 PRYMARY
‘THE TRAGEDY OF INNOCENCE’ (PROGROCK RECORDS)
3 years after the release of the debut CD of the Californian band PRYMARY they have their follow-up ‘The tragedy of innocence’ ready for release and I must say it sounds like a very solid Progressive Metal album. A little rawer than the more polished sound of bands like STRIDE, THRESHOLD and VANDENPLAS, actually more going into the TOMORROW’S EVE/FATES WARNING style. It also reminds me a lot of pre-JAMES LABRIE fronted DREAM THEATER (so back to 1989). In fact, any fan of the first DREAM THEATER record will absolutely love this new PRYMARY record. 12 songs are included with a total playing length of 72 minutes. All together it is a great trip through the prog metal landscapes with as highlights the songs “Oceans of insolence”, “Miracle”, “What little girls are for” and “Only love”. Definitely an album to own if you call yourself a progmetalfan! More info at: http://www.progrockrecords.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) TONY HERNANDO ‘TH 3 LIVE DVD+CD’ (LION MUSIC) Guitarist TONY HERNANDO from Spain has a new record out, but not just a new studio CD, because TH3 LIVE is a live DVD+CD, on which we can not only hear but also see this talented guitarist in action. Any guitarfreak will love this for sure. Unfortunately the promo I received did show only 1 song, so I am not sure what the rest looks and sound like, but take it from me that if you call yourself a guitar lover, then this is a must-have to see Tony in action. Also drummer MIKE TERRANA appears here. Check it out! (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
CARMEN GRAY ‘THE PORTRAIT OF CARMEN GRAY’ (COLUMBIA RECORDS/SONY BMG FINLAND) In Finland you only have to keep your eyes on the national album and single charts, check the major label releases, because almost every rock and metal band from Finland is on a major label. SONY BMG Finland sent me a batch of releases and some of them were really impressive. For instance the band CARMEN GRAY, whom recently scored a major hitsingle in Finland with the catchy uptempo melodic rocker “Lost in my mind again”. Their debut CD has just been released on SONY BMG Finland and the 11 included songs are offering very strong 80s type of Melodic Heavy Rock, also not far away from LOVEX, LEVERAGE and BROTHER FIRETRIBE actually. It’s like the late 80s American Mainstream Hardrocksound has captured Scandinavia, because all over Sweden, Norway and Finland new bands pop up with this catchy melodic rocksound reminding of lost days of DANGER DANGER, SKID ROW, BON JOVI, FIREHOUSE… As said, CARMEN GRAY from Finland is the latest addition. They have some great catchy melodic rock on their first CD ‘The portrait of Carmen Gray’, of which the highlights are the single “Lost in my mind again”, “I’m no good anymore”, “My mistake”, “Pieces of my broken heart” and “A thing about love”, all great uptempo melodic rockers. Closing track “A grain of sand” is the most remarkable track, as this is a fantastic midtempo progressive melodic rocker with very strong chorus and killer 70s pomp keys all over the place. They also add some 70s Classic Rock into their 80s flavored melodic rock, with as result that this is yet another strong release from a new Finnish band, just like LOVEX, LEVERAGE, DAME, BRIGHTBOY, BLEAK, BROTHER FIRETRIBE, KARDIA, NEW DAWN FOUNDATION and SUNRISE AVENUE did earlier this year. So this is at least the 10th strong Finnish Melodic Rock debut release of a new band in 2006, who knows what follows in the remaining months of this succesfull year for Finland, which also brought them a victory in the Eurovision Song Contest for the Hardrock/Metalband LORDI! FINLAND RULES! More info on CARMEN GRAY at: http://www.carmengray.net (Points: 8.8 out of 10)
Once again an awesome DVD from the people at THINK TANK MEDIA. It concerns here a recording ERIK NORLANDER (and friends) gave in St. Petersburg/Russia. With a total playing time of almost 2 ½ hours it is an enjoyable watch as the full show as recorded during their 2004 tour is included as well as a documentary, interviews and several bonus clips taken from the same tour as the actual St. Petersburg show was recorded. And there is the CD Audio version of the concert added as extra. This is a very nice package for any fan of ERIK NORLANDER, but it’s not a one man’s show as his singing friends LANE LANE and KELLY KEELING appear on a lot of songs too. In fact, it’s KELLY KEELING who surprised me big time back on that tour in 2004 when I witnessed the actual concert live on stage in my country. He sang on the BATON ROUGE albums, but seeing him live singing that excellent surprised me and I think ERIK NORLANDER made an excellent choice to let Kelly sing besides Lana. It gives a great twist to the of course excellent instrumental keyboard journeys ERIK NORLANDER takes us in his MUSIC MACHINE adventures. So there is a lot to enjoy here and it really is worth your money! Available through: http://www.eriknorlander.com and http://www.thetank.com (Points: 8.7 out of 10) ACCEPT ‘METAL BLAST FROM THE PAST DVD’ (DRAKKAR/BMG/BREEZE MUSIC/MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS) Already released in Europe 4 years ago, but now also available for the US market, this rather excellent DVD of legendary German Metal heroes ACCEPT. The DVD contains a full Japanese concert from 1985, 7 videoclips and live concert Sophia/Bulgaria 1993 as well as a bonus audio CD with 9 unreleased demo tracks of the early days. What more do you want as an ACCEPT fan! The perfect release for any True Metalhead! Available through: http://www.musicvideodistributors.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
OK, this is like you have stepped into a Pub and drank some beer with the local lads and sing a few anthems together. The band is called THE GONADS and these 5 UK guys don’t play the regular Oi/Punk like THE BUSINESS. They are much more going into a sort of humoristic pubrockstyle, with some Ska influences as well. It’s all about having fun and singing a long with some beer, just listen to the funny “Oi Mate”, but actually each song is funny and easy to sing-a-long with. Not really Punk, despite some more rocky material here and there, it is something you might enjoy a lot if you loved stuff such as THE 4 SKINS. If the guys from THE YOUNG ONES/BOTTOM would form a band together with the fat bloke from NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS, well then you would have THE GONADS, although the members of this band surely can play their instruments well, such as can be heard in the guitar riffs during the song “Things I hate”. Check it out if you like your Oi! to sound a bit more diverse. Available through: http://www.captainoi.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
Legendary UK Punkband MAJOR ACCIDENT with their 3rd CD on CAPTAIN OI! RECORDS. Although a little more polished, it can still be consider a Punkrock release, but be sure it is not as raw and rough sounding as this band probably sounded live on stage. Nevertheless, the material on their CD ‘A clockwork legion’ sounds pretty nice. 15 tracks are included and fans of the classic early 80s Punksound, which was a little more polished thanks to the New Wave rage at the time, this surely is something worth checking out. A song like “Affliction” is very poppy actually, but also a very cool song, showing that KAISER CHIEFS, ARCTIC MONKEYS, PANIC AT THE DISCOS are doing nothing new nowadays, because so many UK bands mixed a bit of New Wave into their Punkrocksound in the early 80s and MAJOR ACCIDENT was a fine example of that. True Punkfans will love a song like “Fight to win”, so there’s enough to enjoy here for the all-around Punkifan. Their 3rd CD ‘A clockwork legion’ is available through: http://www.captainoi.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
More obscure early 80s UK Punkrock comes in the shape of RIOT SQUAD, with the release ‘No potential threat’, which is filled with early 80s recordings of the band. They played Punkrock the way it used to sound, so dirty, mean and raw with sing-a-long gang-vocal choruses, very much akin to classic acts like BLITZ, ONE WAY SYSTEM, ANGELIC UPSTARTS… No less than 21 tracks make up this 60 minutes counting 1982 UK Punkrock affair and I am sure fans of the unpolished raw Punksound will love this CD a lot. It’s a lot sounding like classic BLITZ, so uncompromised and with no remorse. As always it comes along with a nice booklet with lyrics and pictures of one of so many unknown Punkrockbands from the early 80s, which was the second generation of punk in the UK back then. Available through: http://www.captainoi.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘SPEEDFREAKS BALL 2005 DVD’ (CAPTAIN OI! RECORDS) Hail to the best Punklabel in the world! It’s CAPTAIN OI! RECORDS! They have released so many high quality Punkrock releases the past 10+ years and most of them are re-issues of the classics from the late 70s/early 80s when Punk sounded really good. Nowadays only a few real Punkbands are left and this can be seen on the first DVD of the label, which is a live recorded registration of the festival held in Great Yarmouth/England in the weekend of 11-14 November 2005. With a bunch of bands playing this 4-day festival, the fans of real Punk got worth their money and now everyone can look back at 14 bands, with each 2 songs performing on this DVD. Included bands are CRASHED OUT, GUNS ON THE ROOF, COFFIN NAILS, GOLDBLADE, JAXY AND THE 357’S (who are doing a great version of the THE RUNAWAYS classic “Cherry bomb”), LONG TALL TEXANS, ARGY BARGY, SKABILLY REBELS, GUANA BATZ, SECTION 5, RIFFS, RESTLESS, BAD MANNERS and of course the might THE BUSINESS. The sound quality is not always 100%, but well enough for the fans of these bands to enjoy some live action. Also the diversity in styles is notable, because besides Oi/Punk, also Punkabilly, Rockabilly, Ska and Rock and Roll can be heard. Oh and if you were there, your name is included inside the DVD booklet! Available through: http://www.captainoi.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) BLISSED ‘CORROSIVE’ (KR RECORDS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) BLISSED are a Christian Metalband of whom I reviewed their debut CD 3 years ago. Now they are back better than ever with their 2nd CD ‘Corrosive’, which mixed classic 80s melodies of STRYPER with today’s modern groovy Metalsound of a band like DISTURBED. The result is very impressive, also thanks to the CD being mastered at the famous New York Sterling Sound studios. The band has a fantastic lead singer called DAVID PEARSON, who sings and looks like a classic 80s HAIR METAL vocalist from 1989 and each of the 12 included songs also have big similarities to bands like STRYPER, DOKKEN, KEEL, EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE, SKID ROW, BANGALORE CHOIR, yet with a monster heavy groovy Metalsound making them all sound like the present day. This band took ma big leap compared to their debut and I am sure they will get a lot of respect worldwide. Apparantly they are already quite well-known in Holland, where they performed in front of thousands of fans! More info at: http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com and http://www.blissed.biz/ or https://www.angelfire.com/indie/blissedfanclub/music.html (Points: 8.5 out of 10) GYPSY CARNS ‘GOSPEL TRAIN COMING’ (MUSARK RECORDS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) This surely has nothing to do with Rock or Metal, as it sort of Gospel Country like a BOB DYLAN doing WAYNE JENNINGS covers. More info at: http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: -) PACTO DE SANGRE ‘ALERTA’ (KHAOSMASTER PRODUCTIONS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) PACTO DE SANGRE is a band from Puerto Rico and a few years ago they released their debut CD ‘Alerta’. Sung in Spanish, except two songs out of the 9 included, this band is bringing high quality Christian Melodic Metal in the best 80s style, reminding one of OBSESSION, OMEN and 80s RATA BLANCA. The band is about to release a new CD, which hopefully has a better production, although fans of the classic 80s sound will love this record for sure. It’s like time stood still in Puerto Rico. Fans of 80s STRYPER, MASS, BLOODGOOD, SAINT, SACRED WARRIOR, RECON, RAGE OF ANGELS, etc. need to check this out asap! Special mention of the semi-AOR/Melodic Rock ballad “Ve a predicar”, a beautiful song a la CODA, TERCER ACTO, LA FASE, SANGRE AZUL… Looking forward to this band’s upcoming new CD, although I do hope they leave out Thrash Metal songs like “Cae cae” and “Arrepientete”, because they sound very average and do not belong between the 80s melodic metal sound of the other 7 songs. More info at: http://www.pactodesangre.com/ and http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
The Finnish band TO/DIE/FOR has been around for quite some time. It began in the early 90s under the name MARY-ANN, with 2 independent releases. Towards the end of the 90s, SPINEFARM RECORDS signed the band as TO/DIE/FOR and musically the band has since then released 4 strong original albums that have the typical Finnish melodic Gothmetalsound, yet a little different than HIM and THE RASMUS, although the songs have the same structures and are also as catchy as those bands. Nevertheless, the band’s new 5th CD ‘Wounds wide open’ sounds quite sensational, despite following the same style as the earlier records and also not going to far away from the sound of ENTWINE, RASMUS, HIM, NEGATIVE… The band is a bit darker, with more 80s Goth like vocals, but the fantastic melodic catchy choruses of most of the songs make them an easy winner for even the regular melodic rockfans. Especially the uptempo melodic rockers “Guilt ridden state”, “Like never before”, “Under a velvet sky” (summer’s over, but this is a sure good fun rocking summer tune!) and “Sorrow remains” are very catchy and memorable. Without a doubt, another HIGH QUALITY Finnish Rock/Metal release, recommended to all HIM/RASMUS/ENTWINE fans as well as any Melodic Rockfan! More info at: http://www.todieforlove.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) BLUSHING WELL ‘THIS FLESH I’M IN’ (BMI 800 LB PRODUCTIONS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) Christian Metalband from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania/USA with a very nice CD release, which musically contains influences from classic melodic rock, prog metal and modern rock, all mixed in a nice own sort of style, which sounds very melodic. However, in a world with hundreds of new releases every week it might get lost. If you like SURE CONVICTION, I am sure you will love this record. More info at: http://www.myspace.com/blushingwell and http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.1 out of 10)
A huge surprise comes in the shape of the CD of the French band SPHERIC UNIVERSE EXPERIENCE. It is definitely the latest Prog Metal sensation, although I believe this album has been out for a while now. However, in the USA it has been released recently through NIGHTMARE RECORDS. Musically this is prime-time stuff for fans of VANDENPLAS, PAGAN’S MIND, SEVENTH WONDER, MIND’S EYE, BALANCE OF POWER, PYRAMAZE… High quality musicianship, excellent vocalwork and beautiful melodic catchy choruses are mixed with each together, with as result a stunning CD with 9 superb tracks. Especially opener “So cold” has a deadly catchy AOR/Melodic chorus which you will be singing for months after hearing it the first time! The whole album is excellent and a must for any progmetal fan, 70 minutes long a trip through the never boring landscapes of the melodic prog metalworld! More info at: http://www.sphericuniversexp.com/ and http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.7 out of 10) TOMMY MERRY ‘3’ (INDEPENDENT) 3rd CD from the Californian guitarist TOMMY MERRY. He has recorded a high quality CD, which just breathes 80s influenced melodic rock. It is instrumental and goes back to the early days, which are the mid-late 80s, of melodic guitarists like STEVE VAI, NEAL SCHON, JOE SATRIANI, TONY MACALPINE, bringing out some great melodic tunes. Instead of vocals, the guitar makes the melodies here and with a crystal clear sound, this CD is surely a winner for fans of that classic 80s US Melodic Rocksound. It’s all based around Tommy’s guitarwork and without a doubt it is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish, like JOURNEY and DOKKEN without vocals! More info at: http://www.tommymerry.com and e-mail Tommy at: tstudios@coastside.net (Points: 8.3 out of 10) PAUL SAMSON ‘P.S.’ (ANGEL AIR RECORDS) The amount of SAMSON records is huge since Paul sadly died and the latest in the series is the release of a CD titled ‘P.S.’. This CD is filled with the last recordings of Paul, so probably the most interesting CD release of PAUL SAMSON. The man was a legend, which can be heard on these last couple of recordings. Paul died during the recordings and so guitarist JOHN MCCOY finished the final guitar parts, so this CD can be seen as a tribute to Paul. The included music is high quality 80s inspired British Melodic Hardrock/Heavy Bluesrock meets NWOBHM Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal and surprisingly sounds very strong, just listen to the fast opener “No way out”. What a sad day it was in August 2002 as one of Britain’s most underrated guitarists died. This CD shows the man had a lot more sensational to offer. Fans of Classic British Hardrock, like WHITESNAKE, BAD COMPANY, PAUL SHORTINO and the old SAMSON records will have to buy this CD asap. The sound is a bit raw, but the recordings are rare and very interesting, especially for fans of Paul. Available through: http://www.angelair.co.uk (Points: 8.1 out of 10) PLANET 13 ‘THIRD FROM THE RIGHT’ (RED SHOE RECORDS) An original high quality mix of BLACK SABBATHish Doom Metal riffs and Progressive Metal a la DREAM THEATER is what to expect from the Florida/USA based band PLANET 13. It’s release kind of surprised me as it sounds like a release on a major metal label from Europe, it really does sound impressive. 6 very long tracks are included and I think the SABBATH meets DREAM THEATER mixture really works well here. The songs are all in a similar style and without a doubt, this PLANET 13 has created a sort of own style. It’s the band’s third CD within 2 years and I actually have to go back and listen to their first 2 CDs to know if they made a development. One way or the other, this new CD is a very impressive CD, which combines the best elements of Doom and Progressive Metal. More info at: http://www.planetthirteen.com and e-mail at: Planet13@mac.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) METALIUM ’METALIAN ATTACK PART TWO DVD’ (ARMAGEDDON PRODUCTS/ROCK INC) This is the second DVD release of the German Power Metal band. The DVD contains almost four hours of material. The main material is a one hour gig in Germany which shows they are one of the best Power Metal bands in their country. The other material contains bootleg footage of shows in Japan, Italy and Spain. Very cool are also the clips with Ken Hesley (performing “Gypsy”) and Jutta Weinhold (doing “Rock ‘n’ roll” from Led Zeppelin) from ZED YAGO. Finally we get interviews with all the band members, behind the scenes on the road and a studio report during the recording of their album “As One”. Must buy for all METALIUM fans. (Points: 8.5 out of 10)
Out of Los Angeles comes the band SYDERA, whom are about to release a very strong debut CD that is filled with high quality modern sounding Melodic Progressive Metal. The band’s sound is very melodic and also richely filled with guitar riffs, melodic choruses, high pitched voices and keyboards, so we can speak of a pure prog metal band in the European style of TOMORROW’S EVE, PYRAMAZE, VANDENPLAS and PAGAN’S MIND, maybe a bit rawer in places. The band also reminds me a lot of US acts like SUSPERY and 7 MONTHS if anyone can recall them. The only slight let-down is the production, because I feel that could have been better, as it now suffers from the typical independent sound. Nevertheless, songs like “Burden”, “Stepping stone”, “High water” and “Edge of hell” are very strong progmetaltunes. More info at: http://www.sydera.com and e-mail them at: sydera@hotmail.com and listen to their songs at: http://www.myspace.com/sydera (Points: 8.2 out of 10) AGE OF REASON ‘ONE SMALL ACT OF DEFIANCE’ (GRAVITY MACHINE RECORDS/DREAMCATCHER RECORDS) The UK based band AGE OF REASON was formed in 2004 and their debut CD ‘One small act of defiance’ is a very original sounding rockalbum, which is a mixture of 80s Gothrock of SISTER OF MERCY/THE ALARM kind, today’s retro 70s Doom/Stoner Rockstyle of QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and some strong melodies like KING’S X has done in their career. In fact, TY TABOR, guitarist of KING’S X mastered the CD. The sound is huge and the music is very impressive. Without a doubt, here we have a rising band between all the similar sounding bands, because this is a very original sounding rockband. AGE OF REASON deliver something special, although for the regular melodic rockfans they might sound too experimental. Nevertheless, for the mainstream rockfans this band might be the just what they are looking for. Listen for yourself at: http://www.myspace.com/ageofreason and http://www.ageofreason.co.uk and e-mail at: info@ageofreason.co.uk (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
I’m sorry to conclude that MAD MAX has now reached the level in which I personally give up my hopes for a really strong new CD. In the 80s MAD MAX released a bunch of sensational Melodic Metalalbums, before splitting up and lead singer MICHAEL VOSS forming and releasing great Melodic Hardrockalbums with DEMON DRIVE and CASANOVA. In the later 90s MAD MAX made a comeback, but sadly the music on every new MAD MAX album released since then was just OK Hardrock. The latest album saw a move into average poprock and now the new EP ‘In white’ is turning MAD MAX into an acoustic Gospel/Worshipact. They even made a new version of the classic “Lonely is the hunter”, but this only makes me think why AOR HEAVEN does not re-issue the band’s 4 80s albums onto CD, because THAT would be interesting and not this average EP. C’mon Michael, go back and listen to the 80s MAD MAX albums and write a new album in this style, because this EP does not do any justice to the legacy of MAD MAX… (Points: 6.0 out of 10) KINGDOM COME ‘AIN’T CRYING FOR THE MOON’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) There was a time when KINGDOM COME sounded very good… back in 1988 when they unleashed their successful debut CD, which gave them a cult status in the USA and was THE album LED ZEPPELIN did not release. This first KINGDOM COME album was a classic… Through the 90s and 00s the band would go on releasing many more records, but it became worse and worse, with each album killing the bandname, as some albums were really horrible to listen to… FRONTIERS RECORDS however signed the band, gave them another chance. Their performance a few years ago in Munich was really average, so my hopes for a new good album were vanished, but ‘Ain’t crying for the moon’ ain’t that bad actually. OK, this is not as good as their debut, but anyway, it’s a decent solid heavy bluesrockalbum with the LED ZEPPELIN similarities coming through nicely. Remarkable tracks are the 2006 version of “Get it on” from their legendary debut and “Bon Scott”, a song dedicated to the AC/DC singer. Good comeback for sure, as this album rocks in a classic KINGDOM COME, but it makes my eyebrows lifted up thinking why they never released such an album after their debut, because this new CD (their 12th!) beats the crap out of every record released after the 1988 classic debut, just listen to the awesome titletrack, a stunning 8 minutes counting epic! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) BEYOND TWILIGHT ‘SECTION X’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) The Dannish band BEYOND TWILIGHT is best known as having JORN LANDE once in their line-up, but as soon as he left the band, there were a lot of problems releasing new material. First of all, the 2005 released album ‘Section X’ saw new lead singer KELLY SUNDOWN CARPENTER of OUTWORLD doing a great job, but a disagreement with former singer Lande gave this release a somewhat overshadowed dark feeling and it was not an album that therefore received much credit, although this particular album was a strong epic US Power Metal release. The style reminded one of JACOB’S DREAM, early VIRGIN STEELE, JAG PANZER, SAVATAGE, NEVERMORE… Songs like “The path of darkness”, “Ecstasy arise” and “Section X” showed that BEYOND TWILIGHT sounded as good as on their debut with Lande on vocals from a few years earlier. However, the lyrics and vocal melodies were claimed by Lande and therefore BEYOND TWILIGHT hired another new lead singer, with whom they recently released a new CD titled ‘'For The Love Of Art And The Making’. However, this somewhat rare 2005 album ‘Section X’ passed many of us by in 2005, but it’s still available through http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
METAL HEAVEN’s finest release is still BLOODBOUND, which in fact is one of the best Metal releases so far in 2006. The new CD of the German Melodic Metalband SAIDIAN is close to the sound of EDGUY and DESTYNATION, although not as sensational as the albums of those 2 bands, but I think you’ll understand what this SAIDIAN is all about. High pitched vocals, catchy hooks and strong melodies are mixed with a classic Metal and sometimes 80s type of Melodic Rock sound. It sounds pretty good, not sensational, although songs like “Fallen hero”, “Never surrender”, “Power and glory” and “Ride like the wind” are quite memorable Melodic Metal songs. Lyrically and also musically very cliché of course, but still worth checking out if you like EDGUY, DESTYNATION, ALTARIA, AXXIS and HELLOWEEN… (by the way, the band is a little heavy on the keyboards, which I know some might turn down, as they want to hear more Guitar…) (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
3rd CD of the US band KATAGORY V. They were formed in 1999, releasing albums in 2002 and 2004, both also reviewed by us and now the new CD ‘The rising anger’ has been released on NIGHTMARE RECORDS, the label of ex-BALANCE OF POWER singer LANCE KING. The album is filled with high quality Melodic Progressive Metal that sounds like 80s FATES WARNING, CRIMSON GLORY and 80s QUEENSRYCHE. Especially songs like “Liberated mind”, “Will you remember”, “Drained” and “Risk and sacrifice” are very impressive tunes. Recommended to the Progmetalfans! More info at: http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
In 2004 the Dannish Progressive Metalband PYRAMAZE released their strong debut CD, which now gets a follow-up in the form of the even stronger ‘Legend of the bone carver’. Happily, LANCE KING once again sang lead vocals on the CD and this might well be the best CD he has done since the BALANCE OF POWER classic ‘The perfect balance’. This new PYRAMAZE is one of the best Melodic Progressive Metal (with Neo-Classical and Power Metal influences) releases done lately. The album has been out for a while in Europe, but the US release is now out as well. Songs like “What Lies Beyond”, “Ancient Words Within” (TERRIFIC!), “Souls in Pain” and “The Bone Carver” are superb progmetal masterpieces. Any fan of the genre should get a copy of this release asap! More info at: http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 9.0 out of 10)
I remember it quite well, reviewing the superb demo of the Canadian band WAR MACHINE. Apparently it took the band quite some time to actual release a full-length CD, because 2 years after the recordings the band finally managed to officially release the debut CD ‘The beginning of the end’ on NIGHTMARE RECORDS. Musically prime-time classic 80s inspired US Melodic Power Metal with really catchy hooks and memorable choruses, as if HAREM SCAREM was doing HAMMERFALL covers in a MEGADETH kinda style. In fact, even HARRY HESS and DARREN SMITH of HAREM SCAREM and DAVID ELLEFSON of MEGADETH make an appearance on the album, so the combination of these bands is not that strange. Result is a stunning album that is metal enough for the metalfan and melodic enough for the melodic rocker. Combine huge melodic choruses and big guitarwork and you will have a superb album like this first WAR MACHINE release. Songs like “Empty” (big chorus), “Fate” (DOKKEN goes Metal), “Eternally” (HAREM SCAREM singer HARRY HESS on backing vocals) and “Eye for any eye” (SUPERB) are all examples of the perfect Melodic Metalsound WAR MACHINE has created. Check it out if you want to hear Metal the way it should be played! More info at: http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com (Points: 8.8 out of 10) JENNY MORRIS ‘CLEAR BLUE IN STORMY SKIES’ (LIBERATION MUSIC AUSTRALIA) In the acoustic series started by the Australian label LIBERATION MUSIC, the focus is on releasing albums from Australasian artists and bands performing their greatest hits in the acoustic unplugged style, so sort of back-to-basic. Jenny Morris is a New Zealand rock singer. Her first success came with New Zealand band The Crocodiles who scored a hit with "Tears". Re-locating to Australia, she became a back-up vocalist for bands such as The Models, and INXS (on their 1984 album The Swing), before going on to a successful solo career. In between the past 20 years she released a bunch of solo-albums and the latest release is this nice laid-back acoustic album, which is a nice summary of her career, all recorded acoustically. Fans of this singer will love this record, although it will be mainly for the Australasian market, as not many people from abroad will have heard of this singer/songwriter, who sounds now like a middle-of-the-road singer in the style of ILSE DE LANGE and JUICE NEWTON. Never heard her rockalbums, so can not compare this release to her earlier releases. More info at: http://www.buxtonwalker.com and http://www.acousticseries.com.au (Points: 8.0 out of 10) MICHAEL SPIBY ‘BAREFOOT’ (LIBERATION MUSIC AUSTRALIA) Michael Spiby is an Australian Singer/Songwriter, who was one of the founding members of multi-platinum act THE BADLOVES, but unfortunately I never heard of that band, so this is my first taste with the man’s music. The new solo-CD of Michael is an acoustic affair, very laid-back, somewhere along the lines of typical singer/songwriter style of let’s say TOM PETTY, NEIL YOUNG, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN… At one point you’re ready to rock, but that of course doesn’t happen. Michael has a great voice (bluesy AOR touch) and I even think fans of JUDE COLE and the last JOHN WAITE record will like this a lot…More info at: http://www.buxtonwalker.com and http://www.acousticseries.com.au (Points: 8.0 out of 10) DRAGON ‘SUNSHINE TO RAIN’ (LIBERATION MUSIC AUSTRALIA) The Australian band DRAGON was formed over 30 years ago, releasing many records in the following decades, some which were very successful in Australia. Many years later the only original member left is bassist TODD HUNTER. Nevertheless, they do sound very good on this new acoustic best of CD release, which is a summary of all their greatest hits recorded acoustically. The band was close to AOR during the 1980s and so these are the most interesting tracks, although the rest is good too, very much leaning towards the Westcoast-Rock of POCO, LITTLE RIVER BAND, EAGLES, PLAYER, etc.. Highlights on this CD are the more rock orientated songs “Speak no evil”, “Magic”, “Rain” and “Dreams of ordinary men” (the song I remember from their 80s AOR style, great song). The band shows they are still able to produce some great stuff, with the harmonyvocals being very prominent in the mix. Although this band is huge in Australia, they are rather unknown in the rest of the world, but this new acoustic CD should at least shine some light on this long existing band… More info at: http://www.buxtonwalker.com and http://www.acousticseries.com.au and http://www.theharbouragency.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10) THE DUEL ‘LET’S FINISH WHAT WE STARTED’ (FFRUK.COM RECORDS) Female fronted Punk/Rock and Roll that reminds me a lot of JOAN JETT doing a mix of THE CLASH and 80s THE RAMONES type of melodic punk’n’roll with a bit of BILLY IDOL thrown in for good measure, so very British sounding in the early 80s spirit, which is not that strange, because THE DUEL is coming out of the UK. The band’s female singer TARA REZ should definitely be interesting to see perform live as she is really looking quite attractive. The CD they released sounds quite impressive, with 15 interesting cuts. Better check ‘em out for yourself at: http://www.ffruk.com and listen to the band’s songs at: http://www.myspace.com/theduel (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
MTM tried in the past a few times releasing more modern stuff, but sadly failed. They are giving it another try and I think that actually this time it might be a success as they seem to focus on modern sounding melodic rock, the style which is very popular in The States where bands like THREE DAYS GRACE, BREAKING BENJAMIN, HINDER, BUCKCHERRY, 30 SECONDS TO MARS are very popular and without a doubt, the Canadian band TOURIST has now a CD finished on MTM that could well be a major hit as it sounds just as good as any other major American label rock release. The band’s first CD ‘The relevance of motion’ was produced by a major producer, MIKE FRASER of METALLICA/AC/DC/ THE CURE fame and all together the sound of TOURIST is just perfect, although very cliché and not really original, but truly the sound of today, with great clean melodic somewhat depressed vocals and super catchy melodic choruses, it’s sounding like a cross between the Finnish and American sound, so somewhere between THE RASMUS/NEGATIVE and 30 SECONDS TO MARS. Modern and melodic, very different than most releases on the melodic rocklabels in Europe and despite the fact the more modern releases on ESCAPE MUSIC and the sadly defunct ATENZIA RECORDS didn’t become a huge success, MTM is doing things slightly better as this TOURIST is a real winner and could easily become a Billboard seller, but it just needs to have that lucky break I guess in which MTM and US Radio are playing an important part for the success in the USA. Most of the songs are in a similar mood, which is midtempo with catchy choruses, with as absolute highlights “High speed” and “Throw it away”. Check it out if you’re into bands like RASMUS, CASTING CROWNS, EIGHTEEN VISIONS, FOREVER CHANGED, JUPITER BLUE, LOST PROPHETS, etc. etc. but as a melodic rockfan check this out too because it really is catchy… (Points: 8.3 out of 10)
Not only focusing more on new modern rock, but also on the current female fronted poprockstyle which is quite popular worldwide, with acts like BIF NAKED, THE VERONICAS, EVERLIFE, VANILLA NINJA, KELLY CLARCKSON, ALY AND AJ, DAMONE and others charting everywhere, MTM comes up with a strong female fronted release in the shape of DACIA. Just like mentioned acts, the sound I both modern and retro 80s, it’s like PAT BENATAR songs being covered in a modern rock setting, as also here you get a collection of catchy uptempo melodic poprockers which are as radio-ready as this style once was in the earlier 80s when so many female fronted acts charted. A song like the superb catchy “Live to tell” sounds like a modern version of SCANDAL, a very catchy tune and although here and there things get a little more modern and weaker (the punky “6” is a bit too easy), the whole feeling of this album is feel-good and is a must if you like any of the mentioned acts, as this is typical modern day catchy female fronted poprock. Some interesting names pop up here, such as SKUNK ANANSIE’s producer ACE, mixer TOMMY HANSEN (HELLOWEEN/TNT/PRETTY MAIDS) and LEMMY of MOTORHEAD makes a guest appearance here as he is singing a duet with Dacia on “Losing you”. Dacia even throws in a sort of top 40 pop ballad a la LE ANN RIMES meets KELLY CLARCKSON between all the rockers (“Sorry” sounds VERY SKY RADIO POLISHED!!!), but most of the time this MTM release of modern day female fronted fun melodic poprock, so if you like that style you will love this too… and don’t forget to check out the video of “The communist”! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) SPIRITUAL ‘PULSE’ (SENSORY/LASER’S EDGE/INTROMENTAL) SPIRITUAL is a side-project from STEFAN HERTRICH, who is best known as a member of the Gothic Metalband DARKSEED. I believe this is the third SPIRITUAL release, which combines elements of New Age, Doom/Death Metal and Melancholic Pop/Rock. It’s quite original actually, although fans of OPETH, MOONSPELL, ORPHANED LAND, THERION and such diverse acts might find something they like for sure. What is most interesting about the CD is the story behind it, as Stefan is deeply fascinated by the Indians other world cultures and traveled through the world in search for the real stories behind these cultures and the result can be heard on this CD and more info can be read in the CD booklet. Great epic story, musically a bit too experimental for some and not that melodic, but fans of mentioned bands should check out this new SPIRITUAL CD. (Points: 8.0 out of 10) TED NUGENT ‘SCREAM DREAM/GONZO!/WEEKEND WARRIORS’ (ROCK CANDY RECORDS) TED NUGENT was quite huge in the 1970s, but this concerned mainly the USA, where he sold millions of albums, because in the rest of the world Ted ain’t that big. His albums also weren’t really that good, as Uncle Ted was more known for his wild stage act presence and his hunting outdoor activities than his music. Now 3 of his older albums have been re-issued onto CD. I must say ROCK CANDY RECORDS always do the perfect job for bringing back old albums to the CD format with excellent packaging and also this time all 3 TED NUGENT albums get the full remastered job perfectly. The liner notes, the sound of the CDs and the digipack editions, it all looks great. Musically Ted was at his best during the releases of these albums, with the live-album ‘Gonzo!’ being a classic as this album showed Ted at his best, live and raw classic 70s Hardrock’n’Roll. The studio albums were a little more polished. It’s a damn shame Ted doesn’t have singers like CHARLIE HUHN and DEREK ST. HOLMES in his band, because they were much better singers than Ted himself. TED NUGENT in the year 2006 is all about screaming, yelling, shouting and talking about how proud he is to be an American, but in the meantime forgets to make some really good rockmusic. I guess he will always be remember for his anthem CAT SCRATCH FEVER, which was a very simple rocker by the way. Nevertheless, if you’re a TED NUGENT fan, these 3 CD re-issues are of course a must-have! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) NOSGOTH ‘LINES OF SORROW’ (INDEPENDENT) Another female fronted band with that typical Goth Metal style. This time it is a band called NOSGOTH and they are from Austria, so comparisons to EDENBRIDGE and LUNATICA are then easily made, but the big difference is that the female lead singer of NOSGOTH is a soprano style singer called Solmaar Adeli, who sings like the AFTER FOREVER/NIGHTWISH singers, so very Opera like. This can be heard right from the start, during the opener “Ave verum”, which is a pure Opera/Classical Music piece. The rest of the CD is completely different than the top 40 orientated FF Goth Metal of WITHIN TEMPTATION/XANDRIA/LUNATICA… This NOSGOTH is much closer to AFTER FOREVER/NIGHTWISH or should I say EPICA without the growls, but then less Metal and also adding a real huge medieval/opera style, which makes them somewhat different than the rest of the genre. Solmaar is going up higher and higher, although she also sings some lower parts, but anyway, the CD of NOSGOTH is by far a very impressive release, which even reveals an original style within this popular genre. More info at: http://www.nosgoth.at and e-mail at: office@nosgoth.at (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
TALISMAN is back with possibly their best effort in years. It’s their 7th album since their formation in the early 90s and without a doubt JEFF SCOTT SOTO sings at his best once again. Especially the beginning is very impressive, with such killer melodic rock tracks like “Falling” (fast tune), “Nowhere fast” (superb chorus), “Rhyme or reason” (with “Crazy” seal guitar riff), “Shed a tear goodbye” (midtempo AOR in best 80s style) and “On my way” (catchy uptempo AOR rocker) as well as later on some beautiful AOR ballads like “Forevermore” and “Back 2 the feeling”. I can’t believe what I am saying here, the beginning is very impressive forget it, the WHOLE CD is CLASSIC TALISMAN, their best since their debut, so get it asap if you call yourself a melodic rock or SOTO fan! (Points: 8.9 out of 10) WETTON/DOWNES ‘ICON LIVE: NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) How many more albums do we have to go through before we actually see a real new ASIA CD, well… Maybe next year, because 2006 brings a new WETTON/DOWNES studio CD and this new live CD, which contains 15 tracks, mostly ASIA tunes of course, all performed nicely by JOHN WETTON on vocals/bass and GEOFFREY DOWNES on keys as well as JADIS members John Mitchell on guitar and Steve Christey on drums. Sound is good and it all sounds pretty good, but it is only interesting for die-hard ASIA fans. I am more interested in the new studio CD of WETTON/DOWNES or next year’s 25th anniversary of one of the best selling debut albums from a band in Rock history (together with BOSTON’s 1976 classic) when the band ASIA will further reform and play a worldwide tour and maybe new album? Who knows, until then, it’s WETTON/DOWNES… (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
So WINGER is back, even in an almost original line-up, so KIP WINGER and REB BEACH in one band together again. Musically however the band goes more experimental than their 3rd record ‘Pull’, which I still am not impressed by, even 13 years later! WINGER was all about fun melodic rock on their first 2 records, but Kip somehow wanted something else and now some 15 years later Kip still wants to do something else. OK, it is Hardrock what we get to hear, not bad at all, but if I want to hear some good WINGER stuff I’ll go back and put on the first 2 records. This new CD is sounding modern, experimental and just not like classic WINGER. EUROPE is doing some good things, sounding modern and melodic at the same time, but WINGER loses the melodies and just brings forward OK Hardrock, nothing more nothing less. Avoid if you want to hear the classic WINGER style, but recommended if you’re someone interested in experimental Hardrock, sort of KING’S X style. Not bad, but definitely not earth shaking at all… (Points: 7.3 out of 10) KAOS KREW ‘DEVOUR’ (TOP RECORDS) I thought the Industrial Metal revolution was long gone, but apparently this Finnish band called KAOS KREW is all about bringing back the Industrial Metal sound of the 1990s. What they do they do very well, but in the end, this CD only belongs in your collection if you count MINISTRY, NINE INCH NAILS and TYPE O NEGATIVE to your favorite acts. More info at: http://www.kaoskrewmusic.com and e-mail at: info@kaoskrewmusic.com (Points: -) INDIGO CHILD ‘REDEATH’ (INDEPENDENT) Independent release, but definitely high quality stuff is what we get to hear on the first album of the Slovenian based band INDIGO CHILD. They play an original Dark Goth Metalstyle with very low male vocals (69 EYES style) and music that sounds like HIM doing covers of THE ALARM and SISTERS OF MERCY, really dark 80s Gothrock with some Metal riffs and Orchestral keyboard arrangements. The band was formed in 2003 and have rapidly become huge in their own country of Slovenia. Now with this strong CD they surely must be able to reach some new fans. The music also has a slight THERION kinda feeling. I was surprised by the huge sound/production and the high quality of the music, as this sounds like a label release, but is independent. INDIGO CHILD can be reached at: http://www.indigochildmusic.com (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
JIMMY BARNES’ 1985 solo-CD was the first attempt of the Australian ex-COLD CHISEL singer to get an American break. In Australia the man is a legend and one of the countries’ most popular people, but outside Australia his fanbase is smaller, which is a pity, as this guy has a voice which you will never forget after you heard it. Back in 1985 he released this same titled solo-album, on which a bunch of American musicians co-operated, such as JONATHAN CAIN, RANDY JACKSON, KIM CARNES, TOMMY THAYER of BLACK’N’BLUE, MICK FLEETWOOD, CHARLIE SEXTON and many more. Jonathan also co-wrote some songs, so the JOURNEY influence was there, but we all know it is his next album which made him a popular man amongst the JOURNEY community (with the classic “Waiting for the heartache tonight”). Nevertheless, this 85 solo-record also showed a melodic rocking JIMMY BARNES, touching AOR here and there, such as on the JOURNEY/SURVIVOR type of tune “American heartbeat”, but also “Ride the night away”, “No second prize” and “Working class man” showed some good strong 80s American AOR Rock at it’s best (JOURNEY meets ROBERT TEPPER meets BENNY MARDONES while writing in a BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN style). Now it has been re-issued and it still shows Jimmy sounded really great back then and the question remains unanswered when asking about the reason why Jimmy did not have a breakthrough in the USA in the 1980s. He nowadays is still HUGE in Aussie land, although he also did some rock projects besides his solo career, but that’s a different story… (Points: 8.4 out of 10) ULTIMO ‘OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE EARTH’ (IT RECORDS) The Australian based band ULTIMO deliver a very impressive CD release titled ‘Opposite of the earth’. Their strong Melodic Rock is very catchy, which can be heard throughout 12 songs on their debut CD. The band performed with the likes of INXS and NICKELBACK, so I guess you can say this is an upcoming band. Songs like “Tonight”, “Shattering the stars”, “One more chance”, “Hiding under’ and “Figure you out” are very memorable rockers with strong melodic choruses. All together it reminds me of a rockier version of the 80s rockstyle of acts like U2, BIG COUNTRY, INXS… Pretty good sounding and definitely with an updated rocksound. More info at: http://www.ultimotheband.com and listen to their music at: http://www.myspace.com/ultimotheband (Points: 8.3 out of 10) FLUTTR EFFECT ‘MARKING TIME’ (10T RECORDS) Female fronted act from Boston with a strong debut CD, which is filled with original music that combines elements of Progressive Rock, Gothic, Metal, Classical and even Irish Folk. 12 songs are included and actually it is almost impossible to compare this band, because they sound like an experimental mix between COHEED AND CAMBRIA and THE GATHERING. This is really a grower, so not just a record you put on grabs you rightaway. It needs repeated listens and is really recommended to people who want to hear something completely different, however still with melodies and a rocksound. More info at: http://www.10trecords.com and http://www.fluttreffect.com and listen to their music at: http://www.myspace.com/fluttreffect (Points: 8.0 out of 10) HOUSE OF BLUE DOLLS ‘HOUSE OF BLUE DOLLS’ (INDEPENDENT) Another original sounding rockband from the UK here. They are called HOUSE OF BLUE DOLLS and although they sound quite original, as the band combines influences from Latin and Jazz into their rocksound, the songs are not strong enough to keep you interested from start to finish. The lack of a catchy chorus is making each of the 4 songs go by without a really big impression. That doesn’t mean this band should be avoided, because HOUSE OF BLUE DOLLS is a rather interesting female fronted band. I do however think the songwriting needs to improve next time and the band should come up with stronger material than on this mini-CD. Still their original rock approach should be appreciated. More info at: http://www.houseofbluedolls.com and listen to their music at: http://www.myspace.com/houseofbluedolls and e-mail at: houseofbluedolls@hotmail.com (Points: 7.7 out of 10) MAYDAY GROUND ‘IN TECHNICOLOR’ (INDEPENDENT) High quality rockband from Nashville, USA with a CD co-produced by legendary BILLY FALCON, one of JON BON JOVI’s heroes… The band MAYDAY GROUND is playing typical American Hardrock with one foot in the 80s and another in the rockstyle as we know it today. They are just a slight bit away from the sound of bands like HINDER and BUCKCHERRY. 10 songs are on their debut CD ‘In technicolor’ and although far from really original, this record is a strong rockalbum with such catchy tunes like Nothing without You, Million Dollar You (pure T-REX), Pieces Of Me and Dear Life, some even reveal some late 90s/00s DEF LEPPARD influences (the period they dropped the 80s style!), although it more reminds me of CHEAP TRICK/T-REX going for a more modern JET meets U2/KEANE kinda rocksound.. 2 of the members of MAYDAY GROUND played in the band BLUE TEARS, the legendary Melodic Rockband which recently released 2 new CDs. Classic Rock with modern touch is what suits this MAYDAY GROUND release best and therefore better check it out for yourself at: http://www.maydayground.com and e-mail at: maydayground@comcast.net and listen to their songs at: http://www.myspace.com/maydayground (Points: 8.2 out of 10)
The Swedish Melodic Metalband AXENSTAR is back with their 4th CD, which is their best release so far, because ‘The final requiem’ is a superstrong record with songs that easily go into the sensational corner of NOCTURNAL RITES, BLOODBOUND, DREAM EVIL, MYSTIC PROPHECY, so basically this is top class Melodic Metal! This time 12 shorter songs are included, with a focus on the catchy melodic memorable choruses instead of long epic tunes. AXENSTAR have done the best they could achieve, with as result that there is not a single filler on the band’s new CD. Hard to pick favorites, because each song is killer melodic metal with choruses a la SYMPHONY X. Absolute highlights are “Pagan ritual”, “End of the line”, “Beyond the lies”, “Underworld”, “The divine” and “The edge of the world”. Check out this new AXENSTAR CD asap if you call yourself a Melodic Metalhead! (Points: 8.8 out of 10) IKUINEN KAAMOS ‘THE FORLORN’ (DESCENT PRODUCTIONS/ROCK INC) This is a Finnish band formed in 1998 playing a sort of progressive death metalstyle, which instrumental sounds pretty good, but the endless growling is really not making things more interesting. (Points: -) SYCRONOMICA ‘GATE’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) Formed 10 years ago, this German band is playing Symphonic Black metal, only interesting for CHILDREN OF BODOM fans! (Points: -) AGRO ‘RITUAL 6’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) Nice to see a Metalband emerge from South Africa, but unfortunately they play aggressive Thrash -Metal, so not really interesting at all. The band exists for 14 years now, but apparently this is their first foreign CD release… (Points: -) DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY ‘UNSAVED’ (DOCKYARD 1/ROCK INC) Industrial is not really dead, because DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY from Florida is playing the style as if it was still 1994. MINISTRY and NINE INCH NAILS come to mind and although all is done well, the music is getting boring after a while, unless you’re a huge fan of mentioned bands. (Points: -) GORATH ‘THE FOURTH ERA’ (DESCENT PRODUCTIONS/ROCK INC) How many more Black/Death-Metal releases are out there? (Points: -) RECKLESS TIDE ‘HELLERASER’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) More Thrasy Metal for the fans of this genre, but the German band forgets to write decent songs on their new album. (Points: -) MENNEN ‘FREAKALIVE’ (ARMAGEDDON MUSIC/ROCK INC) MENNEN is back with a live-CD, which does not only feature songs from the MENNEN records, but even a ZINATRA/PAUL LAINE classic from the late 80s, namely “Two sides of love”, a classic late 80s melodic rocker, which makes you hope for a ZINATRA reunion sometime in the future, as this band had some great material. Still hoping then that ROBBY VALENTINE steps in because he was the genius. Lead singer JOSS MENNEN however went solo and has been releasing music under the MENNEN since the early 90s. Musically different than ZINATRA, more Metal orientated and live he sounds pretty good, which can be heard on this new live-CD, as recorded late 2005 in Cincinnati/USA of all places! Apparantly the US has a bunch of MENNEN fans and this is the living proof! (Points: 8.0 out of 10)
4th CD of this Californian band. Although they are claimed to be playing Punkrock, it is much more pure Melodic Rock at times, which can be heard quite clearly on their new CD ‘Step outside yourself’, which has been released on the major label VIRGIN RECORDS/EMI. The band’s music is not that far away from HAREM SCAREM actually and I also hear similarities to THE CLICK FIVE, THE CARS, RICK SPRINGFIELD and also LOST PROPHETS... 13 songs are included and especially uptempo melodic rockers like “Think against the grain”, “Too much information”, “Come out with your hands up” and “Feels like affection” as well as the midtempo “Energy” (super melodic!) are quite enjoyable with it’s strong melodies, catchy hooks and memorable choruses. I have not heard their earlier releases, but for a melodic rock this new OVER IT CD is a very interesting album to check out. More info on OVER IT at: http://www.overitonline.com and listen to their music at: http://www.myspace.com/overit (Points: 8.4 out of 10) BLACKSHINE ‘LIFEBLOOD’ (DOCKYARD 1/ROCK INC) A somewhat rare Swedish band, with already a bunch of releases, but somehow this is the first we get to hear and review. Musically Thrashy Power Metal, not far away from the new TRIVIUM actually and also some MOTORHEAD influences can be heard (vocally) and GRAVE DIGGER is another comparison (just listen to the best song “Unbroken”), so classic Metal riffs and strong melodies are mixed with powerful gang-vocal choruses, a raw sound and ending up sounding like a Metalband needs to sound nowadays. BLACKSHINE do it very well and although they have nothing to do with the more melodic approach of countrymen NOCTURNAL RITES, DREAM EVIL, DESTYNATION, etc. this band is surely a winner for fans of real Metal! Production is fine and so are the 11 headbanging metaltracks, so check it out if you want to hear some True Metal! (Points: 8.2 out of 10) PETER FRAMPTON ‘BREAKING ALL THE RULES’ (LEMON RECORDINGS/CHERRY RED RECORDS) In 1981 PETER FRAMPTON released what might be seen as his best album, namely the record ‘Breaking all the rules’, which saw him teaming up with TOTO members STEVE LUKATHER on guitars and JEFF PORCARO on drums. Together they recorded a very strong early 80s AOR/Melodic Poprock/Westcoast album which recently has been re-issued onto CD. Songs like “You kill me” and the titletrack “Breaking all the rules” are very strong memorable songs that capture the spirit of early 80s AOR/Mainstream Rock. Peter took the challenge and finally released a record which 25 years later still sounds fresh and not as dated as his all-time one-off classic album ‘Frampton comes alive’ or his average other solo-records from before and after 1981. No, this record is one to own if you happen to like the AOR singer/songwriter style from around 1981, best comparable to DAVID ROBERTS, RAY KENNEDY, JOHN O’BANION, TOMMY O’KEANE, BILLY BRANIGAN… Available through: http://www.lemonrecordings.co.uk and http://www.cherryred.co.uk (Points: 8.3 out of 10) MONKEY BUSINESS ‘THE NOBLE ART OF WASTING TIME’ (POWERZONE RECORDS/ROCK INC) Italian band of whom we reviewed some recordings in the past. Now a full-length CD is available. The band is playing late 80s American Hair Metal/Melodic Hardrock in a SKID ROW, KEEL, HERICANE ALICE, GUNS’N’ROSES, DOKKEN business. Not bad at all, although none of the 11 included tracks make a real big impression. In 1989 US Major labels were keen on singing bands like this and just recently similar new sounding bands like HINDER and BUCKCHERRY even secured to score major label deals in the USA. However, MONKEY BUSINESS are from Italy and might find it harder to get such a deal. Nevertheless, their new CD ‘The noble art of wasting time’ is something worth checking out if you miss the late 80s. The band goes sometimes into pure melodic rock style a la DOKKEN, while also more Hair Metal/Sleaze approaches are reached, but in general this is pure 80s style! The JOURNEY cover “Separate ways” is of course needless, but it ain’t covered that bad actually, although it just isn’t necessary to do your own version of one of the best songs of all times, because it will never beat the original! Then I would have rather heard more songs in the style of the catchy uptempo melodic rocker “Every now and then”, which is the closing track of the CD. Anyway, 80s fans will like this for sure! More info at: http://www.monkey-business.it (Points: 8.0 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem) |
ERIK
NORLANDER AND FRIENDS ‘LIVE IN ST. PETERSBURG DVD’ (THINK TANK MEDIA) 
THE
GONADS ‘OLD BOOTS NO PANTIES’ (CAPTAIN OI RECORDS) 
MAJOR
ACCIDENT ‘A CLOCKWORK LEGION’ (CAPTAIN OI RECORDS) 
RIOT
SQUAD ‘NO POTENTIAL THREAT’ (CAPTAIN OI RECORDS) 
TO/DIE/FOR
‘WOUNDS WIDE OPEN’ (SPINEFARM RECORDS) 
SPHERIC
UNIVERSE EXPERIENCE ‘MENTAL TORMENTS’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS/SILENT PLANET
PROMOTIONS) 
SYDERA
‘SYDERA’ (WITHOUT THE WORLD RECORDS) 
MAD
MAX ‘IN WHITE’ (AOR HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
SAIDIAN
‘PHOENIX’ (METAL HEAVEN/ROUGH TRADE) 
KATAGORY
V ‘THE RISING ANGER’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS) 
PYRAMAZE
‘LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS/SILENT PLANET PROMOTIONS)
WAR
MACHINE ‘THE BEGINNING OF THE END’ (NIGHTMARE RECORDS/SILENT PLANET
PROMOTIONS) 
TOURIST
‘THE RELEVANCE OF MOTION’ (MTM MUSIC/SUBURBAN) 
DACIA
& THE WMD ‘DACIA & THE WMD’ (MTM MUSIC/SUBURBAN) 
TALISMAN
‘7’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
WINGER
‘4’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/ROUGH TRADE) 
JIMMY
BARNES ‘JIMMY BARNES’ (LEMON RECORDINGS/CHERRY RED RECORDS) 
AXENSTAR
‘THE FINAL REQUIEM’ (MASSACRE RECORDS) 
OVER
IT ‘STEP OUTSIDE YOURSELF’ (VIRGIN RECORDS/EMI)