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DEAD DAY SUN ‘BLESS THE BROODING HEART’ (INDEPENDENT)
Although an independent band, this Australian rockband has released a very impressive major label sounding rockalbum. It sounds modern, different than for example WOLFMOTHER, but on the other hand not far away from a band like THE ANSWER, which means big groovy Hardrock, yet with vocalwork that goes more into classic U2 territory. There are 10 songs on the CD and especially uptempo rockers like “Bless the brooding heart”, “Truth kills” and “Aimee” make this such an interesting record. Another great rockband from Australia to check out, more info at: www.myspace.com/deaddaysun and http://www.deaddaysun.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) THE PANIC CHANNEL ‘ONE’ (CAPITOL RECORDS/EMI) THE PANIC CHANNEL is the new band of guitarist DAVE NAVARRO, who is best known as member of the band JANE’S ADDICTION. With his new band he mixes the old with the new, kinda like mixing riffs taken straight from the big HENDRIX/SABBATH book, some excellent guitarsolo’s with a 90s rock approach. Although there are some comparisons possible to SOUNDGARDEN, ALICE IN CHAINS and JANE’S ADDICTION, the overall sound of the first album of THE PANIC CHANNEL is more melodic and this is thanks to the strong lead singer Steve Isaacs. 13 songs are included and I am sure the Americans will love this record, as it sounds just so American… Highlights are opener “Teahouse of the spirits”, the lovely midtempo melodic rocker “Why cry”, “She won’t last” and “Blue bruises”. The band’s first record sells pretty well in the USA and after a couple spins I can easily add that this is a high quality record that sounds modern and classic at the same time. Typical American rock with huge groovy guitar riffs, slightly depressing low vocalwork, but always a strong memorable chorus. Check out the band’s website at: http://www.thepanicchannel.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/thepanicchannel (Points: 8.3 out of 10) RED LOTUS ‘DE PINCHE NADA’ (INDEPENDENT) Mini-CD from New York based band. RED LOTUS is a female fronted band and their sound is typical of today, big fat heavy groovy guitar riffs with melodic vocalwork and strong choruses. Of course a comparison to EVANESCENCE is easily made, but RED LOTUS is much more real and rawer, but what stands clear is the fantastic vocalwork of singer ROZZ NASH. The band looks like LIVING COLOUR, but they never made such strong groovy Melodic Metalsongs like “Running” and “Superwoman”. Check this band out for yourself at: http://www.redlotusmusic.com Definitely a band to watch out for in the future! (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Here we have another sensational Finnish band with basically a pure Melodic Rocksound, not even far away from bands like COASTLINE and ALYSON AVENUE. Just like the band LAB we reviewed sometime ago, also PASSIONWORKS brings very strong female fronted melodic rock with superb catchy choruses as if the 1980s never went away. Also THE RASMUS is a comparison nobody can deny, but then with a female singer (HARRY or HARRIET) of course. Probably named after the HEART album, this Finnish band has some sure radio-ready hit songs on their debut album ‘Blue play’, such as the uptempo “Flying”, the midtempo “Blue play”, the uptempo “The queen” and the Finnish number 1 single “Falling”. The 80s ff AOR fans will like this too a lot I am quite sure of. It sounds a bit more modern, but basically this is high class female fronted AOR/Melodic Rock as catchy as WITNESS, HEART and LAOS once were, but then with an updated sound of course. More info on this great Finnish band, which also hit the national Finnish charts recently, it can be found at: http://www.passionworksmusic.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) PEER GUNT ‘CRAZY WILD ONE CD-SINGLE’ (100% RECORD COMPANY/EDEL MUSIC FINLAND) Straight to number 1 in Finland, this legendary band has been a sort of icon for rock/metal in Finland, as they were one of the first loud rock and roll bands, formed over 30 years ago. Now they release a new CD-single and “Crazy wild one” wents straight to number 1! The song itself and the other song of the single (“Black train”) are nothing that special, just ok MOTORHEAD/HELLACOPTERS rock and roll. More info at: http://www.peergunt.com New CD coming early next year! (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
One of the more popular rockbands in Finland at the moment. Their debut ‘Signs of life’ from 2005 hit number1, just like this new CD ‘Carnival of rust’, with both albums being the charts for months! We reviewed their debut and now it is time to discuss their new CD, which musically follows the path of their first release, although a bit more diverse. It starts with a sort of 80s SIMPLE MINDS rocker titled “Fire”, but next track “Sorry go round” rocks pretty hard in a sort of THE CULT style. The absolute highlights of the CD follow this up, because both “Carnival of rust” (semi-melodic rockballad that even reminds me of FOR ABSENT FRIENDS!) and “Locking up the sun” (uptempo melodic rocker, amazing chorus!) are both superb tunes THE RASMUS are not able to write (anymore)! Then we still have 8 tracks to go and among them are such great almost melodic rockish tracks such as “Gravity”, “King of fools” and “Delicious”. Yet another awesome Finnish rockalbum in 2006, so it seems this year alone we come close to at least a 20 something sensational Finnish rock/metal releases! More info on this band at: www.poetsofthefall.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) DISTORTED ‘DEMON INSIDE’ (APACHE PRODUCTIONS/PME BELGIUM) The bands MACHINE HEAD, PANTERA, FEAR FACTORY and CHANNEL ZERO were very big in the 1990s in the Benelux area, which was a very unfortunate thing as they represented the aggressive Metalstyle that avoided anything melodic and still today in Belgium a couple bands play this style. One of them is DISTORTED and their CD has a big quality sound, but musically it aggressive 90s Thrash Metal that features non-stop angry aggressiveness in the vocal department. Only recommended to fans of mentioned bands. (Points: -) NATIVE INSTINCT ‘AN AWFUL RAGE’ (APACHE PRODUCTIONS/PME BELGIUM) Better than labelmates DISTORTED, the Belgian band NATIVE INSTINCT is more playing 80s Thrash Metal like METALLICA sounded 20 years ago. If I would get a dollar for every time I hear a band doing a 80s METALLICA guitar riff I would have been rich by now. Anyway, it’s not that NATIVE INSTINCT is so much 80s METALLICA you speak of a copycat, but it surely feels like 80s Thrash Metal all the way here. It’s been done very well and the best thing is definitely the guitarist of NATIVE INSTINCT, who plays very well and also shreds here and there. Check it out if you’re a mosher! (Points: 7.8 out of 10) NORMA JEAN ‘REDEEMER’ (CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS) 3rd CD of this American band, but unfortunately it is an endless amount of screaming from the band’s lead singer, so this is pure Screamocore I am afraid… (Points: -) CAUSEMOS ‘A COVERING LETTER’ (INDEPENDENT) I am sure this band didn’t sound like this back in 1989 when they were formed. The band is playing a mix of various Metalstyles, with also a wide range of vocal singing styles, because screaming, growling and melodic clean vocals pass by. In the end, it becomes a bit confusing as to what they actually want to play, but in case you like a mix of Black, Gothic and Melodic Metal, well be my guest and go to: http://www.causemos.net (Points: -) NOUMENA ‘ANATOMY OF LIFE’ (SPIKEFARM RECORDS) Instrumental this Finnish band is playing fantastic pure 80s Melodic Metal and it even starts with very strong melodic clean vocals, but then it stops, because the choruses are filled with Death Metal growling. OK, it is different than any other Death Metalband, but I had rather heard a melodic chorus and then death growls during the verses for example, but this band prefers death metal growling choruses. 9 songs Melodic Death Metal and though it doesn’t bad at all, high quality as usual for a Finnish band, the fact remains that this is really Death Metal with just a melodic metalsound as background. (Points: -) SOUL SICK ‘PERFORMING AN EXACT REVENGE’ (BORN WRONG RECORDS) New York Brutal/Metal/Hardcore is what to expect here, so nothing melodic about this CD of the band SOUL SICK. Their CD was produced by AJ NOVELLO of LEEWAY and guest appearances can be noted from members of the band CANDIRIA. It’s very aggressive and only belong to the people who are into this genre, sort of mixing SEPULTURA, CRO-MAGS, PRO=PAIN and NORMA JEAN. More info at: http://www.soulsickforlife.com (Points: -) BEGGAR’S BRIDE ‘BOULEVARD OF BROKEN HEARTS’ (MTM MUSIC) Vocalist/guitarist HOLGGY BEGG is the driving force behind the band BEGGAR’S BRIDE, who were helped by a bunch of well-known lead singers on their first CD ‘Boulevard of broken heart’, which has been released on MTM MUSIC. The included music is a sort of laid-back bluesy melodic rockstyle reminding me of BAD COMPANY/90s FM, THE LAW… The well-known lead singers include MARC STORACE, MICHAEL VOSS and GARY BARDEN, whom sang in bands like KROKUS, CASANOVA, MSG and STATETROOPER. There are also a few other singers, but they are less familiar. Like I said, the music is very laid-back, so do not expect any loud uptempo rockers, just midtempo to semi-ballad like material, but it sounds very good for sure. The songs are very melodic and has it’s highlights in the shape of “First way out”, “Broken hearts”, “Footprints in the sand” and “You were my sunshine”. Check it out if one of these singers is your favorite, although do not expect a hardrockalbum. (Points: 8.1 out of 10) LENNON ‘DAMAGED GOODS’ (JOHN GALT ENTERTAINMENT) LENNON stands for LENNON MURPHY, a very talented female musician from Orlando/Florida/USA who released her debut as LENNON (named after JOHN LENNON) in the morning of 11 September 2001. Now 5 years later the world has changed and LENNON releases her 2nd CD ‘Damaged goods’. Playing piano and singing, this girl shows she is a huge talent and should be up in the charts for sure. In the USA she is slowly becoming more and more popular, with support acts for THE CULT,ALICE COOPER, AEROSMITH and MOTLEY CRUE, while the new CD was produced by Al Sutton (Kid Rock) and mixed by Eric Schilling (Gloria Estefan/Shakira). Included are 17 tracks, which musically are mostly going into a midtempo melodic rocksound with superb vocalwork of Lennon. It should be put somewhere between the old 80s FF Melodic Rocksound of a ALANNAH MYLES, a more modern BIF NAKED/MARION RAVEN and a little EVANESCENCE, yet LENNON has her own sound and from all these female singers the present day she clearly is the best. It can all be heard during the 17 songs of her CD, all of them radio-ready and catchy, even for a melodic rockfan worth checking out. Hard to pick favorites, as they all go in a similar mood and are a pleasure to listen to. Better see for yourself at: www.lennononline.com www.purevolume.com/lennon , www.youtube.com/user/lennon and www.myspace.com/lennon (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
THUNDER is back again, with a strong new studio-CD titled ‘Robert Johnson’s Tombstone’. Obviously I lost the count through the years of this 1989 formed UK band, but the fans can surely look forward to another strong new CD of this band. Musically they never changed and so here we are again looking at a very impressive bluesy melodic rockalbum in the classic British Rock tradition of bands like FREE and BAD COMPANY. 11 songs are included and for me the highlights are “Last man standing” and “What a beautiful day”, but the THUNDER fan will definitely appreciate every of the 11 included tracks here. Do not forget to check out their site at: http://www.thunderonline.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Danish PRETTY MAIDS is another band which have long past their value date, because just like many other bands formed in the early 80s, also they haven’t released a real strong album for the past 10 years. On the other hand, it is good to know they never changed their style and so they still stand proud and loud with their Melodic Metal for almost 25 years now. However, in the 1980s they released their best records, some even classics (‘Future world’). In recent years, the albums of PRETTY MAIDS were just nice, with a couple of strong tracks here and there, but mainly just OK… Also the new CD ‘Wake up to the real world’ is not as sensational when compared to their superb 80s records. On the other hand it might sound like a cliché, but this new record is their best since the 80s for sure, because songs like”Why die for a lie”, “Such a rush”, “Where beauty lies”, “As guilty as you” and “Another shot of your love” (this midtempo AOR song sounds like AMAZE ME’s “I dream long distance”) take you into the PRETTY MAIDS world, where Melodic Metal and AOR go hand in hand without any problems, just like they did on all their previous albums, yet somehow on their new CD ‘Wake up to the real world’ it all sounds so much better than on their last couple of studio-albums. Probably due to the fact they are now signed to the mighty FRONTIERS RECORDS, whom prefer just like us strong melodies and these are present on the new PRETTY MAIDS… (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
I was not that impressed with the ICON releases from the past few years, live and studio, but the new ICON release of ASIA members JOHN WETTON and GEOFFREY DOWNES is by far their best release since the 80s ASIA classics, so that’s a promising future for the ASIA reunion in 2007! Anyway, this new ICON album features besides John on vocals, bass and guitar and Geoffrey on keys also KINO/ARENA/FROST guitarist JOHN MITCHELL, JADIS drummer STEVE CHRISTEY and ELO celloplayer HUGH MCDOWELL. 10 songs are included and it all starts with 2 fantastic 80s ASIA style uptempo Sympho-AOR rockers (“The die is cast” and “Finger on the trigger”). Sadly the rest of the CD isn’t that energetic or 80s ASIA orientated, but much more laid-back, but that isn’t a problem at all, because it is very high quality calmer Sympho-AOR what we get to hear with on 2 songs John doing duets with THE GATHERING singer ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN, who happens to be one of the best Dutch female singers! No matter if you listen to “To catch a thief”, “Shannon” (a la KAYAK!), “The glory of winning” or “Rubicon”, it’s all high quality music what we get to hear and this comes definitely as a surprise as I thought WETTON/DOWNES was more an endless repeat of 80s ASIA classics, but this new CD shows they can make new Classics! Here’s hoping for some touring of these legends! (Points: 8.7 out of 10)
Here we are looking at one of the best female fronted releases this year, because the 2nd CD of the Madrid/Spain based band NEXX is a superb piece of 80s AOR/Melodic Rock with lovely vocalwork of female singer Patricia Tapia. Her voice makes this band one of the best to hail from Spain and happily also the AOR/Melodic Rock of the band is very strong and is comparable to the classic sounds of 80s HEART, VIXEN, DANTE FOX, ALYSON AVENUE, WITNESS, COASTLINE, etc. NEXX produced the CD with the well-known producer PETE COLEMAN (CRYPTIC VISION, NEWMAN, DEF LEPPARD, known for his hooks and harmonyvocal production qualities) and they did a fantastic job as the sound is crystal clear. Many highlights can be found between the 12 included tracks. Especially the uptempo melodic rockers “Critical”, “Hey father”, “Again”, “Guiding star” and “Far far away” and the superb midtempo AOR of “Like the poet” and “Caught in a trap” will please any fan of the genre. This is a masterpiece and definitely beats the first record of the band. DANNY VAUGHN or TYKETTO/VAUGHN and STEVE OVERLAND of FM appear on backing vocals and what more can I say about this release, because it is a MUST-HAVE for any AOR/Melodic Rockfan. It blows me away like DANTE FOX did 10 years ago with their debut and also COASTLINE and ALYSON AVENUE a few years ago, although NEXX singer Patricia Tapia is absolutely the best female singer from the past 10+ years! Damn, I wish they could do a full European Tour, as their covers (JOURNEY is done perfectly!) and of course their own material all sound terrific, both in the studio and live (check the videoclips on their site to hear and see for yourself!). This band leads the way for every AOR/Melodic Rockband from Europe! Check out these sites for more info: http://www.webnexx.com and http://www.angelmilkrecords.co.uk (Points: 9.0 out of 10)
At the moment independent, but soon this first CD of the Swedish band MISS BEHAVIOUR will be released through a recordlabel. Sound is huge and included music is big time 80s Scandi Melodic Rock with huge choruses and nice keyboardwork, reminding of acts like MADISON, NATION, DALTON, DAVINCI, RETURN, TREAT, etc. etc. I think you’ll get the picture now, although vocally it is a little less sensational, kinda like 220 VOLT, although better happily. Lead singer MATTIAS WETTERHALL could be a little brother of TOBIAS SAMMET of EDGUY, while trying to sound like good old BRUCE DICKINSON of MAIDEN, not bad, but more suitable for Metal instead of the pure 80s Melodic Rock here, but after a few spins he did a good job for sure, although he has a voice you should grow into if you know what I mean! A lot of the songs on the CD are production wise carefully polished up with huge harmonyvocals as in 80s EUROPE days (listen to the ending of the titletrack!) and the good old flashy guitarwork can also be heard. Although the CD-cover has a very modern Metalish look, the music included is just pure 1980s Scandi Melodic Rock. Not as strong as THE POODLES for example, but songs like “The shine”, “Dreams are cursed”, “Midwinter sleeps” (very nice song, THE POODLES meets TREAT meets EDGUY!), “Make it your own way”, “One heart in divide” (very strong chorus) and “New horizon” (ballad EDGUY could have done, yet with brilliant 80s classic guitarsolo!) are definitely very catchy Melodic Rocksongs in classic 80s Scandi style, but also fans of EDGUY, DIONYSUS, SAIDIAN and DESTYNATION might actually like this bunch a lot as well. Hooks, choruses and 80s guitar riffs, it’s all there and we should be glad to add another strong act in the genre! More info at: http://www.missbehaviour.se or http://www.myspace.com/missbehaviourmusic and e-mail them at: management@missbehaviour.se (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
After MICHAEL BORMANN had left JADED HEART I seriously was thinking why, because Michael is one of the best lead singers in Germany, so I hoped he didn’t want to change musically. Fear not at all, because at the end of 2006 MICHAEL BORMANN sings on 3 classic melodic hardrocksounding albums. More on ZENO and RAIN later, but now the 2nd solo-CD of Michael, which musically is a fantastic adventure back to the classic sound of the first couple of JADED HEART albums. This is how Melodic Rock should sound like and this is what I had not heard for a long time on the JADED HEART albums. This new MICHAEL BORMANN CD is one of the best Melodic Rockalbums released this year! Michael still has the excellent voice as he has had for like 20 years now, because I have demos of him from like 1987 and now 20 years later musically and vocally it sounds as good as back then. This new CD has a full-blown production and a lot of sensational songs that sound like JADED HEART meets BON JOVI of the 1980s with DEF LEPPARD throwing in their harmonyvocals here and there. 13 songs are included and although it all sounds like a band, the almost unbelievable fact is that Michael has done almost everything on his own here! Production, songwriting, most of the instruments, singing and all this was done in 2 months in his own studio RDM Studios in Duisburg, which he has for 3 years now. This man is a genius and should be respected worldwide, especially if you come up with such a sensational record as he has done now himself. He got some help here and there from people like ALYSON AVENUE members NIKLAS OLSSON and ANETTE BLYCKERT (with whom he does a duet), FRONTLINE members Bobby Altvater and Bobby Boebel, guitarist ROB MARCELLO and even good old TOMMY DENANDER as special guests, but Michael has done most on his own here. Absolutely a terrific album that presents the best 80s melodic rocksound you wish for, big and catchy without sounding dated. Highlights enough, from uptempo melodic rockers like “Stand up” (back to the first JADED HEART classic, singalong!) , “No regrets” (BON JOVI never wrote such a strong song!) and “Living just a lie” to midtempo pieces like “Conspiracy” (incredible chorus that sticks with you after hearing it the first time) and “One man one soul” as well as a (semi) ballad here and there, such as the beautiful “Reaching out”, “Two of a kind” and “So this could be you”. It’s just all there, a lovely record that shows how good melodic rock still can sound! Forget about JADED HEART, because Michael can do it all on his own, which he shows on his fantastic new solo-CD ‘Conspiracy’! More info at: http://www.michaelbormannpage.de (Points: 9.0 out of 10) IAN COLLINS ‘THE MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY’ (CONSTANT IN OPAL MUSIC) British multi-instrumentalist with a nice little album that musically combines pop melodies with progressive rock elements, actually sounding quite different than most other singer/songwriters out there. IAN COLLINS comes up with 10 nice short tunes that have accessable melodies, although with a progressive sort of twist. I can’t help thinking of ALAN PARSONS and SUPERTRAMP here, because those are the closest comparisons I can come up with. A song like “Under blues skies” just breathes out ALAN PARSONS PROJECT from the past. Quite nicely done and for more info you should check http://www.cio-music.com (Points: 7.9 out of 10) THE VENTURI EFFECT ‘DEMO CDR’ (INDEPENDENT) In the bio described as a melodic hardrockband, the American band THE VENTURI EFFECT definitely has strong melodies in their songs and they even have a very good lead singer, but I have a problem with the drum computer machine, which sadly influences the music so much it makes it hard to listen to. Why not use a real drummer to make it sound like a real band? Anyway, 9 songs are included and the music is sort of Melodic Poprock, so not really Hardrock that much. THE VENTURI EFFECT’s leader is guitarist JEFF GRIMM. He played with members of the band SWEET FA in the past. Not sure who sings here, but that’s sounding good as well. Even some of the songs are very good, but I feel something is missing here and that is the fact it sounds very thin, some real drums and a funky bass could make this sound so much better. Maybe the future will see change in that departure. In the meantime, check out the band through emailing Jeff at: Gruffmusic@yahoo.com (Points: 7.3 out of 10) PANZERBALLETT ‘PANZERBALLETT’ (BAD LAND RECORDS) High quality instrumental progressive rock is what to expect from the German based band PANZERBALLETT. Not really heavy, also with some trumpets/saxes along the way, but for a fan of let’s say DIXIE DREGS worth checking out as there are a lot of Jazz/Fusion elements in the very groovy/funky progrock of the band. Like I said, it isn’t that rocking, but very complicated on the other hand, so for the open-minded progfan worth checking out. More info at: http://www.jan-zehrfeld.de or http://www.panzerballett.de and e-mail at: zehrfeld@gmx.de (Points: 8.0 out of 10) MYLIDIAN ‘BIRTH OF THE PROPHET’ (ANVIL CORP/UNDERCLASS/ROCK INC) Beautiful cover art by MATTIAS NOREN, sound is pretty good and basically all is looking good here for this French melodic Progressive Power Metalband, except for the fact they have a very average lead singer. A lot is polished up by nice background vocals and a female soprano singer, making some songs quite listenable, but if you have a lead singer strugging as much as the singer of MYLIDIAN you have to wonder who would be interested in this CD. Sorry, but I do not think much of this release than it will disappear between the hundreds of other much better similar releases in this genre (Melodic Metal), although instrumental it all sounds perfect. Only for die-hards really! (Points: 7.0 out of 10)
Back with album 4 and continue playing the exact same style as on the previous records, so pure 1980s AOR is the Canadian band FINAL FRONTIER. Their mix of SURVIVOR, JOURNEY, STYX and REO SPEEDWAGON sounds once again very impressive. This time the highlights are “Dynamo”, “Foolish pride” and “Lion’s den”. This is how AOR should sound like, although sometimes FINAL FRONTIERS borrows heavily from other bands, listen to the SURVIVOR’s “High on you” use in the song “Someone’s watching you”. If you enjoyed their previous 3 records you will absolutely love the new CD as well. Those who look for some adventures, this new FINAL FRONTIER does not go in different directions, so basically your standard 80s harmonized AOR, but it is all done very well and the mentioned songs do definitely belong to some of the best pure AOR songs of 2006! (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
3rd CD of the French band FALKIRK I believe and not remembering much of their earlier releases, this new one sounds very impressive actually. Opener “The endless quest” is a very strong uptempo Melodic Power Metal with catchy chorus, sounding a lot like bands such as TWILIGHTNING, TWILIGHT GUARDIANS, RHAPSODY and some FALCONER/MANTICORA, with even PRETTY MAIDS similarities here and there… The vocals are quite good for a French band and the general sound of the band is as good as most of the European bands in this genre. All in all is fair here, saying this is a recommended release if you like your Power Metal to be very melodic as in STRATO/SONATA/KAMELOT/RHAPSODY directions. This is one the Japanese will definitely like. Besides the opener, other highlights are “Crimson eyes”, “Silent cries”, “Remember” and “Fading away”. Surprisingly a very strong French Melodic Power Metal release this new FALKIRK CD! (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
IONA has served the music scene for many years now and through the years the band developed an own sound with a large following among the audience. The band’s sound is typical English countryside, which melts the best parts of progressive rock, celtic music, folk and pop melodies. Imagine if ENYA would front CAMEL and started playing typical Neo-Prog with some Pop elements, then you would come close to IONA. It is lighter than for example KRAKATAU or MOSTLY AUTUMN, but on the other hand not that far away from those UK bands. The new CD of IONA is titled ‘The circling hour’. It is once again filled with high quality calmer epic celtic progrock/pop and with a playing time of 65 minutes certainly well suited for an enjoyable evening! Check out their site at: www.iona.uk.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) PEAL ‘BEAUTIFUL BABY ELEPHANT’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) OK, this is not really rocking, but is very melodic and the American band PEAL has a good strong old-style AORish lead singer, so every right they belong here. The music is catchy Melodic Poprock like THE REMBRANDTS, COUCHOIS, CHASE, SURE CONVICTION, NELSON’s ‘Life’, COLLECTIVE SOUL, MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK, but also similarities to old-school EDDIE MONEY/DANNY WILDE, TOM KIMMEL, MICHAEL MORALES first record, RICK MATHEWS can be heard. This is good fun classic American Melodic Poprock with catchy hooks, memorable choruses, melodic vocal lines and a westcoast flavor to make it radio-ready. This is the kind of music you hear when driving Route 66 and turning on the Radio! Catchy poprocksongs like “Say goodbye”, “Carousel Junkie”, “Maria” and “Get in your way” are very enjoyable to listen to, as they mix melodic vocals, catchy hooks/choruses with acoustic and electric guitar riffs, in typical American tradition, also reminding me a lot of the very first VENICE album from the very early 90s. Strong band, recommended to fans of catchy traditional US Poprock, not really rocking, but melodic for sure! More info at: http://www.pealonline.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) RED WANTING BLUE ‘PRIDE: THE COLD LOVER’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) More typical modern American pop/rock, not far removed from for example CASTING CROWNS, so laid-back melodic pop/rock with a lot of cool-down guitarsounds and somewhat lower vocals (slightly depressing). 10 songs are included and most of the songs are slow to semi balladish, but always with strong melodies. It sometimes sounds a bit depressing too, so I am not sure if this will be interesting for the melodic rockfans among us, but well worth checking out at: http://www.redwantingblue.com (Points: 7.6 out of 10)
OK, what is LUDO all about. American band playing the sort of emo influenced melodic rock mixed with progressive rock themes, just like our friends of COHEED AND CAMBRIA. They do it very well on their mini-CD ‘Broken bride’, which contains 5 songs that are filled with superstrong melodies. Opener and titletrack “Broken bride” immediately grabs you and makes you interested in more songs of this band and happily the full mini-CD rocks and is very melodic, hooky and catchy, while still featuring some prog complexity, also adding some Punk elements here and there such as in “The lamb and the dragon”. Check out this band asap if you enjoyed COHEED AND CAMBRIA’s killer record, mixed with a little SYSTEM OF A DOWN every now and then! More info at: http://www.LudoRock.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
American band with that typical American sound of the present day, which means big fat groovy metal guitar riffs mixed with strong melodies. The band has a good melodic clean lead singer (keyboardplayer Chris Imlay) and the band’s new CD ‘Unity for insanity’ contains 15 songs that more or less go in a similar style, which is midtempo with mostly melodic choruses. Especially during the middle of the CD this seems to sound best, with such strong tracks like “Don’t mind”, “Wanted” and “Secret identity”. The band should be compared to SEVENDUST, DISTURBED, BREAKING BENJAMIN, THREE DAYS GRACE… Just like on the new DISTURBED album, here we can also find a cover of the GENESIS song “Land of confusion”. This version sounds pretty good and I do believe PRISM THEORY was sooner with this remake than DISTURBED. Anyway, if you like your Metal to sound like the modern American Rock/Metalband this PRISM THEORY is a must to check out. More info at: http://www.prismtheory.com/ (Points: 8.2 out of 10) STEVE THORNE ‘EMOTIONAL CREATURES PART ONE’ (GIANT ELECTRIC PEA) Already reviewed last year, but somehow a copy of the CD was delivered, so I keep it short saying this was a pretty good neo-prog album with a focus on calmer songs accompanied by the acoustic guitar, very much like 70s GENESIS and JADIS in places. More info at: http://www.steve-thorne.com Wonder when part 2 will be released… (Points: 8.2 out of 10) CONNOR O’BRIEN ‘CONNOR O’BRIEN‘ (BFD/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) This guy looks like he walked away from a boyband and sadly musically his mini-CD also is in that direction, with some slight 80s influenced pop/rock that reminds me of RICHARD MARX here and there (first and last track are ok and good melodic pop/rockish). On the other hand this CD surely is not something you wanna check out if you wanna rock! More info at: http://www.connorobrien.com (Points: 6.0 out of 10)
Already 5 years old, somehow slipping through our hands until October 2006 when we receive a copy of the CD of the band THREE MILES OUT, a 4-piece American band with a traditional American rocksound which is very melodic actually. Band is featuring 2 very good singers called Ken Voll and Mark Knapp, who also both play guitar and the music is like I said almost 80s ish catchy melodic rock. It reminds me a lot of NELSON, especially with the harmonyvocals during the catchy choruses. 14 songs are included and between them are some real winners for even the AOR fans among us. Just listen to the uptempo melodic rocker “Lies” which almost is sounding like DAKOTA. They also remind me a lot of a band I reviewed somewhere down the road called DUKES NITEMARE and a bit INNUENDO. It has that typical mid 90s Midwestern American Melodic Rocksound a lot of independent bands played 10 years ago when we started our magazine (those were the days!). Not many bands play the style these days and this 2001 CD shows it was a great warm melodic rocksound which will be loved by anyone who grew up with REO SPEEDWAGON, JOURNEY, NIGHT RANGER, STYX, BOSTON… Maybe slightly more modern, but always very catchy and melodic, just listen to such strong uptempo melodic rockers like “Lies”, “Break me” and “Desperate”. A highly recommended melodic rockalbum this surely is and soon a new CD of the band will be released. More info at: http://www.threemilesout.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
A very rare piece in the later 80s and all throughout the 90s and 00s, although it was originally released on UNIVERSAL MUSIC (Mercury back in 1989). This Norwegian band had 2 released back in the late 80s, but then completely disappeared, with only their bassist turning up in STREET LEGAL 10+ years later. Anyway, for years their 2 albums were hard to get, but MTM took care of this with the re-issue of first their debut ‘Da Vinci’ not that long ago and now the re-issue of their 2nd and final album ‘Back in business’. Without a doubt, this was their best record, with such wonderful catchy AOR/Melodic Rocksongs like “Young hearts”, “Millions like us”, “Hold back the tears”, “Touchdown” and “Call me a liar”, all in typical Scandi 80s cheesiness of EUROPE, TREAT, FATE… This re-issue features an additional bonustrack in the shape of “Blame it on the radio” and it only makes you wonder why this band never continued, because they definitely delivered some very impressive catchy 80s AOR/Melodic Rock. Good to see also their 2nd one now being re-issued onto CD, so it now is about 50 US dollars cheaper to obtain a copy. (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
KATE VOEGELE is the next in line when it comes down to catchy female fronted melodic poprock. Maybe not original, but the 4 songs on her mini-CD definitely sound very strong. Forget KELLY CLARCKSON, here’s KATE VOEGELE who deliver such catchy rockers like “Only fooling myself” (excellent song, even AORish a la JAIME KYLE/ROBIN BECK and “Top of the world” that both could have been heard during programmes running on the big TV stations in the USA for a while the past few years. Let’s hope for a full-length CD soon of this sensational female rocker. In the meantime, check out her site at: http://www.katevoegele.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) FORGET CASSETTES ‘SALT’ (THEORY 8 RECORDS/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) Female fronted band with a rocksound that actually is not like the typical female rockstyle, more like WHITE STRIPES with a sort of NINA HAGENish singer, ending up sounding like LUBA/DALBELLO/BERLIN/ TERRI NUNN. It is really Alternative to the Alternative Rock, with a true sound of their own. ‘Salt’ is the 2nd CD of the band, which will definitely be something you need to check out if you like a sort of quirky yet hard rocking sound with tempo and mood changes and not really accessable or catchy choruses involved, because FORGET CASSETTES has a very Garage/Underground sort of rocksound. Best will be to check them out for yourself at: http://www.forgetcassettes.com (Points: 7.9 out of 10) MELISSA IVEY ‘LOVERS AND STARS’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) The female singer/songwriters just keep on coming. MELISSA IVEY comes out of California and with her band she now recorded a very strong impressive EP CD titled ‘Lovers and stars’, which was mastered at Sterling Sound. All sounds very good and the female fronted melodic poprock, with a little laid-back acoustic guitar approach, shows Melissa is an excellent singer and her music is perfectly suitable for radio format. It is more akin to a mature SHERYL CROW than the typical female fronted catchy melodic poprock of KELLY CLARCKSON. I am sure Melissa also would rather be compared to Sheryl than Kelly. Nevertheless, the music and especially the vocals are very good. Hopefully Melissa will put more uptempo rockers like the superb catchy “Far far away” on a future full-length CD. In the meantime, check it out for yourself at: http://www.melissaivey.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) MEGAN SLANKARD ‘A LITTLE EXTRA SUN’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter MEGAN SLANKARD is coming out of California, with ‘A little extra sun’ being her latest CD. It’s a mini-CD consisting of 5 tracks, musically featuring the kind of mature female fronted pop/rock like a SHERYL CROW/MELISSA ETHERIDGE. She has a great voice and her songs are very radio-ready, although they could have rocked a little more. She is quite known, as she sold 17,000 units of her previous albums and even toured with DAVE KNOPFLER, so if you want a great strong female voice with a laid-back sound (something along the lines of Dutch singer/songwriter ILSE DE LANGE), this is a must to check out. More info at: http://www.meganslankard.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) CONTRADICTION ‘THE WARCHITECT’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) 6th CD of German band CONTRADICTION. They play pure Thrash Metal as if it was still 1988 and Bay Area style bands like FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, German KREATOR were still hot and actually they it quite well. However, this is one of those CDs only interesting for people who are into Thrash metal, as it simply does not touch any other Metal genre, just Thrash from start to finish. Sound is good, but it is all quite predictable after a few songs, with the same riff all over in each and every song. I do not have a problem with this, but also this new CD of CONTRADICTION will only be of interest for the Thrash Metalfans out there! (Points: 7.3 out of 10) EISBRECHER ‘ANTIKORPER’ (AFM RECORDS/ROCK INC) The list of German bands singing in their own German language with a rock/metalsound is endless. RAMMSTEIN is the only one which is not interesting (although they are the most well-known), because all the others, such as IN EXTREMO, SUBWAY TO SALLY, SCHANDMAUL, TANZWUT, etc. are all quite good. EISBRECHER also plays the same kind of electro melodic rock with German lyrics as those bands and they do it very well. In Germany huge after the release of their debut a few years ago and now there is the follow-up ‘Antikorper’. Fans of SCHANDMAUL, IN EXTREMO and SUBWAY TO SALLY will absolutely love songs such as “Vergissmeinnicht” and “Ohne Dich”, which are very good catchy songs that contain strong melodies. To me it sounds like a mix between FALCO and HIM, so a sort of Gothic Melodic Heavy Rocksound with dark low vocals. This new CD of EISBRECHER is a must-have for fans of mentioned bands and also if you like HIM, although the band introduces some electro influences into their music and sometimes goes a bit too much electro, so a very unsual release for AFM RECORDS, but not a bad one at all! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) BLACK MESSIAH ‘OF MYTHS AND LEGENDS’ (AFM RECORDS/ROCK INC) Starting as a Black Metalband in 1992, the band BLACK MESSIAH has slightly developed their own sound through the years in which instrumental the sound has become more Melodic Metal, but sadly vocally it is still Black Metal as in VENOM/BATHORY terms of speaking. I would rather have seen a sort of clean vocal used as well, because now only instrumental this band is interesting, because the vocals are pure Black Metal. Anyway, I guess this is what Melodic Black Metal is all about… (Points: -) CRUACHAN ‘THE MORRIGANS CALL’ (AFM RECORDS/ROCK INC) New CD of the Folk Metalband CRUACHAN. Although it is not bad at all, I think however it is sounding way too crowdy with all sorts of different instruments used and also various vocal styles (clean female/growling/screaming)… At one point you get lost I am afraid. Although their mix of Celtic/Traditional Medieval music and modern Metal is well-done, it is not as good as for example MAGO DE OZ, whom to me are the masters in this sound and also FALCONER shows on their albums how to do this. The only really impressive mention is the female vocals of KAREN GILLIGAN that sound really great. Furthermore this CD of CRUACHAN is only interesting if you’re a dedicated fan of the band, because otherwise you really have to make up your own judgement at: www.cruachan.cjb.net (Points: 6.8 out of 10)
I received a full package of the band BREED 77, a band originally from Gibraltar (under Spain but British territory) and receiving a lot of attention in the UK. They surprised me in a big way, as their sound is very different from all other bands, as they mix a sort of classic melodic metal sound (riffs that could come straight out of the HAMMERFALL/NOCTURNAL RITES/DREAM EVIL Book of Heavy Metal with Flamenco influences, give it a poppy approach in the catchy choruses, ending up sounding like a straight-ahead Metal version of MAGO DE OZ, with English lyrics. Their new CD ‘In my blood’ is definitely their best effort so far, really sounding very impressive and for a Metalhead a must to check out. Only the vocals could be stronger or on the other hand, it gives BREED 77 an own identity, but it really is something you love or hate. Anyway, the band had a few UK Hitsingles and this 3rd CD ‘In my blood’ features a couple really almost sensational Melodic Metal songs such as “Alive”, “Libertad”, “Remember that day” (this sounds like THRESHOLD doing a METALLICA cover with a radio-ready Pop chorus), “Blind” and “Petroleo”, which also features some superb guitarwork as in Classic Metal style. There are also some beautiful semi-ballads on the album, such as “Tears” , “Look at me now” (beautiful AORish ballad that even sounds like HAREM SCAREM!!!) and “Empty words” that also recall some American modern metal similarities (read: BREAKING BENJAMIN/THREE DAYS GRACE/SAOSIN). The band has been praised a lot by the UK Metal press and although I normally do not agree with them, this time I have to admit that this BREED 77 is becoming better and better. With this new album on ALBERT PRODUCTIONS (AC/DC), they belong to the better Metalbands from the UK, although they do come out of Gibraltar, but basically that is the UK, so… Although they are compared to bands like TRIVIUM and SYSTEM OF A DOWN, I do think this BREED 77 is much more Classic Melodic Metal and especially the choruses and riffs could come straight out of the Classic Metalbook. This band could become really huge, even in the USA! More info at: http://www.breed77.net and listen to their songs at: http://www.myspace.com/breed77 (Points: 8.3 out of 10) COMBINATION HEAD ‘COMBINATION HEAD’ (SAM RECORDS) Some time ago we reviewed a promo of the first CD of the UK band COMBINATION HEAD, well now SAM RECORDS has released the album and anyone into instrumental progressive rock should check it out asap as it sounds awesome with lots of complex structures and breaks throughout the CD. Better check it out for yourself at: http://www.combinationhead.com and e-mail at: info@combinationhead.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
If you look for an original album, then please read further, but in case you want to hear a typical Italo/Scandi Power Metal record like a mix between RHAPSODY, SONATA ARCTICA, FALCONER and some KAMELOT, then be sure to check out the new album of the French band FAIRYLAND. Of course it sounds cliché, but happily it sounds like a good cliché, because FAIRYLAND deliver it very well on their new album ‘The fall of an empire’. Especially the beginning, with faster uptempo Melodic Power Metal pieces such as “The fall of an empire” and “Lost in the dark lands” are pretty good. However, towards the end of the CD, the songs are becoming less interesting and also the singer starts struggling, which is a pity because the main reason for this is that FAIRYLAND has had a vocal change, because ex-MAGIC KINGDOM shouter MAX LECLERQC replaced original Spanish singer ELISA C. MARTIN of DARK MOOR. Elisa has a great voice and made the previous FAIRYLAND album quite a strong album actually, but new singer Max is like said before not that strong vocally. Not that this new FAIRYLAND is a bad album, but fact is it is only a must if you’re a really huge RHAPSODY fan and want to hear other bands playing in the same style, because it is by no meanings of the word a sensational record. I am afraid this new FAIRYLAND might get unnoticed between the hundreds of other Metal releases done nowadays. (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Going back 6 years in time when French guitarist/keyboardplayer FREDERIC SLAMA decided to start his AOR journey with a release titled ‘LA Concession’ that showed this man and a whole bunch of session musicians (including STEVE LUKATHER, MICHAEL THOMPSON, TOMMY DENANDER, TONY FRANKLIN) as well as lead singers like David Chamberlin, Doug St. John, John Fluker and Kristoffer Lagerstrom were longing back to the late 70s/early 80s LA Westcoast-AOR sound of TOTO, PLAYER, DAVID ROBERTS, FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, JAY GRUSKA, etc. They made this awesome record, which was very hard to get. Now 5 years later the AOR project has brought us 4 more releases (including a new one this year!) and now the debut ‘LA Concession’ has been re-released through MTM. The album was filled with beautiful calmer but pure 1982 Westcoast-AOR. If this was released in 1982, it would have probably been on a major label, with singles reaching at least US Top 20. This was the kind of music played and recorded all over LA in 1982, in movies, on tv and on record, with the TOTO musicians becoming synonym for high quality session work and literally hundreds of similar sounding records were released 25 years ago. Anyway, this first AOR project showed how well that style could sound some 18 years (and now 25 years) later. If you missed this release, then be sure to get it asap if you want to hear that classic early 80s relaxing laid-back AOR/Westcoast sound. The new MTM release has 4 additional bonustracks, so get is quickly if you are into acts like ALLIANCE 1982, PLAYER, TOTO, BE TAYLOR GROUP, FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, JOHN O’BANION, NIELSON/PEARSON BAND, DAVID ROBERTS… (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
New York heroes ZANDELLE return with their 3rd CD and maybe their strongest effort so far. It took them 4 years to complete ‘Vengeance rising’, but the result is a classic 80s US Power Metal release. Similarities to classic 80s stuff of CRIMSON GLORY, FATES WARNING, SAVATAGE, JAG PANZER, VIRGIN STEELE, MANOWAR and you name it, it’s the real deal on this new ZANDELLE record. The band shows they are one of the best out there playing this style. Songs like “Dragon’s hoard”, “The final hour” and “Cry for vengeance” are absolutely lovely uptempo Melodic Metal pieces that can also be compared to other similar sounding Classic 80s Metal influences bands of the present day (BLACK MAJESTY, DUNGEON, DOMINE and some BALANCE OF POWER). Be sure to check this out if you like True Metal! (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
Tragedy struck the Swiss/Liechtenstein based band ELIS a few months ago when female lead singer SABINE DUNSER died shortly after the completion of her vocal tracks. Of course the band did not knew what to do next, but ‘Griefshire’ was Sabine’s baby and she really want it to be released, so the band decided to complete it in her honour. Now the new ELIS CD has been released, which of course sadly marks the end of the Sabine fronted ELIS and not sure, but I believe the band will carry on with a new singer. However, this truly is a great tribute to someone who died so young and words can not describe how sad something like that is. The album itself ‘Griefshire’ happens to be one of the best ELIS releases as well, with such strong uptempo tracks like “Tales from heaven or hell”, “Show me the way” and “The burning”. Musically typical female fronted Melodic Goth Metal, not far away from XANDRIA, WITHIN TEMPTATION, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, NIGHTWISH, but ELIS had their own kind of sound, thanks to their singer SABINE DUNSER, who sadly died this summer and therefore this new ELIS album is a real special album that should be in the hands of every fan of the genre. (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
The latest band making a huge buzz in the USA is DROPPING DAYLIGHT. They are not sounding original, as their sound is close to that of BREAKING BENJAMIN, THREE DAYS GRACE, NEED TO BREATHE etc. However, what they do on their new album sounds very good and a bit more melodic rock orientated than all the other acts that play this new American rocksound. It’s sort of progressive as in the backing sound (without long instrumental passages), it’s rocking with riffs and some distorted guitars, it’s super melodic both in the vocal and chorus department. The band has piano accompanied with their rocksound and some might call this Emo, but DROPPING DAYLIGHT is just a modern melodic rockband with songs that are not far away from HAREM SCAREM really. Just listen to a fantastic uptempo melodic rocker like “Brace yourself” that just breathes out HAREM SCAREM with a similar catchy hook and melodic chorus. This first full-length album of New York based DROPPING DAYLIGHT is a very impressive record, featuring 11 strong modern melodic rockers produced by David Bendeth (HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, BREAKING BENJAMIN) and released in the summer of 2006 on the OCTONE RECORDS label (also home to MAROON 5 and FLYLEAF). More info at: http://www.droppingdaylight.com and http://www.myspace.com/droppingdaylight (Points: 8.4 out of 10) MAGO DE OZ ‘RAREZAS’ (LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC/ROCK INC) Just returned from Madrid, Spain where this ‘new’ MAGO DE OZ was standing in every recordshop, with a nice top 10 chartranking, but I do not see the reason why it was released here, because the fantastic real new studio-CD ‘Gaia 2’ from this year has only been released in Spain so far I believe. Anyway, this ‘Rarezas’ release is filled with all sorts of rare recordings, covers, b-sides, acoustic/live-versions and should NOT be considered a real new MAGO DE OZ album, as it is not really an album you want to listen to over and over again, because especially the covers of the MAIDEN and RAINBOW classics are useless. Let me make it clear that MAGO DE OZ is one of the best Spanish bands at the moment, especially their ‘Gaia’ records are awesome, but this ‘Rarezas’ album is not of any interest I am afraid… (Points: -)
Although you would bet your money on the fact this is a band that is either coming out of the UK or the USA, but DISCO ENSEMBLE are really coming out of Finland. They sound like a mix between the UK and US bands from the present day, sort of mixing the best elements of bands like MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and KAISER CHIEFS, a melodic Punky rock and roll affair and they do it very well on their new CD ‘First aid kit’. DISCO ENSEMBLE is not a new band, because they have been around for quite a while now. They were formed in 1996, so already 10 years busy and ‘First aid kit’ is their 3rd CD release. The band mixes the best of American Emocore, British Punkrock and some classic melodic rock choruses, ending up sounding very catchy and their new CD is enlarged with a huge sound, which easily blows away the sound of a band like LOST PROPHETS, whom are doing the same thing, but do not sound as big as the Finnish DISCO ENSEMBLE now sounds on their latest CD release, which by the way was done on the mighty UNIVERSAL MUSIC. The first song on the new CD, “Capricorn” does hold some slight screamocore influences, but the following 11 songs are more melodic, all being very catchy uptempo heavy punky emo melodic rockers, with as absolute highlights “Edge of the earth”, “Fallen”, “Oblivion” and “End of the beginning”. Another band, which could easily get a huge break if lucky enough to get the chance that nowadays can either be done by TV airplay/performances if you want to become famous quickly or through mouth to mouth on the internet if you focus on a longer term for becoming famous. One way or the other, the rock audience will welcome the new CD of DISCO ENSEMBLE with open arms… More info at: http://www.discoensemble.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) AFTER THE FIRE ‘A2TF’ (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) Just after they completed the recordings of the album ‘A2TF’, the legendary UK band AFTER THE FIRE, best known for their hit “Der Kommissar”, they split up in 1983 and the album was never released until now, because ANGEL AIR RECORDS released the album onto CD. Sound is good and musically it is also typical AFTER THE FIRE, mixing elements of the 1960s rock with the 1980s new wave, ending up sounding quite different than most other bands 25 years ago. This CD contains 15 tracks, 10 from the original recording and 5 bonustracks. The music is calmer at times, but also rocking here and there, with some pure prog/sympho keys, a sort of 80s GENESIS kinda influence is also notable, although also ASIA and even APLHAVILLE come to mind, very 80s British/European poppy sympho pop. The bonustracks are the most interesting, as some are going into an American 1983ish AOR/Radiorock sound such as the catchy “It’s over”. Weid this album was never released, because it surely had a hit potency. Anyway, good to see it now being available through: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.0 out of 10) STACKRIDGE ‘STACKRIDGE’ (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) How many more obscure 1960s/1970s rock is there out there still only available on LP. ANGEL AIR RECORDS has another rare early 70s re-issued onto CD. The band is called STACKRIDGE. Originally released in 1971, the recordings of this release go back 35 years in time. Musically a typical mix of prog, psychedelic, pop and some sort of cabaret/humorous touch to it, ending up sounding like THE HOLLIES here and as experimental as FRANK ZAPPA at other times. The band released a few more albums, as well as the members releasing solo-records, all of which have also been released on ANGEL AIR. Available through: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.0 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
PASSIONWORKS
‘BLUE PLAY’ (ROWAN 3 PRODUCTIONS/EDEL MUSIC FINLAND) 
POETS OF THE
FALL ‘CARNIVAL OF RUST’ (INSOMNIAC/PLAYGROUND/SAM AGENCY) 
THUNDER ‘ROBERT
JOHNSON’S TOMBSTONE’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
PRETTY MAIDS
‘WAKE UP TO THE REAL WORLD’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
WETTON DOWNES
ICON ‘RUBICON’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
NEXX ‘ANOTHER
DAWN’ (ANGEL MILK RECORDS) 
MISS BEHAVIOUR
‘HEART OF MIDWINTER’ (INDEPENDENT) 
MICHAEL BORMANN
‘CONSPIRACY’ (RMB RECORDS/TWILIGHT VERTRIEB/NL DISTRIBUTION) 
FINAL FRONTIER
‘FREELIGHT’ (ESCAPE MUSIC) 
FALKIRK ‘GATES
OF DAWN’ (UNDERCLASS MUSIC/ROCK INC) 
IONA ‘THE
CIRCLING HOUR’ (OPEN SKY) 
LUDO ‘BROKEN
BRIDE’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA) 
PRISM THEORY
‘UNITY FOR INSANITY’ (LATTICESPHERE MUSIC/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) 
THREE MILES OUT
‘THAT’S LIFE’ (BIG DOG HEAD RECORDS/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) 
DA VINCI ‘BACK
IN BUSINESS’ (MTM MUSIC) 
KATE VOEGELE
‘LOUDER THAN WORDS’ (MARSHALL ALTMAN MUSIC/MICHAEL J. MEDIA) 
BREED 77 ‘IN MY
BLOOD – EN MI SANGRE’ (ALBERT PRODUCTIONS) 
FAIRYLAND ‘THE
FALL OF AN EMPIRE’ (NAPALM RECORDS) 
AOR ‘LA
CONCESSION’ (MTM MUSIC) 
ZANDELLE
‘VENGEANCE RISING’ (LIMB MUSIC) 
ELIS
‘GRIEFSHIRE’ (NAPALM RECORDS) 
DROPPING
DAYLIGHT ‘BRACE YOURSELF’ (MICHAEL J. MEDIA/OCTONE RECORDS/SONY BMG USA)
DISCO ENSEMBLE
‘FIRST AID KIT’ (FULLSTEAM RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC)