|
|
HOT NEW REVIEWS
BONA
LISA 'BONA LISA/GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
Out of Columbia, South
Carolina, USA comes the husband and wife tag team of Donna (vocals) and Andy
Milikin (guitar). Together with several guest musicians they perform under the
moniker BONA LISA, under which they released 2 strong EP’s. Musically speaking
this is very strong female fronted pure 80s US Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock. When
listening to songs like Revved Up, She Wants More, American Dream, Without You
(superb sensational uptempo piece a la mid-80s STRYPER), Give It All You Got,
Run For Your Life, etc. it’s like we stepped in a time machine back to 1984
when this kind of rock was played by millions of bands in especially the USA.
They absolutely did a fantastic job here, because the tight rhythm section, the
flashy shredding guitarwork, the raw vocals, the lyrics and basically
everything sounds like a classic 80s US Hardrock record. They have 10 songs in
total on these 2 EP albums and all of the aforementioned songs bring back
memories of bands like BETSY, BITCH, STRANGER (US), BLACK’N’BLUE, RATT,
BLITZKRIEG (Ready For Action), VYPER, LEE AARON, BRITTON, LITA FORD, SCARLET
RED, JADE, Q5, KEEL, etc. etc. I have to say that their 2nd EP
Give It All You Got from 2019 is really sensational and so perfectly done you
would honestly think this is a re-issue of a recording that took place 35 years
ago! It would be amazing if they could release this on vinyl someday, because
that would make the authenticity complete! Meanwhile, check out this strong
band at: https://bonalisarocks.bandcamp.com/ and https://www.reverbnation.com/bonalisa6 and www.BonaLisa.ROCKS
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
SUNRISE
'EQUILIBRIA' (MUSIC GYM RECORDS/UKRAINE IMPORT)
Out of Kiev, Ukraine
comes the band SUNRISE. They were formed back in 2003 and Equilibria is their 4th album
so far. Musically speaking we are diving into late 90s/early 00s Melodic
Euro/Finnish Power Metal that sounds like a perfect cross between STRATOVARIUS
and SONATA ARCTICA. I have seen both bands live back then and I must say that
you get a lot of energy and excitement when hearing this genre, both live and
on record. Eventually this kind of Melodic Power Metal slowly died towards the
end of the 00s, but SUNRISE is a band that clearly shows we might be at the
beginning of a revival, because their new album sounds quite impressive. It
might not be really original, the performance and high quality of the 13
included songs will definitely appeal to fans of the 2 mentioned bands. This is
a combination of fast and furious keyboard driven neo-classical power metal
with catchy memorable choruses and crystal clean typical Northern European
vocals (both male and female). The band consists of Konstantin “Laars” Naumenko
/ Vocals, Daria “Lady Dea” Naumenko / Keyboards, Maksym Vityuk / Guitars, Vladislav
Sedov / Bass and Oleksandr Ihnatenko / Drums and the highlights on Equilibria
are the ultra-melodic Equilibrium (almost melodic rock like NIGHTWISH with
ANETTE OLZON), We Are The Fire (SONATA ARCTICA meets DRAGONFORCE
hands-in-the-air-fast-sing-a-long classic Euro Power Metal), Wild Swans (very
catchy pure STRATOVARIUS), Life Is A Journey (feat. Mayo Petranin), the lovely
The Bell and the catchy Nightingale. If you’re a fan of any of the
aforementioned bands, then absolutely make sure to check out this fantastic Ukrainian
band at: https://sunrisekiev.bandcamp.com/album/equilibria
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
OMAR
SOSA SECKOU KEITA 'SUBA' (BENDIGEDIG/UK IMPORT)
Cuban pianist OMAR
SOSA and Senegalese griot and master of the kora SECKOU KEITA joined forces in
Leeds and wrote and recorded an album during the lockdown. The album is titled
Suba and it’s their 2nd album together so far. Accompanied by
Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, the 3 of them came up with a
beautiful calmer album that is very diverse from start to finish. African
influences are traceable in the beautiful melodic Allah Leno, jazzy influences
in Korason and a sorta STINGish (Fragile) calm world music pop during the amazing
Drops Of Sunrise. However, the main focus is based around beautiful
instrumental passages that reveal classical music influences such as can be
heard during Voices On The Sea and 2020 Visions, while also a lot of songs show
the musician’s experiences of making instrumental background music for movies.
It is a very diverse album that combines all kinds of influences, world music,
(Cuban) jazz, classical music, pop, African music, Soundtrack/Movie music etc.
and this is all done at an extremely high level. This is not that strange,
because both of them performed and recorded dozens of albums, while also
composing for symphonies and soundtracks, even earning several Grammy
nominations! Concluded, this is a recommended album for sure! More info at: https://omarsosa.com/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
THE LRW
PROJECT 'FIGHT & CLIMB' (LRW MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
Fight & Climb is
the 2nd album of THE LRW PROJECT, which is a project of British
multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter LEON ROBERT WINTERINGHAM. We reviewed
his debut album a few years ago and now he’s back with another classic song
based authentic AOR record. Leon did almost everything on his own and right
from the start with the opener Round Two, we are pleased with high quality
uptempo AOR. Leon has a strong voice and the music is pure AOR like we now it
nowadays, reminding me a bit of the 90s records of acts like PASSION STREET,
WALK THE WIRE, DARE, STREET TALK and such. The material is a mixture of uptempo
and midtempo pieces, and after the catchy opener Round Two, other highlights on
this great pure AOR record are the midtempo pieces Hide Away (beautiful tune,
MARK FREE/ATLANTIC style), Wrong Fight (smooth song, NEWMAN meets STREET TALK
meets SEVEN), Stay The Night (superb!) and Who Did She Marry? (very much like
the classic MARK FREE classic Long Way From Love album), and the uptempo
AOR/Melodic Rockers The Ride (lovely pure 80s poprockish, not unlike AGENT
meets early HAYWIRE) and Just For Nothing (catchy lightweight, a bit WORK OF
ART ish). Without any doubts, Leon shows once again he is a gifted AOR
singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who absolutely deserves recognition
from the AOR world and beyond, because this new CD contains a lot of sensational
authentic AOR that easily beats the majority of FRONTIERS RECORDS’ releases.
More info at: https://thelrwproject.com/product/692092
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
THE KORGIS ‘KARTOON WORLD’
(TENACITY PUBLISHING/UK IMPORT)
We have seen a lot of comebacks during the
covid pandemic and as I have already mentioned several times in other reviews,
there has never been a period in music history as now that so much new music
was created and released! The British band THE KORGIS are best remembered for
their classic hitsingle Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime in the early 1980s.
Although they released a few more records in the 80s and early 90s, their fame
and fortune moment was clearly 40 years ago and from out of nowhere they
recorded and now released a 2-CD set that contains brand-new material of THE
KORGIS. The line-up on this new album consist of original members James Warren
(bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards) and John Baker (guitar, vocals, keyboards)
(who were also both in the 70s progband STACKRIDGE) and newbies Al Steele
(guitar), Paul Smith (drums) and Nigel Hart (keyboards). Kartoon World is a
concept album that takes the best of 60s-90s popmusic, sounding very British
with a typical 70s humoristic touch, but I have to say that they are doing it
very well and professionally, without ever sounding dated actually. It’s a
fresh album that just sounds like a classic British 70s pop/rock album. After
the intro, opener Bringing Back The Spirit Of Love is a friendly 1970s ish
quirky British pop/rocker with a nice catchy chorus, a bit like as expected
10CC, E.L.O., CITY BOY and such. Following back In The Eighties is indeed pure
1980s orientated, a superb catchy uptempo 1984ish keyboard ready light poprocker
in the style of the classic 80s cartoon theme tunes and also reminding a lot of
the 1984/1985 sound of the records of JAY GRUSKA (Which One Of Us Is Me), JACK
WAGNER (All I Need), FRANK STALLONE (Frank Stallone), JOHN O’BANION (White
Light), so the die-hard fans exactly know what I’m talking about here! Back to
the 1970s pop/rock with the ballad All Roads Lead To Rome, which sounds like a
ballad of ALICE COOPER, ELO and JOHN LENNON did in the 1970s. This Is The Life
is a very good DAVID BOWIEish midtempo pop/rocker with a rather catchy chorus
that could become a hit on the radio. THE BEATLES must have been a huge
influence to create the song Time (Song For Dom), which starts calm and
slightly psychedelic, but gets uptempo progressive rocking in the classic 1970s
style, with multilayered harmonyvocals even reminding a bit of CATS IN SPACE.
La La Land has a typical quirky 70s boogie rocking sound (a la STEELY DAN’s
Reelin’ In The Years), with also obvious THE BEACH BOYS influences. Magic Money
Tree is another great midtempo pop/rock song with an 80s touch, sorta CUTTING
CREWish somehow, so with a very light touch of 80s neo-progpop. The proggy
Space follows, while This Is A New Low is a great dut-dut keyboard driven 70s
epic symphonic poprocker in the style of KAYAK. The sugarsweet 70s popballad
Broken follows and if released in 1976, this would have been a huge hit 45
years ago to compete with STYX’s Babe, although it also reminds me slightly of
ROBBY VALENTINE’s Over And Over Again! Back to a more modern direction with the
catchy The Ghost Of You, which is a light proggy popsong a la STEVEN WILSON,
with a sorta 90s ish MIKE & THE MECHANICS / MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK ish
chorus. Up next is the titletrack Cartoon World, a classic piece of 70s
poprock/westcoast like it is not created anymore, reminding of PLAYER, POCO,
PABLO CRUISE and such. Closing track of the official album on CD 1 is the
sugarsweet campfire clap-along MR. BIGish To be With You copied The Best Thing
You Can Do Is Love Someone, because what follows are different mixes, demos and
such of the previous songs, which is continued on the bonus CD. A lot of effort
and work has been done to create the booklet and so there’s enough to enjoy
here. The music is quite nice, although sometimes a bit too lightweight and
kitsch, yet always done at a very high level and concluded we can say this is a
great comeback of a legendary band. If you’re interested in a poppier version
of CATS IN SPACE, then this might be right up your alley as well, although of
course if you’re familiar with THE KORGIS, then you know what to expect here.
Check out all info at: https://thekorgis.com/album/1620571/kartoon-world
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
DIANA
RASINA ‘ROMANCE’ (GALILEO MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
Romance is the 2nd album
of the talented Romanian singer DIANA RASINA. She studied in Vienna, Austria
jazz, vocal pedagogy and Romance studies (French and Spanish) and along with
MIROSLAV JANKECH (accordion) and ALEX KOHTARO YOSHII (guitar), she recorded the
new album Romance, which is the follow-up to
Romanian Tales, which
was also released on the German label Galileo Music. The 15 included songs are
a joy to listen to, thanks to Diana’s beautiful vocals. The material is an
unique mix of Jazz, Mediterranean/Fado music and Romanian traditional music.
When listening to the songs, you imagine yourself somewhere in the summer sun
of the south and hear Diana sing classic traditional songs from Portugal, Spain,
Italy and even the classic JACQUES BREL song ne Me Quitte Pas is sung perfectly
by Diana. Check out all info on this talented singer at: https://www.dianarasina.com/
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
LUZ Y
SOMBRA & NICHOLAS LARTAUN ‘CHIQUILIN‘ (GALILEO MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
We’re heading to
Argentina and the Tango music with the new album of the trio LUZ Y SOMBRA and
Argentinian singer NICHOLAS LARTAUN. Together they pay tribute to the 100th birthday
of the legendary Tango legend ASTOR PIAZZOLLA. Astor was born in 1921 and died
in 1992 and he was very important for the Argentinian music history. The 11
songs on this album are an adventure through the streets of Buenos Aires, where
the musicians grew up playing busker tango music and along with a classical
music influence, this is a very enjoyable album to learn more about this music
genre. Some of the songs are instrumental and when Nicholas sings you
absolutely feel like you’re in a complete different world we’re not familiar
with here in Europe. Check it out for yourself if you’re becoming interested
at:
https://www.nicolaslartaun.com/
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
RAO
KYAO ‘GANDHI‘ (GALILEO MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
Gandhi is the new album of the Portuguese
bamboo flute master RAO KYAO, who pays tribute to one of the greatest spiritual
and political leaders of the 20th century, GANDHI. The included music is mostly
instrumental, although Rao also sings on 1 song, while he is assisted by
several other musicians, such as Bernardo Couto – Portuguese Guitar, Carlos
Lopes – Accordion, Renato Silva Júnior – Harmonium and Keyboards, Ruca Rebordão
– Percussion and Toni Lago Pinto – Classical Guitar and Braguesa Viola. The
music was composed by Rao himself and is musically speaking a mixture of
various World Music genres, sounding Arabic during the lovely opener
Respeito Pela Natureza, Tango influences during Paz E O Caminho, cheerful
folkish during a wonderful song like Regresso As Origens and spiritual
influences on a lot of songs. Without a doubt, this is a great record to
experience the diversity of World Music and of course the overall feeling of
the record makes you remember one of the most legendary people who ever lived
on the planet earth, Gandhi. More info and availability of the CD through https://www.galileomusic.de/artikel/24115/R%C3%A3o_Kyao_Gandhi
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
ARGI
‘DARE TO DREAM’ (INDEPENDENT/SPAIN IMPORT)
ARGI is a Spanish
project of guitarist DANI ARGILES, and Dare To Dream is the first EP he
releases. As guests we can welcome lead singers DAVID A. SAYLOR (RIP) and ROD
MARENNA, bassist PABLO GABA, drummer JOSE A. PEREIRA and keyboardplayers RAFA
HERNANDEZ and HARIS PATSOS. 5 songs are included and it all starts with opener
Runaway Love, which is a great pure 80s uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker that reminds
me quite a bit of TOBRUK. The late David sings on this song very well, while
the other 4 songs are sung perfectly by Rod. Rod reminds me a lot of a Swedish
singer from the past, but not sure if anyone actually knows the band DOUBLE
DOUCE, because that band came to mind when listening to the lovely AOR/Melodic
Rocker Crying With Joy. You can also of course mention typical Scandi
AOR/Melodic Rockbands such as DALTON, 80s TREAT, DAVINCI, ALIEN, etc. etc. The
album continues with the fantastic instrumental midtempo melodic rocker Start
Living, where Dani shows what an excellent guitarist he is. Daydream follows
and is a superb catchy keyboard driven uptempo AOR piece (a la FM/WHITE
SISTER/AVIATOR), while closing track Nothing To Lose is yet another awesome
uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker with a fantastic SHYish chorus and a killer soaring
guitarsolo! Concluded, this ARGI is without any doubts a project to keep your
eyes wide open for in the future, because they sound way more authentic than
the fabricated Frontiers Records releases. Check out all info at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ArgiOfficial.MelodicRock
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
SINGLE
CELLED ORGANISM ‘PERCIPIO ERGO SUM’ (TIMEZONE RECORDS/ART OF MUSIC/FLAT EARTH
MUSIC/GERMAN IMPORT)
The Hamburg, Germany
based multi-instrumentalist and producer JENS LUECK (drums, keyboards, vocals,
guitars, bass, programming) is the man behind the project SINGLE CALLED
ORGANISM. Percipio Ergo Sum is the 2nd album under this moniker
and additional musicians include Ingo Salzmann / guitars, Johnny Beck /
guitars, Isgaard Marke / vocals, Jürgen Osuchowski / acoustic guitars, Katja
Flintsch / violin and viola, Olek Bakki / cello, Volker Kuinke / recorders and
Kai Ritter / voice. The music is melodic but dark and melancholic progressive
rock of an incredible high level, with a focus on beautiful instrumental
passages that include lovely duals between the soaring guitar and subtle
keyboards, but also laid-back clean melodic singing and then of course PINK
FLOYD is the best possible comparison, but after listening a few times to this
wonderful album it is clear that SINGLE CELLED ORGANISM has an own identity. 11
songs are included in total, of which the longer songs are likewise the most
interesting ones for the progfans among us, with as highlights She’s awake, The
Final Door, Doubts, Save Me From Dreaming and the fantastic Entanglement Runs
Off. However, we can also find a few modern poppy tunes here and there, such as
the catchy I’d Like To See, which would make a band like COLDPLAY jealous.
SINGLE CELLED ORGANISM belongs to the new wave of progbands and might easily
compete in the near future with acts like AIRBAG, RPWL, SYLVAN, RIVERSIDE, BIG
BIG TRAIN, and such. Check them out at: https://singlecelledorganism.bandcamp.com/album/percipio-ergo-sum and https://singlecelledorganism.com
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
KRISSY
MATTHEWS ‘PIZZA MAN BLUES’ (RUF RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Back in early 2020
British-Norwegian blues rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter KRISSY MATTHEWS
found himself in a situation nobody knew that it would ever happen, but after 15
years in the music business, he now could do only one thing during the
lockdown, which was likewise writing new songs besides finding other temporary
jobs. He managed to get several musicians on board eventually to record the new
material, of which the result is now available on CD as Pizza Man Blues on RUF
RECORDS. It’s already 8th album, but the first for RUF RECORDS.
The included music is not pure blues, but a diverse album that combines
elements of classic rock, blues and a bit of soul. Opener Mayday is a lovely
punching uptempo hardrocker with the spirit of RORY GALLAGHER, but it also
reveals a flair of 80s classic rock. Following track is the sensational The Man
Said No, which taps out of the relaxing bluesy aor/westcoast style, featuring
very strong vocals of Krissy, and in combination with his smooth bluesy
guitarwork, this is definitely one of the highlights on the CD. The album has a
lot more to offer as already mentioned (such as the superb rocking Ride), and
fans of KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD, PHIL SAYCE, JOE BONAMASSA, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN,
etc. etc., will probably like this a lot. Krissy is a gifted guitarist and
singer/songwriter, and I can easily recommend his new album! More info
at: http://www.krissymatthews.com/
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
TASTE
‘ROCK IS GOD’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
The Australian band
TASTE was active during the 1970s and they managed to release 2 albums. The
band played as support act for QUEEN on their Australian tour back then, but
despite some small success TASTE eventually split up. 3 of the original members
(Michael Gemini Bass, Joey Amenta/Guitars, Vocals, Ken Murdoch/Vocals, Guitars,
Keyboards) reunited in the 2000s and recorded new material. Rock is God
contains a portion of this material. Interesting side-fact is that the band’s
original drummer in the 1970s was none-other than VIRGIL DONATI, who would
later on perform with countless other bands, such as RING OF FIRE, DUNGEON,
SOUTHERN SONS, PLANET X, ERIK NORLANDER, VERTIGO, and many more. However, on
this new TASTE CD Virgil drums on just a couple of songs, while the other
featured drummers are Patrick Daneo, Damian Corniola and Joel Witenberg. 14
songs are included and basically this is pure Classic Rock, a bit monotone here
and there, but well played for sure. Highlights are the THE WHOish Classic
Rocking catchy Hello Can You Hear Me, the progressive rocker Remedy, the
fantastic uptempo classic pure 70s rockers Group E and the KISSish Tickle Your
Fancy (both sound like they were actually recorded back then) and the midtempo
melodic rocker is It Just A Dream?, which also has LED ZEPPELIN influences and
some lovely guitarwork. Nice ’new’ TASTE album, which makes me really eager to
check out their 70s work they did as teenagers, although over here in Europe
that material is quite rare nowadays. Check them out at: https://www.melodicrockrecords.com/shop/rock-is-god/MRR152
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
SILENT
TIGER ‘READY FOR ATTACK’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
SILENT TIGER is an international band
formed around musicians who played in the bands HEARTS ON FIRE and SOUND OF
ETERNITY (the Honduras based musicians Joel Mejia/Drums and Jean Funes/Guitar)
as well as a superb American singer (David Cagle from the band MARTY AND THE
BAD PUNCH) and guesting are Andreas Passmark/Bass, the legendary German
producer DENNIS WARD on keys (and mixing/mastering the album) and Jonas
Öijvall/Keyboards. Together they bring us a great melodic rocking sound that is
obviously influenced by the 80s and due to the involvement of DENNIS WARD it is
not too far away from the stuff he usually does, such as KHYMERA. 10 songs are
included on this wonderful CD and catchy uptempo melodic rock is the name of
the game here when hearing the strong opening titletrack Ready For Attack.
Following Chasing The Wind switches to sensational uptempo AOR with a superb
chorus and in this song we can hear that David has a pleasant and quite amazing
AOR voice! More of the same AOR/Melodic Rock can be heard during the catchy
uptempo rockers Only Heartbreak and Tearing Me Apart, while Dream Come True has
a sorta semi-ballad approach. Start Again is a sensational pure uptempo classic
80s AOR rocker with a lovely chorus and reminding of all the great bands from
the golden era of AOR. Somehow during this song I also must think of the
one-off band WALK THE WIRE, if anyone can remember that early 90s British AOR band.
Come To Me is another high class 80s AOR rocker with strong hooks and a superb
catchy chorus, while the song is sung by David at an insanely high level. Edge
Of Love is a bit less stronger, but still a great AOR/Melodic Rocker like WALK
THE WIRE and DARE, while After The Storm is yet another lovely uptempo
AOR/Melodic Rocker and closing track Eyes Of Blazing Fire is finishing this
excellent CD in style, because this is an amazing uptempo melodic rocker with a
killer chorus that sounds like JEFF SCOTT SOTO fronted AXEL RUDI PELL/TALISMAN.
Concluded, SILENT TIGER is a highly recommended band to anyone into classic
AOR/Melodic Rock, because this band’s debut CD Ready For Attack ticks all the
boxes to make it a classic in the AOR genre in the future to come and
especially singer DAVID CAGLE is a sensational new discovery! More info on
SILENT TIGER can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/silenttigerband/ and
the CD is available through: http://melodicrockrecords.com/shop
(Points:
8.8 out of 10)
MADMAN’S
LULLABY ‘NOCTURNAL OVERDRIVE PART 1’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
Out of the San
Francisco/Bay Area comes the band MADMAN’S LULLABY and Nocturnal Overdrive part
1 is their 5th album so far. The band is formed around Mr.Brett
on Lead Guitar, Eric Arbizu on Drums/vocals, Lead vocalist Chris Michaels and
Bassist/vocalist Luis Barillas, and this new album is filled with ballsy
traditional American Hardrock/Hair Metal in the classic 80s guitar riff
orientated style. ROUGH CUTT and especially SKID ROW (during In Your Mind for
example) sometimes come to mind when listening to the 6 songs on this mini-CD,
but during the best tracks (the sensational Love Don’t Come Easy and closing
track Never Too Late), they slowly drift into Melodic Hardrock of a very high
level, and then they remind a bit of FIREHOUSE crossed with WINTER ROSE (the
JAMES LABRIE fronted band before he joined DREAM THEATER), BILOXI, SLYBOYZ and
KNOW ILLUSION. Chris is a great singer for sure and despite not all of the
included songs are convincing, basically we have here a great American Melodic
Hardrock band in the classic traditional style of all the legendary 80s
American bands. I am quite eager to hear more of this interesting band. Go
check them out at: https://www.mmlrocks.com/ and the CD is
available through: http://melodicrockrecords.com/shop
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
NIGHT
HAWK ‘MIDNIGHT HUNTER’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
The fantastic
Australian label MELODIC ROCK RECORDS keeps on releasing high quality albums of
all those unknown bands. Next in line is NIGHT HAWK, which is actually a
project formed around guitarist ROBERT MAJD, who is also playing in the bands
METALITE and CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD. He gathered a bunch of well-seasoned
musicians and singers to work with him on the first CD Midnight Hunter. The
result is a lovely record that also features members of bands like THE NIGHT
FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, DEGREED, H.E.A.T., THERION and many more, while ERIK MODIN of
WILDNESS produced the album. 11 songs are included in total and it’s all about
80s classic Hardrock, sometimes a bit closer to Metal, such as the NWOBHM
influenced Breaking The Chains (like early MAIDEN meets NOISEHUNTER), but also
a few times akin to Melodic Rock. Opener Miracles with QWAZI on vocals, this is
a great melodic heavy rocker with a slight GLENN HUGHES touch, while the
fantastic female singer LINNEA VISTROM lifts following uptempo rocker Just let
Go to a sensational level due to the incredible catchy chorus. AXEL RUDI PELL
meets RAINBOW in a straight-ahead hardrocking adventure is most of the time
what is going on here, and due to the use of many various singers, there is a
lot of diversity in that field, while Robert is definitely a great guitarist
for this kind of traditional hardrock. Other highlights are the melodic rocking
rare KISS/ACE FREHLEY 1984 demo cover I Will Survive (80s SCORPIONS ish), the
superb ultra-melodic 80s uptempo metal piece Come To Me, the NIGHT FLIGHT
ORCHESTRAish melodic rocker I Used To Love This City and the 220 VOLT cover
Firefall (which now sounds dangerously close to early EUROPE). So besides the 7
original songs, there are also 4 covers as you already noticed and if you’re a
dedicated 80s Hardrock/Melodic Metal fan, then this one is definitely for you!
Check out more info at: http://www.facebook.com/nighthawkrocknroll and
the CD is available through: http://melodicrockrecords.com/shop
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
PHIL
MARTIN’S DRIVE ‘DAYS LIKE THESE’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
Days Like These is the
strong EP CD of Australian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist PHIL MARTIN
and right from the start it is clear we are dealing here with a high quality
fun melodic rocksound when listening to the opener Ordinary, which is a lovely
uptempo classic 80s inspired melodic rocker with a memorable catchy chorus.
Phil was a member of the late 80s Aussie band JANZ, but despite winning
competitions, they did not manage to release something official, so eventually
Phil stepped out of the music business until very recently when he recorded
this mini CD. He plays almost everything on his own on Days Like These, but he
also got help from another multi-instrumentalist called DAVID CARR as well as a
few others (including the well-known Hammond Organist LACHY DOLEY). Phil wrote
and sang all of the 6 included songs, and I must admit that he has a great
smooth relaxed voice that reminds me a bit of GARY HUGHES and HARRY HESS. The
music is melodic rock as already mentioned, but with a modern touch here and
there as well. Inside View is another lovely tune, a midtempo melodic rocker,
while Not The Real Thing reveals some progressive rock elements, but on the other
hand also reminds me of 90s HAREM SCAREM and TALISMAN big time sounding melodic
hardrock. The uptempo HAREM SCAREMish melodic rocker Fuel And Fire is yet
another winner! You Are Amazing continues the uptempo melodic rocksound, also
with a sorta modern touch, and closing track Emily is a nice calmer acoustic
singer/songwriter piece. Without a doubt, this is a great mini CD of a very
talented Australian musician. More info can be found at: https://www.melodicrockrecords.com/shop/phil-martins-drive-days-like-these/MRR154
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
SWANEE
‘GREATEST HITS’ (MELODIC ROCK RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
I first discovered
SWANEE somewhere in the mid-1990s by accident when I came across a vinyl record
of him. Little did I know that he was quite huge in his homeland of Australia,
because over here this legendary singer/songwriter/guitarist/drummer is hardly
known. Even more surprising was the fact that I later found out that he is
actually the brother of one of the greatest Australian singers of all times,
JIMMY BARNES! Both were born in Scotland and during the early 90s their family
emigrated to Australia. Both are great singers and have had their fame and
fortune, but usually people only know JIMMY BARNES (James Dixon Swan), while
his brother SWANEE (John Archibold Dixon Swan) is less familiar. SWANEE did
however release a lot of great music in the past and this talented
singer/musician continued to do so during the past 5 decades, and now the
finest hits (in Australia) are collected on 1 CD, so everyone are able to learn
about his music. The material takes us back all the way to the early 80s with a
handful of lovely early 80s sounding AOR/Radiorockers that are dangerously
close to THE SHERBS (yes, the band of that other great Aussie singer DARYL
BRAITHWAITE) and a bit of STEEL BREEZE, BENNY MARDONES and SILVER CONDOR’s
debut album as well. Songs like Tough At The Top, Oi! Rosie (an instant classic
people might perhaps know), This Time It’s Different, the superb Crazy Dreams
(another absolute classic you need to know!) and Temporary Heartache are all
timeless classic 80s AOR/Radiorock tunes. The CD also brings songs from later
decades, such as from the 90s and even as recent as 2014 with songs from his
album One Day At A Time, which all musically speaking are more akin to the
soulful pop/rock of JIMMY BARNES 90s/00s records as well as a few covers (such
as ARGENT’s Hold Your Head Up and ELVIN BISHOP’s Fooled Around And Fell In
Love), which is still a joy to listen to. This greatest hits CD is a
recommended piece to check out and it is a great part of the Aussie rock
history, so hopefully everyone reading this will now be interested in hearing another
legendary Aussie singer who is right up there with his brother JIMMY BARNES,
JOHN FARNHAM, DARYL BRAITHWAITE and all those other great Aussie singers. The
CD is available through: http://melodicrockrecords.com/shop
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
BELL
HELIUM 'BELL HELIUM VINYL RECORD' (WORKBENCH RECORDINGS/USA IMPORT)
As soon as the opening
track Don't Tell Anybody starts playing, you can feel there's something
happening here on the same titled debut vinyl record of the New York based band
BELL HELIUM, because the particular song is a very relaxing 1970s influenced
Westcoast-Jazz-Pop/Rock influenced uptempo piece that does remind a bit of the
classic days of a band like STEELY DAN, yet with female vocals. The album
continues in this very relaxed smooth 1970s melodic style and offers many more highlights,
such as the soulful We Don't Have To Talk About It, the slow JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
ish Slow Motion, the funky pure 70s Floor Of The Ocean Blue and the sensational
catchy Let It Be For Me. However, who are BELL HELIUM actually? Well, they are
a superb 5-piece band formed around lead singer ANNE DEACETIS, guitarist JAMES
BEAUDREAU, keyboardplayer CAILI O'DOHERTY, bassist IAN RIGGS and drummer CORY COX.
The bandleader is James, who also produced the album and he was responsible for
writing almost all of the songs by himself. The album was recorded in one day
(!) at the Strange Weather in Brooklyn, New York on the 31st of May 2019, but
due to the lockdown, it was postponed to 2021. I must say that the whole vibe
of the record is amazing, because it has this lovely 70s groovy vibe and falls
right in-between westcoast-soul-aor of the 1970s and 70s smooth jazz-fusion,
with subtle keys and guitars, while the rhythm section does a splendid job in
keeping things quite groovy and then of course the superb vocals of the amazing
Anne are sounding really beautiful. The combination of all these highly
talented musicians is making this first BELL HELIUM an absolute must to check
out a.s.a.p.! More info can be found at: https://m.facebook.com/bellhelium/
and https://bellhelium.bandcamp.com/album/bell-helium
Besides BELL HELIUM, guitarist JAMES BEAUDREAU also sent me a vinyl record copy
of the debut album of New York based singer/songwriter PHILIP LYNCH who
delivers a nice record with At The Start..., which is a singer/songwriter
orientated album in the style of LEONARD COHEN and NICK CAVE, yet with also
some rockier elements here and there. James plays guitars, bass, drums, keys,
programming and produced the record, while Philip sings and plays guitars,
which together makes up a nice cooperation. The record is available through: https://philiplynch.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.8 out of 10)
EVERSHIP
'THE UNCROWNED KING' (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Not that long ago I reviewed the first 2
sensational albums of EVERSHIP, a band from Tennessee, USA with a pure classic
70s prog/pomprocksound. I was really looking forward to their new album The
Uncrowned King, which was about to be released during 2021 and now this has
happened, I Iistened to the album already multiple times because it is their
finest effort so far. Everything sounds perfect here and without a doubt,
EVERSHIP releases a true classic here in the classic American AOR/Prog/Power
tradition of STYX, KANSAS, PATRIARCH, TOUCH, STARCASTLE, 3.0 and such. From
start to finish, this album sounds absolutely perfect, thanks to the amazing
musicianship of Beau West (vocals), Shane Atkinson (keys, drums, vocals,
percussion), James Atkinson (guitar), John Rose (guitar), Ben Young (bass) and Matt
Harrell (12-string guitar). It's an epic concept adventure (actually a rockopera
inspired by Harold Bell Wright's 1910 book), but you can nevertheless play the
songs seperately as well. Opener The Pilgrimage starts massive with big
bombastic synths and keys, but also calmer parts, beautiful crystal clear
vocalwork, melodic soaring guitars and basically sensational melodies all over
the place, sounding like a true classic gem in the American Prog and Pomprock
tradition, reminding of a perfect cross between STYX and MYSTERY (Canada). The
song is split in different parts, which are Desert Of Facts, The Temple Of
Truth and The Quiet Room, and basically this epic tune belongs to some of the
best songs released in 2021! The CD continues this incredible high level of
melodic typical American bombastic powerful Prog/Pomp Rock/AOR like a mixture
between CAIRO, STYX, MYSTERY (Canada) and KANSAS during especially the superb
Pomprock masterpiece Crownshine/Allthetime, the AORish The Tower and the STYX
meets YES ish Yettocome/Itmightbe. If you like any of the aforementioned bands,
then this band is an absolute must for you to check out and their new album
should be in the hands of every dedicated prog/pomprock fan out there! More
info at: http://www.evership.com/
(Points:
9.1 out of 10)
DOCTOR
SAX 'VOLUME 4 VINYL RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
Spanish
bassist/guitarist/vocalist DOCTOR SAX and his guest musicians deliver a great
album with this Volume 4 on vinyl record. Only 3 songs are included, but gladly
they have a lengthy playing time of 9-19 minutes, so we can still enjoy a lot
of music on this new mini-album of DOCTOR SAX. He is the main performer and
musician on this album, but is helped by several guest musicians. Opener Ellis
is a great uptempo rocker with psychedelic and 70s classic (hard) rock
influences, and a focus on the soaring guitarsolos. The overall sound reminds
me a bit of BLUE OYSTER CULT, which is also thanks to the full rock band
line-up appearing on this particular song, because following Carroll is
completely different. This song is a World Music piece with classical music
influences, featuring besides the Doctor on vocals and guitar, a cello player
(DAVID SAGASTUME) and viola player IMAND MTZ. HERVIAS. The song has some
memories of ROBERT PLANT, but actually has an own identity and this is also the
case on Gonzalez, which is the song on side-B that also features David and
Imand as only guest musicians. All together, this is a nice diverse record that
offers a lot of various music influences. Check out this lovely vinyl record
at: https://drsax.bandcamp.com/album/vol-iv
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
YAO!
'MIDE TU PICO VINYL RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
Although
during the beginning of the 2nd album of the Bilbao, Spain based rockband YAO!,
they seem to mix alternative rock with punk and even a touch of hip-hop,
sounding very modern, YAO! is slowly getting more into groovy funky Hardrock
during strong songs like Un Día Mejor and Pollos. The band consists of
guitarists Unai Arcos and Unai Otsoa, bassist Iván Gómez, drummer Carlos Toro
and vocalists Gonzalo Yao, and they have a modern sound on this new album Mide
Tu Pico, which is actually a mini-LP I received on vinyl record. The guys are
doing a great job and sound a bit like a Spanish version of RED HOT CHILI
PEPPERS here and there. I'll bet that in Spain they will go down well, because
what they are doing is of a very high level. Check them out at: https://lafamiliarevolucionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mide-tu-pico
and https://yaobilbao.bandcamp.com/album/mide-tu-pico
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
BRUHO
'BRUHO VINYL RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
BRUHO
is yet another strong band from the beautiful Spanish city of Barcelona. Their
same titled debut album is a lovely piece of calmer melodic indie dark folk
rock with an important part for their wonderful sounding female singer ALBA
CUNILL. She is assisted by guitarists GERMAN GALVAN and NACHO OLIVER, and together
this trio performs their music without bass and drums. This makes it sound more
or less acoustic orientated, yet you never get the feeling you're missing the
bass and drums, because all of the 7 included songs leave a huge impression,
which is especially thanks to the strong vocals of Alba. The song In A Strange
World might be the finest song on the album, but once you love one song, you
will instantly love the rest of this mini vinyl record. They remind me slightly
of DAUGHTER, yet with more edge and sounding rockier here and there. More info
on BRUHO can be found at: https://lafamiliarevolucionrecords.bandcamp.com/track/sue-o-universo
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
JAMES
VIECO 'NIMAYA/UNPLUGGED AT ROCKSOUND VINYL RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION
RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
Out of
Barcelona, Spain comes the talented singer/songwriter/guitarist JAMES VIECO,
who is definitely an interesting musician to check out after listening to the 2
vinyl records he released so far. Along with drummer ALEX CARMONA and bassist
DANIEL MORILLAS, he delivered a great debut album titled Nimaya, which starts
with a fantastic pure early/mid-90s American Alternative Rock/Grunge rocksong titled
Imbecile, which both vocally and musically speaking reminds me a lot of classic
ALICE IN CHAINS crossed with a bit of PEARL JAM. Following Stationary is a more
uptempo based melodic heavy rocker, and a really good one for sure, with super
strong vocals of James, a catchy chorus and a sound that is not too far removed
from for example a band like ALTER BRIDGE. It surprises me that I have not
heard a lot about James yet, because he sounds like he is signed to a major US
label, but instead, his records have been released through the Spanish label LA
FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS. This is high quality American orientated melodic
heavy rock/alternative rock that would make the afforementioned bands jealous
for sure. Only 6 songs are included on Nimaya, but from to start it sounds
convincing and when hearing a song like A Picture, it is clear that we should
really keep our eyes wide open for this extremely talented Spanish Rock God
JAMES VIECO. The new album Unplugged at Rocksound is also available on vinyl,
but as the title says, this concerns an unplugged album. Nevertheless, it shows
the incredible talent of this sensational singer/songwriter, who performs here
7 wonderful songs that were recorded live at the Rocksound at the 1st of
October, 2020 along with MARTHA WOOD (bass, vocals and flute), JAVI GOMEZ
(drums) and guitarist MARC CARREY. Together they clearly know how to play a
great concert for the audience to enjoy and I am already looking forward to a
new full-length album of this fantastic musician. Meanwhile, you can check out
all info on James at: https://jamesvieco.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
HURACAN
ROSE '5.04 7" SINGLE RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
HURACAN
ROSE is a Spanish band formed around Iker: Drums, Alda: Bass, Raul: Guitar, Jon:
Guitar and Alme: Vocals and 5.04 is the 7" vinyl single I received from
their label LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS. Vertigo on side-A is a great uptempo
raw punky rocker with a classic rock touch and a nice guitarsolo, while
side-B's Van A Por Ti is more or less in the same uptempo rocking style. They
remind a bit of NEW YORK DOLLS, yet with a slightly more late 70s classic rock
and roll touch and of course they are singing in the Spanish language. It's
only a short vinyl single, but the band shows they are a great rock and roll
band, so hopefully a full-length release will follow in the future, although I
believe they already did a full-length album back in 2019. Anyway, for now, you
can check more info on this interesting Spanish band at: https://lafamiliarevolucionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/504-single
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
VINCENT
BLACK SHADOW 'EL DURMIENTE 7" RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION RECORDS/SPAIN
IMPORT)
There
is a great female fronted band by the same name active, but this here concerns
a Spanish band called VINCENT BLACK SHADOW and they have also been around for a
while now. The band released 3 CD's so far and now there is the first vinyl
release, a 7" single release that contains 2 songs from their last CD
Nunca Mueren. Side-A features a great uptempo dark raw mean Gothic Rocker
titled El Durmiente, which somehow makes me think of 80s Goth bands like THE
MISSION, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, THE SISTERS OF MERCY, yet perhaps more akin to
hard/heavy rock due to the fantastic soaring guitarsolo, so it touches 80s THE
CULT, while the vocals are a bit in the BILLY IDOL style. Flipping over this
great 7" single we can hear the shorter Sin Destino, which is a great sleazy
uptempo hardrocker that is in the style of TURBONEGRO, THE 69 EYES and even
L.A. GUNS. All together, this is a great band to check out if you like dirtier
mean edgy darker sleazy hardrock meets gothic rock and roll. More info at: https://lafamiliarevolucionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/el-durmiente-sin-destino-ep
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
SLAVEDOWN
'COME AND SEE THE MONSTER RISE 7" RECORD' (LA FAMILIA REVOLUCION
RECORDS/SPAIN IMPORT)
The
fantastic Spanish band SLAVEDOWN has not only released 2 albums so far, of
which the most recent The Enemy Inside is quite a sensational release, in 2021
they have also released this 7" single, of which Come And See The Monster
Rise (alternative mix than on the album) is a fantastic slow massive sounding
Stoner Rock meets Doom Metal ish tune that sounds like a cross between
MASTODON, FU MANCHU, BLACK SABBATH, a slow MOTORHEAD (due to the LEMMYish
vocals) and CANDLEMASS, while the THE DOORS' Not To Touch The Earth is a
well-done unreleased cover on side-B of this 7" vinyl single. Elsewhere
there is a review of the band's 2nd album The Enemy Inside, while for more info
please check out SLAVEDOWN at: https://slavedown.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
TOM
CLELLAND ‘HANDPICKED & COLLECTED’ (BIRNAM/XANGO MUSIC)
Out of Scotland comes folk singer-songwriter
TOM CLELLAND, who has released several albums to date and Handpicked & Collected is
basically a compilation CD of the best songs from his discography. It’s a
double CD that contains 23 tracks in total. The music is a mix of Scottish Folk
and American Country and Singer-Songwriter music. It sounds like a cross
between singer/songwriters BOB DYLAN, PAUL SIMON and a touch
of Scottish/Irish folk, and it is done quite well on these 2 CDs. Closing track
I Will bring You Home on CD 2 is pure SIMON & GARFUNKEL, so I think you
will more or less understand what this CD is all about. Check out more info on
this talented Scottish singer-songwriter at: http://www.tomclelland.co.uk/
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
NILZA
COSTA ‘LE NOTTE DI SAN PATRIZIO ‘DISTORCAO DO TEMPO’ (EDIZIONO MUSICALI/XANGO
MUSIC)
NILZA COSTA is a Brazilian
singer/songwriter/composer who was born in Salvador, Bahia, but she has an
African heartbeat which you can hear on her new album Le Notte Di San Patrizio.
Her 3rd album has quite an original sound, somewhat bluesy and
even rocking a bit, but clearly with a sorta African roots sound and Italian
lyrics (because she is now settled in Bologna, Italy), so it’s a very
interesting mixture I would say. She got help from the Italian musicians
Roberto “Red” Rossi (drums, percussion and vocals), Daniele Santimone
(seven-string guitar) and Massimo Zaniboni (sax / flute), and the highlights on
the CD are Resistance, Ode In Transe (very bombastic and experimental, you
could even trace prog and world music influences in this song) and Elegbara
(very African, but also with some jazz influences), while during the
instrumental Awa it even has a Peruvian rain forest ish influence. The CD ends
very calm with Churo Das Aguas. Concluded, this is a very diverse and original
album from a talented Brazilian/Italian singer/songwriter. More info at: https://nilzacosta.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
GLAD
TREE ‘BAMBU’ (RADICI MUSIC/XANGO MUSIC)
Out of Italy comes the trio GLAD TREE and
Bambu is their 3rd album so far. It’s a very relaxing
instrumental album that is quite a bit progrock orientated for sure during
songs like Giro Di Boa, Memories, and Onda Luminosa, which is actually high
quality stuff that is 70s orientated a la CAMEL but you might also trace modern
influences with darker exciting elements like Mongolian Kninght when they
remind a bit of THE HU instrumentally speaking. It’s a great instrumental album
that is enjoyable from start to finish and you can check out more info at: https://gladtree.bandcamp.com/album/bamb
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
BRAND
NEW ZEROS ‘BACK TO ZERO’ (FRETSORE RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
London based singer-songwriter Ronan
MacManus has a musical family, because his father Ross MacManus was a musician
and trumpet player with Joe Loss and his orchestra, and he passed on the
musical tradition to all five of his sons – including Ronan and Declan
MacManus! Declan is better known as ELVIS COSTELLO, while his brother Ronan has
worked on a solo career in the past, but since 2015 he joined forces with lead
guitarist Luke Dolan and recorded a same titled album as BRAND NEW ZEROS. 6
years later the follow-up Back To Zero is released on FRETSORE RECORDS. The
album starts with the very catchy uptempo melodic Powerpop piece Love You If
You Let Me that brings back memories of early 80s catchy Powerpop a la THE A’S,
20/20, THE RECORDS, THE KNACK, SHOES, THE PLIMSOULS, THE ATLANTICS, THE JAM,
THE BOYS, etc. etc. Following Money Goes To Money is a midtempo based rocker
that combines the 70s classic rock with today’s retro modern rock and once
again BRAND NEW ZEROS sounds sensational! In fact, none of the included songs
is weak and thanks to a strong singer, really great flashy guitarwork and
catchy melodies all over the place in each and every song, this is a highly
recommended album. It’s also quite diverse, so it’s not a full blown powerpop
or 70s rock album, which is no problem at all, because there’s a lot to enjoy
here. Other highlights include the semi-ballads Free As A Bird (not the THE
BEATLES song!), This Love and the beautiful Human Kindness (which sounds like a
cross between JOE JACKSON and PAUL CARRACK), and the lovely retro classic
rockers Cigarette (THE KNACK meets KAISER CHIEFS) and The Right Ones. BRAND NEW
ZEROS is definitely a great band to check out and personally I like it more
than ELVIS COSTELLO. More info at: https://brandnewzeros.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-zero
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
NICK
FLETCHER ‘CYCLES OF BEHAVIOUR’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
In the past British guitarist NICK
FLETCHER almost joined the band IONA, but eventually he has been mainly active
as a solo guitarist, appearing on several albums as a guest performer, but he
also released quite a lot solo albums, of which Cycles Of Behavior is the most
recent one. Nick is an amazing guitarist, who taps out of the classic prog,
jazz and classical music book and he does it really well. Besides Nick other
involved musicians are Dave Bainbridge (LIFESIGNS, IONA, STRAWBS), Tim Harries
(ex-BILL BRUFORD’S EARTHWORKS) Caroline Bonnett and Russ Wilson (from THE BOOK
OF GENESIS). Vocals (and flute) are provided by the excellent JOHN HACKETT, who
is the brother of STEVE HACKETT. Musically speaking NICK FLETCHER’s new album
is also not far removed from Steve’s music, but EMERSON LAKE & PALMER and a
few others come to mind as well. 8 songs are included, and opener Cycles Of
Behavior is a lovely instrumental piece that balances somewhere between classic
prog, neo-prog and a bit of 80s jazzy fusion, basically a very relaxed laid-back
song. During the following song Heat Is Rising, the vocals are coming through
and I must say it sounds really good and very clean and melodic. In a similar
relaxing melodic calmer CAMELish progrock direction is the next song Hope Is In
Your Eyes, which has a nice flute solo and a lovely precise soaring guitarsolo
by Nick. Tyrant And Knave is a great modern instrumental progressive rocker
with even some similarities to LONG DISTANCE CALLING and PORCUPINE TREE, but
underneath you might even experience a JAMES BONDish theme melody! Desolation
Sound is a short calmer instrumental, while Interconnected is a very nice
uptempo melodic Neo-Progrocker in the PENDRAGON/IQ style. Annexation is another
nice instrumental modern progrocker and closing track Philosopher King is a 13
minute epic progrocker that sounds like it could become a prog classic in the
future, because it contains basically everything we love about the prog genre.
Here and there, reminding a bit of SPOCK’S BEARD, this is the best song on the
album for sure. All together a highly recommended classic prog work that you
can check out at: https://nl.nickfletcherguitarmusic.com/product-page/nick-fletcher-cycles-of-behaviour-cd
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
LOU
CIFER AND THE HELLIONS 'HELL IN THE BARN LIVE VINYL RECORD' (BEAR FAMILY
RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Germany comes
LOU CIFER AND THE HELLIONS, a classic traditional sounding 50s/60s rock and
roll/rockabilly band that has been active for 25 years now and to celebrate
this they played a concert in early 2020 in Oberhausen, where fans from all
over Europe came over. Now 16 months later the live concert is released on both
vinyl and CD by the German quality label BEAR FAMILY RECORDS. The band is
formed around vocalist LOU CIFER, guitarist HAL HELLION, bassist BILL ZEBOP and
drummer DAVE HILL. Together they create this lovely authentic rock and roll
sound that sounds like a perfect cross between ELVIS PRESLEY, BILL HALEY and
STARY CATS. I was not familiar with them, but while listening to the lovely
vinyl record of this gig, which has 12 more recordings from the gig on CD
included, it would be a joy to catch this band live someday. Besides the vinyl
record and CD, there is also a large 16-page booklet included, which all
together makes this a great package and a fun starting point to learn about LOU
CIFER AND THE HELLIONS. Songs like Blood On The Cats, Problem Child, Shake Your
Chassis, Dance With The Devil and I'm Gonna Do It Tomorrow are excellent
uptempo classic pieces of rock and roll you don't hear much nowadays. Lou is a
gifted singer/songwriter, who definitely deserves a lot more attention. Over
here in The Netherlands DANNY VERA has become one of the most popular artists,
but basically Lou sits in the same kinda rock and roll direction, so there's
definitely room for another classic rocker with a 50s/60s vintage look and
sound. Check out more info at: https://de-de.facebook.com/louciferandthehellions
and the vinyl record/CD is available through: https://www.bear-family.com/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
NOTHING
CONCRETE 'THE HABERDASHER'S VOYAGE' (ROUND FLAT RECORDS/FRANCE IMPORT)
The Toulouse, France
based international band NOTHING CONCRETE has a very original sound that is a
bit quirky here and there, but reveals influences from all kinds of music and
other rarities that comes out of the hat of band leader FERGUS MCKAY, who
originally comes out of Scotland. He sings and wrote all of the songs, but also
plays guitars, keys, trumpet and harmonica, while the other members of NOTHING
CONCRETE are GAIA MIATO (backing vocals, double bass, mandolin), SASKIA THIJS
(alto sax), ANGIE DIOMEDE (tenor sax), drummer GUILLAUME TRIO and several other
musicians are guesting. The Haberdasher’s Voyage is the 3rd album
of the band, and the music is a melting pot of jazz, gypsy music, world music,
pop/rock, blues, old-school cabaret, country, polka and a lot more. Thankfully
it’s done at a very high serious level that might even appeal to a progfan
(JETHRO TULL). Some of the songs are very catchy and swinging, such as The Tale
Of Pandora And Mr. Hyde, Provotone, the melodic I Don’t Know and the fantastic
Dear Liza, which is by the way a duet with female singer KIM OLDENBURGER.
Fergus is a great singer/songwriter and he definitely shows that he can deliver
timeless original music. Done very well, NOTHING CONCRETE has an own identity
for sure and if you’re becoming interested, then check them out at: https://fergusmckay.bandcamp.com/album/the-haberdashers-voyage
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
RICK
SAZON 'VARIOUS SONGS' (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
Canadian
singer/songwriter/guitarist RICK SAZON sent me a CDR with 6 of his songs. He is
assisted by guitarist CHRIS KING, drummer/guitarist BEN WITTROCK and
producer/drummer TOM DOWDING. Rick sounds like he is very young of age, but the
music he makes is clearly interesting late 60s/early 70s influenced psychedelic
classic rock that sounds a bit like a cross between JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and BLUE
OYSTER CULT, especially during the best song Unconquered. 2 remarkable songs
are Riddles and The Unmaiden’s Dream, which feature guest female singer called
ZOE PELTON, who lifts these singer/songwriter celtic sounding pieces to a
complete different and interesting direction compared to the other songs. Rick
himself is young and he will definitely improve with the years to come, but he
already shows now that he is able to write mature songs. Check it out for
yourself at: https://www.reverbnation.com/ricksazon
(Points:
7.0 out of 10)
THE
WRING 'PROJECT CIPHER' (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
There must be
something in the water, because the past few years we have seen a lot of great
progressive metal bands from Canada and the latest new sensation in THE WRING
from the small town Sudbury in Ontario. This ‘project’ was created by
guitarist/composer/producer Don Dewulf back in 2015 and Project Cipher is the 2nd album
so far. Besides Don the other involved musicians are bassists Jason Henrie and
Bryan Beller (JOE SATRIANI, THE ARISTOCRATS, DETHKLOK, STEVE VAI), drummer
Thomas Lang (ROBERT FRIPP, PETER GABRIEL), the superb vocalist Marc Bonilla
(GLENN HUGHES, KEITH EMERSON) and guitarist Jason Sadites. 7 songs are included
in total of which the highlights are the prog metal masterpiece Sorceress
(lovely BOSTONish chorus!), the fantastic instrumental Cipher, the uptempo
SYMPHONY X ish Steelier and the sensational PYRAMAZEish Dissension. It’s almost
a mini-CD with its short playing time, but thankfully the music is of an
incredible high level! Check out more info at: https://thewring.ca/
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
ROCK
& ROLL JUNKIE 'NOT TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG' (INDEPENDENT/GERMAN IMPORT)
The German ROCK & ROLL JUNKIE is back
with a new album titled Not Too Old To Die Young. The band is formed around Dr.
ACHIM HEINZE, aka JUNKIE, who sings and plays Guitars, Bass, Organ, Percussion,
Harp, Saxophone and Drums, while he is assisted by Kiki on guitars here and
there, and the legendary BOBBY ALTVATER (AFFAIR, FRONTLINE) mixed and mastered
the album. 12 songs are included on this new album, and songs like Not Born To
Follow, Black Heart Tattoo (Young Rebel), Not Too Old To Die Young, Down The
Drain and Vanish In The Sky are great catchy uptempo Glam/Sleaze rockers with
melodic memorable sing-a-long choruses in the classic 80s days, reminding a bit
of the legendary TATTOOED LOVE BOYS, HANOI ROCKS and TIGERTAILZ, with here and
there a 70s THIN LIZZYish influence in the guitarsound (You Belong To Me) and a
poppier song (Too Young). It’s a nice mixture and clearly a 1980s orientated
Glamrock affair in the style of the aforementioned bands. Check it out
at: http://rockandrolljunkie.de/cds.html
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
LOW
'HEY WHAT' (SUB POP RECORDS/KONKURRENT)
Hey What is already
the 13th album of the Duluth, Minnesota based Indie Rockband
LOW. They were formed back in 1993 and founding members (and husband/wife duo)
Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals) have
recorded another great album filled with very minimalistic modern sounding
lo-fi pop/rock with strong dream pop like vocals and melodies of both musicians
and a somewhat distorted sound at the background. Although there are 10 songs
on this new album, it feels like one long song right from the start, because
the songs connect with each other quite easily and you wouldn’t notice you’re
already listening to track number 3 or 4 for example. It feels like a hypnotic
dream with all those beautiful lush melodies sung perfectly by Mimi and Alan,
yet with the minimalistic instrumental distorted electronic background
(KRAUTROCKish), it sounds very original. LOW fans will already know what to
expect probably, but I think if you’re not familiar with this duo yet, then
check it out for yourself at: https://lowtheband.bandcamp.com/album/hey-what because
you will discover a superb original sounding band that is impossible to compare
with any other band out there.
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
SUUNS
'THE WITNESS' (JOYFUL NOISE/KONKURRENT)
The Witness is the 5th album
of the Canadian band SUUNS. The trio consists of vocalist and guitarist Ben
Shemie, guitarist and bassist Joe Yarmush and drummer Liam O'Neill and together
they create a mix of indie lo-fi pop, minimalistic electronic music and
krautrock, resulting in a very original sound. 8 songs are included here and
despite it all sounds quite laid-back and experimental, the melodies in each
and every song are present and memorable, with as highlights Witness
Protection, the bombastic C-Thru, The Fix and the lovely The Trilogy. Check for
yourself at: https://suuns.bandcamp.com/album/the-witness
(Points:
8.1 out of 10)
COLLEEN
GREEN 'COOL' (HARDLY ART/KONKURRENT)
Cool is a the new
album of the L.A. based musician COLLEEN GREEN. It is her first full-length
album in 6 years and it is definitely a nice relaxing lo-fi indie pop/rock
record with 10 great tunes that makes me think a bit of SUZANNE VEGA here and
there, yet more in today’s modern style of female singer/songwriters. Songs
like I Wanna Be A Dog, Posi Vibes and the 80s rocking Natural Chorus and You
Don’t Exist are very minimalistic in its approach, but they work very well due
to Colleen’s unique way of singing. Check it out for yourself at: https://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/album/cool
(Points:
8.1 out of 10)
LULUC
‘DREAMBOAT’ (SUN CHASER RECORDS/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)
Zoë Randell (vocals) and Steve Hassett
(vocals, guitar, bass, synths) are an Australian couple who play together as
LULUC and after spending some time in New York City, they have now released
their 4th album Dreamboat. Other involved musicians are Aaron
Brooking Dessner, JT Bates, Jason Treuting, CJ Camerieri, Dalton Hart, Jackson
FitzGerald, Caimin Gilmore, Stuart Bogie, and together they created a very nice
original melodic calmer mixture of Indie Pop and Dreampop, with a focus on
crystal clear melodies sung beautifully by Zoe and a somewhat minimalistic
approach instrumentally speaking. Highlights among the 10 included songs are
Emerald City, All The Pretty Scenery, Weatherbirds and The Screw Ups. LULUC
absolutely delivers a lovely record that could easily gain them exposure since
a lot of the songs are radio-ready and extremely melodic. The music is very
calmer and sometimes also touches Chamber Pop, but nevertheless it’s done very
well. More info on LULUC can be found at: https://luluc.bandcamp.com/album/dreamboat
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
POSSUM
‘LUNAR GARDENS' (IDEE FIXE RECORDS/CANADA IMPORT)
Lunar Gardens is the
follow-up to the 2019 debut album Space Grade Assembly of the Canadian band
POSSUM. Their line up consists of Brandon Bak, Tobin Hopwood, Patrick Lefler,
Christopher Shannon, and Bradley Thibodeau, and together they create an
interesting mixture of melodic classic 70s groovy rock, psychedelic rock of the
late 60s (pure THE DOORS can be heard in the short song Gala at the Universe
City) and a touch of indie pop, but there’s a lot more to discover when
listening to this strong new album they have just released. Highlights include
the awesome uptempo classic retro rocker Clarified Budder, the jazzy
psychedelic groovy funky 70s progrocker Heywood Floyd and the hypnotic groovy
almost reggaeish Leyline Riders. At times they remind me of the Australian band
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, but also THE DOORS and 70s progrock
influences are notable besides the classic JIMI HENDRIXish guitarwork. I really
feel this band has a bright future ahead of them with such a strong high class
diverse rocksound. Hopefully the next album will be a bit longer, but who cares
if we are spoiled with 8 wonderful songs on this wonderful new album of POSSUM.
More info at: https://possumyyz.bandcamp.com/album/lunar-gardens
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
CASTANARC
‘THE SEA OF BROKEN VOWS’ (KHEPRA RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
Formed all the way back in 1979, the British
band CASTANARC was very productive during the 1980s when they released 3
albums, of which 1986’s Rude Politics was even released on the major label RCA
RECORDS. During the 1990s another album followed, but then it became quiet
around the Neo-Progressive Rockband until 2019 when a ‘new’ album was released,
although it concerned here a mixture of old unreleased material and B-Sides.
However, thanks to the covid pandemic and the success of that 2019 album with
unreleased songs, CASTANARC more or less reformed and recorded a real new album
in the shape of The Sea Of Broken Vows. The band consists nowadays of Mark
Holiday / vocals, John Spence / guitar, percussion and David Powell /
keyboards, backing vocals, with several guests joining them such as Neil Duty /
guitar, Pat Mount / guitar, Pete Robinson / bass, Charlie Morgan / drums,
Angela Gordon / flute, low whistle and Steve Beighton / saxophone. Right from
the start it is clear that we are dealing with superb high quality melodic
(calmer) neo-progressive rock with superb vocals and melodies, not unlike
PENDRAGON, IQ, early MARILLION, PALLAS, SOUND OF CONTACT and such. This is
Neo-Prog at it’s very best, with as absolute highlights A Song Rings Out, Lost
Tears, the 80s AOR/Poprock ish The Ascent Of Man and the lovely catchy uptempo
rockers The Waking Of The Earth and For The Want Of A Nail. A song I would also
like to point out is the wonderful ballad Light The Fire that starts very calm
and beautiful a la FISH, but develops into a powerful rockballad in the best
80s style. Without a doubt, this is a fantastic comeback of CASTANARC! A
must-have for the neo-progfans out there who like their music to be song-based
with a focus on calm yet beautiful melodies and not too many instrumental
passages, but still with the approach of a classic progband like YES did in the
1970s. I am quite interested in the band’s past work, because this new CD of
them is actually the first time I get to hear CASTANARC and it is definitely a
great introduction to them. More info at: https://castanarc.bandcamp.com/album/new-the-sea-of-broken-vows
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
| CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW REVIEWS |
| GO TO THE REVIEWSINDEXPAGE |
| BACK TO HOMEPAGE |