HOT NEW REVIEWS


UPDATED May 7, 2021


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

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

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

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

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

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

 

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!

People who are interested in hearing high quality instrumental guitar based music, with a lot of variety, ranging from folk to classical music to even a bit of prog (a la STEVE HACKETT) in a song like Leaf, please check out RICHARD DURRANT at: http://www.richarddurrant.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

 

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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