 KILL
THE ALARM ‘FIRE AWAY’ (GSMAKR MUSIC/MICHAEL J. MEDIA GROUP)
A typical American sound is what to expect on the debut CD of KILL THE ALARM, a New York City based band. Their 9 tracks counting CD sounds like a cross between DAUGHTRY, THREE DAYS GRACE and LOST PROPHETS, very melodic and catchy, yet with the typical modern American approach of Rock, which is mostly midtempo and with distorted guitars, but like already said, with very melodic vocals and catchy choruses, especially in great songs like “Fire away”, “No more excuses” and the uptempo “Never come around” that even reminds one of the early 2000s records of HAREM SCAREM, so actually close to Melodic Rock, although this song might also be labeled as Power Pop a la THE CLICK FIVE. You either hate a band like this or if you’re an open-minded melodic rockfan with also a taste in today’s more modern approach in the USA, well then this KILL THE ALARM is a must-have! More info at: www.killthealarm.com and www.myspace.com/killthealarm (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Canada in the 80s was all about catchy Melodic (Pop) Rock, with bands like HAYWIRE, HONEYMOON SUITE, LOVERBOY, GLASS TIGER, PRISM and HARLEQUIN making it big, but there were countless others, of which some sadly never made it big, such as BYSTANDER, SHAYLE, WHITE VISION, ROKBOX, WORRALL, CHAMPION, BOULEVARD and RENEGADE. However, RENEGADE released 2 CDs with material from the 80s the past few years and the bandleader of RENEGADE, Jim Buckshon, created his own label, RENEGADE SOUNDS. On this label he will release unheard gems from the 80s Canadian scene. So far we had RENEGADE, DAMSEL FLY (this was actually a new band with a more modern sound, yet still very good) and MATREX, but now it’s time for VERTIGO. They were another act with that typical classic pure 80s catchy AOR/Melodic Rocksound, which now finally may be heard by people worldwide. The 11 included songs were recorded in Vancouver back in 1989 and 1990, but still sound fresh and ready to go. Some of the songs were engineered and mixed by RAY ROPER of STONEBOLT. Anyway, the sound is quite huge and if you like any of the mentioned acts and I am sure you will, then VERTIGO is yours for the taking, delivering high quality Melodic Rock/AOR on songs like “Nobody’s girl”, “If I gave you my heart”, “Hold on” and “Someone like you”. The 2 songs that slightly take away the pleasure are the THE RASPBERRIES cover “Go all the way” (the exact same thing I would have said if I ever had to review the classic FROM THE FIRE album) and the nobody song “Turn me on”. Anyway, if you’re keen on 80s catchy AOR/Melodic Rock a la HONEYMOON SUITE, then be sure to check out VERTIGO and don’t get confused with the bandname, because that has been used several times in Rock history, but these guys were from Canada and all info on them can be found at: www.renegadesounds.com and www.myspace.com/vertigosounds and e-mail at: info@renegadesounds.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) SCOTTY DON’T ‘SCOTTY DON’T’ (INDEPENDENT/MICHAEL J. MEDIA GROUP) SCOTTY DON’T is a new band and although the name suggests this is another Punkpopband, this act does more do a sort of original mix of Pop, Poprock and Folk, with even traces of Reggae, so a very diver musicstyle is what SCOTT DON’T should be labeled. The band was formed out of the ashes of the band BADFISH, which was a very popular act. With 6 songs, this band offers a very own kind of sound, which will please fans of calmer pop/rock. More info at: www.scottydont.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) DOWN THE LINE ‘FOR ALL YOU BREAK’ (INDEPENDENT/MICHAEL J. MEDIA GROUP) Actually I expected a Powerpop attack here, but instead the Chicago based band DOWN THE LINE offers on their 3rd album a very calm Popsound that has more in common with the 1970s Westcoast sound of acts like PETER FRAMPTON, AMERICA, POCO and such. Not at the same level, but nevertheless recommended to fans of mentioned bands for sure! More info at: www.downthelineband.com (Points: 7.3 out of 10) JENN FRANKLIN ‘ERRORS AND ADMISSIONS’ (INDEPENDENT/MICHAEL J. MEDIA GROUP) Here we have an excellent singing female pianoplayer/singer/songwriter, who is settled in Nashville. Her voice blows away easily some of the established female singers, reminding of JAIME KYLE, AMY LEE and ANN WILSON. The music is calm emotional piano-based Pop/Rock, very melodic with like said, fantastic vocalwork of JENN FRANKLIN. She could easily become huge, because she sings as good, if not better than the KATIE MELUA’s in this world. Check out the AOR ballad “Fade” that sounds like HEART meets EVANESCENCE. Who knows in a few years she will have her break. In the meantime, check out her 6 tracks counting CD at: www.jennfranklin.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
Somewhere in the late 80s/early 90s the American band BILOXI debuted with an amazing 6 tracks counting mini-album, which features high class 80s inspired Pomp Melodic Rock a la WHITE SISTER’s debut record from 1984. The ballad “Love prevails” will never get out of my head and is a classic out of the 80s LOVERBOY, JOURNEY, SURVIVOR 80s Power AOR Ballad book. The band went on releasing a few more albums, but never reached the level of that first record. Recently their label MTM went bankrupt and much worse, original lead singer/guitarist CLYDE HOLLY passed away and this nee BILOXI CD is dedicated to him. MARK ALLEN LANOUE (known for his solo-records and MESSAGE) replaced him (although Clyde can be heard singing on 2 songs and playing guitar on 5 tracks) on this new 14 tracks counting BILOXI CD. Mark’s a great singer/guitarist and makes this new BILOXI album the best one next to their mini-debut CD from 15+ years ago. Opener “Here alone” is a classic 80s big time uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker with big harmonies a la DOKKEN, STRYPER, SLYBOYZ and such. The rest of the CD is not as good as the opening track, but still offers some nice 80s melodic rock in the shape of “On the otherside” (nice new version of BILOXI classic), “I pray”, “Synchronicity 2” and “Broken”. Definitely one to check out if you like FRONTIERS RECORDS’ releases (read: BONRUD, ACTION, 7 MONTHS, TEER, TALON, FINAL FRONTIER…)! More info at: http://www.markallenlanoue.com and e-mail at: mark@markallenlanoue.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Here we have out of nowhere another high quality band from Sweden, formed around a bunch of teenagers, who actually managed to put out a very decent debut. Maybe not original, but their first CD 'In Every Frozen Tear' is definitly a high class Symphonic Melodic Metal album in typical Northern European style, although maybe the best description is a mix between ROYAL HUNT, EVERGREY and 80s AOR/Melodic Rock, so mixing the catchiness of the past with the sound of today's Symphonic Melodic Metal. When listening to their first CD it strikes me how good it actually is, most of the time really a mix of Classic 80s Melodic Rock of the DOKKEN meets HOUSE OF LORDS kind and today's Swedish Melodic Symphonic Metal of the EVERGREY meets ARTENSION/ROYAL HUNT kind. Result is a lot of superb songs, with as highlights uptempo Melodic Heavy Rockers "Faded memory", "Dream of insanity", "Reflections", the AOR ballad "All alone" and the lovely Neo-Classical Melodic Prog/Power Metal piece "In every frozen tear". Wow is all I can say! Definitely a highly recommended piece this SEVEN TEARS from Sweden! (Points: 8.7 out of 10)
Chilean born, but actually a mix of Italian, Swiss, German and English descent, GISA VATCKY is a female singer who has already been working with a lot of well-known artists, such as ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, ANDREA BOCELLI, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, MEAT LOAF and many more. INDIGO DYING is the new project of FRONTIERS RECORDS on which she is singing the lead vocals. Together with musicians like Mordechai "Mordy" Hauser (guitar), Fabrizio Grossi (bass, orchestrations, programming, acoustic guitar), John Macaluso (drums), Jamie Teramo (keyboards, piano), and Tommy Denander on additional guitars, with as guests former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske and ex-MALMSTEEN/RING OF FIRE singer Mark Boals this new project has recorded a quality CD, although far from original. The music is typical for the present day, mostly midtempo/slowtempo with distorted guitars, yet with strong lead vocalwork and some catchy choruses, ending up sounding like a rocked up version of MARION RAVEN, KELLY CLARCKSON, EVANESCENCE, although keeping a radio ready level all the time. Towards the end things get more melodic rock/aor based and that's where we find the highlights in the shape of "Real Life Fairytale", "Remember (I.O.U.)', "Far Enough and especially "Shattered Life". Of course with songs like "All I Never Wanted", "Hear Me" and "Breathe In Water" FRONTIERS is clearly aiming at a TOP 40 audience, sounding so much like MARION RAVEN and the likes, mixing heavy modern day guitar aggressiviness with catchy melodic choruses. Anyway, the vocal performance of Gisa is very impressive, most of the songs are catchy, but there is less diversity in tempo and you just got to love the modern day ff rocksound to really appreciate this release. That said, it still is a good release, although the production could have been better... (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
LANA LANE returns with a new CD, which at first sight might not show
anything new and basically continue the style created on her previous
albums, still ‘Red planet boulevard’ sounds a bit darker than previous LANA
LANE albums, also clearly influenced by the 70s Symphonic Rock. Lenghty
songs, huge rich keyboard parts of ERIK NORLANDER, but also strong vocalwork
of LANA LANE and well-thought lyrics. Without a doubt, a must-have release
for the fans of LANA LANE, which hold it’s highlights towards the end of the
CD with songs like “No tears left” and “Save the world”. Nothing new on the
horizon, but nevertheless another high quality CD release of LANA LANE, with
besides Lana on vocals and Erik on keys and bass also Dutchmen ERNST VAN EE
on drums and Peer Verschuren on guitars, both well-known for their long
history in the Dutch music industry playing with bands like VENGEANCE,
HELLOISE, HIGHWAY CHILE…
So they did not choose an original name and also their music is far from original, but on the other hand the AOR/Melodic Rockfans who like their music closer to the 1980s with big rich harmonyvocals and catchy hooks alongside melodic choruses that stick in your head, well these people will be delighted with the first release of this American band called ACTION. The band was formed way back in 1985, when the USA was filled with thousands of similar sounding acts. However, now they have found their home on the Italian label FRONTIERS RECORDS, on which their CD has been released. From start to finish the 11 tracks are pure 80s AOR/Melodic Rock, mostly uptempo and quite catchy, also reminding a lot of label mates BONRUD and FINAL FRONTIER. Songs like “Don’t leave me lonely”, “Is it love”, “Feel the fire”, “Heaven tonight”, “Destiny” and “Forever” are basically pure 80s AOR/Melodic Rock, also in the style of AIRRACE, FM, WHITE SISTER, STATETROOPER, MYSTERY, MAYDAY, LOST WEEKEND, PEROUX and such, yet not of such a high level of course. OK, so some might call this CD a dated sounding album and offering nothing new, but still it is a real good-feel summerish AOR/Melodic Rockalbum in pure 80s style, which definitely brings some fun back into today’s dark ages. Recommended to fans of mentioned bands! (Points: 8.4 out of 10) GLYDER ‘PLAYGROUND FOR LIFE’ (BAD REPUTATION RECORDS) New CD of Irish band GLYDER, which at the start sounds just so and so… however with track 6 “Walking my own ground” they show they can rock out very well, as this is how Classic Melodic Rock should sound like, reminding a lot of how THIN LIZZY sounded back in their heydays. If the whole CD was reflecting the high quality and uplifting approach of that song, we would be looking at a very sensational release, but sadly the rest of the CD is like said before just o.k. Classic Rock. Not bad at all, but missing a bit the strong melodies, although a song like “Dark meets light” also gives us the good side of Classic Melodic Rock. On the other hand, the first bunch of songs are not really reflecting that, which is a pity, because GLYDER can definitely make it sound as Classic Rock as possible. So a few great tracks which will be loved by fans of THIN LIZZY, with the rest being a bit average, but nowhere the band gets really boring, so check ‘em out for yourself at: www.glyder.net (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
A few years ago we reviewed the debut CD of the New York based band BIG KRUSH and this was quite a surprise as it was filled with pure early 80s US Westcoast-AOR that reminded one of 70s DAKOTA, FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, ALLIANCE, DAVID ROBERTS, BALANCE, TOTO and such… Now they are back with another pearl in the same style, so 10 easy-going, relaxing, laid-back Westcoast-AOR in the style of mentioned bands. Standout-song here is the fantastic AOR classic “Open book” that sounds like TOUCH meets FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS meets TOTO’s “Hold the line”. Most of the other songs are really smooth laid-back tunes sounding a lot like the Westcoast stuff of DAVID ROBERTS, JAY GRUSKA… with a touch of STEELY DAN, AIRPLAY, PABLO CRUISE, LRB, NIELSEN/PEARSON, AIR SUPPLY, with as highlights “Superman”, “It’s not over” and “Save your world”. A must-have for anyone longing back to early 80s Westcoast-AOR, so if you like any of the mentioned bands you’re gonna love the new BIG KRUSH with their mixture of Latin rhythms, AOR melodies, smooth vocal performances and summer like choruses! More info at: http://www.myspace.com/bigkrush and e-mail at: acqrok@adelphia.net (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
The Argentinian band BLOODPARADE is about to release their 2nd album, but as a little teaser this mini-CD ‘Take my blood’ (with 2 videoclips and 6 studio tracks) is released. Musically typical present day female fronted Melodic Goth Metal in European style, yet of a very high level due to big sound, huge melodies and superb vocals of singer Brenda Cuesta. LACONA COIL, INDIGO DYING, ASRAI, SIRENIA and such are good comparisons, although BLOODPARADE is more guitar based, clearly Metal based, yet with incredible strong melodies, such as can be heard in the fantastic “Rend destiny”. The band is also not shy from some modern almost Industrial type of influences on a couple of songs, which give them a big RAMMSTEIN/MARILYN MANSON touch and make them less interesting (especially during the last couple of songs), although the band is still definitely another winner for fans of the big Female Fronted Melodic Metalsound! More info at: www.bloodparade.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) THIS BEAUTIFUL MESS ‘AWAY WITH THE SWINE’ (SALLY FORTH RECORDS/ART UNION RECORDS) Dutch band with a Japanese release, yet musically sadly very disappointing, because it is a very Britpop based record which they have released, sounding a lot like COLDPLAY, which becomes very boring after a couple of songs. It ain’t bad for what it is, but only interesting for people who like COLDPLAY, MARILLION, MUSE and such… More info at: www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 6.3 out of 10)
Now here we have something very sensational! KYRIE ELEISON is coming out of Argentina, were formed almost 10 years ago, but are making their full-length debut with the CD ‘In the arms of decadence’ on the Japanese label ART UNION RECORDS. They sing in English, so no problem there and after hearing just a few seconds I knew this was gonna be a very interesting release. KYRIE ELEISON has a sound that is very European orientated, Melodic Neo-Classical Power Metal a la SONATA ARCTICA, VISION DIVINE, early LABYRINTH, ROYAL HUNT and KAMELOT are clearly names that come up when hearing their CD. Take it from me they also reach the high level of those bands, thanks to a huge sound of their CD, some incredible music talent of the band members, amazing vocalwork of singer Alejandro Fernandez and last but not least, a bunch of sensational songs that contain catchy hooks and memorable choruses. The band is sounding very close to VISION DIVINE and with songs like “A searcher’s symphony”, “Children of pain”, “Facing the rage” and “Liars” they have true winners for fans of mentioned bands. From out of nowhere this high quality CD lands on your desk and then you know it is all worth it, digging and graving under every rock in the world to find that yet undiscovered sensational band and this time they are called KYRIE ELEISON, a name to remember if you like VISION DIVINE, KAMELOT and such Melodic Power Metal acts. More info at: www.k-e.com.ar and e-mail at: info@k-e.com.ar and more info at: www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.9 out of 10)
It has been quiet around the Spanish lyrics sung based scene, but the past few months they have with the exception of TIERRA SANTA and RATA BLANCA all returned with new releases, because SARATOGA, AVALANCH, MAGO DE OZ, etc. all released decent new records. Heading to South America, where the Argentinian band LORIHEN releases their 5th CD titled ‘Bajo la cruz’. Huge sound and some really strong songs (“Bajo la Cruz”, “Lagrimas de Sangre”, “Vida eterna” – very catchy! and the WIG WAM/THE POODLES sounding “El secreto mas perverso”) are showing that Spanish sung music can easily sound as good as English sung music. The band combines the best of Melodic Hardrock and Melodic (Power) Metal, which can be heard on the 11 included songs on their new CD. A powerful album with strong vocals of new lead singer LUCAS GERARDO (ex-INJURIA) and of course they are only a cry away from bands like SARATOGA, AVALANCH, RATA BLANCA, TIERRA SANTA, BARON ROJO, MURO, NU and such, but they do it very well and are definitely a must-have band to check out if you’re into these bands. Better check out their site at: www.lorihen.net (Points: 8.7 out of 10) DICE ‘THE TORGAU SHOW’ (SCENE RECORDS) German band DICE is unstoppable with more than 12+ releases the past 30 years the band has established themselves as one of the leading Progbands on the European mainland. Now they have released another live-CD recorded in 2006. 8 long songs are included, reaching 70 minutes of high quality Neo-Prog a la IQ, MARILLION, EVERON and such. One to own if you’re a fan of those bands. More info at: www.dice-band.de and e-mail at: dice@scene-records.de (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
The comeback of ROCK CANDY RECORDS, the UK based label which brought us some of the best re-issues the past few years, including the amazing PREVIEW re-issue in early 2007. After a few months of silence, the end of 2007 marks the return of the label with 3 new re-issues and many more lined up for 2008! The closing of 2007 is bringing us 3 re-issued that all concern late 80s Sleazy Rock and Roll orientated. ZODIAC MINDWARP was a pure ALICE COOPER type of Shock-SleazeRock based act, which was a bit different than the usual Glamact from LA, kinda like LA GUNS, THE CULT and ADAM BOMB. Actually, they were together with a bunch of other UK based acts around the later 1980s at the forefront of a new explosion of UK Rockacts, to which bands like THUNDER, WOLFSBANE, QUIREBOYS, GUN and such also belong, yet none of them were really sensational (except THUNDER for the Bluesy Hardrockfans). However, ZODIAC MINDWARP were like already said more akin to Sleazy Hardrock, Biker Rock or Gothic Shock Rock, ALICE COOPER meets THE CULT is the best description, although the 9 bonustracks included on this re-issue of their 1988 debut album show a much more Hi-Tech 80s Poprocksound instead of the Hardrocking sound of their original debut. Anyway, songs like “Prime mover” (MTV Video hit), “Planet girl” and “Bad girl city” show a band that rocks as hard as THE CULT and looks like ALICE COOPER. Actually, they were not a band, because ZODIAC MINDWARP was the brainchild of Mark Manning, a graphic artist and editor of London's "Flexipop" magazine, who adopted an alter ego, Zodiac Mindwarp, and formed the LOVE REACTION in the mid 1980s together with guitarist Cobalt Stargazer, who once also played for WHAM!!!!!!!! Anyway, the band went on releasing more records, split up during the 1990s, but reformed a few years ago, with things going quite healthy these days with quite some releases and gigs (in the UK mainly), so anyone who wants to check out their debut from 20 years ago should get this re-issue (which has as all ROCK CANDY RECORDS a sensational package) and also check out their site at: http://www.zodiacmindwarp.com and more info at: www.rockcandyrecords.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
In 1989 the American band THE THROBS had BOB EZRIN of KISS/ALICE COOPER producing their CD and they had all it takes in becoming the next big thing in the USA. Yet that didn’t happen and their rootsy Classic Rock and Roll a la NEW YORK DOLLS, STONES, VELVET UNDERGROUND, THE STOOGES etc. never got pass the point of leaving the underground station and so they did not became as famous as GUNS’N’ROSES, whom delivered the same thing, yet had a better package back then. Now looking at this re-issue of their 1989 album everything seems to sound and look pretty convincing. The music is of course still the same, Classic late 60s type of Rock, yet with 2 bonustracks quite interesting for the collector’s among us. So they get another chance, although it will probably not sell a million copies, but with this release the band at least gets another worthy 15 minutes of attention in the media and for long-time fans of the band a highly recommended new edition of their classic album! More info at: www.rockcandyrecords.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Just like the 2 other re-issues on ROCK CANDY RECORDS in the late months of 2007, also SEA HAGS was an export from the late 80s/early 90s, a period in music history where changes were coming thanks to GUNS’N’ROSES, whom completely changed the music climate from polished AOR/Melodic Rock keyboard driven harmonyvocalised catchy chorus based hi-tech Rock into dirty mean sleazy all-original guitar-driven screaming vocals orientated Heavy Rock and Roll. So it was 1989 and major labels were keen on signing acts in this style and of course hundreds of acts were signed until 1991 when NIRVANA changed the music climate once again, yet quite horribly in favor of untalented acts. Anyway, back to 1989 and seeing an act like SEA HAGS being signed and although they never really got big, now some 18 years later a re-issue has been done of their debut. 2 pre-1989 bonustracks are included besides a remastering version of their original MIKE CLINK (GUNS’N’ROSES) produced debut album that was originally put out by CHRYSALIS RECORDS. The band’s music was more or less Sleazy Rock and Roll a la GUNS’N’ROSES and ROSE TATTOO, nothing that excited really, but fans of the raw rock and roll sound from the late 80s will love this re-issue of the San Francisco based band, whom after it’s release did a few more gigs, but when NIRVANA hit big time the band had already broken up and never returned, so this re-issue is the first sign of life! More info at: www.rockcandyrecords.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
If someone asks me where LA is situated nowadays I would answer either in Sweden or in Italy. I am talking about the 1980s LA Glamrockscene, which in the present day can only be found in Sweden and Italy. Italy has a lot of weaker acts and is mainly underground orientated, while in Sweden we can find some huge sounding acts that can easily match with the classic Hollywood sound of 20+ years ago. Bands like BABYLON BOMBS, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and CRASHDIET are the major label examples, but also in the underground a lot of acts are out there, such as CRAZY LIXX, LEADED FUEL and this LIPSTIXX’N’BULLETZ, a new band with 3 songs on their promo CD. The songs sound quite huge and cliché LA Glamrock a la CRUE, TEAZE, POISON etc with as highlight the catchy “Do or die”. Definitely a band to check out if you call yourself a Hairspray Glam Metalhead! Check out these guys at: www.lnb.nu and e-mail them at: lnb-manager@gmail.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MANTICORA ‘THE BLACK CIRCUS PART 2’ (STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS) Time goes by fast or not really? Fact is that the Danish band MANTICORA released an album last year and already came up with another within 1 year, because ‘The black circus part 2’ has just been released on the Spanish label LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC. In Japan the album has been released through STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS. The Japanese release comes along with a live bonustrack titled “Shadows with tales to tell”. Although not a bad album at all, original it isn’t, because the comparisons to BLIND GUARDIAN are very easy to make with MANTICORA’s Melodic Power Metal. 10 songs are included and like the title says this is indeed part 2 of their ‘The black circus’ epos. Nice album with even a very strong song here and there, such as the catchy “All that remain”, but I think it will disappear between all the other releases done each month. Nevertheless, must-have for die-hard BLIND GUARDIAN fans! More info at: www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.0 out of 10) KELDIAN 'HEAVEN'S GATE' (STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS) Although announced as an AOR styled act like EUROPE, GIANT and ASIA, the debut CD 'Heaven's gate' of the Norwegian band KELDIAN is a tad heavier and more closer to Melodic heavy rock/metal. On the other hand, it is a very impressive release that sounds like a heavier TTEN meets PRAYING MANTIS meets PRETTY MAIDS. The band has a very good lead singer (Maja Svisdahl) and most of the 10 included songs are very strong uptempo melodic heavy rockers. The best ones are "Heart Of The Sun, "Requiem For The Light", "Heaven's Gate" and "Beyond The Stars". The album has been released on PERRIS RECORDS, except in Japan where STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS released the album with bonustrack “Hope”, a great uptempo Melodic Power Metal song a la HELLOWEEN with female lead vocals. Without a doubt, this is a real Melodic Hardrock/Metal masterpiece! Also recommended to fans of DESTYNATION, DIONYSUS, NOSTRADAMEUS, THE DOGMA, etc. More info at: www.myspace.com/keldian and http://www.keldian.com and www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
Last year we had SUNRISE AVENUE and now another new sensational Finnish band in the exact same catchy fun 80s inspired Melodic Poprockstyle. The band is called THE GIANT LEAP and they have released a very strong debut CD on major label EMI MUSIC. The Melodic Poprock (with AOR influences) does not only remind of SUNRISE AVENUE, but also classic BRYAN ADAMS and even LOVERBOY comes around here and there. This band is really great with fantastic vocalwork, just listen to a few songs and you will be hooked for sure, because they have released one of those CDs you just can’t stop listening! Especially when they go uptempo, they are unstoppable and deliver a bunch of fantastic songs with “All in my head” and “Story of my life” (both pure SUNRISE AVENUE), “Somebody else” (best song, classic 80s Poprock, BRYAN ADAMS meets SCANDAL), “Messing with my mind” and “Live my life” (very catchy 80s uptempo poprockers, almost Canadian style a la HONEYMOON SUITE/HAYWIRE/LOVERBOY, very strong tunes) and “Heaven ain’t here” (very strong slightly modern UK way melodic rock like KEANE going more melodic rock, could be a MONSTER HIT for radio in Europe, if they pick this up, it could become massive, believe me!). As you can see I am very proud to review this awesome album and Finland once again shows they have some of the best bands at the moment! More info at: http://www.thegiantleap.com and http://www.myspace.com/thegiantleap (Points: 8.7 out of 10)
BLACK MAJESTY ‘TOMORROWLAND’ (STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS) The Japanese release of the new CD ‘Tomorrowland’ of the Australian Power Metal band BLACK MAJESTY is very interesting due to 2 sensational bonustracks, which are the Progressive Metal tune “Kingdoms” (a la CRIMSON GLORY/QUEENSRYCHE/FATES WARNING) and the superb semi-ballad “Memories”. For these 2 songs alone this CD is a must-have and strangely enough is the fact that these are also the 2 best songs of the new CD, although the other 10 tracks are also strong 80s Melodic Metal, sounding very MAIDENish. Anyone with a heart for real True Metal in which high-pitched vocals, catchy choruses, twin-guitarwork and a mostly uptempo sound go hand in hand, well they should go out and get this new BLACK MAJESTY record. This time a DEEP PURPLE cover is included (“Soldier of fortune”), but it is all about the band’s own compositions, which are all (11 tracks) very strong traditional melodic power metal pieces, very typical 80s US based, but with a big updated sound and like I said this Japanese release is way more recommended than the Worldwide release, which does not include these 2 sensational Japanese bonustracks! More info at: www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
It’s 2007 and in my whole career as a reviewer I have never seen so many female fronted releases as in this year. I remember the mid 1990s when there was almost no female fronted act around and a wonderful band like DANTE FOX was struggling big time, but see times changing rapidly as nowadays female fronted acts are unstoppable. The latest act is a singer/songwriter from New York called ALANA GRACE, who has released a very strong album titled ‘Break the silence’. At first sight, this is the typical young girl (20 years old!) who wants to rock hard on her debut record, like we have heard them before from MARION RAVEN, KELLY CLARCKSON, AVRIL LAVIGNE, ALY AND AJ, THE VERONICAS, BARLOWGIRL, ANA JOHNSSON, JESSIE DANIELS, BIFF NAKED, STEPHANIE MCINTOSH, KRYSTAL MEYERS, XOCH, BELLE, ANA LAURA, SOPHIE, SUZI RAWN, HANNA PAKARINEN, AGNES, MIKEYLA (to name a few…). On the other hand you can hear this girl singing very well and the songs are damn catchy, especially “Paranoid” (not a BLACK SABBATH cover!), which could easily turn out into an incredible huge hitsingle worldwide! Alana is also a very good looking girl and with the help of producers DON GILMORE (LINKIN PARK, GOOD CHARLOTTE, EVE 6) and John Fields (SWITCHFOOT, PINK, ANDREW WK), music industry legends BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN (STONES, CURE, AEROSMITH, BRYAN ADAMS, BON JOVI) and CHRIS LORD-ALGE (GREENDAY, HOOBASTANK, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SUM 41, ROCKY 4, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN) her debut CD ‘Break the silence has all the ingredients desired to become a huge favorite among the rockers worldwide. OK, a lot of semi-rockers/ballads, but not a single weak song can be found here, as all 13 tracks are very impressive, with besides “Paranoid” as other highlights “Break the silence”, “The tunnel” and “When it all falls down”. Check out her sites at: http://www.myspace.com/alanagrace and http://www.alanagrace.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) CAER IBORMEITH ‘FLESH AND BLOOD’ (INDEPENDENT) Not a common name for a band, but this French act was formed out of the ashes of a Black Metalband in 2003, however on their 2nd album ‘Flesh and blood’ they are more sounding like a modern melodic Progressive Rockband with Pop/Rock influences, kinda like MARILLION meets PATHOS. The band’s first album was a Metal based album, with even Death Metal portions, but this new record is completely different and definitely much more interesting, as we can hear some very strong melodies in songs like “Life goes on”, “Children of the day” and “No surrender”. More info at: www.myspace.com/caeribormeith and e-mail at: cibormeith@yahoo.fr (Points: 8.1 out of 10) THE GUEST ‘FORBIDDEN IN NIGHTCLUBS’ (TGP RECORDS) 8 songs are on the CD of the French band THE GUEST, whom are playing pure Rock and Roll/Hardrock that sometimes reminds me of THE DARKNESS, but overall is your basic raw ballsy rock and rollband. The production and package of the CD is of a quality level, so nothing stands in your way to check out these guys. Most of the songs are uptempo rockers and with “What you want”, “Sexual addiction” and “Try again” they come up with some nice tunes. Check it out for yourself at: www.myspace.com/theguestrock (Points: 8.0 out of 10) FIREFALL ‘ACOUSTIC – COLORADO TO LIVERPOOL – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES’ (WINGED HORSE RECORDS/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) Legendary band FIREFALL recently released a CD, which is an acoustic tribute to THE BEATLES, so performing songs like “Norwegian Wood”, “Girl”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Here comes the sun”, “Come together”, “No reply” and such long-time classics from the classic days of rock and roll. While listening to these songs, as performed by the 2 members of FIREFALL on acoustic guitars, it strucks you much of an influence THE BEATLES have been on any music genre after 1970. FIREFALL does a nice tribute to the legendary lads from Liverpool with this CD. More info at: www.firefall.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) KILLER SMILE ‘PROMO CD’ (PROMO CD) 4 songs are on the promo CD of this new very young Swedish band called KILLER SMILE. They perform a classic Melodic Hardrock kinda style, but are not as good as the Finnish band STURM UND DRANG, whom are also of a very young age and musically in the samw direction. Nevertheless, with songs like “We are” and “All over again” they show they have the will to rock out pretty good. Hopefully the future will tell us more if these guys are able to record something sensational. In the meantime, check out their site at: www.killersmile.org (Points: 7.6 out of 10) TODD MARTIN ‘MONT CLARE’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) Here we have some modern Country-Rock a la NEIL YOUNG, BON JOVI, KEITH URBAN and KEITH COLIN. Philadelphia based singer/songwriter TODD MARTIN has already released 2 independent albums and this new one will definitely please the fans of him as he continues to play the country-rock and roll he put out before. I would personally had preferred some more uptempo rockers like “Safe from the water”, but if you like this sort of music you will definitely like TODD MARTIN as well. More info at: www.toddmartinmusic.com (Points: 7.0 out of 10) MIKE FARLEY ‘MOMENTS AND MEMORIES’ (RTT RECORDS/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) ‘Moments and memories’ is the 5th album of singer/songwriter MIKE FARLEY. The album is an all-acoustic guitar with vocals orientated album, very melodic, although nowhere rocking of course. Nevertheless Mike has a good voice and the songs have some very nice melodies, so it is a pleasure to listen to the album, which sounds like a stripped down version of MITCH MALLOY. Check it out for yourself at: www.mikefarley.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Here we have a new Swedish band formed around ex-ARCH ENEMY guitarist MARTIN BENGTSSON. Their first CD release is a Melodic Metal monster and people enjoying bands like HAMMERFALL, BLOODBOUND, but also SAXON, because the band also adds a lot of 80s NWOBHM sugar to their sound, well here you have another winner. The production could have been a bit better, but with mostly catchy uptempo tunes, such as “Come alive”, “I am the one”, “Cynical” and the SAXON meets HAMMERFALL like “Slave under passion”, LECHERY are showing they are without a doubt another addition to the unstoppable Swedish Melodic Metal Explosion. Must-have for fans of BLOODBOUND, DREAM EVIL, HAMMERFALL, NOSTRADAMEUS, CLOUDSCAPE, etc. etc. although the band also reminds one of acts like FIFTH ANGEL, WHITE WOLF, VYPER and the aforementioned SAXON, so a taste of the 80s and the 00s Melodic Metal can be heard on this great disc! (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Spanish guitarist JORGE SANDALINAS’ band SANDALINAS returns with a new CD titled ‘Fly to the sun’. Together with new AT VANCE shouter RICK ALTZI, ex-MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson and members of DRAGONLAND and BLACKMORE’s NIGHT, Jorge recorded the album, which sounds better than the previous efforts, although it is a very groovy orientated Melodic Hardrockalbum. Produced by ANDY LAROCQUE and with artwork from DEREK RIGGS (MAIDEN), the sound, art and packaging of the album is clearly of a high level. Still, despite a few great songs, such as “The wrong side of me”, this album is more recommended to those who like their Melodic Hardrock to sound groovy and less catchy, sort of like CORNERSTONE. (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Released in the earlier 1990s, the 2 releases of SIRCLE OF SILENCE remain somewhat of a cult legend, because at the time they were released Grunge entered and killed all original Rock and Roll. In a time like today, they would stand a better chance and therefore both discs have now been re-released as a double-CD package by ESCAPE MUSIC. Musically it stood the test of time, because what we get to hear is all original groovy Hardrock that sounds like a mix between WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, LED ZEPPELIN and BADLANDS/BLACK CROWES. These discs will be praised by any Classic Rock or Hardrock magazine and show that lead singer DAVID REECE is an incredible singer indeed, who actually reminds me of JEFF SCOTT SOTO. David of course is best known for replacing the unreplaceable UDO in ACCEPT at the end of the 1980s, but only managed to record 1 single album. He later also fronted BANGALORE CHOIR, another 1-disc recorded band and STREAM was another one. SIRCLE OF SILENCE is lesser-known, but maybe his most ambitious recording and now their 2 CDs are once again available in this 2-CD package. Better check it out asap if you’re a fan of BADLANDS, WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER, KINGDOM COME and such. (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
This band started way back in the early 80s and I do remember reviewing their mid 90s album ‘We laugh at you’ album, which was actually a re-issue back then on the now defunct LONG ISLAND RECORDS. Somehow the album never left my head, although I did not play it that often. It was a typical 80s product, keyboard driven AOR/Poprock in the LOVERBOY style and boy was I surprised to find a new LYNN ALLEN on the doormath and even more surprised to hear it, because it seemed like time stood still for these guys, they never changed and are still making pure classic mid 80s uptempo fun AOR/Poprock a la LOVERBOY/NIGHT RANGER/URGENT and such. Call it dated or call it cliché as hell, this is how Classic 80s AOR should sound like and now more than 10 years after my last words about LYNN ALLEN I can talk about them again, because here we are looking at 10 new tunes of the Iowa based band. From start to finish these boys are showing how you can create something in 2007 that sounds like it was created in 1985 and please do not talk about sounding dated, because they actually make it look like this is a re-issue of a 1985 classic album and that is definitely not a problem if you consider all those ‘new’ bands whom are making albums that sound like they were recorded in the late 60s (KAISER CHIEFS, WOLFMOTHER, etc). To make a long story short, this is 1985 AOR at it’s best, mostly uptempo and with songs like “I will if you will”, “Would it hurt you”, “Enough to make me sober” and “Tonite is alright” making new classics a la 80s LOVERBOY, RATHSKELLER, SUGARCREEK, NIGHT RANGER, MERE MORTALS and especially the band PASSENGER (when is someone releasing their stuff on CD???). Be sure to check it out if you miss those glorious mid 80s AOR days… (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
Formed in 1999 in Salt Lake City, the band KATAGORY 5 has rapidly built up a reputation in the progmetalworld. ‘Hymns of dissension’ is their 4th CD, the follow-up to the album ‘The rising anger’ released 18 months ago. Musically the Melodic Progmetal gets better and better, with this new album being their strongest effort so far. Although the towards the end of the album, the material gets less stronger, with songs like “Listen to you, listen to me”, “Workforce” and especially “Apologetic heart” are very impressive songs that beat the hell out of QUEENSRYCHE last album and remind of better days of that same band. The sound is huge and any Progmetalfan of the QR/FATES WARNING kind will have to check out this new KATAGORY 5 for sure. More info at: www.katagory5.com and http://www.myspace.com/katagory5 (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
This band is calling their music Scottish Pirate Metal, a term I have not seen before. Anyway, basically they are playing a mix of Melodic Metal and Medieval Folk, ending up sounding like TYR here and there, also MAGO DE OZ comes to mind. The band has a raw lead singer, sounding quite angry like someone from the 16th century and I even think fans of German Teutonic Metal a la GRAVE DIGGER, RUNNING WILD and such will find something of interest in here. Anyway, they do it all pretty well and without a doubt their CD can be called a quality record. Recommended to fans of True Metal, like a mix between TYR and GRAVE DIGGER. More info at: www.alestorm.net (Points: 8.2 out of 10) WITCHKING ‘WITCHKING’ (HURRICANE ENTERTAINMENT/AURALOFFERINGS/ROCK INC) Sort of a surprise this Polish band WITCHKING, playing classic 80s US Power Metal at a very high level! They remind a lot of bands like HELSTAR, DOMINE, EXCITER and such. If these guys would have released this album 20 years ago, the whole Metalworld would have been shocked and probably hailed this record as the next Metal Classic. Nowadays there are so many albums released in this genre, it will probably only reach a handful of people, which is a pity, because it is really quite good and surely as good as the old TSA and TURBO records. Of course JUDAS PRIEST is also a huge influence here, with a lot of high-pitched vocals. Fans of mentioned bands will definitely love this album, so make sure you check them out at: www.witchking.pl (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Female fronted Californian Metalband with a sound that is very heavy, but still melodic and this is how True Metal with a girl upfront should sound like. Very aggressive and ARCH ENEMY alike at first sight, but definitely better and more Classic Metal as the CD develops, but also BENEDICTUM does have good strong melodies as well (a la WARLOCK here and there), besides some excellent guitarplaying of PETE WELLS. The band’s female singer VERONICA FREEMAN has a huge voice that will make some male metal singers jealous I think. The music also reveals SAVATAGE influences, just listen to the midtempo “Bare bones” for example. Better be sure to check out this big sounding Metalband from San Diego, a band with a female singer, but with a classic sound a la WARRIOR, SAVATAGE, WILD DOGS, FIFTH ANGEL… More info at: www.benedictum.net (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Back to 1980 when the Dutch band CODA was formed by keyboard/mellotron player ERIK DE VROOMEN and manager TON STRIK. During the next 16 years the band would produce 2 very successful albums, of which the 1986 release ‘Sounds of passion’ is hailed as a classic and now re-issued onto CD, with the addition of a 2nd bonus disc that contains demos and other unreleased material (some of which recorded under the temporary name of SEQUOIA back in 1983). The 2007 version of their 21 years old recorded album is looking very good, but also sounding up to today’s standards, making this the ultimate CODA release to check out in case you never heard of them before. Musically the band played Symphonic Rock at a very high level, with some Neo-Prog elements here and there, mixing the best of bands like CAMEL, KAYAK and YES. Funnily enough they have got a huge following in South Korea, where the band’s journey ended in the mid 90s, although the final farewell release was done in 1996 on TRANSMISSION RECORDS. Now another 11 years later a new re-issue of their classic album ‘Sounds of passion’ gives CODA another chance. The band’s music was of a very high level, such as can be heard here and with some extensive synths, keys and mellotron sounds a must-have for the Sympho fans. More info at: www.centertainment.nl (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Here’s a band from Colorado, Denver, USA, formed back in 1999 and now they have released their debut CD ‘Ego’, on which they play Melodic Progressive Metal of the PAGAN’S MIND, VANDENPLAS, MIND’S EYE kind. 9 songs are included, some quite lengthy, with as highlight the almost 20 minutes counting titletrack “Ego”. This is one of those must-have CDs for the Progmetalfan, as everything seems to sound perfect. Opener “Tree of conscience” is an instant hit for sure. Although it took the band 8 years to release an official CD, the result is an album which will be loved by fans of mentioned bands. More info at: http://www.myspace.com/dimensionband and http://www.dimensionshome.com/ (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
ETERNAL FLIGHT are coming out of France and are playing strong Melodic Metal with influences of Progressive Metal, ending up reminding a lot of FATES WARNING. The band was formed out of the ashes of DREAM CHILD, a rather successful band which released 2 albums back in the early 2000s on METAL BLADE RECORDS. With ‘Under the sign of will’ the band releases it’s 2nd album and I must say it sounds pretty good, really a strong mixture of classic melodic metal and prog/power metal. Highlights among the 10 songs which are included on the CD are “Edge of fire”, “Under the sign of will” and ‘Next ones on the list”. Recommended to fans of ELEGY, FATES WARNING, ANGRA… More info at: www.eternalflight.free.fr and www.myspace.com/eternalflight (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
2 girls and 2 guys are together the band GUARDS OF METROPOLIS. The 2 girls (vocals and bass) are coming out of cold Norway and the 2 guys (guitars and drums) are from sunny California. Now they have released their official first full-length debut CD ‘Alligator’, which is filled with high quality catchy Melodic Poprock, radio-ready if you ask me, sounding like a mix between old BLONDIE, THE BANGLES and a bunch of Classic Rock AC/DC, LED ZEPPELIN kinda guitar riffs, all presented in 13 catchy tunes with great vocalwork and some very strong melodic choruses a la MARION RAVEN. The result is quite stunning and showing there are enough bands out there still waiting to be discovered. I had never heard of GUARDS OF METROPOLIS before, but now the name has not slipped my mind and hopefully they have a bright future ahead of them. This CD is already a fine start with such great (hit) tunes like “Exhole”, “Already gone”, “The way you are” and “On my own”. Check them out at: http://www.guardsofmetropolis.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/guardsofmetropolis (Points: 8.4 out of 10) SPACED OUT ‘LIVE AT THE CRESCENDO FESTIVAL DVD’ (UNICORN DIGITAL) Recorded in 2006, the Canadian band SPACED OUT deliver here a top-notch instrumental Progrock performance. The event took place in France and without a doubt, this is a high quality DVD featuring the concert perfectly, 16 songs in total, like an instrumental version of TRANSATLANTIC, SPOCK’S BEARD… The DVD also contains some backstage and rehearsal footage, but the main program is of course the excellent concert footage of SPACED OUT. The band already has 4 CDs and a live CD/DVD out, so with the addition of this new DVD another step towards a wider audience has been taken and the fact this was their first concert in Europe makes it even more interesting as the performance was quite excellent. More info at: www.spacedoutmusic.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) SHAM 69 ‘WESTERN CULTURE’ (BAD DOG RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS) These guys are of course legends, formed in 1975/1976 they were one of the first real Punkbands and probably the first Oi! band, because a whole new subgenre followed after they had released classic Oi! singles like "Borstal Breakout”, "Angels With Dirty Faces" (reaching number 19 in the UK charts in May 1978), "If The Kids Are United" (number 9 in July 1978) and "Hurry Up Harry" (number 10 in October 1978). With that much success the band performed at famous TV shows like ‘Top of the Pops’ back then and their popularity began to rise until Punk was starting to die. Around the early 80s the band split up, but towards the end of the 80s they reformed and in the 90s new albums were released, although they never reached the level of their classic 1978 debut ‘That’s life’. In 2006 there was a new highlight in the career of SHAM 69, because they recorded a song to support the England national football team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The song was based on the classic SHAM 69 hit "Hurry Up Harry", with the lyrics "We're going down to the pub", changed to "We're going to win the cup!". The resulting single "Hurry Up England" reached number 10 in the UK Top 40, becoming the band's first such hit for over 26 years. However the success still split the band and with a new singer (Tim V instead of original singer Jimmy Pursey) SHAM 69 now released a new CD titled ‘Western culture’. 12 songs in classic SHAM 69 punkrockstyle, with less rawer vocals and of course not as good as their classic material, this album still offers enough great tunes for the legacy of SHAM 69. More melodic and with songs like “No apologies”, “I want glory”, “New York City” and “Hollywood hero” showing real classic late 70s UK Punkrock never died. More info at: www.sham69online.co.uk (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MYRACLE BRAH ‘CAN YOU HEAR THE MYRACLE BRAH’ (RAINBOW QUARTZ INTERNATIONAL/SONIC RENDEZVOUS) Although a pretty calm record, sometimes this American band rocks out, such as on the songs “Tran sister” and “Big kids wanna rock” (a la THE KINKS). However, they mainly drive on a sort of late 70s Psychedelic THE BEATLES type of Acid/Psychedelic acoustic Rock trip. They actually sound really like they were part of the UK Beat Generation from 1965 alongside bands like THE PRETTY THINGS, THE KINKS etc., but in fact MYRACLE BRAH are a 3-piece band from Baltimore. Better check them out asap if you’re into 70s UK Rock! More info at: http://www.rainbowquartz.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) JULIAN ANGEL ‘CHOREOGRAPHY SUCKS’ (ROCK HARD/CTO ENTERTAINMENT) In the past we reviewed the recordings of JULIAN ANGEL, a multi-instrumentalist from Germany, but back then he was making strong Melodic Hardrock a la BONFIRE/TREAT. On his new CD he replaced that for a sort of retro Glitter funky Glamrock sound that sounds like a mix between DAN REED NETWORK, ADAM BOMB, D’MOLLS, EXTREME, ENUFF’Z’NUFF and T-REX. Personally I had rather heard some of his classic melodic rock roots, but he has chosen this new style and fans of mentioned bands will probably like this a lot. Must say that some of the songs are catchy in the chorus department, such as “Oh La La”, reminding of the American Rocksound in the late 80s/early 90s, just before Grunge took over. If you like a DAN REED NETWORK, MADAME X, ROXX GANG, SLAVE RAIDER, D’MOLLS and T-REX with GENE SIMMONS type of choruses and if you’re into the PERRIS RECORDS’ releases, then you will be loving this for sure. More info at: www.angel-rock.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/julianangelroxx and e-mail him at: info@gto-entertainment.com (Points: 7.8 out of 10)
Here we have a high quality Neo-Progressive Rockalbum in the shape of the new album of UK band ELEGANT SIMPLICITY. The band sounds like a mix between the old PINK FLOYD, IQ, FROST and classic MARILLION, basically really pure Neo-Prog like the British can only make it. The band has already released quite a lot albums in the past, of which most have also by reviewed here. Without a doubt, also the new CD is a very impressive album. Maybe no surprises, as the music is similar to their earlier records, but you get a high quality record for sure here. Any Neo-Progfan can blindly buy a copy of this CD definitely, which has it’s highlights in the closing 2 tracks “Kiss away the pain” and “Fragments”, 2 very lengthy songs. Although the band is mainly driven on instrumental passages, in which a melodic guitar solo is mixed with laid-back keyboards (both by bandleader STEVEN MCCABE, who basically did almost everything except singing and drumming) and a rather relaxing rhythm section, the vocals of singer Ken Senior are also quite nice to hear every now and then (on 4 out of 7 included songs). Anyway, Neo-Progfans should check out this new ELEGANT SIMPLICITY album and more info on the band at: www.elegantsimplicity.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) REMAIN THE SAME ‘THE ARTEFACT’ (ANGORA RECORDS) The Swedish band REMAIN THE SAME has been active for quite some time now, having released 4 CDs since their formation in the mid 1990s. Musically they play no-nonsense Classic Hardrock, kinda like HELIX, QUIET RIOT, RAINBOW, KROKUS, VENGEANCE... 11 songs can be found on their new CD ‘The artefact’ and most of them go in a similar approach, which is uptempo Hardrocking. Highlights are “The beauty inside you”, “Maybe” and “In another time”. More info at: www.remainthesame.nu and e-mail them at: fanclub@remainthesame.nu (Points: 7.9 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
VERTIGO
‘TAKES ME BACK’ (RENEGADE SOUNDS) 
BILOXI
‘IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM’ (INDEPENDENT) 
SEVEN
TEARS 'IN EVERY FROZEN TEAR' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
INDIGO
DYING 'INDIGO DYING' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
LANA
LANE ‘RED PLANET BOULEVARD' (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
ACTION
‘ACTION’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
BIG
KRUSH ‘AGAIN’ (INDEPENDENT) 
BLOODPARADE
‘TAKE MY BLOOD’ (ICARUS MUSIC) 
KYRIE
ELEISON ‘IN THE ARMS OF DECADENCE’ (STAY GOLD/ART UNION RECORDS) 
LORIHEN
‘BAJO LA CRUZ’ (ICARUS MUSIC) 
ZODIAC
MINDWARP ‘TATTOOED BEAT MESSIAH’ (ROCK CANDY RECORDS) 
THE
THROBS ‘THE LANGUAGE OF THIEVES AND VAGABONDS’ (ROCK CANDY RECORDS) 
SEA
HAGS ‘SEA HAGS’ (ROCK CANDY RECORDS) 
LIPSTIXX’N’BULLETZ
‘PROMO CD 2007’ (PROMO CDR) 
THE
GIANT LEAP ‘ANOTHER DAY RISING’ (EMI MUSIC FINLAND/CAPITOL RECORDS)
ALANA
GRACE ‘BREAK THE SILENCE’ (FRAGILE HEART RECORDS/ALANABANA MUSIC/COLUMBIA
RECORDS) 
LECHERY
‘VIOLATOR’ (METAL HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
SANDALINAS
‘FLY TO THE SUN’ (METAL HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
SIRCLE
OF SILENCE ‘SAME/SUICIDE CANDYMAN’ (ESCAPE MUSIC) 
LYNN
ALLEN ‘AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON’ (ESCAPE MUSIC) 
KATAGORY
5 ‘HYMNS OF DISSENSION’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS) 
ALESTORM
‘CAPTAIN MORGAN’S REVENGE’ (NAPALM RECORDS) 
BENEDICTUM
‘SEASONS OF TRAGEDY’ (LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC/ROCK INC) 
CODA
‘SOUNDS OF PASSION – THE ALBUM’ (PSEUDONYM RECORDS) 
DIMENSION
‘EGO’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS) 
ETERNAL
FLIGHT ‘UNDER THE SIGN OF WILL’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS) 
GUARDS
OF METROPOLIS ‘ALLIGATOR’ (SLACKER TONE RECORDS/SONIC RENDEZVOUS) 
ELEGANT
SIMPLICITY ‘TOO MANY GOODBYES’ (PROXIMITY RECORDS)