| BARREN
CROSS ‘ATOMIC
ARENA’ (RESTLESS/RYKODISC RECORDS) This is a very interesting re-issue, because the BARREN CROSS albums are very underrated and that’s a pity, because they contain pure 80s high quality Melodic Metal in the style of IRON MAIDEN and BLOODGOOD. Anyway, the American label RYKODISC recently re-issued 3 BARREN CROSS albums onto CD. The first CD is ‘Atomic arena’, which was actually the 2nd BARREN CROSS album, originally released in 1987. This album was pure straight-ahead 80s Melodic Metal that proved that Christian/White-Metalbands could also play Metal. It was clearly different than the albums we heard from STRYPER and PETRA, because this was Metal the way the European bands were playing it in the mid 80s. The fantastic lead singer of BARREN CROSS, Mike Lee, was clearly influenced by BRUCE DICKINSON, and also the music was very IRON MAIDENish, although it was more straight-ahead uptempo with not too many complex breaks. The songs featured strong catchy choruses and the crystal clear production by JOHN and DINO ELEFANTE (the famous 80s Christian Hardrock/Metal producers) still makes this album worth checking out, especially since it’s now available on CD for the first time. Highlights include such strong uptempo Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal songs like “Imaginery music”, “Close to the edge”, “Daedlock”, “Living dead” and “King of kings” (very strong song), but also the semi-ballad “Heaven or nothing” (an ELEFANTE written AOR tune) The band went on to release more albums, of which 2 more have been re-issued onto CD by RYKODISC. More info at: http://www.rykodisc.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) BARREN CROSS ‘HOTTER THAN HELL! LIVE’ (RESTLESS/RYKODISC RECORDS) The Christian IRON MAIDEN also released a live-album titled ‘Hotter than hell! Live!’, which has also been re-issued on CD by RYKODISC RECORDS. Without a doubt, these guys were very good on stage, as their recorded concert here on this CD shows that everything sounded perfect live. The CD was released in 1990 and covers songs from their first 2 studio-albums, although their 3rd CD was released in 1989 nothing can be found from that record on this CD. Nevertheless, with a playing time of 74 minutes and 14 included songs, this live CD is the best way to start getting into BARREN CROSS’ music. Songs like “Killers of the unborn”, “King of kings”, “Close to the edge”, “Dead lock”, “In the eye of the fire” and “Terrorist child” are all classy pieces of 80s Melodic Metal and a must to hear if you’re a dedicated MAIDEN fan. Definitely one of the better live CDs! More info at: http://www.rykodisc.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) BARREN CROSS ‘STATE OF CONTROL’ (RESTLESS/RYKODISC RECORDS) Although none of the 3 re-issued albums of BARREN CROSS contain bonustracks, the actual albums were very hard to get and it’s very interesting that 3 BARREN CROSS albums are now easier to get after 15 years. Also the band’s best effort, their 3rd record ‘State of control’ from 1989 is available on CD again. The album saw the band (forced?) moving into a more Melodic Rocksound, while still holding on to their Metal roots. Think of FIFTH ANGEL and LEATHERWOLF, and you’re close to the sound of BARREN CROSS on their album ‘State of control’. The big difference with their previous 2 studio CDs was that each chorus had a catchy memorable chorus with typical ELEFANTE harmonyvocals, which I like a lot, but for the True Metalfans it might get too ‘cheesy’ sometimes, although this album is still a guitar orientated Melodic Hardrockalbum, but more moving into WHITESNAKE/DOKKEN area than the MAIDEN/DIO stuff on the first 2 albums (although still songs like “Inner war” and “A face in the dark” are pure 80s Metal). But it never got as commercial as STRYPER! Highlights on ‘State of control’ were such powerful melodic rockers like “State of control”, “Out of time” (fantastic chorus!), “Cryin’ over you”, “Hard lies”, “Two thousand years” and “Your love gives”. I still think this is the best BARREN CROSS album, and it’s good to see it is available again. More info at: http://www.rykodisc.com and check out the band’s website at: http://www.barrencross.com (Points: 9.0 out of 10)  WARCRY ‘ALEA FACTA
EST’(JAUS RECORDS/AVISPA) The Spanish band WARCRY returns with their 3rd CD ‘Alea facta est’ and musically nothing has changed. The sound/production has improved again a bit, so this new WARCRY might well be their best CD so far, because also the included 10 songs (with a total playing length of 60 minutes) are very strong, all being typical European Melodic (Power) Metal at it’s very best. Of course like almost every other band, the lyrics are in Spanish, but that’s not a big problem, as the music of WARCRY is very strong. If you enjoy bands like SARATOGA, AVALANCH, TIERRA SANTA, MAGO DE OZ etc. I am pretty sure you will also love WARCRY and therefore I can highly recommend their new CD to you. The best songs on the new WARCRY CD are “Liberia” (very strong uptempo Melodic Hardrock/Metal), “Lamento” (uptempo Power Metal), “Sin tu voz” (ballad), “Espiritu de amor” (uptempo melodic hardrock, very catchy!), “Reflejos de sangre” (fantastic uptempo Melodic Power Metal) and “El aire” (very strong Power Metal a la THUNDERSTONE). Concluded, a must-have for the fans of Spanish Melodic (Power) Metal! More info at: http://www.warcry.es (Points: 8.5 out of 10) ARMAGEDDON ‘HEAVY METAL SAGA’ (ROCK EXPRESS RECORDS) Out of Serbia (Ex-Yugoslavia) comes the band ARMAGEDDON, and their CD ‘Heavy Metal Saga’ contains material taken from their 4 released albums between 1989 and 2002. Although the production/sound quality isn’t good (especially the drums sound very thin), the included music here is very nice. This is Classic 80s Hardrock with a lot of clean melodies, like RAINBOW, IRON MAIDEN and UFO. The band has a strong lead singer, good guitarplayers and some of the featured songs here are very sensational. The CD has a playing time of 66 minutes and 14 tracks are included here. The beginning of the CD is quite good with such uptempo Melodic Heavy Rockers like “Sound of thunder”, “No advice” and “Memories” (with female vocals, great melodic rock), all sounding like a mix between RAINBOW and IRON MAIDEN, with some early EUROPE thrown in for good measure. Later on it gets a bit weaker, but fans of classic 80s Hardrock/Heavy Rock may need to check out this CD, but be aware that the sound quality is not very good unfortunately. More info at: http://www.rockexpress.org (Points: 7.5 out of 10) RICHARD HALLEBEEK PROJECT ‘RICHARD HALLEBEEK PROJECT’ (LIQUID NOTE RECORDS) This is a Dutch project lead by guitarist RICHARD HALLEBEEK. Musically it is filled with good instrumental Fusion/Jazz-Prog. Rock. The CD has been released on the UK label LIQUID NOTE RECORDS and contains 9 tracks. It’s a good quality CD and fans of this genre will definitely like this a lot, but I am afraid the CD will only appeal to a specific kind of music fans, so I can only recommend it to fans of instrumental experimental Fusion/Jazz/Prog. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.richardhallebeek.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) SOUL TAKERS ‘THROUGH THE SILENCE OF WORDS’ (DEMO CDR) Quality stuff from Italy is the simple conclusion after hearing the first song of their 3-track demo CDR. I am not sure but I believe these tracks will appear on the band’s upcoming full-length. Anyway, this is high quality Progressive/Power Metal, a bit like TIME MACHINE and ANGRA, so impressive material for sure. The songs are titled “Desert dust”, “The fakest test” and “My infinite”, and they are all 3 sensational Melodic Prog/Power Metal songs with excellent vocal work and a great instrumental back-up, all packed in a big sound quality. Concluded, this is a recommended band, of whom we are gonna hear more in the future I think. For now, check out their site at: http://www.soultakers.net and e-mail them at: jorgy@soultakers.net (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  ECLIPSE ‘SECOND TO
NONE’(FRONTIERS RECORDS/BERTUS) Almost every week we receive a few sensational high quality releases from Sweden. ‘Second to none’ is the 2nd CD of the Stockholm based band ECLIPSE, and right from the first track on (“Always standing”) it’s clear that we are listening to something very good. The music is high class Melodic Hardrock, and although it sounds typical Scandinavian, the band has come up with a very strong updated sound. They mix very strong catchy melodies, AOR type of vocals with groovy heavy metalish guitarwork. The result is stunning catchy Melodic Hardrock that sounds like a mix between HAREM SCAREM, EUROPE, TNT and the last TALISMAN record. Most of the 11 included songs are uptempo melodic rockers with catchy memorable choruses, and highlights are definitely “Always standing”, “All I do”, “Second to none”, “Streets of gold” and “Road to forever”. I can congratulate ECLIPSE for releasing a very strong album that rises easily above the other recent Melodic Rock releases... (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  EVIL MASQUERADE ‘WELCOME TO THE
SHOW’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/BERTUS) The Danish band EVIL MASQUERADE features former ROYAL HUNT vocalist Henrik Brockmann and ex-MOAHNI MOAHNA/ZOOL guitarist Henrik Flyman. Together with a few other musicians (such as SINPHONIA drummer Dennis Buhl and guest keyboardplayers like Mats Olausson – MALMSTEEN, Richard Andersson – SPACE ODYSSEY and Andre Andersen – ROYAL HUNT/CORNERSTONE) they have recorded a high quality release which will please all fans of Neo-Classical keyboard/harmonyvocal-driven uptempo Melodic Metal. The sound is not far away from ROYAL HUNT, ARTENSION or MAJESTIC, so fans of such bands will be pleased with this release. The album’s finest tracks are uptempo Melodic Metal pieces such as “The wind will rise”, “Welcome to the show”, “Oh Harlequin”, “Surprises in the dark” (awesome song, pure SPACE ODYSSEY!) and “Children of the light”. Most of the songs are very impressive actually, because I could also mention here the lovely chorus of “Lucy the Evil” (like MAGNUM meets AT VANCE, is that possible?). Concluded, a recommended piece to fans of mentioned bands... (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  TIME REQUIEM ‘INNER CIRCLE OF
REALITY’(REGAIN RECORDS/SUBURBAN RECORDS) Besides MAJESTIC and SPACE ODYSSEY, the Swedish keyboardplayer Richard Andersson has another band in which he is playing keys, namely TIME REQUIEM. A few years ago he released with TIME REQUIEM a fantastic debut CD, which became a very popular record in Japan, and therefore this year is bringing us 2 new TIME REQUIEM releases, namely a live release and this new studio-CD ‘Inner circle of reality’. The new studio-CD basically continues the style created on the debut-CD, so we can again enjoy Neo-Classical Melodic Metal with strong melodies, catchy choruses and impressive keyboardwork. The music is not too far away from SYMPHONY X and MALMSTEEN, but still with a strong own identity and a great Greek lead singer called Apollo Papathanasio who sounds like a cross between DIO and COVERDALE. 8 songs are included, some quite lengthy, and from start to finish this is a sensational release, which easily will find it’s way into the hands of the fan of Neo-Classical Melodic Metal. Highlights on this new studio-CD of TIME REQUIEM are opener “Reflections”, “Attar of roses”, “Hidden memories” and “Definition of insanity”. Without a doubt, this is yet another highly recommended piece from Sweden! (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  TIM DONAHUE ‘MADMEN AND
SINNERS’ (FRONTIERS RECORDS/BERTUS) It has been four years since muti-instrumentalist TIM DONAHUE released his debut CD ‘Into the light’, but the follow-up ‘Madmen and sinners’ is by far the best of the 2 releases. It took Tim some time to finish this new CD, but without a doubt, this is an impressive CD. None other than Mr. James LaBrie did ALL the lead vocals on this CD, and that’s something that should give this release a big push forward. It’s not just James LaBrie singing some parts, no way man, this is the James LaBrie at his very best, and of course the melodic Progressive Metal on ‘Madmen and sinners’ is similar to DREAM THEATER, but that’s not a problem at all. James is a very busy guy, as he recently also sang on all the songs of the FRAMESHIFT CD, but I think this TIM DONAHUE album is sometimes getting quite close to the classic DREAM THEATER sound of the early/mid 90s, especially on the fantastic opener “Million miles”. It’s a slight pity that none of the following 9 tracks can compete with this strong first track, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid the album. Especially the DREAM THEATER must buy this CD, although I think it’s a pity that after the superb first track, the CD basically never reaches that same high level, and in the end it’s just a nice Progressive Metalalbum with of course fantastic vocal and guitarwork, but apart from the first song it is definitely not as good as DREAM THEATER. Therefore the CD is not a must-have for every DREAM THEATER fan, but still for die-hard JAMES LABRIE/DREAM THEATER fans still nice to own. (Points: 8.0 out of 10) TIME REQUIEM ‘UNLEASHED IN JAPAN’ (REGAIN RECORDS/SUBURBAN) At the same time the new studio-CD of TIME REQUIEM is released, the band also releases a Live-CD. The CD is titled ‘Unleashed in Japan’ and like the title tells us, this was recorded in Japan, in February 2003 to be exact. The information sheet is very short, but it states the best Neo-Classical Live album ever, well after giving the record a few spins I must indeed admit that this live-CD is something special, and basically it’s in the exact same style as the live-record we got from RING OF FIRE, so pure Neo-Classical Melodic Metal! The sound/production quality is very impressive, and it’s even hard to tell if this is live, because the performance is cut down to perfection. Instrumental and vocally it sounds just perfect, and you can tell the Japanese love this kind of MALMSTEENish Metal. Just listen to songs like “I’ll shoot the moon”, “Milagros charm” and the superb closing track “Voodoo treasure” (MAJESTIC song) and you will agree with me that this is a perfect live record. Funny thing is that at the time of the recording of this live concert in Japan, the band had only just released their debut-CD and therefore most of the 9 tracks are taken from their wonderful debut, except a few MAJESTIC songs (keyboardplayer Richard Andersson’s former band). If you didn’t buy the first CD, then now get both this live and the new CD of TIME REQUIEM, and discover a new sensation in the world of Neo-Classical Melodic Metal! (Points: 9.0 out of 10) LIQUID SUNSET ‘LIQUID SUNSET’ (PROGRESS RECORDS) Another new Swedish band and their same titled debut CD offers 52 minutes of quality music. Musically we have to deal here with a 70s influenced Progressive Rockband. This is clearly very early GENESIS (Peter Gabriel period) orientated music, so long lengthy slow songs with complex structures and original arrangements, but also darker vocals. Fans of 70s Progressive Rock will love this band, especially songs like “Greyroom”, “Molok” and “Talking in ashes”. Recommended to fans of 70s Progressive Rock, yet with a slight modern touch here and there. (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  NOCTURNAL RITES ‘NEW WORLD
MESSIAH’(CENTURY MEDIA/SUBURBAN) 2 years ago the 5th CD of the Swedish band NOCTURNAL RITES was released and back then it was something special, because the particular album ‘Shadowland’ was one of the best releases from the year 2002! Therefore I was looking forward to the band’s new album ‘New world messiah’, which has just been released. The CD basically continues the style created on their earlier albums, and happily, the high level of ‘Shadowland’ is reached again. While still singing most of the time the songs from ‘Shadowland’, I think in a few months ‘New world messiah’ will completely be stuck in my head. This is again a superb Melodic (Power) Metal Masterpiece, and the unbelievable thing is going to happen, because so far 2004 brought us many great new records, but the new EDGUY and this new NOCTURNAL RITES belong to the absolute best ones and guess what... EDGUY and NOCTURNAL RITES will go on tour together this year! That should be a nice one to check out! Anyway, back to the new CD of NOCTURNAL RITES, because this is from the first few seconds until the end sensational stuff. Opener “New world messiah” hits like a hammer, a superb fast catchy uptempo Melodic Power Metal piece! And then you know it, because you realise you’re listening to something very special here. The band has created it’s own style, instrumental sounding perfect, a big sound/production (done at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki), but the star of the show here is lead singer Jonny Lindqvist. This guy is blessed with an amazing voice that can go up and down without any problems, and the mixing of the CD is really terrific, because now Jonny’s voice is upfront. Of course the harmonyvocals help out here as well during the bridges and choruses, but Jonny has such a great voice that fits somewhere between Johnny Gioeli (AXEL RUDI PELL, HARDLINE), RONNIE JAMES DIO and Michael Sweet (listen very good and you’ll even hear some kind of resemblance to the STRYPER singer!!!). There are 10 Melodic Power Metal Monsters on this new NOCTURNAL RITES CD, and the best ones are the fast uptempo pieces “New world messiah”, “Break away”, “One nation” and “Nightmare” and the midtempo “Awakening”, but actually every song on this album is a winner! This CD is right up there with the new EDGUY and the fact that they are going to do a tour together is amazing. Hopefully soon an interview with NOCTURNAL RITES, get their CD asap! (Points: 9.5 out of 10) SICK TRIGGER ‘THE STAND’ (MIND SHANK RECORDS/FRONT ROW MEDIA) This new Sunset Strip band is actually playing two styles, namely classy 80s US Melodic Metal and very modern Industrial influenced ProgMetal, so what to do? Let me first inform you about the interesting part, because the LA band has a great powerful lead singer called Keith and songs like “The stand”, “One side down” and “Could it be” are really great Melodic Metal pieces, even a bit like METAL CHURCH or early SAVATAGE. Unfortunately there are also weaker 90s Metal songs (a bit PANTERA) on the CD, such as “Only human”. However, the production is big and makes this CD a recommended piece, although actually only 6 tracks are included, so a bit short. The label solved this problem with the addition of 5 demo tracks, but that’s not really interesting, because the sound quality is very bad and the songs itself are ALICE IN CHAINS mid 90s Metaltracks. This CD could have sounded a whole lot better if it had been a full-length CD (instead of the demo tracks) and if they had dropped the ALICE IN CHAINS influences. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.frontrowseatmedia.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10) KINGCROW ‘INSIDER’ (CONSYTECH) The Italian band KINGCROW sent me their new CD ‘Insider’, a nice concept album. Musically this is good quality Progressive Metal. Most of the 11 included songs are midtempo, but when the band is speeding things up they are at their best such as on the faster classy 80s sounding Melodic metal tracks “Eyes of a stranger” and “Lies”. However, the main focus here is technical Progressive Rock/Metal packed in a concept outfit. Highlights among the Progmetalsongs are “Never say die”, “The killing hand” and “Save me” (strong chorus). Fans of 80s FATES WARNING might want to check out this band at: http://www.kingcrow.it (Points: 8.0 out of 10) ASSIGNMENT ‘PROGRESSIVE CHANGES’ (ROCK EXPRESS RECORDS) This German band released their debut CD on a Serbian label called ROCK EXPRESS RECORDS. And without a doubt, this is a HIGH QUALITY release, as ASSIGNMENT is playing sensational Melodic Progressive Metal, reminding me of DREAMSCAPE and 80s QUEENSRYCHE (‘Empire’ record). The band has a strong lead singer (Markus Brand), instrumental it sounds perfect and even the production is of a very high level, so nothing stands in my way giving this band a high rating for their wonderful debut CD. The album itself is also a concept album, so a story is being told here, which you can read in the extensive lyrics of the booklet. Opener “Inside of the machine” shows right from the start we are listening to something very good, pure ProgMetal in the 80s QUEENSRYCHE style. Other highlights are “Noisegate”, “Progressive changes” and “When words have no meaning”. Concluded, this is a recommended CD to the fans of quality Progressive Metal. More info at: http://www.assignment-music.com or http://www.rockexpress.org (Points: 8.5 out of 10) CARAVAN ‘THE UNAUTHORISED BREAKFAST ITEM’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) CARAVAN is a legendary UK band that has been active for over 30 years now, and their latest CD is titled ‘The unauthorised breakfast item’, released in 2003 on the ELECTIC DISCS recordlabel. The band has developed an own style through the years, and although they are labeled as a Progrockband, I think their music is not so complex or progressive as for example YES, RUSH... CARAVAN is a much more straighter uptempo melodic rock orientated band, with a strong 70s rocksound though. The band reminds me a lot of a mix between late CITY BOY and GENTLE GIANT in their late 70s/early 80s period. Most of the 10 included songs are uptempo rockers with a very strong 70s approach, and I think fans of the band will love this new CARAVAN CD a lot, as it sounds like it was recorded in 1975 or something. That’s not a negative thing, because it really sounds good. Especially the first 3 songs titled “Smoking gun”, “Revenge” and “The unauthorised breakfast item” are all nice uptempo rockers. The rest of the CD is a bit poppier and slower, but for the CARAVAN fan this new CD will be a must to own. More info at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 7.5 out of 10) TOUCH ‘TOUCH’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) This TOUCH has nothing to do with the same named TOUCH whom released one of the best AOR/Pomprockalbums of all times in 1979, and don’t confuse them with the fantastic TOUCH whom had one pure AOR song in the ‘Rocky 4’ movie. This TOUCH brings us back to the 1960s, when there was just Rock’n’roll and nothing more. By the late 1960s new styles began to evolve and this American TOUCH were at the forefront of all this, because they released their same titled debut LP as far back as in 1969. And now the label ECLECTIC DISCS has re-issued the album onto CD, but also included 5 bonus tracks. Besides, the album was digitally remastered from the original master tapes and the booklet has a lot of extensive liner notes and pictures from the band. If we then have a listen to the music, it’s quite impressive, because we are in the year 1969 and the included music is pure Progressive Rock! 2 years before THE BEATLES had released their ‘Sgt. Pepper’s heartclub band’ LP and this album had an enormous impact on the Westcoast of America, where especially in the San Francisco area a new rockstyle evolved, namely Psychedelic Rock with bands like JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and THE GRATEFUL DEAD, but it actually was the start for Progressive Rock in America. While in the UK bands like GENESIS and YES followed in the same period, in America also some more Progressive Rock orientated acts began to appear, such as FUSE (later changing style and name to CHEAP TRICK) and this TOUCH. And while listening to this TOUCH from 1969, I hear lots of similarities to early KANSAS, but they started at least 3 or 4 years later, so this band was quite ahead of their time. In fact, their album from 1969 is maybe the first American Progressive Rockalbum! Just listen to songs like “We feel fine”, “Down at circe’s place” and “Seventy five” (12 minutes counting epic), because this is pure Progressive Rock. Of course there’s also some more Psychedelic Rock to be found on this TOUCH album, quite a lot like JEFFERSON AIRPLANCE, but sometimes also a bit LED ZEPPELIN, with some Pop overthones as well. Anyway, if you want to find out where it all started if you’re a dedicated progrockfan, then this might well be an album to check out asap, because for the year 1969 it’s a very interesting album to own. The liner notes are also very interesting read, as so many huge bands/artists showed their love for TOUCH, such as KANSAS, URIAH HEEP, YES, ROLLING STONES and even JIMI HENDRIX was seen in the studio when the TOUCH album was record. The band never got back, and only managed to release one album, but it was an important album as some of the included songs are basically the beginning of American Progressive Rock! Also don’t forget to check out the included bonustracks that even take us back to 1968, such as “We finally met today” which sounds like the first ever recorded Pomprocker, because it reminds me of AVIARY, TOUCH (the 1979 Mark Mangold band!!!), ROADMASTER and SPY! But also the URIAH HEEPish 1968 recorded live studio demo track “The spiritual death of Howard Greer”. So in the end this TOUCH CD is quite a must for everyone who wants to find out more of the start of Progressive Rock. More info on the TOUCH and other releases on ECLECTIC RECORDS at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 8.5 out of 10) CLIVE JOHN ‘YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU STAND WITH A BUZZARD’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) In the 1970s Rockmusic and Progmusic were very big, especially in the UK and the USA, and there are still many unknown albums from that decade waiting to be re-issued on CD. One of them is this album by guitarist/keyboardplayer/bassist CLIVE JOHN. His music is very 70s orientated Rock with influences from both Pop and Prog. Opener “Out of my tree” is one of the highlights here, as this is a good uptempo 70s rocker, but also the proggy “Swansea town” is nice to hear with it’s YESish keyboards and “Bust again” has some good lead and harmonyvocals. For some people this album might sound dated, I can still recommend it to any fan of 70s Rock. More info on the releases on ECLECTIC RECORDS at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 7.5 out of 10) WOOLY WOLSTEINHOLME ‘BLACK BOX RECOVERED’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) This is something very rare, although the prog/sympho insiders will probably know this lot from the early 80s quite well, as they opened up for SAGA once. Anyway, the band has released it’s first new studio-album in 23 (!) years. The album is a mix of old and new stuff, mostly unreleased tracks from their 1982 session. Musically we are dealing here with typical early 80s Sympho Rock with also a strong AOR/Pomprock touch here and there (just listen to the fantastic pure Pomprocker “Has to be a reason” which actually could have been a PRISM or ROADMASTER song!). It’s a pity I never heard their old records, because this WOOLY WOLSTEINHOLME sounds pretty good. Besides the already mentioned “Has to be a reason”, another highlight is “Too much, too loud, too late”. Most of the other songs are less AOR, and also a bit poppy ballad orientated, but with tat epic progressive feel. Anyway, this new release of the band contains almost 80 minutes of music, so at first sight a must for the fan of the band, but also fans of Sympho might want to check out this CD. More info on ECLECTIC RECORDS at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 7.5 out of 10) LOCOMOTIVE ‘WE ARE EVERYTHING YOU SEE’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) We’re heading back to the late 1960s again with this band. This outfit played very early Progressive Rock with a strong Pop appeal, kinda like THE MOODY BLUES, THE ANIMALS and PROCOL HARUM. The band featured a saxophone player, which made them actually a sort of Brassrockband (like CHICAGO later in the 1970s became), but apart from that fact, this CD is still quite interesting for the die-hard progfans, because there’s lots of good very early Progrock on the CD, such as “Mr. Armageddon”, “There’s got to be a way”, “Lay me down gently”, “A day in shining amour” and “Coming down”, all featuring the Hammond-Organ, so basically the start of Progrock. The CD mainly consists of remastered 1960s recordings, 19 track in total with a playing time of 62 minutes. I can recommend it to the people who are exploring the beginning of Progrock, of which LOCOMOTIVE as clearly a part of. Also the fact that even members of LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH were at one point a member of LOCOMOTIVE are making this band and their CD an interesting one to check out. More info on their label ECLECTIC RECORDS at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 7.5 out of 10) MANDALABAND ‘THE EYE OF WENDOR: PROPHECIES’ (ECLECTIC DISCS) This band and their CD release, originally issued in 1978, is featuring a lot of well-known musicians, such as BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST and members from 10CC. The 1978 album has been re-issued onto CD and musically it is not really interesting for us, because the MANDALABAND is actually a Poprecord. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.eclecticdiscs.co.uk (Points: 6.0 out of 10) AFTER THE SILENCE ‘FINAL FANTASY’ (INDEPENDENT) The Dutch band AFTER THE SILENCE went into the studio and recorded a professional mini-CD titled ‘Final fantasy’. The CD contains 4 tracks and it sounds indeed quite professional this time. The production is very good (with help from HIGHWAY CHILE bassist Edwin den Haag), and now we can also hear that AFTER THE SILENCE is a very good band. The music is clearly 80s influenced AOR/Melodic Rock, and sometimes it sounds a lot like the Swedish newcomerbands ALYSON AVENUE and COASTLINE. The band has a good female singer called Ingrid van den Hof-van den Berg and instrumental back-up comes in the shape of a keyboardplayer, 2 guitarists, a bassist and a drummer. The 6-member line-up of AFTER THE SILENCE have come up with a good quality AOR/Melodic Rock mini-CD, which will please fans of LOAS, VIXEN, HEART, COASTLINE, ALYSON AVENUE etc. Highlights are uptempo AOR/Melodic Rockers “Final fantasy” (opener) and “Resurrection” (closing track). If you’re starting to get interested, then visit their website at: http://www.afterthesilence.nl and e-mail them at: afterthesilence.rocks@hccnet.nl (Points: 8.0 out of 10) LOWEMOTOR CORPORATION ‘SATURNALIA’ (SPINEFARM RECORDS) The new wave of Finnish bands continues, because LOWEMOTOR CORPORATION is the next band on the horizon. This band has already had hitsingles in their homecountry Finland, both songs featuring backing vocals by the HIM singer. And now they have released their debut on SPINEFARM RECORDS, the label that has been so important for the success of all those Finnish bands the past 5 years. The music of LOWEMOTOR CORPORATION is clearly different than most other Finnish bands. The band has a female lead singer, and they mix the sound of HIM with 80s female Poprock, a bit like JOAN JETT sometimes, but actually it’s hard to compare because this CD sounds quite different than the usual SPINEFARM stuff. It’s definitely quality stuff what we hear, with a crystal clear sound (recorded at the Finnvox studios) and especially the great opener “Flyin’ G”, an uptempo melodic rocker or the midtempo “Tonight” and the EVANESCANCE sounding “Saturnalia”. It’s really hard to describe this band, as they are far removed from a NIGHTWISH, and are more akin to straight good old Rock’n’Roll, yet with an updated modern approach. Besides mentioned tracks, other highlights are “Unsigned”, “Love me”, “Lowest of the law” (strong chorus) and “The fool” (pure HIM). Recommended if you want to hear an original band playing a mix of old Rock’n’Roll and new Gothic Rock/Metal. Check out their site at: http://www.lovemotor.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) INITIATION ‘INITIATION’ (INDEPENDENT) INITIATION is a band from the New York city area playing good old late 70s/early 80s Progressive Pomprock. 7 songs are on their CD, and when you listen to opener “Designer drugs” it’s more like a trip down to memory lane, because this is prime-time classic 80s Prog/Pomprock meets Neo-Prog. The sound quality and instrumental back-up is quite perfect, but also vocally this is very impressive stuff. Guitarist/Lead singer Mark Partyka has a fantastic voice, reminding me of PETER GABRIEL (his GENESIS period) meets FISH (MARILLION). That first song “Designer drugs” is really sensational, midtempo with lots of keys and excellent vocals, a bit straight-forward 70s midtempo beat, ending up sounding like a perfect mix between very early GENESIS, SAGA, MARILLION and STARCASTLE. It’s quite unusual to hear an American band playing a sort of Neo-Prog style a la IQ, MARILLION, PALLAS... but INITIATION also has that slight late 70s American Pomprocktouch sometimes (a la STARCASTLE/ROADMASTER), and that makes this band quite special I think. Happily all 7 included songs are in the same style, so it’s 40 minutes pleasure while listening to this album. Besides the fantastic opener, other highlights are “Vultures”, “Crystal beach” (pure early 70s GENESIS) and “Seasons change”. I can easily highly recommend this band to both Neo-Progfreaks and fans of classic late 70s Pomprock, because this band has found a perfect style combining both styles. More info can be found at: http://www.initiationmusic.com and e-mail them at: DRKMARKUS@AOL.COM (Points: 8.5 out of 10) HOLY SAGGA ‘PLANETUDE’ (LOUDER MUSIC) Out of nowhere comes a new Brazilian sensation called HOLY SAGGA. They released a CD, which was co-produced by none-other than SASCHA PAETH (KAMELOT, AINA, RHAPSODY), so then it must be something special. Happily, HOLY SAGGA is something special, because their debut CD ‘Planetude’ is a high class European Melodic (Power) Metal record with clear influences from a KAMELOT, RHAPSODY, ANGRA, STRATOVARIUS etc. The sound is really huge, and basically everything sounds perfect, both instrumental and vocally. It’s hard to give this a low rating, as it’s a very impressive record, although nothing new is presented here. Nevertheless, songs like “Searching for the sun”, “Fight for survival”, “Fly away”, “N.O.V.A.” (fantastic chorus) and “Rise Again” are all very good uptempo Melodic Power Metal songs like KAMELOT meets RHAPSODY. Check it if you’re a fan of bombastic Melodic Power Metal with catchy choruses and neo-classical keyboardwork. More info at: http://www.louder-music.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10) VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘A TRIBUTE TO ENUFF’Z’NUFF’ (CD SMASH RECORDS) The American band ENUFF’Z’NUFF had their 15 minutes of fame in the very early 90s, but after scoring some US Billboard Hitsingles like “New thing”, “Fly high Michelle” and “Baby loves you” they disappeared out of the mainstream scene. However, they regained a huge underground following, and released about 10 CDs after their succesfull debut. Musically they were different than any other band, playing a mix of early 70s Glam/Glitterrock and 80s Hardrock, drawing influences from bands like BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN, MOTT THE HOOPLE, SMALL FACES and of course T-REX! Anyway, I myself was not such a big fan, but I always respected the band because they never changed their style, no matter what Rockstyle was popular, so it has been for 18 years now 70s Glam/Glitter Rock with a strong 1970 Hippie outfit. They still have many fans and every now and then a new album appears, and also a lot of bands were influenced by them, because there is now a Tribute CD available. In total 16 tracks are being covered (with the exception of closing track “She forgets” which is a new? ENUFF’Z’NUFF original) and appearing bands are THE MILLIONS, PHIL NARO, SEVEN WISHES, CRASH KELLY and several lesser known acts. If you’re a dedicated ENUFF’Z’NUFF fan, then it’s nice to hear such good cover versions of ENUFF’Z’NUFF songs like “Heaven or hell” (now sounds like AEROSMITH), “One step closer”, “New thing”, “Fly high Michelle” and “Baby loves you”. More info on this quality Tribute CD at: http://www.cdsmashrecords.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  RIVAL ‘STATE OF
MIND’ (METAL BLADE RECORDS)Sometime ago I reviewed a few CDs of the Chicago based band RIVAL, and now they have signed with METAL BLADE RECORDS, and are about to release a CD on the German label in early May. Musically RIVAL is playing classic 80s US Metal (a la VICIOUS RUMORS/ARMORED SAINT/SAVATAGE) and their first official European release is a highly recommended piece to fans of this genre. It’s only a pity the CD has a playing length of just 35 minutes, which is very short, but what we hear is definitely quality stuff. Not only the music is quite good, also the production is of a very high level. Songs like “State of mind”, “Extreme aggression”, “Reach” and “Remember you” are very strong Melodic US Power Metal songs. Concluded, a recommended CD to fans of high class US Power Metal! (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  MACHINE MEN ‘SCARS AND
WOUDS’(DYNAMIC ARTS RECORDS) The Finnish Melodic Metal sensation from 2002 has finally released their first full-length CD release titled ‘Scars and wounds’. MACHINE MEN released a very impressive EP 2 years ago, but we had to wait until now for a full-length album. Happily, it’s also a very impressive album, featuring 8 sensational tracks. Of course the band has been influenced by 80s IRON MAIDEN, which can be heard all throughout the album. Nevertheless, the band also has developed an own style, and I can assure you this MACHINE MEN CD is better than the new MAIDEN album! Opener “Against the freaks” is a nice uptempo Melodic Metal piece, very much like MAIDEN. The following 3 tracks are very sensational, and contain some beautiful catchy melodies that stick in your head after hearing it just once. These are the fantastic uptempo Melodic Rockers “The gift” and “Silver dreams” (very strong chorus) and the midtempo “The beginning of the end”, all 3 very impressive and showing how good this band actually is! The remaining 4 songs are of course also very good, such as the titletrack “Scars and wounds”. Concluded, this is a hgihly recommended Melodic Metal Masterpiece! More info at: http://www.dynamicartsrecords.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  IN MEMORY ‘INTOXICATING
MIND’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) IN MEMORY is a Female Fronted Italian Progressive Metal band and they released their CD last year on the Greek label SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS. The band consists of 6 members, and the female lead singer (Laura Scappini) has a very strong voice, which lifts up this band above the other bands in the genre. You don’t see that many Prog. Metalbands with a female singer, so this sets them also apart from the rest. The band is definitely as good as the Swedish band AMARAN for example. The CD contains 8 tracks, of which the highlights are “Critical point”, “Miserable soul”, “Doomed”, “Dark solitude” and “Unspoken”. The sound is quite huge, with rich keys and a big guitarsound, combined with clean vocal melodies and strong choruses, so this is definitely a highly recommended Progressive Metal record! More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  KOTIPELTO ‘COLDNESS’(CENTURY MEDIA/SUBURBAN) The past 6 months a lot of things changed in the STRATOVARIUS camp, and most remarkable fact was the departure of lead singer Timo Kotipelto. Many people will say it’s the end of STRATOVARIUS, a band which has been so important for bringing back Melodic Metal to the masses and also putting Finland on the map for quality music. Nevertheless, the story always continues, and now we are looking at the new solo-album of KOTIPELTO. Timo already released an album back in 2002 titled ‘Waiting for the dawn’ and now there’s a follow-up titled ‘Coldness’, which is also the start of a new chapter, because from now on Timo Kotipelto will entirely focus on his own band KOTIPELTO. Timo gathered around him a list of talented musicians, including guitarist Mike Romeo (SYMPHONY X), guitarist Juhani Malmberg (TUNNELVISION), keyboardplayer Janne Wirman (CHILDREN OF BODOM/WARMEN), bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS) and drummer Mirka Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE/TUNNEL VISION/ WARMEN). Together they have recorded a fantastic Melodic Metal record, which is a little different from STRATOVARIUS last few records, because the 10 included songs are straighter and more to the point, with catchy choruses and not containing the complexity which some of the songs on STRATOVARIUS last year ‘Elements’ CDs had. Of course you can not ignore the big STRATOVARIUS resemblance, but on the other hand this new KOTIPELTO offers a more Melodic Rock approach most of the time. Besides faster uptempo STRATOVARIUS orientated Power Metal songs like “Seeds of sorrow”, “Can you hear the sound” and “Journey back”, there are also a lot of fantastic melodic rocksongs on the CD, such as the uptempo rockers “Reasons” (first single, with a very catchy chorus), “Around” and the midtempo songs “Snowbound”, “Take me away” and “Evening’s fall” (very strong song). I am quite positive about this new KOTIPELTO album, which sounds different than the big bombastic STRATOVARIUS, but is still a very enjoyable album that mixes Melodic Rock and Melodic Power Metal. Check it out as soon as it is released on April the 26th. (Points: 9.0 out of 10)  SOUND OF SILENCE ‘SPIRITUAL
JOURNEY’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) This Greek band is showing how quality Melodic Progressive Metal should be made if your band isn’t called DREAM THEATER. The artwork/booklet and prodution sound huge, and happily also the included music is of a very high level. The band also has a strong singer and so we can easily call SOUND OF SILENCE a sensational Melodic Progressive Metalband. Their first (?) CD is titled ‘Spirital journey’, released on the Greek label SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS, and the album contains 11 songs. From start to finish this is high quality Melodic Prog. Metal with perfect vocals and a great instrumental backup. Songs like “Wasting soul”, “Fake”, “Supreme creature”, “Sailing” (superb semi-ballad, beautiful chorus) and “Journey” are all lovely Melodic Progressive Metalsongs (a la TIME MACHINE). So this is a must for the fans of quality ProgMetal! Check out the band’s website at: http://www.soundofsilence.gr or http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 8.5 out of 10)  SISTER SIN ‘DANCE OF THE
WICKED’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) SISTER SIN is a Greek band playing 80s straight-ahead Hardrock (with some MOTLEY CRUE influences). Their CD ‘Dance of the wicked’ has a good strong sound, and the band has a great female lead singer (Liv Jagrell). It’s a pity the CD has a playing length of just 28 minutes, because tracks like “Kiss of the sky”, “Fall into my dreams”, “Tragedy loves company” and “Love lies” (very strong uptempo Melodic Rock) are very good tough Melodic Hardrocksongs with a strong late 80s American (read: LA) approach. Now there are only 6 tracks on the CD actually, because I don’t count the ROLLING STONES cover “Pain it black” and the instrumental “End of the beginning”, so it’s not really a full-length. Nevertheless, this is still a recommended CD to fans of female fronted 80s Hardrock a la DORO, BITCH, LITA FORD... More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  WASTEFALL ‘FALLEN STARS AND
RISING SCARS’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) This Greek band is trying to something different, as they mix Melodic ProgMetal with Gothic, Thrash and even Nu-Metal, and unfortunately it does not work. The band’s lead singer is either singing clean and melodic or screaming/grunting (like Thrash singers meets Nu-Metal), so this is one of those bands you can’t categorise. Maybe that’s something nice, but this time it isn’t, because only a handfull of songs on their CD are nice to listen to, like “Subroutine” and “Annnabel Lee” (based on Edgar Alan Poe). Only interesting for Progmetalfreaks who don’t mind experimental moves (like PAIN OF SALVATION for example). More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 6.5 out of 10) WINDFALL ‘TIME OF THE HAUNTED’ (SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) A the Greek band WINDFALL released a very good Progressive Metal CD titled ‘Adamantia’. Now we are a few years further and a new CD has been released. I was quite surprised to hear a radical change in style, because they are now playing Techno-Thrash-Metal with very raw vocals and absolutely zero melody. I don’t know what happened to this band, but this surely isn’t anything like the Progmetal of their previous CD. Therefore it’s hard to give any points to this release, because it has nothing to do with the WINDFALL from the past... ... More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: -)  EN-GARDE ‘FORGOTTEN
MEMORIES’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) Here’s another quality band in the Gothic Metal scene. This Greek band is called EN GARDE, and they have a CD out titled ‘Forgotten memories’. The band has a soprano female vocalist and they play in the style of SENGIR, AFTER FOREVER, EPICA... The music is a bit slow sometimes, even some Doom Metal influences, so don’t expect any uptempo rockers. Nevertheless, the female singer has an impressive voice and this band is as good as most other European acts in this genre. Songs like “Beyond the east”, “Kid’s” and “Emptiness” are strong typical Female Gothic Metal songs with a slight Doom Metal touch. ... More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  FRAGILE VASTNESS ’EXCERPTS’(SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS) This is a band from Greece, and they play high quality Progressive Metal, and they try to present us with an own style, in which they actually succeed, because their first (?) CD ‘Excerpts’ sounds pretty convincing. The Progressive Metal sounds melodic, and also quite diverse, with a lot of tempo changes. The lead vocals are also very good, and most of the 9 included tracks are very impressive. The absolute highlights are “Little red riding hood”, “Weep no more” (which is also included on the CD as Video) and “Parasite”, all very strong Melodic Progressive Metalsongs. So this is yet another recommended Progmetal record! More info at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) AGONIZER ‘WORLD OF FOOLS’ (INDEPENDENT) A 4-track mini-CD from yet another great new Finnish Melodic Metalbands. This is the first official EP from AGONIZER and I must say it sounds very good. The band has a raw lead singer, but definitely captures that typical Finish Melodic Metalsound, also due to the fact that Mr. Mika Jussila (STRATO/SONATA/ NIGHTWISH) mastered the CD at Finnvox a few weeks ago. The CD has a big sound, and the music is definitely high quality stuff, somewhere between HIM and SONATA ARCTICA, but with some very raw vocals. All 4 songs are uptempo Melodic Metal pieces, with a rough edge, and very raw lead vocals like I said before, but still it sounds pretty good. This CD proves that AGONIZER is yet another quality band from Finland, so go check ‘em out at: http://agonizer.cjb.net and e-mail at: agonizer@email.com (Points: 8.0 out of 10) PRELUDIUM ‘RISING FROM THE TWILIGHT/DEMO 2003’ (DEMO CDR) 2 Demos were sent to me from the band PRELUDIUM. This is a French band, and they play nice typical 80s Melodic Metal, instrumental sounding pretty good, but infortunately the vocals are not that strong. This can be heard on their first demo ‘Rising from the twilight’ from 2002. Recently the band recorded a new demo with a new singer, and without a doubt he (Jeff) is a much better singer. Musically this new demo is pure Italo Sympho Melodic Power Metal a la VISION DIVINE, PROJECTO, LABYRINTH... Of course this is just a demo, so it is impossible to compare it with the big releases from the major labels, but you can hear that this is a good band. The 2003 demo definitely shows a big improvement compared to their first demo, especially track 4 is a killer song! Maybe a future official CD release will even lift them to the big boys in the Sympho Power Metal. Check out this band for yourself at: http://www.preludium.fr.st and e-mail them at: preludium40@hotmail.com (Points: 7.5 out of 10)  SNOWBLIND ‘SNOWBLIND/THE
LORD OF MY FATE’ (SLEASZY RIDER RECORDS)SNOWBLIND is a new Greek band formed by ex-NIGHTFALL guitarist Mike G. He also takes the vocal duties for SNOWBLIND and I am afraid he should have taken a real lead singer, because the man is not the world’s best singer. He disappoints in the vocal department, but instrumental it all sounds pretty well. SNOWBLIND released 2 CDs so far, and ‘The lord of my fate’ shows much of an improvement in comparison to the debut CD. The music is Melodic Metal, with a strong Doom/Gothic touch sometimes, and with a singer who sounds like a mix between UDO and GRAVE DIGGER, the band will be noticed, but I think it would be best to hire a lead singer next time, although some of the included songs on their latest disc are pretty good, like “Woman”, “Alone”, “Fool enough” and “Broken dreams”. More info on SNOWBLIND at: http://www.sleaszyrider.com (Points: 7.0 out of 10)  MESSIAH’S KISS ‘METAL’ (SPV)The German Melodic Metalband MESSIAH’S KISS (with American lead singer Mike Tirelli, ex-JACK STARR) is back with a new CD titled ‘Metal’. Without a doubt, this is another first class pure Metalalbum with influences from both the 80s Heavy Metal (PRIEST/MAIDEN/ MANOWAR/ ACCEPT), today’s Power Metal (PRIMAL FEAR) and traditional Melodic Metal (AXEL RUDI PELL). The CD title is an obvious choice, as this is pure Metal the way it should sound! The album was produced by BRAZEN ABBOTT leader Nikolo Kotzev, who did a great job of course. The CD contains 14 tracks, ranging from fast uptempo Power Metal pieces like “Uncaging rebellion”, “Believer”, the fantastic “Fight or fall”, “Angels”, “Road to exxtasy” and the superb “Hell or victory” to midtempo Metal like MANOWAR meets ACCEPT in songs like “Metal ‘til we die”, “Holy waters” and “Blackhawk” (one of the best songs, a fantastic epic tune a la AXEL RUDI PELL), but also a semi-ballad (“Tears in the rain”) is included, so lots of diversity in tempo here. Most of the time the band is playing fast uptempo Melodic Metal with a strong 80s approach, even reminding me of FIFTH ANGEL on their debut, so catchy melodic choruses in each and every song, and a straight-forward sound in general. Conclusion is that all real/true Metal fans need to get a copy of this new MESSIAH’S KISS CD asap, because the German band has proven once again they are up there with other new German Metalbands like PRIMAL FEAR and METALIUM that all follow the footsteps taken by ACCEPT, STEELER and SINNER in the 1980s. (Points: 8.5 out of 10) BLAZE ‘BLOOD AND BELIEF’ (SPV) Lead singer BLAZE BAILEY has done many things in his life, but with ups and downs. Starting his career with WOLFSBANE, with whom he gained some success in the UK back in the late 80s/early 90s, but his real breakthrough came in the mid 90s when he took over the lead vocals from BRUCE DICKINSON in IRON MAIDEN. He stayed for five years and sang on 2 MAIDEN records, before getting the sack, because Bruce returned to the mighty MAIDEN. Then he started in 1999 his own band BLAZE, with whom he released 3 CDs so far. Last year he suffered some alcohol problems, but the past few months he realised that his alcohol and depression attacks should be stopped and he now completely concentrate on his music. BLAZE is back with his 4th CD ‘Blood and belief’ on SPV Records and the album clearly shows a stronger than ever approach from the former MAIDEN singer. The man is eager to start performing live soon and I think he deserves to be heard (and seen of course), because the new BLAZE CD is a good Metal record. The album starts a bit weak with the groovy “Alive”, but this is followed up by the great uptempo Melodic Metal song “Ten seconds”. Other highlights are “Blood and belief”, “Life and death”, “Regret” and “Will to win”. Although the new BLAZE album is not always convincing (a few weaker songs like “Alive”, “Tearing myself to pieces” and “Hollow head” are included), it’s at some points even better than the last MAIDEN, and for example the full-blown production is definitely remarkable. BLAZE fans will love this record, but also the other fans of traditional Melodic Metal might want to check this new BLAZE CD out. (Points: 8.0 out of 10)  FEINSTEIN ‘THIRD WISH’
(SPV)ARTENSION/ROYAL HUNT lead singer John West is fronting a complete new Melodic Metalband called FEINSTEIN. The band is actually formed around David ‘Rock’ Feinstein, who is the cousin of RONNIE JAMES DIO. But David is also known as the founder and original guitarist of THE RODS and ELF, so this guy has been on the scene for 30 years now, and with his own new band FEINSTEIN he delivers his first CD. The CD is without a doubt a deadringer for fans of classic 80s guitar orientated Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal with superb strong lead vocals by singer John West. Both John’s vocals and David’s guitarsound are making this first FEINSTEIN a true winner for the fans of classic 80s Melodic Heavy Rock/Metal. The CD has a huge sound, and further info to be told is that manager of the band and co-producer of this CD is none-other than Joey DeMaio from MANOWAR! Also the beautiful cover artwork needs to be mentioned, because Eric Phillipe was responsible for the cover, and he is best known for his RHAPSODY and TNT cover artwork. Anyway, let’s get to the music, because it simply sounds terrific and very tight. 11 songs are included, and highlights are definitely opener “Regeneration”, “Streaming star” (superb uptempo Melodic Hardrock, pure 80s, some 80s BLACK SABBATH riffs here and a strong DIO touch as well), “Third wish” (superb epic midtempo Melodic Masterpiece, like AXEL RUDI PELL), “Rule the world” (lovely midtempo Melodic Metal), “Far beyond” (another big midtempo epic tune) and “Masquerade” (uptempo pure 80s Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock/Metal). The sound is somewhat similar to the 1980s BLACK SABBATH, FIFTH ANGEL, AXEL RUDI PELL and RACER X, so this is definitely very melodic but tough 80s US Heavy Rock/Metal. This FEINSTEIN debut is a highly recommended CD to all Hardrock/Metalfans!!! (Points: 9.0 out of 10) (All reviews by Gabor Kleinbloesem, except where noted) |