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HOT NEW REVIEWS
RICK
ARMSTRONG 'INFINITE CORRIDORS' (RANDOM DISTURBANCE RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
The beauty about reviewing is that you discover so
much more than new music. For example the solo debut album of
keyboardplayer/guitarist RICK ARMSTRONG (also a member of EDISON’S CHILDREN),
because he is the son of the legendary NEIL ARMSTRONG! Yes I am talking about
the first human to walk on the moon! He and his sons met MARILLION guitarist
STEVE ROTHERY 15 years ago and eventually this has now led to the RICK
ARMSTRONG album Infinite Corridors. Neil is no longer with us, but his son Rick
keeps the space adventures alive via this album. Also TONY LEVIN (bass), DAVE
FOSTER (guitar) and JOHN MITCHELL (guitar) joined Rick on a few songs, but it’s
mostly Rick himself doing everything (on guitar and keys). The result is an
impressive typical 70s inspired instrumental kraut/progressive rock adventure
that is not far removed from KLAUS SCHULZE, TANGERINE DREAM and the
instrumental side of ALAN PARSONS PROJECT. 9 songs are included and the
material really balances nicely between the classic krau/prog, 80s sci-fi movie
soundtracks and a touch of modern retro synthwave. The synths and keys are upfront
here and besides the aforementioned comparisons, I think you will also like
this if you’re a fan of BLADE RUNNER, TERMINATOR or MAGIC SWORD. Well done and
it definitely feels like a space adventure, so Steve is following the footsteps
of his father, yet not physically, but musically speaking you will feel like
you’re heading into space with this strong impressive album. More info
at: www.rickarmstrong.bandcamp.com
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
TONY
CASSISTA 'CHEATED ON VARIOUS INFECTIONS DISEASES' (123119 RECORDS/TCM
PRODUCTIONS/CANADA IMPORT)
Out of Quebec, Canada comes
Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist TONY CASSISTA, who makes his debut with
the impressive album Created On Various Infectious Diseases. The album is about
the effects of the corona virus and I have to say this concept record sounds
really massive and major label ish. Tony is a gifted musician and
singer/songwriter who did a lot on his own here, but he also gathered several
guest musicians to join him on this first album. The included music is melodic
progressive rock orientated, yet open-minded due to influences of other genres
as well, such as melodic heavy rock, AOR and epic progmetal. 8 songs are
included, and it starts with the heavier Behind Impulsiveness, which is a
mixtempo melodic heavy rock/prog metal piece that sounds like a cross between
SAVATAGE and EVERGREY. Following Don’t Let Go! Is a superb calmer semi-melodic
progressive rockballad with a lovely chorus that even reveals a bit of
JOURNEYesque AOR. Stuck Inside Again is somehow even reminding me of classic
late 80s mature melodic hardrock, with a fantastic melodic chorus a la VINNIE
VINCENT INVASION and also some JOSHUA memories, while vocally you can hear MARK
SLAUGHTER comparisons, although the song itself also has reveals a few FROST
prog influences. Without a doubt, this album is very interesting and it
continues to do so until the very end thankfully. Straight Ahead is a calmer
70s inspired midtempo close-harmonyvocals driven melodic Pomprocker that is not
far removed from classic ANGEL, STYX and especially ARGENT, with a slight touch
of Southern Rock a la LYNYRD SKYNYRD. We are drifting straight into classic
independent AOR with the lovely semi AOR ballad Song For My Friends (early 90s
style like SLYBOYZ, MARA, PHANTOM’S OPERA, TOUR DE FORCE, FORTUNE (the Boston
based band)). Up next is The Storm, another lovely tune, this time balancing
between progressive rock and melodic heavy rock, with a catchy hook and
memorable chorus, and once again they remind me of the band MARA, if anyone
remembers them! Following The Cyber God is a slightly more modern piece with
interesting Arabic influences, while closing track The Way You Are is a calmer
piano-led pop orientated ballad. Concluded, we have here a really interesting
album that should definitely be heard, because it is quality stuff from start
to finish, very diverse and highly recommended to the fans of ‘real’ music.
Check out al info at: https://en.tonycassista.com/apropos
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
JACK
MCBANNON 'TRUE STORIES' (RODEOSTAR/NAPALM RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The German
singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist THORSTEN WILLER has been active in the
music business for quite a while now, with so far 5 album releases under his
birth name, but he now makes his debut under the moniker JACK MCBANNON. Without
a doubt, this is a sensational international sounding record that could have
easily been a major label release. He did almost everything on his own, except
the drums, which were played by JENS DREESEN. 12 tracks are on this excellent
album, and opener Right Here shows right from the start we are dealing with a
superb singer, while the song itself is a lovely calmer semi AOR ballad, with a
slight Southern Rock touch. Following Set Me Free is a bit more uptempo, but
also a lovely vocal orientated semi melodic rock/AOR ballad and while listening
TONY CAREY, WAYNE SMART, BRYAN ADAMS and such come to mind here. The Snowflake
is going for a lovely midtempo modern American melodic rocksound a la DAUGHTRY
and HOOBASTANK. Jack has a superb voice and I even think fans of MICHAEL
BORMANN will like this a lot, so I guess by now you will more or less understand
which direction this is going. The album is loaded with songs that follow the
sound of those first 3 songs, with as other highlights Together, Here’s A
Winner (uptempo piece, a bit Heartland rock ish a la BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN meets
BRYAN ADAMS), and the catchy uptempo bluesy melodic rocker Motel 81. Highly
recommended melodic rock/mature AOR album that should easily find its way to
fans of DAN LUCAS, WAYNE SMART, BRYAN ADAMS, DAUGHTRY, MICHAEL BORMANN, BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN and such. Only remark I would like to make is that on a future
record perhaps a few more uptempo rockers could be included, while Jack also
needs to show a bit more of his bluesy side, because this now can only be heard
a few times, such as during the song Walking In The Dark. Anyway, he is a great
musician you absolutely need to check out a.s.a.p. More info at: https://www.jackmcbannon.com/ and https://jackmcbannon.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
LUKE
CONCANNON 'EXTASIC BIRD IN THE BURNING' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
LUKE CONCANNON comes out of the UK and when listening
to the opening song of his new album, Absolument, it reminds me a lot of RAUL
MIDON and JAKE ISAAC, so this is a groovy pop/rock song with soulful vocals and
a catchy vibe overall. Luke is a great singer and his music is mainly calmer
singer/songwriter orientated with a focus on melodies. VAN MORRISON and ED
SHEERAN are his main influences, and you can clearly hear he has the voice and
sound that is nowadays quite popular. I am somewhat surprised he is not yet
quite well-known outside the UK and Ireland, because he already secured a
number 1 single with his previous band NIZLOPI back in 2005. However, he
actually travelled a lot after the break-up of that band, and Extasic Bird In
The Burning is his 2nd solo release so far, following a debut
solo album he released 8 years ago. Anyway, like I mentioned before, this is
the modern singer/songwriter sound that will whet the appetite of fans of ED
SHEERAN for sure. Some more uptempo and/or groovier tunes like the opening song
would have been interesting to see. However, a song like Feel You In My Arms
has all the ingredients to become a huge hit and Coventry has a really nice
funky vibe, and both of these tracks show an own identity of Luke, which
hopefully will be continued on future releases of this gifted
singer/songwriter. In case you’re becoming interested, please check out Luke
for yourself at: https://lukeconcannon.com/#about
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
JENNIE
LOWE ‘GHOST TRACKS’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
Singer/songwriter/guitarist
JENNIE LOWE from New York has been around for a while, but Ghost Tracks is her
first album in 8 years. The album features Jennie on vocals and guitar, but
also guitarist/pianoplayer Tyler Ramsey (BAND OF HORSES), bassist Sebastian
Steinberg (IRON AND WINE, FIONA APPLE, etc.) and drummer Greg Evans (DRIFTWOOD),
while the legendary GREG CALBI (NIRVANA) mastered the record. The included
music is singer/songwriter orientated, yet with an alternative rock and folky
touch. The first song Waiting For The Right Light is a fantastic uptempo
Americana song with the superb raspy vocals of Jennie. Imagine LEONARD COHEN
writing a song in a 70s FLEETWOOD MAC style and let PATTY SMYTH sing it, then
you might be close to JENNIE LOWE. A great start and thankfully the following 9
songs on the album are also at a very high level, with as other highlights the
alternative Sweet Amnesia, Loaded Gun and the rockier Grizzly. Despite the
comparisons, Jennie has an own identity, which is especially thanks to her
unique raspy dark ‘alternative’ voice. Check out more on this talented singer/songwriter’s
lovely new album at: https://jennielowestearns.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-tracks and https://jennielowemusic.com/
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
JAMIE
THYER ‘EXCELSIOR’ (ROAD DOG RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
British guitarist JAMIE THYER has been around for a
while, playing and touring with his band THE WORRIED MEN since the mid-1990s,
and his latest solo record is titled Excelsior, which is a very strong classic
hard rocking record. Besides guitarist Jamie, the other involved musicians are
bassist ANT F BIGGS, vocalist SHELDON GOULD, ROBERT BRIAN (rhythm consultant,
narration, percussion) and JULIE RICHARDS (chanteuse, harmonica). The album was
produced by PHIL ANDREWS (ROBERT PLANT, JIMMY PAGE, HUGH CORNWELL) and features
10 songs in total Opener Aces And Eights is a superb uptempo bluesy melodic
rocker with an excellent melodic AORish chorus and a sound that fits somewhere
between AXE, BLACKFOOT, ROBIN TROWER and GEORGE THOROGOOD. Sheldon has a
wonderful rapsy voice and Jamie’s soaring bluesy guitarplaying definitely rocks
big time. Following Blodwyn is an uptempo bluesy rocker with a great melodic
vibe and splendid guitarwork, somewhere between WALTER TROUT and ROBERT CRAY,
with Sheldon’s vocals giving it that extra touch of an own identity. This is
basically a wonderful album that has many more highlights, such as the
instrumental twin-guitardriven rocker Meadow Stone, the superb uptempo
instrumental THIN LIZZYish AOR/Classic Rocker Split Diamond, the THE B’ZZ/COLD
CHISEL/COBRA ish classic bluesy hardrocker Manacle Alley, the superb GARY
MOOREish soaring guitarsolo instrumental Nova and the bluesy The Cat That Walks
By Themself. Without a doubt, this is a highly recommended album to anyone into
Classic Hardrock. More info at: http://www.theworriedmen.com/biog.shtml
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
BLACKJACK
SYMPHONY ‘EXPERIME’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
BLACKJACK SYMPHONY is an exciting band from Cleveland,
Ohio, formed around the brothers MATT KEEVERS (vocals, guitars, keyboard
effects) and LONNY KEEVERS (bass, growls) who originally come from Australia.
The 2 brothers came up with a wonderful album titled Experime, which is a
perfect classic melodic metal affair from start to finish. Opener Kamikaze is a
lovely uptempo melodic (power) metal piece in the IRON MAIDEN / PRIMAL FEAR /
EDGUY style, and thankfully it continues this way with many more classic 80s
inspired traditional melodic metal masterpieces, such as Addiction, the
midtempo semi melodic rockballad Don’t Tell Me, the midtempo 80s QUEENSRYCHEish
Yeti and the uptempo Criminal. Matias Urzua performs the drums on the album,
but the 2 brothers are doing the main job here, such as the excellent
guitarwork and lovely high-pitched vocals, which are all done in a way that
fans of classic melodic metal will be deeply impressed! Definitely an album you
don’t want to miss and it’s quite unbelievable these guys are still unsigned,
so go check them out at: www.facebook.com/OfficialBlackJackSymphony
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
BLACK
INK RIVER 'THROUGH THE UNKNOWN VINYL RECORD' (GMR MUSIC GROUP/SWEDEN IMPORT)
You can clearly hear that the members of
the band BLACK INK RIVER have been in the music business for a long time,
because they sound like real rock veterans and their sound is going into a
classic 70s bluesy rock direction, not unlike fellow Swedish band BALTIMOORE,
MOUNTAIN, CREAM and a bit of BLUE OYSTER CULT, so it's a mixture of bluesy
(melodic rock) and retro rootsy classic rock. BLACK INK RIVER consists of Bosse
Karlsson (guitar), Anders Modd (bass), Daniel Wahlstrom (vocals) and Roger
Johannessen (drums), and Through The Unknown is their 2nd album so far. Here
and there, they really sound extremely authentic, because the beautiful
semi-ballad When I'm Gone (a duet with the excellent female singer CHASMIN
MARQUEZ) sounds like it was recorded in the early 70s, sorta like DEEP
PURPLE/RAINBOW/URIAH HEEP meets CUBY & THE BLIZZARDS, including a Hammond
and soaring bluesy guitarsolo. Other highlights on the album are the fantastic
catchy uptempo classic rocker No No No, with it's catchy melodic chorus and
strong guitarwork, the DEEP PURPLEish Seabeast and In A Daze (beautiful
melodies in classic early 70s DEEP PURPLE style), and the uptempo URIAH HEEPish
Fools Are Running The Show. The band was kind enough to send me their wonderful
vinyl record and also the CD version, which has a nice DVD included. Concluded,
the fans of real classic rock and heavy blues rock in the style of
aforementioned bands need to check out this strong Swedish band BLACK INK RIVER
at: https://www.facebook.com/blackinkriver
JOHAN
KIHLBERG'S IMPERA 'SPIRIT OF ALCHEMY VINYL RECORD' (METALVILLE RECORDS/PIAS)
Stockholm, Sweden based drummer JOHAN
KIHLBERG formed the band IMPERA 10 years ago and has meanwhile released 4
albums under this moniker. Each album saw a slightly different approach to the
Melodic Hardrocksound of the band, with also different musicians involved, mostly
from the extensive Swedish music scene. In 2021 IMPERA releases it's 5th album,
this time as JOHAN KIHLBERG's IMPERA and perhaps this is their finest so far,
because there is a long interesting list of high profile musicians
participating, such as guitarist LARS CHRISS (LION'S SHARE), vocalist JONNY
LINDKVIST (NOCTURNAL RITES), bassist JOHN LEVEN (EUROPE), drummer SNOWY SHAW
(KING DIAMOND, ex-SABATON), keyboardplayer KAY BACKLUND (LION'S SHARE), bassist
MATS VASSFJORD (220 VOLT) and bassist PONTUS ENGBERG (KING DIAMOND). The album
is available as vinyl record which I received for a review, and it is sounding
very impressive, especially the fact that we finally can hear Jonny sing again
is of course a blessing, because here and there he did some vocal recordings
through the years, but his last real full length album was with his amazing
band NOCTURNAL RITES in 2017. Anyway, he's back fronting IMPERA and he does a
wonderful job! The music style is a little bit more Melodic Hardrock orientated
than NOCTURNAL RITES, and because I am not that familiar with the previous 4
IMPERA releases it's hard to compare, but believe me that this vinyl record of
them sounds huge and due to Jonny's vocals an absolute delight to listen to
from start to finish. The vinyl record has beautiful artwork and the inner
sheets contain all the necessary information and lyrics you need to know of the
album. The material is most of the time uptempo 80s Melodic Hardrock
orientated, with as finest songs Nothing Will Last, All About You, the superb
When Souls Collide, the lovely hookladen In Heaven, the DOKKENish melodic
rocker No! and What Will Be Will Be. Interesting fact is that MICK DEVINE
co-wrote a number of songs here, and of course he is a talented
singer/songwriter himself in the AOR market (SEVEN and solo releases on ESCAPE
MUSIC). At times IMPERA reminds me of good old classic STRYPER and ICON, but
also the fans of NOCTURNAL RITES and classic 80s DIO will like this a lot. The
only exception is the closing track Battle, a cool instrumental that is
basically a Rocky 4/VINCE DECOLA synth driven bombastic 80s movie soundtrack
theme song, which is completely different than the rest of the album. Soon an
interview, but meanwhile check out the band at: http://www.impera.org
MOTHER
ROAD 'DRIVE/2' (METALAPOLIS RECORDS/BERTUS)
Out of the ashes of the legendary bands
SOUL DOCTOR and STEELHOUSE LANE comes the sensational MOTHER ROAD. It concerns
here the American lead singer of STEELHOUSE LANE, Keith Slack, who also was
part of the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP for a while, and German guitarist/producer
Chris Lyne from SOUL DOCTOR. The 2 of them joined forces to record an album way
back in 2014, which was released by AOR HEAVEN back then, and this album is now
re-released by METALAPOLIS RECORDS. The other members in the band are bassist
FRANK BINKE, drummer ZACKY TSOUKAS and good old ALESSANDRO DEL VECCHIO. The
music they create is superb high class retro 1970s bluesy melodic hardrock like
the best of WHITESNAKE, FREE and BAD COMPANY. Fans of this timeless rock style
will absolutely love MOTHER ROAD! Not a single weak moment can be found on this
debut, which has as highlights The Sun Will Shine Again (DAVID COVERDALE will
be extremely jealous for not creating this song!), Out Of My Mind, Dangerous
Highway and Poor Boy (Long Way Out). Fast forward to 2021, MOTHER ROAD give it
another go, with this time in the line-up bassist BARRY SPARKS (ex-DOKKEN, TED
NUGENT, MSG) and drummer ZACKY TSOUKAS (SOUL DOCTOR) besides Keith and Chris.
Thankfully musically speaking no changes and so we can once again hear high
quality bluesy melodic hardrock with superb vocals of Keith, who sounds like a
cross between JEFF SCOTT SOTO, STEVE LEE, DAVID COVERDALE and KELLY HANSEN, and
the excellent guitarwork of Chris. Highlights this time between the 10 included
songs are the opening uptempo classic hardrock tune Fools Gold (classic
GOTTHARD style), the midtempo melodic rocker Sticks And Stones, the FREE/BAD
COMPANYish calmer bluesy semi ballad Without You and closing track Southland.
MOTHER ROAD stands loud and proud in the Classic (Melodic) Hardrockgenre with
this comeback album, which hopefully will bring us much more in the future,
such as a worldwide tour and more albums. Soon an interview with the band, but
meanwhile check them out at: www.facebook.com/themotherroad
RICHARD
DURRANT 'REWILDING VINYL RECORD' (THE BURNING DECK RECORDS/UK IMPORT)
The English guitarist and composer RICHARD
DURRANT has been active in the music business for over 40 years now, and
meanwhile released and performed quite a lot of music. He was the guitarist of
SKY for a while during the 1990s, but is mainly active as a solo performer and
his latest album is titled Rewilding, which Richard send to me on a beautiful
vinyl record. The included instrumental music is based around Richard's virtuos
classical style guitar/ukulele playing and the melodies he creates on the instrument
are extremely impressive and always very melodic. 7 songs are included in total,
and especially the amazing beautiful piece Forr All Mannkinne Nede sounds like
a future-to-come classic. Richard did a lot on his own, since he is a
multi-instrumentalist and plays guitars, ukuleles and cello on this album, but
there are also a few guest musicians, such as DAISY DURRANT (accordion), BRIAN
GULLAND from the band GRYPHON (bassoons, recorders, organ and crumhorns) and
STEPHEN HISCOCK (bells, shakers, etc.). The vibe is here and there a bit folky,
such as the relaxing medieaval sounding Knepp (The Return) and Step Genty, and
if we have a further look at the record, the artwork and drawings are all very well-done
and nice to look at while playing the album. Rewilding was recorded during the
lockdown, and without a doubt, it's a pleasure to listen to this album. Another
interesting fact is that Richard does so-called bicycle-performance touring,
which for me personally is the ultimate goal, although I am not a performer
(LOL), but the fact you cycle throughout the world and perform at so many
different places is probably a dream come true for Richard! Hopefully we will
be able to catch him live in the number one cycle country of the world, which
is of course my homeland The Netherlands!
PREHISTORIC
ANIMALS 'THE MAGICAL MYSTERY MACHINE (CHAPTER ONE) VINYL RECORD' (INDEPENDENT/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
The Swedish band PREHISTORIC ANIMALS started
a few years ago and The Magical Mystery Machine (Chapter One) is their 2nd
album so far. The band consists of Samuel Granath on drums, Stefan Altzar on
lead vocals and guitars, Daniel Magdic (ex PAIN OF SALVATION) on guitars and
vocals, Stefan Jernståhl on keyboards and vocals and Noah Magnusson on bass.
They were kind enough to send me their new album on vinyl, which is always
highly appreciated and a guarantee for a detailed review as soon as possible.
Their music is superb modern melodic progressive rock/metal that is not that
far removed from for example THRESHOLD and SUBSIGNAL, with it's main focus on
crystal clean melodies and a massive sound, such as can be heard when playing
the album opener Floodgate, which is a fantastic piece of music. This is how
Melodic Progressive Metal should sound like! In the world of Prog we have seen
a lot of sensational bands the past few years and there seems to be no end,
because also PREHISTORIC ANIMALS are doing things at a very high level. Their
sound is rich and challenging enough to keep on listening and the
aforementioned THRESHOLD comparison is just very clear, but still PREHISTORIC
ANIMALS sounds like they have been with us for over a few decades! Everything
sounds perfect here, both vocally and instrumentally, and also the 7 included
songs on the band's new album are a joy to listen to, with as other highlights
the titletrack The Magical Mystery Machine, the superb No Mortal Girl Has Ever
Seen The Light, First We'll go to Mars and the beautiful closing track Into
Battle (Like My Father), although actually all of the songs are highlights
actually. The fact that this is only part 1, it makes you very eager to hear
chapter 2 in the future. The concept album feels like one big great melodic
progressive metal masterpiece adventure that you want to play over and over
again, because everytime you discover something new. This band has a bright
future ahead of them and you absolutely need to get the vinyl edition of this
sensational album. Go check out this highly recommended Swedish band at: https://prehistoricanimalsmusic.com
and https://prehistoricanimals.bandcamp.com
(Points:
8.9 out of 10)
MALLET
‘HISTORY NO. 1’ (BAZE RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The German band MALLET has a long history that goes
back to the early 1980s and to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the band a
2-CD set with their best songs has been released. It must have been around the
year 1995 when I first got to review their material, because my good old friend
Stefan Keul from Germany send me their CDs, and now in 2021 I received from
Stefan this new best of CD set. For me personally it’s a 25-year anniversary
that I am familiar with this great underrated band. They never changed their
sound, which is typical German 80s Melodic Hardrock with a touch of American
Melodic Rock and 70s Classic Rock. If you’re not familiar with MALLET, then
this is definitely the perfect start, because you get hear a great selection of
the band’s past material. Included are in total 26 songs that are split over 2
CDs. MALLET is at their best during the uptempo melodic rockers like Everybody
Needs Somebody, Rock’n’Roll Hero, Million Dollar Babe, Fantasy Is What We Need
Today, What’s The Difference Between Black And White, Don’t Want To Be Loved By
You (THIN LIZZYish), Midnight Lover and the poppy but excellent Follow The
River. There are also the typical 80s Power Ballads included and a few boogie
rock and roll/hardrock tunes like VAN HALEN. If you’re familiar with an obscure
band like HIGH TENSION, then you will definitely like MALLET as well, because
they play classic Hardrock at its best, with a big production and both
instrumentally and vocally everything is under control here. Hopefully new
material will follow in the future, but meanwhile check out this great MALLET
Best Of CD, which is available through: www.mallet.de
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
CLYDE
MCPHATTER ‘THE BALLADS OF CLYDE MCPHATTER/ROCKS’ (BEAR FAMILY RECORDS/GERMAN
IMPORT)
CLYDE MCPHATTER was an American rhythm
and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer who sadly died way too young at the
age of 39 in 1972. He had brief success during the 1950s as part of BILLY WARD
AND THE DOMINOES and THE DRIFTERS before launching a solo career that ended in
the early 1970s due to complications of heart, liver, and kidney disease,
brought on by alcohol abuse. JACKIE WILSON learned from Clyde when the two of
them were part of BILLY WARD AND THE DOMINOES, but despite some small success
in the USA, Clyde did not achieve the same fame and fortune as Jackie.
Thankfully his music lives on and BEAR FAMILY RECORDS is paying tribute by
releasing 2 separate CDs that contains material he recorded during the 50s and
60s. It is a nice split between soulful rockers and ballads, likewise called
Rocks and The Ballads Of…. 34 rockers and 29 ballads in total, so a lot to
enjoy here. Each of the CD booklet inner sleeves contain an entire book of
information on Clyde, so while listening you can read all about this legendary
singer, who looked and sounded a bit like SAM COOKE if you listen to a song
like I Can’t Stand Up Alone or Come What May and pre-ELVIS during the 1953
recording Money Honey. There’s a Gospel touch here and there, a whole lotta of
soul and some good classic 50s/60s rock and roll to be heard on the rockers CD.
The ballads CD is a bit less interesting, but still makes the catalogue
complete of this underrated soulful singer from the past. Its’s available
through: www.bear-family.com
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
VARIOUS
ARTISTS ‘ROCKIN’ WITH THE KRAUTS – REAL ROCK’N’ROLL MADE IN GERMANY VOLUME 1’
(BEAR FAMILY RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Just like in Holland, also in Germany there were
countless acts around during the 1950s/1960s playing the Rock and Roll sound,
but only a few are well-known. Most of the acts never got the attention they
deserved, so it is a great thing that BEAR FAMILY RECORDS present us a new CD
filled with 33 rare songs taken from the period between 1957 and 1965, with the
focus on songs you might never heard of, such as bands like STARFIGHTERS, SIX
TORNADOS, THE ROCKING STARS, FRANKIE & THE ROCKETS, NORA NOVA, THE GISHA
BROTHERS, THE RATTLES, THE PROGRESSIVES and many more. It’s a mixture of
English and German language sung material, and there’s a lot of catchy classic
50s rock and roll included here, such as FREDY BROCK’s Schaut, schaut, das ist
meine Braut, BILLY SANDERS’ Lass sein, PAUL WURGES’ Mary Mary Lou, and several
other German versions of classic English 50s/60s rock and roll songs.
Definitely a great compilation album filled with rare early German rock and
roll. It’s available through: www.bear-family.com
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
VARIOUS
ARTISTS ‘THE ROY ORBISON CONNECTION’ (BEAR FAMILY RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
ROY ORBISON would have been 85 years old now, but he
sadly died over 30 years ago due to a heart attack. BEAR FAMILY RECORDS now
releases a new CD that contains covers of his famous songs he recorded between
1955 and 1978. It includes a total of 34 recordings by WAYLON JENNINGS, WILLY
NELSON, JOHNNY CASH, BOBBY FULLER, JOHNNY RIVERS, JIMMY GILMER, THE FIREBALLS,
DEL SHANNON, EVERLY BROTHERS and many more. The result is a beautiful overview
of the great songs Roy wrote or performed during the early period of his
career, all covered by high profile artists and singers from the same era. Some
of the later recordings are also quite interesting, such as the rockabilly
version of You’re My Baby from 1978 by BILLY LEE RILEY, while of course JOHNNY
CASH’s version of the same song sounds like a pure CASH classic! And how about
the extremely clean singing MIKE REDWAY who does a cover of Blue Bayou. It’s a
great nostalgic trip back to a time and age when music was fun and was not too
complicated or fabricated, and you can hear so many timeless songs that were
actually written by Roy. The lovely extensive liner notes about the involved
acts/artists who covered all these wonderful songs make this a great
collector’s item for everyone who misses Roy’s music. The CD is available
through: www.bear-family.com
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
WASIS DOP
‘DE LA GLACE DANS LA GAZELLE’ (SACEM/XANGO MUSIC)
Out of Senegal comes the talented singer/songwriter
WASIS DOP who delivers a wonderful new album titled De la Glace dans la
Gazelle. The 12 included songs are a joy to listen to and definitely get you in
the mood, summer ready music I call this. It’s feel-good summer friendly
singer/songwriter music with a soul and a French chanson approach, yet Wasis
also adds his personal African touch to the music. Songs like the superb
L’Ergot de Coq, Parler, Anna Mou, and many of the other included songs could be
instant hits on the radio. He sings with a very smooth voice, while the music
is extremely relaxed. I was not familiar with Wasis, but he has been an
important part of the Senegalese music scene, with many album releases
throughout the past decades, and now his new solo album should also give him
credits in the regular music world, because all the 12 songs are sounding
really excellent. More info at: http://www.wasisdiop.com/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
AYUUNE
SULE ‘PUTOO KATARE YIRE’ (MAKKUM RECORDS/XANGO MUSIC)
Out of Kumasi, Ghana comes the talented
musician/singer/songwriter AYUUNE SULE, who delivers a great new solo album
that really has that African music vibe. He plays kologo music and in Ghana is
one of the top players in that typical African sounding music genre, but Ayuune
also lets us hear that out of this African music sound a genre like Reggae
developed, especially when you listen to a song like Fighting Music. Also
lyrically he has a lot to say, which can also be heard on a song he wrote about
the pandemic at:https://ayuunesule.bandcamp.com/track/song-against-corona and
for more info please go to: https://ra.co/dj/ayuunesule
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
3ZKS! ‘DEL
AYER A HOY’ (INDEPENDENT/SPAIN IMPORT)
Out of Barcelona, Spain comes 3ZKS!, an unusual name,
but this trio was kind enough to send me their album Del Ayer A Hoy, which is
filled with classic Spanish sung 80s AOR/Melodic Rock in the style of CODA,
TERCER ACTO, ALIADOS, ALIANZA, JUPITER, LA FASE, SANGRE AZUL, etc. etc. It’s
quite unbelievable when you hear the catchy opener Susana that this was
recorded just recently, because the sound is pure uptempo AOR with keys and
hooks all over the place besides the soaring guitar. If you’re into the first
LA FASE album, then this is a must-have to check out! The band is built around
vocalists JOSE LUIS GUIERREZ and BELEN GUTIERREZ, who share the vocals, so we
have a male and female singers, but they sing the choruses together most of the
time, and JK ANDRES is responsible for all the instruments. The band is also
touching 80s westcoast here and there, such as the TOTOish titletrack Del Ayer
A Hoy. Other highlights are the lovely catchy uptempo AOR piece (Angel) Sin
Salvacion (including a lovely soaring guitarsolo), the pure 80s AOR rocker
Tiempo and the midtempo female fronted AOR piece Sin Ti (a la BAD SISTER/HEAT).
Concluded, despite it is a little bit on the soft side and you must accept the
Spanish sung lyrics as well as a keyboardfriendly pure 80s sound, 3ZKS! is
nevertheless a great Spanish AOR/Westcoast band that you definitely want to
check out if you like bands such as TOTO, LA FASE, LAVA etc. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Musician-Band/3ZKS-102922104908755/
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
PYRROLINE
'STRUGGLING' (ELECTRO AGGRESSION RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Germany comes
PYRROLINE, a band formed around the male/female duo of ARNTE (producing,
vocals) and SCHMOUN (composing, arrangement, vocals), who have been around for
a while and I believe Struggling is their 4th album so far. They
play interesting synt/programmed old school dark electro with influences from
EBM, Electronic, Gothic, Synthwave and Industrial Music, with a real vibe of
the 80s/90s sound. Their new album is a high quality 2 CD set that has some
beautiful artwork and contains a lot of great material, divided into 2 CDs, of
which the 2nd CD is a bonus disc that can only be found in this
digipack release and not digitally. Partly instrumental, but most of the time
it features a somewhat distorted/robotic kinda voice, while the music is
sounding really cool, as if we’re back in the 80s sci-fi period (BLADE RUNNER,
THE TERMINATOR…), yet with a modern touch and as mentioned the fans of gothic,
electro and such will also like this a lot. This is one of those albums you put
on loud and let it take you into this fascinating world of PYRROLINE that
sounds like the future to come. Songs like Decency and Integrity, Battleground,
Song of Deliverance, Chaos & Order and The Divine Image are a joy to listen
to and I enjoyed both discs a lot, with somehow a deep love for that bonus
disc, so make sure to check out this band at: https://electroaggressionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/struggling and https://www.facebook.com/arnteANDschmoun
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
IRON
AND WINE 'ARCHIVE SERIES VOLUME 5' (SUB POP/KONKURRENT)
The American
singer/songwriter SAMUEL “SAM” ERVIN BEAM is the man behind IRON & WINE. He
has been in the music business for quite a while now and achieved a lot of
success with his calmer folk singer/songwriter music that has been compared to
NICK DRAKE, BOB DYLAN, NEIL YOUNG, SIMON & GARFUNKEL, etc. He has a somewhat
depressing voice and his music is not too cheerful, but this has also its charm
of course. Before he signed to a label he already recorded material in the
1990s and this new Archive series release contains material he recorded back in
1998, and it is called the lost debut album from IRON & WINE. The included
music is as already mentioned dark and depressing singer-songwriter folk, which
will definitely please the fans of LEONARD COHEN, NICK CAVE, BOB DYLAN and of
course IRON & WINE fans will be interested in this album. Check out more
info at: www.ironandwine.com
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
DANNY
KROHA 'DETROIT BLUES' (THIRD MAN RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
Out of Detroit comes
DANNY KROHA, who is best known as guitarist/vocalist of the Garage Rockband THE
GORIES. He released a solo-album 6 years ago and now follows it up with Detroit
Blues. His solo adventure is completely different than the rock of his band,
because on Detroit Blues we are going back to the basics, the roots of the
classic blues and folk sound. The album really sounds if it was recorded over
100 years ago and was recently discovered somewhere in an deserted old cottage.
Danny does a great job here, wrote almost all the 14 included songs by himself,
and he played all the instruments, such as the guitar, diddley bow, mouth bow,
banjo, jug, string bass, tambourine and the washboard. It’s really wonderful to
hear such songs like Detroit Blues, I’ll Be Rested, Leavin’ Blues, Little Lullie
and especially the amazing Adam And Eve (which truly sounds like an old blues
traditional), because it makes you feel like you’re back in the 1900s and
coming across a musician out there in the fields of the countryside of the USA.
Danny does a remarkable job here, and I would recommend it to anyone to check
it out. More info can be found at: https://dannykroha.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
QIRSH
'ASPERA TEMPORA PART 1' (LIZARD RECORDS/ITALY IMPORT)
Here we have a sensational Italian melodic
neo-progressive rockband with a superb new album titled Aspera Tempora Part 1,
which was released in October 2020. QIRSH was formed back in 1993 and this is
their 3rd record so far. They were only 16 years around the
time they started, so I guess they still have a long future ahead of them,
which will hopefully bring us many more releases, because they are really a
wonderful classic progband of whom you want to hear so much more music. LE ORME,
PFM and such are clear comparisons due to the Italian lyrics, but any fan of
good clean quality melodic prog music need to check out this band. Their line
up consists of Andrea Torello (bass, vocals), Daniele Olia (guitar, keys, lute,
vocals), Leonardo Digilio (keys, piano, synth), Marco Fazio (drums), Michele
Torello (guitars), Pasquale Aricò (vocals, keys) and Giulio Mondo (drums), and
from start to finish, this album offers superb music, of which the 2 longest
songs, opener Rumors at 18 minutes and closing track Oremus at 12 minutes are
the absolute winners here. However, any song is a highlight and this is without
a doubt a sensational future-to-become prog classic you need to check out
a.s.a.p. if you’re into bands like 70s GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, IQ, LE ORME, PFM,
etc. etc. More info at: https://qirsh.wordpress.com/
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
BONEYARD
‘OATHBREAKER’ (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
Out of Canada comes the sensational female fronted melodic metal band BONEYARD. This band was formed in 2015 and they have an awesome classic 80s melodic metal sound with superb vocals by lead guitarist PAMTERA. She reminds me a bit of LANA LANE, while the rest of the line-up is completed by another lead guitarist (GRANT TARAPACKI), drummer JEFF CUMMINGHAM and bassist/rhythm guitarist DENNIS COOKE. Their debut CD Oathbreaker is an excellent album that has all the ingredients needed to become a true cult classic! The first couple of songs, Fates Warning and Gone, they are lovely uptempo melodic metal pieces that remind me a bit of BETSY and BITCH. Evil Ways is slowly going into classic 80s uptempo northern early 80s American melodic rock/AOR, including a lovely soaring guitar and a strong catchy chorus, it is almost reminding me of VIXEN and 80s LITA FORD! The vocals are once again phenomenal and Pamtera shows that she is a wonderful singer who we need to keep our eyes wide open for in the future. Back to classic melodic metal with the galloping Smoke The Sky, while the titletrack Oathbreaker is taking elements of AOR/Melodic Rock, and actually this song even reminds me of the legendary TANTRUM, which means that without a doubt, this is a sensational Classic AOR/Melodic Rock piece. I have to say that the guitarwork is also amazing, with 2 lead guitars in the line-up, the twin-guitarwork is done perfectly here, in an almost THIN LIZZY direction here and there, such as can also be heard during the following heavier song Rat Race. Monster is another tougher sorta late 80s SKID ROW ish heavy rocker, while Born Again is speeding things up again to uptempo Melodic Metal with guitar riffs straight out of the NWOBHM book. Hope is another strong uptempo piece, this time moving into 80s Melodic Hardrock a la LITA FORD. Tune Attack is straight-ahead rock and roll/hardrock with a sorta THE DONNAS approach, while Catch Me If You Can closes the album nicely, as this is a lovely uptempo melodic twin-guitarwork driven heavy rocker a la ENVY. Concluded, this is a little gem from Canada you absolutely don’t want to miss, so go check them out at: www.boneyardrocks.ca
(Points:
8.8 out of 10)
FRAGYLE
'GRANDMA'S HOTEL' (INDEPENDENT/GERMAN IMPORT)
FRAGYLE is a German band and they are
playing melodic progressive rock in the style of SYLVAN. The band started 30
years ago as a schoolband and they have developed their style throughout the
years. Their line up consists of Claus
Adenäuer/Guitars, Dietrich Sülthaus/Bass, Gero Stoffels/Drums, Moritz Burgmann/Keyboards
and Stefan Peetz/Vocals, and their new album is titled Grandma’s Hotel.
Although instrumental it all sounds really good, you need to get used to the
vocals, which seem to be a point to improve in the future. The highlights on
the new album are The Closed Loop Valley (with its harmonyvocals a strong semi
progrockballad a la FOR ABSENT FRIENDS and it also features a lovely uptempo
neo-prog part), the epic The Kitchen Disaster , Out Of Phase (a progrocker in
70s style) and the early 80s SAGA ish Too Late. Overall, they do have a nice
sound that reminds me a lot of the 90s Neo-Progsound, and in particular the SI
Music label releases from back then. Check it out for yourself at: https://www.fragylemusic.de/
(Points:
7.2 out of 10)
DEAFCON
5 'FEEL' (DR. MUSIC RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The Hamburg, Germany based band DEAFCON 5
was formed back in 2009 and Feel is their 3rd record so far. Their line up consists
of Michael Gerstle: Vocals, Dennis Altmann: Guitars, Frank Feyerabend:
Keyboard, Synthesizer, Frank Schwaneberg: Bass and Sebastian Moschüring: Drums,
Sampler. Their music is a typical German mix of Melodic Progressive Metal and
Melodic Heavy Rock, like VANDENPLAS meets AXXIS meets SIEGES EVEN (and a bit of
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and QUEENSRYCHE), including the high pitched vocals, melodies,
hooks and strong choruses, all melted in a massive sound on this new album
Feel. This is definitely a quality band, LIMB MUSICish, with as best songs the
uptempo Uprising, the midtempo Straight Between The Eyes, the superb midtempo
lengthy My Unwanted Bride (FATES WARNING meets 80s QUEENRSYCHE, including a
memorable chorus and a long interesting calmer instrumental passage) and the
lovely uptempo melodic heavy rocker White House Madness. I was not familiar
with DEAFCON 5 before, so this a great introduction to them. Recommended if
you’re fan of Melodic Progmetal! More info at: https://www.deafcon5.de
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
TED
BARNES '17 POSTCARDS' (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
Out of the UK comes
musician, songwriter and composer TED BARNES, who worked mostly with the
well-known BETH ORTON. He co-wrote, recorded and played live with Beth for over
ten years, but also released 4 solo albums. 17 Postcards is his latest release
and it’s a cinematic, dark but honest album that also features Ali Friend (RED
SNAPPER), Gill Sandell (EMILY BARKER) and Daisy Palmer (MESADORM) with Michael
Clark, Kristin McClement and Sarah Johns Music Party on vocals. The album
starts very calm after the short For Rose, but absolutely beautiful during the
song Way Beyond This (featuring MICHAEL CLARK), which is musically speaking
somewhere between indie pop, singer/songwriter and melancholic progressive
rock, kinda like PINK FLOYD a bit, but then in a more singer/songwriter
direction. In total 17 songs (therefore the album title 17 Postcards) are
included, and mostly the follow this lovely relaxing direction, with as other
absolute highlights Fountain Falls and Metal Man. Overall, this is a great calm
album that tells us real stories in each and every song. It all feels very
natural and I would definitely recommend it! More info at: https://tedbarnes.bandcamp.com/album/17-postcards
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
WINDING
ROAD ‘WINDING ROAD’ (AOR HEAVEN)
Sweden and AOR HEAVEN
has been a winning team for over the past 25 years now and the latest new AOR
sensation is called WINDING ROAD. They were formed in 2018 and already in 2021
they release their debut album, which is without a doubt a strong classic AOR
record. It might not be really original, because influences from the great AOR
bands of the past can be heard very clearly, but WINDING ROAD is doing at a
very high level. Opener It’s A Matter Of Survival for example is an instant
winner for fans of classic 80s AOR, with its catchy chorus and also the vocals
of singer JONAS TYSKHAEN sound really impressive. The band is completed by
MAGNUS AKERLUND and JAN HEDLUND (COASTLINE), and other highlights on this first
album are the SURVIVOR/PRIDE OF LIONSish uptempo AOR rockers Before It All
Falls Down and Strangers In The Night, the midtempo AOR piece Out Of Control,
the Superb AOR HEAVEN songs On My Own Again (a bit like classic late 80s TALK
OF THE TOWN) and Shooting Star, and the beautiful AOR ballad Take Me As I Am.
Highly recommended to fans of pure AOR and soon an interview with this
promising new Swedish band. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/WindingRoadSweden/
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
HANS
HJELM ‘FACTORY RESET’ (KUNGENS LJUD & BILD/TRUST NO ONE RECORDINGS/CREATIVE
ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Stockholm,
Sweden come HAANS HJELM, who released a great and really interesting solo album
titled Factory Reset. He is also part of the bands KUNGENS MAN and AUTOMATISM,
but on this new solo album he does everything on his own. He studied jazz at
the University of North Texas, but on this new album the music is a mix of
synthwave and calmer post-progrock, with a focus on beautiful melodies created
on both the synthesizer and a soaring guitar. It’s a very relaxing album that
holds together 6 long songs that take you into an adventure that is Hans’
world. Check for yourself at: https://hanshjelm.bandcamp.com/album/factory-reset
(Points:
8.5 out of 10)
JORDSJO
‘PASTORALIA’ (KARISMA RECORDS/PLSTIC HEAD/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Pastoralia is the 6th album of the Oslo,
Norway based band JORDSJO, a band formed in 2014 by Håkon Oftung (Vocals,
flute, guitars & keys) and Kristian Frøland (Drums & Percussion). Their
new album is filled with picture perfect relaxing high class 70s inspired
Symphonic Rock with Jazz and Folk influences, and overall feels like a
Canterbury album from 1975 (CAMEL, ANGLAGARD and RENAISSANCE come to mind).
Melody is king here and the focus of most of the 8 included songs are the
instrumental passages. I was not familiar with them before, but I can honestly
say that their music is a joy to listen to. It’s very melodic and quite
nostalgic, because it feels like you’re in a sunny spring period when listening
to such beautiful songs like Skumring i Karesuando, Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og
Søstermarihånd and Beitemark. Without a doubt, this is a sensational release,
which you need to check out a.s.a.p, at: https://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/pastoralia
(Points:
8.7 out of 10)
RADIO
TUTTI & BARILLA SISTERS 'XOGO' (LAMASTROK/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)
Out of Dunières, France comes RADIO TUTTI &
BARILLA SISTERS, an act that melts the best of traditional Southern European
music since 2016 and on their new album Xogo they are inspired by Galician
music, yet they combine it with African rhythms and modern influences, sounding
fresh for today’s generation. Consisting of PAULINE RIVIERE /
Vocals, tambourine, maracas, mélodica, JUDITH CHOMEL / Vocals, tambourine,
accordion, BAPTISTE SARAT / Trumpet, saxhorn, backing vocals and PIERRE-ALEXIS
LAVERGNBE / Vocals, claviers, guitar, percussions, bouzouki, banjo, accordéon,
programming, RADIO TUTTI & BARILLA SISTERS deliver a swinging summer ish
album that is filled with cheerful fun songs to dance to and celebrate the
summer sun. Right from the start with Rumba Morena, this album feels like a
great adventure through Galicia and beyond. Not a single dull moment can be
found and especially live on stage this will be a big party! Check it out for
yourself at: https://radiotuttibarillasisters.bandcamp.com/album/xogo
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
HUNTSVILLE
'BOW SHOULDER' (HUBRO MUSIC/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out of Oslo, Norway
comes the instrumental band HUNTSVILLE. They are formed around Ivar Grydeland:
electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, electronics, tabla
machine, Tonny Kluften: electric bass and Ingar Zach: drums, percussion, tabla
machine, drone commander. Their new album Bow Shoulder contains 4 long songs
and is quite experimental, but interesting kraut/prog rock orientated,
reminding of CAN and TANGERINE DREAM. Guests include Yuka Honda: keyboards,
Nels Cline: electric guitar, effects, Darin Gray: double bass, preparations and
Glenn Kotche: drums, percussion, electronics. Although this is a studio album,
it feels like a live recording due to the improvisation in each and every song,
giving the band a real natural challenging sound that takes you into a great
adventure on this great new album, which you can check out at: https://huntsvillehubro.bandcamp.com/album/bow-shoulder
(Points:
8.1 out of 10)
MILES
OLIVER 'BETWEEN THE WOODS' (ATYPEEK MUSIC/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
After a depressing start with the song Save Me, it
gets more uptempo with the following song 3/8 Tarot and it continues this way
with a mix of calmer depressing and more uptempo rockier tunes on the album
Between The Woods of Parisian musician MILES OLIVER, who is a singer/songwriter
and also plays electric & acoustic guitar, piano and loops. It’s a very
dark sinister melancholic record that feels like a mix between SONIC YOUTH,
SMASHING PUMPKINS, JOHNNY CASH and especially NICK CAVE. It’s actually quite
diverse nevertheless, calm, cool and collected, but also here and there noisy
and very alternative. He is also able to do a more melodic song such as Lost
And Found Room, which smells a bit like Dream pop meets Americana in a modern
minimalistic way. And don’t forget the NIRVANA tribute in Song I Hate. I think
this is one of those albums that will do well in the underground movement and
fans of aforementioned acts. More info at: https://milesoliver.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
7.5 out of 10)
DEZ
DARE 'HAIRLINE EGO TRIP' (CHIMP RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out of Brighton, UK comes DARREN SMALLMAN, who
originally comes from Australia, but relocated in 2010 to the UK. Hi latest
solo album, which is released under the moniker DEZ DARE, Hairline Ego Trip is
a great classic punky garage rock and roll album. Darren melts the best of the
60s garage rock, 70s punk rock and early 70s powerpop into his music, with as
result this excellent new album that holds together 9 songs. Most of them are
uptempo raw, dirty mean punky rock and roll orientated the way it was in the
past, with as highlights Conspiracy, O' Conspiracy, My My Medulla, Break My
Vice and Tractor Beam, Shitstorm. The material is also melodic enough to keep
the interest for a wide audience, so go check out this talented musician
at: https://dezdare.bandcamp.com
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
MARIA
MULDAUR 'LET'S GET HAPPY TOGETHER' (STONY PLAIN RIGHTS/CANADA IMPORT)
Before there was popmusic or blues and jazz like we
know it nowadays, there was in the roaring 1920s and 1930s a big band
jazz-blues mixture music style that was extremely popular and spreading it’s
wings outside New Orleans. Along with the jazz street band TUBA SKINNY, MARIA
MULDAUR recorded her 42th (!) album titled Let’s Get Happy Together. Maria has
been in the music business for over 55 years now, so she has experienced the
whole transition throughout the decades to the music climate as it is now. With
this album she clearly goes back to the old music style that was the most
popular almost 100 years ago, with a total of 12 swinging old school big band
jazz/blues traditionals. Done very well, fingers crossed this be performed live
on stage again after covid is under control and concerts are possible again.
Meanwhile, check out more at: https://stonyplainrecords.com/lp/happytogether/
(Points:
8.0 out of 10)
THE
LIMIT 'CAVEMAN LOGIC' (SVART RECORDS/SWEDEN IMPORT)
I have reviewed several bands called (THE) LIMIT in
the past, but this here concerns a so-called new superband by the name of THE
LIMIT. They consists of Bobby Liebling – Vocals (from the Doom Metal band
PENTAGRAM), Sonny Vincent – Guitar and Vocals (from the New York punkrock band
THE TESTORS), Jimmy Recca – Bass (formerly with THE STOOGES), Hugo Conim –
Guitar (member of Portuguese rockers DAWNRIDER) and Joao Pedro Ventura – Drums
(also a member of DAWNRIDER). Together these 5 well-seasoned musicians recorded
a great debut album as THE LIMIT. Opener Over Rover is a strong raw dirty mean
sleazy rock and roll tune with a punky attitude, and so are the uptempo Black
Sea and These Days, although the latter is a bit more melodic and really
back-to-basic classic guitar orientated Rock’n’Roll in the late 1960s/1970s
style. Especially These Days features some cool twin-guitarwork and catchy
harmonyvocals. I also must think of bands like DETECTIVE, THE DICTATORS and THE
ROCKETS, and even a bit THE RAMONES, HUSKER DU and GENERATION X here and there.
I think by now you will get more or less an idea which direction this is going.
Razor-sharp but melodic classic uptempo punky sleazy rock and roll which is
easy to sing-a-long to, as original and old school as you can get, with 12
strong tunes that show that real Rock and Roll ain’t dead yet! Check out this
awesome band at: https://the-limit.bandcamp.com/album/caveman-logic
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
OLE
TEIGEN 'ASKE OG JORD' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Although this album is overall feeling like a calmer
classical music piece, here and here it goes into a pure progressive rock
direction, such as during the song Magician In Despair. OLE TEIGEN (SUPERLYNX,
ex-DODHEIMSGARD, OLE DEVIL & THE SPIRIT CHASERS) plays piano on his solo
debut album Aske Og Jord, while he is assisted by several other musicians to give
him a somewhat richer sound. It’s an instrumental record that takes you into a
journey of minimalistic instrumental neo-classical music with also prog and
jazz influences and all I can say is that it is a really beautiful record that
consists of 6 songs in total, which you can check out at: https://oleteigen.bandcamp.com/album/aske-og-jord
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
CHRIS
WICKED ‘ALEINE' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
It seems that the musicians on the solo debut album of
vocalist CHRIS WICKED are coming out of the Black Metal scene, but the music on
Aleine is far from Black Metal, although it does have a darker setting for
sure. Chris is known as the singer of the bands MALICE IN WONDERLAND and
NEGATIVE, and he delivers his first album here. The album starts calm, dark and
melancholic, but the following titletrack Aleine is a lovely uptempo piece that
takes influences from progressive rock, aor/melodic rock and dark Scandinavian
Gothic ish pop/rock (lighter version of HIM), and this particular song is a
really memorable catchy melodic tune. Chris has a great typical Scandi ish
voice, which is very pleasant to listen to and each of the 7 included songs are
easy to listen to, with as other highlight Nar Allting Svartner, which is a
superb uptempo modern melodic goth rocker with a very catchy chorus. Check it
out for yourself at: https://chriswicked.bandcamp.com/album/aleine-album
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
LAUGHING
STOCK 'ZERO ACTS 1 & 2' (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
The Norwegian band LAUGHING STOCK returns with a new
album titled Zero Acts 1 & 2. We have reviewed some of their earlier work
and this new record continues the direction of those album. What we get to hear
is calmer melancholic modern progrock, with a touch of PORCUPINE TREE, and yet
the soaring guitarsolo and pop melody of opener When Darkness Comes makes it
quite catchy as well, even a bit reminding of CAMEL. Overall it’s a lovely calm
slightly dark and melancholic album, with also influences of PINK FLOYD and
ALAN PARSONS PROJECT when you hear a song like Child or Leave Me Alone, which
also reveals interesting post modern progrock influences. There are some hidden
secrets on the album, but I think this is one of those albums that will be
absolutely loved by the the open-minded progfans out there. More info at: https://laughingstock1.bandcamp.com/album/zero-acts-1-2?action=buy
(Points:
8.3 out of 10)
MAJOR
PARKINSON 'TWILIGHT CINEMA' (DEGATON RECORDS/APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out of Bergen, Norway comes MAJOR PARKINSON, an
experimental rockband that combines influences from all kinds of music genres,
but they always connect it with classical music, such as can be heard very
clearly on their 3rd album Twilight Cinema, which was
originally released in 2014 and now re-released. The mixture of a dark
cinematic sound, NICK CAVE/IGGY POPish vocalwork, pop melodies and here and
there a prog rock touch, it makes the album sound very original. A song like
the superb Impermanence has got all the ingredients to give this band a huge
breakthrough! And how about Black River, which is dark noir folk that is
crossed with progressive melodic rock and the pure progrocker The Wheelbarrow
even reveals JETHRO TULL influences! The whole album is as original as you can
get, with none of the songs sounding the same, so please make sure to check out
this band’s 2014 album that is now available again. More info at: https://majorparkinson.bandcamp.com/
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
CATFISH
KEITH 'BLUES AT MIDNIGHT' (FISH TAIL RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
Out of East Chicago, USA comes CATFISH KEITH, a gifted
musician who has already released 18 albums and he now presents us his
sensational 19th (!) album titled Blues At Midnight. The man
has got a virtuose style on the acoustic guitar that along with his wonderful
soulful voice, it is a pleasure to listen to the 13 included songs on his new
album. These are all originals which he wrote during the past 40 years and the
bio mentions it is his very first album that only consists of original songs!
Already as a teenager he was touring across the world, where he built up a name
in the blues world, and I can highly recommend his wonderful new record that is
back-to-basic acoustic blues with a focus on the song and the stories that
Catfish is singing us beautifully in each and every song. Check him out
at: www.catfishkeith.com
(Points:
8.4 out of 10)
HOTH
BROTHERS BAND 'TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL' (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
THE HOTH BROTHERS BAND is a band formed around the
American singer/songwriters BORIS MCCUTCHEON and BARD EDRINGTON, who are
assisted by bassist SARAH FERRELL on their debut album Tell Me How You Feel.
From start to finish this a great journey through various pure American
musicsounds, with in total 17 strong melodic songs that blend folk/country and
Americana pop melodies perfectly together in a mostly acoustic back-to-basics
sound. Without a doubt, a great album to listen to and you can hear it for
yourself at:
https://borismccutcheon.bandcamp.com/album/tell-me-how-you-feel
(Points:
8.2 out of 10)
CRAIG
CARDIFF 'ALL THIS TIME RUNNING' (INDEPENDENT/CANADA IMPORT)
Out of Waterloo, Ottawa, Canada comes
singer/songwriter CRAIG CARDIFF who released his debut almost 25 years ago.
Since then he has released almost 25 albums, of which All This Time Running is
his latest one. Craig plays guitar and sings, while a lot of guests appear on
the album. The included music is singer/songwriter Americana/Folk orientated,
with a focus on strong memorable melodies and story-telling songs. A total of
17 of such songs are included, and without a doubt it’s a strong record from
start to finish. Check for yourself at: https://www.craigcardiff.com/
(Points:
8.1 out of 10)
DAVID
LEASK 'VOYAGEUR IN SONS' (JEDDART MUSIC/GRIFFIN HOUSE/CANADA IMPORT)
The Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist DAVID LEASK
has an amazing voice that sounds really picture perfect on his new album
Voyageur In Sons, a melodic calmer Americana/Westcoast/light AOR kinda record
that reminds me of a strong cross between BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MARK SPIRO, VENICE
and ROBERT TEPPER (especially vocally speaking). The melodies are simply
beautiful, especially when you listen to a song like Fire And Ice or Spirit
Wrestlers. It’s quite laid-back and with a clear Americana/Westcoast approach,
but still with a slight rocking touch (even a bit southern rock ish during the
superb Spirit Wrestlers), so I am sure if you like the aforementioned acts,
this might be right up your alley. David has got such a great voice that makes
you want to hear much more than the 6 songs of this new album. Check him out
at: www.davidleask.com
(Points:
8.6 out of 10)
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