 ZERO HOUR ’A
FRAGILE MIND’ (LASER’S EDGE/INTROMENTAL)
The Progressive Metalband ZERO HOUR has been making a rapid invasion in the scene with the release of 2 albums the past five years. After struggling with lead singers and official label releases it is now time to introduce their 3rd album which will be released on LASER’S EDGE. The band makes a fresh start with this new CD, which also brings a new lead singer (Fred Marshall). The album was produced by Dino Alden (MARTY FRIEDMAN, RACER X) and the 9 tracks included are a must to hear if you’re a fan of FATES WARNING, PAIN OF SALVATION, DREAM THEATER… The new singer is quite good and instrumental everything sounds great, but somehow I miss songs that really standout, although “Thee for me” and “Destiny is sorrow” are very strong complex melodic Progressive Metalsongs. Without a doubt a high quality release, but more or less a grower I think as it doesn´t grab you instantly. However the progressive metalfans looking for an original band that offer songs that doesn´t contain the standard verse/chorus situation should be pleased with the ZERO HOUR release. Especially if you dig PAIN OF SALVATION this new ZERO HOUR CD is an interesting album to check out. (Points: 8.3 out of 10) Following the footsteps taken by RIVERSIDE, a Polish Progressive Rockband which became quite popular the past few years and released their album on LASER’S EDGE (American proglabel), comes another band from Poland called INDUKTI. This band is playing the same kind of original Progressive Rock as RIVERSIDE (of whom singer Mariusz Duda makes a guest appearance here), so complex Progressive Rock, with influences from other genres. Without a doubt, this is another band which is bringing something original in the Progressive Rockscene, so compare them to bands like RIVERSIDE, PORCUPINE TREE and OZRIC TENTACLES instead of the usual prog comparisons. The CD is not song based, but mostly semi-instrumental complex psychedelic progressive rock with here and there vocals (on 2 of the 7 included songs) such as on the lovely “Cold inside” and “Shade’. Definitely a must-have for the progfans! One more comment is the fact that the CD sounds awesome, although it was recorded live in the studio, so it shows the skills of these musicians. (Points: 8.5 out of 10) Not really prog, but on the other hand an interesting re-issue released on the proglabel LASER’S EDGE. The people older than 40 years might remember this band, because SECRET OYSTER is a Danish band with a few albums on SONY MUSIC back in the 1970s, which have only been available on LP until now. Now their 1975 album has been re-issued onto CD with the addition of 3 bonustracks. The JazzRockfan or people who like calmer 70s spacey progressive pop/rock will be delighted to hear about this re-issue, because SECRET OYSTER brought this kind of pure 70s music at a very high level. I am not that familiar with this genre, but I think a comparison to SOFT MACHIN is not out of place here. It is definitely a quality release which probably sounds better now on CD than on the original LP, because the recordings were completely remastered for this re-issue. (Points: 8.1 out of 10) Back to the early 80s is what this THE CLICK FIVE should have thought when recording their debut, because the super catchy hookladen uptempo melodic poprock is filled with influences from early 80s RICK SPRINGFIELD, THE CARS, THE OUTFIELD… The songs have such deadly catchy choruses and hooklines, any AOR band from the present day would have loved to have on their records! This is probably one of the best poprock albums I have heard in ages (very similar to NELSON’s ‘Life’ record from the late 90s), because as catchy as this doesn’t happen too often. I was made aware of the band due to the fact KISS vocalist/guitarist PAUL STANLEY wrote a song for them. In the meantime the album stormed the US Billboard Charts, eventually hitting the top 30 albums and one of the singles became a big radiohit. Not that surprising, because the catchy poprock is radio-ready from start to finish. Similarities to THE RASMUS are also possible, but still THE CARS and RICK SPRINGFIELD are the best comparisons. 11 songs were recorded by these 5 very young musicians, whom by the way look like THE BEATLES in their early years. Anyway, like I already mentioned, this is an awesome catchy melodic poprock record with nothing but hits, mostly written by the band’s keyboardplayer BEN ROMANS. Just check out the superb “Catch your wave” which has a killer chorus you will never forget after hearing it the first time. Other highlights are “Good day”, “Resign”, “Just the girl”, “Angel to you (Devil to me)” (the PAUL STANLEY song) and “Friday night”, all catchy uptempo melodic poprockers, but also ballads like “Say goodnight” and “I’ll take my chances” is very strong (and reminding a lot of MICHAEL MORALES). However the whole CD is fantastic and definitely a must-have for anyone into catchy 80s melodic poprock (read: THE CARS, MICHAEL MORALES, RICK MATHEWS, RICK SPRINGFIELD, EDDIE MONEY, THE OUTFIELD and more recent, NELSN ‘Life’ and THE RASMUS). Some call it teenage girlie poprock, others typical modern US Nu-Breed, but it really is very strong catchy melodic poprock in it’s best 80s tradition with also a strong THE RASMUS touch here and there (“Friday night”). Anyway, more info on THE CLICK FIVE at: http://www.theclickfive.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) Always hard to make a new album after releasing a very sensational one, but VISION DIVINE has come up with yet another strong record to follow-up their fantastic 3rd record ‘Stream of consciousness’ from a few years ago. Lead singer Michele Luppi shows once again he is one of the best Italian singers in the Rock/Metal world at the moment. With this new record, VISION DIVINE also shows to belong to the absolute best in Italian Prog/Power Metal, even beating the last couple of LABYRINTH and RHAPSODY record again. The new CD of the band around former LABYRINTH guitarist OLAF THORSEN is basically a continuation of the style created on the 3rd CD, so once again a mix of late 90s LABYRINTHish Melodic Power Metal and 80s Melodic Rock of the TNT/SHY style with here and there some Neo-Classical bombastic influences and also some Progressive Metal touches. It’s not as good as the classic ‘Stream of consciousness’, but still also the new CD offers some great music. The band switched from label (METAL BLADE RECORDS to SCARLET RECORDS) and the new album was produced by STRATOVARIUS mastermind TIMO TOLKKI, but like I already mentioned, musically nothing has changed. Lyrically there is an interesting concept told during the 9 songs on the CD, which deals with the creation of human machines and the departure of God, but fear not, He returns towards the end of the story to make life like it once was, with the re-introduction of emotion, life and death on earth. Highlights this time are “Land of fear” (fantastic catchy uptempo AOR/Melodic Rock a la TNT/SHY), “Here in 6048” (beautiful semi-ballad, AORish, even a bit EUROPE style, with a break after 3+ minutes) and of course the typical fast Italo Melodic Power Metal pieces such as “The perfect machine”, “1st day of a never ending day”, “God is dead” and “The river”. Not a classic, but still another wonderful VISION DIVINE record which will probably become the best Italian record released in 2005! (Points: 8.8 out of 10) This is high quality stuff from Italy, Rome to be exact. 3 songs are featured on the demo of the band RACHEL, a 3-piece band playing catchy 80s influenced Melodic Rock which sounds like a mix between ZENO and TNT. Vocally high pitched, but definitely very strong (keyboardplayer/vocalist Sandro Manicone) and instrumental (guitarist/bassist Roberto Franzo and drummer Bob Vallati) reaching big 80s US Melodic Rock standards, this band is ready to be signed with the 3 wonderful tracks on their demo. Opener “My time” hits like a hammer as a deadly catchy uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker in best 80s tradition, kinda like TNT meets SHY in their best days. Next song “Year of ‘99” has rich keys, big 80s sound and is another strong catchy AOR/Melodic Rocker reminding of that legendary Cult act from Italy from the early 90s (remember HEAVEN’S TOUCH!). Closing track “All alone” is the expected ballad, but somehow less stronger than the 2 other rockers. Always a pity great bands from the underground only come up with just 3 songs, because you always want to hear more, especially when the music is that impressive as RACHEL does on their wonderful demo. More info through e-mail at: unrulyrob@hotmail.com (Points: 8.6 out of 10) Out of Norway comes the band WOBBLER. They play 70s influenced Symphonic Rock with strong influences from bands like PFM and other Classic Italo prog/sympho bands from 30+ years ago. The music is keyboard/mellotron orientated, so people into this kind of Sympho will probably like this band a lot. Still the band has added other influences as well (Folk for example) to make it sound a little different and more up-to-date. 4 long songs included, with as highlight the titletrack which is a 28 minutes counting epic journey. This kind of underground Sympho/Prog has a long history that started in the 1970s when thousands of bands in especially Sweden, Italy and Brasil started making music in the style of GENESIS and YES. Since the internet revolution more and more new bands have been formed in order to start playing this style. WOBBLER from Norway is one of them and their debut album ‘Hinterland’ is a must to hear if you’re this kind of 70s Sympho/Prog. (Points: 8.2 out of 10) After a few demo releases, a CD release in 2000 and a mini-CD last year, which we reviewed, the German band VANILLA REX now releases a new full-length CD titled ‘Parallel worlds’. This album is definitely a high quality Melodic Progressive Metal release which sounds very well. Similarities to PAGAN’S MIND are very clear, so this is one of those bands to check out if you’re a Progmetalhead. VANILLA REX actually started in 1988, when they played a more straight-forward NWOBHM influenced Melodic Metal style. They were about to release an album back then, just before the label pulled back. Nevertheless, they kept on playing and now at present day a new CD is released, which continues the Progressive Metal they created the past few years. Without a doubt, they have done this very well on the long 7 included tracks (not counting the short intro). Vocally very good, instrumental typical Progmetal and also the production sounds good, so this independent release is something worth checking out if you’re a fan of Progressive Metal a la IVANHOE, PAGAN’S MIND, TUNNEL VISION…More info at: http://www.vanillarex.de nd e-mail at: VanillarexKS@aol.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) No info at all on this Finnish (?) band, but I guess that isn’t interesting because here we have a Death Metal release. Instrumental very good, but further nothing but growling… (Points: 4.5 out of 10)
THE GO FASTER NUNS are a German band playing a sort of very Melodic Punky Poprock, not far away from the ole BUZZCOCKS, BOYS and GENERATION X. The band is adding classic 70s/80s Glam/Hardrock Guitar riffs (a song like “Drag queen” has 80s LA Glam written all over – a great song by the way a la CRUE/POISON/WARRANT) here and there, but it sometimes also sounds a bit childish in the harmonyvocal department. Nevertheless, there’s enough to enjoy for both Glamrock and Punkrockfans on the CD of THE GO FASTER NUNS. Especially recommended to people who like HANOI ROCKS, LA GUNS… (Points: 8.1 out of 10) I don’t have much info, but I guess ZERO POINT is an American band. Happily, the bandname is not the points I am gonna give to them, because actually ZERO POINT has some good stuff to offer on their CD ‘Time stands still’. The band is playing a sort of Gothic Melodic Rockstyle (in 80s spirit), with some slight Rock’n’Roll and even Punk influences. Despite a few weaker songs there is some good strong melodic rock to be heard here and there, such as “Bitter sweet” and “Life of shame”, although a song like “One size fits all” is very weak and modern. The band reminds me of a cross between THE MISSION, BILLY IDOL and THE CULT and in general speaking the CD is just a good Rockalbum with strong melodies. (Points: 7.9 out of 10) LOSING SUN ‘INERTIA’ (BERTUS) No info at all, but the CD of LOSING SUN starts nicely with a Progressive Metal song “Dirtnap”. Vocals are not that bad, but are without any emotion. Besides, some of the songs are very weak. The Nu-Metal/Industrial influences make this CD even less interesting, so please avoid! (Points: 2.1 out of 10) Anyone waiting for a new BLACK SABBATH album with Ozzy on vocals? The wait is over, because SHEAVY is the answer to your prayers. This band sounds exactly like the early 70s BLACK SABBATH, but I guess you already knew that, because SHEAVY has been playing their own kind of Doom/Stoner Rock since 1993, with “Republic’ being their 4th CD release. Press says that even the most dedicated BLACK SABBATH is impressed and I guess this new SHEAVY album will impress them once again, because from start to finish this is high quality BLACK SABBATH in the best OZZY days! (Points: 8.3 out of 10) If somebody had told me that CORI YARCKIN was in the top 10 of the US Billboard Charts I would have instantly believed it, because not only does this girl look very good, also musically it is incredible catchy, radio-ready and it still rocks! It might not be original, but this kind of female fronted melodic poprock is very popular in the USA at the moment, where especially KELLY CLARCKSON has taken it to outrageousness with a stunning 2 million copies sold of her record. This all has resulted in a lot of new female singers. Happily, Cori is more than just a pretty girl, because she can sing very well and the 10 included songs on her debut CD were mostly written by Cori herself. Together with multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Robertson Landry, Cori has released a very impressive CD, which has the potential to become huge! Most of the material falls in the same kind of style, which is a mix of mid and uptempo melodic poprockers with catchy hooks and melodic memorable choruses, very much like KELLY CLARCKSON meets a polished EVANESCENCE while trying to throw in some early 80s PAT BENATAR influences here and there and for the Dutch people among us a comparison to ANOUK (just listen to “I want that”) is also easy to make. Result: not original, but very catchy! Recommended to any fan of female fronted melodic rock and she is lucky to have the looks in becoming America’s next Idol! More info at: http://www.coriyarckin.com and http://www.myspace.com/coriyarckin (Points: 8.3 out of 10) A CD+DVD release of a band called FONY. No info further, but I assume this is a live release. Musically average Rockmusic with a very weak singer. No idea where these guys come from, but I was stunned to hear a crowd that actually enjoyed FONY, because they are musically sounding very average. Perhaps interesting for Alternative Rockfans… (Points: 1.5 out of 10) Although THE HELLACOPTERS claim Rock&Roll is dead, there are still
a lot of bands out there that play the kind of 60s/70s Rock’n’Roll. For
instance the New York based SOUR JAZZ, who sound a lot like THE STOOGES
in their heydays. Also ROLLING STONES comes to mind, but that might all
be due to the fact DANIEL REY produced the new SOUR JAZZ album. He
worked with RAMONES, IGGY POP and KEITH RICHARDS, so here we have a CD
that will definitely find it’s way to the fans of 60s Rock n Roll. They
have a very unique sounding lead singer, who sounds a lot like IGGY POP,
but even recalls JOHNNY ROTTEN sometimes. I think you now know exactly
what to expect from this SOUR JAZZ, basic Rock n Roll mixing 60s Garage
Rock with 70s UK Punkrock… It’s a shame the LION MUSIC come without any info, so I’ll keep this review short, as this Swedish (?) band delivers a nice Jazz/Fusion Instrumental CD. I believe this concerns a re-issue for the first time on CD of a legendary classic Progressive Rockalbum. However, I would not call this a prog release and maybe for the insiders it is a classic album, but I think it’s just a nice calmer relaxing laid-back instrumental Jazz/Fusion CD, so it should not be labelled as a prog release. However, if it really is a re-issue of an old record, then it definitely is interesting to check out if you’re a fan. (Points: 7.5 out of 10) It doesn’t happen everyday I review a band from Israel, because the Rock/Metal scene over there is very small, but here we have a band from Israel called SOLSTICE COIL. A band which is playing a sort of modern progressive rockstyle which combines influences from MARS VOLTA, KING CRIMSON and 70s GENESIS, so mixing the old prog, classic prog of the present day and modern progressive rock into an own exciting progstyle. They are not as good as that band from Syria I discussed recently, but nevertheless the CD shows there is talent in Israel, bands that actually play Progressive Rock. The long songs on the CD will not only attract the regular progfans, but also anyone into MARS VOLTA or even RADIOHEAD might like this a lot. A song like “Deep child” shows the high level this band is moving into, because this long epic progressive rock journey has a beautiful instrumental break with a very impressive guitar solo that has clear PINK FLOYD similarities. Definitely a band to check out if you call yourself an open-minded progrockfan. More info at: http://www.solstice.co.il shird@solstice.co.il (Points: 8.2 out of 10) It’s a pity that the sound quality of the mini-CD of New York based PYTHON is not that good, because musically we get to hear high class pre-1985 US Power Metal in the style of the very first couple of VIRGIN STEELE albums, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, ARMORED SAINT, METAL CHURCH, SAVATAGE, very early FATES WARNING… If this was 1985 these guys would have instantly been signed by either METAL BLADE or ROADRUNNER, because they sound like all the typical earlier 80s US Metal acts who later became well-known (not only the afforemention acts, but also METALLICA, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL etc, sounded back then like this band PYTHON sounds now). 6 songs are on this Mini-CD, of which ”The un-holy” sounds like an absolute Metal Classic from the good old 80s, but PYTHON is a new act, who recently signed to CHAVIS RECORDS, on which they will release their first full-length CD in the near future. To be continued… more info at: http://www.pythonband.com and e-mail at: general@pythonband.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) This Los Angeles based band is definitely a must-have for fans of DOGS D’AMOUR and QUIREBOYS, so what you get when listening to THE BLESSINGS is back-to-basic Rock n Roll like also THE ROLLING STONES made in their early years. This is actually the Rock n Roll which made CHUCK BERRY and LITTLE RICHARD popular in the first decade of Rock n Roll. 4 songs are on the mini-CD and I was informed the band is currently working on a full length CD for a label (BASEMENT BOY RECORDS), which will feature guest keyboardplayers from GUNS’N’ROSES, so we can expect more from THE BLESSINGS in the near future. In the meantime check out their site at: http://www.theblessingsweb.com and e-mail at: Jeremy@theBlessingsweb.com (Points: 7.8 out of 10) MIGGS ‘INSOMNIA’ (33RD STREET RECORDS) It’s good to see America welcome back strong melodies and catchy
hooks into their music, because since the Grunge arrived 10-15 years ago
it has been nothing but screaming and singing depressive, so without any
positive emotion. Happily, the past few years it seems melodies into
Rockmusic are necessary to get some attention. MIGGS from San Francisco
is a good example of a new band that is actually playing Melodic Rock.
The band has been a support act for rockbands like AEROSMITH and KID
ROCK, so they are not just another band. They will be compared musically
to acts like GOO GOO DOLLS (not a coincidence if you consider the fact
that producer of this band has also produced the MIGGS CD), MATCHBOX 20,
BARENAKED LADIES, etc. However, I think even the Melodic Rockfans will
like this band a lot, because they play their radio-ready melodic rock
at a high level with some really great hooks and memorable choruses,
even reminding of the FOR ABSENT FRIENDS record ‘The big room’ (if
anyone remembers that record). What I want to say that this band offers
some great modern AOR/Melodic Poprock in songs like “Suddenly
wonderful”, “Perfect”, “Everything is fine” (very catchy poprocker a la
THE CLICK FIVE, OUTFIELD, NELSON ‘Life’ and RICK SPRINGFIELD), “Be” and
“St. Rita” (with cool early 80s RICK SPRINGFIELD guitar riff). I just
don’t get it why boring bands like COLDPLAY are popular in the whole
world, while the much better melodic rock of mentioned bands only find
it’s home in the USA, because also this MIGGS proves that there is once
again light at the end of the tunnel for melodic rock. It sounds
different than 20 years ago when melodic rock was immense popular in The
States, but it surely seems like a revival of great classic melodic rock
in a modern approach. Better check out this band asap at:
http://www.miggsband.com and e-mail at:
inquiries@shamanentertainment.com
A mix between THE DONNAS and THE RUNAWAYS is what to expect when listening to the CD of the all-girl band GO BETTY GO. From start to finish it is non-stop catchy uptempo melodic punky poprock what we get to hear and without a doubt it is done very well. 12 songs can be found on ‘Nothing is more’, and if you like one you will love them all. The 37 minutes have passed by before you know it. Songs like “Saturday”, “I’m from LA”, “You want it all”, “Laugh again” and “Runaway” are instant winners for fans of THE DONNAS. Maybe the best song is the original “The pirate song” which has a very catchy chorus and adds some unusual elements (an accordion!). Definitely a band to check out if you’re a fan of female fronted acts (in this case – all girl band), s then better go the site of these rockin’ girls at: http://www.gobettygo.com and http://www.sideonedummy.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) The Swedish DOGPOUND returns with a new CD, which is definitely their strongest record so far. The band is playing very impressive Melodic Hardrock in the style of early HAREM SCAREM, GOTTHARD, DANGER DANGER, FIREHOUSE… The lead vocals are very good and together with a big sounding production the 12 tracks are sounding very sensational. This is the way Melodic Hardrock should sound like. Uptempo songs like “5 seconds away”, “Not by choice” (superb), “In another lifetime” (classic stuff), “Loaded my guns”, “P.P.F.” and “Worth the pain” are all very sensational Melodic Hardrockers. Better check it out asap if you call yourself a Melodic Hardrockfan! (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
The Swedish band LOCOMOTIVE BREATH has been on the scene for over a decade now, with every now and then a new CD release. The latest release ‘Change of track’ might well be their best effort so far. This album is filled with superb high quality music which is a mix of classic 80s Melodic Hardrock and traditional Melodic European Power Metal, kinda like a mix between TALISMAN and NOCTURNAL RITES. Their albums had a certain more groovy Hardrock approach, but with this new album it seems that LOCOMOTIVE BREATH has chosen for a more melodic tougher rock/metal sound, not far away actually from the classic ALLEN/LANDE delivered recently. Still the guitarwork is big and fat, adding that kinda touch a good strong melodic hardrock album needs to have. The mixture of heavy fat guitarwork, superb vocalwork a la JEFF SCOTT SOTO and strong melodic choruses (a la NOCTURNAL RITES) make this album a true winner for all fans of melodic rock/metal. Absolute highlights between the 13 included tracks are “Shadow” (fantastic), “What I’ve become” (superb), “Speed driven”, “Firestarter”, “Phyxius”, “Kingdom of tragedy” and “I’ll be fighting”. Most of the songs are uptempo and without a doubt this time bandleader of LOCOMOTIVE BREATH (and Swedish Rock/Metal guru) JANNE STARK has delivered a masterpiece in the Swedish Rock/Metal genre, so better check it out asap! (Points: 8.9 out of 10) The German True Metalband GUN BARREL return with a new CD, on which they sound like a perfect mix between RUNNING WILD and GRAVE DIGGER, yet somehow better at times, due to the incredible high level of musicianship, but also the will to come up with nothing but strong True Metal songs. Comparisons to MANOWAR and MAJESTY are also not out of place here. Basically this CD is from start to finish a True Metal adventure featuring 12 songs to sing-a-long to, some of which are sounding like anthems a fan of MANOWAR will absolutely love. The band’s singer has that typical German raw voice which is perfectly suitable for this type of Metal. Songs like “Dear Mr. Devil”, “Down and dirty”, “The fallen one” and “On the road again” will be loved by any fan of True Metal. Needless to say, fans of mentioned bands should hurry and buy this new GUN BARREL CD instantly! (Points: 8.4 out of 10) Out of nowhere comes the Finnish band SOUL RELIC. Their CD is not really sounding original, because it all sounds a lot like HIM. However, the CD sounds really impressive, due to the fact the included songs are most of the time sensational. The dark melodic goth rock sometimes sounds just like a normal melodic rockband, so I can easily recommend SOUL RELIC to any Melodic Rock fan out there, but I guess I already made that clear when comparing them to HIM. Of course HIM is an easy comparison and despite the fact that SOUL RELIC is not original I must once again admit their CD is a really sensational record. Uptempo melodic rockers like “Hollow craving”, “Down on my path”, “Kiss of a saint”, “Still breathing” and “Tears are home” are all superb examples of how well this band really sounds. I can imagine this band will make it big in Finland, but if only HIM had not paved the way for them, the success could have been bigger. Nevertheless, whether they are a HIM copycat or not, the CD of SOUL RELIC is a very impressive Melodic (Goth) Rock CD with a strong commercial approach. (Points: 8.8 out of 10) Almost 30 years ago back in time a female fronted band called 1994 was formed out of the ashes of another female fronted act called LA JETS. Lead singer of both bands was KAREN LAWRENCE, who had an incredibly strong voice combining the best of ANN/NANCY WILSON and PAT BENATAR. The 2 records she recorded with 1994 were very impressive Hard Rockalbums that are true underground cult classics, just like for example TANTRUM. At the time 1994 was definitely one of the heavier female fronted bands out there and despite a lot of promotional activities with even producer JACK DOUGLAS of AEROSMITH fame backing the band fully (production and he was also married with Karen) and touring with AEROSMITH and CHEAP TRICK, the band never got a really big break. The band’s debut album from 1978 is now however finally re-issued onto CD, with the addition of 4 unreleased bonustracks from a live recording of the same year. This is definitely a very impressive re-issue, because it has never been available on CD. Besides, just like any other release on ROCK CANDY RECORDS this is all done very carefully, so a remastering of the original 9 tracks to make it sound perfect and extensive written liner notes and pictures of the band included in the artwork/cd sleeves. If we then have a look at the CD itself with the original music I can truly say this was a gem filled with high class female fronted Hardrock. Songs like “Once again”, “Heleana”, “Sing to me” and “Anastasia” are all winners if bands like VXN, HEART, TANTRUM are in your collection. A wonderful re-issue, which is hopefully followed by the re-issue of the band’s 2nd album as well as maybe LA JETS and the solo stuff from Karen, which saw her moving into an AOR/Poprock affair. (Points: 8.6 out of 10) In the early 80s the New York based band PLASMATICS was a true shocking Heavy Metalband with a female fronted singer (WENDY O. WILLIAMS) who on stage was one of the most dangerous women on the planet. After a concert people were talking about it for days with everything she had done during the gig. The band played a mix of Punk and Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), ending up sounding like a female fronted version of MOTORHEAD. The 80s saw Wendy releasing a bunch of records with PLASMATICS and also solo, but the 90s were a very quiet period and more recently, she died at the age of 48. 2005 brings the very first re-issue of her PLASMATICS period, because ROCK CANDY RECORDS re-issued the album ‘Coup D’etat’ onto CD, with the addition of 4 bonustracks. Sound quality is perfect and just like every other re-issue of ROCK CANDY RECORDS, also this release gets a full package, so a complete story on Wendy along with some sexy pictures of her in action can be found in the CD booklet. Anyone who liked this band will absolutely love this re-issue and I guess you can say before there was WASP or even MARILYN MANSON there was PLASMATICS… (Points: 8.2 out of 10) Death Metal from Sweden, despite the fact some of the Progmetalgenre make an appearance, such as DAN SWANO who produced the record and EVERGREY bassist Michael Hakans. They already released 3 albums before this new CD, but I am afraid it’s only interesting for the Death Metal fans. (Points: - ) A very strong release from the Isle of Crete, Greece. The band is called EVENT X HORIZON and they play typical Euro Power Metal in the style of BLIND GUARDIAN, HAMMERFALL, NOCTURNAL RITES, SAVAGE CIRCUS… The vocalwork is very strong and al included songs sound very impressive, really close to aforementioned bands. Especially BLIND GUARDIAN comes to mind a lot of times, but EVENT X HORIZON is not just a copycat, because they showcase something of a very high level on this mini-CD, which sadly only lasts about 31 minutes. Nevertheless, songs like “Far across the wasteland”, “Volunteer”, “Sailing away” and “Leaving behind” are instant winners for fans of traditional Melodic (Power) Metal. “Leaving behind” even sounds like a classic tune, starting very calm before drifting into high class Melodic Power Metal. There is also a video track on the CD as well as some exclusive wallpapers. Definitely a must-have for fans of Melodic Power Metal in the style of ICED EARTH, BLIND GUARDIAN… More info at: http://www.eventhorizonx.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) If only HAMMERFALL had not been there, then this DREAMLAND CD would have been one of the best Metal releases of 2005! However, if HAMMERFALL had not existed, DREAMLAND would not have released this CD, because they were helped a lot by JOACIM CANS of HAMMERFALL. Together with ANDY LAROQUE the band was able to get a record deal and release this CD. Don’t get me wrong here, what we get to hear on the debut CD of the Swedish band DREAMLAND is of a very high level, perfect Melodic Metal with awesome vocalwork. It’s just that it sounds so much like HAMMERFALL you can easily call DREAMLAND a copycat. Happily, they do it very well and therefore I need to give them a high rating, because after all this band is as good as HAMMERFALL, DREAM EVIL and NOCTURNAL RITES, whom together rule the waves of the Swedish Melodic Metal scene. 13 songs are included and the best ones are “A new way”, “Breaking the chains”, “Die slowly” (awesome!), “Dreamland” (very fast) and “A new dimension”. Other notable songs are the STRYPER cover “All for one” (done in HAMMERFALL style) and the calmer ballad “Fade away” (radio-ready if you ask me, with a very impressive guest female singer and a sound close to WITHIN TEMPTATION, but just this song of course!). Anyway, concluded, zero originality, but still an awesome Melodic Metal release that will be loved by fans of HAMMERFALL, NOCTURNAL RITES, DREAM EVIL… (Points: 8.7 out of 10) Another legendary Southern Rockband with a CD re-issue. Lately the interest in this kind of underrated music has been going strong with re-issues of BLACKFOOT and MOLLY HATCHET. Now it’s time to re-introduce DOC HOLLIDAY, a Southern Hardrockband from the early 80s whom released a couple of very interesting albums that easily reached the high level of the most well-known bands in this genre (LYNYRD SKYNYRD, 38 SPECIAL, ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, MARSHALL TUCKER BAND, ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION…). Originally released in the early 80s, ‘Doc Holliday rides again’ was the 2nd album of this band, whom had legendary producer TOM ALLOM (JUDAS PRIEST, PAT TRAVERS…) co-producing some of the songs on this album, which has now been re-issued onto CD by ROCK CANDY RECORDS. Together with an extensive written story behind DOC HOLLIDAY and Southern Rock in general in the included CD booklet as well as the addition of 2 unreleased bonustracks (both covers), this is another high quality CD release in the series of re-issues by the label. What we can hear is some high quality music as well, wit such fantastic songs like “Good boy gone bad”, “Southern man” and “Lonesome guitar”, all high class Southern Hardrocksongs. Especially “Lonesome guitar” is a true classic with it’s stunning chorus and beautiful twin-guitarwork. Also the AXE type of hardrocker “Hot rod” and the FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS laid-back semi AORish ballad “Don’t stop loving me” should be mentioned. The only minor points are the weaker “Let me be your lover” and “Doin’ it again”, but in general speaking this re-issue is a must-have for any fan of BLACKFOOT, MOLLY HATCHET, THE OUTLAWS, HENRY PAUL BAND, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND and all those other Southern Rockbands from the 70s… (Points: 8.5 out of 10) The legendary Canadian band CONEY HATCH already had a re-issue of their debut album not that long ago, in fact I had actually bought that re-issue quite cheaply in Stockholm recently. However, this new re-issue is an official remastered re-issue by ROCK CANDY RECORDS, which comes along with extensive liner notes and pics in the CD booklet as well as 3 unreleased bonustracks (“Dreamland”, “Where I draw the line” and “Sin after sin”). The music remains to be high class Melodic Hardrock that fits in nicely between DOKKEN, TRIUMPH and ALDO NOVA with an AC/DC beat backing them up. Songs like “You ain’t got me”, “Hey operator”, “We got the night” and “Victim of rock” are all wonderful uptempo melodic rockers with the awesome lead vocals of CARL DIXON and pumping bass of ANDY CURRAN (his lead vocals are clearly weaker than Carl’s), both whom started a solo career after the split of CONEY HATCH in the later 80s. 23 years after it’s release you can definitely hear this was a product of the early 80s, but it still sounds like an undiscovered gem of classic Melodic Hardrock, which is now officially available on CD by ROCK CANDY RECORDS. (Points: 8.3 out of 10) German Power Metal at its very best is the conclusion when listening to the new album of GALLOGLASS. The band continues the style they created on their previous album from a few years ago, which means mostly straight-forward uptempo Melodic Power Metal with raw vocals and choruses to sing a long. Think of a mix between HELLOWEEN and PRIMAL FEAR, then you’re close to GALLOGLASS. 11 songs are included and if we have a closer look, the best songs are “Dawn of a new age”, “Signs” and “Kings who die”. Maybe not truly original, it is definitely a CD to own if you’re a fan of the typical German Power Metal genre. (Points: 8.3 out of 10) Black Metal sung in German doesn’t happen too often, but it did happen when I put on the CD of the band NEGATOR. End of message… (Points: - ) BIG COCK is a band from Arizona and features a couple well-known musicians, such as guitarist DAVID MICHAEL PHILIPS (KING KOBRA) and vocalist ROBERT MASON (). Back to the glorious fun 80s is what this BIG COCK is all about. The band is playing most of the time high class mid 80s LA Glam Metal in the style of WASP, CRUE, GNR, KEEL… but sometimes the band throws in a little 80s aor/poprocker a la JOHN PARR, JOHN WAITE, RICK SPRINGFIELD such as “Carrie’s in love”. However like I said we get to hear a lot of mid 80s straight-forward good old uptempo tough Hardrock a la ICON, KEEL, RATT, WASP on songs like “Mean street machine”, “Take it off” (very much sounding like COBRA!), “I want it all” and “You suck the love out of me”. An album to check out if you’re a 80s Hair Metal freak! More info at: http://www.bigcockrocks.com and e-mail at: henzerheap@cox.net (Points: 8.2 out of 10) Not original, but still very impressive is what we can conclude after hearing the 3 tracks of the CD of the Californian band 3 FACED. The band features a former member of THE UNION UNDERGROUND, a band which had a Gold record on Sony in the USA not that long ago. Guitarist of that band (Patrick Kennison) however quit the band, moved to Hollywood where he met a very young (18 years now!) female singer called Jade Russell with whom he formed the band 3 FACED, in which we can also find drummer Duncan Black and bassist Marty O’Brien (DISTURBED/TOMMY LEE). All together a nice package and indeed the 3 songs on the CD of 3 FACES sound fresh and modern, but still very melodic, sounding like a cross between EVANESCENCE and KELLY CLARCKSON, so radio-hit-ready if you ask me. Especially the song “Make believe” is a fantastic catchy little tune. The songs are short and really focused around the (awesome) lead vocals of the female singer as well as a deadly catchy chorus, so it probably will have a big break somewhere soon. Check out 3 FACED at: http://www.3-faced.com and listen to their songs at: http://www.myspace.com/3faced (Points: 8.3 out of 10) LELIO PADOVANI ‘THE BIG PICTURE’ (INDEPENDENT) An Italian multi-instrumentalist with a very impressive CD release. Lelio is however at first a great guitarplayer which can be heard on his CD ‘The big picture’, which features high class relaxing instrumental guitar orientated hardrock. Similarities to VAI and SATRIANI are of course easy to make on the 8 included songs. Lelio is a talented musician, who clearly shows he is able to make good music on his own, but you always wonder how it would suit with a vocalist on it. Fans of instrumental music however should check out Lelio’s website at: http://www.leliopadovani.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) Raw Punky Rock n Roll is what we get to hear on the 10 songs of the CD of the US band CHARLEY HORSE. The band features former members of THE CRAMPS and NASHVILLE PUSSY, so we should actually call this Horror Rock, but I’ll keep it on typical Rock n Roll the New York way, which means a sound close to DICTATORS, THE STOOGES, NEW YORK DOLLS. It sounds a bit uninspiring at times, yet the positive vibe is the BILLY IDOL type of material which can also be heard. However, with a playing time of only 31 minutes and a lot of average material this is not a highly recommended CD at all. Only for die-hard fans! (Points: 6.0 out of 10) EYESTRINGS ‘CONSUMPTION’ (SPLIT DIFFERENCES) It’s hard to be original in the Progressive Rockscene, but the US band EYESTRINGS definitely is an interesting band with original ideas. The band is playing your typical Progressive Rock, yet with an own identity not heard before. EYESTRINGS’s sound is dark (low vocals, a bit depressing and even Goth like!), edgy (awesome guitarwork), epic (long songs) and still melodic at times when necessary. The band is mixing classic Progressive Rock with Psychedelic Rock influences and updates it for today’s standards. Their 2nd CD ‘Consumption’ is definitely a strong release, just listen to a song like “Valid for a week”, which is a mix between FLOWER KINGS, ECHOLYN and RIVERSIDE. But actually all included songs are along the same lines as that track, which means a very calm start before eventually reaching a climax in which strong melodies are mixed with Psychedelic tones. I am quite impressed by this band and I am sure any Progrockfan will absolute love this band! More info at: http://www.eyestrings.com and e-mail at: band@eyestrings.com (Points: 8.1 out of 10) I am not sure, because any additional info escapes me on this release, but I believe this was a band featuring the singer of PASSION STREET, the wonderful AOR band from the UK with only one release 10 years ago. Anyway, BRAVE NEW WORLD’s material has already been released independently a few years ago, but now under LION MUSIC it gets another chance. Good move by LION MUSIC, because the BRAVE NEW WORLD CD is filled with high class Melodic Rock in typical British style (a la FM) from start to finish. A definite highlight is the wonderful uptempo melodic rocker “All the heroes”. Without a doubt a very strong release which might be new for some, might be old for some… (Points: 8.5 out of 10) Not much info on this band, but INTANGIBLE hail from California and their debut (?) CD ‘Elevate’ starts very promising with a strong original song titled “Lean” that combines 80s Melodic Rock and Progrock with modern elements and has a very catchy chorus, kinda like DEF LEPPARD/WHITE LION vocal lines/hooks mixed with the instrumental sound of a band like CREED. Happily, the 10 tracks that follow are in the same kinda style, so what we have here is a great strong impressive Melodic Rockalbum that has a modern approach, although it captures the spirit of the old classic style. Highlights besides the opening track are “Anything real”, “Release”, “Brown” (very catchy) and “These around you”. An original album which is melodic enough to be welcomed by the more open-minded prog and melodic rockfans. More info on this band at: http://www.intangiblemusic.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) The legendary (can I say this, I suppose so if you consider the man’s past) LARS ERIC MATTSSON returns once again with a new album. This time it’s an instrumental release situated round Lars’ guitarplaying, Of course it’s all done very well, but the question is if somebody is really waiting for another instrumental release. I think Lars has done some good stuff in the past, but this is just another solo album that is only worth checking out if you’re a die-hard instrumental freak. (Points: 7.3 out of 10) American guitarist IAIN ASHLEY HERSEY returns with a new CD titled ‘The holy grail’. It’s his 2nd and this time we can hear singers like GRAHAM BONNETT (Rainbow/ MSG / Alcatrazz), David ‘Swan” Montgomery (Led ZepAgain), Randy Williams and Carsten “Lizard” Schulz. Musically it is prime time heavy Bluesy Hardrock in a classic rock format, with passionate soulful vocals and groovy guitar riffs, ending up sounding like a mix between LED ZEPPELIN, GLENN HUGHES, RAINBOW and JEFF SCOTT SOTO. Besides vocal songs, there are also some instrumentals on the CD, but it all sounds pretty impressive. Songs like “Blood of kings”, “In the light”, “To the sea” and “Empty planet” are very strong bluesy Classic Hardrocksongs in the style of mentioned acts, but the absolute highlights are “Blink of an eye” (very strong semi midtempo AOR ballad) and “Lost and foolish” (JADED HEART type of midtempo Melodic Hardrock), all with very strong lead vocals and classic guitarwork. I guess if you like STUART SMITH or RITCHIE BLACKMORE this is something for you to check out. (Points: 8.3 out of 10) Together with some well-known names from the Finnish Rock and Metalscene (including STRATOVARIUS members) CHILDREN OF BODOM keyboardplayer Janne Warman has a new CD out under his side-project WARMEN. The music on the CD is typical Finnish Melodic (Power) Metal with the typical STRATO/SONATA movements, which means a mix of catchy melodic uptempo tunes and midtempo bombasticness, so nothing that new is brought on this disc, but due to the fact it’s all done very well it is an easy target for the fans of this genre. Therefore songs like “Invisible power” and “Lying Delilah” are easy winners for STRATOVARIUS fans and not just because TIMO KOTIPELTO sings a few songs on this album, but the whole style of the record is similar. Surprisingly the best song is “They all blame me”, a beautiful haunting semi ballad with very strong female vocals. Digging in the info on the internet learns that it is sung by Jonna Kosonen (?), a vocalist who is very popular in Finland as part of an act called NYLON BEAT, with whom she reached the 3rd place on the National Song Contest years ago, but I am afraid outside Finland nobody has ever heard of her, which is a shame, because this female vocalist can truly sing marvellous. Anyway, this CD will be one to check out if you’re a fan of STRATO/SONATA, although with a few exceptions (like that “They all blame me” song) it is not a sensational CD at all… (Points: 7.9 out of 10) ANGEL KNIGHT ‘RAGE OF ANGELS’ (WARCRY) ANGEL KNIGHT hail from Greece and they play True Metal. 5 songs are on their debut CD and if you’re into classic 80s Metal this is something worth checking out, although the CD has a limited edition of 1500 copies. Instrumental very good, but vocally a bit disappointing, because it’s not that strong. That doesn’t mean you should avoid ANGEL KNIGHT, because they can surely play classic 80s Metal. Go check it out for yourself at their label’s site at: http://www.warcry.gr (Points: 7.3 out of 10) It doesn’t happen too often for a guitarist to have IAN GILLAN sing on his record. In this case British guitarist DEAN HOWARD has released a CD titled ‘Volume one’, on which IAN GILLAN of DEEP PURPLE sings on 1 song. The other songs are sung by other lead vocalists, but still with such a big name on your record DEAN HOWARD already gets attention from the press. The song itself is a nice groovy Hardrocksong and actually the whole CD has that groovy Hardrock riff mixed with slightly depressive bluesy vocals. It does sound modern and retro at the same time. Coincidence or not, but the best song is definitely the IAN GILLAN sung “Smokescreen”. More info on Dean at: http://www.dean-howard.info and e-mail at: deanohoward@yahoo.co.uk (Points: 8.1 out of 10) This album is filled with great 80s type of Melodic Rock, despite the fact it is sung in Italian, because that’s where this band is coming from and like we have seen in the past, bands from Italy prefer to sing in their own language. No problem as long as the music rocks and is melodic enough, which is happily the case with this band. Similarities to DHAMM are pretty easy to make, but ARACNOFOBIA are a tad heavier and probably also a bit more serious. The melodies are very strong and especially the fact the band has a very good emotional lead singer (Domenico Cirianni) is making ARACNOFOBIA an interesting band to check out. An uptempo melodic rocker like “Mi stai simpatico” or a ballad like “Saro migliore” show that we should keep our eyes open for this band. Recommended to Melodic Rockfans who don’t mind the Italian language barrier. More info at: http://www.videoradio.org (Points: 8.2 out of 10) Melodic Rocker PHIL VINCENT returns with a new CD and like every other release he has done in the past we can hear classic 80s type of AOR/Melodic Rocker like a mix between DOKKEN and STAN BUSH. It’s good to see someone holding on to his rockstyle, because in 10 years Phil never changed and always delivered great records. Also ‘Unknown origin’ is a strong AOR/Melodic Rockalbum. Best songs of the 12 included are “Never gonna let you go”, “Make no mistake”, “Shotgun messiah” and “Fatal love” (bloody awesome song!). Although Phil is able to do everything on his own, which he also did a few times in the past, he was helped by a couple other musicians for the guitars, bass and drums and even let someone else (guitarist PAUL COLOMBO) co-produce the album. No effect on the music style, because after all, this is another great melodic rockalbum recommended to fans of 80s DOKKEN, NORWAY, TEER, DANGER DANGER… More info at: http://www.philvincent.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) The Australian Melodic Metalband is no more, because DUNGEON recently split up, which is a damn shame, because they were after all the best Metalband ever to hail from Australia. I guess it runs in the family over there, because 2 of the best Aussie AOR bands ever also were only able to release 1 CD (ROXUS and SAFIRE), so I guess only the AC/DC type of clones survive (ROSE TATTOO for example). Anyway, ‘Resurrection’ is not a new CD of the band, because they released their official final CD earlier this year (‘One step beyond’). This new CD release is a re-release of their debut, which was only available as Australian/Japanese Import I believe. It is sort of a farewell CD to the European fans. I hope that leader of the band (LORD TIM) will continue making the same kind of Melodic Metal as DUNGEON in a new band because otherwise we will lose an important talent from down under. This re-release by the way does not contain the original album release, but is a re-recorded version, so it is interesting for all DUNGEON fans out there, not just the European fans! This is Melodic Metal at it’s very best, especially on songs like “Paradise”, “Fight”, “Time to die” and “The legend of huma” (a fantastic midtempo epic piece), so why on earth does the MAIDEN from Down Under have to split up? (Points: 8.6 out of 10) SKYSCRAPER exists almost twenty years, but this is their first release. For example in the eighties they supported VIPER, the former band of ANDRE MATOS. After hearing this record it is really unbelievable that in all these years they never got signed by a label. They have a great singer who sounds like a cross between MICHAEL KISKE and TONY HARNELL, also the music goes into that direction, which means HELLOWEEN meets TNT. Sometimes they throw in a few progressive breaks and some hard rock riffs. The two ohrwormer “Anguish” and “Forever under lies” alone are worth it buying this record! (Points: 8.8 out of 10) Another Brazilian band playing high quality Progressive Metal. This time a band that is more sounding like VANDEN PLAS than DREAM THEATER, which is usually the band to inspire Brazilian bands. This is due to the fact that their songs are more song orientated with strong melodies a la VANDENPLAS instead of the very complex structures of DREAM THEATER. They have delivered a strong record, but I think it will disappear in the big amount of releases. (Points: 8.5 out of 10) Semi-instrumental classic Italo Progressive Rock is what we get to hear on the debut CD of the Italian band CHIAVE DI VOLTA. Comparisons to PFM, LE ORME, and BANCO DI GAIA are therefore not out of place. This means the result is long instrumental passages in which there’s a lot of space for keyboards and melodic guitarwork. In total 6 long songs are included on the CD, which was by the way released on LIZAD RECORDS. Definitely a CD to check out if you’re a fan of classic Italo prog, but also IQ or PENDRAGON fans will find something of interest in this CHIAVE DI VOLTA. More info at: http://www.chiavedivolta.org and e-mail at: info@chiavedivolta.org (Points: 8.0 out of 10) After the breakthrough of THE DARKNESS in the UK it was only a matter of time young new UK bands would follow and play the same kind of Hardrock. Happily, TOKYO DRAGONS left out the high false screams of THE DARKNESS, but that doesn’t mean this band is so much better, because actually the 11 included songs go in one ear and out the other. It gives you the idea this CD is more like a cash-in to reach the same success as THE DARKNESS, but we all have heard it a thousand times better in the past. What these guys are doing is playing straight-forward no-nonsense Hardrock like so many other bands did and still do, especially referring to the early 80s NWOBHM movement. It’s not that this is bad CD, because after all, it is a good thing to finally see new UK bands playing Classic Hardrock, but the fact remains that besides a huge sound (thanks to Pedro Ferreria (The Darkness "Permission To Land") at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales), this CD offers nothing but standard late 70s Hardrock which has been done much better in the past. Only a must if you thought THE DARKNESS was the best thing that ever happened to you, because other wise I can instead recommend you to check out all those early 80s NWOBHM from the past who didn’t stood a chance back then, because TOKYO DRAGONS is nowhere better than those acts. (Points: 7.8 out of 10) Legendary New York based band from the 1970s make a return. The band around ROSS THE BOSS (ex-MANOWAR) releases their comeback CD ‘Viva dictators’, which sounds like if nothing has changed since the late 1970s, because what we get to hear is catchy late 70s punky New York Rock n Roll which towards the end of the album starts to sound like Oi! Punkrock. In fact I thought I was listening to THE BUSINESS at one point during the 17 included tracks on the CD. Definitely a great CD, must-have for fans of the THE DICTATORS, but also any Punk, Rock and Roll and Oi! Fan will like this new DICTATORS CD. Highlights are songs like “New York, New York”, “Master race rock”, “Weekend”, “Pussy and money” and “Who will save rock&roll”, but actually all songs go in a similar style, which is a mix of Oi!, Punk and Rock&Roll packed in rather short tunes, so you now know what to expect from this release. (Points: 8.1 out of 10) Very aggressive Thrash Metal with Black Metal growls is what to expect from the CD of the US (?) band BEYOND THE FLESH. (Points: -) Another Black/Death/Extreme-Metal CD in the shape of the 2nd CD of the US band DRAGONLOR, the band around Eric Peterson (TESTAMENT). Recorded and mixed at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden, so big sound, only the melodies are missing and it’s basically non-stop making as much noise as possible, so only for the fans of the most Extreme Metal. (Points: - ) WET ANIMAL is a new band featuring Rick Wartell and Jeff "Oly" Olson from legendary Chicago Doom Metalband TROUBLE. With WET ANIMAL they enter a slightly more classic 80s Melodic Metal sound with heavy Bluesrock influences, which sounds pretty good, although it still is far from sensational. 9 songs are included and with this WET ANIMAL I would make comparisons to BADLANDS, BLUE MURDER… It’s a good clean album which is a nice one to listen to, but it never gets really sensational, so basically an album to check out if you’re a die-hard fan of groovy bluesy Melodic Metal and perhaps the TROUBLE fans out there might want to hear this WET ANIMAL too. (Points: 8.0 out of 10) Almost 30 years ago the first couple of Punkbands were formed in Blackpool, UK and now there is a compilation available which concerns the period 1977-2005 featuring nothing but Punkrockbands from Blackpool. The good thing about this CD is that it gives you an idea that there have always been quality Punkbands from that city in the UK. From each decade bands have been drawn and all together we can hear 27 songs on 1 CD. Best bands are SKREWDRIVER, MALE MODELS, KENNETH TURNER SET, ONE WAY SYSTEM, ANTISOCIAL, THE FITS and from more recent, where the band start to either go into an Emo/Punky Poprock style or just play plain Rock I need to mention bands like SHRINK, THEE TRANSMISSIONS and CHANG. Definitely a worthy compilation CD for the Punk/Rock&Roll fans among s whom would like to discover the Blackpool scene from the past decades, although with 8 bands from the 2000s it also gives you an idea of the current scene over there. More info at: http://www.jsntgm.com (Points: - ) New band or should we call this a new project, because CREOZOTH is featuring lead guitarist Lars Johansson and drummer Jan Lindh from Candlemass. The sound is huge and also musically we have something interesting here, but that’s not a surprise because most of the Swedish Metal nowadays is sensational. I am not calling this a sensational release, but the general feeling is really good. It has absolutely nothing to do with CANDLEMASS musically, because what CREOZOTH is doing is pure Melodic (Power) Metal in the style of BLIND GUARDIAN, ICED EARTH, BRAINSTORM, NOCTURNAL RITES, so typical European traditional Melodic Power Metal with raw vocals, although there’s also a slight touch of 80s METALLICA, DEATH ANGEL and TESTAMENT to be heard here and there. 13 songs are included and without a doubt, this is a CD which should be checked out if you’re a fan of heavy Power Metal with raw vocals. A quality CD, not as sensational as mentioned bands, but still too good to pass by without having a listen. (Points: 8.2 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
THE CLICK FIVE ‘GREETINGS FROM IMRIE
HOUSE’ (LAVA RECORDS)
VISION DIVINE ‘THE PERFECT MACHINE’
(SCARLET RECORDS)
CORI YARCKIN ‘RINGING IN MY HEAD’ (SEE WHY
RECORDS) 
GO BETTY GO ‘NOTHING IS MORE’ (SIDE ONE
DUMMY RECORDS) 
DOGPOUND ‘A NIGHT IN THE GUTTER’ (LION
MUSIC/BERTUS) 
LOCOMOTIVE BREATH ‘CHANGE OF TRACK’ (LION
MUSIC/BERTUS) 
SOUL RELIC ‘LOVE IS A LIE WE BOTH
BELIEVED’ (SPINEFARM RECORDS/BERTUS) 
1994 ‘1994’ (ROCK CANDY RECORDS/UNIVERSAL
MUSIC) 
PLASMATICS ‘COUP D’ETAT’ (ROCK CANDY
RECORDS/UNIVERSAL) 
DREAMLAND ‘FUTURE’S CALLING’
(DOCKYARD/ROCK INC) 
DOC HOLLIDAY ‘DOC HOLLIDAY RIDES AGAIN…’
(ROCK CANDY RECORDS/UNIVERSAL) 
CONEY HATCH ‘CONEY HATCH’ (ROCK CANDY
RECORDS/UNIVERSAL) 
GALLOGLASS ‘HEAVENSEEKER’ (LIMB
MUSIC/BERTUS) 
3 FACED ‘3 FACED’ (WARNER BROS RECORDS)
BRAVE NEW WORLD ‘MONSTERS’ (LION
MUSIC/BERTUS) 
PHIL VINCENT ‘UNKNOWN ORIGIN’
(INDEPENDENT) 
DUNGEON ‘RESURRECTION’ (LIMB MUSIC)
SKYSCRAPER ‘TV LIZATION’ (HELLION RECORDS)