HOT NEW REVIEWS


UPDATED May 7, 2021

MASON HILL 'AGAINST THE WALL' (JABA MUSIC/7HZ/UK IMPORT) 

Out of Glasgow, Scotland comes MASON HILL, a band formed around Scott Taylor (Lead Vocals), James Bird (Lead Guitar), Marc Montgomery (Guitar), Matthew Ward (Bass) and Craig McFetridge (Drums). They were formed back in 2013 and were signed to FRONTIERS RECORDS, but eventually found a new place under 7HZ and Against The Wall is their official debut full-length record. The album was recorded at Riverside Studios near Glasgow and vocals in New York, while Chris Sheldon (FOO FIGHTERS, BIFFY CLYRO) mixed it. After the intro Reborn, opener No Regret shows rightaway we are dealing with a massive sounding band, rocking out big time, with strong lead vocals and lovely melodies, not that far removed from the American mainstream rocksound of a band like ALTER BRIDGE. Following Against The Wall is a superb sensational uptempo catchy chorus driven uptempo melodic hardrocksong that fits somewhere between HAREM SCAREM, WHITE LION and VOLBEAT. The band's sound is tight and very professional, while they are also able to write catchy tunes that could easily become radiohits and thankfully the whole album is loaded with such songs that combine the best of the past and present rocksound, of which the highlights are the midtempo groovy Melodic Hardrock piece Broken Son, Who We Are (a wonderful melodic rockballad), Where I Belong (another lovely melodic rockballad) and the midtempo modern groovy melodic hardrocker Hold On (a la ALTER BRIDGE). MASON HILL are right up there with the other British sensational Melodic Hardrockband INGLORIOUS. Check out more info at: https://www.masonhillofficial.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)


THE ROME PROGJECT 'IV BEATEN PATHS DIFFERENT WAYS' (INDEPENDENT/TRP RECORDS/ITALY IMPORT) 

Out of Italy comes THE ROME PROGJECT, which was founded by keyboard player and composer VINCENZO RICCA. Beaten Paths Different Ways is the 4th album and besides Vincenzo, other involved musicians are some very well-known British and Italian musicians, such as STEVE HACKETT (GENESIS) and David Jackson (VANDERGRAAF GENERATOR) who both have played on all the albums, including this new one. Other contributors include(d) David Cross (KING CRIMSON), Richard Sinclair (CARAVAN), Francesco Di Giacomo (BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO), Billy Sherwood (YES) and FRANCK CARDUCCI, while there are also a few lesser known Italian musicians to be heard. The music is mainly instrumental, yet a few songs also feature vocals and/or occasional narration. The concept kinda album is based around the history and mythology of the eternal city of Rome, and basically this is beautiful timeless calmer melodic symphonic rockmusic like we know it from the past, reminding of the 1970s when acts like CAMEL, ALAN PARSONS PROJECT and PINK FLOYD were the major acts in the music business. I love the cheerful keyboardwork here (80s Neo-Prog/70s Synthwave/Sympho at it's best), and despite the vocals are not always that strong when they appear, they make a nice appearance in the mostly instrumental cheerful music of THE ROME PROGJECT. You can easily put on this album and dream away into the world of Vincenzo and his ancient Rome, because this is keyboard/synth heaven in a world where sympho, prog, new age and synthwave come together perfectly in a beautiful melodic setting. Check out more info at: https://www.facebook.com/TheRomeProGject/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

GAJANAS 'CIHKKOJUVVON - HIDDEN' (BAFE'S FACTORY/FINLAND IMPORT) 

Here we have a very interesting Finnish band called GAJANAS. They are coming out of the cold north of Finland, and combine musically speaking Finnish (Northern Sami ethno music) with pure Progressive Rock, and this mixture is unique and quite impressive. The band is formed around Hildá Länsman (vocals, joiks and frame drum), Nicholas Francett (guitar, cello and vocals), Kevin Francett (drums) and Erkki Feodoroff (bass), and 8 songs are included, all of them sung in the Finnish language. The booklet reveals the English translation, which makes it easier to understand what the band is singing about. As mentioned, the band is mixing pure Progrock with Finnish traditional music, and here and there I can even trace some slight World Music/Middle-Eastern rhythms and melodies in songs like Floods of Diamonds and Hidden. For the open-minded proggies among us, GAJANAS is a band to check out as soon as possible, because after hearing the lengthy opener Northern Lights you will be impressed enough to check out the full album of this band. There's also some KATE BUSH/TORI AMOS kinda similarities in a song like Endless Sea, yet always keeping the music instrumentally speaking in a Progrock direction. For a debut they set the bar pretty high and let's hope that after corona they will be able to perform live, because I think this band has a bright future ahead of them due to their original own identity, which can be heard clearly on this first album. Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/gajanasofficial and https://bafesfactory.fi/gajanas

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

KATRINA FROM KATRINA AND THE WAVES 'HEARTS, LOVES & BABYS' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT) 

The British/American band KATRINA AND THE WAVES is best known for the 1980s classic Walking On Sunshine and of course the song Love Shine A Light which gave them the Eurovision Song Contest victory back in 1997. After an absence of almost 2 decades lead singer/guitarist KATRINA LESKANICH returns under the moniker of KATRINA FROM KATRINA AND THE WAVES, with a new line-up of musicians around her that recorded the album Hearts, Loves & Babys. Besides Katrina on vocals and guitars, the other musicians in the band are bassist PATRICK MCCARTHY, drummer ANDREW MAPPLEBECK and guitarist DARREN LOVEDAY. I have to make the additional remark here that Katrina always continued making music solo, but it seems this time the KATRINA AND THE WAVES bandname is specifically mentioned on the frontcover. Although I'm not familiar with a lot of Katrina's older recordings, this album is definitely a sensational record that will be a must-have for anyone into classic 80s US female fronted AOR/Poprock. Included are 10 songs that were written by the incredible talented Katrina, with here and there a co-writer, and this London, UK recorded recorded is without a doubt a huge surprise for sure! Opener Drive is a lovely sensational catchy pure 80s orientated uptempo melodic AOR/Poprocker that reminds me of classic RICK SPRINGFIELD, very early KIM WILDE, very early BLONDIE, PAT BENATAR and the countless female fronted American AOR/Poprock acts from the early-mid 80s (such as THE BREAKS, SCANDAL, SIDEWINDER, DRAMA, TANE CAIN, FIONA, LISA HARTMAN..). Following Who We Are is a different affair and is a very nice calmer semi-AOR/Poprock ballad in the PATTY SMYTH meets ROBIN BECK style, with once again beautiful vocals by Katrina. Crazy Mama rocks big time in a strong uptempo 80s melodic rock direction, sounding quite close to BRYAN ADAMS circa Reckless. Move On slows things down again, and this is a beautiful semi-ballad with again those wonderful emotional vocals of Katrina. Holiday is the first 'weaker' song, a somewhat simple Christmas kinda midtempo sing-a-long, but next track I Want To Love Again is back to high class 80s uptempo AOR/Poprock, featuring a catchy chorus that will make the fans of the classic female fronted 80s AOR/Poprocksound dance all night long to (remember the classic LISA HARTMAN album 'Till my hearts stops, DONNA CRISTY and FIONA?). Beyond Love is a semi-AOR/Poprockballad that could have easily been on the PATTY SMYTH solo record Never Enough from 1987. I Can't Give You Anything But Love changes the sound completely, and not even in a bad direction at all, because this sorta old school 1930s MARILYN MONROE jazzy shuffle feels really good to listen to, and of course this is a cover of the old 1928 classic song that was previously also covered by TONY BENNETT, LADY GAGA and many more. Every Step rocks again, this time in a catchy 80s poppy uptempo direction like classic PAT BENATAR, THE BANGLES and also a bit of Walking On Sunshine can be traced here. Closing track WIlling is a nice calmer but very strong semi-ballad, with also some great guitarwork. I am pleasantly surprised and quite impressed by this wonderful album that should definitely be in the hands of fans of all those aforementioned acts, although of course if you're familiar with KATRINA AND THE WAVES, you also need to check this out! More info at: https://katrinasweb.com/katrina-and-the-waves/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

KHAIRA 'NEW YORK LIVE' (CLERMONT MUSIC/USA IMPORT) 

Singer/Songwriter KHAIRA ARBY grew up in Timbuktu, Mali and despite she has performed and created music all her life, she only managed to release a few albums during the 2010s when she was signed to the American World Music label CLERMONT MUSIC. She sadly passed away in 2018, but now in 2021 a rare concert she gave in August 2010 at Bard College in New York is released on CD by that same label. Khaira was definitely a charismatic vocalist and her music really gave you a good look into her life and hard times she faced in her homeland. The music itself is close to Desert Rock like we know it from other acts out of Mali, with the use of traditional instruments and of course the unique way Khaira is singing. The other members in the band that night were guitarist Dramane Toure, Abellow Yattara (traditional 3-stringed tehardent/ngoni), percussionist Mahalmadane Abbanassane Traore, bassist Mohamed Ag Mohamed, guitarist MBarka Dembele and a few backing singers. Songs like Sourgou and Haidata Moulaye have some amazing guitar shredding, and actually a lot of the songs feature those rocking guitarsolos as if JIMI HENDRIX was on stage that evening! I can tell you that this live album really rocks and is almost a pure Blues/Classic Rock record, yet with the Mali approach, which means a groovy funky rhythm and African style vocals by Khaira. One of the rockiest concerts for sure with a bunch of lovely musicians, so definitely something to check out for sure at: https://www.clermontmusic.com/khaira-arby-in-new-york-live

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

MOON TAXI 'SILVER DREAM' (12TH SOUTH RECORDS/BMG/USA IMPORT) 

Formed in 2006, the Nashville, Tennessee based band MOON TAXI looks like your typical countryrockband, but they are doing something completely different, because their album Silver Dream is a typical modern popalbum, sounding very polished and filled with radio-ready hits from start to finish. The 5-piece band have already 5 albums so far, making this their 6th album. 12 songs are included and if you like bands such as IMAGINE DRAGONS or BASTILLE, then you will absolutely like this modern soul injected pop/rockband. Their line up consists of Trevor Terndrup (vocals, guitar), Tommy Putnam (bass), Spencer Thomson (guitar, programming), Tyler Ritter (drums), and Wes Bailey (keys) since the were founded over 15 years ago. The music is as mentioned poppy, but done really well and an easy target for fans of the aforementioned bands. Songs like Palm Of Your Hand, Hometown Heroes, Live For It and the Beginning are instant winners for today's radio market. Perhaps it might be a bit too soft for the rockers among us, MOON TAXI are doing things quite clever, because they have created an album that is a perfect hit for the upcoming summer and I am safe to say that one of the included songs could easily end up high in the charts if they are lucky. Check them out at: http://ridethemoontaxi.com/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

 

LAINO & BROKEN SEEDS ‘SICK TO THE BONE' (OFF LABEL RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT) 

 

Sick to the Bone is the 2nd album of the Italian band LAINO & BROKEN SEEDS. This band was formed in Bologna, Italy back in 2015 and they have a high class psychedelic late 1960s/early 70s inspired Classic Rocksound, almost as good as the original acts from 50 years ago. It sounds very authentic, which is thanks to an all-analogue recording, while the mixing was done in Chicago IL, USA by famous producer JD Foster (CALEXICO, LUCINDA WILLIAMS). The result is a lovely record with as best songs Spells And Magic (THE DOORS meets ZZ TOP!), Way up Above (lovely pure THE DOORSish rocker), the heavy boogie blues fuzz rocker Winanta and the groovy DE WOLFF ish Sleepthinkers and Singin’ the Blues around Booze. There’s a lot of diversity going here, with a mixture of groovy songs and uptempo rockier tunes, while there’s always that feeling of classic rock, sometimes bluesier and other times psychedelic. The mixture of THE DOORS, DE WOLFF and ZZ TOP would definitely suit LAINO & BROKEN SEEDS, although they do have an own identity for sure, which you absolute need to check out at: https://www.lainobrokenseeds.com and https://laino.bandcamp.com/album/sick-to-the-bone

 

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

MAYFIRE CHRONICLES 'SHADOWS/CLOUDSCAPES & SILHOUETTES' (INDEPENDENT/NORWAY IMPORT) 

Norwegian sensation MAYFIRE CHRONICLES return with 2 more new songs that will eventually be part of their first full-length album. Anyway, along with LEPROUS drummer BAARD KOLSTAD, the band recorded Shadows and Cloudscapes & Silhouettes, 2 great melodic Progressive Metal pieces with superb vocalwork and massive melodies, all done in the tradtional modern classic progmetal direction we know from bands like HAKEN, LEPROUS, THRESHOLD and such. The covid 19 virus slowed them down a bit, but eventually they will release an official full-length record in the future, but meanwhile check out this sensational band at: https://www.mayfirechronicles.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

CLIVE MITTEN ‘SUITE CRYPTIQUE : RECOMPOSING TWELFTH NIGHT 1978-1983’ (BUMNOTE RECORDS/UK IMPORT) 

The British progrockband TWELFTH NIGHT has been around for many decades, but went through various line-ups between their formation back in 1978 and the present day, because musician CLIVE MITTEN left the band in 1986, re-joined them in 2007, but left them again in 2012, with a one-off reunion gig in 2014. Eventually he left them for good and concentrated on other projects, such as THE C: LIVE COLLECTIVE and since the lockdown in 2020, Clive worked on this new 2-CD set that contains re-composed material of old TWELTH NIGHT material. It’s not covering or doing the same thing as back then, because Clive clearly has created new music here with new ideas, taking fragments and parts of songs from TWELFTH NIGHT’s period 1978-1983, but with the 2021 approach. The result is a wonderful instrumental synth based kraut/progsound with a classical music approach that reminds me a bit of TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE and such, with a focus on melodies that are all created by Clive, although they do sound like full orchestras have been used. The sound is massive and the 5 parts of the Suite Cryptique (Live at the Target, Live (and Let Live) and The Collector on CD 1 and Fact and Fiction and Creepshow in CD 2) take you into the world of Clive, who started working on this project when corona hit Europe and recently finished it. So there’s at least something beautiful coming out of the whole corona crises. Check out this wonderful instrumental album if you want to hear a perfect mix of kraut, prog and classical music at: https://clivemitten.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

SARA WATKINS ‘UNDER THE PEPPER TREE’ (NEW WEST RECORDS) 

Under the Pepper Tree is the 4th solo album of SARA WATKINS, an American singer-songwriter and fiddler who is also part of the progressive bluegrass band NICKEL CREEK along with her brother Sean. She started her solo career back in 2007 and in case you’re no familiar with Sara and her band, this is also quite a different affair, because her new album Under the Pepper Tree contains covers of her childhood favorite songs of THE BEATLES, HARRY NILSSON, WALT DISNEY movies, musicals, You’ll Never Walk Alone, When You Wish Upon A Star and much more of such material. They are all done in a calmer, sweet ‘old music’ style, blending folk and some jazzy influenced singer/songwriter music into the songs, with of course the beautiful voice of Sara who reminds me of BARBRA STREISAND. The music is as mentioned very calm and based around Sara’s angelic high pitched soprano voice, and it feels the whole time if I am listening to something in the style of Somewhere Over The Rainbow style. There are several guest appearances, such as TAYLOR GOLDSMITH of DAWES. This is a very special record that is hard to compare, but the description in the review might give you an idea which direction you must think of here. Sara is a gifted singer and therefore it is a pleasure to listen to her new album. More info at: http://www.sarawatkins.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

CONNECTION THEORY ‘CONNECTION THEORY’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT) 

CONNECTION THEORY is a husband/wife duo from the Merseyside in the UK and they were kind enough to send me their same titled debut EP. Opener All Walls No Doors starts with a sorta 80s new wave meets 70s/80s progrock mixture, kinda like 80s IT BITES and IQ, yet a bit more leaning towards the 80s New Wave side somehow (A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS similarities sometimes). There are 5 songs included on this EP, and after this prog meets new wave ish opener, the rest is more progrock orientated. The lenghty instrumental In Two Minds also has some jazzy/fusion influences and the short instrumental Rati Acutus is definitely going for a classic melodic progrock direction, because this song also features a lovely soaring guitarsolo. The vocals of LAURA COOPER are quite strong, although they can only be heard during 3 songs, while DUNCAN COOPER takes care of all the instruments (guitars, bass, keys, teno/alto/soprano sax, flute, drum programming). Drumlins and Dropstones is a lovely classic early 80s melodic progrock song with some very nice melodies and reminding a bit of ESQUIRE and EVEREST, but if this is too obscure, 80s IQ and 70s GENESIS are also good comparisons here. Closing the EP is the acapella As The Earth Flows. The only remark I would like to make is the fact that the drums are programmed on the album, so perhaps on a future record a real drummer could be used. Definitely a nice duo to check out at: www.connectiontheory.bandzoogle.com

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

ANGELINE ‘WE WERE RAISED ON RADIO’ (BLOW YOUR FEZ OFF MUSIC/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

The Swedish band ANGELINE has a long history that goes back a long time, because I once received a tape from a Swedish tape trading friend (25 years ago!) and this contained an EP ANGELINE had recorded somewhere in the 1980s! Anyway, fast forward ANGELINE has released more records throughout the decades, and they were kind enough to send me their new album We Were Raised On Radio. Musically speaking no changes, while the lineup consists nowadays of bassist Uffe Nilsson, drummer Tobbe Jonsson, guitarist Janne Arkegren and vocalist/guitarist/keyboardplayer Joachim Nilsson. 10 songs are included and opener Helpless is a great start, because this is a big time sounding uptempo melodic hardrock piece with a catchy sing-a-long chorus in classic Swedish tradition, reminding of the early 90s records of TALISMAN and HAREM SCAREM, so definitely one of the finest songs ANGELINE has recorded so far. Other highlights on this new album are the massive sounding groovy slowtempo melodic rocker Remission, the uptempo melodic rocker Closer To Forever (a la THE DEFIANTS/DANGER DANGER/FIREHOUSE) and the DEF LEPPARDish semi melodic rockballad Come What May. ANGELINE has delivered a really great professional melodic anthemic 80s/early 90s inspired hardrockalbum that will be enjoyed by the fans for sure. Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/Angeline-125584335766

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

TWANGMEN ‘TRISKELE AND CASCADES’ (EMG/GERMAN IMPORT) 

There is a lot to enjoy here, because the Austrian band TWANGMEN is making modern sounding instrumental post-progressive rock with all kinds of interesting structures and melodies throughout the 9 included lengthy tracks on their official full-length debut album Triskele and Cascades. The band is formed around Daniel Seeger (bass), Fabian Jäger (cello), Flow Frick (drums), Gunnar Giesinger (keyboards) and Martin Mayer (guitar), and all together this has got to be the finest instrumental album so far this year. It’s a genre that has rapidly become very popular with countless acts around such as COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, LONG DISTANCE CALLING, GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT… You can easily add TWANGMEN here, because once you put their music on, you’re drifting into an adventure where sounds and melodies are taking you straight into a hypnotical trance, with so many beautiful parts, slower to uptempo, it’s all available here. Absolute highlights are opener Bluetopia, the uptempo rocking Autowahn, the superb melodic rocker Gimme Shelter and the longest song on the album, Escape from Island. Basically this perfect modern instrumental progressive-post-rock at it’s very best with also clearly room for traditional prog and even a bit of classic rock/melodic rock, and the use of a cello makes it sound just a bit different. Do not miss this album! More info at: https://twangmen.bandcamp.com/album/triskele-and-cascades

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

EXIT 13 'THE LUNAR SOCIETY' (BACKWATER RECORDS/UK IMPORT) 

EXIT 13 from Ipswich, UK is based around multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter STEPHEN R. MANN, who did a lot on his own on the album The Lunar Society, except for some drums, additional vocals and cellos during a few songs. EXIT 13 has a long history that goes back to the 1980s and you can clearly hear that on this strong new album The Lunar Society. It's is a great typical English melancholic, yet melodic, singer/songwriter pop/rock affair in the style of MORRISSEY (THE SMITHS) and PAUL WELLER. The 14 included songs do reflect the British slightly depressing alternative 80s/90s kinda pop/rock direction, but when things get more uptempo, such as the uptempo rocking The Owl Club, we get to hear a rather catchy tune that feels like a good old pub rocker. Stephen has got the perfect British kinda voice to sing these songs and fans of aforementioned artists should check out the new EXIT 13 album at:

https://originalexit13.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

MIDNIGHT PHANTOM 'HOLLYWOOD DREAMS' (INDEPENDENT/ GERMAN IMPORT) 

When opener Fordbidden Land starts we are heading straight into the classic 80s German Melodic Hardrocksound of bands such as SCORPIONS, VICTORY, VAMP, KARO, BONFIRE, CRAAFT, CASANOVA, VICE, DOMAIN and of course also 80s BON JOVI and DEF LEPPARD. It concerns here the debut album Hollywood Dreams of the German band MIDNIGHT PHANTOM, a duo formed around multi-instrumentalist Christian Heimbucher and lead singer Stephan Wsintek. They are also not shy to throw in some 80s melodic metal riffs here and there, such as the HELLOWEENish Human Race and of course a typical 80s Power Ballad in the TRANSIT/FRONTLINE/WARRANT style (Where I Belong). I think by now the fans of classic 80s melodic hard/heavy rock will understand what this MIDNIGHT PHANTOM is all about, and thankfully the 2 guys are doing a nice job here. Other highlights are the 80s anthem Children Of The 80s (SCORPIONS meets VICTORY meets V2), the midtempo melodic rocker Save Me (remember the band ZERO?), the lovely uptempo big time 80s melodic rocking titletrack Hollywood Dreams and the semi melodic rockballad Heroes Never Die, which has a DEF LEPPARD 'Hysteria' meets WHITESNAKE's Is This Love kinda touch. Definitely an album you must check out if you're a fan of 80s German Melodic Hard/Heavy Rock at: https://www.facebook.com/midnightphantomband/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

ROYAL HUNT 'DYSTOPIA PART 1' (NORTH POINT PRODUCTIONS/DENMARK IMPORT) 

In the mid 1990s the Danish band ROYAL HUNT took the world by storm when they released a few timeless classics (Moving Target, Fear and Paradox), which especially in Japan gave them a superstar status. Their sound was quite innovative, combining AOR/Pomprock ish anthem melodies with Progressive and Symphonic Power Metal heaviness that took it to a new pure Orchestra/Keyboards dominated Neo-Classical Melodic Heavy Rocksound that would make YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and STRATOVARIUS jealous and would eventually influence KAMELOT to come up with a similar sound. Through the 2000s and 2010s this sound became less popular, but ROYAL HUNT always continued and now in 2021 we welcome them back with this superb new album Dystopia Part 1. Musically speaking the band's sound on this new record is going back to their glorious 90s years, with the prominent ingredients of DC COOPER on vocals and ANDRE ANDERSEN on keyboards, the dream-team within ROYAL HUNT's line up. The line up on this new album has been steady the past 10 years, with also Andreas Passmark (bass), Jonas Larsen (lead guitar) and Andreas “Habo” Johansson (drums) on board for a number of years. The result is a massive and high class sounding classic ROYAL HUNT album with a diversity of well crafted songs, such as the lovely uptempo opener Burn, the epic semi-ballad I Used To Walk Alone, the superb catchy chorus driven bombastic The Eye Of The Oblivion and the semi-ballad/midtempo piece Snake Eyes. There are a number of guests on vocals by the way, such as the ex-vocalists of the band like JOHN WEST, MARK BOALS and a few more. All together, this is one of the finest ROYAL HUNT albums in 20+ years, with many highlights and therefore a big recommendation who like classic epic bombastic orchestra/keyboard driven symphonic melodic heavy rock/metal with the focus on strong melodies all over the place! I can't wait for part 2 of Dystopia and hopefully we will be able to catch them live again. Check out more info at: www.royalhunt.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

 

AURA 'REACTIONS/IMAGINATIONS' (MORRISON RECORDS/FORCE MUSIC/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Out of Sweden comes AURA, a band that combines elements of various rock genres, but are probably best described as a progressive rockband. They were formed way back in the 1970s and released several albums during the 1980s, of which the rockmusical Dalen is their most successful, because after this album release in 1984, the band did a 3 year Swedish tour that was seen by more than 100 000 people (!). One of the members in the band back then was TONY BORG of AOR/Melodic Rockers ALIEN. They re-started in 2000s and have meanwhile released 5 new albums, of which Imaginations is their new album. The band consists of Lennie Andrews (vocals, keys, guitars), Joacim A Sternkrans (vocals, guitars), Conny Engelund (bass, guitars) and Ulf George Andersson (drums). The band send me their 2 most recent albums, and despite a few really nice songs, such as Dancing On Your Own (a relaxing 70s inspired groovy melodic poprocker with a sorta 70s disco touch) and the B.O.C. meets GRATEFUL DEADish slow rocker Cosmic lullaby, the band sounds much stronger and mature on their new album Imaginations. This record is a mixture of classic rock, progrock and melodic rock, with as highlights Angry Bards (a great classic rocker that is really dangerously close to BLUE OYSTER CULT), The Selfie Generation (midtempo melodic progrock, PINK FLOYDish), and the melancholic semi prog ballads Tall And Free and Together Again. Check out this interesting Swedish band at: https://aurasweden.com/AURA

 

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

 

CHRIS CORNEY 'FALSE HORIZON' (UNIVERSAL MUSIC/UK IMPORT) 

 

Out of Bedfordshire, UK comes producer/singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist CHRIS CORNEY, who has been in the music business for almost 30 years now. He was a member of bands like THE QUIREBOYS, THE CONTRAST and THE RAVINES and worked with JOE ELLIOTT (BRYAN ADAMS), but is now making his debut as a solo artist. False Horizon is the title of the album, on which he plays almost all the instruments, except for some drums (LUKE TUCHSCHERER and TASHA BAYLIS on a few songs) and SUSANNA BENN on backing vocals. 9 songs are included, and without a doubt, this is a really great record to listen to. Opener Lewisham to Liverpool is a very nice midtempo AOR/Poprocker with strong vocals of Chris and a summer-ish radio-ready sound, a bit like BRYAN ADAMS here and there. Following Through Jealous Eyes is a lovely uptempo AOR/Powerpop/Melodic Rocker that reminds me a bit of TOM COCHRANE, 80s BRYAN ADAMS, VAN STEPHENSON and such. Back to midtempo AOR/Poprock with the light DEF LEPPARDish Psychology 101 (reminding me a lot of RUSSELL ‘Wall Of Love’ if anyone remembers that record!), Where Did It All Go Wrong? and Leave Our Love Alone (which is basically pure late 80s/early 90s midtempo AOR a la VAN STEPHENSON again). Sky High starts acoustic driven, but also this song develops into a midtempo AOR/Poprockish song like if it was still 1989. Girl On A Poster rocks a bit more, although also this song has that lovely classic late 80s catchy midtempo AOR/Melodic Rocksound, reminding me a lot of MICHAEL MORALES crossed with a little bit of TOM PETTY somehow. Job well done for sure, as Chris has a perfect voice for this kind of classic 80s AOR/Poprock/Rootsy melancholic Powerpop and fans of aforementioned artists will definitely like this album a lot. The final 2 songs are the excellent uptempo melodic rockers (a la THE OUTFIELD) Bury The Bad News and Do Not Adjust Your Mind, so all together we have a here a great melodic rocking album. More information can be found at: www.chriscorneymusic.co.uk

 

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

 

FRESHLY CUT CRASS 'TOPIARY' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT) 

FRESHLY CUT CRASS is the brainchild of OWAIN HUGHES (keys, guitars, vocals, compoistions), who is a recent graduate of the RWCMD (Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama). He gathered a bunch of fellow musicians and singers, including the sensational BELLA COLLINS, and recorded an album that will definitely appeal to fans of LEON BRIDGES, CURTIS HARDING, YOLA CARTER, THE BLACK PUMAS, although it goes a bit further into jazzy funky 70s soul/pop on Topiary, the debut album of FRESHLY CUT CRASS. The Bipolar Jazz Oversture opens the album and is a jazzy instrumental, but the following Funk Enigma is introducing vocals that sound really great and give the song a pure 1970s funky disco/soul-ish pop/rock direction. The album continues this way with a mix of funky 70s pop/rock and a touch of a jazz, with the focus on smooth melodies, a bit like classic EARTH, WIND & FIRE crossed with MARVIN GAYE and TERRY CALLIER, yet with female vocals and also memories of the aforementioned new generation of acts in this style. Other highlights include the beautiful sung London In His Eyes, the instrumental 70s Fusion of The Last Melon and the pure 70s radiohit sounding Work To Be Done. If you’re starting to become interested, then check out FRESHLY CUT CRASS at: https://www.facebook.com/FCGrass  

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

DOUG SCHMUDE 'MILEPOSTS' (LOST HUBCAP RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Although the American singer/songwriter DOUG SCHMUDE has been active for over 17 years now and he gets some help from other musicians on his 5th album Mileposts, he actually does almost everything on his own. Doug plays guitar, lap steel, acoustic guitars, banjo, Dobro, mandolin, organ, piano and bass besides of course singing and producing the 7 songs on this new EP CD. The included music is a mix of folk, Americana and 70s singer-songwriter pop, not far removed from TOWNES VAN ZANDT, STEVE EARLE and BOB DYLAN. The songs are uptempo (Mileposts in the Rear View, The Ballad of Early and Feels like Texas), calm balladry (All the Lines on My Face and A World Without John Prine), midtempo orientated (Old Crow) and even a sorta bluesy slow rocker (Maybe I Just Won’t Go Home Tonight). I am not a major fan of Doug’s way of singing, but in case you’re into BOB DYLAN or NEIL YOUNG, you will definitely like this a lot. More info at:

 http://www.dougschmude.net

 

(Points: 7.0 out of 10)

 

MICHAEL JOHNATHON 'THE PAINTER' (POETMAN RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

If this would have been released 50 years ago, American singer/songwriter MICHAEL JOHNATHAN could have been a major label artist. Nowadays one in a million gets lucky and breaks through big time, such as the Dutch DANNY VERA in The Netherlands. Nevertheless, Michael still has built up quite a reputation in the 35 years he has been active now, with quite a lot releases so far. The Painter is his latest album, which is an album about Vincent Van Gogh, including a cover of the DON MCLEAN classic Vincent (Starry, Starry Night). Michael sings and wrote 7 out of the 11 included songs, so it’s 4 covers (also BOB DYLAN, HARRY CHAPIN and THE MARCELS are covered), and Michael plays guitar, banjos, percussion and Hammond. There are also additional musicians to be heard on drums, bass, harmonica, flute, piano, accordion and backing vocals, and the music we can hear is beautiful calmer story-telling folksy singer-songwriter pop in the classic 70s style, reminding of DON MCLEAN, JOHN DENVER and such, which is due to Michael’s melodic clean voice, because some of the songs also have BOB DYLAN similarities. Definitely a nice album to check out if you long back to the classic 70s singer-songwriter popstyle. More info at: www.michaeljohnathon.com

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

ROGER JOHNSON AND THE RIALTO VALLEY REGULATORS 'MOD AMERICANA' (AT MUSIC/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

I love the sentence “all music on this album was performed on real instruments & played by real musicians. No auto-tune or other pitch correction devices were used on this recording.”. This is mentioned in the CD booklet of the Mod Americana CD of

ROGER JOHNSON AND THE RIALTO VALLEY REGULATORS. This American band is formed around vocalist Roger Johnson (who has been a performer for a very long time), and musically we are heading into the typical American Country/Lap-Steel guitar rocking style. Opener This Summer Feeling is a great catchy fun uptempo rootsy country poprocker, while the following Waiting For The Rain is nice calmer WILLIE NELSONish singer/songwriter country ballad. The rest of the album, which contains 16 songs in total, they follow the same mixture of mostly uptempo rootsy country rockier pieces and a few balladry singer/songwriter material. The highlights are California, New Old Times Together (a middle-of-the-road rootsy rocker that even has some ELVIS PRESLEY influences in Roger’s vocals somehow), the Rockabilly-ish Am I Right?, the WAYLON JENNINGSish On The Road and THE EAGLES meets GRAM PARSONS catchy 60s Powerpop orientated Mod Americana. Without a doubt, this is one of the most authentic pure traditional American Countryrockalbums in ages, so in case this sounds interesting, please check them out at: https://rogerjohnsonmusic.com

 

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

 

CATHERINE BRITT 'HOME TRUTHS' (BEVERLY HILLBILLY RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

(Modern) female fronted melodic American Countryrock at it’s very best is what you get on the 8th album Home Truths by the singer/songwriter CATHERINE BRITT. She originally comes out of Australia, but settled in Nashville for her Country career 20 years ago, although eventually returned to Australia where she became quite popular in recent years. If you’re familiar with ILSE DE LANGE, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LEANN RIMES, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, DOLLY PARTON, MIRANDA LAMBERT, JUICE NEWTON and countless more, then you will more or less understand what CATHERINE BRITT is all about. Despite it might not sound original, the result is a perfect strong polished record that will definitely whet the appetite of fans of the aforementioned artists. Highlights are the uptempo pieces Fac’rit Song, Gonna Be Mumma (excellent catchy song that is the perfect mix between DOLLY PARTON and ILSE DE LANGE) and New Dawn, the midtempo southern rockers Country Fan and Me, and the balladry of I Am A Country Song, Home Truths and Make A Diamond. Catherine wrote most of the songs by herself, although here and there with the assistance of additional songwriters, and for the instruments she got help from bassist Jeff McCormack, drummer Steve Fearnley, guitarists Duncan Toombs & Michael Muchow, fiddle players Mick Albeck & Hugh Curtis, keyboardplayer Andrew Schravemade, Pedel Steel guitarplayer Michel Rose and several backing singers, as well as 2 guest vocalists (JIM LAUDERDALE & LEE KERNAGHAN). Catherine’s voice is really wonderful to listen to and all of the 12 included songs are a joy to listen to, maybe a bit too polished here and there, it surely is a must-have for fans of any of the mentioned artists (ILSE DE LANGE being an obvious comparison of course for the Dutch readers among us). More info at: www.catherinebritt.com

 

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

 

SON OF THE VELVET RAT 'SOLITARY COMPANY' (FLUFF AND GRAVY RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

The Joshua Tree, California based band SON OF THE VELVET RAT is a so-called Folk Noir band, which is sorta a mix between dark folk rock, Americana and bits of Garage Rock. They were formed back in 2003 by Austrian songwriter Georg Altziebler and organist and accordionist Heike Binder, and eventually they went to the USA to refine their sound. Solitary Company is already their 13th album, and without a doubt it’s a great rocking affair that has a lot of memories of classic TOM WAITS, NICK CAVE, LEONARD COHEN and BOB DYLAN, although when things go uptempo a bit happier than those slightly depressing singer/songwriters. During the calmer songs it’s dangerously close to TOM WAITS (Alicia and When The Lights Go Down) or LEONARD COHEN (Remember me) sometimes, but as mentioned the band is at their best during uptempo pieces like Stardust, Beautiful Disarray and The Ferris Wheel. Quality record for sure and highly recommended to fans of aforementioned artists. More info at: http://sonofthevelvetrat.com/

 

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

 

LOVE ON DRUGS 'MELODIES' (PARAPLY RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Not WAR ON DRUGS, but this Swedish band is called LOVE ON DRUGS and Melodies is their 3rd album I believe. The band is formed around multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter THOMAS PONTEN from Gothenburg and he gathered a few fellow musicians (drummer MARTIN LILLBERG, bassist ROBERT OLSSON and keyboardplayer MARKUS LARSSON) around him, as well as a few backing singers (the well-known American singer/songwriter TED RUSSELL KAMP and JENNY LUNDIN) to record Melodies. The result is a cheerful melodic affair that blends influences from various music styles, such as Americana, Westcoast, Rootsy Rock, Indie, Powerpop and Pop/Rock, with as highlights The Well (a midtempo groovy rootsy rocksong with a sorta 70s ROLLING STONES vibe), the catchy uptempo indie melodic poprocker Let The Banner Wave (THE SMITHSish), the relaxing 60s influenced uptempo powerpop ish Faking It All, the THE BEATLESish Heartache I Know You So Well and the early 80s uptempo catchy poprocker Cutting Words (a la TOM PETTY). Check out more info on this great diverse Swedish band at: https://www.facebook.com/loveondrugs/ and https://loveondrugs.bandcamp.com/album/solder

 

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

ANNAMAY 'RISE UP' (INDEPENDENT/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Only 1 song can be found on the single I received from the band ANNAMAY, which is a Swedish act formed around singer/songwriter Anna-Maria Ejrupo (ANNAMAY). The song is titled Rise Up and is an Americana uptempo poprocker with folk and country influences. Done very well, I would be very interested in a full album! More info at: https://www.facebook.com/annamayofficial/

 

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

 

DAVID MASSEY 'ISLAND CREEK' (POETIC DEBRUS RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Out of Washington D.C. comes singer/songwriter/guitarist DAVID MASSEY, who has been around for some time now, although with long pauses. His new EP Island Creek contains 6 songs and after the calm start of the singer/songwriter-ish titletrack Island Creek, David comes up with a great MARK KNOPFLER/DIRE STRAITS ish uptempo pop/rocker (Demon Wind). The following 4 songs are a mixture of those styles, with uptempo and calmer pieces. David has a great voice and sings his songs very well, so it is a joy to listen to the EP. More info at: www.davemasseymusic.com 

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

HEATH CULLEN 'SPRINGTIME IN THE HEART' (5 X 9 RECORDINGS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

He not only looks like a cross between NICK CAVE and LEONARD COHEN, but Australian singer/songwriter HEATH CULLEN also sounds like them on his new album Springtime In The Heart. Besides Heath on vocals and guitar, other involved musicians are . On the other hand, the aforementioned comparison is way too easy, because when listening to the album you can clearly hear an own identity that sounds rockier than Nick and Leonard. Highlights are opener Things Are Looking Up, Song That I Know (here he sounds quite sensational and rocks big time), the bluesy  Cowboy Truths (for Sam Shepard), and Home. I wonder what the result would be is Heath would do a more uptempo rockier album, because he surely has the right voice to rock! Anyway, check out this gifted musician at: www.heathcullen.com

 

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

 

JESSE BREWSTER 'THE LONELY PINES' (CROOKED PRAIRIE RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Out of San Francisco comes singer/songwriter JESSE BREWSTER, who releases a strong solo record titled The Lonely Pines. He has a wonderful crystal clear voice and his music is catchy melodic poprock/westcoast orientated. The first couple of songs on his album are lovely catchy uptempo melodic AOR/Westcoast/poprockers (Let’s Run Away and Kicking And Screaming), reminding me a bit of MIKAEL ERLANDSSON and RALPH VAN MANEN in their early 90s rockier days. There are also calmer songs on the album, such as Bitter Pill and Southern, which could be classified as singer/songwriter pieces, but Jesse is at his best when going for the rockier approach, which we can also hear during the songs Close To Home (midtempo rootsy heartland rocker a la TOM PETTY) and the semi melodic rockers So Much Good Right Here and Follow It Down. Check out more info at: http://www.jessebrewster.com/

 

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

 

EDDIE SEVILLE 'HIGH AND LONESOME' (TEMPLE WARD MUSIC/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

The American singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist EDDIE SEVILLE has already released quite a few solo albums in the past, but is best known as leader of the band STEEL RODEO and he also toured with the legendary FRANK CARILLO and GEORGE KOOYMANS (GOLDEN EARRING). 5 songs are on his new EP High And Lonesome, which musically speaking is a typical American cocktail of rock, country and Americana. He sings, plays guitar, bass and a bit of mandolin, drums and harmonica, so a real multi-instrumentalist, but also got help from a few guest musicians, such as guitarist Billy K, bassist Michael Speranza, drummer Isaac Civitello, pianoplayer Jimmy Wilkas and pedal steel guitarist Peter Adams. Opener All Night Radio is a great uptempo rootsy rocker with a clear BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN comparison. One More Guitar is a great semi rockballad and closing track Talking To Myself is another lovely SPRINGSTEENish uptempo rootsy rocker. Actually all 6 songs are sounding very strong and Eddie is definitely a gifted musician and songwriter with a fantastic raspy voice, so let’s hope he will provide us much more great original music. Check him out at: www.eddieseville.com and https://eddieseville.bandcamp.com/album/high-lonesome-ep

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

LAZY AFTERNOON 'TRAPPED' (PARAPLY RECORDS/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Here we have another interesting Swedish band with sadly just 1 song on their CD single. Trapped is a great uptempo fresh sounding Americana folk rocker that even reminds me a bit of the very early records of POCO and PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE. Once again hopefully a full record soon, meanwhile check them out at: www.lazyafternoonmusic.com

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

THE ODD BIRDS 'BETTER DAYS' (INDEPENDENT/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

THE ODD BIRDS is a Californian band formed around RON GRIGSBY (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, harmonica), JENNIFER MORACA (vocals, guitars), BOBBO BYRNES (bass, organ, guitar) and MATT FROEHLICH (drums). They released a nice 6 tracks counting album titled Better Days, which musically speaking has some similarities to THE EAGLES, so it contains influences of Americana and Westcoast, yet also Country and Folk. The songs are a mixture of calmer and uptempo pieces, with the main focus on the vocalwork of Ron and Jennifer, both providing some lovely lead- and close-harmonyvocals. Check it out for yourself at: www.TheOddBirds.com 

 

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

 

BRANDI VEZINA 'WALK AWAY/JOHN DILLINGER TYPE' (INDEPENDENT/HEMFIRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT) 

 

Only 4 songs have been recorded so far by this talented American singer called BRANDI VEZINA, but she is definitely one of the finest I have heard in ages in the country crossover pop/rock genre. John Dillinger Type is a lovely classic Americana Country Poprock mixture like only the Americans are able to do. You would think this is a major label release, but BRANDI VEZINA is at the moment an undiscovered sensation! The other song I received on CD is Walk Away, which is a great uptempo countrypoprocker in the classic JUICE NEWTON style. Brandi has a perfect voice and it would not surprise me if she will become huge in the USA! Check her out at: https://www.brandivezina.com/music-1

 

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

GEORGIA VAN ETTEN ‘DEEP BLACK WATER VINYL LP’ (BIIRTHDAY CAKE MEDIA/UK IMPORT) 

 

She originally comes out of Melbourne, Australia, but eventually moved to London, UK about 6 years ago, the extremely talented Soul/Bluesrock singer/songwriter GEORGIA VAN ETTEN has now released her official debut full-length record titled Deep Black Water, which I received on a beautiful vinyl record. In the past few years she has performed at various festivals and built up a reputation, so this very first record should get a lot of attention, especially since it sounds quite impressive. She did release a live EP before, which gained a good deal of publicity, partly thanks to the praise of JAMIE COLLUM, but Deep Black Water is definitely showing what Georgia is all about. There’s a list of musicians included here to help Georgia refine her sound, but it’s EDWIN IRELAND who is clearly taking care of most of the instrumental side of the album. 9 songs are included in total and the material is balancing between bluesy rockers like the superb Deep Black Water and The Other Side (feat. JOEY LANDRETH), both a bit reminding me of LARKIN POE and a calmer BLUES PILLS, and calmer soulful pop songs that could easily end up high in the charts worldwide, such as the amazing Painted People. Of course it’s also a matter of luck and finding the right connections, but I can easily say that GEORGIA VAN ETTEN might become a household name in the future to come, because her voice and songs sound beautiful. She was kind enough to send me her debut on this beautiful looking vinyl record, and you can hear when you’re playing the record, it’s her voice that makes the absolute difference. Her voice is giving her an own identity and the material she recorded is diverse enough to appeal to a diversity of people. This is one of those records you will put on over and over again and if only corona had not killed the live music industry, Georgia would have already been closer to the fame and fortune she deserves, but it’s never too late, especially since she is still young and has a lifetime ahead of her to become one of the big stars in the future to come. Check out all on this talented singer/songwriter at: http://georgia-van-etten.com/

 

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

 

ANGRUSORI ‘LIVE AT TOU’ (HUDSON RECORDS/UK IMPORT) 

 

ANGRUSORI was previously named PHUTERDO ORE, but they changed their name recently and are now releasing their debut album Live At Tou, which was recorded on the 23rd of April 2017. They are a group of musicians from the Norway based KITCHEN ORCHESTRA and the Slovak Roma community, who have been working together since 2016. The included material is based on traditional songs, rearranged by NILS HENRIK ASHEIM (composer, organ, leader of the orchestra), with additional compositions by INA BITTOVA (composer, violin, vocals). The band further consists of Stine Janvin Motland on vocals, Marcela Drevenáková on vocals, Jozef Drevenák on vocals/guitar, Gjertrud Økland on violin, Patrik Žiga on violin, Roman Harvan on cello, Petter Frost Fadnes on saxophones, Johan Egdetveit on accordion, Peter Mižigar on guitar and Ståle Birkeland on drums/percussion. The music is an interesting mixture of experimental Nordic music and traditional melodic Roman music, so it is possible that you start with a cold dark instrumental complicated Norwegian feeling during a song, while during that same song the mood changes into a warmer cheerful Roman setting where everyone is singing along, and this is exactly what happens in the song Pre ada baro svetos. This mixture has not been done before a lot I can imagine, so ANGRUSORI are doing something quite original and therefore I would recommend you to check this out if you’re open-minded enough. There is of course more to discover here and it feels like one big adventure overall, with the focus on those Roman/Gypsy Music vocal melodies that are combined with a North European orchestra sound, and despite mentioning the word experimental, the album still has that typical World Music/Gypsy Folk music feeling most of the time. More info at: https://hudsonrecords.co.uk/product/angrusori-live-at-tou  

 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

 

THE RICH HARDCASTLE BAND ‘RUDY’S BAR’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)  

RICH HARDCASTLE is a British singer/songwriter/guitarist and he was kind enough to send me his debut album Rudy’s Bar he released as THE RICK HARDCASTLE BAND. Besides Rich on vocals and acoustic guitar, there is a long list of guests, although his band consists of Lindsey Woods – Flute, Bob Ward – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Helen Martin – Background Vocals and Gary Martin – Electric Bass. The album starts with the strong uptempo Americana pop/rocking titletrack, which shows right away we are dealing here with an excellent singer who is able to write a very decent song. There are 12 songs on the album, which is a mixture of mostly calmer Americana/Singer/Songwriter pieces and a few uptempo cheerful tunes (such as Dancing Room Only and Snow Angels), with always the focus on strong memorable nostalgic melodies. DANNY VERA is a good comparison for the Dutch people among us, although Rich has an own identity thanks to his voice, which somehow reminds me of PHIL LYNOTT. In fact, a song like the beautiful calmer Angel’s Share has that fantastic 70s singer/songwriter feeling like JIM CROCE and JAMES TAYLOR, but also reminds me of PHIL LYNOTT when he did a calmer song back in the day. Stanley and Ramona is another wonderful melancholic 70s inspired singer/songwriter piece with a slight semi prog/rock ballad touch. The acoustic Holly is really beautiful and has the same kinda feeling as for example STING’s Fragile, just saying that we are dealing here with a gifted musician. The album is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish and a must-have for fans of aforementioned artists. Check out more info at: https://richhardcastleband.com/music  

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

 

DEDE BOOTH ‘THE EXPANSION EFFECT’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT) 

 

Out of Boston comes the talented DEDE BOOTH, who has been active for over 10 years now and The Expansion Effect is her 5th album so far I believe. She is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer, and she does everything on her own. Quite interesting to hear, because she does it quite well. Musically speaking it is modern based progressive post-rock with a focus on vocal melodies. The overall sound quality of her new album could be slightly better, but on the other hand it’s an independent release that will be appreciated by the real music fans for sure. 9 songs are on the album, and most of them have a sorta slower melancholic dark approach, with also influences from indie pop, alternative rock, dreampop and such, although the prog post-rocksound is the general music style that can be heard in each and every song. Dede is a talented musician who is able to create interesting almost ambient hypnotical music that will especially be appreciated by the open-minded progfans out there. Check more for yourself at: https://dedebooth.bandcamp.com/

 

(Points: 7.5 out of 10)

 

JAMES FOX ‘ALL THE FOURS’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT) 

 

Now here is a great interesting independent release from multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter JAMES FOX. He did almost everything on his own, except for the drums, because MIKE SORRENTINO (BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, VIOLENT STORM, JOE LYNN TURNER…) took care of that part and he did a great job by the way! However, we are here to talk about James and he is a gifted singer and musician, because his voice is superb and so is the music. Opener Nightfall is a lovely uptempo classic AOR/Melodic Rocker that reminds me a bit of FINAL FRONTIER. Thankfully the AOR/Melodic Rock continues on the following 11 tracks of his debut album All The Fours. His voice and music reminds me so much of ex-TRADIA singer DAVE BALDWIN, so if you’re familiar with that early-mid 90s AOR/Melodic Rocksound, then you will understand what this is all about. It’s a sensational record with a focus on picture perfect catchy hooks and melodic memorable choruses that are brought to you by superb crystal clear high pitched vocals and soaring guitars, as if STEVE PERRY got his voice back and recorded a new album with JOURNEY! Other highlights are the semi AOR ballad Fire & Coal, the midtempo AOR/Melodic Rocker Time Will Tell (superb vocals!), the midtempo AOR rocker Our Future’s In The Past and the 80s orientated AOR pieces Don’t Let The Rain Stop You and I Could Take You Down. This is definitely a huge surprise from London, UK, an independent AOR/Melodic Rockalbum at a very high level. More info at: https://jamesfoxsongs.com/

 

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

PANOPLY ‘FIRST INVERSION’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)

First Inversion is the 3rd album of the British band PANOPLY and it concerns here instrumental progressive rock at a very high level. When listening to opener Riding the Wave, it feels like we’re back in time, because this is almost 1970s symphonic/pomprock, with rich keys and a classic soaring guitar. There is not so much information on this band, but they clearly understood how to create a melodic retro sounding instrumental album, which consists by the way of 5 long songs. The melodies are all over the place here and I can honestly highly recommend their new album to fans of classic ELP, ASIA, YES, RICK WAKEMAN, MIKE OLDFIELD and such. I absolutely love that first song on the album, but any song here has a lot to offer and is actually very diverse if you listen to the beautiful classical Spanish guitar used in Inflection Point. There is a lot to discover here, so make sure you check out this great instrumental band at: https://www.panoply-music.com/product-page/first-inversion

 

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

 

LIFESIGNS 'ALTITUDE' (LIFESIGNS MUSIC/UK IMPORT) 

 

Progressive Rock is one of the main reasons to keep checking new releases and every once in a while a golden jewel is released in this genre. We did review a previous album of the English band LIFESIGNS, but they have now released a new album titled Altitude, and this particular album might become one of the finest releases in 2021! Everything sounds crystal clear and picture perfect here, and it is basically the dream of every fan of melodic neo-progressive rock! Although LIFESIGNS is not doing something completely different than most other progbands out there, they surely play their progrock at an incredible high level, basically containing all the ingredients to make this new album an absolute winner in the genre. Melody is king here on each and every song that is included and not a single dull moment can be found on this album. LIFESIGNS was founded back in 2008 by JOHN YOUNG (keyboards, lead vocals), who worked with BONNIE TYLER, SCORPIONS, ASIA and many others, and along the way there have been a few lineup changes within the band throughout the year, but they have always continued to release quality records. Altitude is their 3rd album so far and it features as other band members JON POOLE (bass, ex-CARDIACS, WILDHEARTS), DAVE BAINBRIDGE (guitars, keys, IONA, STRAWBS), ZOLTAN CSORSZ (drums, FLOWER KINGS) and STEVE RISPIN (sound engineering, co-producer, additional keys, ASIA, WETTON DOWNES), while LYNSEY WARD (backing vocals), PETER KNIGHT (violin), JULIET WOLF (cello) and SIR ROBIN BOULT (acoustic guitar, FISH) appear as guests. 8 songs are included, of which 2 are short instrumentals (Arkhangelsk and Altitude Reprise), while the other 6 are sometimes quite long, especially the superb opener Altitude, the titletrack, which is an amazing piece of progressive rock, 15 minutes in length, and basically this is a perfect prog adventure you really want to experience if you’re a fan of the genre. I absolutely love the song based Gregarious, which is a truly tremendous melodic song that blends AOR melodies with progressive rock, just like we saw in the past being done by bands like FOR ABSENT FRIENDS, ENCHANT, ALIAS EYE, SUBSIGNAL and such. The songs Fortitude an Last One Home feature amazing soaring instrumental guitar vs keyboard melodies, while Ivory Tower and Shoreline are a combination of the best of prog, aor and melodic rock can offer nowadays. What more to say here! This is a stunning album that is a must-have for any fan of classic melodic progressive rock and even AOR fans might like this a lot I think, because LIFESIGNS offer some of the best melodies I have heard in a long time. John is a gifted musician, he has a superb voice and his songs are all masterpieces, so you can be sure that you will have one of the finest albums of 2021 in your hands when purchasing a copy of this album. More info can be found at: http://www.lifesignsmusic.co.uk/

 

(Points: 9.1 out of 10)

 

DIRTY HONEY 'DIRTY HONEY' (DIRT RECORDS/SONY MUSIC/USA IMPORT) 

 

Formed in 2017, the Los Angeles based band DIRTY HONEY rapidly became a household name over there and is in the USA already praised as the next big rockband for the future to come. They even secured a major hit (number 1!) on the US Billboard Charts with one of their songs in 2019, but we had to wait until 2021 for their official full-length debut album to be released. The same titled album follows their EP from 2019, and is released independently. The band’s line up consists of vocalist Marc Labelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone. Their music is clearly influenced by the Classic Rock giants like LED ZEPPELIN and GUNS’N’ROSES, and the 8 songs on the album are mostly gritty big time sounding groovy Classic Hardrock orientated, with the exception of the lovely semi-ballad Another Last Time, which closes the album nicely. Songs like California Dreamin’, Tied Up and Gypsy are rockers the way rock needs to sound. DIRTY HONEY might not truly have an own sound yet, they surely rock and it’s young bands like these that could inspire a whole new generation to bring back real classic rock and roll back to the youth. We have seen it happen in the past 20 years when bands like STEEL PANTHER, THE DARKNESS and GRETA VAN FLEET recently, but who knows DIRTY HONEY will be the real deal. Thankfully they have now this great debut album available and therefore I highly recommend them if you like any of the aforementioned bands. Check out this promising band at: https://www.dirtyhoney.com/

 

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)


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