the first couple of songs, it becomes clear that this is a true winner, not only the songs are super strong, but also the sound and production is from a very high level and could've been from a CD of one of the majors or AOR labels here in Europe (hello FRONTIERS RECORDS and MTM MUSIC!).

"When's the last time you felt like a woman" is a good uptempo melodic rocker with nice keyboardwork. Next track "To have and to hold" is a lovely AOR ballad like a mix between SURVIVOR and THE STORM. The CD continues with the pure 80s melodic rocker "Won't stop loving you" that is in the best AUTOGRAPH tradition (read: their debut classic 'Sign in please'). I hear so many similarities and that usually happens when we are discussing an AOR Classic! For example, following track "Love is the light" is catchy 80s AOR/Pomprock, very much like THRILLS '3' Classic. The only weaker song follows, and that's the poppy "Talk to me", a song with a weak chorus and a hi-tech pop/rock approach, not unlike PAUL JANZ, JOHN PARR, GLEN BURTNICK, JOE LAMONTE…

The following 2 tracks are then again super sensational. The first one is the HIGH CLASS 80S UPTEMPO AOR ROCKER "Love you like I love you", a song that sounds like the perfect mix between the very first BON JOVI record and the AVIATOR Classic. The other song is called "Time to come home", a super strong midtempo AOR tune in the style of the opening track "Don't stand so far away", and those are the 3 highlights of the disc. The CD closes nicely with the uptempo AOR rocker "Letters in the rain", a song with a catchy hook! Concluded it is simple, because every decent AOR fan should own a copy of this wonderful record. Probably more info soon on what Joe is planning to do in the future, but for now, go to the following website a.s.a.p.: http://www.dudesrock.com/wood/hill.html and e-mail Joseph at: jwood9@uswest.net

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

'Restoration' is album number 3 of the Swedish AOR band STREET TALK, and just like it's previous records, also the new CD is quite a sensational record with pure high quality AOR in the style of JOURNEY, FRONTLINE, HUGO, THE STORM, SURVIVOR, SIGNAL… Everything is included, uptempo rockers, midtempo songs and (semi) ballads, while the vocals, guitars and keys all sound perfect from start to finish, so basically this is an awesome AOR record. Leader of STREET TALK is Fredrik Bergh, who (co-) wrote all 10 songs, produced the album and played all keyboards. There are guest appearances by HUGO (he sings two songs), GORAN EDMAN (sings the other 8 tracks), TOMMY DENANDER (played guitar on the 2 HUGO songs) and the members of URBAN TALE.

My favorite songs are the uptempo classy AOR rockers "Give me a reason", "Language of love" (very catchy!), "Dancer in the rain" (superb chorus) and "Forever by your side" and the midtempo AOR ballad "Why is my heart feeling lonely tonight" (with HUGO on vocals, this is pure JOURNEY!). People who bought the first 2 releases of STREET TALK can easily buy this new record, although there are not many surprises here (except for the 2 songs with HUGO on vocals). This is a high quality release that is a must for every AOR fan, and especially those of you who like URBAN TALE, JOURNEY, HUGO and FRONTLINE. Soon another interview with one of Sweden's best AOR acts ever, now buy this CD when it's released on the 23rd of September!

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

It was announced a long time ago, but now the new CD of HARDLINE has been released. NEAL SCHON isn't present anymore, but the original members, like the Gioeli brothers are still in the line-up. The new CD is simply titled '2' and follows the same style of the band's debut CD 'Hard eclipse' from 10 years ago. Again we can hear good performed solid melodic hardrock based around the electric guitar, and I really mean this is a good played and high quality album, but not all the songs are sensational. There are a couple of average groovy hardrocksongs on the CD, such as opener "Hold me down", "Hey girl" and "Weight", but mainly this is a good album to listen to. Highlights are "Face the night" (great melodic rockballad), "Y" (good semi melodic rocker), "Do or die" (nice midtempo melodic rocker), "Only a night" (lovely midtempo AOR) and "Way it is, way it goes" (a la VON GROOVE). Concluded, this is a good follow-up to the band's first album, sometimes even better, but not sensational. Still recommended to fans of tough melodic hardrock a la VON GROOVE, HAREM SCAREM, NARO…

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Lead singer JOHN WEST is quite a busy guy, because he recorded and released between 1996 and 2002 10 albums. He released 5 albums with ARTENSION, 3 with ROYAL HUNT and before 'Earth maker' he already released 2 solo-albums. Most of all these albums are superb progressive melodic rockalbums from a very high level, so I was looking forward to hear and review the 3rd solo CD of John. After a few spins, I came to the conclusion that 'Earth maker' is a good quality record that fits nicely in the man's discography, but is not his best release. This is partly due to the fact that the album has ups and downs, changes from style frequently, but there are still enough highlights to make this CD interesting to buy. The CD sounds like a mixture between ARTENSION, THE HUGHES/TURNER PROJECT and modern Metal.

Opener "Soul of the beast" is a nice classical HR song that sounds like RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE and likewise, HUGHES/TURNER PROJECT. Next track "When worlds collide" is a fantastic uptempo progressive melodic heavy rocker with excellent vocal and keyboardwork. Then the style changes dramatically with the modern metal song "Sleep of the dead", a very weak song and that's a pity because such songs are not necessary for a man like John West, who has got such a terrific voice. He is perfectly suitable for songs like "When worlds collide" and the excellent "Stand, sentinel". This last mentioned track is a HUGE semi epic prog ballad that sounds super melodic.

Like I already mentioned, this CD really has lots of ups and downs, because right after the sensational track "Stand, sentinel", we get to hear the average "Life", which is followed by the progressive metal song "Warrior spirit". "Mystic wings" shows again the JOHN WEST we want to hear, as this is a fantastic AORish semi-ballad and it is one of the highlights of the CD. Next track "Love is pain" is a nice uptempo HR piece, while the last 2 tracks are also very impressive. These are the midtempo progressive metal titletrack "Earth maker" and the superb AORish ballad "Soul to soul". In the end, we have a couple of sensational tracks, a few average tunes and a bunch of nice songs, which means this is a quality CD that may be purchased by fans of ARTENSION, ROYAL HUNT and HUGHES/TURNER PROJECT.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

In the 1980s there was an American (???) band called FURY, and they managed to release 2 very good AOR/Poprock LPs. Now ESCAPE MUSIC has released a CD of a band called FURY, but this is a different band I guess. This FURY hails from Canada and recorded this album back in 1993/1994, but due to the Grunge scene it was never released until now. The album has a very good big late 80s like production, while the music is a mixture of AOR/Melodic Rock and tough slower Hardrock. This is definitely a quality record, although I must add here that there are only 4 or 5 really sensational tracks, while the rest is just nice tough melodic hardrock. The first 2 songs are an example of the last category, because both "I don't take no for an answer" (uptempo 80s melodic rock) and "Trouble" (big slow melodic rock a la WINGER) are nice, but nothing sensational. The following two tracks are much better. These are the melodic rocker "Love" (great catchy chorus) and "Higher ground" (definitely the best song, midtempo classy 80s AOR with a SUPERB chorus a la BRIAN MCDONALD GROUP/NIGHT RANGER).

Also the following track "Shouldn't I be (lying in your arms)" is quite sensational, as this is your typical American orientated 80s AOR/Melodic Rockballad. "Love's ammunition" then again is one of those tracks you listen to once and then forget about, just a nice slow melodic rocker like WINGER did much better in the late 80s. Much stronger is the uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker "Fire" with it's catchy instant typical '80s Desmond Child' chorus. The CD continues and we get to hear another 3 nice tunes ("Hang 'em high", "Up in flames" and "10,000 girls") that remind me of RATT somehow.

Closing track "Eternal flame" is another sensational track, because this is a great calmer ballad, and for the people who have the patience to listen to the whole CD, there's a hidden track behind this last song. The song is called "Eat your heart out" I think and it's a good solid uptempo melodic hardrocker like DOKKEN meets CONEY HATCH. I also should not forget to mention that there are guest appearances by 'famous' Canadian musicians like JIM VALLANCE, PAUL DEAN, PAUL LAINE, CHRISSY STEELE… So, this CD is highly recommended to fans of classic Canadian Melodic Hardrock, although I had hoped for some more Classic AOR songs like "Higher ground" which was featured first on the ESCAPE compilation CD 'Millennium Collection 2' from last year. But we can live with this release, as it is a good quality record.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

2 years ago ALFONZETTI released their debut CD 'Ready', a great melodic rockalbum. Now two years later there's the follow-up 'Machine', and I am afraid this album is not interesting for any AOR/Melodic Rockalbum. In fact, only fans of pure Modern Nu-Breed Poprock might like this! The new ALFONZETTI album has nothing to do with their debut CD 'Ready'. The new record is filled with Modern Rock, especially the first 4 songs sound like HAREM SCAREM during their alternative RUBBER days. The only good song on this record is the midtempo groovy melodic rocker "Live in sin" with it's catchy chorus a la HOUSE OF SHAKIRA. The rest of the album is very Modern Rock orientated, and is not interesting for any AOR/Melodic Rockfan. Maybe people who liked the new ERIC MARTIN CD might enjoy this new ALFONZETTI album, but first have a listen before purchasing this record…

Rating: 6/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

The German band ETERNAL FLAME was formed in 1992, while their debut CD 'Desire' was released 6 years later. Now, in 2002 they are signed to MTM MUSIC and are about to release their 2nd CD. The new album 'King of the king' is much better than their debut CD from 4 years ago. The new CD contains "Hold on", a song presented exclusive at the Icehockey play-off match of the Munich Barrons. However, this is not a new song, because I remember a band called FIREFOX, and this German band released a great Euro-Melodic Rockalbum in 1989 and that 7-track mini-album also contained the same "Hold on". I check the liner notes, and indeed this FIREFOX was the forerunner of ETERNAL FLAME, and I can also inform you that I prefer the old version of "Hold on", as that was a great strong AOR/Melodic Rocker, while this new version is nothing that special.

The real highlights on the new ETERNAL FLAME album are the first 3 tracks. Opener "King of the king" is a great strong uptempo 'typical German' melodic heavy rocker like PRETTY MAIDS, MAD MAX, STORMWITCH and early BONFIRE. Following track "Plutos bait" is a very good melodic rocker with Progressive influences and a strong melodic chorus. "Bridge to your heart" is another impressive song, as this is a lovely melodic rockballad a la WHITESNAKE. These first 3 songs are really super strong and the way good quality melodic hardrock should sound. The rest of the CD is not that good, but still has some highlights like the punchy progressive melodic rocker "Fall of men", the uptempo melodic rocker Spanish flair" and the faster catchy melodic heavy rocker "Dawn in the sky" (very much like PRETTY MAIDS). Conclusion is that this is a great record, and I can easily recommend it to fans of melodic heavy rock in the style of PRETTY MAIDS, MAD MAX, CANNON, CASANOVA…

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

The AOR/Radiorockband THRILLS released 2 good LPs in the early 1980s, while their unreleased '3' album was released on CD a few years ago through SONGHAUS MUSIC. Now the same label, owned by SOJOURN leader Dane Spencer, has released the first ever-live album of THRILLS. It concerns a recording that took place on March 17th, 1981, right after the release of their first LP 'First thrills'. Most of the included songs are taken from that debut record, but additionally, the band also played some new tunes that night that never got released on any other album of the band, so are now available for the first time. Anyway, the live CD has a good sound quality, especially considering the fact it has been on the shelves for more than 20 years! Although the last album of THRILLS was pure AOR, on this live CD you can hear that the band in the beginning played a mixture of AOR/Radiorock, Poprock and Southern Rock. Most of the songs are uptempo and in the same style, but all loved by the enthousiastic audience. Highlights are "Lie for your love", "Carrie", "Changing my ways", "Breaking my heart" and "Going out", all great straight-forward typical early 1980s uptempo melodic radiorockers a la BALANCE, STEEL BREEZE, LOVERBOY… This live CD is a must for everyone who went to see the particular show in New York on St. Patrick's Day in 1981, but also the regular THRILLS fan will like this piece of action a lot.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Some consider this album a Classic, but others say it's one of those 'strange' albums from the 1980s that marked a cross between AOR and New Wave and felt to please anyone. Well, the album surely isn't a classic, but has some real highlights and also the own style of SPEEDWAY BOULEVARD should be appreciated. The band combined Funky Drums and Soulish vocals with pure AOR choruses, while each song also has biting guitarwork and big keyboardsounds. The keyboards are most recognisable, and believe it or not, none other than JORDAN RUDDESS played them on this album. He was a member of SPEEDWAY BOULEVARD and also wrote liner notes for this re-issue. People who still don't get the picture, Jordan is the keyboardplayer for DREAM THEATER!

Anyway, there's some really great stuff on this album, such as the Funky AOR Rockers "Speedway boulevard", "Chinatown", "Dog in the distance", "Out of the fire", "Rock magic" and "Money money" (hello LOVERBOY!). On the other hand, not that impressive were the experimental tracks "Hold on" and "Telephoto lens". In the end, SPEEDWAY BOULEVARD was a band that sounded like a mix between BALANCE, BLACKJACK, TOTO and LOVERBOY, with lots of keyboards and a funky bass/drumrhythm. They had their own style, and their only record from 1980 has now finally found it's way to CD. I am glad, because I still think this is one of those albums you should own. The fact that DREAM THEATER keyboardplayer Jordan Ruddess played in the band is making this re-issue even more interesting…

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

James Byrd and co. have returned with a new CD entitled 'Anthem', a great album that fits nicely between ROYAL HUNT, RAINBOW, MALMSTEEN and ANDRE ANDERSEN, so basically what you get is classical melodic progressive metal with some AOR/Pomp touches here and there. The only pity is the short playing time which only borders around 40 minutes, but from start to finish it's quality music, so why complain! Highlights are "Sonic day" (great melodic rockballad), "All I want" (great
melodic prog metal a la ARTENSION), "Thank you" (bombastic ballad a la ROYAL HUNT) and closing track "Only love" (uptempo melodic rocker like TEN meets MALMSTEEN). Also nice to mention is the Progressive/Pompish AOR tune "Omen" that somehow reminds me of AVIARY (remember them?). This CD is not only recommended to fans of BYRD, but to anyone who like classical melodic hardrock a la MALMSTEEN, RAINBOW, ROYAL HUNT…

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

'Taste of heaven' was the 2nd CD of TAKARA, and their most successful with a chart hit in Japan back when it was first released in 1995. Now LION MUSIC has re-released it and it's great to hear the album once again. 'Taste of heaven' is a nice collection of classy melodic rock, with as highlights "Your love", "Sacred pleasure", "2 late", "Save me" and "Days of dawn" and "When darkness falls". This CD comes with 2 bonustracks, which are acoustic versions of "Again your love is mine" and "Restless heart". If you missed the CD the first time around, then this is a good opportunity to purchase this classy melodic rockalbum.

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

This CD does not belong on a Hardrock label like LION MUSIC, but they went on to release it anyway. It's not a bad CD at all, but 'Nova' is a pure Popalbum with soft acoustic tingled songs from start to finish. Only interesting if you're fed up with electric guitars. Also need to mention that Bruce is quite well-known in the Popscene, writing songs for Peter Cetera, Lara Fabian, Agnetta Faltskog and MADONNA (he wrote "La isla bonita"!!!). Anyway, like I said only recommended to people who don't mind hearing soft popmusic, and the fact singers like RICHARD MARX and BILL CHAMPLIN make their appearance doesn't change me from saying this is a poprecord. It's a quality album, but it doesn't belong on these pages.

Rating: - (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of the U.K. comes POISON WHISKEY, and on their CD are 3 tracks. Opener "Hello my friend" is great happy uptempo melodic poprocker that sounds fresh and catchy, combining elements of the 80s (THE OUTFIELD) with the Nu-breed poprock. The second track "I am" is weaker and also quite modern. Final track is nice, but the level of the first track isn't held high on the other two tracks. Nevertheless, a good start for a new band, more info at: http://www.poisonwhiskey.co.uk

Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

BIG DIXON is an American band, and this is their debut CD. The album contains 13 tracks, and starts very interesting. Opener "Another day" is a great semi AOR/Melodic Rocker/Ballad with impressive lead vocals, catchy hooks and a memorable chorus, dangerously close to VAUGHN. However, after this song the style changes and the rest of the CD is average slow groovy bluesy rock that sounds like a cross between LYNYRD SKYNYRD, TATTOO RODEO, MOLLY HATCHET and the last couple of FM albums. I am not saying this is a bad album, because it's definitely quality music what we hear on this disc, but after hearing such a great first track, you had hoped for more tunes in that style. Now this band is only interesting for fans of bluesy rock with good melodic vocals. More info at: http://www.bigdixon.com

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

AVIAN is a German band and their debut CD has a promising start with 3 good uptempo melodic rock/metal songs entitled "Dreams" (a la PINK CREAM 69, WHITE LION), "In that mighty glory hall" (typical German metal style) and "Broch tuarach". The singer is not always singing that well, and reminds me a lot of the AXXIS singer, but musically it all sounds well until track 4. The last 3 tracks on the CD are all very average, such as the slow rockers "Follow me down" and "Rainy nights". That's a pity, because the beginning was very impressive with 3 good tunes and then at the end we get to hear a very weak sound. Anyway, hope the next album will contain more stronger songs like the first 3 on this record, because then we can welcome another interesting melodic rock/metal band. You can check 'em out at: http://www.avian-online.de and e-mail them at: mario@avian-online.de

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Madrid, Spain comes FATHER GOLEM, a band with a CD that has ups and downs. The band mixes Metal with Prog and sometimes it works, but not always. Songs like "My world" and "Run" are really nothing special. Opener "Spiral" also starts a bit wicked as a groovy Metal song, but the chorus is very nice and melodic, and then we can also hear the band has a good lead singer. The best songs are definitely "Isolated" (good prog metal with a nice calm melodic start) and "My only breath" (great semi prog metal with an excellent melodic chorus). I hope the band continues making more songs in the style of the last 2 mentioned tracks next time, then we can welcome a sensational band. If you're starting to become interested, then please go to: http://www.fathergolem.com and e-mail them at: fathergolem@yahoo.es

Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Out of Kansas comes guitarist/bassist/vocalist JOHNNY LOKKE, and it was quite a surprise to hear the music he plays. His CD 'Early warning' is filled with classy 80s US Power Metal like we haven't heard it in ages from new acts out of the US of A. This is really quality stuff in the style of JAG PANZER, JACK STARR, HELSTAR… Not only the songs are quite good, but also the Johnny's vocals and the production's very impressive for an independent record. The best songs are the uptempo (pure 80s) melodic metal pieces "Don't forget about me", "I'll be alright", "Early warning" (best song, very strong melodies, pure 80s US Metal), "Another lost soul" and "Starman". A little bit weaker are songs like "In my skin", "Horses and angels" and "Me the freak", but in general this is a quality melodic metal record. Highly recommended to fans of SYRIS, JACK STARR, JAG PANZER, HELSTAR, RIOT… More info at: http://www.johnnylokke.com and e-mail him at: john@johnnylokke.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

URIAH HEEP DVD's are always a pleasure to watch, as they always are filled with quality material. 'Sailing the sea of light' is yet another high quality DVD from the Heepsters. This DVD has a running time of more than 2 hours and in that period you get to see a lot of stuff from these legendary rockers. The video is basically featuring a look back from 1986 until now. Back in '86 URIAH HEEP started a second career, with a steady new line-up which has not changed ever since. The line-up featured Bernie Shaw (vocals), Mick Box (guitar), Phil Lanzon (keys), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Lee Kerslake (drums). Although the line-up of HEEP changed a lot between 1970 and 1986, this line-up has been going for more than 15 years now, and you can clearly hear that on the band's live and studio albums which seem to get better with each release, with their last album 'Sonic orgami' as one of their best albums since the mid 1970s. The live-performances show the enthusiasm of the band, and on this DVD is included one of those classy performances of the band.

It's a 1-hour concert recorded in Sofia, Bulgaria. A concert with a lot of the old HEEP classics, like "Gypsy", "Look at yourself", "Easy livin' and "Lady in Black". Further on this DVD we can find a 1-hour documentary of the band from 1986 until 2002, presented by none-other than TOMMY VANCE, the legendary Rock presenter of the BBC Radio-show 'Friday night rock show'. The early 1980s saw HEEP fall down with unsteady line-ups, but in 1987 the band managed to make a HUGE comeback after their performance in Russia. The 10 concerts they gave in Russia were quite an experience for the band and for the Rockmusic, as URIAH HEEP was the first Rockband from the west to play in Russia. The documentary shows exclusive footage of these performances. Besides, there are also other live registrations included of concerts in London, UK and a few others. There's more on the DVD, such as the videoclip of "Come away Melinda", an old HEEP classic that was re-recorded a few years ago with the video as bonus here on the DVD. To fill up the DVD there's some more extra stuff here and there, but overall the concert and documentary are making this DVD so interesting. This 'Sailing the sea of light' is definitely one of the best HEEP DVD's ever, and yet another big addition to the growing collection of HEEP merchandising.

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Early 2001 I had the pleasure to watch a concert of KEN HENSLEY and JOHN LAWTON and 1 month later JON WETTON. I enjoyed both concerts very much, but hardly a week after the HENSLEY/LAWTON, the two went their own way, and so Ken Hensley was alone again, but late last year he gave a concert together with JOHN WETTON in London. And this DVD is the result of the collaboration between John and Ken, and I have to say I found the separate concerts of both better than the concert recorded here. The footage and sound quality is excellent, but the performance is a bit dull. John Wetton's voice was not really good that night, and Ken Hensley just isn't a good singer which can be heard when he sings old HEEP classics like "July morning" and "Easy livin'.

On the other hand, instrumental it all sounds pretty good, and it's nice to see and hear the mixture of old HEEP and ASIA classics as well as new WETTON and HENSLEY tunes. But with a statement as 'combined sales of over 80 million records', I think this could have been a much better concert. It's also clear that the combination HENSLEY/LAWTON worked much better than HENSLEY/WETTON, so I think this will be a once-only performance. The addition of 4 bonus/promo videos is quite interesting, especially the excellent video of "Battlines" of JOHN WETTON is a total must to have if you're a fan of John's music. This DVD is nice to have if you're a fan of HEEP, HENSLEY or WETTON, but if you're not that rich, then I would rather recommend the HEEP DVD's…

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

This is a band from Wurzburg, Germany and 'Seconds' is their first album. Although the sound and even the songs are quite nice, it's the lead singer who is the weak point within PERENNIAL QUEST. He is able to sing, but his voice is not suitable for the melodic progressive metal of the band, as he has a voice that reminds me of James Hetfield (METALLICA), while the music of PERENNIAL QUEST is close to a DREAM THEATER or QUEENSRYCHE. There are 7 tracks on the album, and the best songs are the last 2 tracks, the very melodic "Waiting for the light" (a la THRESHOLD) and closing track "Distant earth", a 20-minute epic with impressive keyboardwork as well. However, if the band would try a different singer, then maybe it all would sound much better. Nevertheless, you can find more info on PERENNIAL QUEST at: http://www.perennial-quest.de

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Only 1 song can be found on the new GAIA EPICUS, but it' s a very impressive tune. It's called "Keepers of time", and is basically a great faster uptempo melodic power metal piece like HAMMERFALL, STRATOVARIUS and EDGUY. It's clear that this is a band with a future, and I look forward to the band's first full-length CD. For now, check out their site at: http://www.gaia-epicus.net and e-mail them at: contact@gaia-epicus.net

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

ULTIMA THULE is formed around guitarist/vocalist Bob Hutson from Georgia, USA and 'Formation projeckt' is their first CD. It's definitely a quality CD that musically can be described as semi-instrumental progressive rock with a clear 70s approach. It sounds like a mix between instrumental RUSH and KING CRIMSON. The few songs with vocals are weaker, basically due to Bob's vocals that are not that strong, while these songs also tend to sound very modern (like "Helpless"). However, the instrumental progressive rockers, such as "Formation" and "Digital groove" are quite good. Check out the site of ULTIMA THULE at: http://www.UTRocks.com and e-mail them at: Bob@UTRocks.com

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

'Views' is not a music DVD at first sight, but still an interesting documentary on an important artist/painter who made frontcovers of albums by YES, ASIA, URIAH HEEP and several other famous rockbands. His name is ROGER DEAN, and this documentary gives you a good insight in the man's stunning work. Besides Roger Dean, also RICK WAKEMAN, STEVE HOWE and members of HEEP and ASIA appear in the 1-hour counting documentary. 'Views' shows the work of a man, who has painted all his life, and he created the most beautiful landscapes ever seen on paper, and most of them were used for covers of (Symphonic) Rockbands. Especially the YES logo is one of his most appreciated works ever, as this painting of Roger is still held high by Museums in the UK. Besides alot of talking and painting pictures, the DVD also included live performances by ASIA, HEEP and RICK WAKEMAN, but mainly the DVD is focused on ROGER DEAN's paintings that are all worth a lot of money nowadays. A recommended piece if you want to know the stories behind famous covers of albums by HEEP, YES and ASIA.

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

BOOMERANG is a new German band, and 'Weaveworld' is their first CD. They play a quality mixture of Melodic Power Metal and 80s Thrash Metal. Imagine a cross between MANOWAR, ICED EARTH, BLIND GUARDIAN and ANTHRAX, and you have BOOMERANG. Highlights are the uptempo melodic metal songs "The cold one" and "Into the night". People into Power Metal a la ICED EARTH should check out great songs like "Mourning sun", "Keepers of light", "Weaveworld" and "Of blood and honour". The 80s Thrash influences are present here and there, but never get annoying, apart from the songs "Like black like white" and "Dismantling fortress architecture" that move a bit too much in the TESTAMENT style. Nevertheless, this is a recommended Power Metal record a la ICED EARTH… More info at: http://www.boomerang-metal.de and e-mail them at: stefan@der-bierfreund.de

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

Out of Luxembourg comes INFINITI, a band playing a German kind of melodic hardrockstyle a la SCORPIONS, CRYSTAL BALL, PINK CREAM 69… There are 11 well-performed (and produced) tracks on the band's debut CD, and it all sounds pretty good. This is definitely a quality record that will find it's way to the fans of this genre. Highlights are strong uptempo melodic rockers like "Time to play", "Infiniti", "Believe" and "Hate me", and melodic rockballads like "You're wrong" and "Time is on my side". It is clear that INFINITI is one of the best bands ever to come out of Luxembourg, and I can really recommend their debut CD 'Destroy'. More info at: http://www.infiniti.com and e-mail them at: newinfiniti@hotmail.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

After more than 20 years of silence, AVIARY lead singer BRAD LOVE returns with a new solo album. The CD has been released on SONGHAUS MUSIC, the American label that also re-issued the AVIARY Classic on CD a little while ago. Well, what can we expect on this second solo record of Brad, definitely nothing in the style of AVIARY! 'Through another door' is a very modern sounding pop/rock record that sounds like a mix between FREDDY CURCI's solo record and JOSHUA KADISON. Of course there's a lot of space left for the piano qualities of Brad, but I had rather heard him playing piano/keys like he did on the AVIARY record. Anyway, there's still some nice stuff on this CD, such as the catchy uptempo melodic poprocker "Darkness" and the midtempo "Simple answer" with it's strong chorus. Believe me, this is really a quality record! But the problem is that it has hardly anything to do with our music genres, it's way too Pop orientated! Only recommended to open-minded pop/rock freaks and of course if you're interested in hearing something new of the former AVIARY singer.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This four-piece classic metal band from the U.S. was formed in 1996 by guitarist George Mihalovich and vocalist Vic Hix.In the past Vic was the vocalist of Shok Paris, with who he released three albums.Both Vic and George had the same thoughts concerning forming a good old classic metal band so they were very happy when George B. (drums) and Nick Griska (bass) joined them.In early 2000 they finally were complete and after months of intense rehearsal, AfterShok began to record and perform in late 2000.And now they’re presen-ting their debut album “Unfinished Business”.Well, they not only wanted to be a classic metal band, they ARE a classic metal band!When you listen to their songs, obvious influences (musically and vocally) from 80’s heavy rock/metal bands like MSG (Gary Barden period), Dio, Dokken and UFO can be heard.While listening to “Unfinished Business” it’s just like we’re still in the glorious 80’s, when there still wasn’t grunge or nu-”metal” shit!We have to thank God that there’re still real heavy rock/metal maniacs like the guys of AfterShok who are just playing the stuff that they (and we!) like.Currently they are performing gigs throughout the Eastern U.S. to promote this album and preparing new material for a second release. Many thanks to Bill Peters of Auburn Records www.auburnrecords.com for arranging the AfterShok contact!!!

E-mail : georgem@aftershok.com Website: www.aftershok.com

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Ronny Elst)

This Swedish band has made a big impression on me!Eternia was formed in 1997 and when vocalist Mats Dahlberg joined them they finally could start writing songs for their debut album.They first recorded a demo-cd which sold very well in several countries around the world.Some time later they were signed by Edler Music AB and their debut album was released on March 22 of 2002.All nine songs on this debut are prime examples of perfect played melodicpower metal.Not only the songs are very good, also vocalist Mats Dahlberg is one of the best new vocalists I recently heard of.Guitarists Ronny Blylod and Daniel Niemann also sound truly awasome, just listen to their duels on “To The Battlefields” and “When The Legend Rides” (my two favorite songs of this majestic album).If you love albums like HammerFall’s “Legacy of Kings”, Nocturnal Rites’ “The Sacred Talisman” and Supreme Majesty’s debut album you will also love this band!This is one of the best debut albums I ever heard in the melodic power metal genre and I think with their next album they will probably become one of the leading bands in this genre.

E-mail : eternias@hotmail.com (Magnus) Website: www.welcome.to/eternia

Rating: 9,5/10 (Review by Ronny Elst)