HOT NEW REVIEWS

UPDATED December, 2024

THE COMPLAINTS ‘CHASING LIGHT’ (COMP RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Here we have a great modern sounding melodic rockband from the Providence, Rhode Island, USA area. They are called THE COMPLAINTS, and the band is formed around vocalist/guitarist DEAN PETRELLA, bassist CHRIS CRUZ and drummer ANTHONY MAROTTI. Chasing Light is their 5th album so far, but the first one for yours truly to hear. The band recorded with established engineers/producers in the past, such as CHRIS LORD-ALGE, PHIL GREENE and SHELLEY YAKUS, whom worked with some of the world’s biggest acts (AMY WINEHOUSE, COLDPLAY, GREENDAY, MADONNA, U2, DROPKICK MURPHYS…). Their new album contains 8 songs, and the first 2 songs (Chasing Light and The Bottom) are both very good strong uptempo rockers with a touch of 80s rock melodies crossed with TOM PETTY ish influences, sounding like a rockier THE WAR ON DRUGS. Things slow down during the calmer ballad ish Let Heaven Fall and the funky That’s What You Get (which has some lovely vocals of Dean, while the song itself has somehow huge radio potential, reminding me slightly of the legendary Canadian band RED RIDER/TOM COCHRANE). The band really has their own style (mixing American and European influences), just listen for example The Ocean, which is a beautiful calmer piece that once again shows that Dean is a fantastic singer with his laid-back way of singing. MANIC STREET PREACHERS comes to mind a bit here and there as well, so there’s enough reference points I think to give you an idea in which direction THE COMPLAINTS is moving. The only pity is that it’s a rather short record and the songs are barely making the 3 minutes mark, so if they can stretch it a bit further next time, then we do have a full-length album, because now Chasing Light is actually a mini-CD. Thankfully a really good one with serious real rock and roll, which rocks the hardest during the song Can’t Kill A Killer. Concluded, THE COMPLAINTS is definitely a band you need to check out, especially since we don’t review many bands from the Rhode Island US state. More info at: www.thecomplaints.com  

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

DAILY THOMPSON ‘CHUPAROSA’ (NOISOLUTION RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

Founded back in 2012, the German band DAILY THOMPSON has meanwhile created quite a reputation in the European Stoner Rock scene. Their line-up consists of Danny Zaremba - vocals, guitar and cigar box, Mercedes Lalakakis - bass, vocals and Thorsten Stratmann - drums, vocals, and Chuparosa is their 6th album so far. Once again they deliver high class Stoner Rock with influences of both classic heavy blues rock and early 90s grunge/alternative rock/metal. The band is influenced by bands like ALICE IN CHAINS, SONIC YOUTH, KYUSS and THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, and they recorded this new album in Seattle together with TONY REED (MOS GENERATOR, HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS) to come up with their finest album so far.

6 long songs are included, of which the highlights are the superb uptempo rocker Pizza Boy (a very melodic tune with a nice share of lead vocals between Danny and Mercedes, it also has some cool BLACK SABBATH similarities), the midtempo ALICE IN CHAINS alike Diamond Waves and the lovely Raindancer.

DAILY THOMPSON is definitely a band to check out if you like that nasty fuzzy guitarsound of the retro Stoner Rock generation. BLACK SABBATH meets ALICE IN CHAINS meets QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE is a spot-on description, although after 12 years the band has now created their own identity with this highly recommended new album Chuparosa. More info can be found at: https://dailythompsonband.bandcamp.com/album/chuparosa

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

24/7 DIVA HEAVEN ‘GIFT’ (NOISOLUTION RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Berlin, Germany comes the post-punkband 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN, and they deliver a very strong post-punkalbum with their new record Gift. The band is an all-female act formed around Karoline Paschedag (Bass, Backing Vocals), Marie Westphal (Drums, Backing Vocals) and Katharina Ott-Alavi (Vocals, Guitar), and Gift is their 2nd album so far. Right from the beginning with the uptempo pieces Rat Race and Manic Street Ballet, it’s clear we have hear a great rocking band that delivers post-punk at it’s very best, yet with catchy memorable melodies a la THE DONNAS and THE RUNAWAYS, so a mixture a bit of the old-school and the current popular post-punksound. Crown Of Creation is a song that however also shows a different side of the band, because this has a sorta 90s alternative melodic pop/rock approach, kinda like TEENAGE FANCLUB meets THE CRANBERRIES. It’s nice to see such a mixture of styles, but the band is definitely at their best during the uptmepo post-punkrockers. More info can be found at: https://247divaheaven.bandcamp.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

ROTOR ‘SIEBEN’ (NOISOLUTION RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Berlin, Germany comes the band ROTOR, and they have been around since 1998. Sieben is their 7th album so far, and currently the band consists of Marco Baale – Bass, Tim Mentzel – Gitarre, Martin Fischer – Gitarre and Milan Pfützenreuter – Schlagzeug. Their music is instrumental stoner rock with influences from KYUSS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. Opener Reibach shows rightaway that this band has had already 25 years of experience, because this is a lovely stoner rocker with rather strong melodies. Other highlights are Aller Tage Abend and the sensational Mäander. Check them out at: https://rotor1.bandcamp.com/album/sieben

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

SHOTGUN MISTRESS ‘KINGS OF THE REVOLUTION’ (INDEPENDENT/AUSTRALIA IMPORT)

There must be something in the water (or desert) in Australia, because classic hardrock returns big time with some great releases from down under. THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND and SHOTGUN MISTRESS are the ones to watch out for, because both delivered sensational releases in 2024 and both of them are bringing back the Classic Hardrockstyle the way it needs to sound. SOUTHERN RIVER BAND focuses on the earlier 80s straight-ahead uptempo style, while SHOTGUN MISTRESS is basically doing the late 80s slightly groovier style that was popular for a short while back then.

SHOTGUN MISTRESS comes out of Melbourne, Australia, and they were formed in 2018, releasing their debut album in 2021. 3 years later it’s time for Kings Of The Revolution, which is likewise their 2nd album. The band is formed around Glenn Patrick  –  Vocals, Matt Wilcock  –  Guitars, Ben Curnow  –  Bass and Diamond Dave Lee Daniel  –  Drums, and I am proud to inform you that especially Glenn is a killer vocalist with the perfect voice for this glammy late 80s American Melodic Hardrock style. Matt is an incredible guitarist who delivers amazing work all throughout the album, while the rhythm section has this cool groovy vibe. The 11 included songs on the album give us a lot of superb melodies and feel like a mixture of the very first SKID ROW, TESLA, LILLIAN AXE, FIREHOUSE and VICTORY circa Culture Killed The Native, yet with the modern big sound/production. Highlights are Sweet Woman and Jude Judas (pure late 80s/early 90s American Hardrock like TESLA meets GREAT WHITE), Shot Down (pure early SKID ROW with a killer VICTORY- Fernando Garcia/TESLA vocal style), Mary Jane (FIREHOUSE ish Melodic Hardrock, featuring guest singer RUSTY BROWN of ELECTRIC MARY), and the uptempo sleazy rockers Addicted To Pain, It’s Alright and Down. There is also room for a classic Power Ballad in the shape of Welcome To The Fight, which has a lovely soaring guitarsolo and a fantastic chorus like the good old days of FIREHOUSE, WARRANT, SLEEZE BEEZ…

Concluded, this is a killer record that is easily one of the highlights in the pure original Classic Hardrock world of 2024! If you like pure Hardrockbands such as AIRBOURNE, AC/DC, ROSE TATTOO, THE ANSWER, RIVAL SONS, then add SHOTGUN MISTRESS to your collection! Check them out at: https://shotgunmistress.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

ENTERING POLARIS ‘MYTHS IN MOTION / SONGS OF IVORY AND OBSIDIAN’ (FREYA RECORDS)           

ENTERING POLARIS is a massive project of the Belgian guitarist TOM TEE (THORIUM/OSTROGOTH), who wrote and composed all the included music. Myths In Motion and Songs Of Ivory And Obsidian are 2 full-length CDs he released under this projectname, and I have to admit it is very impressive as the booklet has all the lyrics, info, pictures and beautiful artwork, while all together we are pleased with 19 songs that combined are a pure Rock Opera, although perhaps Metal Opera suits the material better. It’s the 2nd Double CD project release as ENTERING POLARIS within 1 year (!), and musically speaking it has a bit of everything, progrock, melodic hardrock, prog metal and a lot of symphonic parts, while the vocals are also diverse, because there are female and male singers, and some of them growl. We can also hear a few legendary singers such as THOMAS VIKSTROM (CANDLEMASS, TALK OF THE TOWN…), TIM RIPPER OWENS (ICED EARTH/JUDAS PRIEST) and ARNO MENSES (SUBSIGNAL). It’s heavier than AYREON for example with the growls and power metal influences, but on the other hand you should look in that direction if you want to have a good comparison. There is a lot to discover here, because instrumentally it is of a very high level. We can hear some beautiful melodies throughout the 2 discs. Tom is an amazing Metal guitarist who loves to shred and play cool guitar riffs, so enough to enjoy. CD 1 Myths In Motion is the heavy album, while CD 2 Songs Of Ivory And Obsidian is an acoustic album (using mainly a piano as played by Franky De Mangelaere) that shows the calmer side of Tom, and this acoustic based album features a few different well-known singers namely DAMIAN WILSON (THRESHOLD), ROY KHAN (KAMELOT) and TOM ENGLUND (EVERGREY) among many others. Without a doubt, Tom has put a lot of effort into these 2 CDs, and thankfully with the help of some of the finest singers in the scene he succeeded to release another great project album here. More info at: https://enteringpolaris.com/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

PAINTED SCARS ‘KINTSUGI’ (INDEPENDENT/BELGIUM IMPORT)

Founded in April 2023, the Belgian band PAINTED SCARS now release their debut EP titled Kintsugi. The band consists of Jassy ‘Hyacien’ Blue – Vocals, Kevin De Brauwer – Backing vocals & Guitar, Yannick Rottiers – Guitar, Jens Van Geel – Bass guitar and Bram Vermeir – Drums, and the 6 included 6 songs on the EP CD show a great hard-hitting female fronted ballsy uptempo hard/heavy rock style with strong catchy melodies in the style of HALESTORM and THUNDERMOTHER. Glow In The Dark, Knock Knock  and Freedom are a few examples of the rockin’ sound of this band that has a powerhouse female singer and a great guitarist who shreds and plays guitar the way we want to hear it. This is definitely a band to watch out for in the future. More info at: https://painted-scars.be/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

VERSTARKER ‘V’ (FINALTUNE RECORDS/RECORDJET/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Munich, Germany comes VERSTARKER, and V is their fifth album so far. Musically speaking the threesome of Alexander Gilli (bass), Roberto Cruccolini (guitar) and Wolfgang Walter (drums) are creating a strong instrumental sound that fits somewhere between post-rock, creative progressive rock and krautrock. There are experimental parts, but somehow the 5 songs on the new album are catchy and quite melodic actually. They have actually come up with a very accessible CD that should easily find it’s way to the fans of instrumental post-progrock and beyond, because a song like the uptempo Echoes In Motion is quite straight-ahead. Comparisons are made to MOGWAI, MOTORPSYCHO, RUSSIAN CIRCLES and such, yet VERSTARKER has by now also their own identity, which can be heard very clearly on this great new album V. More info at: https://meinverstaerker.bandcamp.com/album/v

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

BLACK ALEPH ‘APSIDES’ (ART AS CATHARSIS/DUNKLRECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Sydney/Melbourne, Australia comes BLACK ALEPH, a very dark sounding original band that fits somewhere between doom and post-rock, with quite heavy low-tuned guitarsounds here and there, but also a lot of interesting calmer parts during the 7 songs of their debut album Apsides. The band is a trio formed around LACHLAN DALE (guitar, effects), PETER HOLLO (cello, effects) and TIMOTHY JOHANNESSEN (percussion), and what sets them apart from the countless other instrumental bands is the fact they are focused on creating original sounds with the use of cello and all kinds of effects besides the usual guitar/drums. The resulting first album is quite an adventure and a joyride through different worlds that at one point grabs you and doesn’t let go, especially during the beautiful Ambit 2 (Aphelion), which is quite a haunting song actually that starts calm but develops into this creepy interesting massive sounding musical epos that combines elements of world music, post-rock, doom metal, dark folk and other mystic dark sounds into something as original as for example WARDRUNA! I think that might be the best comparison, but then again BLACK ALEPH does things likewise slightly different, so this new CD Apsides is therefore highly recommended to check out yet another exciting new band in the instrumental genre! If you like SUN O))) and WARDRUNA, then you will definitely like this BLACK ALEPH! More info at:  https://blackaleph.bandcamp.com/album/apsides

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘SUPER DISCO PIRATA – DE TEPITO PARA EL MUNDO 1965-1980’ (ANALOG AFRICA/GERMAN IMPORT)

And here we have another well-constructed compilation CD on the ANALOG AFRICA label. This time it concerns a collection of ultra-rare songs from Mexico that were originally recorded during the late 1960s and 1970s. The album contains 23 tropical floor-fillers sourced from the finest and strangest pirata LPs produced during the golden age of Mexico City’s mobile soundsystems. These songs and actually the whole scene it unknown to most of us outside Mexico, but back then some of these songs were played non-stop by people across the country due to the fact they were pressed on illegal cheap vinyl records, so it was easy to get over there. Outside Mexico it is an unknown genre, and while listening now to this compilation CD you can hear a Latin sound that has something authentic and quite contrary to the music that was popular elsewhere. This makes it interesting and a lot of the included songs are very catchy, but likewise sounding perhaps dated some 50 years later. The best songs are Lucho Gavilanes - El Tequilazo/Canelazo, Enrique Lynch - La Quinta Sinfonia de Beethoven, Sonora Tropical - Ritmo de Cumbia and Leon Cardona y Los Internacionales - La Noche. There’s a lot of Latin kinda music (likewise) and Cuban rhythms to be heard, but also jazz parts can be traced. If you want to check out something completely different and feel the vibe of Mexico and Latin America from a 70s nostalgic point of view, then do check out this release at: https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/super-disco-pirata-de-tepito-para-el-mundo-1965-1980-analog-africa-no-39

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

JOHN THAYER ‘DON’T LOOK BACK’ (EON RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

All the way from Portland, Oregon, USA comes JOHN THAYER, a talented singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist who delivers a 3-songs counting CD titled Don’t Look Back. He is the brother of KISS guitarist TOMMY THAYER by the way! With the help of drummer JOE MENGIS and multi-instrumentalist ROB DAIKER, John comes up with a great catchy little mini-CD that should easily find it’s way to the fans of 80s fun melodic rock. Opener Do You Believe In Me is a very catchy 80s influenced uptempo melodic poprocker with some AOR influences, reminding me of a modern version of the legendary poprockers MICHAEL ZEE, PHIL SEYMOUR, EDDIE SCHWARTZ, EDDIE MONEY, etc. Following Wars Of The Roses is moving a bit more into AOR territory, with a killer chorus that is close to classic 80s GLEN BURTNICK and RICK MATHEWS, if anyone remembers them! I could also throw in some MICHAEL MORALES, THE OUTFIELD or 90s NELSON for that matter, so I guess you will more or less get the picture what this sounds like. Closing song is the titletrack Don’t Look Back, a midtempo based poprocker that has a bit 90s influences, kinda like BRYAN ADAMS. Concluded, John is a highly recommended singer and I truly hope to see a full-length CD in the near future, because these 3 songs alone show that we are dealing with something sensational in the AOR/Melodic Rock genre. Although comparisons to COLDPLAY and KEANE are being made in the bio, this here is actually something I would recommend to the AOR/Poprockfans out there! Check him out for yourself at: www.johnthayermusic.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

BRAVE RIVAL ‘FIGHT OR FLIGHT’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)

From out of nowhere I stumbled on the Portsmouth, UK based band BRAVE RIVAL, and as soon as I put on their 2nd studio album Fight Or Flight, it was clear that we are dealing here with a rather sensational band. The first 2 songs Bad Choices and Seventeen are bluesy melodic hard/heavy rockers at the highest possible level you can get nowadays. There are quite a few female fronted similar bands currently out there doing the same thing, but somehow BRAVE RIVAL has the perfect lead singers (yeah, there’s two of them!) to sing the material, and their new album has a massive sound as well as a lot of really catchy songs that even recall the good old days of bands like ROMEO’S DAUGHTER and PRIVATE LIFE, yet with a modern take, so perhaps it’s better to mention BLUES PILLS, ELLES BAILEY and ERJA LYYTINEN as comparisons. On the other hand, BRAVE RIVAL sounds stronger, rockier, catchier and therefore actually better than all of the aforementioned acts, which is thanks to presence of 2 fantastic lead singers whom are called Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick. In addition, the band also has a superb lead guitarist in the shape of ED CLARKE, just listen to the amazing midtempo melodic rocker Insane to hear some of his lovely shredding work (a la JOE BONAMASSA), while the song itself would make a band like HEART jealous I think! The band is completed by drummer Donna Peters and bassist Billy Dedman, who are doing a great job to keep the rhythm section sound as tight as possible.

BRAVE RIVAL has been together since 2019, and their initial debut album Life’s Machine would have been recorded and released somewhere in the year 2020, but due to the covid pandemic it was postponed to 2022, and now we are welcomed by this wonderful 2nd studio album entitled Fight Or Flight. Other highlights on this new CD are the heavy AOR rocker Fairytale (another terrific song, reminding me of the classic female fronted AOR/Melodic Rockbands MEGHAN, VIXEN, WITNESS, LAOS, HEAT…), the soulful bluuesy AORish ballads Heavy and All I Can Think About (a bit like ALANNAH MYLES meets BLUES PILLS meets BETH HART), Five Years On (hard-hitting bluesy hardrock with once again lovely guitarwork), the uptempo melodic rocker Unravelling (VIXEN meets PHANTOM BLUE) and the excellent proggy melodic rocker Sink Or Swim (loving those harmonyvocals between the 2 lead singers).

Concluded, this BRAVE RIVAL caught me by surprise due to the fact that everything sounds crystal clear and picture perfect on their new album. They have got 2 excellent female lead singers and a superb sound that will appeal to fans of the current bluesy hardrocksound, but also people who long back to the classic 80s female fronted AOR/Melodic Hardrocking days of the aforementioned acts need to check out this sensational band at: https://braverival.com/

(Points: 9.0 out of 10)

KIP MOORE ‘DAMN LOVE’ (SNAKEFARM/MCA NASHVILLE/UNIVERSAL MUSIC/UK IMPORT)

Damn Love is the 6th album of the American Country superstar KIP MOORE. I am not too familiar with his earlier work, but in the past 15 years he has built up quite a career in the USA with his country crossover pop/rock, and upon looking at the early 80s frontcover of this new CD it seems that he adds a slight electronic 80s touch to his music via the use of a keyboard. The album was co-produced by him and Jaren Johnston (of the southern rockband THE CADILLAC THREE), and in total 13 songs are included. Kip wrote most of the songs with outside writers DAN COUCH and the aforementioned JAREN JOHNSTON, who also plays bass, drums and electric guitar.

I am quite impressed while listening to the album, although I have to say that the first couple of songs are pretty much typical radio-ready country crossover American pop/rocksongs like we have known it for over a couple of decades. The past few years original traditional country music has almost completely died, because Nashville prefers to rock a bit more. Just have a listen to the last studio album of other country hotshot JASON ALDEAN, and you will agree with me that this is closer to classic American Melodic Rock than Country Music. Anyway, Kip starts with a couple of country crossover midtempo pop/rocksongs that do sound nice, but not sensational. However, he is a great singer/songwriter with an amazing voice, and especially during the following calmer songs Neon Blue and The Guitar Slinger this can be heard very clearly. The Guitar Slinger is a superb semi country/southern rocksong that even sounds a bit like the late JIMI JAMISON (SURVIVOR) during his 70s TARGET days, and also LYNYRD SKYNYRD and BLACKBERRY SMOKE come to mind here! The song has a playing length of 6 minutes, so it is definitely one of the standout songs here. Heart On Fire follows, and although this radio-ready uptempo classic AORish poprocker has again the 80s influences, here it sounds damn catchy and actually quite modern, on par with acts like THE WAR ON DRUGS, THE KILLERS and THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, although yours truly also hears similarities to classic 80s JIMMY BARNES, REFUGEE (remember them?), JOHN CAFFERTY and such. Another Night In Knoxville is another memorable semi-ballad, this time with a raw outlaw-country/southern touch, while Kip’s voice sounds absolutely amazing here!

Other highlights on the CD are the catchy 80s uptempo AOR/Poprocker Silver And Gold (a definite hit potential song that almost sounds exactly like a classic BRYAN ADAMS, RICK SPRINGFIELD tune!), Peace & Love (catchy 80s influenced midtempo poprocker), and closing track Micky’s Bar (powerful country/southern rock ish semi ballad). Although Kip is a country superstar, this album finds him challenging other genres, in particular 80s American Melodic Poprock/AOR and a tiny bit light Southern Rock. I think if you like 38 SPECIAL, DUKE JUPITER, DOC HOLIDAY or any of the aforementioned acts, then you should definitely check out this album as well, because it is really good. It might be a bit too poppy for the rockers among us, but nobody can deny that Kip has one of the greatest old school voices in country/rock at the moment, and the fact he is now also adding that American 80s pop/rock touch to his sound, it should give him credits enough to have a listen! As already mentioned, if you hear him sing a pop ballad like Sometimes She Stays, he sounds dangerously close to Jimi Jamison… Make sure not to miss this talented singer/songwriter… More info can be found at: https://www.kipmoore.net

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

LITTLE FEAT ‘FEATS DON’T FAIL ME NOW’ (WARNER RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

Feats don't fail me now is the 4th studio album of the legendary American band LITTLE FEAT. It was released back in 1974, and now celebrates it’s 50-year anniversary via a wonderful deluxe CD re-release that has 2 bonus CDs which are filled with outtakes and rarities as well as a fantastic live concert that was recorded in Paris, France in 1975. LITTLE FEAT’s music was a mix of all kinds of typical American musicstyles from the south, such as Westcoast, blues, funk, jazz, southern rock, boogie rock, country, soul, swamp, etc., yet with a pop touch as well. They hailed from Los Angeles, but their sound was New Orleans ish, and at the time of release of this newly re-released 3-CD set of Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, the band’s line up consisted of Paul Barrere – guitar, vocals, Sam Clayton – percussion, vocals, Lowell George – vocals, guitar, Kenny Gradney – bass, Richie Hayward – drums, vocals and Bill Payne – keyboards, vocals, while guests included the amazing TOWER OF POWER, BONNIE RAITT, EMMYLOU HARRIS and a few more. The resulting album was an instant LITTLE FEAT classic that showed the band at their very best. Back in the 1970s there were so many bands in the USA doing this groovy funky slightly rocking style, so they had a lot of competition, but on the other hand all the bands were friends and switched members every now and then. Somehow however LITTLE FEAT never became as big as for example STEELY DAN, DOOBIE BROTHERS BAND, TOTO, POCO, THE EAGLES or any of such well-known big acts from the 1970s. Anyway, this new CD release of their legendary 4th album is one to check out if you long back to the days of such classic American soulful funky southern rock/New Orleans style music. Just listen to a song like closing track Medley: Cold Cold Cold, Tripe Face Boogie, and you will understand what I mean here. Nowadays there’s a huge revival of such kinda 70s music, thanks to bands like BLACKBERRY SMOKE, ROBERT JON & THE WRECK, LARKIN POE, THE SHEEPDOGS, etc., but LITTLE FEAT were once the real deal. The 2 additional CDs are for the die-hard fans likewise making this CD re-release even more interesting, while the original 8 album tracks on CD 1 sound better than ever. Make sure not to miss this CD release and if you aren’t familiar with LITTLE FEAT, this album is the best starting point! More info at: https://www.littlefeat.net/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

ELECTRIC HIGH ‘COLORFUL WHITE LIES’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)

Out of Bergen, Norway comes the Classic Hardrockband ELECTRIC HIGH, and Colorful White Lies is their debut album. The band consists of PV Staff — vocals, Olav Iversen — vocals, Marius Mørch — guitars, Einride Torvik — bass and Tor Helge Opdahl — drums, and right from the start with the catchy uptempo rocking Sun, it is clear that we are dealing here with a fantastic hard-hitting no-nonsense hardrocking band in the style of RIVAL SONS, WOLFMOTHER, ROYAL BLOOD and such modern era traditional classic hardrock orientated bands. What sets them apart from the rest is the use of 2 lead singers, which you don’t see much nowadays. 13 songs are included, and the highlights are the groovy LED ZEPPELIN ish Hard To Justify, Seven Wonder (catchy chorus), Crooks (strong mixture of AEROSMITH and THE BLACK CROWES), and the catchy poppy Rough Diamond (very strong AORish chorus). Although this kinda classic hardrock has been done by thousands of bands in the past 50 years, ELECTRIC HIGH are doing it with a lot passion and at a certain high level, I can easily recommend their debut album to fans of the genre! Check them out at: https://www.electrichighband.com/

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

ANUBIS ‘THE UNFORGIVABLE’ (BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

The Australian band ANUBIS was founded in Sydney back in 2004, and The Unforgivable is their 8th album so far. This is the first time I get to hear them and I am deeply impressed after hearing the superb opener (not counting the short intro) The Mark Of Cain, which is part of this 10 songs counting concept album. The vocals and melodies are very strong, kinda AORish actually, yet in a way like RUSH, SAGA and MYSTERY are doing it, so in a symphonic neo-progressive rock setting. The band is formed around Robert James Moulding - Vocal, Guitar, Percussion, David Eaton - Keyboards, Soundscapes, 12 String, Bass Pedals and Vocal, Douglas Skene - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocal, Dean Bennison - Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Vocal, Anthony Stewart - Bass Guitar and Vocal and Steven Eaton - Drums, Percussion and Vocal, and they are absolutely delivering a killer melodic progressive rockalbum here. Other highlights are the sensational The Chains (Pomprock tastic piece!), All Because Of You, and Back. Do not miss this incredible band, because they have released an album as good as for example AIRBAG or MYSTERY. More info at: https://anubismusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-unforgivable

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

SAM MILLAR ‘VIRTUAL SUMMER’ (EARACHE RECORDS)

Back in 2023 I reviewed the debut album of SAM MILLAR, who is a musician/songwriter/producer from the Greater Manchester, England area. The original album was called More Cheese Please, and just recently he signed to EARACHE RECORDS, whom decided to re-release the album as Virtual Summer. The album also underwent a new fresh remastering, so it sounds even better than the original independent CD release. Sam used to be in the FRONTIERS RECORDS signed band BIGFOOT, but eventually went solo and now handles all the guitars, songwriting, vocals and production on his own, so he is a true all-round musician. Live on stage he is joined by other musicians, but on this CD he did everything on his own. Anyway, despite the fact that Sam is a young musician who was not alive in the 80s, his music is obviously close to the 80s pop/rock sound.

The Killing Floor opens the album, and right from the start you know you’re onto something special and really good. This is basically picture-perfect hookladen uptempo catchy melodic poprock/AOR like it was done 40 years ago! All the aspects and ingredients are available here, and thanks to the wonderful mastering of the legendary JON ASTLEY (ABBA, COREY HART, TEARS FOR FEARS, TOTO, etc. etc.), the sound is superb and classic purest AOR/Melodic Rock/80s poprock orientated. The chorus of this opening cut is deadly catchy, the keys are nicely upfront when they need to be upfront, and the soaring guitarsolo and sax at the back make this a true winner for fans of that catchy classic mid-80s AOR/Poprocksound of let’s say THE OUTFIELD, HONEYMOON SUITE, HAYWIRE, RICK SPRINGFIELD, LOVERBOY, etc. etc. It’s incredible to hear someone so young doing it exactly right, because that is what Sam is doing all throughout the album. Fooling Yourself is big-time mid-80s uptempo AOR all the way, even reminding of AVIATOR and URGENT! Although it might sound a bit polished, keyboardfriendly and lighter than the usual FRONTIERS RECORDS releases, this is definitely the real deal, kinda reminding me of the first time when I heard the band MAGIC DANCE about 10 years ago (before they went through the Frontiers production-line and became just another standard AOR/Melodic Rock act).

Anyway, Something I’ll Regret is a poppy midtempo radiofriendly somewhat modern sounding pop/rocker that should go down well on the radio if played regularly. The song actually reminds me of new Dutch acts like THE VICES and SON MIEUX, so it should guarantee them a hit over here if it is picked up by either Radio Veronica or NPO Radio 2! When The Summer Ends slows things a bit further down into a poppy modern direction (with still an 80s touch) that even recalls a bit of HARRY STYLES! Chardonnay sets things straight again, although this is still quite poppy, yet it has that 80s uptempo Poprock sound we all love so much. CHESNEY HAWKES meets RICK SPRINGFIELD could be a description here, so the cheese is definitely present here! Showbiz follows a similar direction, while Forget You has a sorta 70s THE SWEET glamrock touch.

Dancing On My Own is as close to the 80s as you can get, in a sorta tempo that reminds me of ELTON JOHN’s I’m Still Standing, POINTER SISTERS’ I’m So Excited or HALL & OATES, so it’s in the radio pop 1983 direction. Perhaps a bit too poppy for the AOR fans, it is definitely a catchy little tune that would do well on the radio. Déjà Vu has a Synthpop/Wave approach, yet still with the 80s AOR/Pop sound, kinda like KYLE VINCENT if anyone remembers him! Neanderthal Man picks up the 80s uptempo keyboardriven Melodic AOR/Poprock sound of RICK SPRINGFIELD again, and closing track Meet Me Halfway is a very nice 80s uptempo melodic AOR/Poprocker in the KENNY LOGGINS‘ Danger Zone style (yet with a bombastic modern radio-pop chorus). Sam is besides a good singer also quite a great guitarplayer who plays a lot of excellent soaring guitarsolo’s on the album, something you might not notice when you have a quick listen, but after several times playing this great album you can hear that Sam is truly a gifted musician. The new version of Sam’s debut album sounds somehow rockier than the original album, which makes it perhaps more interesting to the melodic rockers among us. As a bonus on this re-release, we are spoiled with 3 new songs, which are rather cool synth (Déjà vu) and instrumental versions (The Killing Floor and Meet Me Halfway) of 3 of the songs. Concluded, it might all sound too good to be true, because the 80s are never closer than on this new CD, so Sam definitely nails it!

If you appreciate 80s acts like THE OUTFIELD, COREY HART, RICK SPRINGFIELD, URGENT (USA) and countless others, and you don’t mind a modern retro touch as well, then you will surely enjoy this lovely first album of Sam! More info at: https://sammillarmusic.bandcamp.com/album/more-cheese-please and https://www.sammillar.co.uk/

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

FIGHTER V ‘HEART OF THE YOUNG’ (ROCK ATACK RECORDS!/CARGO RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)

Switzerland has always delivered high class hardrockbands in the past, and of course GOTTHARD were once the absolute finest act ever to come out of this beautiful country. Sadly since their singer STEVE LEE tragically died in one of the most bizarre accidents ever, and despite the fact GOTTHARD carried on with a different singer, they did not reach the same high level anymore. Now there is a new band called FIGHTER V whom started in 2019. The band released their debut the same year, but the following 5 years saw them struggling with corona restrictions and line-up changes, so now in 2024 the band has a new line-up and their 2nd album Heart Of The Young is released. Their current line up consists of Felix Commerell - synthesizer, keyboards, Lucien Egloff – drums, Emmo Acar – vocals, Roman Stalder – bass and Thomy Gunn – guitar, and musically speaking it is clearly 80s AOR/Melodic Rock orientated. Eye To Eye, Heart of The Young, How Long (superb, very catchy tune), Radio Tokyo, There’s No Limit and Bringing It Back (lovely catchy hook, with a cool saxsolo) are for example excellent uptempo 80s influenced AOR/Melodic Rockers that sounds like a mix between NESTOR, AVIATOR and early 80s BON JOVI. The band also throws in a few heavier tunes, such as the faster uptempo Speed Demon, which is a very strong tune that sounds like classic early GOTTHARD, WHITESNAKE and PRETTY MAIDS, and here we can hear some really strong vocals of Emmo. There is also time for a calmer semi-AOR ballad, such as the sensational Miracle Heart, which reminds me of the legendary 90s underground releases of RED DAWN and NETWORK. Concluded, this is a highly recommended CD if you like the classic AOR/Melodic Rocksound of the aforementioned acts. FIGHTER V has got all it takes to become the successor to the legendary GOTTHARD ft. STEVE LEE (RIP). More info at: https://www.fighter-v.com/

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

TIGER MOTH TALES ‘COCOON 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION’ (WHITE KNIGHT RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

TIGER MOTH TALES is a solo project that was started back in 2014 by the talented multi-instrumentalist PETE JONES. Pete sadly lost his sight at an early age, but music saved him, and ever since he discovered music as his life path, Pete has been focused on playing as many instruments as possible and create this TIGER MOTH TALES project, of which Cocoon was the first CD release 10 years ago. Numerous albums have been released after that debut album, but now in 2024 there is a re-release of the 2014 Cocoon. The music on this album is lovely semi-instrumental keyboard orientated symphonic progressive pomprock in classic 70s/80s style, with here and there vocals and spoken words, also done by Pete himself! In fact, he did everything on his own, because he plays keys, guitars, drum programming, talkbox, sax, sarod, zither, percussion and much more. A song like Tigers In The Butter is an incredible uptempo symphonic neo-progressive rocker with strong vocals and a killer chorus, kinda like 80s ASIA a bit, yet with also other influences. Anyway, the 12 songs are a joy to listen to, and other highlights are opener Spring (bombastic 70s Pomp keys), A Visit To Chigwick (lovely neo-prog piece with also some 70s GENESIS/KAYAK influences) and the ballad Don’t Let Go, Feels Alright. Pete is an amazing singer (with a sorta crystal clear 70s AOR/Pomp rock ish voice like the singers of KANSAS, ROADMASTER…) and excellent multi-instrumentalist (especially on the synths and keys), and his TIGER MOTH TALES albums are a blessing to listen to, so in case you missed the debut 10 years ago, then this is definitely one to check out a.s.a.p., especially since it also features a new track titled Return To Chigwick! More info at: https://www.tigermothtales.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

CYAN ‘THE GUARDIANS’ (TIGERMOTH RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

The British Neo-Progband CYAN has been around since 1984, although they were on low profile for a while during the 2000s and 2010s. They released their debut CD on the Rotterdam based label SI MUSIC in the early 90s and a few more releases followed during the 1990s, but then there was a long pause due to the band’s leader ROBERT REED focusing on other activities (including the band MAGENTA), but during covid CYAN returned and The Guardians is their 3rd comeback album since then. Besides Robert on keys and guitar, the other musicians are Luke Machin on guitar, Dan Nelson on bass and Tim Robinson on drums, while on vocals we can hear the amazing PETER JONES, who we know from TIGER MOTH TALES and CAMEL. Together they recorded another wonderful album, which contains 1 long song, the superb melodic progressive rock piece The Guardians Of Your Desting , which lasts 25 minutes and reminds us of the classic MARILLION/GENESIS sounds from long ago. In addition there is the excellent 6 minutes counting progrock tune All Around The World and the cheerful instrumental closing track Cyan. Without a doubt, CYAN has made a wonderful return to the scene in the past few years, and with this line-up they should easily gain a lot of recognition. The incredible high level of musicianship in combination with the superb vocals of Peter, it really makes the difference and I can therefore easily highly recommend this new CD of the band. More info can be found at: https://www.whiteknightshop2.co.uk/store/  

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

ROBERT REED ‘SANCTUARY - COVERED’ (TIGERMOTH RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

ROBERT REED is a talented multi-instrumentalist who has been a well-known figure within the prog community as being part of legendary bands such as CYAN and MAGENTA, but also due to working with countless other prog musicians. Anyway, his new solo album Sanctuary – Covered is a lovely tribute CD to Robert’s favorite composers, arranged and performed by Robert in the musical style of the Sanctuary albums. There are several guest contributions, but Robert does the main job on his own here instrumentally speaking. You have such legendary themes like MIKE OLDFIELD’s Tubular Bells, ENNIO MORRICONE’s Chi Mai, the themes from Dr. Who and The Witchfinder General and much more. All done in a proggy setting with the focus on lovely melodies as played by Robert on the keyboard and guitar. Highly recommended to fans of the classic sound of 70s ALAN PARSONS PROJECT/MIKE OLDFIELD… More info at: https://robertreed.bandcamp.com/music

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

TIGER MOTH TALES ‘INSIDE THE COCOON’ (WHITE KNIGHT RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

TIGER MOTH TALES is a solo project that was started back in 2014 by the talented multi-instrumentalist PETE JONES. Pete sadly lost his sight at an early age, but music saved him, and ever since he discovered music as his life path, Pete has been focused on playing as many instruments as possible and create this TIGER MOTH TALES project, of which Cocoon was the first CD release 10 years ago. Besides the 10th year anniversary re-release of this album, there is also a CD + BONUS DVD of a concert that was captured at the Boerderij earlier in 2024. The CD contains mostly speaking parts, snippets, interviews and other talking material of Peter about the album Cocoon, but also live songs and rough demos and excerpts of some of the original songs. Interesting for the die-hard fan, it is actually the DVD that is the most interesting part of this release because here we can see this incredible band in action. I have seen them once many years ago at the same venue, and it seems that it sounds even better now in 2024. Definitely one of the better prog live DVDs of the past few years! More info at: https://www.tigermothtales.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

KITE PARADE ’DISPARITY’ (WHITE KNIGHT RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

Disparity is the 3rd album of KITE PARADE, a band formed around multi-instrumentalist ANDY FOSTER, who plays guitar, sax and keys, while also singing and writing all of the tunes for the band. The rhythm section features JIMMY PALLAGROSI (drums) and MARCIN PAILIDER (bass), and we can hear quite a few guests on the new CD, such as female singers CHRISTINA BOOTH and LYNDSEY WARD. KITE PARADE was started during covid, and so all of the albums have been released after 2020. This new one is another winner for the fans of neo-progressive rock and symphonic rock, with a focus on beautiful crystal clear melodies and vocals as well as big sounding synths/keys and soaring guitarsolos. Disparity is actually a concept album, so you should actually see the 9 songs as 1 long epic journey of 40 minutes that takes you into the world of Andy. Andy has got a really good voice, smooth and pleasant to listen to, especially during strong uptempo IT BITES ish pieces such as Fraternal Angels and Forgotten Youth as well as the superb AORish ballad Make It Beautiful (MR. MISTER meets TOTO, without a doubt the finest song on the CD). This is definitely a recommended album if you’re into classic British Neo-Prog/Sympho a la JADIS, IT BITES, KINO, PENDRAGON, ARENA, etc. etc., although there’s also a tiny touch of 80s sympho-AOR a la YES, TOTO, MR. MISTER and such to be heard here and there. Concluded, check out this album if one of the aforementioned acts is up your alley! More info at: https://kiteparade.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-home

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

STUCKFISH ‘IV’ (WHITE KNIGHT RECORDS/GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)

We reviewed some of their earlier albums, but somewhere along the way I must have missed their previous album 3, Days Of Innocence from 2022, but as soon as opener Shadows & Moonbeams of STUCKFISH’s new album IV blasts through the speakers, it is clear that we are dealing here with a superb high class professional band. STUCKFISH were founded by singer/songwriter PHILIP STUCKLEY and guitarist/composer/producer ADRIAN FISHER back in 2017, and meanwhile, IV is their 4th album and I have to admit that it sounds quite sensational in a mostly typical melodic British ‘slightly 80s/90s’ orientated neo-progressive style with influences of AOR, Symphonic Rock and a touch of theatrical pomprock, kinda like MAGNUM and ASIA, which can be heard right from the opening song Shadows & Moonbeams. This song has strong melodies and a rather catchy AORish chorus, but still packed in a British Neo-Progressive setting. Silently Waiting heads more into a pure Neo-Progressive Rock direction, while we can hear incredible vocals by Phil follows during the lovely Lifetime, on which he even reminds me of DENNIS DEYOUNG (ex-STYX), so this is actually prime-time classic Pomprock that has similarities to TOUCH, CATS IN SPACE and STYX of course! By the way, besides the lovely vocals of Phil and excellent guitarwork of Adrian, the other members in the band are keyboardplayer PAUL MCNALLY, drummer ADAM SAYERS  and bassist PHIL MOREY. Together they have recorded a fantastic album here that doesn’t seem to contain any fillers, because besides the earlier mentioned songs, other highlights include the midtempo AORish Fragile, The Time Of Your Life (pure DENNIS DEYOUNG ish ballad), and the fantastic uptempo melodic rocker Just For Kicks (sounding almost like an 80s SCORPIONS ish tune, yet with a cool proggy 80 keyboardsolo). Do not miss this sensational release, especially if you’re more into the melodic side of prog, because most of the time it is actually dangerously close to pure 80s AOR/Pomprock/Sympo Melodic Rock! More info can be found at: https://stuckfish.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.8 out of 10)

SWING SET ‘LIFE SPEEDS UP’ (BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

The 1980s must have been an amazing period to discover new bands all across the USA, but sadly thousands of them were never noticed and remained obscure for most of us. SWING SET is one of those rare bands that did found fame and fortune in their area of the USA, but elsewhere they did not get that much attention I’m afraid, so their album Life Speeds Up from 1985 is a rarity, which thankfully now gets a new life in the shape of this CD re-issue on BLACKBERRY WAY RECORDS (and it concerns a 2024 mastering at Abbey Road!). The band came out of the Minneapolis, MN, USA area, and consisted of Dan Prozinski, Michael Nilles (guitars & vocals), David Nussbaum (keyboards),  Mick Wirtz (drums & vocals) & Ric Studer (bass & vocals), and actually they released 3 albums on Blackberry Way Records as well as appearing on the compilation album "Mini Hits Of Mpls (The Best Of Blackberry Way. Also three tracks from Life Speeds Up have been placed in TV shows including Stanger Things and The OA on Netflix, Young Sheldon CBS and Red Oaks on Amazon TV. The album Life Speeds Up has that typical 80s sound, commercial enough for radio and alternative enough for the music critics among us, finding a right balance between 80s indie/light post-punk/new wave and 80s Northern American AOR/Melodic Poprock. Songs like Blackout, Runaway, Walking In The Night, Knock Knock and Laying Low are quite superb uptempo melodic poprockers that should have become huge hits for sure! I am glad that I got the opportunity to hear this lost underground classic, because now they get another chance for others to hear such lovely tunes as the aforementioned tracks. They are musically speaking not too far away from bands like THE CHAMELEONS, THE SOUND and THE CHURCH (Victim is a song that is really close to that band) and such, yet they do capture a touch of 80s midwestern AOR/Poprock as well, which makes them also recommended to fans of that genre, while I can also hear a bit of THE POLICE here and there. I think you’ll now understand that this is a fantastic catchy underrated classic that you need to check out a.s.a.p.! More info can be found at: https://blackberrywayrecords.com/ and you can check out this album directly at: https://blackberrywayrecords.com/album/2892212/life-speeds-up 

(Points: 8.7 out of 10)

LUCIBELA ‘MODA ANTIGA’ (LUSAFRICA/SONY MUSIC/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)

LUCIBELA comes out Cape Verde, and Moda Antiga is her 3rd album. She has a beautiful voice and her music has a very relaxed Portuguese/Cape Verde Summer ish vibe. The new album is a collection of popular and traditional songs, Cape Verdean myths, and stories, often composed by iconic figures (Anu Nobu, Manuel de Novas, Mario Lucio, Zézé di nha Reinalda…). She is joined by musicians such as Toy Vieira (a legendary Rotterdam, Holland based producer/musician originally from Cape Verde), Bau (guitar), Hernani Almeida (guitar/sound engineer), Totinho on sax and longtime collaborator of Cesaria Evora, who tragically passed away last July. The resulting album is fun and cheerful with many highlights, such as Nhó Jom Seá Mi No/ Ta Pinga Txápu – Txápu, Lembra Tempo, Diferença, Mãe Gracinda (featuring a guest male singer) and closing track Djentis Dasagua. The vocals are strong, the music is very relaxed and makes you long back to the days spent on one of the beautiful Portuguese Islands, and that’s exactly what I’m about to do this winter at Madeira, and then I will definitely be playing this album! More info at: https://www.lucibela.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

ASTRAL DOORS ‘THE END OF IT ALL VINYL LP’ (METALVILLE/PIAS)

I remember as if it was yesterday that the Swedish band ASTRAL DOORS released their debut album about 20 years ago. The band was praised for being a True Power Metal band with the DIO soundalike singer Nils Patrick Johansson. Fast forward to 2024, they are delivering their 10th studio album, and I received a beautiful vinyl edition of the new album The End Of It All, which is a so-called “amazing looking” limited coke bottle clear vinyl, so make sure to get yourself such a copy! Anyway, the band’s current line up is almost the same as back in 2002 with founding members Nils Patrik Johansson – vocals, Johan Lindstedt – drums, Joakim Roberg – keyboard, organ and Joachim Nordlund – guitar still present, while along the way Ulf Lagerström – bass and Mats Gesar – guitar replaced 2 previous members during the past 15 years. The new album continues to keep the flag high for classic Melodic (Power) Metal in the DIO style, yet with a slight 80s touch in the keyboard arrangements, such as can be heard during the rather catchy Iron Dome.

However, it’s still True Metal like DIO once was (and actually still is) known for when he was the absolute Metal God! It’s a mixture of uptempo and midtempo tunes, sometimes epic, demonic and theatrical, while at other times a bit more straight-forward (and quite catchy actually). The guitarwork and production is massive, while besides the aforementioned Iron Dome, the other highlights are Temple Of Lies (True Power Metal), the strong Heaven’s Gate (lovely shredding guitarwork!), Masters Of The Sky (cool 80s Teutonic Metal piece like NOISEHUNTER meets ACCEPT), and closing track A Game Of Terror.

If you’re not familiar with ASTRAL DOORS, then this beautiful vinyl edition with it’s striking front cover is a nice way to start, especially if DIO, AXEL RUDI PELL, SAXON, JUDAS PRIEST and MANOWAR are your favorite Metal bands. For the ASTRAL DOORS fans among us, this new album is once again highly recommended, especially since it concerns here sort of a comeback record after 5 years of inactivity! Welcome back! More info at: https://www.astraldoors.com

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

TRAPEZE ‘LOST TAPES VOLUME 2 VINYL LP’ (METALVILLE/PIAS)

TRAPEZE was one of many rockbands that was active in the 70s in the UK, and like also most of those bands their peak was during those decade when they recorded a lot of albums and performed live all over the world. The band split up in the early 80s, but did some reunions in the following decades, yet their final studio recordings were done more than 40 years ago. METALVILLE RECORDS did a great job to release a volume of unreleased demos, rare recordings and live songs as Lost Tapes in 2023, but here we have Volume 2 in this series. I have to say that the sound quality is quite well despite the fact that the recordings took place (mostly) during the 1970s. Anyway, it’s 2 record set that looks visually absolutely beautiful, including amazing artwork on the inner sleeves of the gatefold album, and it includes all the information you need to know about the recordings. TRAPEZE was a band with various line-ups, although original founder MEL GALLEY (guitars, vocals) was always present, but he sadly died in 2008. Anyway, thankfully we now have this Lost Tapes Volume 2 now available on vinyl, and included here are 14 songs.

Opener Homeland is a song we know from GLENN HUGHES’ solo recordings, but here we have the original recording in a classic early 80s AOR/Melodic Rockstyle, not too far removed from the stuff Glenn did with Pat Thrall as HUGHES/THRALL in the mid-1980s. This version of TRAPEZE featured Steve Bray on drums and Mel Galley on guitars/backing vocals, while Glenn played the bass besides singing. I love Glenn’s voice when he’s opting a lower soulful register, which he does in this version of Homeland. AOR/Melodic Rockfans will absolutely love this song! Next song Hold On is a classic TRAPEZE tune (originally on their Hold On album from 1980) that shows the band rocking in their classic 70s bluesy Hardrock direction, kinda like FREE, BAD COMPANY, WHITESNAKE and such did in the 1970s, but this song features PETE GOALBY on vocals. The first 2 songs have a rather good sound quality, really sounding as if you’re playing them straight from an old vinyl LP. Following track Loser is slightly rougher in its sound quality, but it’s nevertheless a great 70s groovy rocker that closes side-A of the 1st record of this interesting double LP record.

Side-B opens with Take It On (Down The Road), which is a great 70s rocker that does borrow a bit of classic FREE, yet with (surprisingly good) lead vocals of guitarist Mel himself as part of a slightly different line-up than on other songs, yet including the late DAVE HOLLAND on drums again, who was also present on the 2 previous songs of side-A. Must Be In Love features the wonderful Pete again on vocals, and this is a lovely late 70s American orientated midtempo Pomprock/AOR piece a la ROADMASTER. Closing Side-B of the 1st record is the most special song on this final TRAPEZE album, because it is the final song ever recorded as TRAPEZE. Apart from several live reunions, founder Mel sorta retired from the music business after TRAPEZE split up in the early 80s, but just recently he wanted to start it all up again. He was able to do solo live gigs and organize a studio session, of which this song is the result. Sadly he was diagnosed with cancer during this time and died back in 2008, so the project of a full-length new TRAPEZE album did not get further than this rough demo, which is by the way a great uptempo melodic heavy rocker with Mel taking care of guitars, bass and vocals, and Gary Atkins doing drum programming. Side-B finishes with Wake Up, Shake Up, a cool 70s uptempo melodic rocker that reminds me a bit of STARZ.

The 2nd record opens with Coast To Coast, a calmer soulful funky little 70s poppy tune that does have the great Glenn on vocals again. Can You Feel It? funks up things even more, and actually this is rather strong song that will definitely please anyone who likes the classic 70s funk sound. This might well be Mel’s finest vocal performance ever! Side-C closes with the fantastic groovy 70s funky rocker Way Back To The Bone, which was recorded as a live studio version during a 70s US Tour, and here we have Glenn sounding sensational on lead vocals again.

Side-D starts with Turn It On, another lovely groovy funky 70s rocker with Mel singing and soaring his guitar quite well. It’s obvious that TRAPEZE at the time was heavily influenced by funk and so they introduced those groovy rhythms as played with Dave Holland on drums and the spacey keys of Terry Rowley. Next song Fighting is a song that must have been an early to mid 80s recording, because it features the legendary DON AIREY of DEEP PURPLE on keys. Don of course later organized the memorable PHENOMENA project, on which most of the TRAPEZE members also appeared. Here on this TRAPEZE album we can hear 2 songs that were more or less the starting point of that project, because besides the lovely uptempo melodic rocker Fighting (like 80s GARY MOORE), there is also Welcome To The Real World, a pure 80s massive sounding uptempo AOR tune. Both songs feature Glenn on vocals, while Mel himself sings the final song on this album, which is the funky 70s rocker Midnight Flyer.

Although a lot of the original songs also appear on the regular TRAPEZE albums, it’s still interesting to hear those rougher sounding versions/demos, and besides, TRAPEZE albums from the 70s are quite hard to get nowadays, so this is a much recommended collection. The band’s music was quite diverse actually and on this compilation album even more going from 70s funk and groovy rock to 80s melodic rock and back. Especially the vinyl edition is something you need to check out. More info can be found at: https://metalville-shop.com/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

JOE FLIP ‘OLD SOUL LIVE’ (INDEPENDENT/MICHELE CASTIGLIA/USA IMPORT)

JOE FLIP is another new hotshot in the blues/rock world and Old Soul Live is his 3rd album so far. His previous album Home Sweet Home from 2023 ranked up the US Billboard Charts, sitting right next to the mighty JOE BONAMASSA and KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD. Now Joe returns with a fantastic live recording that contains originals and cover tunes, all done extremely well by Joe, who is a truly gifted blues guitarist. He’s also a good singer, and if you like for example STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, GEORGE THOROGOOD, RORY GALLAGHER or LAURENCE JONES, you will definitely like JOE FLIP. He might not be doing something really different than the rest musically speaking, the things he does on this live recording are outstanding and of a very high level. This is how high class pure blues rock needs to sound, so with a focus on the soaring and shredding of the guitar. Joe lets his guitar sing in the best possible way you can imagine, and that is definitely making him a must to check out if you like any of the classic blues guitarists mentioned earlier on in the review. More info can be found at: https://www.joeflipmusic.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

CHAD RUPP AND THE SUGAR ROOTS ‘GATE C23’ (LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE RECORDS/FRANK ROSZAK PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)

Out of Portland, Oregon, USA comes CHAD RUPP AND THE SUGAR ROOTS, and they play typical American music, which is a mix of Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, Rock and Gospel, and despite Chad sings and plays guitar as leader of the band, THE SUGAR ROOTS consists of quite a lot guests appearing on the 3rd CD Gate C23, including 3 additional singers (LaRhonda Steele, Arietta Ward and Ms. Vee) and a Horn/Sax section. The result is a massive sounding classic American record that sounds picture perfect from start to finish. Live on stage this will probably be a joy for the eyes and the ears. There is a lot of diversity on this album, rocking like a Chicago Blues man, slowing things down to a funky New Orleans band (She Got That Business Handled) or going for a soulful Gospel tingled affair, it’s just all there, while the overall feeling is Blues of course. Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sugar-Roots-100067983258691/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

YACINE MALEK DOUBLE TRIO ‘LIVE IN PARIS’ (ANOTHERWO/PLAZA MAJOR COMPANY/SONY MUSIC/INOUIE DISTRIBUTION/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)

YACINE MALEK is a very talented French pianist, and he is the leader of the YACINE MALEK TRIO, which further consists of Linley Marthe on bass and Karim Ziad on drums, although on this live recording that took place in Paris, France during the lockdown of 2021, the drummer is replaced by Jeff Ludovicus on the final 3 songs of the 6 that are included in total. The included music is beautiful piano-led melodic laid-back jazz that will appeal to a lot of people. The 2nd part of the album is a little more adventurous, and despite this might not be interesting for the fans of experimental jazz, I can definitely guarantee you that Yacine is an amazing pianist who knows how to play and interact with his rhythm section, and especially during this live recording he can show his skills due to the fact that he can improvise on each and every song that is included on this CD. The first song Like Brazil is one of the absolute highlights, and this song also serves as a tribute to the legendary late French pianist MICHEL PETRUCCIANI. Recommended to the fans of smooth instrumental jazz! More info at: https://www.facebook.com/YacineMalekMusicAndJazz

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

ISABELLE COURROY ‘UN ELAGE DE L’OBLIQUE’ (BUDA MUSIQUE/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)

ISABELLE COURROY is a French transverse and kaval flute player who released not 1, but 3 CDs filled with Flute dominated music, yet you have to read further, because it is actually one of the most diverse and original releases I have heard in a while. The whole feeling of the 3 CDs is that it’s World Music, with clear influences from the Middle Eastern/Turkish/Balkan area, which is thanks to a long list of guests appearing on the album(s). CD 2 is definitely the most interesting, due to its repertoires that come from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Armenia, and here we can also hear vocals, while on the 2 other CDs it’s mainly instrumental compositions. The combination of a modern sound and massive production with traditional sounds and the way Isabelle created melodies on the flute, it makes this album a very interesting affair that takes you on this long journey throughout 3 CDs. It feels like the ultimate World Music trip, and that’s why I recommend it to everyone who is open-minded musically speaking. More info can be found at: https://kaval.org/

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

MY DARKEST RED ‘MIDNIGHT SUPREMACY’ (SNEAKOUT RECORDS/ATOMIC STUFF/ITALY IMPORT)

Midnight Supremacy is the debut album of the Italian band MY DARKEST RED. This band was founded in the city of Brescia by Fabio Perini: Lead & backing vocals, rhythm guitar, Andrea Gusmeri: Lead & rhythm guitar and Andrea Verginella: Bass, while on this first album there are a few guests, such as Francesco Verrone : Drums and Mickey E.Vil, Sonny Montanari, Oscar Burato: Keyboards. Although it starts with an almost teutonic raw metal ish piece titled The House On The Hill, the musicstyle drifts into a sorta dark 80s gothic rock/goth metal direction during the rather catchy By The Moonlight. Tears In The Snow even adds some nice AOR influences, but vocally and musically speaking it is closer to HIM. One really has to get used to the mix of dark low pitched vocals and uptempo melodic rock, but as mentioned before also a few teutonic metal pieces are included here and there (Black Lullabies), so in case this odd mixture sounds interesting to you and especially if you like some good old fashioned HIM and THE 69 EYES, then you might want to check out MY DARKEST RED at: https://www.facebook.com/mydarkestred

(Points: 7.4 out of 10)

ANIMS ‘GOOD’N’EVIL’ (SNEAKOUT RECORDS/ATOMIC STUFF/ITALY IMPORT)

I was not familiar with the debut album God Is A Witness from the Italian band ANIMS that was released a couple years ago, but after hearing their new album Good’n’Evil, I am definitely going to search for that previous record! Anyway, ANIM is formed around the amazing lead singer ELLE NOIR, guitarist/bassist Francesco Di Nicola (DANGER ZONE, CRYING STEEL…) and drummer Paolo Caridi (ELLEFSON-SOTO, REB BEACH, GEOFF TATE…), and as soon as the first song blasts through the speakers and Elle starts singing, we are definitely interested to listen to the full album, because she has a superb voice in a classic rock/melodic rock style like HEART, VIXEN, LAOS, WITNESS… Also musically speaking you have to look in that classic 80s female fronted melodic (hard) rock direction with catchy uptempo tunes that feature strong choruses and soaring guitarwork as if it was still 1987. That opener The Cherubims is a great uptempo rocker in the style of aforementioned bands, and thankfully this high level is continued on the rest of the album, with as other highlights the sensational uptempo melodic rocker Satellite (a song VIXEN would be proud of!), the 80s melodic hardrock classic tingled Liar, the midtempo melodic rocker Lena and and the heaviest song on the album, the faster uptempo melodic metal piece Nebuchadnezzar. Concluded, with a voice like Elle and a superb shredding guitarist (Francesco), this band has a lot to offer as a threesome, and combined with some skilled songwriting, this is a highly recommended album if you like old fashioned high quality female fronted melodic hardrock/metal. More info can be found at:  https://www.burningmindsgroup.com/shop/154

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

NIGHT PLEASURE HOTEL ‘NIGHT PLEASURE HOTEL’ (SNEAKOUT RECORDS/ATOMIC STUFF/ITALY IMPORT)

NIGHT PLEASURE HOTEL is yet another new Italian AOR/Melodic Rockband, and their same titled debut album is quite a nice one actually. They are a threesome formed around Alex Mari (Michele Luppi Band, Barock Project, Ophiura, Rhapsody Of Fire) on vocals, Gianluca Pisana on drums and backing vocals, and Sebastiano Barbirato on guitar and backing vocals. 12 songs are included, and opener Niko is a very nice starting point, because this is prime-time midtempo AOR in the style of SURVIVOR, JOURNEY, ATLANTIC, SHY… Alex has a really decent voice (like JAMES LABRIE), although of course it is impossible to have a range like STEVE PERRY or JIMI JAMISON, but the production is neatly done to make it all sound pretty listenable and actually quite good with some nice hooklines. I’ll bet the die-hard AOR fans are going to like this, especially when hearing a lovely uptempo AOR rocker such as Just This Once. The ballad We Say Goodbye shows that we are really dealing with the European mainland, because the ‘light’ accent reveals a clear ZINATRA/TREAT/ROBBY VALENTINE ish ballad that sounds like the late 1980s. Anyway, the first 2 songs are really good AOR pieces, while the other highlights on this rather nice debut album are Walking Through The Horizon (lovely authentic semi-AOR ballad with beautiful melodies), What I Feel (another strong semi-AOR ballad where Alex shows his high pitched vocal skills), and the uptempo melodic rocker Julia. Musically speaking the band knows what they are doing (especially the guitarists), paying tribute to the classic 80s AOR/Melodic Rocksound, and like I said, vocally it is not bad at all, and they are definitely able to write some great catchy memorable material. For an Italian band it’s quite easy to compare them to ELEKTRADRIVE, who did more or less the same thing 30-35 years ago. I only hope for some more uptempo pieces next time, because they fall into the semi-balladry most of the time, although a song like For You has a nice soulful touch that should also be mentioned. Nothing new or innovative, but thankfully it’s all done at a very decent level, so the AOR fans might want to check this out at: https://www.facebook.com/NPHotelBand

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

THOMAS LIBERO ‘LA MIA GUERRA’ (LIBERO CORP/ATOMIC STUFF/ITALY IMPORT)

The Italian multi-instrumentalist THOMAS LIBERO did almost everything on his own on his debut album La Mia Guerra, including writing and producing as well as playing guitar, bass, keys and singing. His first album sounds really good from start to finish, and especially considering the fact that he did everything on his own, it makes it even more impressive. His album falls however in a niche market, because it is sung in Italian, but for me personally this makes it even more interesting to listen to since this combination works extremely well. Opener In Questa Citta starts quite well actually, a melodic pop/rocker with strong melodies, reminding me a bit of the legendary DHAMM if anyone remembers them! The album continues with more strong melodic rockers, such as the fantastic Il Disordine Dei Mille Perche, the uptempo AOR rockers Bellissimo Disastro, Favole (closing track, best song!) and Nella Notte, the beautiful AOR/Melodic Rocker Questa Storia La Scrivo Io, the calmer acoustic piece La Mia Guerra and the catchy midtempo IP. Concluded, this might well be one of the best Italian sung AOR/Melodic Rockalbums since the 1990s albums of DHAMM and ORO. Go check them out a.s.a.p. if you remember them! More info at: https://www.burningmindsgroup.com/atomic-stuff/news/359   

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

ACID ROOSTER ‘HALL OF MIRRORS’ (TONZONEN RECORDS/SOULFOOD/GERMANY IMPORT)

Now here we have a sensational instrumental release from a band called ACID ROOSTER, whom are coming out of Leipzig, Germany. Hall Of Mirrors is their 4th album so far, and without a doubt, this album is a dream come true for all the fans of instrumental spacey krautprogrock in it’s most authentic direction. There are similarities to the Swiss band MONKEY 3, so if you like that band you will definitely go nuts here! The band consists of Sebastian Väth - 6 string electric guitar, 12 string electric and acoustic guitars, effects, Maximilian Leicht - bass, synthesizer, organ, flute, saxophone, sitar, guitar, harmonium, percussion, and Steffen Schmidt - drums, percussion, vibraphon, Shruti Box, while Jason Shaw is a guest guitarist. 4 long songs are included, and they take you into this acid trip through the fields of krautrock and progressive rock, with a lot of room for spacey sounds and other psychedelic effects. These guys are really good and it would be very interesting to catch them live someday. More info at: https://acidrooster.bandcamp.com/album/hall-of-mirrors

(Points: 8.6 out of 10)

JULIUS LIND ‘LIGHTS’ (KAPITAN PLATTE/SONIC RENDEZVOUS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMANY IMPORT)

Out of Norway comes guitarist/vocalist JULIUS LIND, who delivers here a nice cocktail of classic 70s psychedelic kraut/progrock and 90s shoegaze, with a touch of dreampop. He is assisted by bassist RICHARD MYKLEBUST and drummer EIRIK KIRKEMYR during the 8 included tracks. The album feels like one nostalgic journey through the glorious musical past of pop and rock music, mainly back to both the 1970s and 1990s underground scene of kraut, prog and psychedelic pop/rock. It’s done very well by Julius and you can check for yourself at: https://kapitaenplatte.bandcamp.com/album/lights

(Points: 7.7 out of 10)

BISSESVINET ‘BLODAGER’ (INDEPENDENT/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMANY IMPORT)

Out of Denmark comes BISSESVINET, a band formed around Thorbjørn Radisch Bredkjær - vocals and synth, Henrik Pultz Melbye - sax, EWI, clarinet and synth, Lars Bech Pilgaard - pedal organ, celeste and guitars and Thomas Eiler – drums. Their new album Blodager is an experimental rockalbum with all kinds of weird noises straight from the krautrock movement of the 70s/80s, while vocally it is mostly speaking and/or shouting in the Dannish language, so yes it sounds very experimental! Interesting for sure, but probably a bit too experimental for some of you, although you can check for yourself at: https://svin.bandcamp.com/album/blodager

(Points: 7.2 out of 10)

GREG LISHER ‘UNDERWATER DETECTION METHOD’ (INDEPENDENT PROJECT RECORDS/USA IMPORT)

GREG LISHER is best known as guitarist of Alternative Rockbands CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN and MONKS OF DOOM, but here on this solo CD Underwater Detection Method, he explores the world of synth and keyboardsounds. As always INDEPENDENT PROJECT RECORDS did an excellent job, as this is a very nice CD package that comes in a hand-letterpress printed die cut CD pocket folder complete with letterpress-printed stamp sheet in a folding booklet insert, which looks absolutely beautiful. The instrumental music is calm and relaxed, close to New Age music, yet a bit more challenging with a sorts light symphonic cinematic approach that just feels good to listen to from start to finish. DAVID SYLVAIN, BOARDS OF CANADA and RYUICHI SAKAMOTA are Greg’s main influences while playing the keyboard/synthesizer instead of the guitar which he does in his other bands. It’s completely different musically speaking than his regular bands, but someone into instrumental synth music will definitely like this album. More info can be found at: https://greglisher.bandcamp.com/album/underwater-detection-method

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

THE FLYING HORSEMEN ‘THE FLYING HORSEMEN’ (APOLLON RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMANY IMPORT)

THE FLYING HORSEMEN is a new band from Norway, so don’t confuse them with other bands from the past that share the same bandname. 3 members used to be in the band ARABS IN ASPIC, and you can hear that clearly in the music of the band, which is a mix of classic rock, progressive rock and stoner/doom. There’s also MOTORPSYCHO references, although THE FLYING HORSEMEN is really going into a the doomy progressive rock direction during the 4 included songs. The band consists of ANDERS SPRAUTEN (guitars, vocals), TOMMY INGEBRIGTSEN (guitar/theremin), JOHN WAERNES (guitar, vocals), TERJE NYHUS (bass) and OYVIND GRONN (drums), and from start to finish they keep you entertained with the wonderful mixture of aforementioned styles. Opener Norseide takes some time to get started, but after spinning it a few times I could definitely hear that THE FLYING HORSEMEN is moving into quite a high level of musicianship, because there is a lot to explore here, also throughout the other 3 lengthy songs. It’s like BLACK SABBATH created a record together with JANE or NEKTAR 50 years ago, but somehow it was never released until now! Highly recommended piece that sounds like a collector’s item in the future to come! More info at: https://theflyingnorsemen.bandcamp.com/album/the-flying-norsemen

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

ARILD BROTER ‘A SPECTRE OF SOUNDS – JAMES BOND MUSIC REIMAGINED’ (APOLLON RECORDS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMANY IMPORT)

ARILD BROTER is a Norwegian multi-instrumentalist who is known for being a founding member of the band PYMLICO. He now has a solo CD out that covers his own interpretations of classic James Bond Music, and I have to admit that he does a great job here, because it sounds amazing in this modern synth wave prog jacket. He got help from some other musicians along the way, such as BJORN RIIS of AIRBAG, and without a doubt this is one of the finest and most original instrumental albums of 2024! Check it out for yourself at: https://arildbroter.bandcamp.com/album/a-spectre-of-sounds

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

LES MECANOS ‘USURES’ (L-EMA/INOUIE DISTRIBUTION/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)

Out of Saint-Étienne, France comes the vocal group LES MECANOS, a very unique collaboration of singers/percussion players who use their voices to sing their songs. Usures is their new album, and especially live their impact will be strong I guess, which is also confirmed due to the fact they performed over a hundred shows in mainly Europe and Canada. LES MECANOS consists of Rémi BACHER, Gaël BERNAUD, Martin BUB, Antoine CHILLET, Sylvère DECOT, Jonathan DURAJ, BENOIT FEUGÈRE, Jérémie PLASSON, Simon POURRAT and Guillaume SBAÏZ, whom all sing and use the percussion to create a huge sound that live on stage will come alive more than on CD, so I think I will check them out live when they are around town. Meanwhile, their new CD will give you a good idea of their unique sound, because from start to finish it is a wonderful experience of French sung songs. More info can be found at: https://l-ema.fr/fr/artistes/les-mecanos-

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

TODD PARTRIDGE ‘DESERT FOX BLUES’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

I was not familiar with TODD PARTRIDGE, an American Blues/Americana singer/songwriter who delivered an album in 2023 entitled Autumn Never Knows, and now already releases a raw dirty gritty sounding follow-up titled Desert Fox Blues. The music is typical American with that raw edgy Chicago blues approach in a style not far removed from PAUL BUTTERFIELD, T-MODEL FORD, R.I. BURNSIDE, JON SPENCER, etc. etc. It’s a combination of raw nasty vocals, a harmonica that is used when Todd’s not singing and a mostly uptempo rocking band backing him up in a rather hard rocking style that sounds at best in a dark smokey room somewhere off the road in the USA. It’s high quality from start to finish, and fans of this unstoppable classic heavy blues rock sound will absolutely love this album. I can imagine if you like THE BLACK KEYS or JD MCPHERSON, you will also love this album! More info can be found at: https://todd-partridge.com/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

DICK EARL’S ELECTRIC WITNESS  ‘GET UP OFF THE GROUND’ (ABP MUSIC/FRANK ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)

Out of Utah and the northern Las Vegas area comes DICK EARL’S ELECTRIC WITNESS, a band formed around DICK EARL JACKSON (vocals, guitars, banjo, harmonica, jaw harp) whom made their debut in 2020 with a same titled album. Now 4 years later they return with a strong new album titled Get Up Off The Ground. Besides Dick, the other members in the band are ISAAC ERICKSEN (bass), THOMAS ANDERSON (guitars, Kalimba, Charrango), MARI ERICKSEN (drums) and backing singers ALICE and ZOE ERICKSEN. On the album we an also hear a few guests on organ, keys, sax, trumpet and trombone, which makes the sound of the album quite rich. Musically speaking we dive into the typical American mixture of blues, jazz, soul, rock, Americana and such. Dick is a great singer and the 11 included songs are classic American Blues/Roots rock orientated with a lot of variation due to the influences of the rich American music history. There’s even a touch of country during the semi-southern rock ballads Sarah and On Her Heart that have slight similarities to BLACKBERRY SMOKE, while the superb midtempo southern rocker The Vineyard is even closer to that band! Without a doubt, there is no single weak moment to be found here and everyone into especially the classic American (harmonica) driven blues/soul/roots rock genre will love this album for sure, and as mentioned, there is even more to explore here and there (the Southern Rock direction a few times). Check out more info on this sensational band from Utah/Las Vegas at: https://dickearlselectricwitness.com/

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

ASHLEY E NORTON ‘CALL OF THE VOID’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Out of Boston, USA comes ASHLEY E NORTON, a talented singer/songwriter who spent some time in Nashville, but on her new album Call Of The Void it’s a more diverse direction we get to hear than country. Opener Americana To Me for example is an uptempo crossover sorta mix between Americana, Rootsy Rock and Countrypop, while the love midtempo Every Woman I Know is almost pure early 90s female fronted AOR/Poprock like CONNIE SCOTT, JAIME KYLE and such, with wonderful vocals by Ashley. There is a lot to discover on this album, which is a mix of various styles, because a song like Baby Blue Jean has a sort of retro bluesy rock vibe, although the chorus is closer to classic country pop, and how about the cool LED ZEPPELIN cover Goin To California or the few calmer melodic Americana pop/rock pieces such as Call Of The Void (a la LINDA RONDSTADT, although vocally speaking different). Ashley is assisted by several guest musicians, such as Johnny Garcia (GARTH BROOKS guitarist), and without a doubt, this is a very enjoyable diverse album you can listen to from start to finish without skipping. Ashley has a good voice, although it has a sorta identity that you either love or hate, so it’s best to check for yourself at: https://ashleyenorton.com/

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

THE BOBBY TENDERLOIN UNIVERSE ‘SATAN IS A WOMAN’ (COUNTRY MOON RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Out of Edmonton, Alberta Canada comes the interesting band THE BOBBY TENDERLOIN UNIVERSE, a dark folk/country band formed around BOBBY TENDERLOIN (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano), PAUL ARNUSCH (bass, drums, percussion, electric guitar) and NATHAN GRAY (dobro, pedal steel guitar) and several other guests joining on a few songs on their 2nd album Satan Is A Woman. It starts with the dark acoustic calm folk song Satan Is A Woman, which is as close to JOHNNY CASH as you can possibly get! The uptempo What Do I Do is slightly happier and features a great female singer called CAYLEY THOMAS. Later on the album there is another duet with a female guest singer (EMMA FRAZIER) during the catchy uptempo Take Me As I Am. Bobby has an amazing low baritone voice that is dangerously close to JOHNNY CASH, but the music is a bit more diverse here and there, with a real country/americana approach most of the time. It’s definitely a quality record you can easily listen to from start to finish without skipping. Check out this upcoming Canadian band at: https://thebobbytenderloinuniverse.bandcamp.com/ and https://www.bobbytenderloinuniverse.com

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

SCOTT MCCLATCHY & THE MERCY HANG ‘ONE TIME ONE NIGHT IN AMERICA’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Out of Philadelphia comes SCOTT MCCLATCHY and his band THE MERCY HANG, and One Time One Night In America is their 2nd album. Scott survived cancer and is now back and better than ever, because musically speaking we are heading into high class American Heartland rock that is dangerously close to JOHN MELLENCAMP and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN during such strong uptempo pieces like One Time, One Night, Don’t Tell Mom and . Scott has the perfect voice for this kind of music, so make sure not to miss this talented singer/songwriter at: https://scottmcclatchy.bandcamp.com/album/one-time-one-night-in-america

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

BOBBO BYRNES ‘BOBBY BYRNES’ (HIGHWAY FIVE RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Out of Anaheim, California comes the talented multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter BOBBO BYRNES. He already released a couple of albums in the past, and now comes up with a same titled album that musically is uptempo melodic rootsy rock/americana. Besides Bobbo on vocals, guitars, mandolin, piano, organ and pedal steel, he is joined by his band THE FALLEN STARS that consists of his wife Tracy Byrnes on bass and vocals and drummer Matt Froehlich. The resulting album is a fun record with some really catchy uplifting material, such as the americana/rootsy rocking opener Around Here and the melodic rocking tunes I Cannot Say, Never Learned To Fly and Long Way Down. Imagine a mix between JOHN COUGAR, NEIL YOUNG and BEAR’S DEN, then you have BOBBY BYRNES’ sound on his new selftitled album. Check it out for yourself at: https://bobbobyrnes.com and https://bobbobyrnes.bandcamp.com

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

LEAF RAPIDS ‘VELVET PAINTINGS’ (MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Out of Winnipeg, Canada comes the band LEAF RAPIDS, and Velvet Paintings is their 3rd album so far. The band consists of singer/songwriter Keri Latimer, Devin Latimer (bass), Joanna Miller (drums) and Chris Dunn (gitaar). Together they have recorded a beautiful calmer Americana/Rootsy Rock with a focus on lovely melodies that are sung by Keri. The album is a mix of uptempo pop/rootsy rock pieces and calmer material that should be classified as country influenced Americana. Without a doubt, this is a very strong album with as highlights uptempo songs like Starling To A Starling and Fast Romantic, while the calmer balladry material is also a pleasure to listen to. Concluded, a highly recommended album if you want to hear high quality melodic music in it’s most intimate setting. Check them out at: https://leafrapids.org/

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

MICHAEL MENAGER ‘LINE IN THE WATER’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Singer/songwriter pop/rock is all about the voice, and in the case of MICHAEL MENAGER, he has the kinda voice you want to listen to, and therefore his new CD Line In The Water is a pleasure to listen to. 10 songs are included on the album, which features Michael on vocals and acoustic guitar as well as his backing band THE DEVIL’S CREEK ROUNDERS, which consists of RUSTY LAYONNE, BESS MALONEY and SLIM FITZ. It’s only his 3rd album so far, which is quite rare if you consider the fact that Michael is 77 years old! He travelled all over the world, but only picked up his music career back in 2015. Anyway, you’re never too old to start, and it’s nice to listen to an album that sounds really good,a real singer/songwriter pop/rock album that I can recommend to fans of JACKSON BROWNE, JIM GROCE, JOHN COUGAR (his last few albums), RY COODER and such Americana/light folk/singer/songwriter artists. Job well done and let’s hope for many more records! More info at: https://www.michaelmenager.com

(Points: 7.8 out of 10)

RACHAEL SAGE ‘ANOTHER SIDE’ (MPRESS RECORDS/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)

Another Side is the 16th (!) album of New York based singer/songwriter RACHAEL SAGE. She sings and writes her own songs while also playing acoustic guitar, piano and percussion. On this new CD she gets help from a few guest musicians and the most remarkable name is HOWARD JONES, who sings a duet with Rachael on the song I Made A Case. The album is a beautiful calmer singer/songwriter record that is based around beautiful melodies as sung by Rachael. In this chaotic and fast world, this is a lovely peaceful moment to enjoy. More info at: https://rachaelsage.bandcamp.com/album/another-side

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

SECKOU KEITA ‘HOMELAND’ (HUDSON RECORDS/UK IMPORT)

Originally from Senegal, but now settled in the UK, singer/songwriter/kora player/percussionist SECKOU KEITA has released perhaps his finest album entitled Homeland. It’s a mix of various styles, such as World Music, Soul, Afropop and some Hip-Hop elements. Imagine SEAL singing STING songs with PAUL SIMON as songwriter and STROMAE as performer, then you might end up as SECKOU KEITA, although actually he has his own identity, which sounds at best during the catchy songs Ni Mala Beugue, Chaque Jour (featuring BAH KOUYATE), Bodula and Wakili. He is joined by the following musicians; Moussa Ngom - keyboard, beats , piano, Korka Dieng - backing vocals, Bah Kouyaté - backing vocals, Chloé Debaye Ka - backing vocals, Moustapha Gaye – guitar, Amady Sidibé – guitar, Laye Lô & Ma Ngoné - drum kit, Chris Obam – Bass, Assane Seck – Percussion and Dialykemo Cissokho – Percussion. Without a doubt, some of these songs could easily become massive hits, so go check out this cheerful sounding album at: https://seckoukeita.bandcamp.com/album/homeland-chapter-1

(Points: 8.2 out of 10)

RUBY DAWN ‘BLOOD ON WATER’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT) 

RUBY DAWN from the Wokingham, UK is a project/band formed around keyboardplayer/singer/songwriter CAROLA BEAR, guitarist DAVE SALSBURY, bassist/keyboardplayer/guitarist IAN TURNER and drummer ADAM J PERRY. When opener Juliet of their new album Blood On Water starts playing and upon looking at the frontcover of the album, it is clear that we are dealing with a high quality release. Carola is a strong singer with a raspy STEVIE NICKS meets KIM CARNESish tone in her voice and the music is well-thought melodic progressive rock orientated. Blood On Water is their 2nd album, and without a doubt, it’s a very unique sounding album that recalls the old days, yet a bit differently as already mentioned due to Carola’s amazing voice. Imagine a mix between 70s PINK FLOYD, PORCUPINE TREE, DARE, MOSTLY AUTUMN and KIM CARNES (an underrated singer by the way!). Just listen to a song like Alice Come Home for example, with its impressive climax towards the end, then you will understand that this album and band is something special. This is one of those albums you keep playing and discover something new every time! Concluded, a must-have for any musicfan out there! More info can be found at: https://rubydawnband.bandcamp.com/album/blood-on-water 

(Points: 8.3 out of 10) 

PALAYE ROYAL ‘DEATH OR GLORY’ (SUMERIAN RECORDS/KINDA AGENCY/ITALY IMPORT) 

PALAYE ROYAL is a band that comes out of Las Vegas, USA, and they have been around since 2008. The band was formed around the brothers Remington Leith – lead vocals, Sebastian Danzig – guitar, keyboards and Emerson Barrett – drums/piano, and Death or Glory is their 5th album so far. It’s actually the first I get to hear, and after playing it a couple of times it is definitely clear that PALAYA ROYAL is an interesting band that is hugely influenced by the past rock and roll sounds. 1960s Garage Rock, 1970s Glamrock, 1970s Punkrock, Art/Pop/Rock and much more are melted into a cocktail that sounds up-to-date, modern and very catchy on this excellent new album of the band. The first 2 songs (Death Or Glory and Hot Mess) are basically classic raw sleazy rock and roll the way it was meant to sound like, uptempo, singing along and rocking out hard. Just My Type is poppier, but nevertheless a very catchy faster uptempo poprocker, while Ache In My Heart is a slight change in style, but on the other hand a very welcome change, because this is a lovely calmer midtempo tune that has got all it takes to become a radio hit that fits somewhere between JOHN MAYER and JAMES BAY. Back to rock again with the glamrocker For You and artsy rock old-school style with Dark Side Of The Silver Spoon (which includes a MOTT THE HOOPLE influenced [part halfway the song). Showbiz is a very catchy modern sounding rocker with a sorta NOTHING BUT THIEVES catchy pop touch. Following song Mister Devil is a hard rocking raw punky sleazy tune, while Addicted To The Wicked & Twisted is a poppier midtempo tune that has the potential radio hit chorus. Self Loating Conversation is another poppy midtempo tune, Been So Long is a nice catchy rocking tune with a 70s vibe, and closing track Pretty Stranger is a catchy uptempo modern poprocker that is pretty much ready to become a radio hit (reminding me a bit of DI-RECT). The band fits somewhere between the classic rocksounds of other newcomers THE STRUTS, BAD NERVES and NOTHING BUT THIEVES, so with both a retro approach and a modern take. These guys sure have got all it takes to become bigger, because they mix raw sleazy classic rock and roll with a modern touch and also throw in some poppier radiofriendly tunes. Hopefully soon I will catch them live somewhere. In the meantime, check them out at:  https://www.palayeroyale.com/ 

(Points: 8.4 out of 10) 

PAUL DUNMALL ‘RED HOT ICE’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT) 

PAUL DUNMALL is a saxophone player who gathered around him a group of Birmingham based musicians to record his new album Red Hot Ice. These include Percy Pursglove – trumpet, Richard Foote – trombone, Alicia Gardener-Trejo – baritone, saxophone, James Birkett - electric guitar, Andrew Woodhead - synthesizers, organ, Rhodes, Glen Leach - acoustic piano, lorenzo organ, voice, James Owston - double bass and Jim Bashford – drums. The included music is like most DISCUS MUSIC releases, experimental jazz orientated, although I have to admit that this CD of PAUL DUNMAL is slightly more pure Jazz orientated and probably more accessible than the usual extra experimental releases of Martin Archer’s label. Martin himself also guests here, and I have to say that it does sound quite good from start to finish. Paul of course being in the lead here, but with so many other musicians joining him, he leaves room open for the organists, the rhythm section and the other musicians to complete the overall band kinda vibe that is hearable all throughout the album. The album consists of 5 lengthy songs, and there is no single weak moment to be heard, so the jazz fans will definitely have to check it out at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/red-hot-ice-186cd-2024 

(Points: 8.0 out of 10) 

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘VARIOUS ALBUMS’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT) 

To make it a little easier, I have collected a lot of the releases on the experimental/freestyle jazz label DISCUS MUSIC together in 1 review. Most of the albums are instrumental except when mentioned. THE OCCASIONAL QUINET is one of the more extreme experimental albums on DISCUS MUSIC recently, but also interesting if you want to discover the exceptional sounds you can create by using and combining a sax, an electric cello, electronics and a rhythm section, which is quite amazing, because there are some really weird and wicked noises to be heard on their album Recording Rites. You can’t get any more experimental, open-minded and improvised than this CD! SENTIENT BEINGS is a 4-piece band that delivers experimental out-of-control- freak jazz on 2 long songs on their CD Truth Is Not The Enemy. John O’Gallagher on alto sax, Faith Brackenbury on violin/viola, John Pope on bass and Tony Bianco on drums are delivering the goods here, and for fans of the more improvised experimental side of jazz will definitely like this album. If you like the Harpichords instrument, then you better make sure to check out the CD of MATTHEW BOURNE, because he is doing things on this instrument nobody has ever done! It is extreme, it is heavy, it is outrageous, it is unbelievable, so I dare you to check this one out! MARTIN ARCHER collaborates with drummer WALT SHAW as a duo called BIYARTABIYU, and they deliver freestyle experimental sax driven jazz. Slightly more relaxed smoother jazz orientated is the album Practical Dreamers by RON CAINED and MARTIN ARCHER AXIS. This is a recommended album if you want to hear jazz with just a slight experimental touch. MARTIN ARCHER & JAN TODD deliver a lovely celtic orientated album with Private View, which also features beautiful vocals and words by female musician Jan. The overall feeling of the album is quite lovely and it has such a relaxing vibe that sounds original as well. CLANNAD comes to mind, but then differently for sure, especially due to the use of instruments like glockenspiel, melodica, organ, bass sinewaves and so much more. The production and calmer sounds of each and every song lets you enjoy these instruments at the best possible way, and there are some surprise songs as well, because the modern hi-tech inspired Suns And Stars even has some similarities to LONDON GRAMMAR! Without a doubt, one of the better and most interesting releases on DISCUS MUSIC in 2024! More info on all these releases at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com 

(Points: - )

DES ROCS ‘DREAM MACHINE’ (SUMERIAN RECORDS)

Out of New York, USA comes multi-instrumentalist DANIEL ROCCO, and Dream Machine is the 3rd album he releases under the moniker DES ROCS. He sings, plays bass, guitar and drums, while on this new album he also gets help from bassist ERIC MENDELSOHN, drummer WILL TULLY and ALAN JOHANNES on guitar and mandolin. The result is a very interesting affair that during the beginning sounds like MUSE meets QUEEN, but throughout the album there is much more to discover. Classic Rock is the overall label you could attach to this album, and I have to say that I am going to closely follow DES ROCS in the future.

Anyway, opener and titletrack Dream Machine starts quite modern, but still has a big massive retro Arena Rocking chorus that combines the best elements of MUSE and classic QUEEN, while similarities to ROYAL THUNDER are also quite clear. The groovy hard rocking I Am The Lightning follows quite nicely in a sorta similar direction, yet this one rocks really hard, and actually the album continues in the same way at first sight, which means combining big fat groovy guitar riffs with a modern high-pitched vocal driven MUSE/QUEENish chorus that sounds at it’s best during songs like Nowhere Kid and the aforementioned tracks. As the album develops, there are also a few calmer moments and less MUSEish orientated pieces, such as the pure 70s classic rocker Never Ending Moment that sounds like a mixture between BOSTON, RUSH and BTO, and how about the classic BRYAN ADAMS meets ZZ TOP ish rocker Bad Blood! Natural Born Thriller is clearly THE BLACK KEYS ish heavy retro blues rock orientated, while In The Night is showing even more diversity, because this is a superb Power Rockballad that sounds dangerously close to the perfect baby of LED ZEPPELIN and KINGDOM COME. Concluded, the mixture of all the popular different rockstyles of the past 50 years on just 1 album is something that DES ROCS does very well, and this new album Dream Machine is therefore highly recommended! Check them out at: https://desrocs.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

SUM 41 ‘HEAVEN X HELL’ (RISE RECORDS)

It seems like the 90s Punkpoprocksound is back and very popular with bands like SIMPLE PLAN, THE OFFSPRING, GREENDAY, BLINK 182, BILLY TALENT and SUM 41 doing multiple sell-out tours worldwide and releasing new material in the style of their classic albums 20-30 years ago. Covid interrupted the scene since 2020, but now most of the bands that helped shape the sound of the 1990s are back and the legendary Canadian band SUM 41 is one of them. They released a new double album titled Heaven X Hell, which offers 20 new songs that are split over 2 CDs, a 90s orientated punkpop album and a heavier metal ish album. The band is still active in it’s original line up of the late 1990s (Pierre Bouvier – lead vocals, bass, additional guitar and percussion, Chuck Comeau – drums, percussion, Jeff Stinco – lead guitar, backing vocals and Sébastien Lefebvre – rhythm guitar, backing vocal), and especially CD 1, the so-called “Heaven album”, it is loaded with classic short 90s uptempo Northern American catchy melodic Punkpoprock style songs that are very easy to sing-a-long to, such as Waiting On A Twist of Fate, Future Primitive, the ultra-hit potential Dopamine and Not Quite Myself. It seems like the band is on fire and delivering their best material since their heydays. In fact, a lot of the aforementioned bands are better than ever and making new fans all across the world. SUM 41 are definitely belonging to the champions league in the punkpop scene and this CD 1 will absolutely please any fan of the genre. A playing time of 26 minutes is very short but on the other hand no fillers are included.  CD 2 is the Hell side and features some cool classic Heavy Metal guitar riffs, while the songs are a bit less Punkpop orientated than on CD 1, although they still can be qualified as such. Rise Up is the first song and without a doubt it’s a killer tune that has Metal riffs all over the place and also a strong catchy chorus. Other highlights on the Punkpopmetal ish CD 2 are Stranger In These Times, House Of Liars, You Wanted War (cool power/thrash metal guitarsolo’s!) and the ROLLING STONES cover Paint It Black. Concluded, SUM 41 makes a great return with this double CD set that is mostly pure 90s Punkpoprock orientated, yet on CD 2 they add a lot of Power/Thrash Metal injection to their familiar sound, which is very cool actually. More info on SUM 41 at: https://www.sum41.com

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

NOTHING MORE ‘CARNAL’ (BETTER NOISE MUSIC)

Out of San Antonio, Texas, USA comes NOTHING MORE, a modern rockband that was formed back in 2003, and Carnal is already their 7th album. The band consists of Jonny Hawkins – lead vocals, Mark Vollelunga – guitars, backing vocals, Daniel Oliver – bass, backing vocals and Ben Anderson – drums, percussion, and their music is a very modern sounding heavy mix of progressive post-rock, metal, screamo core, nu-metal and alternative rock. Lead singer Jonny sings quite well, but also feels the need to scream and growl here and there, while the music is quite heavy sometimes, but when listening to for example the opener House Of Sand, you can also hear a very melodic band, because the chorus is very catchy and extremely melodic. The band’s sound is very American, with SHINEDOWN and DISTURBED similarities, yet with a lighter poppier LINKIN PARKish approach when it comes down to the melodic choruses. Once you accept the mixture of extreme metal screams sometimes, EBM/Distorted Electronic influences and lighter melodies of the rock/hardrock department, then NOTHING MORE is your band, but there is more to discover if you listen to the full album they released. Besides the aforementioned House On Sand, other highlights include If It Doesn’t Hurt, Angel Song (lovely melodic tune featuring guest singer DAVID DRAIMAN of DISTURBED!), Freefall, and the catchy poppy uptempo 80s influenced poprocker Blame It On The Drugs. NOTHING MORE is definitely an interesting band with a lot of diversity, and I am somewhat surprised they are not yet bigger in Europe, so go check them out at: https://nothingmore.net/   

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

MOONYA ‘FACES’ (ATYPEEK MUSIC/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of France comes MOONYA, a one-woman act who surrounded by synths, guitarist, live-looping and her voice is creating a dark melancholic sound that could best be classified as dreampop. Faces is her debut album and as a multi-instrumentalist she does everything on her own here. The result is actually quite a beautiful exciting album that offers many melodies with a peaceful dark electronic music background. GRIMES is one of the similar bands that is mentioned in the press, but actually MOONYA has her own identity, which sounds at best during Shining, Emportee (excellent, with frightening synths), Le Cercle and Emergency. MOONYA is a very Interesting multi-instrumentalist from France, of whom you can check out more info at: www.moonya-zik.com

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

SUPER FLORENCE JAM ’60 BIG ONES’ (BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS/MGM/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Out of Sydney, Australia comes SUPER FLORENCE JAM, a 4-piece band that was active during the late 00s/early 10s. They managed to release a couple of Eps and albums, of which this 60 Big Ones is actually released for the first time now after being lost for over 12 years. The band recorded the 6 included tracks back in 2012, and they are now released as an EP CD through BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS. Their line-up consisted of Adam Krawczyk – vocals, guitar, Laurence Rosier Staines – vocals, guitar, keys, Mike Solo – drums and Alex Tulett – bass, and musically speaking they offered quite an interesting mixture of styles. Opener Ocean’s Way is a very catchy chorus driven uptempo tune that melts powerpop, 90s college/indie-rock and 60s garage rock/poprock influences, kinda mixing TEENAGE FANCLUB/WEEZER with old school THE KNACK/4 OUT OF 5 DOCTORS and add something THE KINKS or THE HOLLIES did in the 1960s! These guys are doing it really well, because also following track Haunted is a very strong uptempo melodic rocking tune that feels like a really good retro tune from the US of A of the early 1980s. Actually this is a sensational tune that sticks in your head after hearing it once! The EP has 4 more rockers to offer, such as the big time sounding psychedelic heavy stoner rocker Holds Tight and the 60s influenced The Elusive Obvious. Despite they are no longer active anymore, this is an album you should pick up if the aforementioned information appeals to you. More info at: https://superflorencejam.bandcamp.com

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

ASTRAL KOMPAKT ‘GOLDADER’ (TONZONEN RECORDS/CARGO/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)

Here we have another high quality instrumental stoner rock/psychedelic doom metal affair. This time it concerns the debut album of the Cologne, Germany based band ASTRA KOMPAKT. They are delivering a masterpiece here with their very first album Goldader. 7 long songs are included, and they all follow the midtempo structure of melting big fat groovy guitar riffs with a pumping rhythm section. There’s no stopping or holding back here, because this is how instrumental doom/stoner metal needs to sound like. Check them out for yourself at: https://astralkompakt.bandcamp.com/merch

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

LAZARUS HEIGHTS ‘PAPILLON’ (INDEPENDENT/FRANCE IMPORT)

Papillon is the debut album of the French/English band LAZARUS HEIGHTS. They are formed around singer/songwriter/guitarist DICK GRISDALE, drummer JEFF GAUTIER, keyboardplayer PAUL MOURADIAN and bassist SIMON PEARSON. The band is playing melodic rock, yet with a tiny modern progressive rock edge in the arrangements. Their first album has a massive big sound and the band’s lead singer Dick has a good strong voice, which can be heard right from the start during the midtempo symphonic driven titletrack that sounds a bit like a mix between MAGNUM, ASIA, ARENA and PALLAS, so with a clear British way of doing prog/sympho melodic rock. After this wonderful start, we are pleased with 11 more melodic rocking songs that due to Dick’s unique baritone voice (a la DAVID BOWIE, NICK CAVE, JAMES MORRISON…) gives the band an own identity. Other highlights are the uptempo melodic rockers Fall For You, Dry Martini, Vaterfall and The Joker, while also the beautiful ballad Dive needs to be mentioned. Quite a surprising debut album of this band called LAZARUS HEIGHTS, so go check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/lazarusheights

(Points: 8.4 out of 10)

KUNES CLARK BAND ‘KUNES CLARK BAND’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)

Out of New Jersey, USA comes the new band KUNES CLARK BAND. This band is formed around singer/songwriter Jimmy Kunes (CACTUS, SAVOY BROWN, HUMBLE PIE…) and guitarist/songwriter Angus Clark (CHER, JOE LYNN TURNER, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA…), while the rhythm section consists of drummer Van Romaine and bassist Winston Roye. Together they recorded this 8 tracks counting debut CD that contains classic hard rock in it’s true authentic direction. If you’re a fan of THE BLACK CROWES, HUMBLE PIE, RIVAL SONS, LED ZEPPELIN, AEROSMITH, TESLA, GREAT WHITE, FREE, WHITESNAKE and such, then you’re definitely going to love this band. Jimmy is an amazing singer with a voice that reminds me of early DAVID COVERDALE, the late GOTTHARD singer STEVE LEE and the late GREAT WHITE singer JACK RUSSELL. Musically speaking the band moves into the same bluesy classic rock / hard rock direction as all of the aforementioned bands. There’s uptempo material, midtempo groovy stuff and the slightly more calmer melodic rock based songs, so a nice mixture with as main focus the superb vocals of Jimmy. Especially the melodic rocker Cross To Bear and the groovy FREE/WHITESNAKE/XYZish groovy classic bluesy hardrocker Release Yourself are of an insane high level. This band and it’s debut CD are close to champions league classic rock, so let’s hope they will be around for a while in the future! Check them out at: https://www.dekoentertainment.com/kunesclarkband

(Points: 8.5 out of 10)

SVEN GALI ‘BOMBS AND BATTLESCARS’ (MUSIC IN MOTION ENTERTAINMENT/CANADA IMPORT)

Out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada comes SVEN GALI, a somewhat legendary hard rock band that was formed back in 1987. They released their major label same titled debut album back in 1992, and eventually followed it up in the grunge years with a 2nd album in 1995. However, times were hard about 30 years ago for real hard rock bands, and they split up quite rapidly after it’s release. 14 years ago they returned to the scene and in 2020 they even released a new album, which is now followed up by Bombs And Battlescars. From the original 1987 line-up are Dave Wanless (vocals), Andy Frank (guitar) and Shawn Minden (bass) left, while the rest of the line-up consists of new members Sean Williamson (guitar) and Dan Fila (drums). It’s a short album, but a good one for sure. 9 tracks are included, and opener One Gun is a very heavy 90s alike heavy post-grunge rocker, including dark distorted guitar/vocal orientated sounds, which can also be heard during following uptempo Coming Home, but this song welcomes a catchy melodic heavy rock chorus that does have some slight similarities to mid-90s HAREM SCAREM. During the chorus of this song we can hear the strong vocals of singer Dave as well as the excellent biting guitarwork of guitarist Andy. Spellbound is a superb cover of the TRIUMPH classic Spellbound, which now sounds like a massive sounding melodic hard rock piece. Back to 90s ALICE IN CHAINS in the slow alternative dark melodic heavy rocker Life Inside. Next track Monster is a very strong midtempo melodic rocker, while Hang Me Out and Hogs sound like they were recorded during they heydays of 90s alternative rock. The final 2 songs are All (nice SKID ROW ish heavy rocker) and Nothing New (nice calmer acoustic tingled ballad with superstrong vocals). There’s a nice mixture here of modern yet 90s inspired heavy rock with some more accessible melodic rocking choruses, sounding not too far away from the 90s records of HAREM SCAREM 9espeically during the beginning when the production is also top-notch), although at times it also does dangerously close to the pure 90s alternative rock sound as well (during the lesser produced 2nd part of the album). Check out this ‘comeback’ album of the legendary Canadian rockband SVEN GALI at: https://www.svengali.ca

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

KOE WETZEL ‘LIVE AT MELKWEG, AMSTERDAM SUNDAY 3RD OF NOVEMBER 2024’

Since the mid-90s, the country genre has evolved into a much more diverse and original style, embracing influences from a wide range of music genres. In the 1980s, country music was pushed aside by hair metal and AOR/melodic rock in the USA. As a result, the country artists who remained active were often repeating the same formulas, which led to an older audience base that was mainly interested in traditional, old-school country music — think artists like KENNY ROGERS, WILLIE NELSON, DOLLY PARTON, etc. etc.

However, when hair metal, AOR, and pop rock began to fade away in the early '90s, many fans from that era shifted toward the emerging "new country" sound. JOHNNY CASH, for example, enjoyed a resurgence in popularity during this time. Newcomers like GARTH BROOKS, SHANIA TWAIN, BRAD PAISLEY, ALAN JACKSON, FAITH HILL, TOBY KEITH, and many others introduced a more arena rock-inspired sound. Many of these new country stars were also songwriters, which helped bring in a younger audience.

This shift in the country music scene during the '90s had a huge influence on the broader music landscape in the U.S. over the past 25 years. As a result, we've seen countless new singer-songwriters and bands that are still classified as "country," but their sound often blends pop, rock, blues, and other musical elements. Today, in 2024, both the audience and the artists are younger and more open to diverse country sounds than ever before. It’s exciting to discover so many talented new acts who are also writing their own songs, a departure from the past when many country hits were penned by outside writers. Of course TAYLOR SWIFT is perhaps the finest example of an original country singer/songwriter who developed herself to become a super popstar. The country scene is therefore the most popular genre at the moment to look for new talent.

In recent years, I’ve discovered a number of great artists like OLD DOMINION, KIP MOORE, KYLE DANIEL, LUKE COMBS, 49 WINCHESTER, JACKSON DEAN and many more. These acts deliver incredible live performances and create studio albums that are a pleasure to listen to. One of the latest sensations to emerge from Texas is singer/songwriter KOE WETZEL, whose sixth studio album, 9 Lives, has won over many fans. Since the pandemic, Koe has rapidly gained popularity in the U.S., and when he decided to do his first European tour, I was fortunate enough to catch his show at de Melkweg in Amsterdam on one of the last warm, sunny days of 2024.

As a support act, we were surprised by the hard-hitting American alternative rock band GIOVANNIE AND THE HIRED GUNS. They put on a great rock-and-roll show, which didn’t have much to do with country music, but still got the crowd warmed up for Koe’s first show in the Netherlands. It was amazing to see Koe in such a small venue, especially since he typically fills large arenas and stadiums in the U.S.

The audience was mostly made up of younger Americans already familiar with Koe’s music, but there were also plenty of Dutch fans who turned out on a Sunday evening in Amsterdam to watch Koe’s show. The show itself was incredible, and it’s clear that Koe Wetzel is not only an amazing performer but also a talented singer-songwriter. His music blends country with classic American rock and roll, drawing influences from southern rock to AOR/melodic rock to 90s grungy rock, and the performance was truly electrifying. Koe's band was top-notch, and with a total of four guitarists, this was probably the heaviest rock and roll show ever performed by a country artist!

One of his songs, "Good Die Young," is an upbeat AOR/melodic rock anthem, and there were more moments during the set when it felt like I was watching a pure melodic rock band (loving the song FGA from his Sellout album), though Koe's country and southern rock influences were always present, especially when he sang. There wasn’t a single weak moment in the set, and the audience left the venue buzzing with melodies and memories that will stay with them forever.

Koe is one of the new hotshots whom I highly recommend, especially if you’re also familiar with JASON ALDEAN. While he shares some similarities with Aldean, Koe is more diverse and rocks out much harder, and he has a rawer grungy southern rock edge to his music, kinda like BLACKBERRY SMOKE or ROBERT JON & THE WRECK when going for the more southern rocking direction, while the slightly 90s inspired melodic rock material has that typical American rock approach (even a bit 3 DOORS DOWNish). You can find more information about him at www.koewetzelmusic.com, and stay tuned for our upcoming interview with him!

(Points: 9.0 out of 10)

LOVESICK ‘REMEMBER MY NAME’ (ROCK’N’HALL/FRANCE IMPORT)

LOVESICK is an Italian based duo formed around Paolo Roberto Pianezza (vocals, guitar, lap steel) and Francesca Alinovi (double bass, drum brush), and they are joined by Alessandro Cosentino on fiddle and drums. Produced by the legendary FABRIZIO GROSSI (SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE, GLENN HUGHES, ROBIN BECK, VERTIGO, AMBITION, and countless more), the album Remember My Name is a lovely record that captures the best of the classic American genres Country, Rootsy Rock and Roll, Americana, 50s rock and roll, Blues and Western Swing. The vocals are strong and spot-on, and the melodies are lovely to listen to. 11 songs are included, and if you hear a song like Goin’ Back For More, you will agree with me that this is a great rootsy country rocker with that 50s spirit, and a lot of the songs capture that feeling. Martha for example is a sensational tune that is dangerously close to DANNY VERA, while I’ve Got A Smile For You is a song that would have been a huge hitsingle if it was released back in the 1950s. Some of the calmer songs even recall ELVIS or ROY ORBISON, such as the surfy Blue Skies. Actually there’s no single weak moment here and the mixture of classic American music genres is very enjoyable from start to finish on this album of the duo LOVESICK. Check them out for yourself at: https://rocknhall.bandcamp.com/album/lovesick-remember-my-name

(Points: 8.1 out of 10)

THE DENNIS SPENCER GROUP ‘BLUESMAN FROM JUPITER’ (INDEPENDENT/FRANK ROSZAK PROMOTION/USA IMPORT)

Not to be confused with the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, because this here is THE DENNIS SPENCER GROUP, which is a band formed around singer/songwriter/guitarist DENNIS SPENCER, who has lived quite an extraordinary life experiencing everything there is to know in life and death. For a blues rocker he is, this is exactly the kind of experience you need to sing and compose songs from the heart. From start to finish he shows that he has got the classic American Blues sound, with some influences of 50s rock and roll and soul, thanks to the help of guest musicians that include vocalist BOBBY WARREN, vocalist TRACY HART, guitarist JEFF ROSS, keyboardplayer MIKAL MAJEED, drummers TERENCE JOHNSON and FAITH JOBE, and a few more, The result is a great bluesy rock and roll album that feels as authentic as possible. Check out more info at: https://www.facebook.com/dennisgoddard

(Points: 8.0 out of 10)

BASEMENT SAINTS ‘DOWN SOUTH’ (BASEMENT SAINTS RECORDS/AUSTRIA IMPORT)

Founded back in 2012, the Austrian band BASEMENT SAINTS is clearly influenced by the 70s classic rock/southern rock days. Their music is authentic, with a singer that somehow reminds me of IAN ASTBURY (THE CULT), a Hammond Organ that brings back the URIAH HEEP/DEEP PURPLE memories and so is their Classic Rock that is also a clear HEEP/PURPLE affair. Their line up consists of Simon Molly (Drums), Anton Delen (Guitar, Bass & Vocals) and Robby Keys (Hammond Organ, Keys & Vocals), and Down South is their 4th album so far, and especially uptempo rockers like Spark In The Woods, Highway Lines, the superb Sunflower Seeds, Boots and Buccaneer are a joy to listen to if you’re a fan of pure classic 70s hard rock and roll. There are more straight forward than for example DE WOLFF, but I can imagine the 2 of them playing together somewhere in Europe. Besides all the rockers that are included here, the band also has calmer material, such as the semi-ballad Sail Through The Night that reminds me of SLADE a bit, and the melodic rocker Night Owl (not the LITTLE RIVER BAND classic!). There’s actually no single weak moment to be found on their new album, and fans of aforementioned bands like URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, THIN LIZZY, 70s MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND, QUEEN, etc. should check them out at: https://www.basementsaints.com/

(Points: 8.3 out of 10)

THE SHEEPDOGS / THE COMMONERS ‘LIVE AT TIVOLI, UTRECHT MONDAY 25th OF NOVEMBER 2024’ (photos courtesy of MAT DUNLAP)

I was overwhelmed by the amazing performance of the support act for LARKIN POE in Utrecht in 2023, and now 1 year later that same band returns for a headlining gig at the same place. I am talking about the Canadian Southern Rockband THE SHEEPDOGS. I reviewed one of their earlier albums many years ago, and throughout the years they performed quite a few times in Europe, but the past few years there have been a few line-up changes and they released a lot of new music, including 2 lovely new albums in 2024! Anyway, they brought their fellow countrymen of THE COMMONERS as their support act, and I must say that this is a dream package deal on a Monday night. THE COMMONERS are slightly more bluesy hardrock orientated, kinda like THE BLACK CROWES, and despite the fact that their wonderful lead singer was barely hearable in the sound mix during the concert, they delivered a great rocking show from start to finish. The band had a lot of fun in performing their rocking set to the audience, and the crowd was definitely enjoying it.

However, the majority of the audience came to see this fantastic Canadian band THE SHEEPDOGS. This is a band that has been in the music business for almost 20 years now, and they have released a lot of albums throughout the decades. In their homeland of Canada they are quite popular with multiple album chartings and awards, but in Europe it took a little longer to really become a household name. However, judging on this performance and 2 new albums of 2024, it is clear that we are definitely going to see them return to the European concert venues in the future. The band has a new guitarist (Ricky Paquette) in their line-up since a few years, and he is a real shredder on stage, because along with singer/guitarist Ewan Currie there are some real classic southern rock jams between them, and their twin-guitar duals are at the absolute highest possible level I have seen the past few years, easily reaching the level of the classic 70s days of THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND and LYNYRD SKYNYRD. The music is definitely 70s southern rock all the way, but it also picks up influences of Westcoast, Soul/Funk and Hardrock as well, with references to bands as diverse as for example THIN LIZZY, THE EAGLES, POCO, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and THE GUESS WHO. If you mix all those bands’ legendary 70s sounds, then you might end up with THE SHEEPDOGS. I was absolutely blown away by their 90+ minutes headlining performance that took them to higher places. Ewan has a wonderful voice that sounds very natural, and during the calmer material, it is pure Westcoast reminding me of YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX crossed with THE EAGLES, while the harder rocking tunes has a lot of memories of that other Canadian band THE GUESS WHO.

Anyone who wants to hear high quality music in the style of the aforementioned acts should check out THE SHEEPDOGS, and you might as well go see THE COMMONERS too, because they are both great Canadian rockbands that deserve more attention! Both live and on their studio albums, this is Canadian rock at their very best right now in 2024! More info can be found at: https://thesheepdogs.com/ and https://thecommoners.ca/ and soon an interview with THE SHEEPDOGS!

(Points: 9.0 out of 10)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEW REVIEWS
GO TO THE REVIEWSINDEXPAGE
BACK TO HOMEPAGE

O