 THE
GATHERING ‘HOME’ (THE END RECORDS/SANCTUARY MUSIC)
THE GATHERING is one of the most influential bands from the past 15 years. They started as a Death Metalband, but evolved into a newly created genre, which especially the last couple of years has been labelled as Gothic Metal. Maybe bands like WITHIN TEMPTATION, EVANESCENCE, AFTER FOREVER, NIGHTWISH… would not have been there if THE GATHERING had not created this new genre in the middle of the 1990s. Nevertheless, the band remains a sort of underground cult band, which is huge, but they are definitely not a commercial band like WITHIN TEMPTATION has become in recent years. Ever since female lead singer Anneke Van Giersbergen joined the band for the album 'Mandylion', the band switched to a Gothic Doom Metalstyle which would become the big break for the band, not just in their home native The Netherlands, but also elsewhere, such as in Chile where their song 'Liberty Bell' was a single, backed by daily rotation on Chile's MTV channel, that broke into the national single top twenty chart. The following years the band released a few more albums, but saw them moving into a more experimental pop/rock orientated style. However, their new album ‘Home’ is their strongest record in years, mixing the old style of Gothic Rock with some Metal riffs, Experimental Pop rhythms and some (yes you read that well) slightly commercial pop/rock melodies (especially in the first song and single “Shortest Day”, which could well become a big hit!). Live on stage and in the studio it’s almost 2 completely different bands, because if you have witnessed a concert of THE GATHERING you will agree that this band likes to jam a lot and bring you in a sort of trance, while their records seem to sound a bit more polished. This new CD ‘Home’ is by far their most radiofriendly record, which of course is not a bad thing at all, as THE GATHERING offers some really strong material nevertheless, this time in the shape of Track Listing “Shortest Day”, “In Between” and “Your Troubles Are Over”. During the album the band experiments like in the past few years, but it all sounds a bit more friendly and well, the band seems to have a sound now which could appeal to many different music fans, because the diversity is huge inside THE GATHERING’s music. Live this is even stronger, but also their new studio-album shows the diversity, although the Metal influences are a bit lost on this new record. However, even regular Pop Music fans of the ENYA/TORI AMOS kind might like this record a lot, while the melodies of some of the songs are even interesting for the melodic rockfan, while the complicated structures then might be nice to hear for a progfan. Concluded, another strong record from THE GATHERING, which actually should become huge in the USA, because they now play the kind of female fronted rock that is very common in the USA, so who knows what will happen next for one of the most influential bands for female fronted rockmusic the past 15 years. (Points: 8.4 out of 10) WALTARI ‘BLOOD SAMPLE’ (BLUE LIGHT RECORDS/DOCKYARD1/ROCK INC) Founded as far back as in 1986, Helsinki's WALTARI is one of Finland's best known Rock exports alongside STRATOVARIUS, HIM, NIGHTWISH, LORDI and a few other acts. The band has released many records the past 15 years and most of them are quite successful. Their new CD is titled 'Blood Sample' and once again it shows this band does not like to be put in one certain music direction, because they take something from every possible Metal genre, while adding some other music genres in between. Some might see this as really interesting, but at one point this band just goes too far and loses control of it’s own material. Despite a few really great melodic catchy uptempo heavy rockers (akin to Power Metal) such as “Too Much Emptiness”, “Never”, “New York” and ‘Not Enough”, some nice HIM Gothic songs like “Helsinki” and “Aching eyes”, the second part of the CD shows such a diversity in music genres it sometimes is barely listenable, because songs like “I’m in pain” and “All Roads Will Lead To Rome” with it’s Rap influences, the Industrial RAMMSTEIN metal version of SKID ROW in “Fly Into The Light”, the breakbeat Rapdance in “Back To The Audio” and the crazy fast Black Metal of “Exterminator Warheads” may easily be forgotten as they are absolutely of no interest for real rock and metal fans. Just like the previous WALTARI albums, the band once again offers a mix of nice traditional Melodic Metal and super experimental music. Probably most interesting if you like the more extreme Metal such as SYSTEM OF A DOWN and RAMMSTEIN. (Points: 7.7 out of 10) VANISHING POINT ‘IN THOUGHT’ (DOCKYARD1/ROCK INC) Last year the Australian band VANISHING POINT released it’s strongest record ‘Embrace the silence’, which turned out to be one of the strongest releases in 2005 in the Progressive Metal scene. I still play songs like “Somebody save me”, “If only I’ and “Once a believer” quite often, as the band proofed to finally have found their own identity. Nevertheless, the band had already released 2 albums before this 2005 CD release and now their label DOCKYARD 1 has re-released the band’s debut ‘In Thought', which originally was released on Angular Music. The album dates back to 1997 and you can clearly hear the band wasn’t as strong as last year’s 3rd CD ‘In thought’. Although songs “The Only One”, “In Company Of Darkness” and “A Memory” are good Melodic Progressive Metalsongs, the material on this debut album from the band can not be compared with the sensational 3rd record ‘Embrace the silence’, so for God’s sake if you don’t own that album better get it first before even thinking purchasing this re-release, which then again is a must if you’re a fan of the band, because as bonus 2 videoclips have been included. (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
A new so-called supergroup has released a CD, which is indeed also very impressive, which is not always the case when a bunch of well-seasoned musicians come together to make a record. However, POWER PROJECT with the dinosaurs JEFF PILSON (DOKKEN) on bass, CARLOS CAVAZO (QUIET RIOT) on guitars, VINNY APPICE (BLACK SABBATH, DIO) on drums and CARL SENTANCE (ex-KROKUS/PERSIAN RISK) on vocals in the line-up do make a big impression with their first album ‘Dinosaurs’. The music these 4 musicians produce on the CD is high quality pure 1980s Melodic Classic Hardrock/Metal which sounds like a mix between RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, LEATHERWOLF and FIFTH ANGEL. Vocally very strong and instrumental sounding perfect in a Classic Hardrock format. Among the highlights are uptempo melodic heavy rockers like “Mind control”, “Dinosaurs” and “Welcome to tomorrow’s little world” that all sound like RAINBOW meets FIFTH ANGEL and the epic semi-ballad/rocker like “Shadows”, but if you like slow TONY MARTIN/BLACK SABBATHish songs then you should go for “Boats of despair” and “Zombies”. Whatever you like, this is an essential release if you want to hear how Classic Hardrock should sound in 2006! More info at: http://www.powerzonerecords.com (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
Yet another sensational Brazilian metal release. The band is called PERPETUAL DREAMS and I remember reviewing one of their demos sometime ago, but didn’t expect their first full-length CD to sound that sensational, because basically ‘Eyes of infinite’ is a very strong traditional 80s melodic Hardrock/Metal release that sounds like a perfect mix between EDGUY, DOMINE, HEIR APPARENT and LEATHERWOLF, with the usual MAIDEN riffs as well, but then musically a lot more melodic, almost melodic rock here and there. The fantastic uptempo melodic heavy rockers “To live forever”, “Gypsy ride” and “Runaway” are as good as anything TNT has put out, so this is really high quality stuff. The band has a great singer (Eduardo D’Avila) and this first CD of them is highly recommended to any melodic rock/metalfan. More info at: http://www.perpetualdreams.net and http://www.hellionrecords.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) SILENT CRY ‘DARK LIFE’ (HELLION RECORDS) Brazilian band playing nice typical Gothic Metal (with Doom Metal influences as well) with very good female vocals (of Sandra Felix) and sadly disturbing Death Metal male growls. This is a pity, because the female singer sounds very impressive when she is singing leads. Nevertheless, the band has released a good CD titled ‘Dark life’, which is not their first, because they started back in the early 90s and already released 4 albums before this ‘Dark life’. I am not familiar with their earlier records, but this band should go for more female vocals in the future, because they have a great female singer, so why not use her all of the time instead of the growling so many times which is now the case. Anyway, album to check out for the AFTER FOREVER, THEATRE OF TRAGEDY fans among us… More info at: http://www.hellionrecords.com (Points: 8.1 out of 10) VENUS ‘ORDINARY EXISTENCE’ (HELLION RECORDS) The São Paulo (Brazil) based melodic rock/metalband VENUS is best known as being the band fronted by the MITRIUM and OPIUM credited Eduardo Falaschi, who later became singer for SYMBOLS and since 2001 is the lead singer of ANGRA. However, in 1998 he finished an album with VENUS titled 'Ordinary Existence', which was re-issued by Hellion Records in 2004. This CD contains very impressive melodic rock/metal like a mix between TNT and MAIDEN. Especially the melodic rockers “I’ll remember”, “On my own” and “Dream on tomorrow” as well as the great AOR/Melodic Rockballads “Leaving the light” and “Cold hearted” are all songs of a very high level. No wonder this band switched their name to SYMBOLS, releasing 3 great albums and then losing it’s fantastic singer to ANGRA, because this 'Ordinary Existence' release of VENUS was a very strong release and now available again (with a bonustrack) through HELLION RECORDS. More info at: http://www.hellionrecords.com (Points: 8.6 out of 10) MOTORJESUS ‘DEATHRIDER’ (LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC/ROCK INC) I do not have much info on this band, but I believe MOTORJESUS comes out of Germany. They have released a CD on the LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC label from Spain. Musically they play raw Rock and Roll the American way, yet with a lot of Metal influences as well, kinda like 1990s METALLICA, yet more melodic. The band has a very strong metal singer and songs like “Legion of Rock”, “10 feet under ground” and “Distortion sleep” are very big sounding Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal songs. However, it is quite strange that the best songs can be found towards the end of the album, because the final 3 tracks of the 12 included are all classic uptempo European Power Metal tunes, which do not sound like the first 9 tracks at all. It’s almost like we’re like listening to a different band when putting on the songs “Black fuel domination”, “Death hammer overload” and “The evil”, all 3 fast uptempo powerful Euro Power Metal tunes, definitely the best songs on the CD. Nevertheless, the whole album is very impressive and therefore this MOTORJESUS is a recommended piece to people into real raw Metal with still clean melodies. (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
In 1986 POISON had a huge breakthrough in the USA with their debut album ‘Look what the cat dragged in’, with their hitsong “Talk dirty to me” becoming the ultimate 80s Partyrocker, even beating the likes of MOTLEY CRUE. However, fame was short in the POISON book, because in the early 90s the band was struggling and strangely enough were becoming more popular in the UK when they took on a rougher image instead of the Pretty Boy image of before. In fact, in the early 80s the band started as a Metalband, but the Hollywood scene turned them into Glamstarz, but in the 90s the band went into a sort of Bluesier direction with guitarist RITCHIE KOTZEN in their line-up. In 1993 they did a tour in the UK and one of these dates was filmed and now made available on DVD. The performance included here was a gig at the famous Hammersmith Apollo in London. 15 songs were played and can be seen on this DVD, which looks quite professional happily. The DVD only lasts 82 minutes, so a bit short, but nevertheless the performance was quite good, owing thanks to RITCHIE KOTZEN who replaced the very average CC DEVILLE in the early 90s POISON line-up. So no extra bonus footage, but when watching the DVD you definitely have a good time when seeing classic POISON tunes like “Talk dirty to me”, “Nothin’ but a good time”, “Look what the cat dragged in”, “Unskinny bop”, “Ride the wind” and “Fallen angel”. Must-have for POISON fans if they are still out there! Available through: http://www.mvdb2b.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
We all know the history of this band, which began in 1977 and actually ended somewhere in 1989. Their last official record ‘Too hot to sleep’ is a memorable record, as being the final SURVIVOR record which featured real AOR classics such as “Desperate dreams”, “Didn’t know it was love”, “Burning bridges” and “Across the miles”. The 6 albums before this last SURVIVOR record were all classics and till this day belong to the absolute best in AOR/Melodic Rock ever recorded, no matter if DAVE BICKLER or JIMI JAMISON was singing. In music history the SURVIVOR albums from the 1980s are all featuring some of the best music ever recorded! However in the late 80s it all ended and the members each went their own way, although in different line-ups the band SURVIVOR continued performing live and even recording demos. Sometimes with DAVE BICKLER on vocals, other times with JIM JAMISON on vocals, while JIM PETERIK more or less left the band permanently in the mid 1990s. Fighting battles over the name SURVIVOR, also JIMI JAMISON and FRANKIE SULLIVAN went their own ways, both earning money with performing old SURVIVOR songs or doing some side-projects. Jimi released a very strong solo record on FRONTIERS RECORDS in the late 90s, while Frankie also produced a bunch of acts. Eventually Frankie and Jimi came back together and recently started recording a true official new SURVIVOR album together with long time member Marc Droubay on drums, guitarist Chris Grove and Barry Dunaway (formerly with DOKKEN and MALMSTEEN) on bass. The CD does not contain all-new material, because some of the songs were written in the mid 1990s, with demos floating around featuring DAVE BICKLER on vocals. Nevertheless, this is a new SURVIVOR album, as the recordings all took place this and last year. However, without JIM PETERIK as keyboardplayer/main songwriter for the band, the hopes for a true sensational new SURVIVOR record was in advance impossible and sadly ‘Reach’ definitely does not reach (all the time) the high level of any of the first 7 SURVIVOR classics. That said, it doesn’t mean it is a bad record, because it definitely has a lot strong tunes on it. In fact 9 out of 12 songs are now stuck in my head after repeated listens, which is not like their past albums, when each and every song got in my memory, but definitely not bad for a new record, because with most 2006 records you only remember a few songs! Although people claim it doesn’t rock, that’s completely untrue, because there are enough rockers on this CD and the 3 ballads included are all very good classy SURVIVOR style ballads, so actually I am very positive about this release. Despite 3 weaker songs (for the first time in SURVIVOR’s recording history I have to admit that songs like “One more chance”, “Home” and “I don’t” are nothing special), the rest of the CD is non-stop classic AOR/Melodic Rock. These are divided into uptempo rockers “Reach”, “Fire makes steel” as well as “Talkin’ bout love” and “Nevertheless” (2 catchy poprockers in the style of the very first SURVIVOR album meets REO SPEEDWAGON, with Frankie on vocals), the wonderful midtempo rockers “Gimmie the word” and “Don’t give up” (both the strongest songs on the CD) and the beautiful classic SURVIVOR AOR Ballads “The rhythm of your heart” (truly superb song, as good as SURVIVOR’s “The search is over” or “Across the miles” and PRIDE OF LIONS’ “Light of a distant shore”), “Half of my heart” and “Seconds away”. Admitted, this is nowhere near classic SURVIVOR albums like ‘Caught in the game’, ‘Premonition’, ‘When seconds count’ or ‘Vital signs’ (albums that are almost 10 out of 10 points worth), but after having listened to the album several times it is my conclusion that it is a very good AOR/Melodic Rock record after all, best comparable to the quality of the very first SURVIVOR album from 26 years ago, also musically speaking. It however misses the signature from JIM PETERIK in making it however a true classic SURVIVOR record in the sense of ‘Vital signs’ and ‘Caught in the game’, so therefore the rating will not get higher than 8,7 points (which is more than 1 point lower than each of the other SURVIVOR albums!), but still good enough to buy it if you’re an AOR/Melodic Rockfan. And the artwork is classic SURVIVOR without any doubts! (Points: 8.7 out of 10)
The band BLUE TEARS started in the early 80s and eventually they would release just one full-length CD on major label MCA Records in 1990, before being dropped without ever releasing a decent follow-up. The band’s melodic rock was situated somewhere between DEF LEPPARD, BON JOVI and AUTOGRAPH. The 1990s were a very struggling period for BLUE TEARS and it’s members, which resulted in a split up, although main leader GREGG FULKERSON (vocals/guitars) continued making music, under the moniker ATTRACTION 65, but since last year BLUE TEARS have returned to the scene. First there were 2 CD releases worthy of high quality unreleased BLUE TEARS material from the early 90s on the Australian label ROCK CANDY RECORDS, but here we have an official new studio CD titled ‘The innocent ones’. It was recorded last year, with Gregg on vocals and guitars and newcomer Bryan Wolski on bass. The music on the new record is not that far away from their other 3 releases, although this time the BON JOVI similarities are almost impossible to miss. You don’t have to listen longer than a few seconds to hear this is a BON JOVI clone, but then I have to inform you that it is a very good BON JOVI clone. This new BLUE TEARS album is the album BON JOVI forgot to record after ‘Keep the faith’. This is melodic rock at it’s best, without sounding dated and somehow it sounds like this is the strongest BLUE TEARS album so far, because there are not many fillers included, as it is mainly radio ready catchy melodic rock. 14 all new songs are included, of which the BON JOVI melodic rockers “Drive” (“Living on a prayer” meets “Bad medicine”), “Fast time” (a la “It’s my life”), “In your dreams” (a la “In these arms”), “She wants to be a star” (DEF LEPPARD doing a BON JOVI cover) and the TOTOish AOR ballad “All the way home” are the highlights. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is also not forgotten to honour, because basically “Gloryland” sounds like 1984 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN with a BON JOVI hook and a melodic rock beat from REFUGEE and JIMMY BARNES during the late 80s. I think you’ll get the picture what to expect here, nothing new and very American ‘stand up for yourself’ Working Class Rock Music, but all done very very well, believe me. A must if you like this kind of traditional American Rock music! (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
In 1982 the band ASIA hit America that hard it was like an invasion not seen since the days of THE BEATLES. Their debut album spent 9 weeks on top of the Billboard Album Charts, selling a stunning 5+ million records, with their single “Heat of the moment” reaching the number one spot in the Singles charts in the USA. The band was at that moment the absolute number 1 band in the USA, although they came out of the UK. The first ASIA record eventually became the best selling record worldwide in 1982, making these 4 ordinary British musicians superstars, but the following years saw them struggling to reach the same success and lead singer/bassist JOHN WETTON left, came back, left and came back, before in the early 90s permanently leaving ASIA. ASIA would continue in different line-ups, with JOHN PAYNE as their singer through the 90s and 00s, but almost 25 years after the success of their debut, it seems like ASIA reformed with main members JOHN WETTON and GEOFFREY DOWNES. In advance of this reunion tour in the near future, FRONTIERS RECORDS decided to release another WETTON/DOWNES record, which consists of classic ASIA material as well as songs from the WETTON/DOWNES record, all recorded with just the vocals/bass of JOHN WETTON, keys of GEOFFREY DOWNES and some guest musicians on keys, cello, flute and the acoustic guitar was played by STEVE CHRISTEY. Anyway, this is of course a very good live performance of high class musicians, who still sound like if it was 1982, only it’s all done in it’s back-to-basic unplugged version, which can also be seen on a soon-to-be released DVD on FRONTIERS RECORDS. It is actually a warming up for the upcoming new ASIA reunion tour and perhaps even a new ASIA record with JOHN WETTON on vocals, so it seems 2007 might be the actual comeback of one of the most successful bands with their debut ever (BOSTON was more succesfull!). For now, this WETTON DOWNES live acoustic TV broadcast is a sneak preview for the near future, because songs like “Only time will tell”, “Heat of the moment”, “Sole survivor”, “Open your eyes” and “Don’t cry” remain classics, no matter if you listen to the original versions from the early 80s or these new acoustic versions and therefore this CD is a must for all ASIA fans who don’t want to wait for the upcoming reunion! (Points: 8.4 out of 10) HERCULES ’LICENCE TO ROCK’ (INDEPENDENT) The Norwegian band HERCULES is playing simple guitar riff back to basic ballsy boogie rock and roll like STATUS QUO, but then a bit rockier. They started in 1998 and released 3 CDs so far, of which ‘Licence to rock’ is their latest release. You donīt hear many bands out there playing this kind of rock and roll, but HERCULES is doing it and they do it very well. The CD clocks in at 30 minutes and most of the 8 rocking tracks go in a similar style, which is leaning very much towards STATUS QUO. More info at www.herculesband.com (Points: 7.9 out of 10) WEINHOLD ‘BELOW THE LINE’ (ARMAGEDDON/ROCK INC) Female singer JUTTA WEINHOLD from Germany has sung on metal records for almost 20 years now and with her own band WEINHOLD she now releases a new CD, which musically is very much akin to slow Doom Metal a la BLACK SABBATH, especially in the first couple of songs (“Storyteller” and “Below the line”) this can be heard very clearly. The CD was produced by METALIUM members Lars Ratz and Michael Ehre, whom gave it a really big sound. This is the record DORO doesnīt make anymore, a real Metal album with good strong vocalwork. Recommended to fans of classic Metal with big riffs! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) EXIT 31 ‘PHONOGENIC’ (YEAYEAYEAH RECORDS/ROCK INC) Out of nowhere comes a band called EXIT 31. The bandīs first (???) CD ‘Phonogenic’ is quite diverse actually, because it starts with a sort of 80s Hair Metal tune titled “Bye baby”, but this is followed by a modern day sounding uptempo punky poprocker titled “Puzzles”, which actually does sound very catchy and could well become a hit. The band then jumps on more 80s Melodic Hardrock with the midtempo “Here I am” that definitely has similarities to classic SCORPIONS. Followed by a very nice polished radio ballad (“To be with you”), this band is very diverse, but despite this, it also sometimes sounds like the band went into the studio much too soon, because there are also some very average rockers included, such as `”Bored beyond belief”. Also the whole sound of the CD is not much better than a standard independent CD. Having said that, it is not a bad CD at all, because a very strong melodic rocker like “Levity” could well be a hit for the fans of WHITE LION. Anyway, nice band, although I think a future CD might give a better view of the band. (Points: 7.8 out of 10) IRON FIRE ‘REVENGE’ (NAPALM RECORDS) The Danish band IRON FIRE released 2 strong Metal albums in the early 2000s on the NOISE RECORDS label, but now have switched to NAPALM RECORDS, on which they have released their new CD ‘Revenge’. Happily the switch does not have any effect on the bandīs music qualities, because also this new IRON FIRE album is filled with high quality pure Metal the way it should sound. The bandīs sound is not far removed from NOCTURNAL RITES, DREAM EVIL and MYSTIC PROPHECY and in my book you then have released a very strong sensational record. Although in the same style, the slight difference is that IRON FIRE is even more True Metal based due to gang-vocal choruses a la MAJESTY. The band ha s afantastic lead singer, who has got the perfect voice for this kind of Metal. 12 songs are included and although nothing new is brought, fans of mentioned bands are gonna love this CD, as from start to finish this sounds supertight and memorable. Especially songs like “Wings of rage”, “Savage prophecy”, “Stand as king`” and “Break the spell” are absolute winners if you like MYSTIC PROPHECY, HAMMERFALL, BLOODBOUND, DREAM EVIL, NOCTURNAL RITES… Without a doubt, this new IRON FIRE album is a must/have for every fan of True Melodic Metal! (Points: 8.6 out of 10) NORTH STAR ‘EXTREMES’ (MUSEA RECORDS) American band consisting of guitarist/bassist Dave Johnson, drummer Glenn Leonard, keyboardplayer Kevin Leonard and vocalist Joe Newman. They play Neo-Progressive Rock with a lot of keyboardwork. Vocally it is a bit weaker and not as strong as the British equivalents such as IQ, ARENA, PALLAS... 10 songs are included, of which some are very lengthy, but that is typical for this genre. The 2 Leonard brothers also sent me a CD they released, which is called PROG BACH, on which they cover classic Bach themes played on keyboards. All done quite nicely and for a progfan who is very much into keyboard orientated prog this might well be something to check out asap. More info at: http://www.onlinerock.com/fans/northstar and e-mail at: smoecd@msn.com (Points: 7.8 out of 10)
Releasing an album in every decade, starting in 1988 with volume 1 of the GIUNTINI PROJECT, followed by volume 2 10 years later in 1998 and now in 2006 volume 3 is released. All albums follow the same lines, which is classic Melodic Hardrock with RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH influences. Somehow the new CD, with TONY MARTIN (ex-BLACK SABBATH) on vocals is the best release in the series. Leader of the band however is guitarist/songwriter ALDO GIUNTINI, who started the project in the late 80s with DARIO MOLLO, who also produced the new GIUNTINI PROJECT album ‘3’. Musically this is classic 80s Melodic Hardrock that reminds me a lot of FIFTH ANGEL meets DIO meets BLACK SABBATH circa ‘Headless cross/Eternal idol’. This is the way classic Hardrock should sound! There is a variation between fantastic uptempo melodic hardrock (“Not connected”, “Early warning” and “Trouble just keep coming”) a la FIFTH ANGEL, BLACK SABBATH/DIOish slowtempo Metal (“The closest thing to heaven” and “Que es la vida”), fast uptempo Metal (“Fool paradise”) and finally we can even find a copy of the classic BLACK SABBATH song “The headless cross” in the shape of the song “Mourning star”. Despite this last mentioned song, this is a fantastic strong album, which is a must for fans of classic 80s melodic hard/heavy rock/metal with the wonderful vocalwork of TONY MARTIN, who has definitely released a better CD with this GIUNTINI PROJECT than the solo-CD from recently. (Points: 8.6 out of 10) TYR ‘ERIC THE RED’ (NAPALM RECORDS) The CD of the Icelandic Metal act TYR was reviewed by us a few years ago, but apparantly it now has been re-released on NAPALM RECORDS. Anyone into Classic MANOWARish True Metal with the mixture of some Icelandic lyrics should go for this release. Full review in our archive reviews. (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Who would have thought I would actually review a CD of a new Dutch AOR band? Well, MR. MOONLIGHT hails from The Netherlands and they have released a very good strong AOR/Melodic Rockalbum. It is a project set up by guitarist RENE WILLEBRAND and bassist/keyboardplayer/drumprogrammer MATT VERSCHOOR, who got help from 3 lead singer, of which Gerda van Hengel is definitely the best lead singer. Admitted, it is not there is something new brought here, as this is standard 80s AOR/Melodic Rock a la TERRA NOVA, DOMINOE, TREAT, BONFIRE... but a few of the songs are actually quite sensational. I am talking about “Holding on” (fantastic AOR with very good high-pitched vocals, in the classic SHY style), “Closer to your heart” (lovely 80s keyboardwork and basically pure AOR that somehow reminds me of MOSCARA’s “Long way from home” if anyone remembers that song!) and “Whatever happened to the broken hearted” (a very catchy uptempo AOR song with a deadly catchy chorus). These 3 songs show MR. MOONLIGHT at their very best, which is sensational AOR. Furthermore, the other 7 songs are all good melodic rockers that sound somewhere between KARO, BONFIRE, MASON and PRAYING MANTIS. The good thing for you readers about this release is that it is available for free download at: http://www.mr-moonlight.com and e-mail them at: info.mrmoonlight@gmail.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Out of Gothenburg/Sweden comes the band RAM, whom are making their debut with their full-length CD ‘Forced entry’. The CD is filled with the real deal, pure True Metal like MANOWAR meets JUDAS PRIEST. The production is very good and the performance is excellent, but what else to expect from a Swedish band. This is a high quality release that could have easily been done on one of the big Metal labels. Songs like “Breaking through”, “Venom in my veins”, “Burning scars” and “The beats within” are all all Metal Monsters, definitely a must-hear for fans of PRIEST/MANOWAR. Better check out this band asap at: http://www.ram-metal.com and http://www.black-path.com and http://www.soundpollution.se (Points: 8.4 out of 10) EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND ‘SUPERCHIP/PARLEZ-VOUS ENGLISH’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) I have heard quite a lot albums in my time as a reviewer, but as weird as this one it doesn’t happen often, but the EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND was a UK act in the early 80s playing very goofy quirky pop/rock with new wave influences. The band released more albums, but these 2 early 80s records have now been re-issued on CD by ECLECTIC DISCS. It is as experimental as the German bands in the early 70s with Krautrock acts like AMON DUUL, so if you happen to be a fan of that experimental Krautrockstyle this is a must, but after listening to both albums I haven’t got a clue what this band was trying to do 25 years ago, but apparantly they have reformed, because they just did a tour. However, I think these 2 CD re-issues are only interesting for a selected audience. (Points: -)
FABRIK is a very good female fronted band from Alabama/USA. They sent me their CD ‘Fall of the romantic empire’, which is a very diverse album actually, although it is from start to finish classic modern sounding Rock and Roll, which contains influences from Punk, Classic Rock, Modern Rock and even some Gothic. Think of a mixture between JOAN JETT, THE RUNAWAYS, THE DONNAS, PAT BENATAR in her early years and THE GATHERING. The band comes up with great catchy Melodic Rock and Roll songs like “Safe from the city lights”, “Altar ego” (hello early 80s PAT BENATAR Poprock guitar riff!), “Adding result to injury” and “Hollow” (this song has got all it takes in becoming a huge US hitsingle, as it smells like EVANESCENCE and LACUNA COIL), but also has some modern sounding dark slow songs like “Fall of the romantic empire” (with a very melodic chorus, easily beats anything KELLY CLARKSON puts out) and “Smoke&Peppermint” (a la THE GATHERING, very dark song, but with an uptempo beat after a while). It really doesn’t matter what this band is playing, because it is high quality Rock and Roll from start to finish, with very strong lead vocals of female singer Adriane. Better check out this sensational band at: http://www.fabrikband.com and http://www.mdrecords.org and e-mail them at: info@fabrikband.com or blazeentertainment@adelphia.net (Points: 8.4 out of 10) GARGAMEL ‘WATCH FOR THE UMBLES’ (RECORD HEAVEN) Formed in 2001, this Oslo/Norway based band recorded several demos and
Eps in the following 5 years, which together form this new CD, their first
full-length album. Musically it is early 1970s progrock in the style of VAN
DER GRAAF GENERATOR, but sadly vocally it is a bit average what we get to
hear. Instrumental freaks might love this progressive rockstyle, which is
very European sounding, so long passages (most of the songs are longer than
10 minutes) and not much vocals, but when they do come around it sounds
really weak. However, instrumental it all sounds quite good and therefore it
is something all the die hard prog mellotron fans might want to check out.
More info at: http://www.gargamel.no
and http://www.recordheaven.net
Here we have another band that sounds like the next big thing, because WESTPOINT sounds like a big time major label rockact from the USA. Actually they come out of Toronto, Canada and they have released their 6-song EP on the label MONGOOSE RECORDS. However, it’s a pity so many people will not be aware of WESTPOINT, because they sound very good. Modern production, but playing classic Melodic Rock with choruses a la HAREM SCAREM and a very good clean melodic lead singer (Mordy Harroch). In fact, this WESTPOINT record sounds better than the last HAREM SCAREM record. Songs like “For the last time”, “Drown, Sara” and “Somewhere in between” are very catchy modern sounding Melodic Rock tunes that are instant winners for all the HAREM SCAREM, RA and HINDER fans out there! Great band with a bright future and for more info you should go to: http://www.westpointrock.com and http://www.mongooserecords.com and e-mail at: westpointrock@hotmail.com or mongooserecords@hotmail.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
New album from the German AOR/Melodic Rockband FRONTLINE. Their debut ‘The state of rock’ from 1994 is still their best record, even though they released many more great albums after that release. However, this album was very special to me, as it was the start for Strutter’zine almost 12 years ago! I really have a lot of good memories of that record, which is still one of the highlights from the 1990s. Anyway, we all moved on with our lives, internet took over and the whole music climate changed back to a more melodic rocksound, especially in America nowadays. FRONTLINE never changed much, although on the previous record ‘The seventh sign’ and this new CD ‘Circles’ some influences from today’s American Melodic Modern Rocksound can also be heard. Sadly these songs (“I give you the rest”, “Hunter” and “My vision”) are also the weakest on this new record, as the good old FRONTLINE type of AOR/Melodic Rock is still the best thing they are able to do. Happily, most of the songs are still classic AOR/Melodic Rock like FRONTLINE is best known for. Highlights are therefore the classic AOR/Melodic Rockers “No one”, “Save me”, “Don’t run away”, “Into deep” and “It is you” (best song). No new moves, maybe a bit more modern here and there, but mostly classic FRONTLINE, although not as good as their classic debut, but that was such a perfect album... (Points: 8.4 out of 10) BLIND ALLEY ‘DESTINATION DESTINY’ (INDEPENDENT) In the past few years I have been very enthousiastic about BLIND ALLEY,
a Swedish band formed around multi-instrumentalist MAGNUS OLSSON (who also
sings some songs), lead singer Hans Dimberg and some additional vocals/guitars
from Pierre Glans. They released some great stuff in the past, with their
previous album ‘Infinity ends’ even reaching 9,5 points! Now Magnus is back
with another strong new record, which musically combines elements of
Progressive Rock with high class 80s Scandi AOR/Melodic Rock into a very
sensational style, which is a must to hear for people who like a mix between
TOTO, EUROPE, DAKOTA and RAINBOW. It is not as good as the previous records,
but it does offer some really amazing material here and there. I even think
this CD is a grower, which in the coming months might turn out to be even
better than I think it now is. Magnus has created some gems once again,
especially the songs “Another day”, “Until I see”, “Silhouette”, “Fire and
ice” (pure 80s Scandi AOR) and “Talk of the town” are filled with all the
elements of the typical Swedish AOR we all love so much. Definitely an album
to own if you like RADIOACTIVE, AMBITION, TOTO, DAKOTA... More info at:
http://listen.to/blindalley Formed just 2 years ago, but already a strong full-length CD out, the UK based band DAY SHIFT is playing a modern type of Progressive Rockstyle, with strong melodies and a very good lead singer, kinda like ENCHANT and JADIS, but then with a more modern rockier edge (a la FLAMBOROUGH HEAD), although with 5 songs of 10+ minutes, this is definitely something for the progfans! This particular CD was released last year and already they are working on a new CD. Productive band with a strong high quality sound. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.dayshift.co.uk and e-mail them at: info@dayshift.co.uk (Points: 8.1 out of 10) VARIOUS ALBUMS ‘ALMA MUSIC’ (ALMA MUSIC) 5 CDs were sent to me from the Italian label ALMA MUSIC. It is quite diverse, because these include New Wave, Hardcore Metal and Skapunk, so nothing for the real Melodic Rock and Metal albums here, but still some are definitely quality music. JUDA’S KISS is a band with a release titled ‘Contropotere’, which is a strong original Skapunk release with some nice melodies, with as backing up Ska trumpets and rocking Punky guitars, accompanied with a good melodic clean lead singer. This is definitely the best band from the 5 included in this package of ALMA MUSIC. The band FAHRENHEIT 451 is probably named after the MICHAEL MOORE movie. Musically not far away from the Skapunk of JUDA’S KISS, but just a bit weaker, although still quite nice if you are a fan of good Skapunk. STILITI is yet another Skapunk band, with once again a good singer on their album ‘Nella strada’, and just like most of the other bands on the ALMA MUSIC label, also this band is singing in Italian. The band ZERO SIGNAL is the first band singing in the English language, but musically they are sadly not interesting, as this band is playing aggressive Metalcore. Final band is OTTODIX, a duo which is playing keyboard orientated New Wave music in the 80s DEPECHE MODE style. So you see this is a very diverse label, which if you are interested in any of the 3 mentioned styles is interesting to check out at: http://www.almamusic.it (Points: 7.0-7.7 out of 10) SEQUEL ‘BACK’ (INDEPENDENT) The US band SEQUEL returns with a real new CD, after the re-issue of their early 80s records. Musically still very much in 80s Classic Hardrockstyle, the band seemed to have dropped the classic aor/melodic rock influences unfortunately. 10 songs make up this new album, which has a playing time of 30 minutes, so not really lengthy. Most of the songs are uptempo rockers that sound a bit like STRANGER, THE B’ZZ and KROKUS, real American feel good Hardrock/hair Metal (with even a WARRANT reference in a song like “The good stuff”), but that said, it is a pity the classic AOR/Melodic Rock of their first 2 albums are less prominent this time, although a few times they throw in some AOR melodies such as in the 38 SPECIAL/BON JOVI type “Rock N Roll girl” and “Heart on the line”. Nevertheless, this is how classic Hardrock sounded in the USA 20 years ago, but I have to inform you the band’s 2 earlier releases were better. Better check it out for yourself at: http://www.sequelrocks.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) CREECH ‘TAKE IT ALL’ (INDEPENDENT) Aussie band with a strong independent mini-CD, which musically sounds modern but classic rock and roll at the same time, with some Metal riffs here and there. It actually sounds like a mix between the LA Streetrock from the late 80s and the more modern but classic sounding Stoner Rock, think LOVE/HATE meets KUYSS with a bit of KING’S X here and there. Quite original in the end and together with a strong production, this band is definitely ready to make some impact on the world wide rock map! More info at: http://www.creech.com.au and e-mail them at: taz@creech.com.au (Points: 8.2 out of 10) 2 Black Metal releases on the Portuguese label SOUND RIOT RECORDS, so enough said I guess... (Points: -) SUDDEN DEATH ‘UNPURE BURIAL’ (LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC/ROCK INC) EXTREME AGGRESSIVE DEATH METAL is the term that concerns the release of the band SUDDEN DEATH. Not really interesting for people looking for strong melodies. (Points: -) SPIRITUS MORTIS ‘FALLEN’ (BLACK LOTUS RECORDS/ROCK INC) A band out of Finland with a strong Doom Metal release that just smells TROUBLE, CANDLEMASS, KYUSS, MEMONTO MORI, PENTAGRAM, CATHEDRAL and bands like that. The band was formed way back in 1987 (!), but this is their first full-length CD, despite recording some demos through the years. Anyway, it does sound very good and with 12 hard hitting Doom Metal tunes, this band is a must-have for anyone looking for another strong alternative for BLACK SABBATH, who haven’t released a Doom Metal album since the early 70s. (Points: 8.2 out of 10) THE ALIEN BLAKK ‘MODES OF ALIENATION’ (BLACK LOTUS RECORDS/ROCK INC) Instrumental Metal which is very Extreme actually, so no fast neo-classical shredding, because sometimes it is like Death-Metal, yet without the irritating growls! Band is formed around guitarist Joshua Craig (who worked with FEAR FACTORY, HALFORD, KISS, WHITE ZOMBIE), bassist David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH) and drummer Craig Nielsen (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM). 10 songs are included and anyone interested in checking out an instrumental release which goes a little further than nice melodies and shredding should go for this THE ALIEN BLAKK. (Points: 8.0 out of 10) NOISE FOREST ‘MORBID INSTINCTS’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) So-called Deathcore from Germany, extreme with a lot of ‘fuck you’s’ in the songs, so only for the fans of extreme aggressive metalcore. (Points: -) TRANSIENT ‘THE CIRCLE’ (INDEPENDENT) New Jersey band formed around multi-instrumentalist EDWARD FAUST and vocalist TOM ENGEL. They recorded the material on this CD of their project TRANSIENT between 2002 and 2006. The included music is dark Progressive Metal, which is still very melodic, kinda like the FATES WARNING/QUEENSRYCHE, CRIMSON GLORY style of the 1990s, with a DREAM THEATER influence in the JAMES LABRIEish vocals. It is quite good actually, although you can clearly hear this is not a major label release due to the weaker sound/production quality, but that does not mean this is not an interesting release, because songs like “Enter the grey”, “What lies within” and “Watching waiting’ are very strong Melodic Progressive Metal songs which will be loved by fans of the genre. Most of all it reminds me of the recent FRAMESHIFT record, so you have to look in that direction when thinking ot this TRANSIENT. Better check it out for yourself at: http://transient.edwardfaust.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Female Fronted band from Riverdale/GA/USA with a strong Rockalbum, which musically is dark but melodic, akin a lot to THE GATHERING, although PAINE’S PROMISE is definitely more prog. The band is a three-piece, consisting of vocalist/guitarist/keyboardplayer VERONICA HUGHES, drummer DANIEL HUGHES and bassist DAVE SIFF. The band has been hugely influenced by RUSH, which can also be clearly heard, but I also hear comparisons to MOSTLY AUTUMN and THE GATHERING alot of times. This is Melodic Progressive Rock at it’s best, with a more radiofriendly approach instead of long instrumental passages, although the heavy groovy guitar riffs are pure RUSH/LED ZEPPELIN orientated. The female singer has a strong voice and without a doubt, this debut CD of the band is a highly recommended piece. The band should do very well within the European Progressive Rock community. The band has come a long way since their formation more than 10 years ago, but with this CD they proof to be a band to look out for in the future. Especially check out the awesome “A is A”, which has a melodic chorus, fantastic vocalwork and huge RUSH/ZEPPELIN guitar riffs. More info on the band at: http://www.painespromise.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) WICKED MINDS ‘RETURN TO URANUS’ (W DABLIO VINYL) An original LP/Vinyl release was sent to me by the band WICKED MINDS from Italy. This band is playing Doom/Stoner Rock/Metal and originally they released this album in 1999, but it now has been repressed in a limited edition of 500 copies. Musically it is reminding me of KYUSS, CATHEDRAL and that sort of Doom/Stoner Rock/Metal, but then I have to inform you that vocally it is much weaker and only for the real die-hard fans of this genre an album to check out. Nevertheless, the LP is really nice to have, because it is still something precious instead of that awful jewel disc. Too bad the music is not as good as WARLORD for example. More info at: http://www.wickedminds.net and e-mail at: info@wickedminds.net (Points: 7.5 out of 10)
3rd CD of the Swedish band COSMIC BALLROOM, which contains strong Streetpunk’n’roll that sounds a lot like their countrymen of BACKYARD BABIES, HELLACOPTERS and even some CRASH DIET/GEMINI FIVE. This is Rock’n’Roll how it should sound, so no compromise but straight-forward with sing-a-long choruses packed in a raw dirty mean rocksound. HANOI ROCKS and AEROSMITH were the first bands to make this kind of Sleazy Hardrock version of ROLLING STONES, GUNS’N’ROSES and LA GUNS took it to a next level and the whole Swedish movement in the 1990s as well as VELVET REVOLVER took it straight into the 2000s as it now sounds today. COSMIC BALLROOM is a good example of how old fashioned Sleazy Rock and Roll sounds fresh and modern. The 12 songs on their new CD ‘Your drug of choice’ are a must to hear if you’re into any of the mentioned bands! More info at: http://www.cosmicballroom.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) BAD MACHINE ‘MOTORFREAKOUT’ (MOONROCKS) Not really original, this Finnish band, because they start out as a MOTORHEAD clone on the first song of their 2nd CD, but as it is the titletrack that could be considered as a tribute it is forgiven. Especially due to the fact that next track “Deathrace” is completely different, as this is almost pure NWOBHM early 80s style! 11 songs are included and the sound is dirty raw mean rock and roll with also influences from Punk and NWOBHM, because sometimes it is like I am listening to RAVEN! This is a good thing, because I do not hear many new bands playing RAVENish pure 80s Heavy Metal and this band BAD MACHINE does it and they do it very well actually. Finally a band from Finland that doesn’t sound like either HIM, NIGHTWISH or STRATOVARIUS, but goes into a completely different direction. Most of the songs are uptempo and for a fan of the very early NWOBHM sound of bands like RAVEN, the first TYGERS OF PAN TANG, HOLOCAUST and even some BLACK AND BLUE mixed with a slight dash of Punk and MOTORHEAD, this band is worth checking out. More info at: http://www.badmachine.tk (Points: 8.3 out of 10) There have been lots of different DVD releases concerning rare 1980s VENOM performances and this ROCK HARD (Germany) promoted DVD is one of them, but definitely not the strongest VENOM DVD available. First of all, the sound is not good and actually the performance is too short and too average to make it interesting to watch, unless you’re a real huge fan of the band. Honestly I always have found VENOM a very average band. Although they are the premier Black Metal band, they actually played NWOBHM with very average vocals and a noisy sound. Actually the band has never really played Black Metal the way it sounds like nowadays. The band never intended to sound like a Black Metal band, because they were actually a very average Metalband with one of the worst singers in music history. The band also was very trend following, like most UK bands, so the members released solo albums that had more in common with AOR/Hair Metal during the late 80s, while the 90s saw them moving into an Industrial metalsound. I don’t have a clue if VENOM is still reliable as a Black Metal band, because they have never been a Black Metalband and their music in studio and especially live sounded very average. Also this DVD, with a concert recorded in the mid 1980s is only interesting for the die-hard fans, because there are thousands of Metalbands out there that are so much better. (Points: 8.2 out of 10) ROBIN TROWER ‘LIVING OUT OF TIME (LIVE): LIVE AT ROCKPALAST DVD’ (IN AKUSTIK/MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS) Starting in the early 60s, the London based guitarist ROBIN TROWER has made a household name through the years, first with PROCOL HARUM, but mainly as a solo guitarist since the early 1970s. His bluesy guitarplaying was and still is not far away from JIMI HENDRIX and ERIC CLAPTON, which has been so for more than 30 years now and just recently a new DVD has been released of the man’s work. It concerns here a live performance he gave at his 60th birthday on March 9, 2005 in Bonn/Germany. It was one of the well-known Rockpalast concerts, which are known for TV broadcast on German Television, but also used for DVD coverage. The DVD contains the live performance of Robin as well as an interview with him, with a total playing time of 104 minutes. Of course it is a typical Bluesrock performance where the jamming takes an important part, but there’s still plenty of time calculated for songs like “Too Rolling Stoned“, “Living Out Of Time”, “I Want You To Love Me”, “Please Tell Me” and “Little Bit Of Sympathy”. More info on the DVD release and availability through: http://www.musicvideodistributors.com (Points: 8.1 out of 10)
The 4th CD of the German band MYSTIC PROPHECY is the first without one of its original members, GUS G. (ex-DREAM EVIL, NIGHTRAGE, ARCH ENEMY, FIREWIND), but musically it does not make any difference, because basically the new album is a Melodic Metal Monster record which will be loved by fans of DREAM EVIL, NOCTURNAL RITES, HAMMERFALL… It’s raw, it’s heavy, but in all songs also very melodic and very catchy sometimes, such as the wonderful closing track “Into the fire” which is one of the highlights on ‘Savage souls’ and shows how to make a Metal Ballad. GUS G. was replaced by guitarist Martin Grimm, from HEADSTONE EPITAPH and the band also switched from NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS to MASSACRE RECORDS, but like I already said it didn’t had any impact on the music. In fact it does seem to sound even much better than before, because I honestly think this is the strongest MYSTIC PROPHECY record so far. The band has worked 16 months in creating 2006’s strongest Melodic (Power) Metal release so far, because with such excellent songs like the uptempo “Master Of Sins”, “In The Darkness” and “Best Days Of My Life” and the midtempo “Savage Souls” (reminding me of BLACK SABBATH’s “The headless cross”), this new MYSTIC PROPHECY record is already a classic in this genre. With this new record, the band is right up there with DREAM EVIL, HAMMERFALL, NOCTURNAL RITES and newcomer BLOODBOUND. More info at: www.mysticprophecy.com (Points: 9.0 out of 10) It concerns here the 3rd CD of the Czech Republic band DIVOKY SRDCE. Although it may be seen as a Rockalbum, it definitely contains a lot of other influences, ranging from Irish Folk, American Country right up to UK punk a la THE CLASH. 11 songs are included, of which 2 covers (“If I were a carpenter” and “Riders in the sky”). Leader of the band is the vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Michal Ambroz and the people in his homecountry know exactly what he wants to achieve with his band DIVOKY SRDCE, but maybe now also others might want to check out his music, which is good Rockmusic, Classic Rockstyle with raw vocals. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: 8.0 out of 10) TRINY ‘AVEN (COME ON)’ (INDIES RECORDS) Czech band formed by 3 female singers some 8 years ago. ‘Aven’ is the 2nd album, which is once again filled with a sort of Romania Folk Music style. They are accompanied by guitarist Josef Stepanek, bassist Jan Lstiburek and drummer Camilo Caller. 14 songs are included and admitted, this may sound a little different and has nothing do with rockmusic, it is quite nice relaxed music/acoustic pop with a lot of vocals/acapella singing. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: 7.1 out of 10) TRABAND ’10 YEARS ON THE ROAD’ (INDIES RECORDS) A Czech band which has been 10 years on the road, hence the CD title. 19 songs are included and naturally this is a live CD of the band, because it is an overview of TRABAND’s best known songs from the past 10 years, all performed live. People outside the Czech Republic might not be familiar with TRABAND, but musically they are playing traditional music as if it was still Mediaeval times in Eastern Europe. The CD comes along with a videoclip, but I think the DVD version is more interesting, as that disc contains 19 tracks which you can not only hear, but also see. However be aware that this CD has nothing to do with rockmusic, but is a traditional Czech Folkstyle album. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: -) VLADIMIR VACLAVEK ‘INGWE’ (INDIES RECORDS) Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter VLADIMIR VACLAVEK is coming out of the city of Brno. His latest CD is filled with a mix of folk and rock. The 6 included songs are quite lengthy and are based on the mythology stories of North American indigenous people, the Inuit people and the old Chinese culture. Vladimir is helped by 6 other musicians, including Chinese female singer FENG JUN-SONG. The music is very laid-back, but also melodic. The semi-instrumental music is mainly acoustic, so check it out for yourself at: http://www.vaclaveks.cz/vladimir and http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: 7.9 out of 10) IVO CICVAREK, ZOFIE KABELKOVA, MARCEL KRIZ ‘PANOPTIKUM (COLLECTION OF CURIOS’ (INDIES RECORDS) 3 Czech singers/acoustic guitarplayers recorded an album together, which musically is a mix of folk, prog and blues, yet due to the use of mainly acoustic guitars a very calm and laid-back affair. It is like any other release on the INDIES RECORDS label sung in the Czech language, which might only for some of you be understandable, which is a pity, as the lyrics are about protests against the politics. Anyway, 15 songs are included that remind me of TRABAND, so only interesting for a selected audience, but for more info I can recommend you to check out: http://www.panoptikum-music.com and http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: -) IVA BITTOVA ‘ELIDA’ (INDIES RECORDS) Violinplayer/vocalist IVA BITTOVA from the Czech Republic performed along with the band BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS (consisting of American musicians) a few concerts in New York City, of which this CD is the living proof. Iva is a very good performer and her music is nice relaxed traditional folk, but very experimental at times and only interesting for fans of traditional Asian music. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: -) PLOCEK&SURANSKA ‘PISNOBRANI (SONG HARVEST)’ (INDIES RECORDS) This duo from the Czech Republic consists of vocalist/violinplayer Jitka Suranska and mandolin/clarinet/whistler/guitarist and (sometimes) vocalist Jiri Plocek. They recorded an album together with some other musicians (no drums or electric guitars). It is a 13-songs counting CD, which is musically taking us back 300 years in time, so once again Folk music, yet with influences from the European and Asian culture. Very diverse, yet nothing to do with rockmusic. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: -) PETER LIPA AND BAND ‘LIVE IN THE AKROPOLIS PRAGUE’ (INDIES RECORDS) Singer/songwriter PETER LIPA is quite known in the Czech Republic community. He has been singing for 40 years now and this is a live-CD recorded at the Akropolis in Prague. There is also a DVD release available of it. Musically it is a very Jazzy affair. The man also covers 2 BEATLES tunes (“I wanna be your man” and “I saw her standing there”), but if you really want to get to know this man and his music check out the DVD, which has 6 more songs and it gives you the visual aspect besides the music. More info at: http://www.indiesrecords.cz (Points: 7.1 out of 10) MAVERICK ‘MAVERICK’ (ART UNION RECORDS/SPIRITUAL BEAST) Japanese band with that typical Japanese Hardrock/Metal sound, which we heard in the past from bands like LOUDNESS, VOW WOW, CONCERTO MOON, DED CHAPLIN, EARTHSHAKER... Faster Melodic Power Metal and Melodic Heavy Rock are the main styles on the band’s debut CD. Although the lead singer sings with the typical big Japanese accent, it sounds quite good. Especially the songs “Son of wonder” (melodic hardrock), “Endless smile” (uptempo power metal) and “Make my stand” (uptempo power metal) are very strong songs. So nothing original, but still very well played melodic heavy rock/metal from Japan. A must-have for fans of mentioned bands! CD is available through: http://www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.2 out of 10) SAMSON ‘TOMORROW AND YESTERDAY’ (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) A very nice compilation of rare SAMSON material recorded between 1978 and 2000. PAUL SAMSON is the late guitarist, who sadly died in 2002. he had his own band SAMSON, best known for featuring BRUCE DICKINSON on vocalist in the early years, but this compilation is focused on the non-studio album tracks of SAMSON, which goes all the way back to 1978 with their first single “Telephone” (for the first time on CD) up to a few 2000 recorded live tracks. Musically it is also a nostalgic trip through the years, because it all started as punky poprock’n’roll with “Telephone”, then pure NWOBHM and in the middle of the 1980s pure AOR/Melodic Rock a la PRAYING MANTIS/SHY (especially the songs “Tomorrow”, “Look to the future” and “Can’t live without your love” are good examples of this sound), but ending as a typical British Metalband a la SAXON. It shows the talent of Paul, who was accompanied by many musicians through the years, including members of MAIDEN, FM and many various lead singers (SAM BLUE, NICKY MOORE, MICK WHITE, PETER SCALLAN and RIK ANTHONY, also BRUCE DICKINSON of course, but he can not be heard on this disc). In the end, a very nice compilation CD of some of the rare SAMSON tracks, along with very extensive sleeve notes, a story you need quite some time to completely read from start to end. CD is available through: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
This is a Japanese release of the debut CD of the band MASTERSTROKE, a band from Finland playing typical Northern European Melodic Power Metal in the style of THUNDERSTONE, DREAMTALE, STRATOVARIUS, etc., yet with rawer lead vocals. Without a doubt, this is a high quality release, because the 10 included Power Metal/Melodic Heavy Rocksongs are all very strong. Highlights are “Theater of madness”, “Calling” (fantastic catchy tune), “Seven deadly sins” (best song, 8+ minutes long) and “Eye of the needle” are really some of the best Finnish style Melodic Metal you can imagine, especially a must if you liked THUNDERSTONE! More info on MASTERSTROKE at: http://www.masterstroke.info and the CD is available through: http://www.artuniongroup.co.jp (Points: 8.5 out of 10) ISM ‘MONKEY UNDERNEATH’ (STM RECORDS/SONY/RED) A very original band from New York, combining elements of progressive rock, britpop and gothic rock with very strong melodic choruses that make them almost sound like an alternative version of THE RASMUS, with the instrumental backing sound of THE GATHERING, the guitars in a U2 style, but with British sounding male lead vocals a la THE CURE and choruses that remind me of DURAN DURAN!. The band sounds like they are huge in the USA, because over there they are very into this sort of 80s influenced underground sounding music. Most of the 10 included songs are in a similar style, which is midtempo dark almost gothic like rock with memorable choruses. Songs like “Goodbye”, “Can’t explain”, “The fill” and “Breathe”. The band has all it takes to become big in the USA and while having a look at the US charts it tells us their single “Breathe” has lifted off and is heading to make a break across the nation. In the meantime, check ‘em out at: http://www.ismmusic.com and http://www.stmrecords.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
STRANGEFISH are coming out of the UK and they are about to release the CD ‘Fortune telling’. This is their 2nd album, the follow-up to 2003’s ‘Full scale’. Musically it is pure Neo-Progressive Rock like only the British can make it, although there are also some influences from Classic Hardrock and Melodic Rock mixed into the strong sound of this band. Highlights are “2”, “5’, “8” and “6”. Must-have for ARENA/THRESHOLD fans, but also IQ, FOR ABSENT FRIENDS fans will like this a lot, as the band mixes long instrumental passages with strong vocalwork, memorable melodies, 80s synth keys and groovy guitarwork from the 70c Classic Rock era. In the end, this sounds like a sensational act in the Neo-Progscene and that doesn’t happen too often. In the following years this band might well become the next IQ, JADIS, ENCHANT or PALLAS. Concluded, a high quality band! More info at: http://www.strangefish.co.uk (Points: 8.5 out of 10) FIRE FOR EFFECT ‘FIRE FOR EFFECT’ (INDEPENDENT) American band playing typical American Thrashy Power Metal with aggressive vocals that also have a lot of similarities to LEMMY, although the guitar riffs are very heavy and groovy of a PANTERA kind. 9 songs are included are on the CD and for people who like their music louder than hell, this FIRE FOR EFFECT is interesting, although at one point you start thinking havin’t I heard this before, because all the songs are in the exact same style, which is very heavy groovy Thrashy Power Metal, but then not of the ICED EARTH kind unfortunately. Anyway, more info on this band at: http://www.fireforeffect.us and e-mail at: anubisjj20@aol.com (Points: 7.0 out of 10) JILL YAN ‘B4’ (INDEPENDENT) Swiss guitarist with a really good instrumental CD, which musically is typical guitar lead instrumental music with influences from Classic Hardrock, Melodic Rock and Progressive Metal. It is all done quite well, Jill playing the guitar quite excellent and for any fan of the LION MUSIC instrumental releases, this is definitely a must to have as well. More info at: http://www.jillyan.com and e-mail at: jyan@freesurf.ch (Points: 8.2 out of 10) OBSIDIAN ‘DEMO 3’ (DEMO CDR) A new demo of this American band, which features different singers I believe, because after a rather weak opening track, the next song features much better vocals and is basically good 80s American hardrock. There are clear RATT influences to be heard, but it all sounds very much in the demo stages, so I am afraid I can not give that much points, but tracks 2 and especially 4 show that this band has potential as they combine catchy 80s Glamrock with some modern punkpop, along with CHEAP TRICK similarities. If they are able to release an official full-length CD in the future I think we will learn more about the capabilities of this band. More info at: http://www.obsidian.com and e-mail at: renwolf@grm.net (Points: 7.3 out of 10) SUBZERO ‘THE SUFFERING OF MAN’ (SCARLET RECORDS) Band formed out of the ashes of BBREAKDOWN, a legendary New York band that is supposed to be the originators of the Metalcore style as we know it sadly today, because this is nothing but aggressive screaming with zero melodies. Only interesting for fans of AGNOSTIC FRONT, CRO-MAGS, SICK OF IT ALL, etc. (Points: 3.0 out of 10) NECRODEATH ‘100% HELL’ (SCARLET RECORDS) Thrash Metal in the good old aggressive Bay Area style, kinda like KREATOR, SODOM, POSSESSED, SLAYER... It’s loud, it’s fast and without any compromise! This is how Thrash Metal should sound. NECRODEATH is an Italian band, formed 22 years ago and this is their 7th album. Production is huge and this is like a must-have for all die-hard Moshers! (Points: 8.0 out of 10) Band from Texas/USA with a mix of American Poprock early 80s style and pure British Rock. 5 songs are on their mini-CD ‘Turn it off’ and it sounds like the kind of rock which at the moment is worldwide quite popular, because it is a sort of melodic rockstyle with influences from Classic Rock, Britpop and 80s New Wave/New Romantic. The songs are melodic, while still rocking quite hard. It does sound like a mix between THE CURE, THE CARS and U2, really good strong pure Rock with catchy melodies and very nice vocalwork of DONNIE DEBOER (of Dutch origin I assume!). One of many new bands from the myspace website which is bound to have a big break soon. More info at: http://www.autoescapeband.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) SEVEN ANGELS ‘FACELESS MAN’ (ENCORE RECORDS) Female fronted Brazilian band which makes a comeback with their 2nd CD īFaceless manī. Musically nothing new brought here, but still nice quality female fronted gothic metal in the EPICA/AFTER FOREVER style. It is not as good as the familiar Dutch bands in this genre, but on the other hand like many other Brazilian bands also SEVEN ANGELS has released a high quality CD. 3 male vocalists also make a guest appearance here, but it is female singer Debora Serri who sings in this band and although she is not as good as the singers from mentioned bands, I think she is well enough to sing the melodic Gothic Metal of SEVEN ANGELS. 9 songs are included and mixing took place at the famous Finnvoxx studios in Finland, which is a guarantee for a high quality sound. In the 5 years the band exists now, they have managed to become one of the better female fronted metalbands from Brazil, so better check out their new record ‘Faceless man’ asap. More info at: http://www.sevenangels.com.br and e-mail at: info@sevenangels.com.br (Points: 8.0 out of 10) VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘A TRIBUTE TO CIRITH UNGOL: ONE FOOT IN FIRE’ (SOLEMNITY MUSIC) CIRITH UNGOL is one of many underground bands out of the classic 80s metalscene from America. Bands like MANILLA ROAD, WARLORD and this CIRITH UNGOL have a huge following and real cult name, so a tribute to these bands happen quite a lot, although most of the bands appearing are lesser known, but fact remains that also CIRITH UNGOL influenced many bands from the present day. Musically the band was playing a sort of BLACK SABBATH influenced Doom Metal style, very raw and unpolished for the 1980s. Bands included on this particular tribute CD are ROTTEN (Holland), FALCON (USA), SOLEMNITY (GERMANY), HOLY MARTYR (ITALY), DAWN OF WINTER (GERMANY), ASSEDIUM (ITALY), EMERALD (SWITZERLAND), MONSTRUM (POLAND), ROSAE CRUCIS (ITALY), BATTLE RAM (ITALY) and CRYSTAL VIPER (POLAND) and ELIXIR (UK). Definitely worth checking out for fans of True Metal, discover old songs played by new bands in the genre! More info at: http://www.solemnity.de and e-mail at: info@solemnity.de (Points: 8.1 out of 10)
The German band POOR GENETIC MATERIAL has built up a reputation through the years, because this ‘Spring tides’ is already their 5th CD. The band features the excellent lead singer PHIL GRIFFITHS, who has one of the best voices in today’s rockscene, almost sounding like DENNIS DEYOUNG (ex-STYX), which could also be heard on the ALIAS EYE albums besides the POOR GENETIC MATERIAL albums. However, the new POOR GENETIC MATERIAL might well be their best release so far, because it is a very sensational melodic neo-progressive rockalbum in the best CAIRO, ICE AGE, ENCHANT, SHADOW GALLERY style, so very melodic vocals and choruses with impressive instrumental passages, interesting for both AOR and Progfans! 8 songs are included, and although each song is impressive, absolute highlights have got to be “Blow up”, “Watercolours” and “Tidings”, but actually all the songs are very sensational. This is one of the best Neo-Prog releases at the moment, as good as JADIS’ new CD, so go out and get it asap if you’re a fan of this style. More info at: http://www.poorgeneticmaterial.de or http://www.quixote-music.de (Points: 8.8 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
POWER
PROJECT ‘DINOSAURS’ (POWERZONE RECORDS/ROCK INC) 
PERPETUAL
DREAMS ‘EYES OF INFINITE’ (HELLION RECORDS) 
POISON
‘SEVEN DAYS LIVE DVD’ (MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS) 
SURVIVOR
‘REACH’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS-ROUGH TRADE) 
BLUE
TEARS ‘THE INNOCENT ONES’ (AOR HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
WETTON/DOWNES
‘ICON ACOUSTIC TV BROADCAST’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
GIUNTINI
PROJECT ‘3’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
MR.
MOONLIGHT ‘NIGHTMOVES’ (INDEPENDENT) 
RAM
‘FORCED ENTRY’ (BLACK PATH RECORDS) 
FABRIK
‘FALL OF THE ROMANTIC EMPIRE’ (MD RECORDS) 
WESTPOINT
‘LOVE AND COMFORT IN A TIME OF CONFUSE’ (MONGOOSE RECORDS) 
FRONTLINE
‘CIRCLES’ (AOR HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
PAINE’S
PROMISE ‘MOBIUS’ (INDEPENDENT) 
COSMIC
BALLROOM ‘YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE’ (MOONROCKS/ROASTINGHOUSE RECORDS) 
MYSTIC
PROPHECY ‘SAVAGE SOULS’ (MASSACRE RECORDS)
MASTERSTROKE
‘APOCALYPSE’ (JMT MUSIC/ART UNION RECORDS/STAY GOLD IMPORT JAPAN) 
STRANGEFISH
‘FORTUNE TELLING’ (PROMO ADVANCED CDR) 