HOT NEW REVIEWS

UPDATED April 10, 2019

A Flock Of Seagulls with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra  'Ascension' (August Day Recordings)
 
Once there was a time when the band A Flock of Seagulls was very popular and scoring hits. It was the time of the good old early 1980s when this British band stormed the charts with countless songs. Many similar bands started their 1980s journey in that period, which was the aftermath of Punkrock. The music of A Flock Of Seagulls fitted somewhere between Powerpop and Punkrock, with synths added and melodic americanized choruses. A Flock Of Seagulls had U2 ish guitars, The Cure ish songs and melodies in the classic early 80s US Powerpopstyle, but actually they sorta created their own sound, as mentioned bands were not even that popular yet around 1980-1981. Most of the people will call the band New Wave now, but actually A Flock Of Seagulls had a more romantic and poprock ish sound akin to what I personally call the Canadian poprocksound that would later bring us for example Haywire, The Arrows, Platinum Blonde and such. Anyway, recently the band regrouped with all 4 original members, played shows with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and the result is Ascension. The included material is mostly based on their first 3 albums from the early 80s, with a new song included as well. It sounds as fresh and catchy as back in the day, with mentioning that nowadays this kind of new wave poprock is very popular again, presenting us new bands in a style that once started with this A Flock of Seagulls. In case you never heard of them, please go and check out their new classical best of album that shows the band still in top-form live on stage!

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

Bejobe 'Now we are one' (Goosebumps Productions/USA Import)
 
After hearing a song of the local band Bejobe on the Connecticut Compilation Record Volume 1, I became very interested in learning more about this rather obscure female fronted melodic rockband. I got in touch with their lead singer, Wendy Lee Terenzio, who was kind enough to sent me another compilation disc with one of their featured songs, a rare 1980 vinyl single which started it al for her musically speaking and also a new CD. This CD was recently released and contains all Bejobe recordings, so a nice way to get to know this unknown band. The music is late 80s/early 90s female fronted AOR/Melodic Rock, with catchy hooks, melodic choruses and flashy guitarwork (by Peter Lucibelli). In other words, it is totally focusing on our beloved genre, with similarities to acts like Fiona, Saraya, Bratz Inc, Pat Benatar, Runestaff, Fighter, Lifeforce, etc. etc. Especially titletrack Now we are one, Reach me in the real world and My fellow earthlings are lovely uptempo AOR rockers, while the rest of the CD is a mixture of AOR ish ballads and groovy melodic pop/rock. In case female fronted AOR/Poprock is up your alley, then don't miss this release! More info at: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/BeJobe

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

D'Ercole 'Made to burn' (Rock Company)
 
Phil Vincent is unstoppable, with countless releases already in his music career that started about 25 years ago. The latest one is under the name of D'Ercole, with as CD title Made to burn, we get to hear classic 80s US Melodic Hardrock with many similarities to Dokken in their Back for the attack period, although here and there also AOR influences can be heard (such as during the lovely semi-AOR/Midtempo Power Ballad Out of time). The result is a very strong album and with in total 12 memorable songs, Phil is once again showing he continues to make strong traditional Melodic Hardrock. I would put him right next to Axel Rudi Pell, who is doing more or less the same kinda music at the same high level for the past 25-30 years, although Phil is more AOR based, so consider him the 'lighter' version of Axel! You know what to expect here then and therefore I can recommend it to anyone who likes good old fashioned 80s Melodic Hardrock. More info at: https://www.philvincentbands.com/index.php/dercole

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Space Elevator '1' (Steamhammer/SPV)
 
Female singer The Duchess formed the UK based band Space Elevator together with guitarist David Young a few years ago. Their same titled debut from 2014 has now been re-released by SPV. The sound is huge and bombastic 80s inspired AOR/Melodic Rock, with symphonic rock influences, a sorta Queen meets Kayak meets Robby Valentine kinda approach, with fantastic vocalwork and big anthemic choruses. Here and there it's actually like a step back in time, as there are clear similarities to late 80s AOR (Angela and The Rude/The Boxx/Witness kinda direction). One of the other bandmembers on this debut CD is the legendary bassist Neil Murray (ex-Whitesnake), while on this re-release we can also hear a beautiful relaxing bluesy melodic rockversion of the Thin Lizzy cover Don't believe a word, besides the 11 original tracks. There's some incredible material to be heard here, such as We are the losers and I will find you, both reaching the days of the classic female fronted AOR (Connie Scott, Margareth Becker, Heat, Cindy Cruse, etc.) style we miss so much nowadays. It surprises me that within the AOR/Melodic Rock community not much has been said about this band, because they are definitely belonging to the better female fronted AOR/Melodic Rockbands of the past decades and can easily be mentioned alongside for example Dante Fox. Please also check out the superb uptempo AOR rocker Ordinary day, which is dangerously close to the earlier mentioned acts, although Angela & The Rude and The Boxx are still the best comparisons to draw here. One of the absolute highlights is the 80s Pomptastic AOR rocker Loneliness of love, a stunning sensational song in the style of Witness and Heat (the German FF AOR band from the early 90s). This song makes it all worth it, looking for new classic AOR and it definitely belongs to one of the best songs created in this genre in 2018! Make absolutely sure that you will not miss this classic female fronted AOR album from the UK and hopefully soon a review of their upcoming new album, which is simply titled 2. Meanwhile, check out more info on them at:  http://spaceelevatorband.com/

(Points: 8.9 out of 10)

Space Elevator '2' (Steamhammer/SPV)

Following their sensational debut from 2014, the UK female fronted melodic rockband Space Elevator comes up with their follow-up in 2018, which is simply titled 2. Musically no changes thankfully, because once again we can hear some awesome 80s/early 90s inspired female fronted melodic rock/aor in the style of The Boxx, Angela and the Rude, Dante Fox, Redhaze, Heat, Thin Line, early Margareth Becker and such. Fans of these acts need to check out this band asap, but if you are not familiar with this kind of classic female fronted melodic rock, then take the chance, because Space Elevator deserves it to be heard. Most of the 12 included tracks are uptempo, with as highlights World of possibilities, the superb AOR classic Crazies (Take me home), Keep waiting and We can fly (Witness/Private Life style), but also a calmer song like the semi-ballad The one that got away is a pleasure to hear. The band's video of their song We can fly was shot at the largest privately owned satellite dish in the world owned by Thoth Technology, Canada, whom also designed the world's first 20km high space elevator! The band was also named after this very interesting new technology that will change the airplane world, but for more info on that please go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThothX_Tower and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyFqMuKEcSs It is quite nice to see that this project is collaborating with a fantastic new AOR band, so who knows Space Elevator becomes huge in the future! Fingers crossed, because they are definitely showing their incredible musicianship on their 2 studio records so far. I have to add that their previous album was a little stronger, because on this new record we can also hear a few weaker songs (Talk talk and W.Y.T.A.T.). Nevertheless, there's so much to enjoy here, so make sure not to miss this band at:  http://spaceelevatorband.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

Ally The Fiddle 'Up' (Nineteen 73 Promotion/UK Import)
 
Formed in 2008, the German band Ally The Fiddle is doing things slightly different and this can be heard at it's best on their new album Up. The band's line-up consists of Ally Storch (six string violin, vocals), Rouven Haliti (chapman stick), Robert Klawonn (guitar), Eric Langbecker (guitar), Simon Tumielewicz (bass) and Stefan Hukriede (drums). The music they are presenting us is a mix of Progressive Violin dominated Rock/Metal and Jazz/Fusion, with high pitched female vocals and also some lovely melodic haunting choruses. They somehow have an own sound, although if we have to describe their sound it comes across like a mix between Jethro Tull, Nightwish and some Arabic meets Jazz instrumental parts. The result is without a doubt quite interesting and challenging to check out. Please go to: http://ally-fiddle.de to judge for yourself.

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

Aaron Brooks 'Homunculus' (Nineteen 73 Promotion/UK Import)
 
American Vocalist/Guitarist Aaron Brooks moved to Germany several years ago. He was previously in the band Simeon Soul Charger, but they disbanded and now he brings us his first solo record. Homunculus is a creative and diverse album that mixes singer/songwriter-folk, prog and psychedelic rock, like a mix between Frank Zappa, Muse and Jim Groce. Aaron is blessed with a strong voice, which can best be heard during the wonderful peaceful Nobody knows what it's like to be someone else that could easily become a huge worldwide radio hit single, as this kinda singer/songwriter music is very popular at the moment. Sometimes the album rocks, like during Wake up the mountain and Lies that sound like a psychedelic rock version of Muse, but then again there are also enough calmer moments that brings us straight into singer/songwriter heaven, which is clearly Aaron's best work on this debut album. If you're starting to become interested please go to: https://www.facebook.com/AaronBrooksMusic/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Bernd Jonkmanns 'Record stores Book' (Seltmann + Sohne/German Import)
 
Now here we have one of the most impressive books from the past decades, because this is not just another book about record stores, but a well-thought and visually perfect looking book. Record Stores is a beautiful book, which belongs in the living room of every music fan out there. What makes the book really standout are the fantastic photos taken from the people who are behind the record stores pictured in the book, and of course the pictures of the record stores themselves. Bernd Jonkmann travelled all over the world and delivered a very impressive piece of art here that will not only be loved by the music fans, but also fans of photography will enjoy this book for sure. Personally as a huge music collector, I found this book one of the best of it's kind. We have seen more books about record stores before, but never so well documented as in this book. Bernd visited all kinds of record stores all over the world and although it focuses mostly on the typical Western part of the world (Europe, USA, Japan...), he also managed to include stores in places like Iceland, Brazil, Australia and Tasmania. Pictures say it all I think and you can easily open this book every time to discover something you had not seen before. In fact, it really makes me want to go out and visit the rare record shops, especially the ones in Iceland! He paved way for a lot of owners of such rare record stores, giving them their fifteen minutes of fame here by letting them answer 4 questions he asks them all (What was the first record you owned when you were young, when did you open your store, what was the most expensive record you ever sold and what is your favourite album). The answers are most of the time very diverse, except by two seperate owners (Hamburg and Manhattan, NYC) whom gave 3 identical answers somehow, which is a real coincidence! Anyway, it is also good to see all kind of ages, different kind of women and men in the record stores as record owners, because that shows that selling music is all over the world attracting a wide diversity of people. What is most important is that this book is telling us real stories about real people in hundreds of beautiful pictures and together these record owners share one passion in life and that is selling with all their heart and soul precious music on vinyl, CD or cassette to all kinds of people, whom can continue to spread the word of the legacy of musicians that once stood in the studio to actually record the music. The word of music has never sounded this beautiful as in this book by Bernd, so please do not miss it! In total 384 pages, with more than 600 photos, this hardcover book should be in the collection of every music collector. Available through the major book/retail shops on the internet and for more info please go to: https://www.seltmannundsoehne.com/record-stores/

(Points: 8.9 out of 10)

The Lazys 'Tropical hazards' (Golden Robot Records/Soulfood)
 
The Lazys are a raw classic real hardrock and roll sounding band from Sydney, Australia, whom already had success with their same titled debut and with this new album Tropical hazards, they have definitely a new winner in their hands. They got help from  Ian D’Sa (Billy Talent) here on there during the songwriting process and the new album was produced by D’Sa and Eric Ratz (Big Wreck, Danko Jones, Monster Truck) in Canada and Australia. Although the music might not be very original, they are doing it quite well and fans of AC/DC, Krokus, Dirty Looks, Cats'N'Boots, Junkyard and such classic Hardrockbands will absolutely love this album, although also the fans of the new generation Hardrockbands like Danko Jones, Airbourne and such will eat this alive. Songs like the superb Take back the town (a huge crowd-pleaser for sure), Nothing but trouble, One's too many and Louder than youth are the kind of uptempo sing-a-long tunes that used to be made by AC/DC and Krokus in their heydays. The band has a great shouter in their line-up (Leon Harrison), while the rest of the band gives him a great hardrocking back-up. Matty Morris - Lead Guitar, Glenn Williams - Bass, Liam Shearer - Rhythm Guitar and Andy Nielsen - Drums complete The Lazys. Between the 10 included hardrocking tracks, the band found room for some more melodic adventures, namely Young modern lightning, which is classic 80s inspired midtempo melodic hardrock, with a fantastic haunting chorus and the overall vibe of a classic Def Leppard, Victory, Tesla and Lillian Axe. And Somebody's daughter also slows things down being an almost Skid Row ish 80s Power Ballad. However, the other 8 tracks that us back to that classic Hardrocksound of the mentioned bands. This is a highly recommended band that can easily compete with that other Australian band (Airbourne). More info at: https://www.facebook.com/thelazysofficial/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Blind River 'Blind River' (House of Bones Records/UK Import)
 
Not that much info on this upcoming band from the UK, but they were kind enough to sent me their debut CD. Musically speaking we are diving into raw sleazy classic rock and roll that sounds quite mean and dirty. 10 tracks are included and basically what these guys are doing is making the music that is at this moment very popular in the rock scene. Yes, it is classic rock, but still with a modern vibe. They somehow remind me of John Coffey, so who knows Blind River might get their fifteen minutes of fame quickly, as this kind of rock is eaten alive by the fans at the moment. Most of the songs are uptempo, with here and there a groovy tune, like the Black Crowes/Badlands ish Home or the midtempo Unto the creature. On the other hand, the vocals make it sound edgier than such bands, somehow giving it a Metal ish touch. Lead singer Harry Armstrong has a very 'angry' voice, hard to describe, but perhaps comparable to Rose Tattoo's Angry Anderson or even Pantera's Phil Anselmo. The combination makes Blind River definitely standout between the rest. Check them out for yourself at: http://www.blind-river.org/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Swedish Funk Connection '1987' (Yell Music/Sweden Import)
 
With a bandname like Swedish Funk Connection you would expect something in a sorta Funk direction, but this Swedish band is at first sight really a
pure AOR band when listening to the first song on their debut CD. Their album title 1987 is on the other hand definitely quite correct, because the included music has a strong mid 1980s European AOR feel. They were formed during the 1980s by Christer Lärk, Mats Johanson, Peder Jonsson, Peter Johansson and Berra Holmgren, but they only started writing and recording since 2013, and now their debut is released independently. It might not be that original what we get to hear, as it is very clean polished AOR by the numbers, but thankfully the result is quite good. I am surprised this hasn't been picked up yet, because when hearing opener This love will last forever we hear pure AOR a la Work Of Art. I am however so glad that Swedish Funk Connection changes their sound a bit on the next song Lucky, because otherwise it would have been a really standard album with uptempo and midtempo pieces in the familiar style we have heard over and over again the past ages. Now we get some diversity out of the Swedish kitchen, because Lucky is actually a funky tune, kinda like Dan Reed Network in their heydays. Out of my way takes us straight into midtempo AOR, but in a good way, reminding me of the classic Thomas Vikstrom (Talk Of The Town) album If I could fly. On the other hand, I have to add that here and there it sounds borderline AOR, with a pop/rock vibe and choruses that are very Swedish Top 40 based. As already mentioned, it is all done quite well, so no complaints at all and thanks to the diversity of each song, it keeps you interested and motivated to listen to the whole album. Stay with me for example is a lovely 80s semi - AOR / Poprock / Westcoast tune that reminds me of Toto around their The seventh one period, with that same kinda light funky rhythm. Also some Tim Feehan meets Dakota can be heard here, very smoothly and comfortable to listen to. Then another change, because Too much money opens with super cool 80s Hair Metal riffs (Dokken/Ratt), while the song itself is tougher bombastic Canadian AOR style a la Haywire/Honeymoon Suite/Bystander. The guitarwork here and also during the guitarsolo's of the other songs should really be mentioned as well, because this is basically picture perfect and I can also say that about the vocalwork. Especially during the semi-ballad Somewhere somehow, we can hear some lovely AOR vocals/keys and guitarsolos, as if we are listening to a classic from the mid 80s. Fans of Agent and The Arrows should be checking this out for sure! Life is beautiful has a more midtempo Westcoast-Poprock vibe, with a very poppy chorus, hit sensitive and perhaps too light for the real AOR fans among us. Love is such a beautiful thing is pure late 1980s, with that funky westcoast/hi-tech vibe and smooth sound like a mix between Mr. Mister, Chicago, Toto, Climie Fisher and Prince, including a lovely keyboard/guitar dual as solo. The final tracks are Stay away from the dark (a Work of Art type of uptempo AOR piece) and Million reasons (a calmer semi-AOR ballad). Overall they remind me a lot of that other Swedish band Promotion or Time Gallery from longer ago, so fans of such acts that combine 80s hi-tech Westcoast poprock, pure AOR and some funky pop should check this out a.s.a.p. More info at: https://funkconnection.se

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Sea Dogs 'M.T. Scio' (MAPL/SOCAN/Canada Import)
 
3 years ago the Canadian band Sea Dogs released their debut, but M.T. Scio is my introduction to this great sounding act that show an enormous potential on their 2nd album. Their music is Classic Rock based for sure, yet with a pure sleazy vibe of the late 1980s kinda direction, like LA GUNS meets GUNS'N'ROSES. You can even hear somewhere between the lines a few traces of proto-Seattle Rock of the ALICE IN CHAINS meets SOUNDGARDEN days of the very early 1990s, especially during the fantastic Buddy you're getting a ticket. 11 songs are included in total and it is very nice to see a new band picking their influences from Rock's greatest decades (70s/80s/90s) and make it their own. The band is formed around Bassist Karl Hawkins, Drummer Jeff Deveraux, Guitarist Darren Reid, Guitarist/Vocalist Dan Moore and Lead Vocalist Dale Drew. Dale has an incredible voice that has similarities to a young screaming Axl Rose during the higher parts and the late Chris Cornell when he sings in a lower key. Check out the uptempo rockers Double store and Make it out alive to hear some good old 1987 GUNS N ROSES ish classic Sleazy Hardrock and for a slight AC/DC kinda beat jump over to the lovely Light up the sky that also has a Melodic Hardrock kinda vibe. On the other hand you also have some calmer moments like the ballad ish Seasons and closing track Sink or swim which somehow has a slight The Cult touch. Actually there's not a single filler to be found here, so I can highly recommend it to any fan of Classic Rock. If these guys are lucky, they should easily be able to breakthrough in Europe, where they love this kind of Rock! Check them out at: https://seadogsmusic.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Brian Barnhouse 'Sign of life' (Independent/USA Import)
 
Multi-instrumentalist Brian Barnhouse released his debut Clarified in 2014 and now follows it up with Sign of life. Brian did everything on his own at his own home studio in Beatrice, Nebraska, USA. His influences come from Rick Springfield, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, Thin Lizzy and many others and you can definitely hear that here. I remember that 2014 record very well as it was a great AOR/Melodic Rock record and Sign of life happily follows the same path. Once again his voice and music reminds me so much of the Paul Laine classic Stick it in your ear from the late 80s and also Lance Powers, Brett Walker, David Victor/Velocity and the very first 2 Bon Jovi records come to mind when hearing Brian's music. 10 tracks are included on Sign of life and everything seems to sound picture perfect professional here, with many highlights. It really captures that classic 80s US AOR/Melodic Rocksound on such great tracks like the uptempo rockers One in a million, Your song and the lovely titletrack. 80s Rick Springfield similarities are also present, but vocally Brian has a real New Jersey kinda tone in his voice (working class/heartland rock accent that mostly stays in the lower octave range) a la Bon Jovi/Paul Laine/Bruce Springsteen/Michael Stanley. Fans of mentioned acts will know now what they have to do, because you don't want to miss out Brian's new record if you dig such classic 80s US AOR/Melodic Rock! More info at: https://www.brianbarnhouse.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Maxwell 'Metalized' (Fettes Haus/Gordeon Music)
 
The Swiss band Maxwell has been in the scene for quite some while now and Metalized is their 4th album so far. Musically they started a bit more typical Swiss Melodic Hardrock orientated (a la Krokus, Shakra, Gotthard, Crystal Ball...), but with this new album they clearly seem to be going into a heavier metal direction without losing their melodies. The result is a very nice record that combines aggressive vocal/guitar parts with very melodic choruses. It works best during some of the uptempo tunes, such as She's mine and Back again, both being really catchy chorus driven uptempo melodic heavy rockers in the style of Pink Cream 69 and Pretty Maids, with a touch of Primal Fear and Sinner. Sometimes it leans a bit too much towards the agressive metal side (F.U.T.V.), but most of the time they come up with this great mixture of guitar heaviness, here and there aggressive vocals and very melodic memorable choruses. Somehow Metallica also comes to mind, but then mixed with Pretty Maids. If you're starting to become interested, then please go to: http://maxxwell.ch/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Unity 'Promised land' (RVP Records)

The album Promised land by the Polish band Unity was actually already released back in 2014, but now it has been re-released by the Dutch label RVP Records, probably to give it more attention, which it definitely deserves. The included music is a nice mixture of some groovy rock and a lot of classic hard rock, with somehow a late 1980s vibe, especially when you listen to a funky song like Kangaroo that reminds me a lot of bands like Living Colour and Red Hot Chili Peppers. On the other hand, the band is also able to give us some good old fashioned 70s classic hardrock a la Whitesnake, Winger, Thin Lizzy and Rainbow during songs like Promised land and Eyes of fire,while they are also not shy to come up with a very nice melodic rock ballad (Lost highway). The band's main members are the excellent guitarist Maciek “Paco” Papalski and the great singer Piotr “Zinny” Zaleski. They were formed some time ago and actually released a 2nd album last year, so Unity already put out a follow-up record to this Promised land. It is nice to hear this Polish band's debut CD now for the first time and fans of mentioned bands might be interested to check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/unityessenceofrock/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Karmamoi 'The day is done' (Nineteen 73/Pledge Music/Sonic Bond/UK Import)
 
The day is done is the 4th album of the Italian band Karmamoi. It is a concept album inspired by the story of two Siryan brothers, of whom one died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London on 14th June 2017. This album is dedicated to all the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and to all people who are forced to run away from their country because of war and poverty. The included music is high quality progressive rock, a bit slow, dark, melancholic and epic, but thanks to the warm vocals of Sara Rinaldi, it has a very melodic touch as well. The band is formed around Daniele Giovannoni (Drums, Keyboards and Backing Vocals) and Alex Massari (Guitars and Backing Vocals), while besides Sara, there are several other special guests on this album, such as Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) on bass and Geoff Leigh (Steven Wilson) on flute. 8 songs are included, of which some are quite lengthy. Highlights are Getaway and Your name, of which the latter starts with a slight uptempo 80s vibe a la It Bites and ends with a superb guitarsolo. Actually this is one of those perfect background progrock albums that takes you in adventure where you discover a lot of beautiful moments. Check out this band at: https://karmamoi.bandcamp.com/album/the-day-is-done

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

Laura Meade 'Remedium' (Doone Records/Hemifran)
 
Now here we have a very interesting album from singer/songwriter Laura Maede, who is also a member of the New York based progressive rockband IZZ. This solo-debut album Remedium touches various genres, although it is mostly driven around a mystic atmospheric sorta Kate Bush kinda direction, in which musically speaking clear influences from jazz, progrock, singer/songwriter, even gothic and modern hi-tech pop/rock pass by. It's a diverse album that has many highlights and it is done very well, with help from guest artists like Randy McStine (The Fringe, Lo-Fi Resistance) and Jason Hart (I and Thou, Renaissance, Camel), but the absolute highlight here are the superb lead vocals of Laura. She has an amazing voice that easily reaches the classic Kate Bush tone and that is only possible for a few female singers in the world. She nails it big time, while the music also reminds me sometimes of long past days of the 1970s acts like Renaissance, Camel and such, especially during the lovely Your way. Without a doubt, I can highly recommend this strong record! More info at: http://www.laurameademusic.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Brad Colerick 'Nine ten thirty' (Back 9 Records/Hemifran)
 
Singer-songwriter Brad Colerick has been in the music business for 30 years now. During the 1980s and 1990s he focused his career around L.A., where he recorded music for many commercials. Eventually he started recording on his own with original tunes by 2006, when he released his debut album Cottonwood. His latest record Nine Ten Thirty is his 5th album and the included music has a typical American sound, which is based around real-life stories, acousticaly driven singer-songwriter/Americana music that also contains influences from country here and there, lika a sorta Waylon meets Johnny Cash. Vocally Brad has got a fantastic strong voice that would actually sound great as a rocksinger and that's what I wanted to mention about this album. It is a good album, but very soft and calm and you feel that Brad can easily belt out an uptempo rocker here and there, because he has that Bruce Springsteen/Bon Jovi/John Cougar kinda heartland-rock vibe in his voice. Nevertheless, Nine ten thirty is a decent album and Brad is a recommended singer/songwriter to check out at: http://bradcolerick.com

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Low Lilly '10,000 days like these' (Mad River Records/Hemifran)
 
Recorded in the Green Mountains of Vermont, USA, the American trio Low Lilly releases an album which contains music that finds it's roots in classic traditional music from Ireland, Scotland  and England. Apart from 2 covers (Dire Straits' Brothers in arms and Gillian Welch's Rock of ages), 9 original tunes can be found. The band consists of Liz Simmons (vocals, guitar), Lissa Schneckenburger (vocals, violin) and Flynn Cohen (vocals, guitar, mandolin) and here and there the album reminds me of Puss'N'Boots, the short-lived project of Norah Jones. The vocals of the female singers are very good and resemble the classic Americana/Country ish sound, while the vocals of the male singer Flynn make less impression. Still, a nice record to check out if you like a modern ish approach to the classic Irish/Scottish/English folk/Bluegrass sound. More info at: http://www.lowlily.com/

(Points: 7.9 out of 10)

The Refusers 'Disobey' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
The Refusers is a band from Washington State, formed around singer-songwriter (and former Wall Street insider) Michael Belkin (guitar, vocals), Steve Newton (bass, vocals) and Joe Doria (Hammond organ, piano).     Together they recorded a nice rock and roll record titled Disobey, which has a strong 1970s approach in the style of Goddo, The Rockets, Good Rats and such acts. Here and there they go for a more melodic calmer AOR ish approach, such as Why do they lie, which is actually one of the highlights, a Blue Oyster Cult ish tune. On the other hand, B.O.C. also had rockier moments, so perhaps you can at best compare this The Refusers with them. There's even some Hanoi Rocks/New York Dolls/Stones kinda rock to be heard (My baby loves rock and roll) as well as the humoristic theatrical rock of The Tubes (Fake news), so I guess if you wanna go back to the 1970s rock, then this is a must-have! Check it out for yourself at: https://therefusers.com

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

Allan Thomas 'Two sides to every story' (Black Bamboo Recordings/Hemifran)
 
While listening to the new album of American singer/songwriter Allan Thomas, I was totally surprised by the instrumentals El sueno de repitido and Aquadesiac, which happen to be both beautiful relaxing westcoast-jazz pieces, complete with tenor sax and piano, basically offering a pure smooth classic approach like in the old days, which is in slight contract to the rest of the album. Although there are definitely more jazzy fusion/westcoast touches here and there (If only and Is that asking too much? for example that both have Steely Dan similarities and instrumentals like Still life and There are no words), Allan's music is also offering singer/songwriter calmer pop/rock like Paul Simon. Not bad either, but he now seems to balance between these 2 genres and basically I would prefer him to go in a full jazzy fusion/westcoast direction like shown during the mentioned tracks. Interesting for sure and upon checking his bio, he is already 70 years old (!), starting his career way back in the 1960s, so he has seen the whole music world changing I guess. Allan is definitely a gifted singer/songwriter and let's hope he can deliver more great records like this. Jazzy westcoast or singer/songwriter pop/rock, Allan can do both and we'll wait and see if the future brings more new music of this talented musician, with a fingers crossing for mo re jazzy westcoast fusion! More at: http://www.allanthomas.com/wordpress/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Outloud 'Virtual hero society' (Rock Of Angels Records/Greek Import)
 
Virtual hero society is the 4th album of the Greek band Outloud, They started in 2008, with as main members Firewind’s Bob Katsionis on guitars and keys and NYC-based singer Chandler Mogel. Their debut from 2009 received rave reviews and was several times called album of the year. After the smasking debut, the band released more albums, but did not hit it as big as their first record. Now they are back with a great new record titled Virtual hero society, which continues their classic 1980s inspired melodic hardrocksound. I have to admit that it is not as perfectly balanced sound/production wise as for example H.E.A.T., One Desire, Night Flight Orchestra or any of the Swedish counterparts, still Outloud does a great job during catchy uptempo melo rockers like My promise, ... and I tried (ultimate sing-a-long tune, AORish a la Pride Of Lions!), Virtual heroes, Borrowed time, World-go-round (AORish) and I am the one or the power ballad Share my dreams. Make sure to check out this album if you long back to the days of Stryper, Fifth Angel, Dokken, Harem Scarem and such. More at: http://outloud.rocks/

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

Enemy Inside 'Phoenix' (Rock Of Angels Records/Greek Import)
 
The past 10-15 years we have seen countless bands playing the bombastic symphonic female fronted melodic metal style after bands like Within Temptation, The Gathering, Nightwish and Lacuna Coil became very popular. Of course at one point it was too much and only the best bands could survive and come close to afforementioned bands. Still, here and there new bands pop up and Enemy Side from Germany is one of them. Thankully they are sounding sensational when listening to the opening song Falling away of their debut album Phoenix, which has been released on the Greek label Rock Of Angels Records. Formed in 2017, their debut was released already in September 2018 and when listening we can hear a very professional band. The production, the sound and instrumental it's perfect (lovely melodic guitarsolo's!), the songs are very catchy and top 40 orientated, with superstrong melodies a la Evanescence, Delain and Within Temptation, but what surprised me the most are the superb lead vocals of fermale singer Nastassja Giulia. For this kind of music, it's important to have a singer with a voice that makes it a pleasure to listen to and she definitely delivers. Have to admit that we are not hearing anything different than what we have heard before from bands like Delain, Within Temptation, Krypteria, Evanescence, Xandria, Lunatica, Stream Of Passion, Edenbridge, Visions Of Atlantis, etc. etc., but Enemy Inside are doing it at such a high level, you just can't ignore them. Any fan of mentioned bands need to check out this album asap, because it is filled with winners from start to finish! More at: http://enemy-inside.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

The Plastic Pals 'Psychic reader' (Paraply Records/Hemifran)
 
Psychic reader is the 3rd studio album of the Swedish band The Plastic Pals. They were formed back in 2005, released albums in 2008 and 2013 and now another 5 years later they return with a strong new record. In the past they were helped by Green On Red piano player Chris Cacavas, but on Psychic reader guest musicians are coming out of Stockholm, such as violist, multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven, Øresund Space Collective), keyboardplayers Francesco Bondiglio (Lowlands) and Chris Cacavas, and singer Tiare Helberg (The Church). The band itself is formed around Håkan Soold (vocals, guitar), Anders Sahlin (guitar), Bengt Alm (bass) en Olov Öqvist (drums) and are playing a mixture 80s alternative rock, powerpop and a touch of Americana/Folkrock, like a mix between Tom Petty, Neil Young, Herman Brood and R.E.M., with a rockier approach most of the time. It all sounds quite American actually and the result is also very professional, so if this description makes you interested, then do please check out The Plastic Pals, as what they are doing is of a professional high level. One of the highlights is the 1970s inspired uptempo rocker Shame the devil, with it's great guitarsolo's even reminding a bit of Golden Earring. More info can be found at: http://www.theplasticpals.se/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Axxis 'Monster' (Phonotraxx Publishing)
 
It must have been the early 1990s when I first saw the German band Axxis appearing on MTV with a videoclip. They were lucky enough to secure a major recordlabel deal before Grunge hit it big time. That debut album sold quite a lot records actually and from then on they were a household name within the hardrock/metal community. I have no idea when or where, but I have seen them live once and they were on stage giving a great performance I remember. Their studio albums are most of the time offering a safe similar melodic hardrock/heavy rock/metal style that hasn't changed in the 30 years they have been active. I lost the count, but this could well be close to their 15th album so far, so they are doing something good for sure. Anyway, they are one of the many German bands (Edguy, Grave Digger, Scorpions, Blind Guardian, Pink Cream 69, Axel Rudi Pell, etc...) that never stopped in making quality records in the same familiar format, keeping their fans happy, which of course is a good thing and typical for Germans. Bands stay loyal and fans stay loyal, doing what you have been doing since the start. Axxis released a perfect record once again for the fans, whom will enjoy singing-a-long to newly created anthems like Rock is my religion! Nothing new under the sun, as all the cliches pass by here, but for fans of the standard German Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock/Metal, Axxis definitely delivers a record of a high level!

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Glowbox 'Fossil fuel Vinyl Record' (Independent/USA Import)
 
Basically we have here the typical classic traditional US rockband delivering the kinda record we all instantly fall in love with due to the superb high level of musicianship. Only American bands seem to be able to release such records somehow, grabbing back to the past, but still sounding familar and up-to-date. Nothing new might be done here, Glowbox from Boston are without a doubt delivering that perfect sounding record with their 2nd record Fossil fuel that sums up pretty much 50 years of classic American Rock. They take bits and pieces from all the past rock decades, such as 70s classic rock guitarwork and westcoast harmonyvocals of the late 60s, early 80s powerpop and poprock melodies, late 80s/early 90s melodic rock and a bit of 90s/00s alternative/college rock.

Songs like Just in case, Nice to know you, Home movies and the incredible catchy Moonstone are very melodic songs, combining uptempo classic US Powerpop/Poprock (early 80s a la Rick Springfield/Cheap Trick/The Knack) with US College Rock (90s/00s like Jellyfish/Teenage Fanclub/Fountains Of Wayne/The Posies and even Nelson circa 'Life'), while tunes like Losing ground, Rotoscope down, What did you get done today and The decoy go for a more Melodic Rock approach, reminding me a bit of the very first Venice record mixed with even some Night Ranger.

Besides all the powerpop/melodic rock, the band also offers a bit of diversity in songs like Come too far, the quirky Rolling it over (60s influences a la The Kinks) and especially the songs No connection and Anodyne are both somewhat more groovy midtempo classic (hard) rock based, with a strong 1970s vibe, reflecting clear Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith kinda influences and offering some great guitarwork.

The band is gifted with 3 great guitarists (Kevin Drinan - also playing bass, Rick Famiglietti - also playing bass and Mike Fiore - also playing keys), whom all can sing very well too and sing harmonyvocals like only American acts are able to do. It makes this 4-piece band (which also includes dummer Jim McGroddy) stand-out between the rest, because you don't see that much nowadays. Combined with 12 catchy melodic well-produced songs that instrumentally also offer a very tight melodic rocking sound, this band is definitely highly recommended to check out. They were kind enough to sent me their independent album on vinyl and I must admit that everything on this release is super professional and sounding sensational, so all I can add here is to check them out a.s.a.p. More info at: https://glowbox.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

Observer Effect 'Observer Effect' (Independent/USA Import)
 
Out of Seattle, USA comes the female fronted band Observer Effect and they were kind enough to sent me their 4-tracks counting same titled album for a review. Musically speaking we get to hear melodic heavy rock with some classic metal riffs and a touch of progmetal here and there. The vocals of Angela Hammontree sound quite strong and powerful, while the soaring guitarsolos of guitarist Doug Samm definitely contribute to the overall hard-hitting but melodic sounding band. The best songs here are Gripping the wheel and the semi-rocker/ballad The good life. This band has clearly a somewhat classic melodic metal approach, so thankfully they are not another bombastic sounding Euro Female Fronted Goth/Power Metalband like we have seen and heard from thousand other acts by now since Nightwish and Within Temptation broke through 20 years ago. Instead you will get well-balanced melodic metal that has some similarities here and there to bands like Hellion, Betsy, Benedictum, Lee Aaron... More info can be found at: https://observereffect1.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

Silver Mountain Star 'Lord help me please' (Independent/USA Import)
 
Now here we have an interesting independent band called Silver Mountain Star from Orange County, California. They were formed back in 2017, so quite fresh and already making an impression with the CDR they sent me. It consists of their 2 singles (Lord Help Me Please and GMAD), both sounding great and totally retro heavy bluesrock with a classic hardrock approach. There's definitely similarities to other modern heavy bluesrock bands like The Answer, Black Stone Cherry, The Black Keys and the mighty Rival Sons, although they probably got their inspiration from the legendary bands Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer, Free, Bad Company and such. The 2nd song GMAD is very sensational actually, with strong vocals of Johnny Knowles, axe-swinging guitarsounds of Kenny Foster and some really cool classic Uriah Heep ish hammon/organ sounds of Alex Woz. Without a doubt, a band to watch out for in the near future! Meanwhile check them out for yourself at: https://silvermountainstar.bandcamp.com/releases
 
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Slug Comparison 'When you were living here' (Rock Company)
 
Rock Company now delivers a high quality release that could easily attract fans of the modern rock, progrock and melodic rock genres, because that is basically being melted into an exciting catchy sound on the new album of Slug Comparison. They are formed around vocalist/guitarist Doug Harrison, who released 5 albums with the Canadian progband Fen in the past. He now launched this as a solo project, featuring members of The Devin Townsend Band, Bif Naked, and Fen. The album When you were living here is based around beautiful melodies that are sung by Doug, who has a very strong voice. The material might be a little light here and there for some of you, it is still proggy enough to keep it interesting and on the other hand, a fresh modern sound is also part of the package. Most important for me personally is however that this record is filled with very memorable clean melodic tunes that might even wet the appetite of the AOR/Melodic Rockfans (One more step and Exactly what to do for example, King's X style), although in a way it is actually a modern sounding pop/rock record. Doug has a perfect clean voice and when you hear songs like Let some light and Beings far away, you will definitely be hooked as this even sounds a bit like Enchant.  On the other hand a song like When you were living here is a modern almost John Grant/Nick Mulvey atmospheric Indie-Pop piece and So ya got a great guitar is close to pure alternative rock a la Foo Fighters, while the poprocker Hyperslump has a bit of Kings Of Leon/The Killers. 12 songs are included in total and I am pleased that I was able to hear and review this highly recommended album, which concluded is very diverse, rocking here and there, sounding melodic and prog/aor ish sometimes and also touching that typical modern indie-pop sound every now and then. Make sure not to miss this awesome record! More info at: https://slugcomparison.bandcamp.com/album/when-you-were-living-here

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Blue Glass 'Pale mirror LP' (Independent/USA Import)
 
There's not much info on the Seattle based band Blue Glass, but they were kind enough to sent me their 2nd full-length album on a vinyl record, which is quite a pleasure to listen to instead of the regular CD. Production is very good and thankfully also the included music is of a very high class quality that should best be described as Indie meets New Wave. They remind me a lot of the early to mid 80s UK sound, of which The Cure, New Order, Jesus and Mary Chain, A Flock Of Seagulls, Flash and the Pan, Depeche Mode are just a few examples that must have influenced Blue Glass. They are doing it so well that you would almost think this is a record from the early 1980s! Nonetheless, they never sound really dated, because with the current retro-wave popularity, they can easily become the next big thing. Everything sounds picture perfect here on Pale mirror, no matter which song you put on. Although hailing from Seattle, it has that pure 80s UK New Wave vibe of the aforementioned bands, yet just a little different, which makes it Blue Glass. Without a doubt, a band to check out a.s.a.p., because if this is picked up by the major press in Europe, they could easily become bigger. Listen for yourself at: https://blueglassmusic.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

The Complaints 'Talk to me' (Comp Records/Hemifran)
 
I believe Talk to me is the 4th record of the Creanston/Rhode Island based band The Complaints. They are formed around singer/songwriter/guitarist Dean Petrella, bassist Chris Cruz, and drummer Anthony Marotti, and without a doubt, here we have an interesting band that closely follows the footsteps of Calexico and Crowded House with it's melodic well-thought pop/rock, which also shows a touch of Neil Young and Tom Petty ish singer/songwriter pop/rock. The band rocks here and there, but also slows things down with calmer material. For example, Atlas (Carry you) is a very strong midtempo 80s tingled Powerpop piece that combines the best of The Hooters, Bryan Adams, Tommy Tutone, The Ravijns and The Romantics, with it's infective chorus a definite contender for the radio rock market and already sounding like a classic rock tune! However, a song like Talk to me is a calmer pop/rock song that has also some Sting influences, while the song itself is quite close to Tom Petty. Wouldn't change a thing then again is back-to-back 80s Powerpop that is dangerously close to The Outfield. So it goes on and on until the end, being a very stable record that offers a lot for the fans of mentioned bands, with a nice catchy harmonyvocal driven melodic rock ish approach that might wet the appetite of fans of bands like Nelson, The Rembrandts, The Posies, etc. etc. Make sure not to miss this gem! More info at: http://thecomplaints.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Dan Krikorian 'Grandeur' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
Californian singer/songwriter Dan Krikorian has already released 4 albums, making this his 5th album so far and I am quite surprised he hasn't made it big yet. Grandeur is a diverse album that holds influences from a few genres actually (folk, soul, singer/songwriter, pop, roots), but sounds modern and fresh for today's standards. Imagine a mix of Hozier, Rufus Wainwright, John Grant, Jack Johnson and such, with music that most of the time goes into a typical popular singer-songwriter direction (Monday morning, Baby's got the blues, Words and 59th street), but during a few songs Dan goes into a slightly different direction (Don't look like you and High heels) that reveal some 50s sax dominated soulful pop. His voice is clean, melodic and quite sweet actually, very pop orientated if you know what I mean. He is one of those singers which could easily be a huge star, as his vibrato is one that will be loved by a lot of people I think. If Hozier and Ed Sheeran sellout 20,000 seated arena's, then why this Dan Krikorian can't do the same? His new album is definitely a must for fans of such sweet singer/songwriter ish music and I hope for some more of his soulful R&B side next time around, which could already be heard here and there. Ulanga is by far the finest song on the CD, a beautiful bluesy melodic ballad with nice guitarsolo, kinda John Mayer ish. Recommended record for sure! More info at: https://www.dankrikorian.com/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

Good Lovelies 'Shapeshifters' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
Formed in 2006, the all-female Canadian band Good Lovelies is formed around Caroline Brooks (Lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Kerri Ough (Lead vocals, keyboards, banjo, guitar) and Susan Passmore (Lead vocals, percussion, guitar). They have already released a few albums since then and Shapeshifters is their latest one, which musically is typical female folkish indie-poprock like we have heard it from Haim, The Staves, First Aid Kit and such the past 5 years. Nothing new under the sun, but thankfully the result is very good and sounds pleasant to the ears for sure. Good Lovelies are without a doubt doing things quite perfect with their WIlson Philips ish harmonyvocals. This is high quality music that has potential to score some big hitsingles, just listen to the beautiful When we were young or the uptempo Pulse and flatline that both sound close to The Webb Sisters. I am not that familiar with their earlier records, which are said to believe more folk pop orientated than this slightly hi-tech lush indie catchy pop-rock affair that sounds as already mentioned very close to Haim, The Webb Sisters and a bit The Corrs. It could be due to producer Daniel Ledwell (Justin Rutledge, Fortunate Ones), but who cares if it is done this well as on this record. One of those summer breeze records you can easily put on when enjoying glorious sunshine by the lake or river. Check them out at: http://goodlovelies.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

King Of Foxes 'Salt and honey' (Olivia Street Records/Hemifran)
 
The Canadian band King Of Foxes is formed around Olivia Street, a great singer with a perfect clean voice. Musically speaking the Indie Pop/Rock of King Of Foxes sounds fresh and summer ish. Especially the catchy uptempo poprocker Open book is a very strong tune, but any of the 7 included tracks is bringing quality sounds. Only pity is the short length of the album, only about 22 minutes, which makes it more or less an EP. Nevertheless, the cross between First Aid Kit meets Fleetwood Mac makes this King Of Foxes a band to keep your eyes wide open for, because they might easily become the next big thing. More info at: https://www.kingoffoxesband.com

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

Suzie Vinnick 'Shake the love around' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
When I saw the name Dean McTaggart on this CD, co-writing 1 song, I was immediately interested, because this guy co-wrote the AOR classic How long for Harem Scarem 28 years ago. Anyway, this is just a side-fact when checking out the new album of the singer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist Suzie Vinnick. Her new album Shake the love around has a typical female blues rock signature that is close to Ana Popovic, Samantha Fish, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, etc. etc. The fans of such female guitarists/vocalists then know what to expect here, which is quality bluesy rock and roll. Suzie's voice is not as good as her guitar playing, but during the somewhat calmer songs it all sounds perfectly melted, Crying a river for you for example is the best song by far, a beautiful relaxing melodic bluesy ballad like Gary Moore. In her home native country Canada, her star rises to fame with many awards, but outside Canada not many people are aware of this talented girl. This might change when you go to: http://www.suzievinnick.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Legion 'Rising' (Rock Company)
 
I lost count years ago, because lead singer Phil Vincent started to release so many records since the turn of the century, which not only includes solo albums, but also several projects and a few different bands. One of those bands is Legion, with whom he already quite a lot the past few years. This band also features the Bob Catley guitarist Vince O'Regan and Rising is their latest venture. Musically typical Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock with 80s/90s approach, flashy guitarwork and the typical Phil Vincent choruses. 10 tracks are included and people familiar with Phil's music will definitely know what to expect here. Nothing new under the sun, but here and there some nice melodies can be heard, such as Maybe now and Lost soul. Imagine a heavier version of Stryper/Dokken/Mass, then you're more or less thinking in the right direction of Legion. Check them out at: https://www.philvincentbands.com/index.php/legion

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

Stamina 'Live in the city of power' (Rock Company)
 
Italian Melodic Metal band Stamina is formed around guitarist and songwriter Luca Sellitto. They already released 4 album and the latest is called Live in the city of power, which is indeed a live record. Recorded in September 2018 in Zgierz, the city of power in Poland, this is a CD / DVD combination, containing 9 songs lifted from their 4 albums. Musically speaking the Melodic Metal sounds quite nice actually, although my concern here are the vocals, because they do not reach the level of similar acts like Axel Rudi Pell and Pretty Maids. Nevertheless, die-hard Melodic Metal fans will like this for sure. Edguy fans will be dancing all night to sing-a-long songs like Love was never meant to be and Holding on. More at: https://www.facebook.com/staminaitalianband/

(Points: 7.3 out of 10)

Phil Vincent 'Hypocrite' (Rock Company)
 
And yet another Phil Vincent album, which is a solo-record titled Hypocrite. As expected the music is his typical AOR/Melodic Rock signature sound, with this time some more AOR here and there thanks to the use of heavy keys. The dut-dut AOR keys of Back in the day for example are pure 80s AOR and so is this song, which sounds like one of the best songs Phil has recorded the past 10 years! 12 songs are in total on this new record and besides the already mentioned Back in the day, the other highlights are the uptempo melodic rocker Nobody's gonna miss you, the sensational AOR smashing hit Waste of time and Never enough. Without a doubt, this is Phil's finest record in ages, a little back to his best music he recorded in the mid/late 90s. Check out more at: www.philvincent.com

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

Kat Chapman Band 'Ep' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
Out of Australia comes singer/songwriter Kat Chapman, who already released 4 full-length albums in the past. Her new album EP is the first one I get to hear and review, and hopefully I will be able to check out those earlier albums as well, because Kat has a very pleasant soulful voice and the 5 songs on this EP are high quality melodic acoustic pop/rock tunes. Farewell to the farm for example shows her enormous talent, with a superb voice that also has got the potential to sing pure rock tunes. Who knows she will do that one day, because that would be very interesting to hear. EP is a nice introduction to a very talented lady. She got a little help here from drummer/producer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel) guitarist Bill Dillon (Robbie Robertson) and guitarist Duke Levine (Peter Wolf), whom all know that Kat Chapman needs to breakthrough! Check her out at: http://www.katchapmanband.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

Billy White Jr. 'It's about time' (Apemaydah Records/Hemifran)
 
Now here we have something sensational with an old soul. The name is Billy White Jr., a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Texas with a fantastic soulful voice (a la Paul Carrack and Bernie LaBarge), lovely bluesy melodic guitar playing a la Santana and Stevie Ray Vaughan and an album filled with very relaxing 1970s orientated bluesy soulful westcoast/AOR that reminds me a bit of Player, Poco, Young Gun Silver Fox, America, etc., although there's loads more to hear. Just listen to the titletrack of his new album It's about time to hear how this kind of music sounds like at it's very best, without sounding dated at all. Steely Dan also comes to mind quite a few times and some Toto, but then with a Boz Scags ish approach and as he's a real Texan, the classic bluesrock and southern rock can also be heard a lot of times (Rock n roll fever and the Allman Brothers Band ish instrumental Shenanigans). The great thing here is that Billy melts together the best of blues, jazzy fusion, pop and westcoast, and he never gets boring, as all 10 songs are sounding just perfect. Also a highlight is the calmer bluesy ballad I don't need it, which sounds like a cross between Gary Moore, Walter Trout and an AOR ballad from the classic RPM debut album. And how about the fantastic twin-guitar ish sound of the classic AOR/Southern rockers I am free and Don't talk about me (superb guitarsolo!) that sound like real AOR ish classics in the spirit of Blackfoot, Axe, Billy Satellite and Doc Holiday. There's something for everyone here, rock, blues, westcoast, poppy, AOR, you name it and it's there. Billy is one of the few who can sing and play the guitar both very well, so that alone deserves the attention. Check out more on Billy at: https://www.billywhitejr.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Superseed 'Superseed' (Rock Of Angels Records/Gordeon Music)
 
Out of Bristol comes the new sensation in rockmusic and they are called Superseed. Opener My time is now on their same titled debut album marks the energy of 5 young guys one heard from countless other young bands during the early days of Punk, NWOBHM and Grunge. Superseed combines it all, including Black Sabbathish Doom Metal riffs, 70s Classic Rock Thin Lizzy like twin-guitars, 90s Soundgarden/Alice In Chains harmonyvocals and the energy of classic poppunk and 90s college rock (Weezer). Fuzer Stoner Classic Hardrock (sometimes close to Foo Fighters) is the best possible description here and they hit it like a hammer on each and every of the 16 (!) included tracks on their first album. The band was formed a few years ago around Ben Taylor - Guitar/Vocals, David Edgar - Guitar/Vocals, Dan Armson - Guitar/Vocals, Keith Bowers - Bass and Matt Colley - Drums. Together they released an album that basically combines the best of 50 years of rock and roll, minus the 80s! Not a single weak song can be found here and it would not surprise me if these guys will breakthrough someday soon, because if they can also deliver this live on stage, we can welcome one of the great new rockbands that without a doubt sounds better than the overhyped Greta Van Fleet. Check them out at: https://superseedrock.wixsite.com/superseedrock

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

Red Bazar 'Things as they appear' (Nineteen 73/White Knight Records/UK Import)
 
Red Bazar is a Nottingham, UK based band which has been active since 2007, but actually now starts to sound really sensational. This is definitely due to the fact that multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Peter Jones joined them a few years ago on their previous album Tales from the bookcase. Peter is an amazing singer, incredibly talented and besides running several other projects (including Tiger Moth Tales, Francis Dunery and being part of the legendary Sympho band Camel recently!), he now fully joined Red Bazar on their superb new album Things as they appear. It looks like that on this new record, everything falls together perfectly and their brand of melodic neo-progressive rock reaches to the absolute upper level of the progrock. Not only Peter's superb vocals contribute to this, but of course also the original (instrumental) bandmembers (Andy Wilson (guitar), Mick Wilson (bass) and Paul Comerie (drums)) show their skills throughout the whole album. Some comparisons to Threshold are very clear when you listen to the fantastic opener Temple, but Red Bazar is a little less heavy and more classic progrock/sympho vocal orientated. The wonderful clean melodic vocals of Peter definitely contribute here and the progrock is clearly song orientated with a strong focus on memorable melodies. Enchant, Jadis, Pallas, Kino, Lonely Robot, Arena and such acts pop up when listening to the Red Bazar material. The fans of those bands will absolutely fall in love here! 8 lengthy tracks are included and not a single dull moment to be found. Fans of melodic prog need to check out this album a.s.a.p. 2019 has delivered already the new RPWL, but this new Red Bazar is also one to get if you call yourself a progfan! More info at: https://www.facebook.com/red.bazar.9

(Points: 8.9 out of 10)

Last Flight To Pluto 'A drop in the ocean' (Nineteen 73/White Knight Records/UK Import)
 
Out of Cardiff, Wales comes Last Flight To Pluto, a band formed around Alice Freya (vocals), Darren Joseph (drums), Jack Parry (guitar), Lewis Kreft (bass) and Ryan Barnard (guitar). They released their debut See You At The End back in 2015 and now follow it up with A drop in the ocean. 6 tracks are included and instrumental it sounds very impressive (especially the beautiful melodic precise 70s classic rock guitarwork is the absolute highlight on this album!), while the songs are also quite strong, but one has to get used to the vocals of Alice. Progrock and female vocals do not blend nicely most of the time, with the exception of course (Karnataka, Mostly Autumn, Renaissance), but when it gets really proggy like here, somehow it takes time to find the connection. Opener Masheena is definitely a wonderful progrock tune and after a few listens it felt good with Alice's vocals. She has not a 'prog' voice, if that even exists, but once you have accepted her way of singing, it actually sounds quite nicely. Anyway, the music is quite proggy, but also leaning towards a modern rock approach. In the end, it does sound fresh all together and progfans will definitely enjoy this album. On the other hand, it's not a contender for album of the year, because therefore we need to hear stronger vocals I'm afraid. More at: http://www.lastflight2pluto.com

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Sister Speak 'The stand EP' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
The Canadian Sherri Anne is the vocalist/guitarist of the Indie Popband Sister Speak, whom are now bringing us a great new EP CD titled The stand. They wrote most of the 6 included tracks while on tour as support act for Air Supply. Opener New York sunrise has got really potential in becoming a huge hit! The song has that typical modern bombastic pop approach, while it claims to be Indie and Folk melted together. However, the folk parts pass by in some of the following tracks. Sherri has a good voice that perfectly fits here, sounding a bit melodramatic and melancholic (Florence and The Machine). Actually the band sounds very professional and mature, so who knows they will now start to become more known, which is definitely deserved, because the stand sounds like a great little record for the big masses. The titletrack for example also has got all it takes to become a crowd favorite. Anyway, check them out at: http://www.sisterspeakmusic.com/

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

RPWL 'Tales from outer space' (Gentle Art Of Music/Soulfood/Nineteen 73/UK Import)
 
Last year on the same label we welcomed one of the prog highlights of 2018, the German band Subsignal's album la Muerta. Now on the same label we can enjoy a possible album of the year 2019 contender, the new album of the German band RPWL. This band has been active for over 20 years now and built up quite a reputation in the progrockworld. Their music is quite close to classic Pink Floyd and also this new album Tales from outer space follows that direction. Melodic precise relaxing Progressive Rock with 7 lengthy songs, and the Pink Floyd comparisons become even more real, because guest musician Guy Pratt played with Pink Floyd and David Gilmour! Anyway, despite the Pink Floyd similarities, the band has by now also created their own RPWL sound, where the guitar takes an important part. Kalle Wallner is an excellent guitarist, playing the solo's every progfan loves to hear and lead singer Yogi Lang exactly knows where his strength lies, so no forced high squaks here. The band reaches one of it's peaks in the lovely prog masterpiece Light of the world. Without a doubt, RPWL have once again delivered a highly recommended record! Do not miss this album if you're a dedicated progfan!

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

Kinetic Element 'The face of life' (Melodic Revolution Records/Nineteen 73/UK Import)
 
The Richmond, Virginia, USA based band Kinetic Element was formed more than 10 years ago and released quite a few records so far. The band is formed around St. John Coleman (vocals), Mike Visaggio (keyboards); Michael Murray (drums), recently joined guitarist Peter Matuchniak and Mark Tupko (basses). The Face Of Life is their new album, which is actually an epic piece, consisting of 4 lengthy tracks, of which the titletrack takes up almost 20 minutes. Musically speaking we are heading into classic symphonic/prog of the 1970s kind, with Yes being a clear comparison. Vocally it is not as strong as I hoped for, but instrumental and songwise everything sounds fine here. Fans of Yes will definitely like a song such as All open eyes, with it's rich harmonyvocals. Not a classic or groundbreaking record, but nevertheless another nice prog record to check out for the die-hard fans out there. More at: https://kineticelement.rocks/

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

Dave Groewer 'Dark island' (STF Records/Germany Import)
 
Now here we have an instrumental record that actually is pretty good and not based around endless neo-classical shredding like most other isntrumental records. Instead we get to hear strong instrumental melodic metal, where the guitar plays the vocal melodies. Funny thing is that Dave Groewer is the drummer on this album, because the guitars are played by guitarist/bassist Jan Ackermann (another coincidence, because this is not THE Jan Akkerman!). Anyway, I have enjoyed the instrumental melodic metal journey from Dave and Jan. It's filled with mostly uptempo melodic pieces, with as mentioned, some really nice melodic guitarsolo's in a Maiden ish style, just check out the fantastic Crashed. All info on Dave and his music is at: https://www.dave-groewer.de

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

David Haerle 'Garden of edendale' (Edendale Records/Hemifran)
 
Garden of Edendale is the debut album of American singer/songwriter David Haerle. He actually started very late as a professional artist, because after picking up the guitar and playing in a few bands in the 1970s/1980s, he quit music when his father died and served as president of CMH Label Group for 27 years. Music never leaves you and so he recently started making music, which eventually led to the release of Garden of edendale. Musically it is a a mixture of powerpop, college melodic poprock and singer/songwriter pop, with some nice guitar solo's in most tunes. Especially the first 2 songs (Finding Nathalie and I have a crush on Los Angeles) and later on, Shining star are fine examples of the catchy uptempo guitar pop material David writes. There are influences of Matthew Sweet, Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Peter Case, Jackson Browne and such, but the flashing guitarwork comes out of his old 70s guitar love (Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, etc.) and the powerpop ish choruses reflect The Rembrandts, Jellyfish, Weezer, The Posies, The Knack... He also speaks a lot instead of singing, like Tom Petty, Robbie Robertson or even Tom Waits, but the choruses are clearly more in a melodic singing way. Anyway, the result is a very fresh record that feels quite summer ish. More info at: https://davidhaerle.com/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

Eryn 'Lady E' (Independent/Hemifran)
 
At first sight I did not find so much info on singer/guitarist Eryn on her latest EP Lady E, but then I find out her real name is Eryn Shewell and she has already built up quite a reputation in the New York area. She is currently settled in New Jersey and musically speaking she is very diverse, because opener Hallelujah you're gone is a bluesy rocktune, following track The You Missing From Me (written by David Bryan of Bon Jovi) is a great poprock ballad (a la Pink), Just jump is pure Soul/old school R&B and Stranger in my house is an acoustic guitar led singer/songwriter piece with a lot of emotion. It is clear there is potential here, with Eryn being a great singer and the 6 included songs offer enough diversity to keep everyone happy. Anouk meets Pink, with a little Adele would be a good description, but I think she would rather be compared to her heroes Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Eva Cassidy. Personally I would love to hear here sing some more rock/bluesy material, because now only opener Hallelujah you're gone offers that a bit. Anyway, she was able to secure enough known musicians (guitarist Marc Ribler of Little Steven/Darlene Love/Lee Aaron, the afforementioned David Bryan of Bon Jovi, her husband/blues guitarist/vocalist Matt O'Ree (ex-Bon Jovi) and several other established musicians) to play on her EP, so who knows what they can do for her in the future on a full-length release regarding the perfect music direction. Check out more at: http://erynofficial.com/

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

Zan Zone 'It's only natural' (Randomaxe Records/Hemifran)
 
The band Zan Zone is coming out of Brooklyn, New York and is actually the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Zan Burnham, along with vocalist Sabrina Clery, vocalist Philip Dessinger, bassist Saadi Zain, drummer Kurt Bergland and vibraphonist Bill Ware. They have been active since the mid 1990s and It's only natural is their latest effort, which took them several years to complete. Musically speaking it has a clear late 1960s/early 1970s approach, combining folkish melodies/harmonyvocals (The Byrds) and soulful female vocals with some experimental psychedelic pop/rock moves (a la Zappa) and also a bit of funky jazzy pop/rock of the Little Feat/Steely Dan kind, while 70s Zeppelin ish guitarwork is also present. The result is most of the time quite good and when hearing songs like Here I go again and Mystery you would imagine yourself it's 1972 or something. Let it go is the absolute hard rocking piece here, with soaring guitar solos and a catchy uptempo sound, where the female vocals make it sound like Tina Turner fronting a 70s Hardrockband. Quite a diverse record with a pure 60s/70s approach, so go find more info at: https://www.zanzone.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

Citizen K '3' (Paraply Records/Hemifran)
 
Out of Sweden comes Citizen K, a project formed around guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Klas Qvist. The third release of this project offers beautiful 1970s based pop/rock that contains elements of Westcoast (mid 70s Fleetwood Mac/Steely Dan...) and British/Dutch 70s light symphonic pop/rock (10CC, Kayak and Partner), although on the other hand it also reminds me of a cross between new bands like the Westcoast of Young Gun Silver Fox and the Indie Pop of Band Of Horses, Dawes and The War On Drugs. Anyway, whatever you call it, the songs are really relaxing and excellent, some of them feeling like a roadtrip journey during a hot summer, such as Radio classic and Oceans call, both sounding like true Westcoast classics! 13 songs are in total on the album and if you're a fan of mentioned bands, you will absolutely love this album. Piano in the rain for example is just pure 1970s Kayak! Close your eyes and you will think this is Kayak, with Klas sounding dangerously close to Max Werner! The difference however is that Citizen K is less piano/keyboard orientated, so no bombastic stuff here, but instead more westcoast ish pop/rock like Partner and , with a touch of light symphonic rock. Definitely an album you need to check out a.s.a.p. at: https://soundcloud.com/user-289324136

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

Judith Owen 'Rediscovered' (Twanky Records/Hemifran)
 
Now here we have an excellent female singer called Judith Owen. She is Welsh, but relocated to the USA many years ago. Since the mid 1990s she has released a lot of records and now she returns with a very interesting 'covers' album, because she turned legendary classic tunes into her own jazzy sorta popstyle. Most of the time it worked very well, such as during Hot stuff, Papa was a rolling stone and even Smoke on the water, but Black hole sun sounded somehow less interesting. Nevertheless, Judith is an amazing singer, with a beautiful unique voice and her music style is jazzy pop/singer/songwriter that feels really natural and relaxed, perfect suitable for late nights as background music. She is quite known already and definitely deserves more attention. I am not familiar with her own material, but this covers album really makes me wonder how those previous 11 (!) records sound like. Meanwhile, check out more at: http://www.judithowen.net/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

A/B Trio 'Trioliloquy' (Chronograph Records/Hemifran)
 
The Alberta, Canada based band A/B Trio consists of Thom Bennett (drums), Dan Davis (saxophone), and Josh McHan (double bass). Together they created an album that fans of improvised but melodic free-jazz will absolutely love. On this new album Trioliloquy they got help from Toronto-based trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, a multiple Juno winner and eighteen-time Juno nominee, who worked with the Barenaked Ladies and Bruce Cockburn as well as Mr. Something Something and even the Sicilian Jazz Project besides countless other recordings. The result is a lovely record that will wet the appetite of any pure Jazz fan out there. If you like Avishai Cohen Trumpet Quartet or Esbjörn Svensson Trio, then you will instantly love this A/B Trio as well!

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)