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SNAKEROOT
‘DOWNTOWN TO GHETTO’ (INDEPENDENT/TURKEY IMPORT)
Now this is an impressive band Classic Melodic Hardrockband from Istanbul, Turkey. ‘Downtown to ghetto’ is their debut album and if you would listen without any further info, you would think they hail from Switzerland, Germany or Sweden, but we truly are listening to a band from Turkey here. Of course there have been a lot of Hardrock and Metalbands from Turkey in the past, but this SNAKEROOT is reminding a lot of bands like SHAKRA, GOTTHARD and BONFIRE, so sounding like a Western European band doing late 1980s Americanized Hair Metal/Melodic Hardrock like a mix between 80s BON JOVI/TUFF/WHITE LION/FIREHOUSE. Vocally not as good as those bands yet, but the material and instrumentally speaking, SNAKEROOT is definitely an interesting high quality Melodic Hardrockband. Especially their guitarist SERHAN AKALIN is a really excellent musician and songs like “Crime” and “Never give up” (very strong uptempo Melodic Hardrocksongs) and the midtempo AOR/Melodic Rocker “Roses whisper your name” are highly recommended to fans of aforementioned bands. This band has potential to become bigger and will hopefully become a huge influence on the Turkish Hardrockscene, because there have not been many bands in the Melodic Hardrockstyle active over there. Check them out at: http://www.facebook.com/snakeroottheband (Points: 8.1 out of 10) NEVER A HERO ‘BLEED BETWEEN THE LIES’ (WTA MUSIC/TSM PROMOTIONS) Thankfully this British band NEVER A HERO sounds more melodic than expected, because when I looked at the frontcover I honestly thought this was some sorta pure Screamocore/Metalcore band in the style of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND or BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. Although not entirely avoiding those Metalcore parts, NEVER A HERO is vocally speaking mostly entering the melodic zone. Songs like “Roses are dead, violets are too”, “Pays of patience” and especially “Screams of silence” show the band’s ability to create quite melodic material. LOST PROPHETS is a band that comes up more than a few times when listening to NEVER A HERO, although the melodic catchy choruses do have some similarities to HIM and THE RASMUS as well. The production is excellent and quite a few of the 14 included songs are very enjoyable to listen to. The band has a massive sound that is super modern, but leaves enough room open for clean melodies and also some Symphonic bombasticness can be heard here and there. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.neverahero.net/ (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Formed in 2008 by singer, songwriter and guitarist Jesper Lidang, the Danish band THE RUMOUR SAID FIRE releases their 2nd album with ‘Deadends’. Musically speaking we are hearing a diversity in genres, although Indie Pop meets Dreampop meets the melodic hamonyvocals of classic Folk Pop/Rock is a nice way to describe the music of this band. There is a very late 1960s/early 1970s kinda vibe going on here, with clear references to THE BYRDS and 70s FLEETWOOD MAC, although of course the obvious comparison to FLEET FOXES are easy to draw as well. We can find 12 songs on the album and most of the songs are sounding very laid-back and peaceful, which makes it basically a very pleasant listen from start to finish. Among the highlights are the catchy “Voyager” (a definite potential hitsingle!), “Beneath the waves”, “Destroyer”, “The oracle” and ”Reckless hearts” (with a reference to Amsterdam during the song!). There are many interesting bands active nowadays, so it will be a battle for THE RUMOUR SAID FIRE to earn that well-deserved attention from the audience and a hitsingle is always needed to become massive, but on the other hand it might also bring you fame and fortune for just a short period if you can only deliver one great song (see GOTYE). However I feel that THE RUMOUR SAID FIRE is able to deliver much more great material in the future and with the song “Voyager” they have a winner for the upcoming Summer Season, because this might just become one of 2013’s biggest radio airplay hits in Europe and beyond! Check out this interesting band at: http://therumoursaidfire.com/ (Points: 8.4 out of 10) BARBE Q BARBIES
‘BREAKING ALL THE RULES’ (SOUND OF FINLAND/FINLAND IMPORT)
The all-female rockband BARBE Q BARBIES has been active for more than 10 years now and they recently released their 2nd full-length album ‘Breaking all the rules’. The band is not making things really complicated on this new album, because it is all about straight-ahead uptempo Hardrock with an AC/DC beat and a catchy melodic pop chorus, while some flashy guitarsolo’s show there is time to rock! It sounds dangerously close to GIRLSCHOOL (“Crashing down”), THE DONNAS (“Breaking all the rules”) and THE RUNAWAYS (“STFU”), but who cares if it is done as well as on this album by these 5 Finnish girls. The frontcover picture is a bit over-the-top, because it might suggest that this is a fabricated band, but these 5 girls are really musicians, writing their own songs and rock hard on this album. The uptempo catchy rockers “One more”, “Shout it out” and “Breaking all the rules” are the highlights and if you’re a fan of THE DONNAS, then look no further, because these Finish girls are a very strong sounding similar band that deliver a very nice album, although as mentioned, there is nothing new to be excepted. It is just all about girls who like to rock and that’s what they exactly do and thankfully, it is done at a professional level, so therefore it is recommended! Check them out at: http://www.barbeqbarbies.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) ABSOLON ‘DARKNESS RISING – THE TALE OF DEREK BLACKHEART’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT) ‘Darkness rising – the tale of Derek Blackheart’ is a concept album about a musician who forms a band called BLACKHEART that becomes the biggest Metalband in the world. Due to the fact that IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA are probably the biggest Metal bands in the world at the moment, this is of course an illusion and that’s why the debut album of the Florida based band ABSOLON should be considered a dream, which nevertheless can still be compared to the aforementioned bands’ early 1980s period, because for them it eventually became reality throughout the 1980s. Anyway, ABSOLON definitely shows they are a very interesting band that plays a sort of Melodic Progressive Metal style that is actually not far removed from THRESHOLD, PAGAN’S MIND and PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, with some 80s QUEENSRYCHE and FATES WARNING similarities as well (“Darkness rising”). The production and sound quality is perfect, the musicianship is quite superb, with some amazing guitarwork going on here by lead guitarist ED DUMAS, very nice additional keyboardwork by the legendary DAVE MIKAEL (remember DAVID and MPG – AOR/Pomprockbands we reviewed in the past) and also vocally we are entering a strong GEOFF TATE level. On a side note we need to add here that lead singer KEN PIKE once sang in the 80s AOR band VITAL SIGNS and also was part of the Melodic Metal band MALACHIA, but with ABSOLON he enters the Progmetalworld and clearly impresses a lot. Without a doubt, this is an excellent independent release, which should get a lot of attention from the people whom are into Metal with a melodic approach and a progressive twist. This is the album QUEENSRYCHE forgot to record the past 20 years and that is a major compliment! More info at: www.absolonrocks.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Out of Ohio comes BALL AND CHAIN, a band that is focused on mixing Classic Southern Rock with big massive Metal riffs. Although their vocalist CHARLIE SALTKIELD does have a typical Southern Rock voice which sounds like a rawer BRETT MICHAELS and the bandname could be named after the POISON track, the music is definitely more interesting and a lot heavier. In fact, BALL AND CHAIN sounds like a Southern Metalband, with some excellent guitarwork. They could easily become the next big thing, because everything sounds quite perfect on their debut album ‘The Appalachian hammer’. 10 songs are included and without a doubt, this is a really great album that should attracts fans of Sotuhern Rock, Classic Hardrock, Stoner Rock and also all the Metalheads out there, as BALL AND CHAIN mixes these styles and comes up with quite an original sound, not heard much out there. BLACK STONE CHERRY, THE ANSWER and CLUTCH are examples of bands that do more or less the same, but somehow this BALL AND CHAIN gets a little dirtier and gritter than them, with just a tad more punch to make them actually a real Southern Metalband! Make sure to check them out asap, because with songs like “Redneck Metalhead” and “The Appalachian hammer” they have already recorded 2 anthems in the Southern Metalstyle and closing track “Friends like these” sounds like the song BON JOVI, NICKELBACK and POISON would have loved to have in their back catalogue. Definitely check out this band at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ballchain1 (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
And here we have the latest sensation in the world of female fronted bands. They are called LEAVING EDEN, they hail from Boston, USA and their debut CD ‘Between heaven and hell’ is quite a killer record. There are some clear similarities to LACUNA COIL, both vocally and instrumentally speaking, because besides a great female lead singer (CAROLE EVE GYNAN), the band’s guitarist ERIC GYNAN also sings on a few songs, such as during the midtempo slightly aggressive Metal Anthem “50 Bullets” and the uptempo melodic heavy rockers “Carved in stone” and “Unborn”. However, it is Carole who shines most of the time, especially during the wonderful Melodic Metal pieces “The silence is a deafening”, “Ruthless game”, “Leaving Eden” and “So alone”. Although the female fronted Melodic Metalscene has seen countless releases the past 10 years, I still have to admit that with LEAVING EDEN we have yet another true winner! In fact, this could well turn out to become one of the finest female fronted Metal releases in 2013 I think! The band has a huge promotion campaign/major label backing them up, resulting in a terrific sounding debut album, which by the way was produced by the legendary Stuart Epps (LED ZEPPELIN, ROLLING STONES, THE BEATLES), and they have toured with many major acts, including ZZ TOP, ALICE COOPER, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, SLASH, etc. etc. LEAVING EDEN is easily one of the strongest female fronted Metalbands at the moment and somehow they also have an own identity that sets them apart from bands like NIGHTWISH, EPICA, DELAIN, LACUNA COIL and SHADOWSIDE, but nevertheless are a must-have for anyone who is into the female fronted melodic metalsound of the 2000s/2010s! More info at: http://www.leavingeden.com/ (Points: 8.5 out of 10) KYLER ‘SWAGGER’ (7HARD RECORDS/TSM PROMOTIONS) KYLER is a band from South Germany and they sent me their debut album ‘Swagger’. Musically they are going for quite an aggressive Metal direction, which is close to Hardcore/Metalcore/Thrash Metal. It sounds quite extreme and for the fans of melodic hardrock/metal there is not much to find here, but I do have to say that the band does deliver a quality album with ‘Swagger’, because the production/sound is perfect and the guitarwork is quite excellent. However, the extreme vocals make it more interesting for people into let’s say BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, so only for the fans of extreme Metal. More at: www.kyler-metal.com (Points: -) KILL FOR EDEN ‘KILL FOR EDEN’ (INDEPENDENT/TBRUMPTON PR/UK IMPORT) KILL FOR EDEN is a London, UK based female fronted rockband formed by guitarist DAVE GARFIELD and vocalist LYLA D’SOUZA. They already released an EP titled ‘Kerosone’, but are now about to release their official full-length debut CD. The included music is quite catchy Melodic Rock, with excellent guitarwork in the old school Classic Rockstyle, while the soulful vocals of Lyla are really terrific. She has got an amazing voice that easily blows away any so-called famous female singer in the charts right now! Although of course there are many female fronted rockbands out there, this KILL FOR EDEN is clearly a strong and quite sensational band to keep your eyes wide open for. Not each of the 13 included songs is a classic, but during the songs “Stalemate”, “Alone with my demons”, “Living on Mars” and “Fate insists” (AORish semi-ballad, superb!), the band easily hit the bullseye, because these are very impressive Classic Melodic Rock based tunes. Highly recommended band that might perhaps breakthrough if they are lucky, because they have got all it takes to make an impression on anyone who likes good quality music. A total must-have for the fans of female fronted melodic rock! More at: http://www.killforeden.com/ (Points: 8.5 out of 10) DEVIL TO PAY ‘FATE IS YOUR MUSE’ (RIPPLE MUSIC/USA IMPORT) ‘Fate is your muse’ is already the 4th album of the US band DEVIL TO PAY. They were formed some 10 years ago in the Indianapolis area. Ever since they started they have been rocking and working hard, had their ups and downs, but now in 2013 they release probably their strongest record so far. The band’s sound is Stoner Rock orientated, yet sounding very melodic in both the instrumental and vocal department. The guitarwork is quite massive and sounding very dirty, like the typical Stoner Rock/Doom Metalband out there (KYUSS, CLUTCH, CANDLEMASS) and combined with the strong vocalwork as well as the huge sound/production, this ‘Fate is your muse’ is without a doubt a must-hear record to anyone who likes Stoner Rock with BLACK SABBATHish Metal riffs. The lyrics are also avoiding all the clichés, which can already be noticed when mentioning the album’s highlight here, which happens to be a song called “Ten Lizardmen and one pocketknife”. I don’t think you can’t get any more original than this and in fact, there are quite a few songtitles on this album that were probably never used in the music history! DEVIL TO PAY is a band you don’t want to miss if you call yourself a fan of True Metal/Stoner Rock! It sounds like the album SOUNDGARDEN, MONSTER MAGNET and ALICE IN CHAINS were never able to record! Check it out for yourself at: http://www.deviltopay.net/ (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Singer/songwriter BRENDAN KEELEY is coming out of Tullamore, Ireland and he already achieved quite a lot of success in Ireland in the mid 1990s with a couple of massive hitsingles. He is a very talented excellent lead vocalist, while his music is clearly going into the classic singer-songwriter AOR direction. It reminds me so much of that legendary RUSSELL album ‘Wall of love’, but as probably nobody can remember that record from the mid 1990s, we will have to add RICHARD MARX, BRYAN ADAMS, VAN STEPHENSON, JOHN PARR, DAN LUCAS, SPIN GALLERY and such AOR/Westcoast-singer/songwriters. If you’re into this style, you will absolutely love this new album by Brendan. Although it might sound a little soft here and there, with a couple of PLAYER/THINK OUT LOUD orientated poppy pieces, the overall feeling is close to pure AOR with catchy hooks and memorable choruses, while Brendan’s vocals are quite strong. No uptempo rockers here, because the focus is (semi) – ballad to midtempo orientated material, with as highlights the excellent midtempo AOR of “I can’t believe it” and the semi-ballads “It’s not easy”, “Who’s gonna catch you” and “Take the chains away”. I also must mention here the lovely closing track “Miss you tonight”, which is a duet with a wonderful female singer KAREN HAMILL and is a perfect tribute to the glorious 80s US Power AOR male-female vocal ballads, because it almost makes me sing “Almost paradise” (MIKE RENO and ANN WILSON), “If you need me tonight” (DAN LUCAS and ROBIN BECK) or “Never gonna let you go” (JOE PIZZULO and LEZA MILLER) for that matter! Without a doubt, a must-have album if you’re into any of the mentioned acts, because this is smooth polished AOR/Westcoast at it’s very best! More info at: http://www.brendankeeley.com (Points: 8.4 out of 10) THE ROCKFORD HEROES ‘EDGE OF THE SILVERTHORN’ (MONTROXX RECORDS/TSM PROMOTIONS/SWEDEN IMPORT) THE ROCKFORD HEROES is a Swedish band formed back in 2009 and they are now presenting their debut album ‘Edge of the silverthorn’. Musically speaking this band drifts into strong 80s influenced AOR/Melodic Rock, with a touch of prog and melodic heavy rock here and there. Overall, they remind me a lot of 80s Euro acts like ELEKTRADRIVE, MAD MAX, HELLOISE and PRETTY MAIDS. The band features former members of SEVEN GATES, TITAN and PERSUADER and after a couple of EP releases, with ‘Edge of the silverthorn’, we can enjoy a full-length record of this talented band. Vocally there is a slight accent to be heard, although even some similarities to SEBASTIAN BACH are possible. Anyway, 8 tracks are included and they sound quite diverse actually, because we have a bunch of great midtempo and uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers (“No reason to believe”, “The day of return” and the excellent 80s AOR dut-dut keyboard driven “A split second goodbye”), a nice AOR ballad (“Forever”), uptempo melodic heavy rock with early 80s NWOBHM influences (“And then there was temptation” and “Capricious arrows”), epic midtempo Progmetal a la THRESHOLD/PSYCHOTIC WALTZ (“Gold encircles the altar”) and a Melodic Hardrocksong as closing track (“The fools realm”). There’s something for everyone here, with some terrific guitarwork by the way and although the high-pitched vocalwork might not always work that well, the conclusion is that THE ROCKFORD HEROES is an interesting band to check out at: www.facebook.com/therockfordheroes (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
AOR/Westcoast is nowadays mostly coming out of Sweden and with singer/songwriter DAN SAVIK we have another winner in this genre. His debut album ‘Heading west’ perfectly recreates the classic early 1980s sounds of the USA, with clear similarities to JOHN O’BANION, TOTO, VAN STEPHENSON, DAVID ROBERTS, BOB HALLIGAN, DON HENLEY, STEELY DAN, JAY GRUSKA, ORLEANS, etc. etc. The beginning of the album is very strong, with “The ocean” and “Falling” being the highlights, although the best song is without a doubt the midtempo AOR piece “Wonder night” that sounds dangerously close to classic JOHN O’BANION. The material gets a little soft here and there and some uptempo rockers would’t hurt next time, but for fans of classic Singer-Songwriter Westcoast-Pop this album is definitely a must-have to hear! More info on Dan at: http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/DanSavik (Points: 8.3 out of 10) THE LIDOCAINE ‘ON THE ROAD TO MIERO’ (INVERSE RECORDS/TSM PROMOTIONS/FINLAND IMPORT) THE LIDOCAINE is a band from Finland, formed in 2009 and releasing their 2nd album with this ‘On the road to Miero’. Musically speaking it is Melodic Heavy Rock, with big Metal riffs. Vocally not as strong as you want it to be, but instrumental and also the production of the CD is in good shape. Although they do not sound that bad at all, I do feel there’s more work to be done for this band, because there are millions of bands out there that want to be the next big thing, so it will be very hard for THE LIDOCAINE to become noticed and after a few times listening to their first album, I sadly did not hear anything spectacular yet. Especially vocally it doesn’t sound convincing and let’s hope a future album will also bring some memorable tunes, because that is what’s also missing right now. Anyway, check them out for yourself at: www.thelidocaine.com (Points: 6.5 out of 10) TOTHEM ‘BEYOND THE SEA’ (METALEDGE RECORDS/ITALY IMPORT) Out of Italy comes TOTHEM, a band formed in the early 2000s, with also already a couple of EP releases in their back catalogue. However, their official full-length debut CD ‘Beyond the sea’ is now released and I have to say that it does sound quite impressive. They are a female fronted band with a sound close to EPICA, AFTER FOREVER and NIGHTWISH, so basically typical Gothic Melodic Metal. Female singer ROSLEN is a powerful singer, who can also go for the incredible high soprano/opera range, although the few times she does this, it does not have a very positive influence on the overall sound of TOTHEM, because the music of the band is actually already interesting enough to listen to without the opera/soprano vocals. The ballads “Light of soul” and “So close so far away” are both really beautiful and probably the highlights on the album, sounding very sensational. Another highlight is the superb midtempo “Smile again” that is reminding quite a bit of EPICA. Instrumental it all sounds quite strong, with the sensational guitarwork of BLACKCYRIL being another remarkable fact. Although TOTHEM is not there yet and it will be hard to beat the past works of NIGHTWISH and AFTER FOREVER, which set the standard for this kind of Metal already years ago, TOTHEM is nevertheless a nice addition to the scene and they have a bright future, because the ingredients are present and a first impressive album is now available. More at: http://www.facebook.com/tothemband (Points: 8.3 out of 10) SEVERAL UNION ‘AWAKE FROM THE GAME’ (DMB MUSIC/RUDE RECORDS/TSM/ITALY IMPORT) The 2nd album ‘Awake from the game’ of the Italian band SEVERAL UNION was mastered by the legendary TED JENSEN at the Sterling Sound, New York, so the sound/production quality is superb. The included music is typical modern day Melodic Heavy Rock that sounds massive and has a few Screamos here and there, sorta like a mix between BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and HIM. They have a good singer and some of the material sounds quite good, but personally I just would like to see the band go for a more calmer direction, because it sounds quite overproduced here and there, with so many typical modern day tricks and distorted guitars all over the place. Nevertheless, SEVERAL UNION does it well in their own right and fans of the modern rocksound will like this most definitely, because after all, most of the included songs are catchy enough. However, at the moment there are a zillion bands out there making the exact same style and doing the same computer and autotune tricks, so we will have to wait and see if the band can develop themselves in the future. In the meantime, check out this 2011 released album and the band at: http://www.facebook.com/severalunion (Points: 7.9 out of 10)
Now here we have a band that might be on it’s way to fame and glory in the near future, because the Australian band RAGDOLL sounds massive on their 2nd EP ‘Here today’. The band’s line-up changed a few times in the recent past, but as of 2011 they have been a Power Rock trio and released a first EP in 2011, performed at the legendary US Rock Festival ROCKLAHOMA in 2012 and released this new EP ‘Here today’ in 2012. The band does not only have a great sound, with biting 1970s guitarwork of Le'on Todd in the classic LED ZEPPELIN style, the most remarkable about RAGDOLL is the incredible vocalwork of singer (and bassist) RYDASH. He makes RAGDOLL standout between all the others, because his voice is one-of-a-kind and perhaps he will become one of the upcoming new rising stars when it comes down to the real sensational top-notch vocalists in the world! He reminds me of the late STEVE LEE (GOTTHARD), DAVID COVERDALE and ROBERT PLANT. His vocal delivery in the groovy Hardrocker “Tell me” and the GOTTHARDish Melodic AOR Rockballad “Could it be love” is unbelievable! He blows away almost any male vocalist in the current Hardrockworld! The GOTTHARD similarities can also be heard during the strong midtempo Melodic Rocker “Heaven above”, which by the way fades out with some very nice proggy/shredding guitarwork. Basically this is Classic 1970s Hardrock with catchy Melodic Rock melodies, featuring superb guitarwork and sensational vocals, sounding fresh and updated for the 2010s! These 3 guys from Perth deliver something spectacular here and without a doubt, this RAGDOLL is definitely a band to keep your eyes wide open for in the future, because who knows they might become the next big Stadium Rockband! More info at: http://ragdollrock.com/ (Points: 8.8 out of 10) QUINN HEDGES BAND ‘STEP OUTSIDE’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT) Out of sunny California comes the trio QUINN HEDGES BAND, whom deliver their very first album with ‘Step outside’. Bandleader QUINN HEDGES has already released solo material in the past, but after forming this trio, along with bassist Jamison Aguirre and drummer John Yessen, the start of a new band has resulted in this strong album, which musically adapts a melodic light Progressive Rocksound that also contains influences from the Blues, Classic Rock/AOR and other traditional American music (Americana, Jazz, Folk, etc.). Quinn’s vocals are very strong, while his guitarwork is clearly influenced by legendary guitarists such as LEE RITENOUR, JEFF BECK, CARLOS SANTANA and ERIC CLAPTON, so playing with a sorta Fusion/Jazzy/Blues approach. More or less, the music also touches a bit of Westcoast-AOR, which can be heard at best during the smooth “Crazy’ and the breezy “Not ready”. Most of the songs sound quite laid-back and it’s actually hard to label Quinn’s sound, but that makes it more interesting I think. Call it bluesy rock, melodic progrock, smooth westcoast, funky jazz/fusion or stripped-down classic rock… but I guess it’s basically a mix of all these traditional genres and QUINN HEDGES BAND mixes that quite well on this highly recommended debut album, which you can check out at: http://quinnhedges.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
The new album ‘El pistolero’ of the rising Australian band TRACER was produced by KEVIN SHIRLEY of MAIDEN, LED ZEPPELIN, JOURNEY fame and it seems they have now after 10 years have found a steady line-up and sound to prepare for a bright future. The band is now a Power Rock trio and musically sounds like a typical Classic Rockband of the 2010s, not far removed from the sound of bands like SOUNDGARDEN and KYUSS. The songs are mostly groovy and based around big fat guitar riffs in the classic LED ZEPPELIN style. A surprise is the beautiful calmer acoustic tingled “Ballad of El Pistolero” that is actually the introduction to the album’s strongest rocker “Santa Cecilia”. Although nothing new is brought here and the Classic 1970s Hardrocksound is being exposed from start to finish on this CD, without any real surprises, the result is good enough for the fans of SOUNDGARDEN, LED ZEPPELIN, CLUTCH, etc. etc. However, time will tell if TRACER will make it really big and become a stadium rockband, because therefore it might be a little too early and also their new album ‘El pistolero’ does not contain the anthems you need to become bigger (see FOO FIGHTERS!). Nevertheless, a quality Classic Rockalbum is what this is all about and for more info just go to: www.tracer-band.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) HONNINGBARNA ‘VERDEN ER ENKEL’ (MASCOT RECORDS) Live on stage the Norwegian band HONNINGBARNA seems to be the big deal, but so far we will have to stick to their latest album ‘Verden er enkel’. The music of the band is heavy rock, with extreme outta-control distorted screams/vocals a la RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, gang-vocals during the choruses and a punky rock attitude, so more or less they are a Sleazy Rockband with some sing-a-long Punk/Oi! like choruses. Think THE HIVES meets MOTORHEAD meets TURBONEGRO, so nothing really new and perhaps it would be better to go to one of these hot live shows of them, because their record does not sound really spectacular. Only interesting for die-hard fans of mentioned bands, but as already said, a concert of this band might nevertheless be highly recommended. More at: www.honningbarna.no (Points: 7.7 out of 10)
Out of the US State of Massachusetts comes singer/songwriter PETER SINGER, a musician who is making music that clearly gives you that good old early 80s AOR/Westcoast feeling. In fact, a lot of the material (“Give it right back to me”, “Are you in it for love”, the beautiful ballad “Please don’t ever set me free” and the pure Classic 80s AOR rocker “Reaching out”) are just so much reminding me of the times when legendary early 80s North American acts such as BIG RIC, ALLIANCE (1982), PLAYER, FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS, THE AUTOMATIX, BE TAYLOR GROUP, DAVID KENT, CHRIS MANCINI, RON BOLTEN BAND, JIMMY DAVIS, EDDIE SCHWARTZ and countless more acts were able to release records on major labels in the USA. Somehow the whole recording and sound of the album is giving it the feeling of a re-issue of a classic early 80s album and that is definitely a compliment, because so many of the so-called AOR releases of the present day are actually quite by-the-numbers-digital-wanna-be-AOR-Classics and thankfully, that is absolutely not the case with PETER SINGER’s debut solo-album ‘Don’t look now’. THE BEATLES are probably the biggest influence for Peter, because most of the material follows that path, yet with the typical easly 80s American AOR/Westcoast approach. He is a great vocalist (reminding me of the legendary singer from the Canadian AOR band HARLEQUIN, with a touch of EDDIE SCHWARTZ and you can also trace a sorta PAUL MCCARTNEY similarity here and there), with an own style that easily sets him apart from the rest in the AOR genre. Although to some of us the hard rocking pieces might not be present on the album and Peter is making use of trumpets here and there (in a same way as DENNIS DEYOUNG and TYCOON), the absolute AOR/Westcoast fanatics whom are familiar with the earlier mentioned acts will definitely find something of interest in here. Put on the song “Reaching out” first, because then you’re hooked for sure, as you can’t get any closer to classic early 80s AOR-Rock then this… Check out all info on PETER SINGER at: http://www.facebook.com/PeterSingerDontLookNow (Points: 8.4 out of 10) STARFIRE ‘THE WAY I AM’ (DYNASTY RECORDS/USA IMPORT/TSM PROMOTIONS) Although the press release of this band called STARFIRE from North Hollywood wants us to believe this band is the next answer to JOURNEY, SURVIVOR and TOTO, I am afraid their official first full-length record ‘The way I am’ does not anywhere near reach that level. We reviewed a 3-song album of them a couple of years ago and already back then I mentioned that the lead vocals are not strong enough to give this a recommendation to the AOR fans out there. Especially in a time and in a music genre where vocals are so important, STARFIRE really needs to take care of that, because how else can they compete with the likes of other hot new acts like WORK OF ART, ECLIPSE, H.E.A.T., DALLAS, etc. etc. I am not saying this is a record to avoid completely, because therefore the musicianship is just too good, which is not that strange on the other hand if you’re aware of the fact that all musicians played with major artists and American Idols contestants through the years. Most of the songs go for the safe midtempo route and that is also which makes this album lack the ingredients of a classic aor album, because without the much-needed strong vocalwork and diversity in material, this STARFIRE album is far from a memorable AOR album. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.starfiremusic.com/ (Points: 6.1 out of 10)
When you’e a Sports fan and you are situated in the UK, then you might be familiar with the name IAN DANTER. Outside the UK not many people are aware of Ian, who happens to be a very famous Radio presenter, in particular for the talkSPORT Radio broadasts on Saturday evening. However, he is also an accomplished musician, who is now proud to present us his debut album ‘Prove you wrong’, on which he plays almost everything himself, but gets help from a few guitarists and the vocal duties are taken care by the fantastic lead singer LEE SMALL from SHY. The result is a very impressive massive sounding album that combines different elements of Rock, Hardrock and AOR. For example “She’s from a different solar system” is pure classic 70s BOSTON and so is “I’ll get around to it”, which also has 70s KISS similarities. On the other hand, there’s also a bunch of superb high class AOR/Melodic Rock in the shape of “Stronger than that”, which is a classic melodic rockballad with beautiful soulful vocals in the classic GLENN HUGHES style and we slip right into classic midtempo AOR of “Stay in my heart” that surely will please the fans of WORK OF ART, W.E.T. and such. More pure AOR can be heard during “I cried tonight” (a semi-ballad) and the sensational “Crocodile tears” that will please all the JOURNEY fans out there! But there’s also a JELLYFISH powerpop chorus during “Whiskey in a wine glass”, while NIGHT RANGER is mixed with FOO FIGHTERS during the intense rocking tunes “Overflow” and “I wanna be a has-been”. It’s basically all there and fans of high quality rockmusic will absolutely love this record and the best comparison I can come up with is definitely the most recent NIGHT RANGER album, which also has that feeling of mixing modern rock elements with classic ingredients of catchy harmonies and choruses, while lyrically being a bit tongue-in-cheek. Without a doubt, a recommended album! More info at: www.iandanter.co.uk/ (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
The most interesting thing about the musician ROB KLAJDA from Lansing, Michigan, USA is the fact that he is a true independent artist, which means he makes and releases his own records, books his own shows, carries his own gear and does all the promotion by himself. However, he is also not focusing himself on 1 music genre, so we can hear a wide variety of music passing by on his very first solo-record ‘Hopening’. This is making him a very interesting musician, who definitely needs to be heard by a lot more people, because such accomplished singer/songwriters as Rob Klajda are quite rare. Influenced by the likes of RAY DAVIES, ELVIS COSTELLO, STEVE EARLE, BOB DYLAN and countless more, ‘Hopening’ ends up being a very strong and diverse album. Among the highlights are “Warrior soul” (a great peaceful song that reminds me a bit of DAKOTA actually, so a sorta Westcoast touch), the uptempo “Another night in the underground” (a very catchy tune like JAKE BUGG), the TOM PETTYish ”Without me”, a Country twingle tune called “River town”, the TOMMY TUTONE orientated Powerpoprocker “Riptide” and the lovely acoustic JIM GROCEish “A memory behind”. If you however listen to the album a few times in a row, you can tuly hear the diversity and discover every time something new, because there’s even a hidden Jazz shuffle included (“Anyway”) and the additional help from several other musicians and a few female backing vocalists is all together making this a very pleasant album to listen to at any given time. More at: http://www.facebook.com/robklajda (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Belgium and Metal has not been effective in the past, but with DYSCORDIA we have a very interesting band, which also delivers a high quality album with their latest effort ‘Twin symbiosis’. The similarities to ICED EARTH are very clear, mostly due to the use of every Vocal Metal style that is available and thankfully, DYSCORDIA singer PIETER OVERSTIJNS (and probably vocalist/guitarist Stefan Segers) is capable of bringing some incredible vocal styles, ranging from a JUDAS PRIEST meets QUEENSRYCHE high pitched squeal, some Death Metal growling to a beautiful clean Progmetal vocal direction. Musically speaking we are entering the Melodic Progressive/Power Metalworld at an incredible high level, with some excellent instrumental musicianship (perfect guitarwork!) and also the sound/production of the band’s 2nd CD is of an amazing high level (major label ish). The production was in the hands of JENS BOGREN (OPETH, SYMPHONY X, PARADISE LOST…), who took the band to the Fascination Street Studios in Sweden and personally I think the album sounds like one of the greatest Belgian’s Metal releases in ages and perhaps better than the so-called-classic KILLER and CHANNEL ZERO albums from the past. Highlights are “From sight to black”, “Rise to perception”, “Ache of hearts” and the absolute winner “The loser’s game”. DYSCORDIA is the Belgian answer to ICED EARTH and that is definitely a compliment! More info at: www.dyscordia.com/ (Points: 8.4 out of 10)
Out of Toronto, Canada comes the female fronted Progrockband HALF PAST FOUR, whom are delivering their 2nd album with ‘Good things’. It is without a doubt a very strong album, similar in style to their debut from a few years ago (review at: http://strutterzine.angelfire.com/HOTNEWREVIEWS165.htm ). The band features a great female lead singer (KYREE VIBRANT) and musically speaking this is Progrock at it’s very best, with all the tricks and trademarks a progfan is longing for. Comparisons are possible to GLASS HAMMER, FLAMBOROUGH HEAD, MAGANTA, KARNATAKA, THE REASONING, STOLEN EARTH, BREATHING SPACE, FLAMBOROUGH HEAD, LANDMARQ, DISTRICT 97, etc. although I feel that HALF PAST FOUR is going for a pure prog approach that sounds even more proggy than for example RUSH. Compared to all those mentioned female fronted progbands, this HALF PAST FOUR actually sounds more complex and that makes them probably more interesting. For example a song like “Spin the girl” is introducing several other influences as well, such as a NINA HAGEN meets Jazz part, while “Rise” offers a surprising sorta Western meets THE SHADOWS guitar part in the middle of the song. Although the 12 included songs on the album are not that lengthy, they offer a lot of diversity, which in the end makes you go back and listen over and over again. Definitely a recommended album to any progfan out there! Check out all info on the band at: http://www.halfpastfour.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) MELISSA BELL ‘DISTANCE’ (FROSTBYTE MEDIA/CANADA IMPORT) It must be something in the air, because in Canada we can find so many talented musicians and MELISSA BELL happens to be yet another sensational singer/songwriter out of the Toronto area. She already released a full-length album at the age of 18 and ‘Distance’ is her 2nd record, which was by the way produced by Tom Treumuth (HONEYMOON SUITE, BIG SUGAR). Musically speaking this is pure Bluesrock, which can be compared to a BETH HART, BONNIE RAITT and JANIS JOPLIN. There is a strong focus on Melissa’s amazing vocal skills that really give you the chills when hearing her soul cry out during songs like “Distance” (co-written by legendary AOR musician RAY LYELL), “Over and done with” and the cover of the classic “Ain’t no sunshine”. The songs are most of the time quite slow and clearly from the heart. Blues with a real Soul that rocks… Melissa could easily become the next big hype, because with a voice like hers at such a young age, I am safe to say that any audience will be quietly listening whenever and wherever she sings in this wide world of ours! Go check out this sensational female singer at: http://melissa-bel.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) ETERNAL RISING ‘BREAK ME FREE’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT) Out of Toronto, Canada comes the band ETERNAL RISING, whom are playing traditional Melodic Metal, with a slight modern approach and also some Progmetal influences. They sound quite impressive for a threesome and although ‘Break me free’ is their debut album, they already show they are an act to follow in the future. There are comparisons possible to other new NWOBHM typed bands, such as ENFORCER and CAULDRON, although I rate this ETERNAL RISING higher, due to more diversity and also better musicianship. The album was recorded at the legendary METALWORKS STUDIOS, which is owned by GIL MOORE of TRIUMPH. Although their first album might not be consider to be a classic, it has ingredients that indicate that ETERNAL RISING has the potential to become bigger. A song like “Calling out” is a strong signal for a great Metal Anthem and here and there we can find some more great songs, such as the ballad “Washed away”. Nevertheless, I think with a little more effort and focus on their overall sound, ETERNAL RISING can only rise to higher places on a future record! More at: http://www.eternalrising.ca/ (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
And here we go again with a supersensational Melodic Neo-Classical Progressive Power Metalband from the USA delivering a brilliant debut album. This time it concerns the band DIVINITY COMPROMISED from Chicago (yet again!) and their first album ‘A world torn’, which was mastered by the mighty JENS BORGREN at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. The band was formed in 2009 and after listening to the first couple of tracks on their debut album I knew this is going to be one of those memorable albums in the progmetalworld. Everything sounds picture perfect on this album, with incredible musicianship (guitarist JEFF TREADWELL shredding like the next big guitar hero!) and a top-notch vocal delivery by lead singer LOTHAR KELLER. Combined with a massive sound quality and some fantastic material, it makes this DIVINITY COMPROMISED a must-have for anyone into bands like SYMPHONY X, ROYAL HUNT, ARTENSION, PAGAN’S MIND, THRESHOLD… Put this band right in between those giants (for instance listen to the amazing “A world torn apart”), because their debut album ‘A world torn’ might turn out to become a major album in a few years time, because this is exactly the high level we are always looking for to be able to compare something to the aforementioned Progpower Metal Gods! Now go check out this band at: http://www.divinitycompromised.net (Points: 8.8 out of 10) THE HYPER ACTIVES ‘ROCK’N ROLL LIVES AGAIN’ (YEAR ONE RECORDS/SWEDEN IMPORT) THE HYPER ACTIVES are a Rock and Rollband from Sweden and they released their debut ‘Rock’n roll lives again’ last year. Musically they head into the early 80s NWOBHM direction, yet a bit more Rock and Roll orientated. They sound very energetic and are clearly belonging to the new generation of young and upcoming bands that will please everyone who is longing for a fun live rockshow without any compromise. I can tell you that live on stage these bands (such as ENFORCER, SKULL FIST, VANDERBUYST) give 100% and are a guarantee for a good time. Although they are close to NWOBHM, there is a clear Rock and Roll approach to be heard as well (ROSE TATTOO, KROKUS and RAVEN). Don’t expect a classic album release here, but with songs like the uptempo rockers “Yeah yeah yeah”, “Let go”, “Hey hey hey” and the catchy melodic “Evil woman/Don’t stop” this band offers good clean fun rock and roll/NWOBHM that will not make you stand still and do nothing. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.facebook.com/thehyperactives (Points: 7.9 out of 10) THE BLACK CLOUDS ‘BETTER DAYS’ (INDEPENDENT/TSM PROMOTIONS) ‘Better days’ is the 2nd album of the New Jersey based band THE BLACK CLOUDS and the remarkable fact is that it is an independent release, because with a major label sounding record that was recorded and mixed by JOHN AGNELLO (DINOSAUR JR, SONIC YOUTH…) a label could have picked this up. The included music is clearly 90s Alternative Rock orientated, yet with a Hard Rock/Metal touch in the excellent guitarwork. SOUNDGARDEN, MUDHONEY and even NIRVANA pass by as similarities here, but it’s all balanced quite well and the funny thing is that it actually sounds better than the recent comeback albums of SOUNDGARDEN and MUDHONEY. The band was formed in the aftermath of Grunge/Alternative Rock some 10 years ago and are now with this new album clearly moving into an interesting territory. Not saying we have here an original sounding record and perhaps not even the finest album in the short history of Alternative Rock, but it is definitely the best album in this genre in ages! If you want to check out good sounding Altrock, then look no further than this THE BLACK CLOUDS, whom have turned back the clock to the early 1990s with this album, yet in a positive way and sounding more melodic than the original inventors of the Seattle Rocksound. For example check out the haunting melody of “Fray” (almost reminding of TESLA) and you will agree with me that Alternative Rock doesn’t always have to be be a negative thing. In fact, this is by far the most interesting Altrockband since the days of ALICE IN CHAINS, SOUNDGARDEN, LIVE and SCREAMING TREES ended some 10-15 years ago… More info on THE BLACK CLOUDS at: www.theblackclouds.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10) VARIOUS ALBUMS ‘ATOMIC STUFF/LOGIC (IL) LOGIC RECORDS/STREET SYMPHONIES/ANDROMEDA’ (ITALY IMPORT) The promotion agency ATOMIC STUFF was kind enough to sent me 7 CDs of bands they promote. The first one to spin the good old CD player is the debut CD of the Ukranian band JOHN GALT with their album ‘Served hot’. Although it is a very cliché tingled rockalbum, it actually sounds quite professional and the fans of classic 80s Glam/Hair Metal will absolutely love this album. If CRASH DIET, TIGERTAILZ, RATT and MOTLEY CRUE are your favorite acts, then you will dig this JOHN GALT most definitely, because it is all done very well on their first album. Of course during the mid 1980s down the Sunset Strip in L.A. bands like this were on every corner of the streets, but the fact they hail from Ukraine and are now in 2013 delivering a debut album that recalls the same energy and vibe from 30 years ago is something to be appreciated. JOHN GALT delivers a great 80s LA/Glamrockalbum that is a must to check out if you still get a kick out of the 80s CRUE classics! More at: www.johngaltrocks.com Up next is a Glam meets Metalcore kinda band called SUPERHORRORFUCK, whom deliver a new EP, which follows the style of their previous 2 full-length records. Not really interesting I’m afraid, as this is something a little more extreme than the usual stuff we review, but it’s done nicely, so it will find it’s way to the fans eventually. Then we have a band called MIDNITE SUN, from Italy, whom were formed in 2000 and they have recently released a new album titled ‘Anyone like us?’. The music is 80s influenced Melodic Hardrock, yet with a heavy modern Metal approach. The shredding guitarwork is the absolute highlight on this record and it would be interesting to see the guitarist delivering an instrumental guitar release someday soon, because he can definitely play quite well. The album itself is nice to listen to, although I don’t think we are hearing something unique here, because this has been done a lot of times before. On the other hand, it all sounds reasonable enough to get through from start to finish, so in case you’re a fan of let’s say VICTORY or SINNER, then this might be right up your alley! The vocalwork is not good enough to make the band standout between the rest, but as already mentioned, the guitarwork does deliver and for more info you need to go to: www.midnitesunband.com ‘This is not America’ is the debut album of the Italian band THE UNRIPES and basically we have a mix of 80s Glamrock and some 90s Industrial Metal on offer here. TUFF, LOVE/HATE and SHOTGUN MESSIAH did something like that in the past, so if you’re a fan of 80s Hollywood melodies out of the PRETTY BOY FLOYD/MOTLEY CRUE/POISON /TIGERTAILZ book crossed with a very slight 90s NINE INCH NAILS/MINISTRY Industrial Modern Metalsound as instrumental back-up, then THE UNRIPES is a highly recommended band! The production is quite impressive actually (CRASH DIET quality) and the overall performance is also in shape (listen for example to the great midtempo melodic rocker “You are the one”, which is definitely the best song and a must-hear for the Melodic Rockfans among us, so hopefully more songs in this style on a future record!). However, fans of mentioned Glamrockbands will have most fun here, with the big harmonyvocal PRETTY BOY FLOYD driven choruses that can be heard all throughout the album. More at: www.facebook.com/theunripes Energetic Sleazy Rock and Roll can be heard on the full-length debut album of the Swedish band EASY TRIGGER. The album is called ‘Bullshit’ and that is basically also what you get. No need to look for anything original here, but just plain old raw dirty mean rock and roll the way it was meant to be in the good old days! More at: www.streetsymphonies.com And the following act is the Italian band SANGE MAIN MACHINE, with the release of their 2nd album ‘By your side’. Without a doubt, from the total package of ATOMIC STUFF, this is the most professional and international (read: American) sounding band of them all. In fact, opener and titletrack “By your side” is a terrific catchy uptempo melodic heavy rocker that could well have been lifted from an 80s American major label release. The song sounds dangerously close to the classic debut album from FIREHOUSE and a band called THE FORCE (remember them???), while vocally, LUIGI SANGERMANO has an excellent voice and also the guitarwork is picture-perfect, so all sounds well here. The only pity is that this new album of the band is a mini-CD that contains a few remixed versions of old songs of the band, a KISS cover and an Italian sung song. So it is not really a new album, but this SANGE MAIN MACHINE could have a bright future if they deliver more of the quality displayed on especially that titletrack and also “Run like hell”! Time will tell I guess… In the meantime, check them out at: www.sange.it And the final band to discuss here is THE BLACK RAIN from Italy and their debut album ‘Night tales’. This band was formed in 2002, but had to wait a long time before something officially could be recorded. However, they now are able to present their first record, which contains at first sight a bluesy/southern classic hardrocksound that sounds very American, kinda like a mix between LYNYRD SKYNYRD, VAN HALEN, AEROSMITH and THE BLACK CROWES, such as can be heard during opener “Lake trip”, “Coming home” and the strong semi-ballads “Sugar in poison” and “Mama let me be”. However, the band also goes for the catchy 80s Melodic Rocksound a lot of times, like the great uptempo melodic rockers “Won’t let go”, “The Black Rain Motel”, “My sweet mistake” and “Hot for a night” (excellent guitarwork, very 1985ish sounding!). Vocally not superstrong, but still quite acceptable, the band overall reminds me also a bit of the legendary bands FISC, TALON and even the 80s band VYPER ‘Prepared to strike’ comes to mind! Also worth to mention is the beautiful AORish ballad “As I lie” that closes the album. The mix of a few diverse rockstyles makes them slightly different than the rest in the Hardrockgenres and if you start to become interested, then head over to: www.blackrainrock.com (Points: -)
Whenever lead vocalist PHILIP BARDOWELL is singing on a record I am absolutely thrilled to hear and review it and in the case of the 2nd album of N.O.W. I was already getting very excited when the first seconds of the album proved that this was going to be a great journey into classic AOR/Melodic Rock. Now this is the way classic AOR/Melodic Rock should sound like! It fits nicely between let’s say RED DAWN, SHADOW KING and ATLANTIC’s classic ‘Power’, with FOREIGNEResque vocals of Philip. The flashy guitarwork of JUAN MORAES is also very impressive and despite the fact the songs follow the traditional by-the-numbers AOR book most of the time, the performance and final result is nevertheless sounding very attractive for any fan of high class AOR/Melodic Rock. It seems like ESCAPE MUSIC is on their way back in delivering excellent new AOR/Melodic Rockalbums, because together with RAGE OF ANGELS, this new album of N.O.W. is belonging to the finest in AOR released in 2013 so far. The album starts with “I’m alive”, which is a rather catchy uptempo melodic rocker that brings back memories of the very first HAREM SCAREM classic. The following 3 songs go for a pure AOR approach, with “Don’t go now” being a superb song that features a brilliant vocal delivery by Philip, and also the Power AOR Ballad “Strong enough” is a very sensational tune. Other highlights are the midtempo AOR ballad “Tonight is the night” (HARLAN CAGE, FOREIGNER, SHADOW KING style), “Bohemian kingdom” (the best song on the whole album, a terrific Classic AOR Rocker with surprising lyrics about World War 2!) and the STAN BUSH like rocker “Cassie’s dream”. Most important for a decent AOR release are excellent top-notch vocal- and guitarwork, which can both be heard on this album, but also the production and of course the included songs need to be of a high level and thankfully, N.O.W. has it all and so we can easily give this a big recommendation to all AOR/Melodic Rockfans out there! Fans of ROXUS, RED DAWN, the first HAREM SCAREM, ATLANTIC, SHADOW KING, etc. will be delighted with this similar sounding record. (Points: 8.9 out of 10)
The legendary AOR/Melodic Rockband FM has never disappointed, although their finest album ever is still their classic debut album ‘Indiscreet’ from 1986. Already on their 2nd album ‘Tough it out’ from 1989, the band went for the British Bluesy Classic Rock approach and they never let this go, but the AOR melodies could still be heard most of the time, so a mix of both worlds was always present. Between the mid 1990s and mid 2000s the band was inactive for a while and the bandmembers went their own way. Their fabulous lead singer STEVE OVERLAND decided to do some interesting AOR based projects (such as THE LADDER), but somewhere along the way during the 2000s FM reformed (more or less) and after a string of succesfull live performances and a comeback album called ‘Metropolis’, now in 2013 we are pleased with another new full-length album of FM. OK, there are still no similarities to the ‘Indiscreet’ album to be found here, but nevertheless, ‘Rockville’ is a very strong AOR/Melodic Rockalbum. I have to say that the album really gets going as soon as my hifi set plays the excellent Classic AOR Ballad “Story of my life”, which by the way borrows the keyboard-piano intro from HEART/I-TEN’s “Alone”. The final 4 tracks that follow this excellent song are the finest on the album, namely “Better late than never” (great melodic rocker), “Crosstown train” (uptempo melodic rocker), “Goodbye yesterday” (very good midtempo bluesy AOR song a la BAD COMPANY) and closing track “High cost of living”, which happens to be the absolute best song of the record, because this is an excellent uptempo AOR song that almost feels like the old ‘Indiscreet’ days. Back to the first 6 songs, which are all good bluesy melodic rockers that follow nicely the direction the band took from ‘Tough it out’ onwards, where I need to make a mention of a BBC Radio hit called “Crave” (nice twin-guitarsound!), which is also the best song of that package deal. However, as already stated before, the album’s last 5 tracks are definitely showing FM at their very best. They will probably never make another ‘Indiscreet’ (read WHITE SISTER!) kinda AOR record, but ‘Rockville’ is nevertheless offering great material as well, with a special mention for Steve’s amazing vocalwork, which live on stage sounds even more impressive, and also new guitarist JIM KIRKPATRICK delivering some great work. Welcome back once again FM! (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
In the bio sheet of the Canadian band PYRAMID THEOREM they are described as a 70s progrockband in the style of YES, GENESIS and RUSH, but after listening to the first song on their same titled debut album it was clear that this band was way heavier than those bands have ever been. Of course PYRAMID THEOREM is a Progband, but I would rather describe them as Progressive Metalband, with a vocalist (keyboardplayer STEPHAN DI MAMBRO) who is even reminding of RUSSELL ALLEN of SYMPHONY X here and there, although not as strong as Russell. Instrumental it all sounds picture perfect (guitarist SAMUEL ERMELLINI is incredible!) for an independent recording and also the overall production and sound quality is of a very high level. The Toronto based band definitely delivers a quality album with 5 lengthy tracks (especially the 30 minutes counting “The dream”) that contain all the necessary ingredients to make it something you need to check out asap. Like already mentioned, instrumental this band is doing things at a very sensational approach, with some amazing guitar-, bass-, drum- and keyboardwork that reach at times a DREAM THEATER upper-league (“Forever in chains” for example). Of course it is always hard to predict if a band becomes the next big thing in the Progworld, but PYRAMID THEOREM does something quite extraordinary on this disc that should enable them to become an established act sometime in the future. “Another day slips by” and especially “Primitive design” are the absolute highlights here, as both are stunning semi (prog) ballads that even remind a bit of SPOCK’S BEARD/ENCHANT. Without a doubt, this album is a must-have for any Progrock/Progmetalfan out there! More info at: http://pyramidtheorem.ca/ (Points: 8.6 out of 10)
Out of North Dakota comes a super talented female blues singer/songwriter called SHANNON CURFMAN, who has already been active in the music industry since she reached the age of 14 in 1999 and this 2010 released album ‘What you’re getting into’ was already her 4th album. Without a doubt, this lady is not only an excellent guitarplayer, but she is also able to sing very well. She composes her own songs and also produced the music herself. It’s a pity her solo work has not made her superstar, because she is now currently part of KID ROCK’s touring band, which put her solo career to the background for a while. On the other hand, she gained quite a bit of success during her solo years (1999-2010), when she toured with the likes of GEORGE THOROGOOD, INDIGO GIRLS, BUDDY GUY, JOHN MELLENCAMP… and released a bunch of successful records. Despite a few covers, most of the songs on ‘What you’re getting into’ are original compositions of Shannon. Musically speaking it is not pure Bluesrock, because therefore the material is definitely more melodic rock orientated, with bluesy guitar riffs nevertheless. ANA POPOVIC, JANINA STANGE and BETH HART come to mind a few times, although Shannon clearly has developed an own style, with as highlights on her last album, the midtempo melodic heavy bluesrockers “Curious”, “The core”, “Strange” and “What you’re getting into” as well as the FLEETWOOD MAC cover “Oh well”. Hopefully she will concentrate on her solo career soon again, because the enormous talent already shown on this album is clearly revealing that Shannon is capable to release a real classic album in the future. Superb guitarwork and terrific vocals by one girl alone… now that is something you just got to hear and see for yourself at: http://www.shannoncurfman.com/ (Points: 8.5 out of 10) I SAW THE DEEP ‘ASTRONAVIGATION’ (INDEPENDENT) Out of The Hague, The Netherlands comes a Sludge Metalband called I SAW THE DEEP. They sound quite heavy and aggressive on their debut album, clearly influenced by the likes of MASTEDON, CLUTCH, TOOL and KYUSS. Although the material is indeed very much focused on big fat groovy guitar riffs and raw vocalwork by singer/guitarist DARRELL LACLE, a song like “Scarlet skies” shows the band going for a melodic direction. Somehow that song also feels like the best song on the record, but nevertheless I do think that fans of mentioned acts will absolutely love this band’s first album ‘Astronavigation’. The production is quite impressive for an independent album and who knows that it might be the start for better things to come, because I SAW THE DEEP is definitely a band with a future, as their records sounds more international than a lot of other European bands out there. Check them out for yourself at: www.isawthedeep.com (Points: 8.1 out of 10)
There aren’t many bands in the USA that are playing the classic 1980s Arena Melodic Hardrocksound, which once was so popular during the Hair Metal 1980s. On the other side of the Atlantic a lot of new European bands (H.E.A.T., THE POODLES, I AM I, LIONVILLE…) try to create their own material that recalls the days of the classic sound of legendary bands like SLAUGHTER, WINGER, WARRANT, FIREHOUSE, NELSON, VAN HALEN, WHITE LION, etc. etc. However, STATION is the big exception to the rule, because this is a New York based band, so a new American band focused on playing that classic 80s US sound, but they are damn serious about it, unlike their countrymen of STEEL PANTHER. They recorded a mini-CD titled ‘Wired’, which was produced, mixed and mastered by MICHAEL WAGENER (WHITE LION, DOKKEN, SKID ROW, EXTREME…), so rest assured that it all sounds very impressive soundwise. And thankfully the band is also able to write strong original material as well, such as the great catchy uptempo melodic rockers “True believer” and “Don’t take heaven away from me” that both show some great 80s inspired classic melodic hardrock guitar riffs/solos and catchy melodies, not heard since the heydays of the US Hair Metal days. They both remind more than once of bands like HEAVEN’S EDGE, DOKKEN, FIREHOUSE, MELIDIAN and such. “I’d understand” is the acoustic balllad that sounds like EXTREME meets MR. BIG and the 4th track is opener “Everything”, which is a VAN HALENish groovy heavy rocker. They really owe a big thank you to Michael for his excellent work in making this sound so massive. This one’s without a doubt a must-have for all the fans of classic 80s Melodic Hardrock! Check out all info at: www.stationband.com (Points: 8.7 out of 10) RONNY JOHANSSON ‘STEADFAST’ (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN IMPORT) Sweden and Westcoast Pop/Rock is a real good working combination for many decades now and now we welcome another musician in this genre, namely the bassist/singer/songwriter/keyboardplayer RONNY JOHANSSON. His smooth new album ‘Steadfast’ has a real late 70s/early 80s LA Westcoast vibe, reminding of JAY GRAYDON, TOTO, GREG GUIDRY, PETER FRIESTEDT, CROSSFADE, TOMMY NILSSON, TIME GALLERY, LEE RITENOUR, PROMOTION, WEST OF SUNSET and also a touch of GINO VANNELLI. Although Ronny released a solo-CD in the past, that album was instrumental and entirely based around his bass guitar. He now also sings and has a full-band backing him up. The Westcoast sound has a very funky bass sound (a la LEVEL 42) and most of the material is quite poppy, but still the overal feeling is not far removed from the abovementioned acts. The performance and final result is very enjoyable to listen to and any fan of typical Swedish Westcoast Pop/Rock/AOR will like this album a lot. As already informed, the funky basswork of Ronny is very notable on each and every song, which makes this album sound just a little different than the average Westcoast release. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ronnyjohansson (Points: 8.1 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem except where noted) |
THE RUMOUR SAID
FIRE ‘DEADENDS’ (BELIEVE RECORDINGS/DGR MUSIC) 
BALL AND CHAIN
‘THE APPALACHIAN HAMMER’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT) 
LEAVING EDEN
‘BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL’ (RIGHT RECORDINGS/NOVA/UNIVERSAL MUSIC) 
BRENDAN KEELEY
‘…AT LAST!’ (ROCKBOTTOM RECORDS/IRELAND IMPORT) 
DAN SAVIK
‘HEADING WEST’ (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN IMPORT) 
RAGDOLL ‘HERE
TODAY’ (BEAUTIFUL DISASTER RECORDS/KRUNCH ENTERTAINMENT/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
TRACER ‘EL
PISTOLERO’ (MASCOT RECORDS) 
PETER SINGER
‘DON’T LOOK NOW’ (TATE MUSIC GROUP/USA IMPORT) 
IAN DANTER
‘PROVE YOU WRONG’ (IDPARADE/GLASSONYON PR/UK IMPORT)
ROB KLAJDA
‘HOPENING’ (VGK/USA IMPORT) 
DYSCORDIA ‘TWIN
SYMBIOSIS’ (ROAD MARK PRODUCTIONS/HURRICANE ENTERTAINMENT/BELGIUM IMPORT)
HALF PAST FOUR
‘GOOD THINGS’ (PAPER PLANE MUSIC/CANADA IMPORT) 
DIVINITY
COMPROMISED ‘A WORLD TORN’ (QUMRAN MUSIC/USA IMPORT) 
N.O.W.
‘BOHEMIAN KINGDOM’ (ESCAPE MUSIC) 
FM ‘ROCKVILLE’
(MEMBRAM/SUBURBAN) 
PYRAMID THEOREM
‘PYRAMID THEOREM’ (INDEPENDENT/TSM PROMOTIONS/CANADA IMPORT) 
SHANNON CURFMAN
‘WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO’ (CC ENTERTAINMENT/PURDY RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
STATION ‘WIRED'
(INDEPENDENT/STATION MUSIC LLC/USA IMPORT)