ROCK IN REVIEW

LOS ANGELES - NEVERLAND

2009-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

(2009 - frontiers Records)

NEVERLAND is the second album under the LOS ANGELES moniker which was created as an outlet for Italian vocalist MICHELE LUPPI's love of AOR music. LUPPI is probably better known for his old band VISION DIVINE, a well-respected Power Metal group.
Whereas the self-titled first album featured a mutlitude of guest writers, this time around Luppi has done a vast majority of the collaboration with Fabrizio Grossi, and the album is all the better for it as it feels much more consistent and cohesive than the first.
As with any AOR release of high quality, the musicians featured on the album are all highly regarded in the scene. We're talking people like TOMMY DENANDER, JOEY SYKES, ERIC RAGNO and bass legend FABRIZIO GROSSI, who all contribute stellar performances throughout the album. Of course though, the music is centered around the vocal talents of MICHELE LUPPI, which for me is a double-edged sword. See, I think Luppi is an excellent vocalist with an amazing range and his voice is very well suited to this style of music, but for me, his heavy accent is often noticeable and a little bit distracting. I know that may sound a bit silly, but i am so used to the usual singing accents and wether i like it or not, LUPPI'S accent does prevent me from getting lost in the music like i usually like to do.
Songwise though, the album shines with class. Opening track NEVERLAND is as great melodic rocker that reminds me of bands like BANDLANDS and STRANGEWAYS. NOTHING TO HIDE is a cover of a Richard Marx song, but this version is supreme and has a great AOR chorus. CITY OF ANGELS has a slightly more modern tinge to it while stil being classic AOR. PROMISES is a very catchy tune with one of those choruses that stays in your head for days. WAIT FOR YOU picks up the pace slightly and is a welcome change. NOWHERE TO RUN is classic AOR that reminds me of DRIVE, SHE SAID, but not quite as good. TONIGHT TONIGHT is a nice enough track, it's nothing special but it's not bad or anything either. HIGHER LOVE is a mid-paced track that was spoiled about half way through when LUPPI let's out a very girly wail that really doesn't fit the mood of the song. LIVING INSIDE is a highlight track that perfectly walks the line between typical Melodic Rock and AOR music. WELCOME TO MY LIFE is another late highlight with the best chorus on the abum. Closing track PARADISE doesn't do much for me and i feel the album would have been better of without it and ending on track ten.

This album is a bit of a no-brainer for anyone that still loves classic AOR music and Melodic Rock fans will find much to like here also. NEVERLAND will surely finish quite high in my best of 2009 list, but it could have even been album of the year if LUPPI'S accent wasn't quite so prominent. A must-buy album, definitely one of the best pure AOR records of the year.

9/10

LEVERAGE - CIRCUS COLOSSUS

2009-11-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

(2009 - Spinefarm Records)

Finnish melodic metallers LEVERAGE seemed to come out of nowhere in 2006 when they released their debut album TIDES. With their combination of melodic metal, AOR stylings and a hint of progressive metal, the band's sound was a breath of fresh air to the constantly flooding pool of same-ish melodic metal bands that were around at the time. The 2008 release of BLIND FIRE showed that the band were morethan a one trick pony, and now with their third release CIRCUS COLOSSUS, LEVERAGE are aiming to prove that they have some staying power.
I should mention that the band's 2006 album TIDES is my favorite album in the melodic metal genre and easily one of my favorite albums of at least the last decade. Whilst i still enjoyed BLIND FIRE i must admit i was a little disappointed by it, so when i finally got the chance to hear CIRCUS COLOSSUS i wasn't quite sure what i was going to get. After about two dozen listens or so i am ready to say that this album should put LEVERAGE on the top of the melodic metal list, and whilst i rate it just a wee bit under the flawless TIDES album, it's still one of the best releases of the year and yet another well above average from the band.
Vocalist PEKKA HEINO (also the singer of Brother Firetribe) just seems to get better and better every time i hear him and has an emotion-filled voice that is absolutely perfect for this kind of music whether belting out some majestic power metal influenced chorus, to slowing it all down for a ballad, this guy can just do it all with ease. The main difference i guess with the new album compared to TIDES and BLIND FIRE is the stronger emphasis on the keyboard talents of maestro MARKO NISKALA, and some more pomp-ish bombastic orchestration scattered throughout the album to great effect. Also, their seems to be a bit of a lesser emphasis on the AOR sound of the previous albums, which probably explains why i rate TIDES a bit higher.

As far as highlights go there are many, with the first coming from a very unexpected place. Anyone that has read a handful or so of my reviews would probably know that i have a bit of distaste the INTRO tracks, as lately they seem to have become obligatory and i feel they very rarely serve any purpose whatsoever. But on CIRCUS COLOSSUS, the instrumental intro track, RISE has one of the most bombastic sounds i've ever heard on record and sounds more like some epic battle scene in a Hollywood blockbuster, and would easily be one of my favorite album intros ever and one of the very few that i feel are worth listening to. The first proper track WOLF AND THE MOON follows straight on from the intro and keeps the high quality coming. MOVIE GODS is one of the more AOR based tracks of the album and is one of my favorite songs of the year. There is a few other highlight tracks also in RIDER OF STORM, LEGIONS OF INVISIBLE and the outstanding piano balladry of DON'T KEEP ME WAITING. Well, that's half of the album as a highlight, which goes to show just how strong CIRCUS COLOSSUS is, as i could have probably picked another two or three tracks as highlights too.

CIRCUS COLOSSUS comes oh so close to matching the genius that was TIDES, but falters just a little bit for me as i miss a bit more of the AOR touch of the debut. That being said though, this is easily one of the best albums of 2009 and any rock or metal fan owes it to themselves to at least hear it once.

9/10

JADED HEART - PERFECT INSANITY

2009-10-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

Since the ugly, much publicized split with former frontman Michael Bormann in 2004 when the band fired him, Bormann has continued to carve out a very successful solo career and has been involved with many, many great projects while JADED HEART themselves have struggled immensely to find their place in the rock scene.
Over the course of the bands history, their sound, which began as pure AOR/Melodic Rock has been itching ever closer to something heavier, and now you could just about say they are a pure Melodic Metal group.
PERFECT INSANITY sees the group as quite capable of being a Melodic Metal band, but the actual material on the album is very safe and by-the-numbers. The music itself is all of a high quality, as are the more than adequate vocals, but the actual songwriting feels very uninspired and the tunes on offer here aren't as good as a lot of other groups from the genre. As an Edgy Melodic Rock band, JADED HEART were one of the best, but as a Melodic Metal band they offer nothing exciting and no real reason to follow them.
The production on the other hand is flawless thanks to legendary desk handlers Michael Voss and Dennis Ward, but it's a shame that the rest of the elements don't shine as much as the actual sound though.
The only song i really found worth repeat listens was LOVE IS A KILLER, a very good song, but after that the rest of the album just seems to plod along and toward the end i had lost interest and had to force myself to listen to the last couple of tracks, never a good thing.
While ex-front man Bormann is busy creating a legacy that will be remembered for a long time to come, his old band JADED HEART have just about run of tricks and unfortunately, due to their stubbornness of being a Melodic Metal band, a sub-par one at that, have lost all relevance and will become another one of those bands that are only listened to by their die-hard one-eyed fans.
Overall a decent album from a group of guys that should be able to put out something amazing.

6.5/10

WINGER - KARMA

2009-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

It's almost comical how different the opinions of this band have been over the years. On one hand they are regarded by die-hard melodic rock fans as one of THE most important and respected bands of the genre, whereas many critics and journos have been quick to write the band off as hair metal washouts that don't have anything to offer the musical landscape post-1989.
The truth of the matter though is that Kip Winger and the rest of the guys in the band have always managed to progress and grow while still staying true to their original sound, which is more than what can be said about a lot of bands that were around at the same time as WINGER started. Sure their first two albums "WINGER" and "IN THE HEART OF THE YOUNG" are classic MTV era hair rock albums, whereas the two follow-up albums "PULL" and "IV" had a heavier, slightly progressive sound, but the four albums still manage to gel well together, and now WINGER'S fifth studio release KARMA can also be classed as a progression in style but still cohesive enough to be talked about in the same sentence as the previous four albums.
Probably the most amazing thing about this album is just how good lead vocalist KIP WINGER is sounding these days, he is a little bit gravelly-er than in the past, but that has only added to his bag of tricks and should be respected as one of the premiere vocalists of the genre.
But of course the meat and potatoes of any album is the songs, and boy is there some rippers in this lot. Album opener DEAL WITH THE DEVIL comes out of the gates all guns blazing and is an awesome modern melodic rock song with a great lyric about the rock n roll lifestyle. STONE COLD KILLER has an interesting premise and the modern style represents a majority of the rest of the album. BIG WORLD AWAY is stylistically related to the IV album and has some awesome soloing from guitar maestro REB BEACH. COME A LITTLE CLOSER is the weakest song on the album and sports a very overused and generic modern rock guitar riff. PULL ME UNDER is perfect modern day melodic rock and reminds slightly of GOTTHARD. SUPERNOVA is an awesome rockin' track that is a bit DIO in style. ALWAYS WITHIN ME is an interesting song that sounds a little like AUDIOSLAVE if they were around in the eighties. FEEDING FRENZY is one of the less than stellar songs of the album but is still covered in the typical WINGER class. AFTER ALL THIS TIME is an absolute highlight and mixes the slower blues of GARY MOORE with the soulful balladeering of the late seventies to create one of the best ballads of the year by a mile. The album closes with WITNESS that is pure, classic WINGER and makes you want to press the repeat button after it is finished.
The album does suffer slightly from some muddy production here and there, but because the songs are so strong it can be overlooked.
With KARMA, WINGER have once again managed to incorporate their original style into the asthetics of the modern day and have come with a corker of an album that has universal appeal to all and any into hard rock music.

8.5/10

W.E.T - W.E.T

2009-10-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

W.E.T is an all new project created by the melodic rock masterminds over at Frontiers Records.
The idea was to put together two of the finest AOR songwriters in Robert Sall (WORK OF ART) and Erik Martensson (Eclipse) with one of the most respected and sought after melodic rock vocalists of this era in Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman).
As soon as word got out about this project the hype machine went into full swing. In a lot of pre-release interviews, JSS has stressed the fact that during the writing and recording process of this album, the project started feeling more and more like an actual band and has stated that he would like to take the W.E.T band out on the road if the opportunity arose.
he biggest problem with this album is just how hyped it became, and never really had a chance of living up to what some people were saying. Don't get me wrong, this is a very, very good album and one of the best Melodic Rock releases of 2009, but it isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread and definitely not one of the greatest Melodic releases of all time.
The best part of the album for me was hearing master vocalist JSS get back to what he does best, singing pure melodic rock. I haven't been overly impressed by his last couple of solo outings mainly because of the style, so it's nice to hear him back in the zone.
The songwriting is as expected, very good and there's no doubt that these guys are at the top of their game. The overall style of the album is a pretty good representation of the bands that these guys come from, with the pure AOR stylings of WORK OF ART, the bombastic sounds of ECLIPSE and the heavier side of melodic rock from TALISMAN. Usually when some of these styles clash it can be a bit of a mess, but here it works really well and should please everyone that is into the Melodic Rock/AOR genres.
The album opens on a high note with INVINCIBLE, a pure Melodic Rock track with some awesome soaring vocals and really sets the stage of what's to come. The ECLIPSE influence is very strong on ONE LOVE, which is early highlight track. BROTHERS IN ARMS is a very bombastic song with a great lyric and huge chorus. COMES DOWN LIKE RAIN is the first of a few AOR influenced ballads and is a pretty good take on the style. RUNNING FROM THE HEARTACHE has a very Jim Peterek sound to it and is straight out of the late eighties. I'LL BE THERE is probably the weakest track on the album and doesn't do much for me at all. DAMAGE IS DONE is an interesting one that mixes some Led Zeppelin sounding guitars with a modern touch but also reminds of the typical Jim Peterik style. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS has a very hair metal sound to it and starts with an awesome JSS howl and is the most agressive rock track of the album. ONE DAY AT A TIME is a slower song that doesn't really go anywhere and another one that didn't really hit me. JUST GO is the closest song on offer to TALISMAN and is almost a melodic metal song. MY EVERYTHING is another pure Melodic Rock track and is a good song but not a great one. The album closes with IF I FALL, a pure AOR song obviously inspired by JOURNEY right down to JSS channeling his best Steve Perry voice, and has all the makings of a classic of the genre and is one of the songs of the year.

If you let the hype get to you too much, prepare to be a little disappointed, but if you don't, you will be very satisfied. Especially if you are a fan of JSS like so many people are these days.
Hopefully the guys decide to keep W.E.T as a band and begin work on a follow up, as i think this one was great but could have been a little better for all the attention it garnered.

8.5/10

TRAGIK - OUTLAW

2009-10-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

(2009 - PVM Inc.)

TRAGIK is a new project led by the ever busy PHIL VINCENT. I must admit that i have never really been impressed by any of the solo or project albums that Phil has released over the years and have always seen him as a bit of an almost but not quite kinda artist. He is a persistant bugger though and just keeps rolling out the music. OUTLAW isn't really far removed from anything else Phil has done and as such suffers from the same shortcomings as his other releases.
OUTLAW has a bit of a mish-mash of styles but never really stems far from the usual melodic hard rock sound he is best known for. There is some touches of AOR tinged music to be found and even some elements that are closer to metal than they are hard rock. But the base sound of the album reminds me of the awkward style that a lot of hard rock bands were putting out in the early nineties to recapture a fan base that was stolen by the grunge movement. The guitars are muddy and the riffs are basic, and with Phil Vincent himself being a good but not great vocalist, overall the sound doesn't really work.
Interestingly enough, the album opens with an AOR style power ballad called IN THE NAME OF..., which is actually the highlight of the album and is quite a classy modern day AOR song. From there the album sort of heads downhill and songs like TWO TIMER, EVERYTHING CHANGES and LONELINES, while written well are executed poorly and really are second grade tunes.
I always feel bad when i write a less than stellar review about any release in the melodic rock scene, especially for someone with the determination and conviction of PHIL VINCENT, but i really have to call them as i see them, and to me this album is quite poor and by now we should be able to expect better from the man. Sorry Phil.

5/10

GRAND DESIGN - TIME ELEVATION

2009-10-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

Throughout the latter part of the year i had seen TIME ELEVATION in release lists and heard mentions here and there. But due to the volume of high profile releases that were due around the same time (we're talking bands like KISS, FOREIGNER, WINGER, JADED HEART etc..), this one had not really piqued my interest as such. Before my first listen to the album i figured it would probably be another run of the mill average melodic rock albums and was sure it was probably set for a 6 or 7 out of ten.
Forty or so minutes later i was gobsmacked! I remember having the same feeling around this time last year when i listened to the debut album from H.E.A.T, not that they sound similar or anything like that, there just two bands that have managed to create outstanding debut albums that will likely be looked upon as classics in years to come.
Yes, the album is THAT GOOD.
Some may criticize the band as being DEF LEPPARD clones or being unoriginal, but me, i'm just happy to have some LEPPARD-esque 96 part gang vocals to chant along to in this modern day.
The bands sound is very true to their influences and throughout the album you can hear a lot of DEF LEPPARD inspiration and also bands like EUROPE and SCORPIONS. I know it's a typical old fuddy duddy thing to say but they just don't make 'em like this anymore, and that's what make this release all the more special.
Sure the guys in the band have all been involved with respectable bands before creating GRAND DESIGN, but they are far from being household names, but with a debut as strong as this you can guarantee at the very least that they will become superstars in their homeland of Sweden. Unfortunately in most other parts of the world where manufactured dime a dozen pop idols are clogging up the charts, bands like like GRAND DESIGN get ignored en mass, but the fans of the melodic rock genre worldwide are sure to lap this one up and hopefully propel the band to the heights they deserve.
Picking highlight tracks off this album is a very hard thing to do, because as rare as it may be, every song is a gem and there is nigh a filler in sight. If i had to pick favorites though they would probably be LOVE SENSATION, AIR IT OUT, PIECE OF THE ACTION and HELLO MR. HEARTACHE, but all of these songs could be replaced by any others on the album the next time i listen to it.
With TIME ELEVATION, GRAND DESIGN have managed to encaptulate the spirit and the style of mid-eighties hair music and have released one of the greatest debut albums in modern history. I expect to see it in many peoples top ten lists at the end of the year and am certain it will end up in mine.
Highly recommended to anyone that listens to any sort of rock music and especially to DEF LEPPARD fans that miss the old PYROMANIA and HYSTERIA days.

9.5/10

FOREIGNER - CAN'T SLOW DOWN

2009-10-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Rhino)

Mention FOREIGNER to people and you will usually get one of either two responses. There are the people that know them mainly for the radio mega ballad " I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS", or the people that remember the band as the rockers that did songs like DIRTY WHITE BOY and HOT BLOODED. Whichever side of the band you wish to remember most one thing is a certainty, FOREIGNER are an undeniable musical institution and featured one of THE most reverred and respected rock singers of all time in the one and only LOU GRAMM.
LOU'S health problems and his new found obsession with christianity have been well documented throughout the media of the rock world and don't really need to be revisited here.
Suffice to say though, the biggest problem facing the band a few years ago now was, how do you replace somebody as iconic and legendary as LOU GRAMM. They tried it on 1991' UNUSUAL HEAT album, that featured JOHNNY EDWARDS as lead vocalist, and while a pretty good aor/melodic rock album in it's own right, really didn't feel like FOREIGNER at all.
This time around they have the vocal talents of ex-HURRICANE front man KELLY HANSEN.
And what a great addition he is. FOREIGNER, or maybe i should say MICK JONES, as hi is the only remaining original member now, decided to tread the road traveled by JOURNEY last year and seek out a sound-a-like singer rather than something fresh. Well, it worked for JOURNEY with Arnel Pindea, and on CAN'T SLOW DOWN is works for FOREIGNER as well.
While there is definitely a modern tinge to the overall style, this album is classic FOREIGNER and may just be the perfect representation of what modern day AOR music should sound like.
As is usual for MICK JONES, the songwriting here is split almost right down the middle with an equal number of ballads and rockier songs, but apart from a couple of slightly weaker tracks this album is a killer from cover to cover and will surely please fans of the band, especially those fans that were disappointed with LOU GRAMM'S latest output (myself included).
The album opens with CAN'T SLOW DOWN, which is a great song to begin with and it takes all of 35 seconds to realise that KELLY HANSEN was the perfect choice as a new vocalist. IN PIECES is the first ballad of the album and shows that the band are still capable of writing perfect radio power ballads that deserve to be picked up by major stations. WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE is an interesting song with some light keyboard work and tinges of saxophone and sounds as though it could have been written in the mid-eighties somewhere. LIVING IN A DREAM is a rockier track that could have slotted perfectly into DOUBLE VISION or HEAD GAMES. I CAN'T GIVE UP is a great piano ballad and a definite high point of the album. The next two track READY and GIVE ME A SIGN are both pretty good but definitely in a lower class to the rest of the album. I'LL BE HOME TONIGHT is a great power ballad that has a very modern feel to it and should be released as a single. TOO LATE is a great little number and is probably the track where HANSEN sounds the most like his predecessor LOU GRAMM. LONELY features a great climbing chorus and lyrically is a very well written song. AS LONG AS I LIVE is another well structured mid paced track that is radio ready. ANGEL TONIGHT is sure to please any fan of the band. The album closes with FOOL FOR YOU ANYWAY, a reworking of the same track from their debut album which is okay but feels a little unnecessary and really not the ideal way to end the album.
Overall, CAN'T SLOW DOWN is a very good modern tinged take on the classic FOREIGNER formula and should make long time fans of the band very happy indeed. This album runs rings around the LOU GRAMM BAND album released earlier in the year.

9/10

METALIUM - CHAPTER VIII GROUNDED

2009-10-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Massacre Records)

Germany's METALIUM are lucky enough to have a couple of albums in their back catalouge that are generally regarded as classics of the power metal genre. Unfortunately though, their last few outputs have been less than stellar and the recent flooding of the power metal scene has seen them become just another good band rather than a great one.
GROUNDED CHAPTER EIGHT is the fitting title for their eighth album and follows the mild conceptual story that has been told from the very first album, and seemingly follows the trend of mediocrity the band have shown since their last great album, 2004's AS ONE CHAPTER FOUR.

Everything musicianship wise and vocal wise is of a very high quality, as is the production, but the songwriting feels uninspired for the most part save for a few gems that are worth hearing.
Opening track HEAVY METAL is a very MANOWAR-ish song that starts with the line.. "WE ARE HEAVY METAL, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT F**K YOU!", a fair enough comment, but overall the song comes off a little cheesy and doesn't really suit the bands individual style. Second track LIGHT OF DAY is much better and is a great slab of mid-paced majestic power metal. PAY THE FEE is probably the highlight and has everything you would expect from METALIUM. CROSSROAD OVERLOAD and BORROWED TIME are also worth a mention with the latter being probably the best ballad-ish song the band has ever written.
If power metal is your genre of choice, you probably adhere by the saying "too much is never enough" and will this find this album more than adequate for a few spins. But if power metal is something you only listen to every now and again, there are many better options available.
GROUNDED CHAPTER EIGHT is definitely an improvement over the band's last few albums, but they have got a long way to go yet before they can reclaim their crown as one of power metal's elites.

7/10

SALUTE - TOY SOLDIER

2009-10-02T07:25:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music)

SALUTE are one of the newest signings to AOR/Melodic Rock label ESCAPE MUSIC, and you could say that they are somewhat of a supergroup, featuring members from various bands across the Melodic Rock scene. The biggest drawcard name is vocalist Mikael Erlandsson, better known as the frontman for LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM but also for a fairly successful solo career.
Guitars are handled by Martin Kronlund of GYPSY ROSE fame and also lends a hand in the production department. Also Imre Daun from DAWN PATROL provides the drums.
Stylistically, there isn't much separating this group from LAD, and truthfully, most of the songs on the album would slot straight in to a LAD album. For some people that can't enough of Erlandsson's excellent melodic voice this is probably a good thing, but really there needed to be a bigger difference in sound to really validate this project.
Aside from all of that though, minus a few fillers toward the end of the album, the songwriting is generally of a very high standard and the musicianship & production cannot be faulted.
I AM YOUR PRISONER, DYNAMITE, BE A STAR and the title track TOY SOLDIER are all keepers and are probably worth the entry price alone, as long as you don't already have a majority of the LAST AUTUM'S DREAM catalouge in which case you've probably heard it all before.
If this album had of been released about six or seven years ago when the melodic rock scene was all but dead it would have been a mind blower no doubt, but at this current time labels like Escape Music and Frontiers Records are providing plenty of music in this style, which sort of renders this one a little irrelevant.
A good effort none the less, but in a pretty strong year for rock music releases this one will more than likely get lost in the pack.

7/10

WILL HOGE - THE WRECKAGE

2009-09-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Rykodisc)

Almost a year ago to the date of this album's release, WILL HOGE was involved in a near fatal accident when his scooter came face to face to a fast traveling van. The accident left him broken, battered, temporarily blind and on the edge of death. Knowing this, just the effort of getting this record off the ground is amazing, the fact that it may well be his finest album yet is even more so.
Since his debut release CAROUSEL in 2001, WILL HOGE has been honing his craft and has grown as a songwriter with each release and THE WRECKAGE feels like a natural progression.
The heart & soul of this record is the singer-songwriter vibe, but there are so many little instances that remind of other styles and artists, while still sounding just how a 2009 WILL HOGE album should. If you listen close enough you can hear inspiration from TOM PETTY, JOHN MELLENCAMP, BEN HARPER and rockier acts like REM and some tinges of MATCHBOX 20.
The slight stylistic variations are welcome and never intrusive enough to be a bad thing, and the songwriting showcased here is always of a very high caliber, and should put HOGE amongst the leaders of this generations singer-songwriters.
The opening track HARD TO LOVE has hit potential written all over it and is classic HOGE at it's best. LONG GONE shows that HOGE can also do guitar rock when he wants to and has a similar vibe to some of his earlier works. Title track THE WRECKAGE is a slower, moody track reminiscent of BEN HARPER. FAVORITE WASTE OF TIME is jangle-pop perfection and reminds me a little of REM'S 'ONE I LOVE'. EVEN IF IT BREAKS YOUR HEART is the deserved lead off single and has a very Americana TOM PETTY vibe to it, with a great lyric about following the rock n roll dream. WHAT COULD I DO is the first real ballad of the album and is a definite highlight. I won't harp on about the rest of the songs, i will just say that the rest of the album follows the trend of the first half and goes in and out of folk rock,jangle pop territory and each song is a gem.
With THE WRECKAGE, WILL HOGE has released the best album of an already stellar career and should help him find some more commercial acclaim. Anyone into American rootsy folk rock will lap this one up like warm soup.
THE WRECKAGE proves that WILL HOGE is THE most underrated songer-songwriter of this generation and deserves more acclaim than what he gets.

9/10

BREAKING BENJAMIN - DEAR AGONY

2009-09-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Hollywood Records)

Call it 'post-grunge', 'alt-rock', or 'alt-metal' , but the genre that is home to bands like BREAKING BENJAMIN, DEFAULT, HOOBASTANK, THREE DAYS GRACE and a slew of related artists is a much maligned one. It seems any 'serious' music fan will take every opportunity to take a swipe at the style, which really is unfortunate as it does have a lot to offer.
Maybe i'm going soft as i rapidly age, but sometimes there is a certain comfort in knowing what to expect from an album before you listen to it. Sure, DEAR AGONY treads the same waters as the bands previous three outings, but these guys are definitely one of my favorites of the genre and have managed to yet again craft an album so packed with memorable choruses and hooks that it's just a true joy to listen to.
The alt-rock genre as a whole has slowly settled since it's explosive beginning in the early 2000's, and it's now only the cream of the crop that are finding success, and BREAKING BENJAMIN are surely about to find it with an album chock-full of radio singles.
Opening track FADE AWAY establishes the mood of the album and quickly reminds what these guys are all about. I WILL NOT BOW is the first single and is featured in the new Bruce Willis movie Surrogates and will suit BB fans perfectly. GIVE ME A SIGN is the first of a few ballads on the album and has a very melodic feel to it and is one of the classiest songs vocalist Ben Burnley has ever written. HOPELESS is by far the heaviest tune on the album and has some similarities to bands like DISTURBED. LIGHT'S OUT is a very good song which sounds like a mixture of DISTURBED and TOOL while still sounding very much like BB. Title track DEAR AGONY is a great brooding ballad with an excellent lyric about the serious health issues Ben Burnley has recently had and is my pick for best track of the album. WITHOUT YOU closes the album in a similar fashion to how it began and is a great way to make you want to press the restart button and listen to it again.
No band in this genre will ever win any awards for creativity or originality, but if they were all as good as BREAKING BENJAMIN the style as a whole would surely garner more respect.
If you already like the band, DEAR AGONY will definitely make you happy, If you don't like the alt-rock genre as a whole i urge you to at least give this one a chance and just listen to the melody that these guys manage to pull off in every song. Another excellent album from Ben Burnley and co.

8/10

THUNDERSTONE - DIRT METAL

2009-09-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Sony Music)

THUNDERSTONE have always been one of those bands for me that just didn't stick. Each album they have released i have thought to be o.k but nothing memorable. When i received DIRT METAL to review i was less than enthusiastic and before worrying about reading the booklet i just threw disc in for a listen. Half way through the first track (or second if you count to the intro track) i was sure this wasn't the same THUNDERSTONE i was thinking of. Doing some research i discovered that they had a new lead vocalist in Rick Altzi who also the singer for melodic power metallers AT VANCE. This change instantly made a big difference to the bands sound and musically they have gone for a fuller sound which crosses over quite a few styles while still remaining pretty true to their original sound. A majority of the album is done in typical melodic metal style, but with a large heaping of Zakk Wilde inspired guitar screeches. There is also a few places where the style is closer to that of modern day SLAYER and even touches on some PANTERA influenced detuned riffery.
You would think that such a mish-mash of styles could be a little too ambitious for a band of THUNDERSTONE'S caliber but amazingly for the most part they pull it off with style.
There are a few track that don't really work when two different style awkwardly try and meet up together, but for every less than average track there is a great one to counter-act it.
Highlights are to be found in tracks like I ALMIGHTY, DEADLIGHTS, and COUNTING HOURSBLOOD THAT I BLEED.
With DIRT METAL, THUNDERSTONE have managed to resurrect their career and are sounding stronger than ever, maybe they need another album or so to truly get the sound they are after, but this a great start and an exciting resurgence from a band most people had written off for good.

7.5/10

THREE DAYS GRACE - LIFE STARTS NOW

2009-09-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Jive Records)

The first thing you need to establish before you can enjoy any album by THREE DAYS GRACE is that the style they play is pure radio friendly post grunge and don't expect to find anything much below the shallow surface. With that being said we can get into the album itself....
LIFE STARTS NOW is the band's third studio album following the highly successful 2006 album ONE-X, very little has changed about them since their debut, and while the record buying public are still sending this stuff high into the charts why would you. If anything, their sound may have mellowed a little as they cleverly meld closer and closer to radio rock perfection.
I don't have as much of a problem with this type of music as some people do, and find that when it's done well, and you don't take it too serious, there are always a few catchy songs on each album released in the genre. Admittedly though, the genre is getting flooded and you can almost switch these songs for anything by bands like NICKELBACK, STAIND, DAUGHTRY, PAPA ROACH etc.... That's where the main problem lies for me, the lack of a true identity. A perfect example of getting this kind of music right would be last year's album from HINDER, where they kept their main post-grunge sound, but incorporated a large chunk of melody and ended up with a sound closer to mid-nineties melodic hard rock that the usual alt-rock style they are known for.
I did find a couple of keepers on this album however, and that alone has helped sway this review to be more favorable. Opening track BITTER TASTE, as simple as it is, has a great vocal chorus and uses the basic rhythm guitar to great effect. WORLD SO COLD is destined to be a single and i quite enjoyed it. THE GOOD LIFE treads familiar lyric themes but is actually something unexpected from this band and was a nice break from the broken-heart stories that plague most of the album.
If you are a fan of THREE DAYS GRACE or a fan of this style of music in general, you will undoubtedly fall in love with LIFE STARTS NOW. If you're hesitant about listening to yet another bunch of hard done by alt-rockers at least check out the opening song and go from there.
Another strong, yet uninspired and creatively decrepit release from one of the big bands of the genre.

6/10

DIRTY PENNY - YOUNG & RECKLESS

2009-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Self-Released)

Californian Sleaze Glammers DIRTY PENNY took everyone by surprise in 2007 by coming out of nowhere to release REST IN SLEAZE which was actually one of the best albums of that year.
Every music fan is aware of the chance of a band's second album being rubbish, but these guys have the skills to skip that step and have released another great modern day sleaze album.
The MOTLEY CRUE, SKID ROW and POISON influences are very prominent, but their is still an air of individuality about the bands sound which also incorporates some DEF LEPPARD style gang vocals to great effect. DIRTY PENNY are really starting to gather momentum and it's only a matter of time before they are picked up by a major label, which would be great, because i'd really like to see what these guys could do with a big recording budget.
Opening track IF I WE'RE YOU I'D HATE ME TOO is a slightly different sound for the band but sets the album up well. IN LUV WITH SANITY is the first pure eighties sleaze song of the album and is a very good second track. L.C.S has a great WHOAH gang vocal chorus and a great riff. SLEEPING DOGS has a swagger that would have fit perfectly on MOTLEY CRUE'S DR. FEELGOOD album. DEAD AT 16 is a highlight and reminds me of a cross between MOTLEY CRUE and SKID ROW and features a great lyric that shows the bands streetsmart mentality. My other favourite track of the album is RUN TO YOU, which mixes all the elements of the bands sound into one awesome song.
The boys from DIRTY PENNY are gathering momentum and are getting ever closer to being household names. Do yourself a favor and buy this one now, so when they hit the big time you can say you were there from the start. YOUNG & RECKLESS is the best sleaze/glam album of 2009 so far.

8.5/10

REDEMPTION - SNOWFALL ON JUDGMENT DAY

2009-09-21T07:47:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Inside Out Music)

Since their debut album in 2003, REDEMPTION have been searching for the popularity garnered by similar bands like DREAM THEATER and SYMPHONY X, but have never quite lived up to their potential. The musicianship has never been an issue and FATE'S WARNING vocalist RAY ADLER always seemed a suitable enough singer, but the biggest downfall they had was in my eyes, in the songwriting department. Sure they've had a few real good songs in the past, but nothing that stood out as great.
On SNOWFALL ON JUDGMENT DAY the band have finally crafted some great songs and the professional production ensures that the record is of a consistent high quality.
This may just be the album that sets them off into the next level of their career, as long as fans of the other bands have room in their collection for another group.
Another improvement this time around is the lyrics, while thought provoking and imaginative, they never really go off into artsy-fartsy territory and stay sane enough to be understood without having to look for secret meanings.
The opening track PEEL may just be the finest song this group has ever written and is the track that has kept me coming back for more. Another track worth noting is LEVIATHAN RISING, which slowly builds up into one of the most aggressive tracks on the album with some guitar solo work that is out of this world. UNFORMED is the bands lyrical high-point and is a great song to read the words along to. ANOTHER DAY DIES features a guest vocal from DREAM THEATER'S JAMES LABRIE and the two singers really bounce off each other well.
REDEMPTION seem to have come in to their own with this release, and off the back of it should be able to climb the ladder of popular prog metal bands. One of the best prog releases of the year so far.

8/10

ALICE IN CHAINS - BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE

2009-09-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Virgin)

Just the fact that that A.I.C are releasing an album in 2009 is something it's hard to get my head around. The fact that it's pretty good is even more surprising. Some bands manage to return after the loss of frontmen, but in 2002 when the very unique LAYNE STALEY passed away, it seemed that the band could surely not continue on. New vocalist WILLIAM DuVALL is a friend of JERRY CANTRELL and he is a perfect, if not a little creepy for the band. There are some moments on this album where DuVall is emulating STALEY'S vocal style almost to a tee, and then when the familiar CANTRELL back-up vocals come in you would swear this was the A.I.C of old.
While getting a vocalist that can replicate your old singers style is a good way to retain your sound, the risks are great, as a lot of fans can see this sort of thing as an insult to a legacy. Luckily A.I.C seem to have kept most of their fans and are quickly gaining new ones as a new generation hears the band for the first time. CANTRELL'S trademark grunge/sludge riff writing is intact here and is possibly some of the best material he has ever written.
ALL SECRETS KNOWN is a typical A.I.C slow brooding track but features a bridge riff from CANTRELL that is one of the best he's ever written. When CHECK MY BRAIN started i was a bit worried as the riff reminds me of something from NIRVANA'S much maligned debut album, but turns into one of the best songs of the album. YOUR DECISION is an acoustic ballad track that shows the difference in DuVALLS voice but is still undeniably classic A.I.C. ACID BUBBLE is a great song that will take you back to the mid nineties like it was just yesterday. The closing track BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE sees DuVALL and CANTRELL sharing vocal duties and is a very duo sounding acoustic based song and a great way to end the album.
All in all, this album should surprise almost everyone, and anyone that misses the mid to late nineties should check it out. A great way to resurrect a monumental band.

8/10

KISS - SONIC BOOM

2009-09-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Loud & Proud)

KISS began promoting this album last year by saying it's the best record they'd done in thirty years and that fans of the band would finally get the album they had been waiting for all this time. The problem with that statement was that we've heard it all before. 1998's PSYCHO CIRCUS was touted to be the best thing ever as well, but in reality was a pretty disappointing album that was good but for from great.
I can happily announce though, this time they weren't lying!, yes that's right BELIEVE THE HYPE. The style of album sits somewhere between their classic seventies sound and their heavier eighties output, and even though the modern influences are evident, they never get in the way of this being a near perfect classic rock record. One of the things i noticed from the first song was just how good Paul Stanley is sounding these days, these are some of his finest vocal deliveries ever and it's obvious how badly he wanted to make a good KISS album. Gene Simmons is also in fine voice here and the most tuneful and melodic i have ever heard him.
SONIC BOOM is a classic rock record from all aspects, from the songs mostly written with the late seventies early eighties vibe, to the lyrics filled with double entendres, to the classic looking cover art featuring the band in full make-up and topped off with an analogue production that really does the band's effort the due justice it deserves.
Opening track, and lead off single MODERN DAY DELILAH really sets things off with a bang and the minute Paul Stanley starts singing you know this is going to be a great album. RUSSIAN ROULETTE is easily one of the best Simmons sung tracks kiss have ever done. NEVER ENOUGH is an interesting track that borrows heavily from the bands big hit ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NITE and equally from POISON'S NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME but is still an awesome track. YES IS KNOW (NOBODY'S PERFECT) will fit easily into any KISS live set and features a great fun lyric well suited to the persona of GENE SIMMONS. STAND has a bit of the old and a bit of the new mixed well enough together to create a great modern KISS sound. HOT AND COLD is another well sung SIMMONS track with a very seventies KISS sound. Drummer ERIC SINGER helps out on lead vocals for the very awesome track ALL FOR THE GLORY. DANGER US features one of the choruses i have ever heard in a KISS song and is definitely a late highlight. I'M AN ANIMAL features a very LED ZEPPELIN sounding riff and is probably one of the weaker tracks on the album, while still being great. WHEN LIGHTING STRIKES gives lead guitarist TOMMY THAYER an opportunity to do lead vocals and doesn't disappoint showing just how much of a group effort this album was. Just when you think the tank must be empty, closing track SAY YEAH shows that it is possible to fill an album cover to cover with killer tracks.

Even though there's been some absolutely awesome albums released this year from the likes of SUNSTORM, GOTTHARD, MEGADETH and CHICKENFOOT, and there's still some high profile releases yet to come by FOREIGNER, JADED HEART and WINGER, the new KISS album SONIC BOOM seems set to take the number 1 spot on the R.I.R top 150 of 2009 chart. It's sitting there at the moment and will take something pretty amazing to beat it.
This album is recommended to all KISS fans far and wide, all rock music fans and all music fans in general. BUY IT NOW!!!!

10/10

SONATA ARCTICA - THE DAYS OF GRAYS

2009-09-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Nuclear Blast)

SONATA ARCTICA have never been a band to rest on their laurels and are seemingly always trying to find new ways to convey their message. The band are yet another in the category of 'used to be power metal but now something else' and their sixth studio album THE DAYS OF GRAYS is possibly their most ambitious release yet.
A lot of the time that can be a good thing, as with some bands that are adapting their sound they can end up with a unique sound that is all theirs, but unfortunately such is not the case with SONATA ARCTICA and this album finds them flirting with too many different approaches to make a cohesive album, but amazingly manage to sound a bit boring in the process.
I have listened to this album around twenty times now and still nothing has jumped out at me and nothing has stuck in my head. Make of that what you will, but after so many listens you should be able to actually connect with something.
The band are attempting some different things here, like experimenting with some gothic/symphonic sounding female vocals, a very bombastic orchestra background and some artsy-fartsy passages that are obviously intended to be prog metal but just come across as amateurish and really show the band up.
THE LAST AMAZING GRAYS is probably the most basic and safe track on the album, and as far as i'm concerned is the best track on the album. The balladesque BREATHING is a pretty decent song in the typical symphonic metal ballad way, but it's nothing we haven't heard a million times before. ZEROES is a pretty experimental song and the truth is it's actually quite shite.
SONATA ARCTICA by all means have a right to be artistic and do what they want, but it's no doubt that their fan base is dwindling with each new release and i'd expect the same to happen again with THE DAYS OF GRAYS.
What they have managed to show though, is that whilst they are a great power metal band, they aren't a very good prog metal band and may just be a little too experimental for their own good.
Maybe fans of gothic type metal will enjoy this, but power metal fans, and probably most prog metal fans will dismiss this album. It's sad to see yet another great band fail at refreshing their sound and hopefully the boys will get their act together for another release, if they ever recover from this one.

4/10

ALTARIA - UNHOLY

2009-09-20T07:16:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music)

Finnish act ALTARIA started out as a melodic power band, and with each release have been slowly altering their approach and on their fourth album UNHOLY have lost virtually all of their power metal influence and are now better described as a melodic hard rock band. The shift has been slow enough that they still sound like the same band, but they do have a very different approach these days.
UNHOLY marks their first release since switching record labels from METAL HEAVEN to ESCAPE MUSIC, a label better know for it's excellent resume of melodic hard rock acts, and also marks the first album to feature new vocalist Marco Luponero, who has a great voice for melodic rock, but still enough snarl to keep some of the metal mentality throughout a majority of the songs.
Regardless of their shift in styles, the one thing ALTARIA have always done well is melody, and this release is their most melodic yet. There's definitely plenty of catchy tracks to be found one the album, but none more so than my definite favorite WARRIOR, which has an extremely catchy chorus, and perfectly bridges the gap between melodic rock and melodic metal. ALTERIOR MOTIVE is another catchy song that will have you singing along the first time you hear it. THE LAKE is an interesting take on the melodic rock ballad style but with a very dark, gloomy lyric. STEAL YOUR THUNDER is pure melodic rock that sounds like it could have been released in the mid to late nineties. WIND BENEATH MY WINGS is the closest song on the album to their early sound and is a great track. READY! is another nineties sounding melodic rock track that reminds me of DANGER DANGER. The album closes with UNDERDOG which once again goes back to their earlier sound a bit.
There are a few bands these days that have slowly come across to this style from power metal, and when it results in good albums like this one, who's complaining. Maybe purist ALTARIA fans will have a problem with the sound of the album, but most people into melodic rock, or even the lighter side of melodic metal with be no doubt pleased with the results.

8/10

RICHIE KOTZEN - PEACE SIGN

2009-09-20T03:39:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Columbia Japan)

It's been twenty years since RICHIE KOTZEN released his self-titled debut album for Shrapnel records. The album was a virtuoso shredder album in the vein of STEVE VAI and JOE SATRIANI. Since then he has done many things. He enjoyed stints with mega groups POISON and MR. BIG, has explored his influences in classic rock, funk, blues and R&B and earlier this year released an album under the WILSON HAWKE moniker that was a very classic R&B sounding album with less emphasis on guitar than usual.
Even with all the various influences though, KOTZEN has a very unique sound and rarely deviates from his formula. PEACE SIGN is for the most part in the usual KOTZEN vein, the only real difference being that this is probably the closest to POP music that he has ever sounded.
Opening track MY MESSIAH is classic KOTZEN and when his vocals kick in you know you're in for a good time. PAYIN' DUES has a classic rock backbone, but sounds as though it should have modern radio crossover appeal. BEST OF TIMES is a very poppy track that starts with a great wah-wah riff before turning into a pretty boring pop track. LIE TO ME is the first R&B sounding song of the album, and exactly the sort of thing i want to hear when listening to a RICHIE KOTZEN album. WE'RE ALL FAMOUS is another song that should have pop crossover potential but in itself is a pretty boring track. LONG WAY FROM HOME is a highlight track that sounds like early days BLACK CROWES. CATCH UP TO ME is a largely acoustic based ballad in the typical KOTZEN style and one of the best of the album. HOLDING ON is my favorite song of the album and sounds like it could have come from his WILSON HAWKE release earlier this year. The album ends with a pretty faithful cover version of the JACKSON FIVE hit I WANT YOU BACK, which is done well but not really my thing.
All in all a bit of a mixed bag from RICHIE here with a coating of pop gloss over most of the tracks. I imagine that the poppier songs of the album will be a bit throwaway-ish for most die hard KOTZEN fans, but when he gets down to what he does best the songs are as good as anything else he has done in recent history. Listen with caution and you'll be fine.

7.5/10

PEARL JAM - BACKSPACER

2009-09-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Monkeywrench)

When PEARL JAM first hit the scene i was an early teen that up until that point was on a strict musical diet of GUNS N ROSES, METALLICA, AC/DC and DANGER DANGER, and wasn't even interested to hear anything else. Somehow i got my hands on a copy of PEARL JAM'S debut album TEN, and in a moment of boredom decided to throw it on to see what all the fuss was about. That album blew my mind as it was like nothing i'd ever heard before and was the only thing i listened to for a whole year. Ten in 1993 when VS. came out i couldn't believe that they were able to actually release another mind blower. These two albums are the voice of an era and two of my favorites of all time. From there in though, PEARL JAM have consistently disappointed and my interest in the band has waned considerably because of it. When i found out that they had a new album coming in 2009 i wasn't even sure if i'd bother giving it a listen.
Boy am i glad i did. Whilst the album is nothing like the two classics, BACKSPACER is easily the best work the band have done since VS. and have managed to craft an album that will sit very high in my best of list come year's end.
The band have recently parted ways with major labels and have basically released this one independently and it really does show. The guys in the band must have had fun recording the album, as the vibe is fun and unrestricted throughout.
Many have complained about the scant running time of only 37 minutes, but i think it's perfect as it's the first time in a long time a PEARL JAM album has left me wanting more, and hoping that this is the start of a resurgence of a once mighty band.
The musical style of the album is a hard one to pin down, but expect to hear some short, to the point pure rock tracks, a couple of mainstream rock radio tracks and even a couple of songs that slightly recall the classic earlt ninetees sound the band had.
SEE MY FRIEND and GET SOME are a couple of pure riff rockers and start this album in spectacular fashion. THE FIXER is the big single of the album and is the happiest song the band have ever released and even includes clap tracks and yeah-yeah-yeah backup vocals. JUST BREATHE is the first of two acoustic ballads and the best EDDIE VEDDER has sounded in years. A highlight track is AMONGST THE WAVES and this is the closest the band have ever sounded to recapturing the style of TEN or VS. FORCE OF NATURE is another pure rock track that has the possibility of being the next single. The album closes with another acoustic based ballad fittingly called THE END, which reminds somewhat of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and features a haunting vocal track that reminds you just how deep and emotional some of the music from the grunge era was.
The guys from PEARL JAM sound refreshed, excited and inspired for the first time in over a decade, and have managed to pump out one of their best ever albums, which will hopefully lead to more releases of this caliber. Anyone that had or has any affinity for the grunge heydays owes it to themselves to check this one out, and any genuine open minded rock music fan will mind something to like within the albums eleven excellent songs.
Thank you PEARL JAM, we have waited for this one for a long time.

9/10

JIMMY BARNES - THE RHYTHM & THE BLUES

2009-09-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

(2009 - LIBERATION MUSIC)

Firstly i'd like to congratulate Jimmy, as with this new album, his 9th No. 1 makes him officially the most successful Australian artist ever.
Over the years Barnes has been able to adapt his approach to stay on top and has done so with some mixed results. Obviously all of the material he did with COLD CHISEL is pure gold, and his first few solo album were melodic rock bliss. Since then he has dabbled in re-recording classic R&B songs, acoustic albums and even a duets album.
In 2009 though JIMMY has walked the path created by ROD STEWART'S "American Songbook" series and of a lesser note JOHN FARNHAM'S Australian adaption of the same concept. Yes, BARNES has already dabbled in this sort of thing before, but it always felt like a project, whereas THE RHYTHM AND THE BLUES seems to be his new comfort zone.
The earlier releases in a similar vein, 1991's SOUL DEEP and 2000's SOUL DEEPER, were actually very good covers albums and saw JIMMY'S trademark vocal style in full swing, Whereas this new disc is a much more mellow outing and sees him almost coasting vocally apart from a few moments. This is understandable given the guy's age and the fact he's been screaming and wailing for over thirty years now, but i still have to review the album as a product.
As a product, most of these songs, classic as they may be, are a bit boring and don't suit the vocal style. There are a few track worth mentioning though gladly. RED HOT is a fun bit of honky-tonk blues that JIMMY'S vocals actually sit quite well with. THAT'S HOW IT IS is a good track that is done desrved justice here. YOUNG BLOOD is as fun a track as it ever been, only slightly bettered by the version done by BAD COMPANY. The highlight for me though, is the JOHNNY ADAMS classic R&B song RECONSIDER ME, which features a first for any JIMMY BARNES recording, an amazing falsetto that will crawl up your spine and into your ears.
While i do have some disappointments about the album as a whole, i still appreciate the fact that this album wasn't anywhere near as mellow and ho-hum as the similar projects by JOHN FARNHAM and to a lesser extent, one of my most despised band HUMAN NATURE.
BARNES has announced that COLD CHISEL will be reforming later in the year, how it lasts is another thing, but just imagine if we could be lucky enough to get another CHISEL album in 2010.

6.5/10

LIVING COLOUR - CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY

2009-09-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Megaforce)

There have been a few unexpected releases in the rock world this year, but maybe none more so than the new album from LIVING COLOUR. In 2003 the band released COLLIDEOSCOPE, which in itself was a surprise release and came and went without much fanfare at all, so one could be forgiven for not expecting to hear from them again. But here they are in 2009 with their new album CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY.
This records sort of follows on from the sound of the last one, but with a more alt sound including various sound effects and different guitar tones.
Corey Glover is in fine voice as usual and his thought-provoking lyrics are always a treat to read. While i like most of guitarists Vernon Reed's efforts on this disc, there are a couple of songs that i disagree with tonal choices as they actaully make the songs sound poorly produced. If you're not sure what i mean, listen back to their classic songs CULT OF PERSONALITY or LOVE REARS UP IT'S UGLY HEAD and compare the bright, sharp tone to some of the real muddy stuff to be found on CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY.
There is a highlight track here in BLESS THOSE (LITTLE ANNIE'S PRAYER), which is as good as anything the band has ever done, and the first single BEHIND THE SUN is a great modern take on the classic LIVING COLOUR sound, but most of the rest of the songs seem to blend into one a little bit, and while most of them are at least pretty good, there isn't anything great. But as usual the lyric booklet is an enjoyable read.
It's hard to see where LIVING COLOUR fit in these days, as most of the alternative groups from the nineties that are still around have streamlined and commercialised their sound, GLOVER and co. have released an album that sounds like could probably have been released in 1998 or so and comes of as a little dated and uninspiring.
It's nice to have bands like this still releasing albums in this generation, and this a mile better than most of what you'll hear on mainstream top 40 radio, but i feel it could have been much better with the aid of some better guitar tone and production choices.

7/10

DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW - THE SKY IS FALLING

2009-09-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Self-Released)

DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW are an as-yet unsigned group from New Jersey. THE SKY IS FALLING is their debut full-length following on from an E.P last year. I remember hearing snippets of the E.P and looking forward to hearing what else they could do.
The band have been labelled as a prog rock act, but that title alone doesn't do their sound justice. Sure this is definitely prog-based, not in the PINK FLOYD, DREAM THEATER way, but more in the neo crossover way similar to bands like IT BITES, SAGA and maybe even STYX and MARRILLION.
The sound they have created though, owes as much to traditional AOR and melodic rock as it does to prog rock.
THE SKY IS FALLING is a sci-fi concept album about an alien race setting out to annihilate human kind, and the story flows along very nicely throughout the album, without being so demanding as to distract the casual listener. The front cover and booklet artwork are provided by up and coming artist Steven Bentley and deserves a special mention as it really helps to portray a great visual to accompany the music.
The musicianship to be found on this album is flawless, and for a non major label release, the production deserves a lot of credit too.
The opening track LIGHTERS starts of with some acoustic guitar strumming, then some electronic soundscape before eventually breaking out into one of the most melodic prog songs i've heard in a long time and will have you singing along by the second chorus. WASTED YEARS is a two-part song, with the first part being a mainly voice and piano track with an amazingly haunting vocal, and part two reminds me a less-heavy dream theater. THE SKY IS FALLING is situated right in the middle of the album, and by then you will be wrapped up in the storyline and the vibe of this track will blow your mind. My clear cut favorite track is WRONG, which sounds so much like U2, but still manages to sound individual and is a definite favorite for the R.I.R song of the year for 2009.
Dedicated prog fans may be a bit touch and go on this album, as there isn't really many extremely progressive moments, but any fans of AOR and Melodic Rock will surely enjoy this album, and maybe even be inspired to delve a little further into the world of neo-prog music.
An amazing debut that deserves major label recognition, and hopefully only one of many releases from DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW.

9/10

ACE FREHLEY - ANOMALY

2009-09-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Bronx Born Records)

Obviously nobody out there needs to be told that ACE FREHLEY is a member of KISS, so we'll just move right along.
ACE'S success away from KISS has been quite good and some of the solo material he has released has been excellent. It has been a long time though, since ACE'S last solo effort 1989's TROUBLE WALKIN'. Even though the gap has been quite significant, ANOMALY actually feels like a natural predecessor of TROUBLE WALKIN', which is less surprising when you discover that the writing for this album began 19 years ago.
The overall vibe of the record is a fun, rock 'n' roll party, and the production matches the song style very well. ACE will never win any accolades for his singing voice, but with the vibe set on the album you don't notice as much and it actually suits most of the tracks.
The biggest problem i am having with the album though is the songwriting in general. Sure there's a few really good songs to be found, but there is just as many that seem tacked on, and with the talent involved, and the fact that the writing process began 19 years ago, this really isn't up to scratch.
I know KISS fans will be calling for my head upon reading this review, and that's fine. I am a KISS fan myself, not a die-hard fan, just a normal fan that still has his eyes open enough to deliver a fair judgement.
There are a couple of tracks that are worth mentioning, the first being OUTER SPACE, which is an enjoyable song with a few quirks that make you think. TOO MANY FACES is an awesome song with some great lyrics, and the party rock flavored IT'S A GREAT LIFE perfectly sums up the rest of the album. The standout track for me though, is an excellent cover of the SWEET song FOX ON THE RUN, which ACE manages to make his own without deviating from the original too much.
Loyal KISS fans the world over will buy this album regardless of what any review says, but for anyone else, try and hear some samples first as the overall style of the record may not be for you. A good album from the space ace, when it should have been a great album.
Hopefully the new KISS album SONIC BOOM is of a higher quality.

7/10

BERT HEERINK - BETTER YET

2009-09-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

(2009 - AOR Heaven)

Bert Heerink is better known as the lead vocalist for eights band VANDENBERG, who had a MTV hit in 1982 with the song BURNING HEART. The band finished up in 1985 after three semi-successful albumsafter guitarist Arji Van Den Berg was offered a role in Whitesnake. since then HEERINK has released two unsuccessful albums with a band called picture, then recorded a song for a Dutch beer commercial that ended up being a hit and since then has been releasing songs into the Dutch pop charts.
It's been 20 years since Bert Heerink has released a rock record and fans of VANDENBERG must be very eager to hear it.
HEERINK has had some assistance from some of the biggest songwriters of the AOR/Melodic Rock genre in HARRY HESS (HAREM SCAREM), BOB DAISLEY (Ex-GARY MOORE), RUSS BALLARD (RAINBOW), TONY MARTIN (BLACK SABBATH) and many more. Producer extraordinairre MICHAEL VOSS is behind the desk for the album, and as always, has created a very well produced AOR record.
There is a bit of a mish-mash of song styles on the album, which is to be expected when so many different people are a part of the songwriting process. I'm nit sure which person wrote which songs, but there is definitely a couple of stinkers in the mix.
The opening track PANIC ATTACK sounds like a modern take on the melodic rock formula, but comes across as a real throwaway pop song, sounding more like it should have been sang by someone like AVRIL LAVINE. ALL FIRED UP is a pure filler track and really shouldn't have a place on the album.
Luckily there is also a few very good songs on the album. RESTLESS HEART is a pure eighties sounding melodic rock track and the closest on the album to the old VANDENBERG sound. SIGNIFICANCE has a bit of a Westcoast flair and a great lyric as well. WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON is a great track that sounds similar to the release from RADIO SILENCE earlier in the year. The highlight track on the album is APRIL, a near-perfect AOR song with some excellent echo backup vocals and a very eighties riff.
The album as a whole is a bit of a missfire. But in the current music market that's flooded with throwaway, flavour of the day pop acts, it's always nice for another old-hat to come back and release some real music. Fans of VANDENBERG may be disappointed with the album, and for the most part that is fair enough. But there is almost enough good material on the album to warrant a purchase, and if you don't buy it, try to find an online MP3 shop and at least download the stellar song APRIL.
Hopefully the return of BERT HEERINK lasts for more than one album, and if he releases another, hopefully he has better luck with the songwriters. All in all, a bit of a missed opportunity.

6.5/10

AT VANCE - RIDE THE SKY

2009-09-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

(2009 - AFM RECORDS)

Since their conception eleven years ago, AT VANCE have been one of the underdogs of the melodic power metal scene. Not that they haven't had some success, but in comparison to some of their contemporaries such as HAMMERFALL and PRIMAL FEAR, their fortunes have been limited.
Funnily enough, one of the turning points for the band was when vocalist OLIVER HARTMANN left the group to pursue a solo career. Many people enjoyed the two releases the Hartmann recorded, and up until then, a lot of those said people weren't aware of his past and decided to look into it. What they found was a great band that was almost as good as some of the big players in the scene, and have continued to listen to the band with new vocalist RICK ALTZI. Altzi has a perfect range for this material and is a great choice for a vocalist.
The overall sound of this album continues the feel of 2007's album VII, an album which is classed as one of the bands best. The production is tight and the musicianship within is excellent, with a special nod to guitarist extraordinare OLAF LENK.
The opening track RIDE THE SKY has it's roots in melodic rock riffs, but has a great pounding drum sound and strong vocals, a great way to open the album. TORN has a chorus that is custom-built for a live environment and is sure to be a concert favorite. WISHING WELL is a cover of the classic FREE song, which is quite adequate but i prefer the version GARY MOORE did a few years back.SALVATION DAY is the most power metal track on the album and also has some slight folk metal influences. There is also a track called VIVALDI which a classic piece done excellently on guitar and is a great, fun song. YOU AND I is the big ballad of the album, with a guitar solo to die for. END OF DAYS is a late highlight, and a great double-kicker with a big chugging riff.
AT VANCE fans have known for a long time now how good this band is, and they will be well pleased with RIDE THE SKY, which may just well be AT VANCE'S best work up until this point.
Fans of melodic power metal in general should find much to like about the album as well.

8/10

AOR - JOURNEY TO L.A

2009-09-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music)

The AOR project, masterminded by Frenchman Frederik Slama, has been heralded as a grand success from the beginning and each previous release heralded a classic in the genres of AOR/Westcoast music.
One of the reasons the project has been so popular, apart of course from the stellar songwriting of Slama, has been the sheer amount of AOR/Westcoast superstars that have guested on each album. 2009's JOURNEY TO L.A features guest spots from such luminaries as STEVE OVERLAND, STEVE LUKATHER, FERGIE FREDERIKSEN, BILL CHAMPLIN, DANE DONOHUE and of course the ever-busy TOMMY DENANDER.
With an all-star cast like this, the results speak for themselves. There is a great mixture of sounds here from the aweome melodic rock of tracks like DON'T TURN BACK and WAITING IN THE DARKNESS, the high-tech poppy sound of HEARTLESS and WEST INTO THE SUN and everything in between.
As well as playing a majority of the instruments, Tommy Denander co-produced and mixed this album, and his trademark pomp wall of sound is once again evident, and makes the album a joy to listen to in all situations wether it be through a high-end stereo our your ipod.
The absolute stand-out track for me is opener WAITING IN THE DARKNESS, a straight-ahead melodic rocker that finds Steve Overland providing one of most earnest vocal performances in some years, and really reminds me of his old band FM. DESPERATE DREAMS is a great song that fels as though it could have been written by fellow champion songwriter Jim Peterik. NEVER SURRENDER is the closest song this project has ever had to hard rock, and motors along just nicely. WEST INTO THE SUN is probably the song that Westcoast purists will flock to, and sounds like a product of the late eighties Westcoast movement. LOST IN YOUR EYES brings back memories of TOTO but also reminds ever so slightly of early day DR. HOOK. The album closes in spectacular fasion too with an awesome instrumental track called YOU'RE MY OBSESSION, which sounds like it could have been on the soundtrack to just about any eighties movie i can think of.
Slama has once again managed to show that he is one of todays best AOR songwriters and the amount of people willing to help him out shows just how important everyone thinks he is too.
JOURNEY TO L.A should have enough crossover appeal to be enjoyed by Melodic Rock fans and Westcoast fans alike.
Definitely a high point of the year, and one to make sure you get a copy of.

8.5/10

EUROPE - LAST LOOK AT EDEN

2009-09-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Edel Records)

EUROPE made a conscious decision at the beginning of the nineties to drop out of the music industry while a majority of their contemporaries attempted to change their sound to jump on the grunge bandwagon. This was a decision well-respected by fans of the band after hearing some of the akward attempts by others to cash in on the fad. In 2004 they decided it was time to return to the music fold, but interestingly enough released an album that sound-wise actually owed a lot to the grunge movement. In 2006 they released SECRET SOCIETY, which followed on from the sound of the previous release and had fans very frustrated.
For those that were disappointed with the bands last two efforts, unfortunately the new album LAST LOOK AT EDEN follows the formula again, apart from a couple of great moments.
The sound the band have nowadays is very reminiscent of AUDIOSLAVE and there is even a couple of tracks to be found within that sound like Chris Cornell could be singing them.
As i said earlier, there is a couple of great moments to be found if you look hard enough.
Title track LAST LOOK AT EDEN is a great modern melodic rock track that reminds me of GOTTHARD and bands of that ilk. NEW LOVE IN TOWN is a great ballad with some bombastic orchestration behind a great vocal by Joey Tempest. closing track IN MY TIME is a great slow, bluesy song that brings back memories of Gary Moore's STILL GOT THE BLUES, and is really the first time on the entire album that we get to hear some JOHN NORUM guitar mastery.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album sounds like an akward mixture of Audioslave, an orchestra and a band that has seen better days.
Some may like the new style of the band, but there is really nothing here that can be connected to the classic sound of the FINAL COUNTDOWN days, and the new release is sure to have fans split right down the middle once again.

5/10

LYNYRD SKYNYRD - GOD AND GUNS

2009-09-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Roadrunner Records)

Before i began listening to the latest album from Southern Rock's most famous band, i planned on this being a review just like any other that i would normally do. But after about 18 consecutive listens i have to admit, i just plain don't "get" it.
Maybe it's because i've never been to the south, heck i've never even been out of Australia, but is this type of red-neckerry and right wing outlook still even valid these days. I mean, surely by now we all agree that easy access to firearms is a bad thing.
Don't get me wrong, i am big fan of how proud and patriotic most Americans are, but the arrogance shown in the lyrics here basically says a big F.U to anyone that isn't a southern-fried redneck.
Even without taking the overbearing lyrics in to account, this is still a pretty ordinary album. The sound is nowhere near the real SKYNYRD sound and the easiest way for me to describe it would be if Garth Brooks was the frontman for Nickelback, this is what it would sound like.
I would be more inclined to call this nu-country rather than the typical southern rock the band are best known for.
I really can't see many people getting much joy from this album, except for the right-wing gun lovers that fail to admit they are wrong.
There's even a song on the album, i'm not sure which one it was and i really don't feel like going through it again, that is a direct retread of their main hit SWEET HOME ALABAMA (an absolute classic), by reusing the riff and even a similar lyrical theme about the good ole' South.
The only track that i semi-enjoyed was called STILL UNBROKEN, which is lyrically about the band still around despite the many tragedies they have endured, and even the music is quite good, it still isn't southern rock though.

I do not mean to offend anybody with this review, i just call 'em how i see 'em, and by all regards this is a disappointing album from a band that are capable of much better.

3/10

UPDATE PREVIEW.............

2009-09-11T02:23:00.000-07:00

Reviews coming up in the next week or so for........ LYNYRD SKYNYRD, EUROPE, AOR, AT VANCE, BERT HEERINK, ACE FREHLEY, BRUNOROCK, BULLETMONKS and more.......
STAY TUNED........

MEGADETH - ENDGAME

2009-09-10T22:10:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Roadrunner Records)

Dave Mustain and co. peaked creatively in 1990 with one of metal's best albums of all time in RUST IN PEACE. Since then they have released albums of varying quality but never quite equalled R.I.P. Most of the albums released since then have been quite good, with the exception of RISK, which really was the bottom of the barrel for the band and a move they almost never recovered from. Since RISK, the band have been improving with every release and 2007's UNITED ABOMINATIONS was an awesome album which heralded a renewed interest in the band and had people thinking that maybe they did have another masterpiece in them somewhere.
Now, in 2009, we have ENDGAME , the album all MEGADETH fans have been waiting for.
O.K, so it's not quite as good as RUST IN PEACE, but it's damn close, and will surely be looked back on in years to come as a classic.
DAVE sounds as pissed-off as ever, and the lyrics throughout the album are well written and as confronting as anything he has written in the past. Apart from main-man MUSTAINE, the rest of the band have been a revolving door, but the current line-up the strongest it's been in a while, and hopefully the members can remain unchanged for at least another album. Shawn Drover and Dave Lomenzo have remained on in their respective positions as Drummer and Bassist. New to the current line up is lead guitarist Chris Broderick who has previously been a member of the bands JAG PANZER and NEVERMORE. His tight, punchy guitar sound and awesome skills fit the band perfectly and hopefully he can cement a permanent position in the band as he is the best lead guitarist MEGADETH have had since Marty Friedman.
The only sub-par track on offer here is the ballad THE HARDEST PART OF LETTING GO, not that i'm in any way against ballads, or even MEGADETH doing a ballad, it's just not a very good song, and it actually disturbs the flow of an otherwise stellar album. Opening track DIALETIC CHAOS is two-and-a-half minute instrumental track that serves as a sharp reminder of just how powerful this band is. THIS DAY WE FIGHT is the closest the band have sounded to their classic sound in years and is a definite highlight. 44 MINUTES as a personal favourite and is reminiscent of their output from the COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION era, as is the great track BODIES. Title track ENDGAME is pure classic 'DETH and with a subject matter that has served the band well throughout it's career. Lead-off single HEADCRUSHER is a great way to attract people back to the band and is as fast & furious as the band has ever sounded.
With ENDGAME, MEGADETH have done the impossible, they have created a near-perfect metal album that rivals anything the band have ever done.
Any fan of MEGADETH will be honored to own this one, and any metal fans in general need to get a listen of it.
Also, any ex-fans of the band that have dropped off for various reasons, prepare to be a fan again.
Can't wait to see them live here in Melbourne next month with SLAYER.

9.5/10

GOTTHARD - NEED TO BELIEVE

2009-09-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Nuclear Blast Records)

If there were a prize for band most deserving of world domination, GOTTHARD would win it hands down. For some reason, wordwide recognition has eluded these guys even though in their home country of Sweden, they are the most popular band ever and seven of their last eight albums have easily hit the number one spot on the swiss charts, and with NEED TO BELIEVE they will surely secure another number one.
As the band have aged, their sound has slightly changed with each album and while they now sit at the heavier end of the melodic rock spectrum, but the AOR mentality and pure melody still reign supreme throughout the albums 12 tracks.
Everything about this album screams pure class, from the dual guitar onslaught courtesy of Leo Leoni and Freddy Scherer, to the fat and pounding rhythm section comprised of bassist Marc Lynn and superb rock drummer Hena Habegger, to the perfect melodic rock vocals of Steve Lee, all the way to the amazing production by one of the rock world's finest deskmasters Rich Chyckie.
The hardest part of reviewing this album was deciding which songs were the highlights, as there really is not a bad song to be found, and each individual track has the possibility of being someone's favorite.
Opening track SHANGRI-LA starts with an atmospheric wind noise, which then opens into a great rocker and sets a very high standard for the rest of the album. UNSPOKEN WORDS is a great song that reminds of the latest stuff from the band EUROPE. NEED TO BELIEVE is an awesome song with a great lyric about believing in yourself, and is not the religious track i thought it was going to be. UNCONDITIONAL FAITH is an acoustic based track that still manages to have that bombastic GOTTHARD trademark sound. I DON"T MIND borrows the riff from AC/DC's BAD BOY BOOGIE, but manages to do something different with it. BREAK FREE is another highlight track with a great lyric that follows the album's theme of believing in yourself and living your life on your terms. DON'T LET ME DOWN is the albums big ballad, and is very classy and a joy to listen to. I KNOW, YOU KNOW is a touching, emotional song that focuses lyrically on domestic abuse and the people that don't do anything to help stop it.
There is e few more tracks on the album that i didn't mention above, but that doesn't mean any of them are fillers, they are all excellent tracks as well.
GOTTHARD have given us a very mature, well written album filled with killer tracks and will surely end up very high in peoples top lists of the year. I am predicting for NEED TO BELIEVE to finish in the R.I.R top 10 or better. Yes, it's THAT good!
This album is recommended to anyone that likes AOR, Hard Rock, Melodic Rock and even Melodic Metal. GOTTHARD fans won't need to read this review as they would have already fallen in love with this latest stellar offering.

9.5/10

GUILT MACHINE - ON THIS PERFECT DAY

2009-09-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Mascot Records)

GUILT MACHINE is the new project created by prog rock mastermind ARJEN LUCASSEN, better known for his AYREON project. LUCASSEN has made it evident that he didn't want this creation to be related in any way to the AYREON storyline, musically or lyrically.
Yes, this a very different beast, and one that will have fans split stright down the middle for sure.
The album in itself isn't a concept album in the traditional style of a continuing storyline, more a group of songs related in their themes of regret, depression and all of those other miserable feelings that seperate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.
The first thing i noticed was how stripped back and bare this album sounds compared to LUCASSEN'S previous work and i must say it left me a little dissappointed.
The album has a total of six songs, with four of those songs clocking in at over the ten-minute mark, which makes for plenty of listening, but with the stripped back sound, some of these songs can get quite laborious and challenging to get through.
There is plenty of other differences from the AYREON project also, the main one being that there is no bevvy of guest stars, and the project acts as a band rather than a collaboration.
LUCASSEN'S partner LORI LINSTRUTH plays all of the lead guitar on the album, and is responsible for a vast majority of the lyrics, which when read without the music are actually pretty well done. PORCUPINE TREE'S CHRIS MAITLAND provides the drums, and all of the lead vocals are done by Belgian singer JASPER STEVERLINCK from the band ARID.

The opening track TWISTED COIL is an interesting song, as it features several small spoken-word sections in various languages that were actually recorded and sent-in by LUCASSEN'S fans. GREEN AND CREAM is the best track on the album, and the only one that really has any life about it.

As a prog-rock record, ON THIS PERFECT DAY works most of the time as long as you don't demand anything too breathtaking from your prog music, but seeing the LUCASSEN name in the project title makes this one feel a bit sub-par and should have been better.
If you are a die-hard AYREON fan that just can't get enough of the LUCASSEN style, approach this one with extreme caution, and don't get caught out like i did.
Hopefully this is a one-off and next time we hear from Mr. LUCASSEN, it's with another epic AYREON album.

6.5/10

HOUSE OF LORDS - CARTESIAN DREAMS

2009-09-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

HOUSE OF LORDS' 1988 self-titled debut album was released to great acclaim and to this day is hailed as one of the all-time classics of the melodic rock genre. There have been many a personnel change within the band over the years, and lead vocalist JAMES CHRISTIAN is the only remaining original member left. Last year the band surprised many with a very strong album COME TO MY KINGDOM which finished very high on many best of lists at the end of 2008 (Finishing 11th in the R.I.R top 100).
HOUSE OF LORDS (herein known as HOL) have always been known for their very pompous, majestic wall-of-sound, and on CARTESIAN DREAMS it's as strong as ever. The guitars soar, and the bombastic production lends well the a very tight rhythm section with one of the best recorded drum sounds you will likely ever hear.
A strong emphasis has been made to recall some of the classic HOL sound, helped greatly by the return of MARK BAKER in the co-songwriting position for the first time since 1992's spectacular DEMONS DOWN album.

Album opener and title track CARTESIAN DREAMS is a great early highlight with a slightly modern edge to the classic HOL sound, BORN TO BE YOUR BABY is pure, classic HOL with a great vocal track from the eternally brilliant JAMES CHRISTIAN. SWEET SEPTEMBER is a great ballad that is never sappy, just a pure rock ballad. BANGIN' is a track straight from the late eighties with a classic cowbell intro and reminds slightly of DANGER DANGER's debut album. A SIMPLE PLAN is a nother highlight and has a sound similar to that of PLACE VENDOME. REPO MAN is another classic HOL sounding track with a great guitar lead intro. SAVED BY ROCK is a fun song that almost takes itself too seriously to be enjoyed, and the lyrics are about discovering bands like CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX and BLIND FAITH.

JAMES CHRISTIAN and co. have released yet another cranker of an album to add to a very impressive back catalogue that's only real blemish is 2004's THE POWER AND THE MYTH, which was in all honesty not a real HOL album at all. But, HOL have since then released three awesome studio albums and a very competent live album, so all is forgiven and HOL can reclaim their place as one of melodic hard rock's greatest assets.
If you are a fan of HOL, stop reading this review, and go and buy the album NOW!! For those of you still left here, if you like anything from bands like GOTTHARD, BROTHER FIRETRIBE or JORN, be sure to at least test this one out and prepare to be pleasently surprised.

9/10

LYNCH MOB - SMOKE AND MIRRORS

2009-08-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

George Lynch is a very unique guitarist. Whilst he can shred with the best of them, he has always sounded better as part of a cohesive group and has been known to make some bad decisions when given too much freedom.
The LYNCH MOB monkier is something that was heralded as a success in the early days shortly after LYNCH'S flawless run as a member of DOKKEN. Since those early days though, LYNCH MOB have fallen out of favor with fans many times and have a few real stinkers in their back catalouge with the very worst being 1999 album SMOKE THIS, a terrible abuse of the LYNCH MOB name. Since the release of that album LYNCH and co. have given us a sub-par live album and then a seemingly pointless album of re-recorded LYNCH MOB and DOKKEN tracks for a new generation. It is fair to say, that after that tragic run of crap albums, all hope seemed lost for this new album.
The first slight ray of hope came when it was announced that original vocalist ONI LOGAN was back in front of the microphone, and then a little later when i found out that MARCO MENDOZA was on bass all of a sudden i was actually excited to hear SMOKE AND MIRRORS. This line-up is the perfect group for GEORGE LYNCH and the chemistry is obvious from the get-go.
MENDOZA'S blues-rock style shows it's influence and LOGAN'S voice just makes the mob sound complete.

The album opens with 21st CENTURY MAN, a rockin' track that reminds of some of the better work of THE CULT. There is three track on this album that i enjoyed more than the others, MY KIND OF HEALER, THE PHACIST and REVOLUTION HEROES wich all surpisingly enough, remind me of MR. BIG and i can imagine them being sung by the great ERIC MARTIN. WE WILL REMAIN is about the only real shredder-style song on the album, and is a great way for LYNCH to remind us all how good he actually is when he wants to be. There is a couple of ordinary songs on the album that bring th overall grade down - LUCKY MAN is a bit of a gamble and maybe an attept to commercialise the band's sound, but just ends up falling flat, and BEFORE I CLOSE MY EYES sounds like a poor attempt at a BON JOVI knock-off.

For fans of GEORGE LYNCH, and the LYNCH MOB in particular, prepare to be very happy to have another good album to help forget the pain of the last few stinkers, for fans of blues-rock inspired melodic rock, there is definitely something in here for you too.
A great return to form, and hopefully only the beginning of the LOGAN/LYNCH reunion.

8/10

U.D.O - DOMINATOR

2009-08-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

(2009 - AFM Records)

In 2007 UDO blew us all away with an amazing album in MASTERCUTOR, and in doing so reclaimed his throne as the king of German metal. Expectations were high for the follow up album DOMINATOR, and noting that UDO has recently turned 57 i must admit i had my doubts.
Happily i can announce that UDO has done it again and like a fine wine, has only bettered with age. As a whole this album probab;y sits just a little bit under MASTERCUTOR, but is still in itself an amazing traditional metal album that will blow fans of the band away.
After a slow, atmosoheric start, THE BOGEYMAN jumps straight into action and gears you up for what is to come. DOMINATOR, BLACK & WHITE and INFECTED is a triple assault of pure metal and will have your head banging for sure. DOOM RIDE is very catchy and is sure to be a live favourite. The albums slows down here with STILLNESS OF TIME, which is a nice break and a great way to prepare for the pure speed metal riffing of the aptly titled SPEED DEMON. The album highlight for me was HEAVY METAL HEAVEN, which sounds like a combination of ACCEPT and MANOWAR, and has a great fun lyric that suits the traditional metal sound.

Once again, UDO and co. have defied the odds and released yet another classic metal album that will be talked about for years to come. Fans and critics alike should eat this one up.

9/10

DANGER DANGER - REVOLVE

2009-08-29T05:27:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

It seems hard to believe that it's already 20 years ago that we were rocking out to songs like NAUGHTY NAUGHTY and BANG BANG. DANGER DANGER have always been an interesting band and have made just as many bad decisions as good ones, and i must admit that i wasn't expecting much at all from the new album REVOLVE.
I must admit that as much as i like DANGER DANGER, i honestly believe TED POLEY is an over-rated vocalist. Now don't get me wrong, i don't think he's bad, just not as good as most people say he is. In saying this though, it is a relief to have him fronting the band again after they parted ways with TED'S original replacement PAUL LAINE, who even though i feel is the better singer of the two, really didn't suit DANGER DANGER and took them in a different direction that really didn't work for me.
I have followed most of POLEY'S projects since his departure from the band and haven't been blown away by any of them, but some of them did make me long for a new DANGER DANGER album.
So now everything falls into place and we have a new TED POLEY fronted DD album, but how does it stack up?.........

The first thing you'll notice is the very modern sound of the album, and will find it hard to believe that it's the same band. There is some very classy tracks to be found and most of the album is well written, but without the slight sleaze touch they used to have, the sound is all but lost.

Opening track THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT is a decent sounding track but the lyrics are quite poor and spoil the song. F.U.$ stands for FUCK YOU MONEY and once again, even though the meassage is relatable, the lyrics just seem amateur. GHOST OF LOVE is one of the better songs and reminds me a little of PLACE VENDOME. HEARTS ON THE HIGHWAY is the lyrical high-point of the album and probably the only track that really works. The acoustic ballad FUGITIVE is quite nice and is one of the better vocal performances i've heard from POLEY in a long time. Upon reading the title of the closing track DIRTY MIND, i thought i was finally going to get e real classic sounding DD song, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

While it sounds good in theory to have the original DANGER DANGER back in the scene, at the end of the day, they have failed at their attempt to modernise their sound, and just come off as a band that has seen much better days. POLEY fans will eat this up for sure, but anyone expecting another BANG BANG or NAUGHTY NAUGHTY, prepare to be severely dissapointed.

6.5/10

JET - SHAKA ROCK

2009-08-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Eleven Seven)

As a fellow Aussie, it feels as though it has been my duty to talk up JET to the rest of the world and let them know that we have another great band. This was easier to do in the days of their debut album GET BORN, as there was a few very good songs on it (even though said songs were destroyed by too much mainstream radio play). Their follow up release SHINE ON was patchy at best and showed that the band may have been a one trick pony. Surprisingly JET have come back in 2009 with their third album SHAKA ROCK.
I could end this review quite briefly if i wanted to with one word - FAIL. As this is a review site though i will elaborate.
JET sound best when blatantly imitating their peers like THE BEATLES, AC/DC and ROLLING STONES. On SHAKA ROCK though, the band have slightly shied away from these influences in places, and in these places the album falls totally flat. Lead off single SHE'S A GENIUS follows the JET formula to a tee, and unfortunately this sound is now very tired and the song gets annoying real quick. There is a couple of good moments to be found but they really are few and far between. BEAT ON REPEAT is a fun little number if not taken too seriously, and GOODBYE HOLLYWOOD, which sounds totally like a ROLLING STONES song is the only real highlight to be found.

With SHAKA ROCK, JET have shown us that when they attempt to be different and individual, they actually sound even more annoying than when they are copying others. I really cannot recommend this album to anybody and i feel that it will be the album that finish JET'S career.

2/10

GWAR - LUST IN SPACE

2009-08-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Blade)

25 years after their debut HELL-O, GWAR are back with a new album for Metal Blade Records called LUST IN SPACE. The band have always managed to release albums that have pleased their large fan base, but usually get ripped apart by critics. Those said critics obviously never got the joke because GWAR are a a great, fun band that are a joy to listen to and apart from a couple of albums that fell flat, these guys have been consitently brilliant throughout their career.

LUST IN SPACE is the best album GWAR have released for at least a decade and is probably only a notch or two below their undisputed finest moment 1990's SCUMDOGS OF THE UNIVERSE. The humor is intact and sees some of the sharpest wit the band has ever shown, and musically this is pure thrash in that unmistakable GWAR style.

The opening track, also called LUST IN SPACE is a great intro with some humurous spoken word before opening into a great thrash track with some groove riffing toward the end. THE UBERKLAW and SLAVES & MASTERS are both classic GWAR and would fit on any of their older albums. METAL METAL LAND is the highlight track for me and has a very fun lyric and also sounds slightly like another great joke-metal band GREEN JELLY. WHERE IS ZOG? is another great song and will fit into the GWAR stage show perfectly. The next track is one i could live without, MAKE A CHILD CRY, while i know everything GWAR does is meant to be slightly confronting and taken tongue-in-cheek, the lyrics MAKE A CHILD CRY, MAKE A CHILD DIE just seem un-neccessary and sully the whole album which was otherwise very fun.

Also of note is the artwork for the front cover, which seems to loosely parody the classic KISS album LOVE GUN, and is one of GWAR'S best ever cover choices.

If you are already a fan of GWAR, this album will keep you happy and will proudly sit amonst the rest of the GWAR back catalogue. If you have listened to the band before but never got into it, LUST IN SPACE will not change your mind and if somehow you've never heard the band before, i suggest seeking out SCUMDOGS OF THE UNIVERSE first before takling this one.

7.5/10

VOICES OF ROCK II - HIGH & MIGHTY

2009-08-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

My guess is that a vast majority of people reading this site would have already heard about the Voices Of Rock project and know a bit about it's history. For those that don't Voices Of Rock is basically a project put together by two of melodic rock's favourite sons MICHAEL VOSS (CASANOVA, MAD MAX) and CHRIS LAUSSMAN (JADED HEART, BONFIRE). These two guys write some absolutely awesome AOR/Melodic Rock tunes and then get some of the finest vocalist from the genre to do guest lead vocals. 2007 saw the first release under the Voices Of Rock moniker and featured vocalists such as STEVE OVERLAND, JAMES CHRISTIAN, TERRY BROCK, HARRY HESS and others. The album was very well recieved and was amongst the best releases of the year. PAUL SABU (KIDD GLOVE, SABU, SOLO) seems to struggle throughout his contribution to DOWN THE DRAIN and the song suffers a lot because of it.
This year the project is back with an all-new line up of well respected singers, but the question is, is it as good as the last one? In a word...... Almost. There is definitely no shortage of awesome vocal performances to be found within, there's just e few less killer tracks this time around.

TONY MARTIN (BLACK SABBATH) opens preceedings with INTO THE LIGHT, a great heavy melodic rocker with an amazing chorus. BRET HEERINK (VANDENBERG) gives us SHAME ON YOU, another good heavy melodic rocker with a nice keyboard laden chorus. Next up is the all-conquering JOE LYNN TURNER (RAINBOW, SUNSTORM, SOLO) with the first real standout track TONIGHT wich sounds similar to the latest SUNSTORM material. PAUL SHORTINO (ROUGH CUTT, QUIET RIOT, SHORTINO) has the best track on the album in ROCK ME, a contender for song of the year. REMEMBER ME is a nice ballad with a very powerful vocal performance by ROB ROCK (IMPELITTERI, AXEL RUDI PELL, SOLO). Next up is LAY YOU DOWN TO REST, one of the more pure Melodic Rock tracks on album with vocals courtesy of MITCH MALLOY. IN THE HEART OF THE YOUNG, sung by TONY MILLS (SHY, TNT, SOLO) is the weakest track on the album and is quite a dissapointment actually.
The album gets back on track with another highlight DIRTY GAMES, sung by DAVID REECE (BANGALORE CHOIR, ACCEPT, GYPSY ROSE) and is a million miles better than anything REECE did on his first solo album just recently. TORBEN SCHMIDT ends the album rather boringly with the uninspired song ONLY 4 EVER, which is a quite unfortunate way to finish up.

The good tracks within this album are all worth having in your collection, making the album an almost essential purchase. Just be prepared to hit the skip button a couple of times in order to keep the high quality flowing from from start to finish.

7.5/10

REECE - UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

2009-08-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

Readers of this site will more than likely already be familiar with vocalist DAVID REECE as he is the current vocalist of melodic rockers GYPSY ROSE and has also fronted ACCEPT and BANGALORE CHOIR.
His debut solo album UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE is a cross between his GYPSY ROSE material and his BANGALORE CHOIR material, sitting on the heavier side of melodic rock with a couple of slower patches scattered randomly throughout.
REECE has said that this group of songs are very personal to him and are all about his life experiences. Flipping through the lyrics this fact is apparent and some of the lyrical passages save certain songs from being otherwise ordinary.

The first track is BEFORE I DIE which is an early highlight that is unfortunately barely equaled throughout the rest of the album. ALL THE WAY has a good verse sound which brings to mind WHITESNAKE but is spoiled by an ordinary chorus. RESCUE ME is one of the more melodic tracks on the album and is one of the better ones. ONCE IN A LIFETIME is a slower track and is the lyrical high-point of the album. QUEEN OF MY DREAMS is an acoustic ballad and it's a shame there wasn't another one or two more songs like this. YELLOW ends the album and is the weakest song on offer, i feel the album would have been better if this one was left off.

Another gripe i have, and it's one i have adressed a few times this year - What is with the terrible artwork. This is one of the worst front covers of the year and there really is no excuse.
I read an interview with David Reece in which he talked about listening to DEEP PURPLE and ALICE COOPER records and staring at the covers for hours.... Surely then REECE would understand the importance of having a good cover, so why this rubbish?

Musically speaking, this is a decent enough effort at a heavy melodic rock release, but with the amount of high-caliber competition in this field at the moment it's hard to see where UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE can fit it. In one word - Disappointing.

5/10

RADIO SILENCE - WHOSE SKIN ARE YOU UNDER NOW?

2009-08-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music Ltd)

It's been eight years since we last heard from Alistair Gordon's RADIO SILENCE project.
Gordon has never been short of work and in his time has been involved with a broad spectrum of artists including ERIC CLAPTON, FOREIGNER, THE WHO, SAD CAFE and a slew of other bands & musicians.
The RADIO SILENCE moniker was started in 1997 as something to keep Gordon busy between all of his session and co-writing commitments and the debut album was released to minimal fanfare but was reverred by AOR fans across the globe. The follow up album SIRENS came in 2001 and was an improved effort and well received. Now in 2009 we have the long-titled WHOSE SKIN ARE YOU UNDER NOW?.

The albums sound is a natural progression from SIRENS and has the typical Gordon trademark of a modern pop-rock sound wrapped around some classic AOR stylings. This sound works quite well as long as you don't music without much bite as this is quite a soft album, but oh so smoooth!

The album opens with HAND TO MOUTH wich reminds slightly of Heartbeat City-era CARS.
MOSQUITO is a very catchy pop rock tune wich is in a similar style to that of wich CHEAP TRICK gave us earlier in the year. STARING AT THE SUN is an album highlight and has a great modern contemporary sound and begins a run of three stellar tracks followed by WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN and SOMETHIN' GOING ON. ONE DAY AT A TIME is a slower paced track that bears some resemblance to early MATCHBOX 20. Toward the end of the album SHOTGUN LOVE surprises as the heaviest track and comes as a nice change, and is then followed by the fluffiest song on the album HEART OF HEARTS which is a bit to laa-dee-da for my ears. ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS is another highlight track and has a very smooth AOR/Westcoast 80's sound. The album closes with what seems to ba a totally unneccessary cover of BEATLES standard HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY. Whilst this is definitely better than EDDIE VEDDER'S terrible, horrible version a few years back, it feels very out of place here and seems to be a waste of a way to finish an album.

There is plenty to like here if you don't mind your music smooth, but if you're more into the heavier spectrum of the AOR/Melodic Rock scene you will probably be dissapointed.

7.5/10

IAN HUNTER - MAN OVERBOARD

2009-08-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

(2009 - New West Records)

The hardest part of this review is knowing where to start. I usually like to start my reviews with a short paragraph about the history of the band/artist, but to do the same for ex-MOTT THE HOOPLE frontman IAN HUNTER would take up more room than the review itself. So i'll just begin by saying, If you don't know who Ian Hunter is or aren't versed in his stellar back-catalogue you will just have to take my word for it for now that this man (who recently turned 70 by the way!) is a legend and virtually everything he has ever released has been amazing.
MAN OVERBOARD continues the veteran's recent purple patch that began in 2001 with RANT, and then again in 2007 with the 10/10 album SHRUNKEN HEADS.

The latest release is a bit of a slower beast than HEADS, but every track here is still filled with typical HUNTER everyman lyrics and a raspy, bar-room voice that still demands the attention of all that hear it.
Opening track THE GREAT ESCAPE is a great song about a bar-room brawl HUNTER was in on his 21'st birthday and lyrically & musically sums up perfectly what the rest of the album will be like. ARMS & LEGS is a perfect breeze-pop song and is more along the lines of what previous album SHRUNKEN HEADS sounded like. The title track MAN OVERBOARD is an absolutely amazing song about the ever-changing world and struggling to keep up with it all. Another stand-out track is GIRL FROM THE OFFICE, a perfectly politically-incorrect song about trying to bed the girl from the office, which is a very cleverly lyricised song. The next half of the album slows down in tempo, but it still as lyrically confronting as the first half. FLOWERS is a song that sounds like a mid-tempo boring tune, until you dig into the lyrics and relaise it's actually a song about the fallouts of war. WIN IT ALL reminds me ever so slightly of TOM WAITS circa his 1973 debut CLOSING TIME. WAY WITH WORDS almost slips into VAN MORRISON territory and is lyrically one of the best songs on the album.
Whilst i have touched on what i consider to be the highlight songs from the album, the truth is there is no weak tracks and each in it's own right are highlights.

Once again the ole reliable IAN HUNTER has released a fresh sounding album soaked in all the goodness of his classic material and with plenty of lyrics that are fun to sit and decipher.

9/10

EMPYRIA - THE LONG ROAD HOME

2009-08-11T04:54:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Nightmare Records)

EMPYRIA are a criminally underrated prog metal band hailing from Canada. It's been eighteen years since the band arrived on the scene and since then they have been constantly touring, writing and recording and have released a few stellar albums. It's been seven long years since the last album 2002's SENSE OF MIND, which saw the band loose some fans for lack of their usual prog sound. Sounding refreshed and hungry again, 2009's THE LONG ROAD HOME is back to the sound they do best and is the best album of their career to date.
Whilst this is definitely a progressive metal release, it's still quite accessable to the casual metal listener as there is no over the top epics and as a matter of fact the longest song on the album is the seven minute closing track RETURNING HOME. Some of the highlight tracks are FALSE WITNESS, WITHOUT WITHIN, THE ENDLES CIRCLE and personal favourite LAST RITES.
Vocalist PHIL LEITE has a great voice for this type of stuff and sounds like a mix of GEOFF TATE and OZZY OSBOURNE.
The rest of the band all sound great and are all obviously very technically gifted musicians.
The songwriting is tight and to the point, with just enough space in each track for some prog goodness without going into wankery territory.

This a great album by a band that seemed to have dissapeared off the radar and should help them regain their lost ground and hopefully get the recognition they deserve.
Good purchase for fans of ILLUSION SUITE and CIRCUS MAXIMUS

8/10

DEMON ANGELS - INSANE

2009-08-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Retrospect Records)

INSANE is the second album released under the DEMON ANGELS moniker. The main drawcard of the band is frontman Robin McAuley of MSG fame and more recently as new SURVIVOR vocalist.
Unfortunately though, this album is a bit of mess from start to finish. The style is your typical heavy melodic rock, but is very generic and forgettable. The guitar sound just isn't working for me and it sounds very cheap. Another problem i have is with the artwork, i know budgets are small for any non-major label band, but c'mon guys it's 2009, this type of cheap photoshop cut-and-paste artwork just isn't good enough any more!
I also feel that the production is way too muddy. I've listened to a LOT of indie releases this year and most of those had better production values.

I have managed to find a slight couple of redeeming factors though. Italian guitarist CHRIS FALCO seems to be quite apt and i just wish he had a better guitar sound, something a little cleaner and sharper maybe.
Also a couple of decent tracks - TRIPLE 6 is the song the band is plugging to radio stations and the like, and is easily the best song on an otherwise awful album. Slower track SWEET SOUL is also worth a listen if only because it's the only song that actually takes advantage of McAuley's excellent voice.
Luckily, there isn't many of these sub-par releases being spat out these days, but the problem with that is when one comes out it is very noticeable and this release just seems to be a total failure. Sorry Guys.

3/10

NARNIA - COURSE OF A GENERATION

2009-08-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Massacre Records)

2009 sees the release of NARNIA'S sixth studio album COURSE OF A GENERATION and is the first album to feature new vocalist GERMAN PASCUAL.
It is always hard for a band to release a new album with a different lead vocalist and more times than not it doesn't work. Happily NARNIA are in the minority here and have managed to release their strongest album to date and should be safe to not loose any fans from the change over.
Their last album ENTER THE GATE was very well received and the only negative part of it was that the christian lyrics were a tad too strong for the casual listener (myself included). On COURSE OF A GENERATION the christian element is still present, but much less than the last release and makes for a more enjoyable listen.

The overall sound of the band has been refined also, now sounding very melodic, it's power-metal with a melodic pomp twist.
Opening track SAIL AROUND THE WORLD is a great start and it is quite refreshing to hear a power metal release without the obligatory minute-and-a-half intro that has been the bane of metal music for the last few years. The second track WHEN THE STARS ARE FALLING is an absolute highlight and is the best song the band have ever recorded. CURSE OF A GENERATION is a great double-kicker up-tempo track with a very catchy chorus. SCARED is a slower track and reminds of AVANTASIA. Another track worth a mention is RAIN, which is a very melodic yet heavy ripper.

So, it seems a change of the guard up front has given NARNIA a new lease of life and a well-received album should set them up for bigger and better things in the near future.
COURSE OF A GENERATION is a pretty safe purchase for anyone into the more melodic side of power metal.

8/10

ILLUSION SUITE - FINAL HOUR

2009-08-10T02:59:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Limb Music Products)

FINAL HOUR is the debut album from the new Norwegian power metal heroes ILLUSION SUITE. The band have a very melodic base sound and remind at times of bands such as SEVENTH WONDER, SYMPHONY X, PAGAN'S MIND and CIRCUS MAXIMUS.
Not a bad pedigree of bands to be compared to for a debut album right?, Well, this album is worth the build up and is sure to impress all lovers of well-crafted melodic prog metal.
The band's use of varied and multiple vocal layers are the beginning of a trademark sound and some very cleverly places death growls will excite some people but aren't prominent enough to scare away the rest of us.
Every track on the album is strong but the centerpiece track must surely be the fifteen minute long "THE ADVENTURES OF ARCAN", which shows all of the bands tricks in the one song and even adds a female voice in the mix to make sure it sticks in your head. There is also a very high quality ballad in A MOMENT TO REMEMBER which is a nice break mid-album from the onslaught of duelling guitar and keyboard solos.
The production on the album is excellent thanks to some great mastering by Marcus Teske from Bazement Studio who have worked with, among others VANDEN PLAS, SYMPHONY X and DOMINICI.
FINAL HOUR is a bit of a no-brainer purchase for fans of any of the above mentioned bands and should feature highly in quite a few best of lists at the end of the year.

8.5/10

AXXIS - UTOPIA

2009-08-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

(2009 - AFM Records)

Germany's stalwart melodic power metallers AXXIS celebrate their 20th anniversary in August and to celebrate have recorded an all-new full length album that is one of their finest moments.
The bands last album, 2007's DOOM OF DESTINY was well received by fans and critics, and unsurprisingly they have kept very closely to that recipe for this new album UTOPIA.
The vocals are unmistakably AXXIS and the guitar sound is very fat and full, and the keyboards are perfectly mixed so as not to be too in your face, just nicely ringing through the background providing a great blanket throughout most verses on the album.

As is usual with releases in the melodic power metal genre, we have a minute and a half, brooding intro before getting into the meat and potatoes of the album. The first track proper is title track UTOPIA, agreat example of all things AXXIS and a perfect preview for what the rest of the album will be like, second track LAST MAN ON EARTH is a great song and strikes a bearing resemblance with mid-career SCORPIONS, only beefed up a bit. FASS MICH AN is a German language song, and without any knowledge of the German tongue whatsoever, i can't really say wether this is a good song or not. Another highlight is balld FATHER'S EYES as is HEAVY RAIN.

The limited digipack edition od this release seems to be the way to, solely for the digi only bonus track "20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SONG" which features cameos from various friends from the band's past including DAVID READMAN, DORO PESCH and ANDI DERIS.

Axxis fans will be very happy to have another great album to sink their teeth into, and any power metal fan should do themseleves a favor and seek this one out.

8.5/10

DAUGHTRY - LEAVE THIS TOWN

2009-08-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

(2009 - RCA Records)

Chris Daughtry's self titled debut was one of the biggest commercial rock records of 2006, and cemented him as one of the most successful American Idol exports in the shows history. The album was a collection of safely written fm radio singles that were along the lines of fellow post-grungers like FUEL,HOOBASTANK and to a lesser extent STAIND.

DAUGHTRY'S new album LEAVE THIS TOWN follows the same line as the debut and suffers greatly for it. Usually when artists have a breakthrough debut, they use their second albums to show some variety and growth, but infortunately there is nothing here other than cleverly created, catchy FM radio cuts. Whilst this obviously bodes well for DAUGHTRY financially, for people that like a bit more depth in their music will be wise to avoid this one like the plague.

The lyrics on this album are about as shallow and unimaginable as you will find anywhere, and sadly the best written songs are ones that had contributions from other radio rock luminaries such as NICKELBACK'S Chad Kroeger and some other less-known songwriters.

Chris Daughtry has a great, versatile voice and it seems a shame that it is wasted on an album where he is lost in the huge wall of guitar, and we can only hope that he does an acoustic solo album or something so he can use that voice properly.

The album isn't a total wash, as there are a few good tracks to be found. SEPTEMBER is a nice ballad, SUPERNATURAL has a bit more energy than the rest of the album and is a welcome relief from all of the mid-paced balladry, and the biggest surprise on the record, the country-tinged TENNESSEE LINE, featuring great co-vocals from country music star Vince Gill. This is the only risquee track to be found and turns out to be the highlight in an otherwise boring affair.

If you are a fan of written-for-radio middle of the road rock, you can't go wrong with LEAVE THIS TOWN, but for the rest of us that demand more in our music, there is not much of interest here except for the aforementioned TENNESSEE LINE.

5.5/10

XXX - HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD

2009-08-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Perris Records)

XXX (Pronounced Triple-x) are a brand new melodic sleaze band hailing from Gothenburg Sweden. In what will surely be seen as a very smart marketing ploy, the first 1000 sold copies of their debut album HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD feature cover artwork created and drawn by none other than MARVEL animator Al Rio (Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, Wonder Woman etc..).
Though the cover is nice, the reality is that you are here to read about the music, so let's get to it.
The band play a mixture of melodic rock, punk rock and sleaze/glam rock that, when put together, actually does give them quite a unique sound in comparison to any other bands around the scene at the moment. Most of the time this works in their favor but there is a couple of tracks that fall flat and let the overall product down. The main let down being yet another cover of the song "I WANT YOU TO WANT ME", which anyone that ready this blog regularly will know, is my MOST HATED song of all time. The other track that seems weak is WALL OF FAME, which is basically just the band reeling off a list of people they admire with some pretty try-hard growl effects on the voices. Aside from these two misfires though, the rest of the album is quite enjoyable and has a very fun, punky vibe to it. Highlight tracks are HELLO!, WE'RE GONNA ROCK and title track HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD.

Snowy Shaw and co have managed to release a debut album that has quite a fun, unique sound and some great artwork and will surely be a stepping-stone for bigger and better things for XXX.

7/10

VINDICTIV - GROUND ZERO

2009-07-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music)

Swedish melodic prog metallers VINDICTIV are a relatively new group and GROUND ZERO is their second full length release.
Their 2008 self-titled debut was released to very positive reviews and feedback, and only a year later their sophomore album is set to do the same.
GROUND ZERO is an improvement over it's predecessor in every way and will be a favourite amongst the melodic metal crowd for sure.

The first noticeable improvement is in the production, where everything just sounds bigger and more grandoise than the last release. The songwriting is great and the prog elements are definitely there, but not to self-concerned as to put the casual metal listener off.
An interesting move made by the band was to have two guest lead vocalists sharing four of the eleven tracks between them, leaving only seven songs for main singer GORAN EDMAN. EDMAN sounds amazing on the songs he sings and has even added a slight Steve Perry-ish sound to his bag of tricks, which i quite enjoyed.
Guest vocals are provided by MARK BOALS who sings VENOM, and OLIVER HARTMANN who get three tracks REACH OUT, I'M BACK HOME and THE SACRIFICE.
The guitar work here is excellent and bounces off the also excellent keyboards and perfect melodic metal rhythm section.
Highlight tracks are VENOM, MODERN WORLD, GROUND ZERO and I'M BACK HOME, but the truth is there's not a weak song on the album and each track has the potential to be someone's favourite.

VINDICTIV have come back with a stellar album that should be amongst the benchmark releases of the genre, and with such an improvement over an already great debut, the sky trully is the limit for their next album.

9/10

CAIN'S OFFERING - GATHER THE FAITHFUL

2009-07-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

Cain's Offering is the new brainchild of former SONATA ARCTICA and ALTARIA guitarist/songwriter Jani Jiimatainen. After finishing up with S.A in 2007, Jani took a short break from the music scene until tempatation got the better of him and the decision was made to create a new band featuring some of the elite Finnish musicians of the melodic metal scene.
The rest of the band is made up of drummer Jani Hurula (DIANNO), bassist Jukka Koskinen (NORTHER, WINTERSUN), keyboardist Mikko Harkin (SONATA ARCTICA, WINGDOM) and rounded out with none other that vocalist Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS, SOLO).

That is an amazing pedigree of musicians to be sure, and when R.I.R got wind of this one being released, Excited would be a mass understatement of the feelings we had.
A lot of the time when groups of this calibre get together, the execution isn't as good as the idea was, but happily, GATHER THE FAITHFUL breaks the trend and is an amazing album on all fronts!
Kotipelto sounds more inspired than ever on this album and would easily be one of his best efforts, the songwriting from Jiimatainen is stellar and shows that he was clearly the driving force behind the success of his last two bands, and the rhythm section rolls along perfectly.
You would be hard pressed to find a bad track on this album anywhere. The first three tracks MY QUEEN OF WINTER, MORE THAN FRIENDS and OCEANS OF REGRET are all top-shelf songs and each is deserving to be very high in best of lists come year's end. GATHER THE FAITHFUL is interstingly an instrumental track and has some slight prog elements that are a nice surprise, and the rest of the album has a great mix of melodic, slightly proggish power metal with some more great tunes.

Finally we get a supergroup album that lives up to the hype, and finally we have another top-shelf melodic metal release for 2009 that can proudly sit alongside HAMMERFALL and PRIMAL FEAR'S excellent recent albums. This is esseintial listening folks!

9/10

GEFF - LAND OF THE FREE

2009-07-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

GEFF is a new musical project based around the ever-busy Goran Edman (Brazen Abbot, Yngwie Malmsteen, Alien, etc...) and newcomer to the scene guitarist Ralf Jedestedt. As the story goes, each member of the band was a friend of a friend or something like that and the group eventually came together to be the GEFF we have today.
The style of music they have created together is actually quite difficult to describe but is in essence a mixture of AOR melodies and Prog Rock tendencies.
Maybe the best way to describe it would be if you could picture what bands like STRATOVARIUS would have sounded like being recorded in the 70's before the days of real guitar distortion, then mix in some beach boy type vocal harmonies and top it off with a thick layer of RUSH and YES.
Therein lies the problem though, because some of the songs on the album sound as though they are supposed to be heavier, it actually sounds as though the guitar effects are all wrong and need to be boosted up gut-wise significantly.
FOOL'S PARADISE and FRUITS OF LOVE are the two clear cut stand-outs of the disc.
Also deserving of a special mention is the track CRUSADERS. Not an amazing song or anything, it's just that it features an ass-kicker of a keyboard solo by none other than Jens Johansson of STRATOVARIUS fame, who just so happened to be at the studio on the day the song was being recorded and offered to bang a solo on.

All in all, this release actually comes across as a little bit of a mess, and of the guys that have created GEFF are hoping for some longevity there is a few issues that need to be taken care of.
But for now, LAND OF THE FREE is worth a listen, just be careful about spending your hard-earned for this one.

6.5/10

CONSTANCIA - LOST AND GONE

2009-07-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

From the beginning of this album, one thing is clear... These guys sure can write a good tune.
The band began When Keyboardist Mikael Rosengren got in touch with guitarist Janne Stark with a bunch of near-complete songs that he wanted to finish and record.
After realizing that they were a good writing team they decided to add drummer Peter Svensson from doom band FAITH. Last to join was ANDROMEDA vocalist David Fremberg, who had worked with Janne once before.

The sound has been described by members of the band as "Melogressive Metal", which probably isn't too far off the mark, but realistically CONSTANCIA can just be described as Heavy Melodic Rock" and don't sound too far off from what artists like JORN LANDE are doing at the moment.

As i said earlier, there is no denying that a majority of the songwriting on this album is excellent, with highlights such as FALLEN HERO, LITTLE BIG YOU and NO ONE LIKE YOU. The problem though, is it just doesn't feel like a real band effort and there a few samey songs that just seem there to fill the track list out.

LOST AND GONE is an enjoyable release for a few listens, but with so many top relaseses in the genre this year from artists such as JORN, PLACE VENDOME and even SAINT DEAMON, there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for this one.
Hopefully the guys stick together for another album, one they write together this time, as i think they do have the potential to be great, there just not quite there yet.

6.5/10

STRYPER - MURDER BY PRIDE

2009-07-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

Michael Sweet & Co. have been flying the flying the flag for Christian rock music since 1983, and have been one of the very few bands to have had as much success in the Christian charts as the regular charts.
After a string of hit albums between 1984 and 1990, the band went mute and vocalist MICHAEL SWEET began work on his solo career and also spent some time with classic rockers BOSTON.
In 2005 the band returned with the highly acclaimed album REBORN, an album that was loved by fans and did well to re-instate STRYPER as a force in rock music.
Now, four years later the band have given us MURDER BY PRIDE, an instantly classic STRYPER album that is easily as good as REBORN.
There are a couple of low points on the disc with THE PLAN and RUN IN YOU being forgettable and a bit filler-ish.
These low points though, are made up for with some very strong tracks like MURDER BY PRIDE, 4 LEAF CLOVER, MERCY OVER BLAME and a great cover of the BOSTON classic PEACE OF MIND which features a guest performance from TOM SCHOLZ (BOSTON).

MURDER BY PRIDE should easily please STRYPER fans and melodic music fans in general, and the Christian element isn't prominent enough to deter the casual listener.

8.5/10

OUTLOUD - WE'LL ROCK YOU TO HELL AND BACK

2009-07-16T03:48:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

OUTLOUD is the new band formed by TALON vocalist Chandler Mogel and FIREWIND guitarist Bob Katsionis. The music really is best described as in-between these two bands, It's a little heavier than TALON, and a little lighter than FIREWIND.
Part of the press release for this album states that the band are here to "ROCK YOUR FACE OFF!" and that sentiment is not far from the truth.

There is a real eighties mentality throughout this album but it still sounds current and fresh thanks in part to an excellent mix-down job by none other than Tommy Hansen from Denmark's JAILHOUSE STUDIOS.

With only two ballads, everything about this album screams rock 'n' roll, - From the band's name, to the awesome Marshall stack cover artwork, to songs with names like WE RUN, BREATHING THE FIRE, WILDLIFE and OUT IN THE NIGHT.
The two included ballads THIS BROKEN HEART and LOVESIGH are decent enough, but this group definitely sound better when they play the balls-out rock 'n' roll tunes.

If you liked TALON'S 2008 release FALLEN ANGELS (an R.I.R favourite) you will surely like this album. FIREWIND fans may need to be a bit more hesitant as there is not much here in the power metal vibe.
It's not an amazing album, but it's plenty of fun and worth a buy.

7/10

FIRENOTE - FIRENOTE

2009-07-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

(2009 - IVK Records)

FIRENOTE are a new Finnish melodic rock band along the line of BROTHER FIRETRIBE and H.E.A.T.
The most important thing to remember while listening to this album is that it is the bands debut release and it was only recorded lately.
These guys play pure eighties style melodic rock with no modern influences except for a quality beefy production.
It has taken five long years for FIRENOTE to release this album and if your a fan of this style of music you will agree it was worth the wait. Everything about the album is high quality, from the sweet sounding mega-riffs and kick-ass soloing, to the stunning gang backup vocals and a lead singer that seems a ready made superstar in the waiting.
Oddly enough, the opening track, also called FIRENOTE is probably the weakest point on the album. Don't be mistaken, the music in this track is great, but the lyrics are just a little bit too arrogant for a new band to be singing. DANGER is the first single and is sure to rise up the Finnish music charts. SARA LA FOUNTAIN is a song deicated to the celebrity of the same name.
SPEED FREAK reminds me a lot of AXXIS and motors along nicely. MY LOVE WILL NEVER DIE is the first ballad of the album and a definite high point. The next three tracks DON'T EVER FALL IN LOVE, LOVE ME OR LET ME LIVE and MAYDAY almost fall into filler territory but are saved by some great backup vocals and lead breaks. SUDDENLY is a perfect mix of melodic rock and AOR and is sure to be a favourite of many. HEARTBREAKER has a guitar riff that has been used many, many times in this scene but is still effective enough. The final track SHE STOLE MY SPEEDOS is honestly just plain shite. The music powers along like some mix of AXXIS and TNT, but the lyrics are just plain dumb and not at all funny as they were obviously meant to be.

All in all, if you've enjoyed bands like H.E.A.T, BROTHER FIRETRIBE and THE POODLES lately you will definitely enjoy most of the music here. Just turn it off before the last track starts as it really does spoil the rest of the album.
A great album bookended by two pretty ordinary songs.

7.5/10

MIND KEY - PULSE FOR A GRAVEHEART

2009-07-14T04:37:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

2004 saw the release of Mind Key's debut album 'Journey of a Rough Diamond' to mixed reviews.
Some said that it was too close to the DREAM THEATER sound and therefore unoriginal, and others complained that is wasn't prog enough to be called a progressive metal release.
The band must have listened to all of the criticism because they are back in 2009 with what will surely be one of the best Prog albums of the year.
The first improvement is in the production, which is taken over this time by none other than the almighty DENNIS WARD.
Another positive is the replacement of vocalist Mark Bassile (who left to front DGM) with new frontman Elido Fierro Jr.
Elido sounds a lot like one of rock musics best singers JORN LANDE, which further helps the band get close to the prog metal/melodic rock hybrid sound they were looking for.

Also of note are a few guest performances from some of rock's finest. TOM ENGLUND (Evergrey) duets with FIERRO on the awesome track GRAVEHEART. DEREK SHERENIAN (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper Band) busts out a massive keyboard solo on CITIZEN GREED and legendary guitarist REB BEACH (Winger, Whitesnake) lends his chops to NOW UNTIL FOREVER.

Of course no amount of guest stars can make an album good so luckily this is a very strong disc from start to finish and would still have been just as amazing without the extra help.

PULSE FOR A GRAVEHEART is definitely worth trying for any prog fans out there, and anyone that like the heavier side of melodic rock like JORN and EDEN'S CURSE.
Watch out for this to land in a lot of best of lists come year's end.

9/10

NATIVE WINDOW - NATIVE WINDOW

2009-07-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Star City Records)

In case you haven't heard of NATIVE WINDOW yet, the band is made up of all of the members of KANSAS minus vocalist Steve Walsh.
Truth be told, this project is a totally different beast than KANSAS and neither should be compared to each other. One thing this album has in spades is class. You can definitely tell this a bunch of songs written by seasoned muso's.

Most of the songs are along an acoustic-based, rootsy sound, with a very interesting use of a violin.
Opening track MONEY has a sound reminiscent of some of the slower Eagles stuff, and gives way for the first stand out track STILL WE GO ON, a great sounding song with a nice lyric and excellent harmony vocals. SURRENDER has a bit of a modern pop-rock vibe to it and motors along nicely. THE WAY YOU HAUNT ME is probably about the closest thing to a KANSAS song on the album. THE LIGHT OF DAY is another favourite and is a very minimalistic tune with a haunting melody. The next track BLOOD IN THE WATER is the first track that gets up and boogies a bit and reminds me of BAD COMPANY and if i listen hard enough i can just about hear PAUL RODGERS singing it. AN OCEAN AWAY has one of the best vocal deliveries of the album.
MISS ME could easily be electrified and beefed up a bit to be an AOR hit. GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS TOWN is the least appealing track of the album and seems to fall flat. Closing track THE MOMENT is a very upbeat, cheery song and a nice way to end the album.

The most surprising part of the album comes in hearing just how capable BILLY GREER is of fronting a band, his vocal delivery sounding energetic and inspired.

I am going to pick on one aspect of this release thoguh - The awful, amatuer attempt at a CD cover... I mean, it's really bad and is one of the worst i've seen in a long time.
Hopefully this isn't just a one album project, as i feel NATIVE WINDOW could come back next time with something even better, and hopefully a more appealing cover.
Recommended to KANSAS fans, and fans of well-written folk-tinged soft rock.

7.5/10

CRASH THE SYSTEM - THE CROWNING

2009-07-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers Records)

THE CROWNING is another project release from FRONTIERS RECORDS under the moniker of CRASH THE SYSTEM. There is a large number of people that contributed to this album and each one of them in their own right could be classed as champions of the melodic rock/melodic metal scene. Like most of the project releases created in the past few years, the vocal duties are split between multiple people - Goran Edman, Mats Levin, Thomas Vikstrom and Bjorn Jansson, who between them have been involved with artsits like Yngwie Malmsteen, Brazen Abbot, Candlemass, John Nurum, Infinite Mass and many more.

The sound is a mish-mash of AOR, Melodic Rock and Melodic Metal which for the most part works o.k but in itself brings a few problems. While sometimes a little variety can be good, there is no consistency on this album, a fact made worse by the multiple vocalist angle.
Most of the playing, songwriting and production on THE CROWNING is of a very high quality, except for third track I STILL BELIEVE IN LOVE, which seems underproduced compared to the rest of the songs.

There is a few good songs within the album, with ROLLING STONE, BROKEN GLASS and LOVE IS IN YOUR EYES being the stand-outs.

In closing, the lack of any sort of flow is what has ultimately let this release down. The whole multiple vocalist thing has been done to death in recent years with VOICES OF ROCK and THE LEC ZORN PROJECT being the only couple of releases i can remember actually succeeding with the style.
Also, even though there is a majority of people, myself included, that like AOR as much as they like MELODIC METAL, the two are better listened to seperatley and don't fit so well together on an album like this.
CRASH THE SYSTEM has the possibility to be something great in the near future, but the first step is to settle on a single vocalist so it feels more like a band.

6/10

FAIR WARNING - AURA

2009-07-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

Much has been said about FAIR WARNING'S failed comeback album of 2006 BROTHER'S KEEPER. It seemed by then that the band was out of ideas and had lost what made albums like RAINMAKER and FOUR melodic rock classics.
The lack of success from this album was seen as a sign that FAIR WARNING were all done and would disappear into obscurity.
Against everything that was in their way, the boys have come back in 2009 with a pretty decent album that easily surpasses BROTHER'S KEEPER and can almost sit comfortably alongside RAINMAKER.
Vocalist TOMMY HEART really does have the perfect voice for the tunes and re-instates his claim as one of Germany's top singers, and as per usual, master guitarist Helge Engelke puts in a stellar performance and really knows how to colour songs.

There is a couple of lesser quality songs on the disc, but most are very good with highlights being FIGHTING FOR YOUR LOVE, HEY GIRL, HOLDING ON and JUST ANOTHER PERFECT DAY. And a good mix of rockers and slower ballads ensures that listening to the album is always enjoyable.

AURA should go a long way to helping FAIR WARNING get back on the map, but with so much stiff competition coming from Germany these days, one can only hope that fans still have room for this great band, and hopefully the boys can keep up the return to form and release another strong album in a couple of years time.

8/10

CHEAP TRICK - THE LATEST

2009-07-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Cheap Trick Unlimited)

Before i start this review i would like to get one thing out the way - "I WANT YOU TO WANT ME" is one of the worst WORST W.O.R.S.T songs ever written and recorded.

O.K sow now that's out of the way let me also add that i have much respect for CHEAP TRICK and think they are one of the most important bands in USA rock history.

Whilst some periods of the trick's long career have been slightly patchy, they have more or less remained consistently great since their debut in 1977. The last time we heard from CHEAP TRICK was in 2006 with the return to form album ROCKFORD, and now three years later we have another stellar album which should be looked at as one of their best.

All of the signature styles are here, from the pure power-pop through to the beatles tinged melodies and more.
The album starts off with SLEEP FOREVER, which is a haunting tribute to a deceased friend of the band that just needed to be a bit longer (An unfortunate running theme throughout the album). WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT is a cover version of s SLADE song that the band has been playing with since the 70's and is definitely an album high point.
SICK MAN OF EUROPE is an interesting song that sounds like THE VINES or THE HIVES.
Another high point comes in the track MIRACLE with it's very Lennon-esque soundscape and great lyric. CALIFORNIA GIRL is an update of the song BAD LITTLE GIRL and motors along with a very rockabilly sound. EVERYBODY KNOWS is set to be a classic and is everything that CHEAP TRICK stand for rolled into a slightly modern sound. The album ends with another great slow song in SMILE which will leave you wanting more.

The only real negative thing to say about this album is that there are just too many songs that clock in at under three minutes and some of them just sound unfinished.
Apart from that though, everything else points to another CHEAP TRICK classic that fans and critics alike will fall in love with. Highly Recommended.

9/10

PAUL SHORTINO - CHASING MY DREAM

2009-07-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Metal Heaven)

Paul Shortino is another one of those vocalists from the Melodic Rock scene that never quite got the recognition he deserved. Sure he is well respected in the rock world, as is evident by the many projects he has been invloved with (ROUGH CUTT, QUIET RIOT and JK NORTHRUP to name but a few), but he is far from the household name that he deserves to be.
His voice is a mixture of DAVID COVERDALE'S bluesy rasp and JOE LYNN TURNER'S powerful melodic rock sound.
After a few years away from the scene SHORTINO has returned with a stunning album that sees the successfull collaboration of himself and industry slawart MICHAEL VOSS.
The album has a variation of slightly slower tracks, which see SHORTINO at his gravelly best, and a few heavy rockers that see the vocalist hit full flight.
MISSING is a great acoustic ballad and how can anyone deny a great lyric like "Woah, I'm Missing, But No-One's Missing Me"? SIDE FX is the heaviest track i have heard SHORTINO sing on and it's a great song which gives way to another highlight track ALONE THEY RIDE.
CHASING YOUR DREAM has a message we have all heard many times before, but never seems to get old. The next track GREAT DREAMER reminds me a lot of WHITESNAKE. Up next is the weakest song on the album - a cover of BONFIRE'S song TAKE MY HEART AND RUN, and the album would have been better as a whole without it. The last track PROMISES is a clear favourite of mine. A soulful piano ballad with dual vocals that has a timeless sound and feels like it could have been released alongside DAVID COVERDALE'S Northwinds album, but still doesn't sound aged.

The product as a whole probably suffers a little from too many different styles, but the bits that get it right are among the best you can expect to hear this year.
Hopefully from this release SHORTINO can gain a bit more fame and find his rightful place amongst rock music's elite vocalists.

8.5/10

ERUPTION - ALL SCREWED UP

2009-07-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Escape Records)

For a new band, ERUPTION sure have a long and winding back story. Italian born guitarist Santi Rigolizio moved to Australia to form a band and after having no luck breaking into the Aussie music scene relocated the newly formed outfit to the UK and finally after 3 countries and a large amount of line-up changes ERUPTION in it's current form was born.

The music is steeped in eighties hard rock values and there is quite a strong VAN HALEN vibe through a lot of the songs, very fitting for a group calling themselves ERUPTION.

For the most part, this a good debut release but is hindered by a few niggles that will keep it from being a great success. The main sore point here is vocalist Darren Grant who seems to struggle quite a bit with range and melody, and that alone spoils some of the greater moments of the disc.
Making up for the vocal problems is a whole heap of great riffs and an excellent guitar sound which shines through on the title track ALL SCREWED UP, which is easily the stand-out track.

All in all, ERUPTION'S debut for Escape Records is a fun listen and not taken too seriously, can be quite enjoyable.... But listen a little harder and the shortcomings become a little clearer and you will find Darren Grant's vocals get quite annoying before the end of the album.
If the boys from ERUPTION get themselves a new, better vocalist and do another record it could just be a bona-fide classic in the making.

6/10

LILLIAN AXE - SAD DAY ON PLANET EARTH

2009-07-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Blistering Records)

Oh boy..... I really didn't want to review this album for ROCK IN REVIEW because i fear of the backlash from LILLIAN AXE fans across the world.
The reason for this is simple - I really didn't like the album at all, and from what i've read elsewhere on the interwebs it would seem i'm not alone.

The first thing you will notice about the album is the interesting production style. Maybe it was the band not wanting to sound dated but to these ears it just sounds overall too muddy and there is no sharpness at all in the guitar sound.
A bad production can sometimes be forgiven as long as the songs are great but guess what, these songs are definitely NOT great. Most of the album sounds the same and 2nd album vocalist Derrek LeFevre seems to be very short on range and really doesn't have the right style voice for this style of music.

SAD DAY ON PLANET EARTH reminds me of the mid nineties when a lot of the great rock bands of the eighties tried to update their sound and ended up being irrelevant.
LILLIAN AXE have hung on for quite a while but have slowly but surely faded into mediocrity and sadly can now join some of my other favourite bands in the ALL FINISHED pile.

Obviously obsessive LILLIAN AXE fans will like this regardless of how ordinary it really is, but for anyone else i strongly advise you to steer clear and save yourself from hearing another great band dying.

SAD DAY ON PLANET EARTH, never has an album title been more apt.

3/10

ZO2 - CASINO LOGIC

2009-07-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Red Distribution)

Some of you may be more familiar with ZO2 as the band from the IFC comedy series "Z-Rock", a ten episode series which saw the band playing kids parties through the day to help pay the bills while attempting to be rockstars at night.
One would think that an album released by a bunch of guys from a comedy tv show would sound something along the lines of a SPINAL TAP album, but CASINO LOGIC couldn't be any further from that if it tried.
ZO2's sound can best be described as a mixture of Aerosmith, Rainbow, Black Crowes and Audioslave. This is a classic rock styled album with a modern production and some awesomely groovy riffs straight from the Audioslave school of guitar. Most of the cuts on offer here are of reasonably high quality and there is plenty of catchy choruses that will stick in your brain long after listening to it.
The problem herein is that there is a bit of a heard it all before feeling about half way through the tracklist. Affter a strong opening group of songs PAINTED LADY, I'M ALIVE, RED LINE HIGHWAY and SHOW ME, the album falls flat until final two tracks I'M STILL WAITING and INFINITY RISING.
It's not that anything on the album is bad, far from it. It's just that ZO2 have done this all before but better and seem a little uninspired in places.

In essence what we have here is a harmless and fun classic rock album that is worth a few spins but sadly grows old pretty quickly.

If you want the ultimate ZO2 experience look for their 2006 release "AIN'T IT BEAUTIFUL" which is their finest moment, and be sure to give their tv show "Z ROCK" a go as it really is a funny show and should be enjoyable to anyone into the rock 'n' roll lifestlye.

7.5/10

OPTIMYSTICAL - DISTANT ENCOUNTERS

2009-07-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Avenue Of Allies)

The name ROBIN VAGH will most likely be unfamiliar to some people, but that is all set to chance with his new project OPTIMYSTICAL. VAGH was first noticed in the rock scene with the debut release under the moniker of VAGH, called SANDS OF TIME.
OPTIMYSTICAL sees Vagh collaborating with musicians from various successful Swedish Melodic Rock bands.
As is the case with most releases in the melodic rock genre, the vocals are the difference between a good album and a great one, and i'm happy to say that previously unknown singer Ronnie Hagstedt has a very high quality voice that is reminiscent of David Coverdale and on a slightly lesser note Steve Lee from Gotthard.
The songs here are mostly of a high quality and are well written. SUNBURST IN THE MIDNIGHT is a great melodic rocker that is not too dissimilar to the style that melodic rock legend Joe Lynn Turner has been releasing over the last few years. OUTCAST is a favourite and has an almost DIO feel to the rhythm and is actually one of two songs on the album sung by Jonas Blum of POLE POSITION and MAJESTIC fame.
I GO BLIND is a catchy song that motors along in that perfect AOR timing and in a perfect world would be a radio hit.

Admittedly not all is well with this release. The production seems to let this one down a fair bit, and it's hard to concentrate on the songs when the drums sound like cardboard boxes and the snare sounds like the bottom skin has a crack in it.

Don't expect to be blown away by this one, but it is quite a nice release and hopfeully a stepping stone for another OPTIMYSTICAL album, this time with a better production and maybe a big power ballad somewhere in the track listing.

7/10

TAZ TAYLOR BAND - STRAIGHT UP

2009-07-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Escape Music)

Taz Taylor is a Birmingham born guitarist who grew up listening to a healthy mix of Gary Moore, Randy Rhodes, Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore and Eddie Van Halen.
The first album under the TTB moniker was released in 2006 and was a bit of a surprise hit, mainly due to the ever amazing of vocalist Graham Bonnet.
2009 sees the second TTB release STRAIGHT UP. Bonnet is not present this time around and is replaced by another well respected frontman in KEITH SLACK (MSG, STEELHOUSE LANE). SLACK has a vocal delivery in a similar style to the one and only DAVID COVERDALE, but just not quite as good.
The musical styling of the album is towards the classic sound of bands like RAINBOW, THIN LIZZY and WHITESNAKE, and thereis quite a few catchy tracks that will feature in some best of lists come years end. ONE MORE NIGHT is the first stand out track and sees vocalist KEITH SLACK sounding very much like latter day COVERDALE and has a great classic rock sound. The next highlight comes a few songs later with IN HARMS WAY, a song that could have been written by WHITESNAKE circa late-70's.
There is a couple of pure filler tracks toward the end of the album until the lead out song STRAIGHT UP, an instrumental track where TAYLOR gets to let loose on the lead guitar.

The biggest gripe i have with this album actually concers TAZ TAYLOR himself.... During the album TAZ's guitar ability is evident and he shows that he can shred with the best of them, it's just that sometimes the lead breaks sound incohesive to the song they are accompanying and seem to be there more for show than anything, and there is a couple of lead breaks that are actually out of time with the song.

Apart from this though, STRAIGHT UP is a pretty decent album for the classic rock fans out there, and another fill-in album for all the COVERDALE fans. Good , but not great.

7/10

DREAM THEATER - BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

2009-07-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Roadrunner Records)

DREAM THEATER are one of those bands with as many haters as fans and lately it seems to have become cool to pick on the band and pick on vocalist James Labrie. This is an interesting revelation for me as i really cannot see any decent reason to not like, or at the very least, respect them.
2007 saw DT joining with new label Roadrunner Records and releasing the amazing SYSTEMATIC CHAOS, followed by a very successful world tour. Now only two years later we have the next opus in the precious catalog of one of prog metal's finest discoveries.
The musicianship throughout BLACK CLOUDS is stellar as per usual and with only six tracks covering the 75 minute running time you can be sure that there will be some great masterpieces within.
The album opens with A NIGHTMARE TO REMEMBER and has a haunting lyric about a very serious car crash that John Petrucci was in as a child. This track is destined to be a DREAM THEATER classic and is probably the strongest song on the album. The second track A RITE OF PASSAGE is among the most commercial material the band have ever written and ROADRUNNER have released this song as a single, but it's still a very progressive song with a catchy chorus that almost sounds like it could have been from METALLICA'S LOAD/ReLOAD sessions (don't let that deter you, it's still an awesome chorus and a great song). WITHER is an interestingly written song about writer's block and is the shortest song on the album, clocking in at 5:25, and is one of the shortest songs the band has ever written. Up next is the final part in Mike Portnoy's 12-Step suite, THE SHATTERED FORTRESS. This is a fun song for a DT fan as it re-alligns itself with previous parts of the suite from earlier albums and uses some riffs and hooks that will be familiar. THE BEST OF TIMES is a song written by MIKE PORTNOY as a tribute to his father, who had recently passed away from cancer and is a very touching track with some great classical sounding parts. The final track THE COUNT OF TUSCANNY is a highlight and a great way to close the album, the lyrics can leave a bit to be desired, but the music here is a perfect blend of the newer, heavier DT sound and their older rock-tinged sound.

I do have one gripe with the album, and from what i hear, is the same thing a lot of other people have been saying..... who in the hell told Mike Portnoy he could sing???? Honestly, his pointless and ridiculous sounding vocal conrtibution forced me to change the overall result of this review, as i feel that a band as musically clever as DT, they should have been able to hear how bad this was and remove it from the final mix. Sorry Mike, but remember, you have one of the finest prog vocalists in James Labrie fronting your band, leave the vocals to him next time.

Overall, this is a great album and will be a perfect fit for anyone that liked SYSTEMATIC CHAOS, and if you can get over the Portnoy vocals, there is some excellent music to be found within.

8.5/10

LOU GRAMM BAND - LOU GRAMM BAND

2009-06-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers)

Hmmm..... Where to start with this one?
LOU GRAMM, one of the most important rock singers in history, and responsible for 20 hit singles across his time with FOREIGNER and SHADOWKING and solo material has been away from the music biz for quite some time now battling and successfully overcoming a life threatening brain tumor. In that time LOU has unfortunately turned into a born again christian.
I will not get into my views and opinons on religion here, suffice to say i find preachy music to be very annoying.
As has been widely stated already, GRAMM'S voice is definitely very different from his heyday and there is very few great vocal moments on this album.
While there are many christian rock bands i can stomach, the preaching comes hard & heavy throughout most of the songs here and destroys any chance of listeing to them as a cohesive rock album.
I won't do a track highlight as i genuinely cannot find a song here that i actually like. What i will say is that it's nice to have LOU back in the rock world and i wish him all the best in whatever he wants to do, but as a music fan i can only hope that this album got the preaching out of his system so he can come back with a real, proper LOU GRAMM record and blow me away.
Maybe next time hey?

3/10

JORN - SPIRIT BLACK

2009-06-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers)

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat.... JORNE LANDE is one of this generations mightiest rock vocalists and anything with his name on it is worthy of a purchase.
That being said, now we can begin reviewing his current platter of tunes called SPIRIT BLACK.
It seems like only yesterday the talk was all about his amazing 2008 album LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, which i personally feel to be JORN'S finest moment. SPIRIT BLACK falls a little short of it's predecessor but still has the potential to be on everyone's best of lists come year's end.
The music here is more of the same and thankfully there are no surprises here, just JORN doing what he does best - a perfect blend of DIO and DAVID COVERDALE, singing basic hard rock tunes that stick in your head a long time after listening to them.
Opening track SPIRIT BLACK is pure JORN and is a perfect intro for the album. The next track BELOW is a clear stand-out and the chorus will suck you in and glue itself into your brain. Other higlights are CITY INBETWEEN, ROCK N ROLL ANGEL and ROAD OF THE CROSS. BURN YOUR FLAME sees JORN doing his best pure COVERDALE styled vocal and the song could easily fit alongside just about any post 1984 WHITESNAKE album with ease.
The short track listing of a paltry nine songs seems a little weak in this day and age, and there really should have been two or three more.
As usual with a JORN album, the production is flawless and TOMMY HANSEN puts in another stellar effort with the trademark chunky guitar sound he is known so well for.
Definitely a great album, slightly overshadowed by LONELY ARE THE BRAVE.

7.5/10

MAGNUM - INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING

2009-06-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

(2009 - SPV/Steamhammer)

The first thing you may notice about MAGNUM'S new album INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING is the stunning fantasy-themed cover art by RODNEY MATTHEWS. MATTHEWS has done the cover art for quite a few MAGNUM releases in the past, and he is just as much a part of the complete MAGNUM package as anyone else.
BOB CATLEY and the boys very rarely disappoint and their slightly prog-tinged AOR sound is a breath of fresh air in a scene flooded with inerchangable, similar sounding bands.
Cheif songwriter and guitarist TONY CLARKIN has written yet another bunch of excellent tunes that fit perfectly in the MAGNUM mould and shows that some things do improve with age.
Very few bands can boast about releasing fourteen albums, and even fewer can boast about releasing fourteen good albums. Sure there have been some weaker moments in the MAGNUM timeline, but between this and 2007's flawless PRINCESS ALICE AND THE BROKEN ARROW, surely they have more than made up for it.
After the typical minute-and-a-half intro that has plagued music for the last few years, CRY TO YOURSELF is instantly recognisable as a MAGNUM song and sets the tone for the next few tracks until the pace slows a little for the excellent bluesy sound of MOON KING. NO ONE KNOWS HIS NAME is a stand-out favourite and possibly one of the best songs CLARKIN has written in a decade or so. There is a few slower, ballad style songs on the latter half of the album with A FACE IN THE CROWD and TIME TO CROSS THAT RIVER being another couple of classic sounding MAGNUM tunes that will be reverred by fans. The album end interestingly with what is the most straight-up rocker of the album BLOOD ON YOUR BARBED WIRE THORNS which starts with a very AC/DC souding rhythm riff.
If i have any complaints at all it would be that the production seemed a bit too muddy and could have been cleaned up a little and had a bit more treble added. A very small complaint for an otherwise excellent latter-day release by one of rock music's legendary bands.

Fans of MAGNUM are in for a treat here yet again, and the album can also be recommended to anyone that is curious about prog rock without having stray too far away from their rock roots.

8.5

SAINT DEAMON - PANDEAMONIUM

2009-06-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers)

The debut album from SAINT DEAMON was released last year and was received very warmly by metal fans and reviewers alike. PANDEAMONIUM is the band's follow up release, and coming so soon after the first, this could have been the typical second-album slump that seems to plague most artists. Gladly though, this is at minimum on par with IN SHADOWS LOST FROM THE BRAVE, or if not better.
The SAINT DEAMON sound has been perfectly crafted to bridge between Melodic Rock and Melodic Metal, and having two of the world's premiere metal producers (ROY Z and GENS BOGRAN) ensures that the production quality is very high.
Influence-wise, there is definitely a nod or two to HELLOWEEN and on a lesser note PRIMAL FEAR, but SAINT DEAMON do have a unique enough sound to stand on their own.
Vocallist JAN THORE GREFSTAD (ex-HIGHLAND GLORY) seems to have an endless range and has a perfect high register that still sounds like singing rather that screaming, and the band make sure he has plenty to sound good on as the songwriting this time around is excellent.

Highlight Tracks would be DECEPTION, PANDEAMONIUM and the very power metal-esque OCEANS OF GLORY. But there really is no weak songs to be found, and at ten tracks long SAINT DEAMON show us that sometimes less is more.
Yet another top-shelf release from the ever-growing juggernaut that is FRONTIERS RECORDS, and an essential purchase for any melodic metal fans.

9/10

CHICKENFOOT - CHICKENFOOT

2009-06-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Ear Records)

CHICKENFOOT began in Mexico at SAMMY HAGAR'S 'Cabo Wabo Cantina' club where the four members (SAMMY HAGAR, MICHAEL ANTHONY, JOE SATRIANI and CHAD SMITH) would get together to jam for fun until they decided that what they where playing was worth being a bit more serious about.
'Supergroup' is a bit of a dirty word in rock circles as most of the time these acts can never live up to the expectations people have set for them. The last sucessful Supergroup was AUDIOSLAVE and it took them 3 albums until a release worthy of it's members namesakes.
Well, if CHICKENFOOT sound this good on a debut album, the prospect of what they could achieve in the future is very exciting indeed. HAGAR hasn't sounded this inspired in years and it's nice to have his voice back in the rock world after some interesting career moves that left die hard fans scratching their heads. SATRIANI has long commented on his desire to play in a band rather than solo, and finally he has found a group that he can fit into and still shine at the same time. CHAD SMITH would surely have to be this generations finest drummer and fits the mould here perfectly along with ex-VAN HALEN bassist MICHAEL ANTHONY.

Whilst there is moment's throughout the album where the individual baackgrounds are prominent, for the most part CHICKENFOOT have managed to mould their influences into a somewhat unique sounding band that is best described as pure R.O.C.K.

Opeing track AVENIDA REVOLUTION is surprisingly the weakest of the bunch and can't finish quick enough so that the real fun can begin. SOAP ON A ROPE, SEXY LITTLE THING and OH YEAH are pure rockers and among the best songs of the year so far. RUNNIN' OUT is a very AEROSMITH sounding song. A few trakcs later we get a SAMMY special with excellent ballad LEARNING TO FALL that could have almost come from the writing sessions of DAVID COVERDALE'S NORTHWINDS album.

All in all, if you like your music rocky, CHICKENFOOT will blow you away with what is probably the best pure rock album of the last few years, and if you are a fan of any of the individual member's other projects you will find much to enjoy here also. Essential!

9/10

THE POODLES - CLASH OF THE ELEMENTS

2009-06-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Rose-hip Alley Records)

Swedish melodic rockers THE POODLES have been very busy since the release of their highly acclaimed debut METAL WILL STAND TALL in 2006. Between then and now they have played countless sold-out shows across Europe and beyond, entered in the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST, recorded a 2nd album SWEET TRADE and also being asked to record the official Swedish theme song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and now recording and releasing album number three CLASH OF THE ELEMENTS.
Founding guitarist PONTUS NORGREN left the ranks to join HAMMERFALL and was replaced quickly by HENRIK BERGQVIST who was the guitarist the band originally had in mind back in 2005 but was unavailable at the time due to other commitments.
THE POODLES also left their label LIONHEART to start their own label ROSE-HIP ALLEY RECORDS and got legendary producer-mixer MIKE FRAZER in behind the desk.

Musically, the sound of CLASH OF THE ELEMENTS sits closer to the debut that SWEET TRADE and production-wise the band has never sounded better. There is a good mix of rockers and ballads and in typical POODLES fashion everything is big and over the top, bordering on pomp but never quite crossing the line. ONE OUT OF TEN is the first single off the album and finds vocalist JAKOB SAMUEL sounding a lot like AXL ROSE before he turned into an old, bitter crazy person. The AXL similarities are prevalent throughout the rest of the album, as are some slight LED ZEPPELIN sounding passages. Heck, the song 7 DAYS AND 7 NIGHTS could have easily been a GNR song and is better than anything from CHINESE DEMOCRACY.

Other highlights include TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING, NO TOMORROW, I RULE THE NIGHT and DREAM TO FOLLOW.
The last half of the album suffers from a few fillers and one feels this album could have been cut down to a ten or eleven tracker and been a stronger release because of it.
CLASH OF THE ELEMENTS is a safe bet for anyone into THE POODLES other two releases and i strongly urge any GNR fan that didn't like CHINESE DEMOCRACY to seek this one out even if only for the track 7 DAYS 7 NIGHTS.

8/10

PRIMAL FEAR - 16.6 (BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD)

2009-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

(2009 - frontiers)

With their 2007 album NEW RELIGION, PRIMAL FEAR attempted a crossover with their sound to gather a larger following by leaning more toward MELODIC METAL. This move alienated a fair amount of die-hard POWER METAL fans that weren't that interested in the more melodic nature of the band.
With 16.6 they have successfully bridged the gap between POWER and MELODIC metal and should regain any lost fans.
The recipe is simple enough - Big riffs, melodic soaring vocals and songs about eagles and devils, but the album works so well because of the polish and execution.
16.6 opens with the seemingly obligatory 50-second intro before getting into proper album opener RIDING THE EAGLE, a song set to be a PRIMAL FEAR classic and one of the best songs they have ever written. SIX TIMES DEAD will be a live favourite and is the perfect song for a fist-pumping sing-a-long. BLACK RAIN starts with a sitar that gives way to one of the best tracks on the album before a grouping of typical sounding power metal tracks until SMITH &WESSON which is the heaviest song of the album. THE EXORCIST is next and sees PRIMAL FEAR upping the speed and double-kick drum. 16.6 closes with a disappointing ballad HANDS OF TIME which is easily the weakest song on the album.

PRIMAL FEAR fans new and old will be sure to enjoy 16.6, and any ex-fans put off by NEW RELIGION need to give the band another shot.

8.5/10

UFO - THE VISITOR

2009-06-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Steamhammer)

The UFO boys have celebrated their 40th anniversary in style by releasing their 20th studio album THE VISITOR. The last few proper releases from the band have had very mixed reviews

and i can foresee this album being the same.
It is a great album of classic-rock styled songs, but die-hard fans won't appreciate the tendency to lean toward the blues throughout the albums 10 tracks.
A highlight of UFO has always been charismatic front man PHIL MOGG, and i'm happy to say he sounds as good as ever here and the lyrics for the most part are well written as is usually expected from MOGG. On guitar for the third time is VINNIE MOORE, who replaced SCHENKER back in 2003, and he is in fine form with trademark phat guitar sound and well-placed lead licks.

The album starts with a bang and when SAVING ME kicks in to the main riff you know you're in for an awesome ride. The album continues the trend of hard edged blues rock until the middle, where a couple of tracks ROCK READY and LIVING PROOF seem to halt the flow and serve as pure filler. Thankfully this only lasts for the to songs and then where back into the good stuff.
FORSAKEN could have been a great ballad except for the annoying country music sounding slides that are scattered throughout, and then we have two pure rockers in the form of VILLIANS AND THIEVES and STRANGER IN TOWN to end proceedings.

Fans of UFO's post-2000 material will enjoy this album, and anyone that misses bands like BAD COMPANY should check it out too.

8/10

TIM "RIPPER" OWENS - PLAY MY GAME

2009-06-10T07:06:00.001-07:00

(2009 - SPV/ Steamhammer)

Tim "Ripper' Owens has had a roller-coaster ride up and down rock stardom since being plucked out of obscurity in 1996 to front the then HALFORD-less JUDAS PRIEST (The very event that inspired the Mark Whalberg flick ROCK STAR).
Owens released two albums with JP and from there went on to front legendary power-metallers ICED EARTH and become the voice for YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.
Now we get a debut solo release from T'R'O which features a bevvy of metal and rock guest stars including DOUG ALDRITCH, STEVE STEVENS and BILLY SHEEHAN.
PLAY MY GAME serves as a great reminder that T'R'O has one of the finest metal voices in history (sounding like a mix between DIO, OZZY, DICKINSON and HALFORD) , but for mine he needs to use this to jump start an all-new band as the different guest songwriters on this album make it hard to listen to as a cohesive effort. It's not that any of the songs are bad, quite the contrary actually, it's just that there is no flow.

The highlight track for me was THE COVER UP, which starts with a fake emergency broadcast announcing that aliens are here on earth and then hammers into a song filled with space-rock styled lyrics and kick-ass riffage. BELIEVE, THE SHADOWS ARE ALIVE and THE LIGHT are all great songs and remind me of DIO a lot. There is a couple of filler tracks scattered through the middle of album and it probably could have been cut down to a 10 tracker without much pain.

If you are a DIO fan this album could be worth a purchase, but with the great HEAVEN AND HELL release already this year maybe DIO fans are already satisfied. Most people into the more traditional side of metal will enjoy this album and will have a greater respect for TIM "RIPPER" OWENS by the end of the first listen.

6.5/10

ALESTORM - BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT

2009-06-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Napalm Records)

The first thing you will notice when listening to the new ALESTORM album BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT, is the fact that the band have tried to add some new elements into their sound.
Whilst this works in some instances, more often than not it doesn't, and the fact is that the best tracks on this album are ones that would have fit right alongside the first album CAPTAIN MORGAN'S REVENGE.
ALESTORM sound their best when they don't take themselves too seriously, and songs like the excellent FAMOUS OLD SPICE, KEELHAULED and PIRATE SONG show this strength. Other songs like TO THE END OF OUR DAYS and CHRONICLES OF VENGEANCE are a different affair and find the band a little out of their depth.
The album finishes on a high note ith a cover of a song called WOLVES OF THE SEA, a song originally entered into the eurovision competition by Latvian ensemble PIRATES OF THE SEA.
Upon listening to this song you could swear that it was written just for ALESTORM and it shows to be a great cover version.

With the addition of a few more instruments and the introduction of a more serious side, the bands sound is more refined towards the folk metal scale and fans of TURISAS who are curious about ALESTORM will immediately find something to like here.

If you liked the debut album there is enough good stuff here to warrant a purchase, just don't expect it to be quite as good, and if you didn't like the debut album, nothing on this release will change your mind about ALESTORM. Hopefully album number three will be filled with more grog-swilling sea shantys and the serious side of the band stays well away.

7/10

HARDLINE - LEAVING THE END OPEN

2009-05-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers)

When listening to and reviewing new albums i have always tried to not compare them to previous releases by that particular band. Usually this is not too hard to do, but with a band like HARDLINE who's 1992 debut DOUBLE ECLIPSE is regarded as one of the best records in the genre, it's very hard.
LEAVING THE END OPEN is a mixture in sound between the stellar DOUBLE ECLIPSE and their average-at-best second album II, with a fairly modern mindset.
As usual vocalist JOHNNY GIOELI is in fine form and is aided by a top-notch production.
The album starts with VOICES, a very melodic song with a great chorus. FALLING FREE has a very modern, contemporary sound but still has plenty of melody. START AGAIN is the first stand-out track and is classic HARDLINE. The next track is PIECES OF PUZZLES and is a very modern sounding rock track with a great chorus hook. BITTERSWEET is a slower affair and has some great guitar sounds. SHE SLEEPS IN MADNESS is a heavier, down-tuned song which sounds more like the band FUEL but is definitely worth a listen before settling back down for the piano driven ballad IN THIS MOMENT, in which JOHNNY GIOELI reminds us just how good a singer he is. GIVE IN TO LOVE is another modern, heavier song wich some die-hard fans won't enjoy. BEFORE THIS returns the album back to a more AOR sound and is a definite high-point. HOLE IN MY HEAD is the perfect blend of classic HARDLINE and modern HARDLINE.
Ending the album is LEAVING THE END OPEN , a great ballad and a reminder that the classic AOR sound is what they do best.

This album ranks somewhere inbetween DOUBLE ECLIPSE and II, and isn't an instant grabber.
Recommended to anyone that likes JOHNNY GIOLELI'S voice, but keep in mind it may take a handful of listens before you get the feel of it.

7.5/10

HAMMERFALL - NO SACRIFICE, NO VICTORY

2009-05-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Nuclear Blast)

It's been three years since HAMMERFALL released the excellent album THRESHOLD in 2006.
Since then they have given us a covers album, a compilation album and a documentary DVD.
There has also been a bit of a re-shuffling in the band with two new members Fredrik Larsson and Pontus Norgren. With the new members their is a bit of a change in sound, but fear not as this is pure HAMMERFALL all the way through.
The album opens with ANY MEANS NECESSARY , an awsome starter with everything a HAMMERFALL fan could want. LIFE IS NOW is your typical power metal fare about "livin' the life" etc... but is still a fun track which gives way to PUNISH AND ENSLAVE, which chugs along just as good swedish power metal should. Next track LEGION is surely set to be a HAMMERFALL classic and is a definite high point. Half way through and the pace slows for the obligotry ballad BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, which is a great song but lacks a big guitar solo that would have made it even better. Back on track now with HALLOWED BE THY NAME, another highlight songs with an energetic, pounding riff. SOMETHING FOR THE AGES is an instrumental track where new lead guitarist Pontus Norgren gets a chance to show his chops, this track was very enjoyable. the title track NO SACRIFICE, NO VICTORY is next and another song that will please even the hardest of HAMMERFALL'S fans. As is typical of the bands previous releases the next song has the word hammer in the title, BRING THE HAMMER DOWN. ONE OF A KIND is the fastest track on the album and a pure double-kicker power metal anthem. The album closes dissapointingly though with a average-at-best cover of THE KNACK'S "MY SHARONA". After 2008's covers compilation MASTERPIECES, there is no need for an 11 track album to finish on a cover song.

Power metal fans, you know what to expect from HAMMERFALL by now, this a high-quality release and is easily recommended. Never mind the cover song thrown on the end, tracks 1 through 10 are all above average and worthy of a purchase.

8.5/10

R.I.R TOP 100 OF 2008

2009-05-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here it it folks.... R.I.R's top 100 albums of 2008. I know it's already half way through 2009 but these things take time to make.
Without further ado , here they are ranked from lowest score to highest.

100.KARMAKANIK - WHO'S THE BOSS OF THE FACTORY
99.PLEASURE MAKER - TWISTED DESIRE
98.DRAGONFORCE - ULTRA BEATDOWN
97.GUNS 'N ROSES - CHINESE DEMOCRACY
96.PRESTO BALLET - THE LOST ART OF TIME TRAVEL
95.EDGUY - TINNITUS SANCTUS
94.HARDREAMS - THE ROAD GOES ON...
93.MOTORHEAD - MOTORIZER
92.FAITH CIRCUS - FAITH CIRCUS
91.BLAZE - THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT DIE
90.GLENN HUGHES - FIRST UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR KITCHEN
89.RAMOS/HUGO - THE DREAM
88.BULLET - BITE THE BULLET
87.BLACK STONE CHERRY - FOLKLORE AND SUPERSTITION
86.TYGERS OF PAN TANG - ANIMAL INSTINCT
85.DRIVER - SONS OF THUNDER
84.BIG COCK - MOTHERLOAD
83.CRYSTALLION - HATTIN
82.ASIA - PHOENIX
81.ELEVENER - WHEN KALEIDOSCOPES COLLIDE
80.THE KEITH REED PROJECT - THE COMMON THREAD
79.DEF LEPPARD - SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE
78.MAD MAX - HERE WE ARE
77.M.ILL.ION - THRILL OF THE CHASE
76.THE BLACK CROWES - WARPAINT
75.JON OLIVA'S PAIN - GLOBAL WARNING
74.ALKEMYST - THROUGH PAINFUL LANES
73.DARK SKY - EMPTY FACES
72.VALENTINE - SOUL SALVATION
71.CIRCLE II CIRCLE - DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR
70.CLOUDSCAPE - GLOBAL DRAMA
69.POLEY/RIVERA - ONLY HUMAN
68.NAZARETH - THE NEWZ
67.ALIBI - VOICE OF REASON
66.PLEASURE DOME - FOR YOUR PERSONAL AMUSEMEMNT
65.HINDER - TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
64.OLIVER WEERS - GET READY
63.GYPSY ROSE - ANOTHER WORLD
62.SERENITY - FALLEN SANCTUARY
61.BONFIRE - THE RAUBER
60.EVERON - NORTH
59.NICKELBACK - DARK HORSE
58.THE QUIREBOYS - HOMEWRECKERS AND HEARTBREAKERS
57.DOKKEN - LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN
56.OVERLAND - BREAK AWAY
55.JUDAS PRIEST - NOSTRADAMUS
54.REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE - NEW ERA
53.LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM - HUNTING SHADOWS
52.MYLAND - NO MAN'S LAND
51.THUNDER - BANG!
50.FROZEN RAIN - FROZEN RAIN
49.ALMAH - FRAGILE EQUALITY
48.HONEYMOON SUITE - CLIFTON HILL
47.SAINTS OF THE UNDERGROUND - LOVE THE SIN, HATE THE SINNER
46.CHINA BLUE - TWILIGHT OF DESTINY
45.STONE GODS - SILVER SPOONS AND BROKEN BONES
44.PENDRAGON - PURE
43.TESTAMENT - THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION
42.EDEN'S CURSE - THE SECOND COMING
41.DREAMTIDE - DREAM AND DELIVER
40.CROWN OF THORNS - FAITH
39.DISTURBED - INDESTRUCTIBLE
38.STARBREAKER - LOVE'S DYING WISH
37.ALLIANCE - THE ROAD TO HEAVEN
36.HAREM SCAREM - HOPE
35.WHITE LION - RETURN OF THE PRIDE
34.TALON - FALLEN ANGELS
33.WORK OF ART - ARTWORK
32.BUCKCHERRY - BLACK BUTTERFLY
31.SAINT DEAMON - IN SHADOWS LOST BROM THE BRAVE
30.LEVERAGE - BLIND FIRE
29.URIAH HEEP - WAKE THE SLEEPER
28.MOTLEY CRUE - SAINTS OF LOS ANGELES
27.IT BITES - THE TALL SHIPS
26.BOB CATLEY - IMMORTAL
25.KHYMERA - THE GREATEST WONDER
24.METALLICA - DEATH MAGNETIC
23.STEVE LUKATHER - EVER CHANGIN' TIMES
22.HUNGRYHEART - HUNGRYHEART
21.ECLIPSE - ARE YOU READY TO ROCK
20.ALESTORM - CAPTAIN MORGAN'S REVENGE
19.AXEL RUDI PELL - TALES OF THE CROWN
18.ROBERT BERRY - THE DIVIDING LINE
17.JORN - LONELY ARE THE BRAVE
16.MARCELLO/VESTRY - MARCELLO/VESTRY
15.FIREWIND - THE PREMONITION
14.MICHAEL BORMANN - CAPTURE THE MOMENT
13. AYREON - 01011001
12.BROTHER FORETRIBE - HEART FULL OF FIRE
11.HOUSE OF LORDS - COME TO MY KINGDOM
10.TESLA - FOREVER MORE
09.AVANTASIA - THE SCARECROW
08.H.E.A.T - H.E.A.T
07.FROM THE INSIDE - VISIONS
06.SHADOWMAN - GHOST IN THE MIRROR
05.JOURNEY - REVELATION
04.WHITESNAKE - GOOD TO BE BAD
03.SEVENTH WONDER - MERCY FALLS
02.JIMI JAMISON - CROSSROADS MOMENT
01.AC/DC - BLACK ICE

2008 was a great year for rock & metal music with some great new bands and some old hats releasing awesome comeback albums, there was plenty to listen to...... Roll on 2009........

So there you have it........ agree? disagree? discuss below in comments! ;-)

SUNSTORM - HOUSE OF DREAMS

2009-05-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

(2009 - Frontiers)

Vocalist JOE LYNN TURNER would surely have to be know as one the most important people in the ongoing fight to keep AOR and MELODIC ROCK music relevant and exciting. HOUSE OF DREAMS is the second release for JLT under the SUNSTORM moniker, and after the 2006 debut this album had a lot to live up to.
Thankfully JLT and the awesome songwriters involved were up to the task and have released another absolute classic that any AOR fan will be proud to have in their collection.
The album opens with DIVIDED, a surefire melodic classic in the making and the perfect way to begin. Next up is DON'T GIVE UP which even the title sounds like something straight from the eighties, excellent feel-good song. THE SPIRIT INSIDE keeps the feel-good vibe going, and leads perfectly into the next track I FOUND LOVE. SAY YOU WILL is next and is one of the best ballads i've heard since FAITHFUL HEART by PRIDE OF LIONS in 2007. Bringing the pace back is pure rocker GUTTERS OF GOLD, written by JIM PETERIK. Another ballad follows in SAVE A PLACE IN YOUR HEART, which once again sees JLT finding the soul in his voice. FOREVER NOW has a great riff and standout backup vocals. TEARS ON THE PAGES sounds like it could have been on JIMI JAMESON'S 2008 release CROSSROADS MOMENT. Title track HOUSE OF DREAMS has the typical feel of a JLT song and motors along quite nicely. The disc ends with another highlight in WALK ON, a song made famous (in AUSTRALIA at least) by Aussie legend JIMMY BARNES even though JLT originally co-wrote the track with DESMOND CHILD.

2 albums in and the SUNSTORM project seems to be gathering momentum with no sign of slowing down. All we can hope now is JLT puts a live band together to tour these songs.
If you're a JLT fan you can confidently buy this one blindfolded. for everyone else, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try as it will be in most AOR fans top 10 of 2009 by the year's end.

9.5/10

JOHNNY LIMA - LIVIN' OUT LOUD

2009-05-18T23:47:00.001-07:00

(2009 - Shock Pop)

After spending some time behind the desk producing bands like DIRTY PENNY, DIAMOND LANE, MISS CRAZY and FREAKSHOW, Lima has released what may just be his finest album.
"LIVIN' OUT LOUD" has an overall harder edge to it than the rest of Lima's releases and the sleezier sound suits his voice perfectly.
The album opens with the rockin' track ALL I WANNA DO IS YOU which sets the tone of the album perfectly with it's sleazy mish mash of early BON JOVI and EARLY DEF LEPPARD.
Next up is the best track on the album WILDFLOWER, which reminds of DR. FEELGOOD era MOTLEY CRUE.
HATE TO LOVE YOU is next and chugs along with an awesome guitar riff, which leads into next track I'M ON FIRE, another catchy radio-ready gem. The pace slows here with SOMEBODY TO LOVE, but quickly speeds back up with the BON-JOVI styled CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
GIVE ME SOME ROCK SO I CAN ROLL is the first weak point on the album, the message is good but the execution not so good.Next up is the title track LIVIN' OUT LOUD, which starts with a riff that reminds me of AC/DC's BALLBREAKER but then heads in a more sleaze rock direction. Another change of pace with STILL WAITING FOR YOU which could almost be a MATCHBOX 20 song. LONG WAY DOWN brings the album back to where it started with an awesome riff and a multitude of backing vocal overdubs. HARD TO SAY GOODBYE starts with a big synth sound and is another radio friendly rocker. The album is rounded out with 'TIL LOVE IS GONE which is the most modern sounding song on the album.

All in all LIVIN' OUT LOUD is easy to recommend to any fans of the bands listed above, and anyone that still likes their music 80's sounding and sleazy.

8.5/10

WELCOME TO ROCK IN REVIEW

2009-05-18T23:16:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to the all new ROCK IN REVIEW. You will find here expert reviews of new album releases ranging from AOR through to METAL. Basically anything with a certain degree of catchiness to it will be eligible for reviewing.
If you are interested in having your band reviewed here, please send any relevant information to ............. We will accept unsigned bands as long as you are willing to send demos and press kits to us. (In Australia).

Cheers.......

ZEEZEE