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HOT NEW REVIEWS
VIVABEAT ‘THE HOUSE IS BURNING – THE BEST OF 1979-1986
PURPLE VINYL EDITION LP’ (RUBELLAN REMASTERS/IT’S ALIVE MEDIA/US IMPORT)
The
1980s… you either love it or hate it… but it definitely brought color, fashion
and fun to the music that had synths and keys way upfront, while the songs were
catchy, short and sweet. In North America Hardrock/Poprock/AOR dominated, while
in Europe New Wave/Pop/Rock was the most prominent genre. However, in the USA
and Canada there were also a lot of young new bands influenced by the
British/European New Wave movement, but they added an American touch to make it
sound a bit more melodic than the mostly quirky British equivalent. One of the
bands that was active in this movement of American New Wave style was the
L.A./Boston melted band VIVABEAT. They managed to release only 1 album back in
1979 entitled Party In The War Zone, but they recorded many more songs during
the 1980s, and now there is a very interesting new vinyl release (which comes
in a beautiful blue or purple edition) that contains the band’s best songs
recorded between 1979 and 1986. The band consisted of guitarist Alec Murphy, keyboardplayer/backing
singer Consuelo de Silva, drummer Doug Orilio, keyboardplayer/backing singer Marina
Del Rey, bassist Mick Muhlfriedel and lead singer Terrance Robay. Along the way
a few guest guitarists appear, such as JEFF GILBERT, ROB DEAN, STEVE LYNCH,
PETER SYKES, and a few songs were produced by the legendary JEFFREY LESSER (SPARKS,
STRAWBS, PAT TRAVERS, STARCASTLE, HEAD EAST, ALL ABOUT EVE, WON TON TON…).
Anyway, this vinyl edition of a best of VIVABEAT is a must-have for anyone into
real 80s new wave/pop!
Opener
Man From China is a midtempo new wave song that can also be found on the
aforementioned 1979 album, and it was this song that gained them some degree of
popularity, which was due to the fact that PETER GABRIEL liked it and CHARISMA
RECORDS signed them. The song itself became a top 20 US dance hit, and everything
looked very positive to launch a long 80s career for VIVABEAT, but sadly the
material they recorded during the 1980s was never officially released, so this
new vinyl album finally brings that unheard music to the people. Besides the
opening hitsingle, there are 11 more songs that are either taken from their
debut LP or 80s songs that were unreleased before. Working For William is a fantastic
slow slightly quirky new wave/poprock piece, with a Reggae Pop touch in the
rhythm section, while vocally it does remind me of SAGA crossed with DAVID
BOWIE, and the catchy chorus smells a bit like HUMAN LEAGUE. The titletrack The
House Is Burning is pure early 80s New Wave in the TALKING HEADS style. Tents
is quite quirky and also has some references to THE SPARKS or even THE TUBES,
which were both the first couple of American New Wave Bands that emerged during
the 1970s. From The Bop follows the same direction, yet it also features a cool
soaring guitarsolo. Closing track Gray, Gray, Gray is another big time early
80s hi-tech new wave piece that will absolutely be loved if you’re a fan of
GARY NUMAN, THOMAS DOLBY, HUMAN LEAGUE, DEPECHE MODE, ULTRAVOX, VISAGE, etc.
etc., and it could have been a huge hit 40+ years ago!
Side-B
starts with Blue Guitars, a sensational catchy early 80s new wave/poprocker
that in the hands of DAVID BOWIE, THE CARS or DURAN DURAN would have been a
massive hit around 1983, yet VIVABEAT never got that fame and fortune which
they should have deserved with this amazing tune! Angry Red Planet offers more
of the DURAN DURAN/ABC 80s new wave style, while the poprock orientated What We
Talk About (When We Talk About Love) is more akin to a mix between ANIMOTION,
DEVICE and COCK ROBIN, so another definite hit potential 80s tune! The funky
bass of Henry James shows an influence of NILE RODGERS, and overall this is a
very 80s danceable tune that showed the band’s change of sound throughout the
1980s. In fact it reminds me a bit of ROXY MUSIC crossed with CHIC and a bit of
YELLO. Next track Glisser Le Rat is even more going for that 80s hi-tech synth
dominated disco sound of YELLO, while closing track The Last White Man is a typical
80s new wave piece that shows the dramatic theatrical vocals of the late
Terrance way upfront, and towards the end we can hear a lovely guitarsolo, and
without a doubt, this song could also have been a huge hit!
Concluded,
this is a very interesting and highly recommended vinyl release of a band that
had the picture perfect 80s new wave/poprock sound, but sadly never managed to
become as big as all those bands that did breakthrough 40 years ago. Sadly,
many of the musicians whom performed on the songs of this best of album have
died, so this album is actually a tribute to them. More info can be found at: https://www.rubellanremasters.com
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
FILTER-KAFFEE ‘106’ (MANIKIN RECORDS/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
Berlin, Germany based music project FILTER-KAFFEE returns with their 6th album.
The duo that consists of analog & digital synthplayers Frank Rothe and
Mario Schönwälder (founder of the label MANIKIN RECORDS) have been recording
music together as FILTER-KAFFEE since the first release in 2011 and now it’s
time for 106, which follows likewise the style of their earlier albums, which
is classic "Berliner Schule" (Berlin School) synth dominated
instrumental music that combines 70s kraut/prog/new age and other electronic
music, with here and there an experimental touch. It is once again an exciting
journey through the synth landscape that Frank and Mario create on their analog
and digital synthesizers, with as guest guitarist Thomas Kohler on 1 song (the
fantastic proggy masterpiece Kaltwasserhahn). 75 minutes of playing time divided
into 6 long tracks that capture the essence of the old school sound of
TANGERINE DREAM and KLAUS SCHULZE, yet with an own identity that is called
FILTER-KAFFEE. More info can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/BerlinFilterKaffee/ and https://manikinrecords.bandcamp.com/
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
PARALLELS ‘EXODUS’ (INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN
IMPORT)
Out of
Sweden comes the new band PARALLELS, and Exodus is their debut album. The band
consists of Ulrik Arturén, lead vocals and bass, Anders Börjesson, guitars and
vocals, and Torbjörn Carlsson, keyboards and programming, and musically
speaking they are bring us high quality bombastic melodic progressive rock with
a focus on soaring guitar melodies, symphonic keys and melodic vocals as well
as memorable choruses, reminding a lot of KAYAK and KANSAS actually, especially
during the fantastic opening song The Beginning. However, the band also has
prog metal influences of the DREAM THEATER kind, which can be heard on the
following song The Escape, so it is a mixture of various prog styles and I have
to admit that they are doing a great job. Ulrik’s vocals remind me a bit of JIM
PETERIK, while the melodies are beautifully sung together with Anders. Other
highlights are the epic prog/power ballad You've got to run (with guest female
singer Maria Kirilov), the superb dramatic prog/power piece How Can This Even Be?
(excellent guitarsolo, a bit like MYSTERY and THE FLOWER KINGS) and the 2 parts
of Not Alone that are amazing prog. This is definitely a big surprise, because
PARALLELS delivers a lovely high quality progrock debut album that will
especially be appreciated by fans of KANSAS and KAYAK, and for more info please
go to: https://www.hemifran.com/news/detail/u/1552/Parallels/Exodus/
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
WEST OF EDEN ‘WHITECHAPEL’ (WEST OF
MUSIC/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)
WEST OF EDEN is a
Swedish folk-rockband formed in 1995 by husband and wife duo MARTIN and JENNY
SCHAUB, whom both share lead vocals as well playing several instruments. The
band is completed by Ola Karlevo: drums and percussion, cajón, bodhrán and
backing vocals (since the beginning), Lars Broman: fiddle, viola and backing
vocals (since 2009), Martin Deubler Holmlund: double bass, bass guitar and
backing vocals (since 2013) and Henning Sernhede: electric and acoustic
guitars, mandolin (since 2016). They have already released a lot of albums, and
Whitechapel is their latest CD. Without a doubt, we get to hear high quality
melodic folk-rock that sounds like a cross between RENAISSANCE, MOSTLY AUTUMN,
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, JETHRO TULL and THE CHIEFTAINS. The band is doing a great
job really, and their Swedish music influences are very clear, because they
love to bring a hook in every corner of the song, which makes the music very
memorable. This is an enjoyable album that has uptempo folk poprockers and
irish lullabie ish songs, so a nice mixture. Check out more info at: https://westofeden.com
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
JIM PATTON & SHERRY BROKUS ‘BIG RED GIBSON’
(INDEPENDENT/HEMIFRAN/SWEDEN IMPORT)
Out of
Texas comes singer/songwriter duo JIM PATTON and SHERRY BROKUS, whom already
delivered 7 albums the past 14 years, and Big Red Gibson is their new baby. The
album also features guitarists CORDY LAVERY and RON FLYNT (also bass and keys)
and drummer STEVE MCCARTHY, and musically speaking it is a mix of rootsy rock
and americana. It’s calm most of the time, although uptempo and sorta rocking a
little bit here and there. A Road That I Never Go Down is one of the strongest
songs for sure, a catchy rootsy rocker, and also the TOM PETTYish
powerpoprocker Pretty Dark World is a good tunes, but any of the 11 included
songs will be appreciated if you’re into this style. Jim’s vocals are raw and
rough, sounding like he’s been singing for decades, which is probably also the
truth, but he has that crispy whiskey-a-like tone in his voice, kinda like
WILLIE NELSON for example if you know what I mean. Anyway, these are the real
story-telling songs that are perfectly sung by Jim and for more info check for
yourself at: www.pattonbrokus.com
(Points: 7.8 out of 10)
NIGHTBLAZE ‘NIGHTBLAZE’ (ART OF MELODY MUSIC/ATOMIC
STUFF ITALY IMPORT)
NIGHTBLAZE
is the brainchild of Italian composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer DARIO
GRILLO (PLATENS, VIOLET SUN), and Nightblaze is their same titled debut CD. The
other members of the band are Damiano Libianchi (PERFECT VIEW) on vocals,
Dario's brother Alex Grillo (PLATENS, VIOLET SUN) on drums, and Federica
Raschellà (STEEL TYRANT, EVIL EYES) on bass. Although musically speaking
nothing new is happening here, the combination of the solid performance, high
level of musicianship and the strength of most of the included songs, it is
making the album a true pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Dario is a
gifted musician and songwriter, while his guitarwork is phenomenal! The artwork
and sound of the album is pure 80s and ART OF MELODY once again shows they are
one of the better melodic rocklabels at the moment. 10 songs are included, and
opener Sudden Blast is a great faster uptempo melodic rocker in the style of
MAD MAX and PRETTY MAIDS, while the following Take On Me (not the A-HA song!)
is definitely going into a fantastic uptempo 80s AOR/Melodic Rock direction.
This is a really catchy tune with strong vocalwork and a sing-a-long chorus
that will definitely find its way to the fans of the genre, while as already
mentioned the stunning guitarwork is also a big bonus! From this 2nd song
onwards, NIGHTBLAZE adopts the AOR sound and they are then not far removed from
the classic Scandi AOR/Melodic Rocksound of bands like WORK OF ART, W.E.T.,
ECLIPSE, NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, DAVINCI, TREAT, FATE, TALISMAN, etc. etc. ,
although 80s American AOR is also around the corner most of the time (AVIATOR,
DIVING FOR PEARLS and AGENT come to mind sometimes). Other highlights are the
ultra-catchy You’re Gone (earworm 80s movie-AOR chorus of the year?!?) the
JOURNEYesque Diana, the superb uptempo 80s classic AOR chorus driven Tell Me
(excellent harmonies here) and Hold On To Me (lovely AOR). I can easily
conclude that this NIGHTBLAZE is a true winner if your heart belongs to 80s
AOR! Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/Nightblazeofficial
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
CRYIN’ OUT LOUD ‘PLAY LOUD & SMOKE OFTEN’ (INDEPENDENT/FRANK
ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
CRYIN’
OUT LOUD is a fantastic new bluesband out of Maine, USA formed around
vocalist/guitarist BRANDON STALLARD. He is inspired by classic traditional
Blues, but also THE BAND, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, LITTLE FEAT and such come
to mind while listening to their debut album Play Loud & Smoke Often. Other
members in the band are Ben Chute (guitar), Jim Fratini (bass) and Mark
‘Bluesboy’ Kanter (harmonica), while the drums are played by Jeff Glidden,
Tommy Rush and Scott Stallard. Guests include Erik Lawrence of LITTLE FEAT,
Paul Nelson of THE PAUL NELSON BAND (he produced the album) and ANA POPOVIC’s
keyboardist Michele Papadia. Brandon has a real raw whiskey alike tone in
voice, which fits perfect with the bluesy rock of the band, and right from the
start with the uptempo blues rockers I Smoke Cigars and I Play the Blues, I’m
Gonna Drink My Way to Memphis and You Can Dance to the Blues, we get to hear
some of the dirtiest and most authentic blues rock that can be find on record
in 2024! Throughout the album it gets a bit more classic (light) southern rock
orientated in the style of the aforementioned THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (such as
the song Tell Her), so it is a mixture of blues rock and light early 70s
Southern Rock, which is a perfect combination for a sensational release! More
info can be found at: https://www.cryinoutloudmusic.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
AUSTER LOO
COLLECTIVE ‘AUSTER LOO COLLECTIVE’ (IGLOO RECORDS/SOCADISC/VEEV.COM/FRANCE IMPORT)
AUSTER
LOO COLLECTIVE is an international band based in Belgium. Formed around Simon
Leleux on percussion & composition, Lydie Thonnard on flutes & voice, Shahab
Azinmehr on setar & voice, Bao Sissoko on kora & voice, Aki Sato on koto,
shamisen & voice, Vincent Noiret on double bass, Célestin Massot on piano
and Osvaldo Hernandez on percussion & voice, they are bringing us a very
interesting diverse mixture of World Music styles that takes you almost into
each part of the planet. 8 songs are included, and some of them are quite
lengthy, such as Mueo and Senna that are over 10 minutes long, but without a
doubt, they are doing it at a very high level and basically this is what World
Music is all about. A song like the opening Kali even has progrock kinda vibes
towards the end of the song, although it has a lot of Middle Eastern melodies
as well. On the other hand, Jeegee has both Asian and Latin rhythms included,
so as already mentioned, this is a mixture of all kinds of music genres and the
adventure is truly wonderful to experience, because AUSTER LOO COLLECTIVE
brings us a lot of joy and excitement changes within each and every song, which
is also due to the use of traditional instruments. There is no single weak
moment on this CD, so make sure to check it out if you’re a fan of World Music,
but also the proggy fans out there might want to hear what this is all about…
More info at: https://www.austerloo.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
LUCIFER WAS ‘EIN
FIX FERDIG MANN’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
The
Oslo, Norway based band LUCIFER WAS formed all the way back in the 1970s, but
it wasn’t until the 90s when they would actually release material. Ever since
the Swedish label RECORD HEAVEN discovered them, there have been numerous album
releases. Ein Fix Ferdig Mann is their 8th album so far, but their
first one on APOLLON RECORDS. The band’s music is clearly 70s based, melting
prog, classic rock and early proto hardrock/metal, it is a band that is
recommended to fans of BLACK SABBATH, URIAH HEEP, DEEP PURPLE, very early
SCORPIONS, JETHRO TULL, etc. They sing in the Swedish language, so that is
something different, but on the other hand their music is definitely heading
straight into the direction of the aforementioned acts. The use of a lot of
various instruments, including a Hammond organ, mellotrone, flute and a full
blown choir as backing vocals here and there, it makes LUCIFER WAS quite an
original band. If this was released in the 1970s, then this would be one of
those cult wanna-be underground albums, but it concerns here a complete new
album with an authentic original classic 70s rocksound that has 9 strong songs,
of which especially the beautiful Ei Gåte and Snomann I Sol are memorable tunes.
Go check them out for yourself at: https://lucifer-was.bandcamp.com/album/ein-fix-ferdig-mann
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
TOKYO STORM ‘ALIEN
RADIO STATION’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
Out
of Birmingham & Staffordshire, the UK band TOKYO STORM delivers 80s
orientated melodic rock. The band has been around for a while, and Alien Radio
Station is their latest effort. They switched lead singer recently, and so
their current line up consists of lead singer Darren Collings, guitarist Joe
Bartnicki, bassist Jason Edwards and drummer Bob Peach. They are keen on
playing typical British 80s/90s Melodic Rock, and are not far removed from
bands like OUTSIDE EDGE, FM, PEROUX, PRAYING MANTIS, THE PROMISE, LOST WEEKEND,
AIRRACE, etc. etc. , so they are really carrying the flag of classic British
Melodic Rock. Although it takes some time to get used to the new lead singer, who
has a very characteristic voice, the material is quite nice. Among the 10
included songs, the highlights are City Of Broken Soul (a very strong classic
80s tingled AOR tune), uptempo melodic rocker Dystopia, the catchy FM ish AOR
rocker Pool Of Splendour and the melodic rocker Midnight Sky. Check them out
for yourself at: https://tokyo-storm.com/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
SLEEPMAKESWAVES
‘IT’S HERE, BUT I HAVE NO NAMES FOR IT’ (BIRD’S ROBE RECORDS/MGM/CREATIVE
ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
Australian band SLEEPMAKESWAVES returns with their fifth album so far, It’s
Here, But I Have No Names For It. Their line up consists of Alex Wilson (bass,
keyboards and piano), Otto Wicks-Green (guitars) and Tim Adderley (drums), and
their music is following the style of their earlier albums, which is
atmospheric massive sounding instrumental post-progressive rock with prog metal
influences as well. Imagine a mix between RUSH, PORCUPINE TREE, LONG DISTANCE
CALLING and such, then you’re more or less thinking in the right direction. The
sound on this new CD is huge and the songs are a joy to listen to. This is
definitely one of the finest instrumental prog journeys you can imagine at the
moment. From start to finish this uptempo rocking album shows the band at their
best. A song like Super Realm Park is a lovely tune for sure, but any of the 8
lengthy tracks on this album are a must to check out if you call yourself a
progfan! More info on this Sydney, Australia based band at: https://sleepmakeswaves.bandcamp.com/album/its-here-but-i-have-no-names-for-it
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
WATERTANK ‘LIMINAL
STATUS’ (ATYPEEK MUSIC/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out
of Nantes, France comes WATERTANK, an interesting band that has already been
active for over 20 years now, and so far they released 3 albums in various
line-ups. In 2024 the band consists of Thomas Boutet (Guitar/Vocals), Romain
Donet (guitar), Willy Etié (Bass), Matthieu Bellemere (Drums), and Liminal
Status is their latest effort. Their music fits in the 90s Alternative Rock
direction, yet with a melancholic modern post-progrock touch and a lot of
beautiful melodies can be heard. Just listen to the superb The Long Face, a
song that if it had been released in 1994, then it would have been a huge hit
for sure! And how about the excellent slow depressing but melodic Solely Mine!
The band does a great job here to sound like the 90s, yet with still a modern
edge, but anyone into 90s bands like RADIOHEAD, STEREOPHONICS, ALICE IN CHAINS,
LIVE, BLUR, OASIS and such, they need to hear this great band for sure! As
already mentioned, there is also this modern progrock touch, which comes out
alive at it’s best during the lovely Dreams Logic, and a slight touch of heavy
stoner rock during the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGEish Century. Altogether, quite an
interesting adventure this new CD of WATERTANK, so despite the 90s approach, it
still is very diverse and there’s a lot more to explore for sure. More info on WATERTANK can be found at: https://watertank.bandcamp.com/album/liminal-status
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
TRANSPORT AERIAN
‘LIVE IN GHENT’ (MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS)
Live
In Ghent is a live album of the Belgian progressive rock/prog metal band
TRANSPORT AERIAN. The band consists of bassist/vocalist HAMLET, guitarist
STEFAN BOEYKENS, keyboardplayer UMUT ELDEM and drummer/violinplayer PAUL DE
SMET, and they were formed back in 2009. So far they have released 4 albums,
and this new live album is their first live record, and just like the previous
album, it’s also released on the American label MELODIC REVOLUTION RECORDS.
Without a doubt, this is quality stuff, and it sounds a bit like a more
progressive rock orientated light version of SAVATAGE here and there, although
there’s actually quite a lot to discover here. The band’s instrumental sections
are live a joy to listen to, because they contain influences from mainly the
prog and jazz territory, while vocally it is quite close to the aforementioned
SAVATAGE, a sorta Rock Opera kinda rawness can be traced in Hamlet’s voice. The
album was recorded during a private live show, so that’s why there is no
audience to be heard. However, these guys definitely deliver a high quality
performance, so if you’re interested, then check them out at: https://transportaerian.net/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
MARTINE ‘NICHTS
WAHRT EWIG’ (ECHOZONE/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN IMPORT)
MARTINE
comes out of Aachen, Germany, and Nichts Wahrt Ewig is the 2nd
album. It’s a mixture of EBM, Industrial, Synthpop, Gothic Rock and
experimental music. Without a doubt, this is quite an ambitious project,
because included are 2 full-length CDs filled with original music. CD 1 is the
actual CD, with lyrics in the German language, while CD 2 contains remixes and
songs sung in the English language. Anyway, the music is very electronic based,
kinda early 90s vibe going on here, with a focus on dark synth gothic wave that
sounds like a cross between DEPECHE MODE, early 90s Trance Music and RAMMSTEIN
light. In Germany there is a huge market for this kind of EBM/Wave/Gothic
music, and MARTINE definitely suits well in this category, and it’s all done at
a very high level actually. Enjoyable journey on 2 CDs, and therefore recommended
to fans of aforementioned music styles and acts. More info can be found at: https://nadanna.bandcamp.com/album/martin-my-mind-the-hand-grenade
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
THE DREDGE
‘TORCHES’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out
of the music capital of Norway, the city of Bergen, we can welcome a new band
called THE DREDGE. This 3-piece band is formed around
vocalist/guitarist/keyboardplayer KJETIL VIKENE, bassist MATS ANDERSEN and
drummer FRODE ROSJO. They were founded way back in the early 90s, but it took
until now before an album was released. However, the wait is over and it was
worth waiting, because their debut Torches is a strong modern post-progressive
rock adventure, with an alternative rock touch as well here and there. 8 songs
are included, and it was produced by IVER SANDOY (WARDRUNA, ENSLAVED…). The
sound is massive, and the performance is of a very high level, while the songs
are quite strong and also very melodic actually. A song like Whales has somehow
a catchy irresistible melody, while still packed in a modern post-progressive
rock jacket. They are influenced by bands like THE POLICE, XTC, THE MARS VOLTA,
JANE’S ADDICTION, and you can also clearly hear that. Kjetil has a strong voice,
while his guitarwork is downtuned in a dark prog setting. It seems the band is
now ready to go, because there is enough material available to fill up 5 more
albums. In the meantime, let’s start with this great debut album that will
probably also appeal to fans of PORCUPINE TREE, MOTORPSYCHO, and KING GIZZARD
& THE LIZARD WIZARD, besides the aforementioned bands. Another highlight is
the superb Brake, which is a midtempo TEARS FOR FEARS going progrock kinda
tune. On the other hand, a somewhat quirky song in XTC style drops by during
River Twice, which also has some slight memories of the PHIL LYNOTT solo
records somehow! This band has the potential to become much bigger, because
they have a lot of diversity to offer, and as already mentioned it’s remarkable
they have been hiding for so long and now release a fantastic debut album, but
better late than never! Check out more at: https://thedredge1.bandcamp.com/album/torches
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
YOBREPUS ‘A
RHIZOME REVOLUTION PART 1’ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out
of Oslo, Norway comes YOBREPUS, a band with an original sound that combines 60s
psychedelic prog with 90s electronica, and although there are a few more bands
doing this more or less, YOBREPUS has an own identity for sure. The band
consists of Mats Jørgen Sivertsen – vocals, keys, guitars and loops, Vegard
Weyergang Vartdal – vocals, bass, guitar, synth and saxophone, Øyvind Rognerud
– guitar, synth and Rhodes and Paal Urdal – drums, and their new album is
actually a Rock Opera divided into 2 parts. Part 1 is now released, while part
2 will be released in the autumn of 2024. It’s arty, proggy and dark,
experimental here and there, and it will definitely mostly appeal to fans of
kraut, prog, KING CRIMSON and PORCUPINE TREE. What they are doing here is quite
impressive, although I can imagine it’s a certain mood you need to feel before
you can appreciate the adventure of this band. At first sight it might sound
dark, arty and experimental, there are definitely beautiful melodies hidden in
each and every of the 6 included songs on A Rhizome Revolution Part 1. Check
for yourself at: https://yobrepus.bandcamp.com/album/a-rhizome-revolution-part-1-2 and https://www.yobrepus.com/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
KICKSTAND JENNY
‘BETWEEN THE LINES’ (SPECTRA MUSIC GROUP/USA IMPORT)
Out
of Florida comes the excellent band KICKSTAND JENNY, a classic melodic
hardrocking act formed around former L.A. Guns frontman, Scott Foster Harris
(excellent singer by the way!), guitarist Preston Morelock, drummer A.J. Sipos
and bassist Chris McComas. It’s great to see there are in the USA and Canada
still bands around playing the classic North American Melodic Rocking sound
that ruled the airwaves during the 1980s. These guys are doing it really well,
yet without slipping into a nostalgica wanna-be 80s band that some of the
European (Swedish) bands are doing nowadays. 11 songs are on this well-produced
debut album titled Between The Lines.
Opener
Love It Or Leave It is a lovely timeless uptempo melodic rocker which shows
right from the start that we are dealing here with an incredible high quality
band, because everything sounds perfect here. The beautiful midtempo melodic
rock ballad Standing In The Doorway follows, and it seems like we are heading
into quite a sensational album, because KICKSTAND JENNY keeps up the high level
until the end of the CD. Other highlights include the AOR/Melodic Rockballad
Never Gonna Let You Go, the NIGHT RANGERish 80s melodic rocker Tonight, One
More Day (superb midtempo classic AOR/Melodic Rock at it’s best!) and the cool
hardrocking cover of the ROLLING STONES classic Jumpin’ Jack Flash. The band
reminds me a bit of the early HAREM SCAREM (especially during the
aforementioned One More Day that could have been on the debut of the Canadian
rockers!), HONEYMOON SUITE, DIVING FOR PEARLS kinda direction, although the 80s
Hair Metal touch is also present a few times, yet with a slightly darker 90s
approach somehow, such as can be heard during the midtempo Solo, which by the
way features MARK SLAUGHTER on backing vocals. It surely is long time ago since I last heard Mark singing
on an album, so here’s hoping he will start recording more in the near future
again. Another guest is RASCAL FLATTS drummer JIM RILEY and the album was
produced by the legendary CHAS SANDFORD. Anyway, VAN HALEN, DOKKEN, JOURNEY and
BON JOVI will probably be the main influences of KICKSTAND JENNY, so if that’s
your cup of tea, then you should immediately check out this sensational new US
Melodic Hardrockband at: https://kickstandjenny.com/
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
THE ROGUES ‘SONGS
OF PRAISE’ (ATYPEEK MUSIC/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out
of Dublin comes THE ROGUES, a band that combines classic Irish Folk with
American Poppunk, coming across like a mix between THE DUBLINERS, THE POGUES,
FLOGGING MOLLY and DROPKICK MURPHYS. Songs Of Praise is the first of 3 albums
they are about to release in 2024, and I have to say that it’s a very fun happy
typical Irish folkpunk record that will definitely find it’s way to the fans of
aforementioned bands. It might not be original, but THE ROGUES are doing it
really well, and most of their songs are easy to sing-a-long, so they will
definitely know how to make everybody smile during live gigs. Check out more
info at: https://www.atypeekmusic.com/therogues
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
ENABLERS ‘ALMOST
TO WHO KNOWS WHERE’ (ATYPEEK MUSIC/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
Californian band ENABLERS already exists for over 20 years, and so far they
have released 7 albums. The band mixes spoken word with post-punkrock, and they
are doing this very well on their new album Almost To Who Knows Where. It
contains no less than 31 tracks and comes as a double album. Basically it is
inspired by the pioneers of the Beat Generation. Originally formed by Joe
Goldring (guitar, formerly of Swans, Toiling Midgets and [concurrent with
Enablers] Touched by a Janitor), Kevin Thomson (guitar, Timco, Nice Strong Arm,
Morning Champ, and [also concurrent with Enablers] Touched by a Janitor), and
Yuma Joe Byrnes (drums, ex-Tarnation / Broken Horse, Touched by a Janitor), the
band’s line up changed here and there through the years, and especially the
drummer was replaced several times. Anyway, they are doing a great job here in
presenting us Post-Punk at it’s most dark political theme driven angry
spoken-word direction. Check for yourself, as this is pretty good stuff
actually. More info at: https://enablers.bandcamp.com/album/some-gift
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
DEAFCON5 ‘EXIT TO
INSIGHT’ (FASTBALL MUSIC/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN IMPORT)
DEAFCON5
is a band from Hamburg, Germany, and Exit To Insight is their 4th
album so far. The band’s melodic progressive hard rock has some similarities to
a band like AXXIS or ANGEL HEART crossed with ROUGH SILK, so a bit theatrical
here and there, and very 90s German Hardrock/Metal orientated, especially
vocally with a clear German accent. Not bad at all, but nevertheless none of
the 10 included songs reach the level of other German progressive rockbands
such as SUBSIGNAL or VANDENPLAS, but on the other hand comparing them to those
champions league bands is of course not fair, because DEAFCON5 do have a big
massive sound on this new CD that will definitely appeal to fans of all of the
aforementioned bands. Escape Route with its QUEENSRYCHE meets VANDENPLAS kinda
melodic progressive rock/metal approach is definitely the strongest song on the
album due to the inclusion of a catchy melodic chorus and interesting
songstructure. However, it’s best to check them out for yourself to get a
really good picture of DEAFCON5 at: https://www.deafcon5.de/
(Points: 7.4 out of 10)
HUMAN ZOO ‘ECHOES
BEYOND’ (FASTBALL MUSIC/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN IMPORT)
Here
we have a lovely new album of the legendary band HUMAN ZOO from Balingen,
Germany. They have been around for over 20 years now, and especially during
their early days I reviewed their albums multiple times. Meanwhile, Echoes
Beyond is their 5th album so far, and it is once again filled with
lovely high classic 80s orientated melodic hardrock, which has as extra element
a saxophone player in the line-up. They remind me so much of the 90s German
invasion of melodic hardrockbands, such as MASON, MAXIME, SUBWAY, JADED HEART,
FRONTLINE, STEEL DAWN, but also BONFIRE, CRAAFT, VICTORY, CACUMEN and such come
to mind while listening to this new album they produced. The sound/production
is top-notch and the songs are really good. If you like any of the mentioned
bands, then you will absolutely love HUMAN ZOO. 12 songs are included, of which
the highlights are uptempo rockers such as Gun 4 A While, In My Dreams (damn
catchy as if HELLOWEEN started doing BONFIRE ish Melodic Hardrock), the
GOTTHARD ish straight-ahead piece To The Ground, Echo (with modern ish keys
upfront this is a strong catchy uptempo melodic rocker) and the big ACCEPT ish
midtempo 80s Teutonic anthem Hello! Hello! (cliché but still catchy!). Job well
done for sure here and this CD is a highly recommended classic German Melodic
Hardrockalbum! More info at: https://www.humanzoo-music.de/
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
BOWMEN ‘MISSION
IV’ (FASTBALL MUSIC/BOB MEDIA/GERMAN IMPORT)
Mission
IV is actually Mission III, because this is the 3rd album of the
German band BOWMEN. Their music is described as a mix between ALICE IN CHAINS
and THE BREW, melting 90s alternative hardrock and melodic classic rock. Well,
as soon as the opening song Demons blasts through the speakers here, it is
clear that BOWMEN plays quite typical German/Teutonic Melodic Heavy Rock that
is not too far removed from bands like VICTORY, SINNER, PINK CREAM 69, VOODOO
CIRCLE.. Here and there we have a heavy bluesy hardrock touch as well (RIVAL
SONS/THUNDER ish during the groovy guitar riffs), but the band is mostly moving
into the aforementioned classic German Melodic Heavy Rock direction. Besides
the uptempo rocking tunes, the band also throws in a classic power melodic rock
ballad in the shape of Hold Me Now, but the band is at their best during the
uptempo pieces, such as Said Or Done, Diggin’ In The Dirt and Broken Man. If
you’re into the bands listed earlier in the review, such as VICTORY and/or
SINNER, then do check out BOWMEN, because they represent this style pretty well
on their new album Mission IV. More info at: https://bowmen-band.de/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
SUNFACE ‘CLOUD
CASTLES‘ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out
of Oslo, Norway comes the superb melodic doom metal/stoner progrockband
SUNFACE, and despite they released their debut back in 2016, it took them 8
years to release a follow-up. Of course the whole world changed during this
period, but it’s great to see this band returning, because their new album
Cloud Castles is a lovely classic melodic doom/stoner rock album. On the other
hand they are doing things slightly different than for example QUEENS OF THE
STONE STAGE, KYUSS, OZZY, CANDLEMASS, etc. , because they add Afro/Latin hand
percussion to their sound, which gives them an interesting original approach to
the classic aforementioned sound. Progfans might also want to check them out,
because each and every song of the 10 included takes a different route. One
thing they do have in common and these are the melodies via the vocals and
instrumental parts. In particular Second Voyage is a superb tune, but any song
is a joy to listen to, with the closing track …Through The Snow And Beyond
being the longest song on the CD. Highly recommended if you want to hear an
original sounding Stoner/Doom Rock/Metal band. More info at: https://sunfaceheavypsych.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-castles
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
ALWANZATAR
‘ENGSYRE‘ (APOLLON RECORDS/NORWAY IMPORT)
Engsyre
is the 6th album of the Norwegian one-man musical project
ALWANZATAR, which is based around Krizia from the band TUSMORKE. The music is
performed on synthesizers and flute, and is a mix of late 80s/early 90s acid
trance techno house music, a bit of krautrock and some progressive rock, which
combined makes it sound original and quite modern actually. 8 songs are
included, and it is actually a quite strong album that takes you into a
synthwave heaven adventure from start to finish. The acid techno sounds take me
back 30+ years in time when for one year I was quite interested in these ‘new’
sounds. ALWANZATAR does a great job, and I am sure that fans of the classic
acid/techno and krautrock genre will like this mixture of influences from past
music genres. Somehow there are also melodies from the Arabic culture here and
there, so definitely enough to discover. More info can be found at: https://alwanzatar.bandcamp.com/album/engsyre-2
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
WICKED ‘LIVING
LIKE A SUNBURN’ (MAGICK RITE RECORDS/USA IMPORT)
They
are back with a killer new album titled Living Like A Sunburn, the classic 80s
style hardrocking band WICKED from Rochester, New York, USA. 11 new anthems in
the classic late 80s style of bands like FIREHOUSE, DOKKEN, WARRANT, WHITE
LION, STRYPER, MR. BIG, NELSON, DEF LEPPARD etc. etc. WICKED have been around
for a while now, and while listening to this album it’s clear that these guys
belong to the best new bands in the revival of 80s classic American Melodic
Hardrock. 11 songs are included here, and opener Sunburn is rightaway the
classic uptempo melodic hardrocksound we all love so much and if you like for
example H.E.A.T., then you will definitely love this band as well. Seal It With
A Kiss continues the pure 80s American Melodic Rock anthem sound like a mix
between FIREHOUSE and SLYBOYZ. The die-hard fans of any of the aforementioned
bands will absolutely go nuts when hearing WICKED, because they deliver at the
same high level as those bands, also production wise it’s done quite well
actually. Other highlights on this album
are the catchy uptempo melodic rockers Nightmare (DEF LEPPARDish), Lost In The
Dark, Cali and My Little Rock’n’Roll (with a cool RICK SPRINGFIELD’s ish
Kristina guitar riff crossed with a kinda DEF LEPPARD chorus!). The band
consists of Danny Martin (Bass, Backing Vocals), Chad Michael Martin (Rhythm
Guitar, Lead Vocals), Scotty Ventura (Lead Guitar) and Gunnar Coston (Drums),
and in a world that brings back the fun and melodies of the 80s melodic hair
metal/melodic hardrocksound into the mainstream a little bit, WICKED is the
next band to watch out for, because they might be around for much longer if
they keep releasing such gems as this album. Musically speaking and also their
looks is quite close to STEEL PANTHER, but WICKED is definitely more serious
and that’s the best thing you can do, because we don’t need more bands like
STEEL PANTHER. WICKED is all about serious business classic 80s American
Melodic Hardrock/Hair Metal, and on this album they absolutely deliver high
class material. More info at: https://linktr.ee/wickedrocknroll
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
BENJAMIN CROFT ‘WE
ARE HERE TO HELP’ (GALACTIC RECEIVER/UK IMPORT)
We
Are Here To Help is the 3rd album of the British keyboardplayer/composer
BENJAMIN CROFT. On this new CD he is helped by a long list of guest musicians
and vocalists, including legendary musicians such as guitarist GREG HOWE,
bassist STU HAMM, bassist BILLY SHEEHAN, drummer SIMON PHILLIPS, singer JEFF
SCOTT SOTO, and many more. You will understand then that this is not just
another release, because here we have an incredible high level album that
musically is clearly in the classic symphonic / progressive rock direction, and
despite some vocal songs, it is focused on the instrumental parts.
Anyway,
Benjamin has already played with countless acts in the past, such as BELINDA
CARLISLE, THE TEMPTATIONS, THE PLATTERS and many more. Here he is in his most
jazz/prog related project, where he shines on the keyboard of course, but also leaves
enough room open for the musicians to deliver their goods, and basically we
have here a lovely record that will appeal to both the proggies out there as
well as fans of classic 70s jazz-fusion. YES, WEATHER REPORT, STANLEY CLARKE,
AL DIMEOLA, SPOCK’S BEARD influences, yes it’s all here in this CD of Benjamin,
which has its highlights during the lengthy opener The Age of Magrathea, the
titletrack We Are Here To Help (JEFF SCOTT SOTO sings quite excellent here, and
this song has a kinda 70s AOR/Melodic Rock vibe like JOURNEY/BOSTON…), and Caught
In The Flypaper (a lovely melodic progrock tune with strong vocals by LYNSEY
WARD (who is normally a singer in a folk rockband). The guitarsolo and
keyboardsolo during the wonderful Same Siders should also be mentioned, and
actually every song is a winner! This is definitely an album you don’t want to
miss out if you care for high quality semi-instrumental melodic progrocking
music in the old classic direction. Check out more info at: https://www.benjamincroftmusic.com
(Points: 8.7 out of 10)
BIG WOLF BAND
‘REBEL’S JOURNEY’ (INDEPENDENT/UK IMPORT)
We
already reviewed their previous efforts, but BIG WOLF BAND from Birmingham, UK
now returns with another great new album, which might be their best effort so
far. They were founded back in 2014 by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter
Jonathan Earp and esteemed bass player Mick Jeynes, while the band’s line up
was completed by Tim Jones on drums, Justin Johnson on guitar and Robin Fox on
keys. 10 years later the band still has the same line-up, and meanwhile they
have built up quite a reputation. They are definitely as good as all those
other British heavy bluesrock acts that are currently touring Europe
frequently, such as THE CINNELLI BROTHERS, LAURENCE JONES BAND, etc.
Right
from the start, their new CD Rebel’s Journey shows that they are ready to take
on the world, because opener Empire And A Prayer is a very strong uptempo
rocker that is close to classic rock/southern rock perfection, with a slight
bluesy AOR touch somehow, kinda early 80s American orientated (remember for
example the southern rockband DOC HOLIDAY). Anyway, the material of BIG WOLF
BAND sits somewhere between Southern Rock, Classic Rock and heavy Blues Rock,
and they are doing it a very high level. This new album might be their finest
so far, because each and every song of the 13 included is a winner. There is
enough diversity to keep everyone’s attention, because a song such as the
groovy bluesy southern midtempo rocker Valley of The Fallen Kings follows the
rocking uptempo opening tune, while Lay It On The Line features brilliant
guitarwork and a sound not far removed from JOE BONAMASSA or KENNY WAYNE
SHEPHERD. On the other hand, an AOR touch can be heard during the catchy 38
SPECIAL ish Rise Together. As already mentioned, there is this cool southern
rock approach here and there that even gives them a LYNYRD SKYNYRD, BLACKFOOT,
VAN ZANT kinda vibe, yet always with a British FREEish touch as well, but also
a few AOR melodies are slipping through, so enough to discover on this CD.
Other highlights are the superb blues rock ballad Standing In The Rain
(incredible guitarsolo a la GARY MOORE), the uptempo rocker Living On Borrowed
Time and closing track Too Many Times.
It’s
time to get this sensational British band over to Europe to give them a crowd
that will instantly love the melodic southern bluesy rocksound they are playing.
More info can be found at: https://www.bigwolfband.com
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
INNUENDO ‘JIGSAW
SUNSET’ (INDEPENDENT/USA IMPORT)
If
there has been 1 band that has been with me for as long as my time as a music
reviewer it’s INNUENDO from Arizona, USA, because this classic 80s inspired
melodic hardrockband was one of the first independent bands I reviewed almost
30 years ago. Now they just sent their new album Jigsaw Sunset, which is their 10th
release since their formation in 1994, and it’s one of the few bands of whom I
reviewed every single release. The music was and still is high class pure
melodic (hard) rock in the style of TYKETTO, ICON, NELSON, DOKKEN, MARA,
MATTADOR, etc. The band’s line-up is still featuring the superb lead singer PAT
LAFERTY and the excellent guitarist BRETT RICHEY (who also plays bass, keys and
produced, mixed, mastered the album besides writing almost all of the songs).
They are this time accompanied by drummer TOM CARR.
14
songs are included on this new album, and from start to finish it’s an
enjoyable journey. Opener Just Like This shows that INNUENDO is still
delivering superb catchy uptempo melodic hardrock in the style of
aforementioned bands. Next track Chasing Yesterday is once again loaded with
melodies, while the song itself is a great midtempo melodic rocker. QUEEN meets
EXTREME meets VENICE is hearable during the calmer semi-ballad Cross That Line,
and in fact the harmony vocals remind me a lot of those bands all throughout
the CD. While listening to this new album, it seems that this is their most
diverse album so far, because here and there we can also hear some poppy
elements, but it’s always focused around catchy hooks and melodies, which can
be heard at best during songs like Different Highways (slightly funky EXTREME
ish), Sometimes I Forget (a poppy 80s funky AOR ish tune), Where The Sky Meets
The Ocean (an absolutely beautiful calmer melodic groovy westcoast AOR tune
that has an early 80s TOTO/LE ROUX/MARA/PLAYER kinda vibe), The Weakest Man
Alive (song that starts somewhat slow and psychedelic rock ish, while the
chorus is lovely pure AOR!) and the lovely midtempo AOR tune Uncharted
Territory (ROXUS meets ROX DIAMOND meets SHOTGUN SYMPHONY).
Concluded,
INNUENDO has again delivered a fantastic melodic rocking album that simply
blows away the overproduced Frontiers Records’ releases. They bring melodic
rock/AOR the way it was meant to be, which secretly always threw in some
unusual influences during the instrumental parts (PRINCE for example and/or a funky
groovy Westcoast touch and even a psychedelic THE BEATLES part a few times),
but on the other hand it’s still AOR/Melodic Rock. Without a doubt, this is an
album you need to check out if you’re a AOR/melodic rockfan, especially if you
like strong vocals/choruses! More info at: https://brettricheymusic.com/
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
SUSAN SANTOS
‘SONORA’ (PEERMUSIC/SPAIN IMPORT)
Out
of Madrid comes the Spanish blues guitarist, vocalist and composer SUSAN
SANTOS, who delivers here a wonderful new album entitled Sonora. She already
released a few albums in the past, but this is the first time I get to hear and
review her work. I am quite blown away by the incredible high level of
musicianship here, because Susan is both a superb singer/songwriter and a
fantastic guitarist, so combined here on an album filled with 8 strong songs,
this is definitely a great adventure to experience. She is helped by the rhythm
section of bassist DAVID SALVADOR and drummer JULI EL LENTO, but Susan is the
star. Of course you might compare her to BETH HART, ANA POPOVIC, JOANNE SHAW
TAYLOR and such, but Susan has an own identity for sure. Her songs are bluesy
at first sight, but there’s much more to discover for sure, because sometimes
it heads into a melodic rocking direction. In fact, she reminds me a little bit
of ALANNAH MYLES a little bit, while there are also some TOM PETTY influences
during the superb midtempo melodic poprocker So Long. This is feel-good music
at it’s best and from start to finish the music is at a very high level, so I
can easily recommend it if you like any of the aforementioned artists. The
music is a mix of bluesy rock and melodic rock, of which the highlights are
opener Hot Rod Lady, So Long, What I Want (lovely LEE AARONish bluesy melodic
rocker) and the catchy early 80s PAT BENATARish melodic poprocker Call Me
Tonight, although there’s also a surprise here and there (Have Mercy for
example is a sorta 1930s jazzy tune). I love the guitar solo’s of Susan as
well, so basically we have a real winner here, and hopefully she will do a tour
here someday soon! Check her out meanwhile at: https://www.susansantos.info/
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
PRIEST ‘DARK
PULSE’ (BLUE NINE RECORDS/SWEDEN IMPORT)
Not
to be confused with JUDAS PRIEST, this Swedish band is called PRIEST, and they
are an 80s Synth Pop/EBM/Electro-gothic pop/rock trio consisting of MERCURY
(vocals programming), SALT (synths, keytar) and SULFUR (synths, percussion).
They have already released several singles and albums, and Dark Pulse is their
new album. Opener Burning Love is a catchy 80s inspired synth pop/goth rocker
that has a very catchy keyboard driven beat and a killer chorus to sing-a-long
to. Following track Black Venom follows a same direction, which clearly is
influenced by DEPECHE MODE, OMD, HUMAN LEAGUE and such bands from the early 80s
UK New Wave movement. Demons Call is up next, and here they enter slightly a
more new romantic wave pop direction that sounds a bit like ULTRAVOX meets
DEPECHE MODE during the catchy chorus. The following 7 songs are featuring more
of those lovely 80s tingled wave/synth pop sounds, with as other highlights
Just A Game, Enter Your Body and Chaos Reigns. Definitely a highly recommended
album if you want to hear pure 80s synths and keys in the style of the
aforementioned bands, more info can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/priestofficial
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
OLDHANDS ‘LITTLE
BITES’ (INDEPENDENT/SPAIN IMPORT)
The
Spanish band OLDHANDS comes out of the beautiful old town of Caceres, and
Little Bites is their debut album. Opener Becoming Fools is a lovely very
catchy hard-hitting 80s driven uptempo melodic hardrocker in the style of
DOKKEN and SCORPIONS during their finest 80s moments. Everything sounds good
here, including the lead vocals by J. SAVAGE, while the guitarwork of ALBERT
COOPER is as 80s as you can get. The rhythm section of the band consists of
LOUIS ROMERO (bass) and PACHI CANAMERO (drums), and after this stunning opener,
the rest of the album has 9 more great tunes to offer. Other highlights are
Moonlight (superb SCORPIONS ish melodic rock, lovely memorable chorus),
Jealousy, Dirty Side Of The Road and closing track The Party Is Over (kinda
reminds me of long-lost underground French band JANNYLEE). You absolutely don’t
want to miss this little gem if you’re into SCORPIONS, DOKKEN, WHITE LION,
FIREHOUSE, etc. I have to say that the band is at their best during the uptempo
rockers, such as the first couple of songs and the closing track, because those
songs are definitely the strongest parts of the album. More info at: https://oldhands4.bandcamp.com/album/little-bites
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
SYKOFANT
‘SYKOFANT’ (INDEPENDENT/NORWAY IMPORT)
Out
of Oslo, Norway comes the new progressive rockband SYKOFANT, and they are about
to release their same titled debut album. Influenced by the great bands of the
1970s, such as PINK FLOYD, KING CRIMSON, JETHRO TULL, YES, RUSH and such, the 4
members of the band (vocalist/guitarist Emil Moen, guitarist Per Semb, drummer
Melvin Treider and bassist Sindre Haugen) came up with a 70s influenced
progressive rocksound, although with a modern take, not unlike THE FLOWER
KINGS. The song are lengthy, with beautiful instrumental parts and strong
lead-and harmonyvocals, sounding quite melodic. Especially the amazing 10+
minutes counting Between Air And Water and Forgotten Paths are fantastic songs
that blend melodies and progressive rock perfectly. More info can be found at: https://sykofant.com and https://sykofantband.bandcamp.com
(Points: 8.4 out of 10)
JOLLY JACKERS
‘WELCOME TO THE GRIND’ (TOM TOM RECORDS/HUNGARY IMPORT)
Out
of Budapest, Hungary comes JOLLY JACKERS, a Folk Metal band with Irish/Celtic
influences. They do have a ALECSTORM kinda feeling in their music, yet with
female vocals. The band consists of Rea – vocal, flute, whistle, Enéh – bass, Ilka
– violin, Simi – drums and Mark – guitar, mandolin, and Welcome To The Grind is
their 6th album so far. The band’s sound is mostly uptempo and
cheerful, with that typical happy folk metal approach. A song like I’m Not
Drunk has got all it takes to become a big hit. Feed The Cat, Dance In The
Madness and Horizon are songs that live will easily go down very well,
especially at folk/fantasy festivals. If you’re into female fronted melodic
folk metal, then check out this band a.s.a.p.! More info can be found at: https://jollyjackers.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-grind
(Points: 7.3 out of 10)
A.J. FULLERTON
‘CLOSER’ (COLOR RED MUSIC/USA IMPORT)
Out
of Colorado, USA comes the sensational Americana/Roots/Blues rocker A.J.
FULLERTON, and Closer is the 3rd album of this talented wonderful
singer/songwriter. His voice is a joy to listen to and combined with a handful
of strong songs, he is definitely one of the better newcomers in the genre.
Besides Americana, Blues and Rootsy rock, we can also hear quite a lot of Soul,
and after repeated listens of his new album I can easily say that is an
absolute winner that is very diverse. A.J. sings and plays guitar, while his
touring band also backs him up on this new CD as well. The touring band
consists of Forrest Raup (drums), Alex Goldberg (bass), Peter Sheridan (keys),
Daniel Thompson (keys), jake Friel (harmonica), Lauren Frihauf (guest vocals)
and Loren Dorland (guest vocals).
9
songs are included in total, and opener Almost There is a great uptempo tune
that melts Americana, singer/songwriter and a bit of blues. The catchy groovy
bluesy meets soul vibe of Oh Frustration reminds me a bit of THE BLACK KEYS or
DEWOLFF, yet crossed with a bit of old Memphis Soul. A.J.’s voice perfectly
suits this kind of setting, and I’ll bet live this will sound superb! And how
about the bluesy midtempo Get By that once again reminds me of THE BLACK KEYS,
but it’s catchy groovy approach should easily gain radio airplay. Other
highlights are the uptempo melodic rootsy pop/rocker New Stories, the blues
rocker Sorry You’re Blue and the slow tempo delta blues rock piece Indecision.
Check
out this amazing musician a.s.a.p., because he has got all it takes to become
much bigger. I couldn’t believe he is only 22 years old, so who knows in a few years’
time he will be huge! Without a doubt, this is one of the finest releases in
2024 that even beats the new THE BLACK KEYS. Only remark would be that the
playing time is under 30 minutes, but you’ll get high quality music from start
to finish! Anyway, for now please urgently find out all about A.J. at: https://ajfullerton.bandcamp.com/album/closer
(Points: 9.2 out of 10)
FREEWAYS ‘DARK SKY
SANCTUARY VINYL LP’ (DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out
of Brampton, Ontario, Canada comes the sensational band FREEWAYS, and Dark Sky
Sanctuary is their 2nd album so far. The band consists of Domenic
Innocente (guitar), Matt Avenins (drums), Jason Montgomery (guitar, vocals) and
Amarjot Amrith (bass), and they released their debut True Bearings back in
2020. Now 4 years later Dark Sky Sanctuary arrives and brings us a lovely
classic 80s orientated sound. The band’s music is obviously influenced by
legendary Hardrockbands such as UFO, THIN LIZZY, PRAYING MANTIS, BLUE OYSTER
CULT, THE SCORPIONS and so on. Although the playing length is quite short, the
album itself is a killer record that sounds incredibly authentic. The
production has this underground old school early 80s NWOBHM ish approach, which
is quite the contrast to the massive big sounding productions that is usually
released nowadays. The packaging of the vinyl LP is absolutely stunning,
because it also has this 80s retro feeling and comes along with insert, poster,
sticker, post card, woven patch and a download code.
Opener
Forever Protected shows right away we are heading into retro uptempo melodic
classic hardrock in the style of WYTCH HAZEL, AIR RAID, BLOOD STAR, CENTURY,
STEEL FORCE, NIGHT and such. Next track Can’t Change Destiny is Classic Melodic
Rock perfection with lovely harmonies and a fantastic soaring guitarsolo, kinda
in the style of classic BLUE OYSTER CULT. The faster Give ‘Em The Gears is back
to back early 80s NWOBHM style Metal, with a touch of classic RIOT. Side-A
closes very nicely with the smoother uptempo melodic rocking titletrack Dark
Sky Sanctuary, which has cool THIN LIZZYish guitarwork and a killer 80s alike
melodic AORish SCORPIONS chorus, while it also reminds me a lot of the
legendary cult band ASHBURY (if anyone knows them!)
Side-B
opens with Travelling Heart, an uptempo melodic hard rocker in the style of
FISC, FIST and SCORPIONS. Fortune’s Favourite is a sensational classic 70s
SCORPIONS inspired uptempo melodic heavy classic rocker, with a superstrong
chorus (Lovedrive/Virgin Killer period) and excellent guitarwork in THIN
LIZZY’s Chinatown style. Private Myth follows this classic 70s SCORPIONS style,
however in a more uptempo metallic way of the NWOBHM movement, and once again
also this song has this deadly catchy chorus with cool guitar riffs. Closing
the album is Cracked Shadow, which is one of the heaviest and most modern metal
orientated pieces on the album although still of course with the 80s metal flag
waving.
Concluded,
this is already an underground cult classic, and I can easily recommend it to
fans of CENTURY, WYTCH HAZEL, NIGHT and the aforementioned well-known classic
hardrockbands THIN LIZZY, UFO, PRAYING MANTIS, B.O.C., etc. etc. More info is
available at: https://freeways410.bandcamp.com/album/dark-sky-sanctuary and you can get a copy of the beautiful vinyl LP through: https://dyingvictims.com/
(Points: 8.8 out of 10)
CHEROKEE ‘BLOOD
& GOLD CASSETTE’ (DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS/GERMAN IMPORT)
A
true Cassette edition of the debut album of a German band called CHEROKEE! That’s what I have in front of me, and I have
to admit that this is really interesting of course because after all cassettes
are still a thing of the underground, despite that many bands press cassettes
now as well. Anyway, it’s 2024 and the album itself is already a few years old,
but that’s not an issue at all, because it’s the music that counts. CHEROKEE is
formed around bassist Fabian Albert Dey, drummer Fabian Kampa, guitarists Alexander
Beda Maria Kleusch and Simon Siantidis and vocalist Laura Vesprini, and so far
Blood & Gold is their only release. A stunning total of 15 songs is
included here, even on a cassette! The band’s music is female fronted 80s
melodic hardrock that reminds me a bit of legendary bands such as ROUGH, DORO,
BITCH, BETSY, D.C. LACROIX, COVEN, etc. etc., yet with a slightly calmer
approach as well, revealing a sorta B.O.C. kinda touch here and there. Laura
has a good voice and the guitarwork is really pleasant to listen to (especially
since it concerns twin-guitarwork sometimes), while the songs itself are really
catchy. Highlights include Bill Pullman, My Sweet Tulip (THIN LIZZYish) and Just
One Summer Long (a very calm tune actually that even has some FLEETWOOD MAC
similarities), Check
out CHEROKEE for yourself at: https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/cherokee-blood-gold and you can get a copy of the cassette or the LP through: https://dyingvictims.com/
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
FLIGHT ‘ECHOES OF
JOURNEYS PAST VINYL LP’ (DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS/GERMAN IMPORT)
Echoes
Of Journeys Past is the 3rd album of the Norwegian band FLIGHT, but
the first album I get to hear and review. Without a doubt, this is how classic
70s proto-hardrock/classic rock should sound like. FLIGHT’s sound has clear
influences of THIN LIZZY, UFO, B.O.C., 70s SCORPIONS, yet they do have an own
identity. The threesome line-up consists of Herman Holen: Drums and percussion,
Christoffer Bråthen: Vocals, guitars, bass and Korg MS20 and Jonas Bye: Bass. I
received the vinyl edition of this wonderful release from 2023, which comes
along with a poster, sticker, booklet with lyrics, etc. Just like the other
German label HIGH ROLLER RECORDS, also DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS takes really
good care of it’s vinyl releases, because they sound as authentic as possible,
and as already mentioned the releases have a lot of extra features.
The
combination of calmer parts with heavier moments, while always keeping things
melodic is making this band a must to check out. The guitarwork is very precise
and soaringly melodic in classic B.O.C./JOURNEY style, while the Korg MS20
usage is giving the band an extra cool touch to their music. Opener Hypatia is
a strong heavy uptempo NWOBHM ish tune, yet the band goes for the pure classic
70s melodic hard rock sound during the catchy Valley of The Moon. Closing track
Comet of Gold starts calm in a B.O.C. ish direction, yet when the guitar solo’s
are coming through it’s like classic THIN LIZZY has joined the band. I am quite
stunned by the glorious guitarwork of Christoffer, who is definitely the leader
of this band, because he also sings, plays the Korg, some bass and wrote all of
the songs.
Moving
over to side-B, we have first up the sensational titletrack Echoes Of Journey’s
Past, which is a lovely uptempo melodic rocker in the style of ASHBURY, B.O.C.,
WYTCH HAZEL, NIGHT, PRAYING MANTIS, DEMON, MAGNUM… I love the upbeat catchy
retro early 80s sound with its melodic memorable sing-a-long chorus and the
killer guitar solo in THIN LIZZY circa Black Rose style. Path To Nowhere
(Elysian Fields) follows, and this is pure 70s uptempo classic hardrock/proto
metal in the URIAH HEEP style, with a bit of THIN LIZZY’s Chinatown, although I
also hear during the chorus some TOKYO BLADE similarities and once again it has
fantastic guitarwork towards the end. Moondance is a short instrumental, while
closing track Mystic Mountain is an epic piece that consists of 4 parts. This
song captures a lot of other influences, ranging from progressive rock to
classic rock to 80s US Melodic Metal, kinda sounding like a cross between RIOT,
VIRGIN STEELE, JACK STARR and WARLORD. Especially the instrumental part is
exceptionally sensational with it’s lovely guitarwork like RIOT meets Y&T.
Concluded,
we have here another winner for people who like their sound as authentic as
possible in a classic late 70s/early 80s headbanging but melodic hardrock
direction. It’s therefore recommended to fans of aforementioned bands, but also
if you like RIOT, Y&T, VIRGIN STEELE, WARLORD and such bands, then you
might also want to check out FLIGHT from Norway, because especially during that
final song of the vinyl album we get to hear those influences as well. More
info can be found at: https://flightheavymetal.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-journeys-past and you can get a copy of the beautiful vinyl LP through: https://dyingvictims.com/
(Points: 8.5 out of 10)
TIME RIFT ‘ETERNAL
ROCK VINYL LP’ (DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS/GERMAN IMPORT)
TIME
RIFT comes out of Portland, Oregon, USA, and Eternal Rock is their debut album.
It was already released in 2020, but now we get to hear the lovely looking
vinyl edition of this album. The band consists of vocalist and bassist Levi
Campbell, guitarist Justin Kaye and Terrica Jennings on drums. The Power Rock
trio do have a lot in common with RUSH and TRIUMPH, yet they are perhaps a bit
more straight-forward Hardrock/Metal based like RIOT in their early Narita
days. Anyway, 8 songs are included, and opener Eternal Rock is a fantastic
catchy uptempo 80s influenced melodic hardrock/metal piece with a strong early
RIOT meets NWOBHMish approach. The faster Fight For Your Love follows nicely in
an almost ANGEL WITCH ish direction, while Hooks In You is a groovy pure 70s
progressive hardrock piece like RUSH meets YESTERDAY & TODAY, and this song
features a superb hard hitting chorus a la TRIUMPH. Closing side-A of the vinyl
album is Magic Bullet, which is another fast uptempo high pitched vocal driven
NWOBHM ish tune a la RAVEN, JAGUAR, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, HOLOCAUST…
Side-B
opens with Better Than Life, which basically continues the style of Side-A, so
another uptempo NWOBHM style tune. Following songs Starcrossed and Fire In Her
Eyes have got the 70s hardrock moves again, and somewhere hidden you can hear
clear DEEP PURPLE/URIAH HEEP influences. Closing track Another Name is one of
the finest songs on the album, because this is a great catchy uptempo 80s
hardrock influenced tune.
The
vinyl version comes with the usual extra features by the way, such as the
poster, postcard, sticker, etc., so concluded we might say that this TIME RIFT
LP should be in your hands if you want to hear authentic classic 70s hardrock!
More info at: https://timerift.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-rock and you can get a copy of the beautiful vinyl LP through: https://dyingvictims.com/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
LYNX ‘CLAWS OUT!’
(BULLZHORN RECORDS/CANADA IMPORT)
I
don’t know how many bands called LYNX, LINK, LICX or LIXX or something similar
I have seen the past 40 years, but believe me that LYNX from Calgary, Canada is
not the first band with such a name. Anyway, the music is 80s orientated
Glam/Party Metal, and they are doing a great job here, reminding me a lot of
the legendary Canadian band PRETTY BOY FLOYD (not the other same named band
from L.A., USA), TUFF LUCK and LIQUID MIRROR, with also some memories of early
MOTLEY CRUE, KEEL…, but on the other hand there’s also a strong late 80s Sleazy
Hardrock approach to be heard (FASTER PUSSYCAT for example is a clear influence
on the song Shake It Up) and SKID ROW is also a comparison sometimes
(especially during the ballad Nothing But Love). The guitarwork is very strong,
quite Heavy Metal orientated, while the vocals and choruses on each and every
song of the 10 included on this well-produced album Claws Out!, they also sound
impressive and are above the level of many other bands trying to make 80s
Glam/Party Hardrock/Metal. If you like CRASH DIET, then you will definitely
love LYNX as well. The band was formed in 2020, and this is their debut CD. I
love the artwork and bandlogo, which is very 80s, and so are the names of the
members, Jagur - Lead Vocals, Blade – Guitars, Fangs – Bass and Flash – Drums.
Songs like Rock Machine, Claws Out, Shake It Up and Hard As Life are excellent
uptempo bangers in the style of the aforementioned bands. If you like the 80s
and everything that came along with it, then you will certainly love this band!
Check them out at: https://lynxrocks.com/store and https://getlynxed.bandcamp.com/album/claws-out-2
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
SAM JOYNER ‘COME
WHAT MAY (I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU)’ (FRANK ROSZAK/USA IMPORT)
Come What May is
the new album of the gifted singer SAM JOYNER, who hails from Chicago, but he
has his roots down south in the Mississippi Delta/New Orleans area. Anyway, his
music is lovely soulful old-school blues with a focus around Sam’s amazing voice.
His songs are also telling stories and paying tributes (including a few covers)
to his inspirations such as ROBERT CRAY, T-BONE WALKER, MUDDY WATERS, etc. The
result is a beautiful album that is actually quite sensational due to the
amazing vocal performance of Sam in combination with the excellent musicianship
that is performed by guest musicians such as LIL RAY NEAL, JELLYBEAN ALEXANDER,
GUITAR SLIM JR., KEVIN HAYES, MARC STONE, BRIAN WINGARD and many others. This
is the best combination of old school Chicago Blues, slowtempo Mississippi
Delta Blues, old school R&B and Memphis Soul. It reminds me a little bit of
JOHN NEMETH, so make sure to check out this amazing singer/songwriter at: https://www.samjoyner.com/
(Points: 8.5 out
of 10)
LAURENT RINALDI
‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ (WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY IMPORT)
LAURENT RINALDI is
a very talented guitarist from France who plays in the neo-classical melodic
progressive metal style on the guitar, shredding and soaring his way throughout
his 25-year career so far. He does a great job for sure, sounding extremely professional.
He played in several bands, but also has a solo career going on, and Out Of
This World is his latest release, a 6 tracks counting EP CD that contains
mostly super melodic uptempo neo-classical prog/power nintendo metal with
shredding melodies all over the place. Burning Angel is one of the finest songs
here, but if you like one, you will love them all. MALMSTEEN, DRAGONFORCE and
ROYAL HUNT influences are never far away, so the guitarfreaks will definitely
know what to expect here! More info at: http://laurentrinaldi.com/home
(Points: 8.2 out
of 10)
SYMAKYA ‘PROJECT
11: THE LANDING’ (AURAL MUSIC/WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY IMPORT)
It’s hard to
actually know each and every progressive metal band, but SYMAKYA is rather
unknown despite the fact that this French band from the city of Nancy was
already founded back in 2009. They released their debut in 2011, but it took
another 13 years before a follow-up was released and that’s this new CD Project
11: The Landing. The band is formed around Kevin Alexandre Stanislas Kazek :
vocals, Matthieu Morand : guitars, keys & orchestrations, Thomas Das Neves
: drums Julien and Kuhn : bass & fretless bass, and musically speaking they
are bringing typical melodic progressive (light power) metal in the style of
KAMELOT, SYMPHONY X, MANIGANCE, MYRATH, LABYRINTH, PAGAN’S MIND, VISION DIVINE
and such, so it’s quite symphonic, bombastic, high-pitched vocal driven
(MAIDENish) and sounding massive (thanks to the Finnvox studios mastering by
the legendary MIKA JUSSILA). The result is quite strong and very melodic, yet
there is a lot happening in each and every of the 10 included songs, so it’s
hard to keep up sometimes. On the other hand, this makes it an interesting band
to look up if you’re a fan of the genre, because SYMAKYA is doing it all at a
very high level. Check more for yourself at: https://symakya.bandcamp.com/album/project-11-the-landing
(Points: 8.3 out
of 10)
ELUKAS ‘LOO MAD
KOOS’ (AURAL MUSIC/WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY IMPORT)
ELUKAS is a
Finnish sleazy glam gothic punk metal band whom are singing in the Finnish
language on their latest CD Loo Mad Koos. They are doing a great job here,
because not many people will understand what the band is singing about, but the
included 5 songs are quite catchy and melodic, melting the mix of
aforementioned styles perfectly. More info at: https://elukasband.bandcamp.com/track/elukad
(Points: 7.8 out
of 10)
LESBIAN BED DEATH
‘MIDNIGHT LUST’ (AURAL MUSIC/WORMHOLEDEATH/ITALY IMPORT)
LESBIAN BED DEATH
comes out of Stoke-On-Trent, UK, and it surprises me that I haven’t heard of
this band before, because despite their image and bandname, their music is
basically classic 80s inspired melodic hard/heavy rock/metal in the style of
early PHANTOM BLUE and LITA FORD, with lyrics in the ALICE COOPER style.
Especially the vocalwork, catchy hooks, melodic choruses, soaring guitarwork
and such are making this band a true must-have for fans of anything considering
80s female fronted hardrock. Just listen to killer uptempo pieces such as
Maria, Roadkill and Satanic Suicide Sex Cult, then you will get the picture
that this is bloody serious sensational stuff. The band has been around for
about 15-20 years, and meanwhile they have already released 7 albums before
Midnight Lust. Their line up consists of guitarist DAN PEACH, drummer AIMEE
VIOLET, bassist LEISL HEATH and vocalist JJ, and their new album is a superb
piece of work from start to finish, which is thanks to their fantastic lead
singer (who sings in the PHANTOM BLUE/VIXEN/PAT BENATAR/BETSY style). Other
highlights besides the aforementioned tunes are The Antichrist, The Mummys Tumb
(very catchy faster piece, like TWISTED SISTER meets PHANTOM BLUE!), Horrors Of
The Crown Hotel and Art Of Terror. Check them out a.s.a.p. at: www.lesbianbeddeath.net
(Points: 8.7 out
of 10)
STEPHEN GREW ‘NOW
WE ARE HERE’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
Now We Are Here is
the 2nd volume of a solo piano work of the British piano player STEPHEN GREW.
This performance of him was recorded at Lancaster Baptist Church, which is
close to his home in the Northwest of the U.K. It’s just Stephen and his piano
in an empty church, and that’s something you can definitely feel, because as
the CD develops he gets more into his piano and plays the most experimental
parts you can imagine and it’s also a sorta changing moods throughout the 3
long pieces, because sometimes it sounds dark and heavy, while at other moments
Stephen is doing things at a calmer range. However, from start to finish it
shows he is a gifted pianoplayer and delivering an excellent performance here.
Check out more info at: www.discusmusic.bandcamp.com
(Points: 8.0 out
of 10)
MZYLKYPOP
‘THRENODIES AND AD HOCS’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
Mzylkypop (
Miz-ilky-pop) is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Michael Somerset from
Sheffield, UK. He already released a few albums under this moniker, and
Threnodies And Ad Hocs is a new CD, on which he is helped by a lot of guest
musicians. Michael himself has a rich musical history as part of the legendary
band CLOCK DVA in the 80s, scoring big time with WAS NOT WAS alongside DON WAS,
and he wrote world-wide hits for Alison Moyet, Take That and Roisin Murphy.
This MZYLYPOP CD is clearly different than the usual DISCUS MUSIC releases,
because it offers a more accessible direction, although still experimental. For
example the song Witches In These Parts is a wonderful uptempo quirky early 80s
orientated powerpop/punkrocker with a new wave touch like SIOUXSIE AND THE
BANSHEES meets NINA HAGEN, and the song has a very catchy chorus. Avantgarde
60s influenced Garage Rock is also hearable, which is mainly thanks to the
excellent vocals of singer SYLWIA ANNA DRWAL. Just listen to the superb Snake
Anima and you will understand what I’m talking about, because this has SHOCKING
BLUE kinda similarities, yet with a slightly darker art rock touch as well. So
far so good with a couple of great original sounding rock tunes, and thankfully
the CD continues with a lot more great material, although it is more
experimental than the start of the CD, and it takes a slightly different route
combining spoken word, cinematic influences with krautrock orientated passages,
which is nevertheless also interesting. Other highlights are Trophy Wives and
closing track My Room (a superb piano ballad that is sung really well, ADELE
eat your heart out!). Definitely a big surprise and a very diverse sounding
album, so go check it out at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/threnodies-and-ad-hocs-171cd-2024
(Points: 8.5 out
of 10)
ESPIAL ‘THE ACT OF
NOTICING’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
ESPIAL is formed
around Josephine Davies - tenor and soprano saxophones, David Beebee - electric
piano / effects and Martin Pyne - vibraphone / balafon / percussion, and they
deliver an instrumental calm freestyle avantgarde jazz style on their CD The Act
Of Noticing. It has a sort of laid-back mood that feels like a late Sunday
night, yet still here and there doing things unexpectedly. This makes it a
challenging adventure, which you definitely need to explore in case this sounds
interesting. More info at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-act-of-noticing-172cd-2024
(Points: 8.0 out
of 10)
SHAWN PERRY ‘ALL
AMERICAN HEARTBREAK’ (NEON BELLY RECORDS/INGROOVES/BMI/THE LABEL
GROUP/UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP/USA IMPORT)
The
Ohio, USA based multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter SHAWN PERRY has already
achieved a lot during his career, sharing the stage with countless other acts,
but it’s now time for his solo debut CD All American Heartbreak. Shawn is an
excellent singer who plays a lot of instruments as well, but he’s also helped
on this CD by guest musicians, such as Corey Linden: Guitars, Steve Albenze:
Guitars, David Romwebber: Guitars, Greg Henry: Drums, Jeff Koteles: Drums, Russ
Richards: Keys, Ben Schigel: Keys, Percussion, Carlos Flores: Bass, Paul Lewis
Bass, Genevive Gilbert: Violin and a few backing singers. 11 songs are included
on the CD, and when opener Long Haired Country starts playing, it’s immediately
clear that this is high quality stuff, because this big midtempo classic
American Hardrocker recalls the good old 70s/80s days, with a tongue-in-cheek
approach, melting influences of LYNYRD SKYNYRD, POISON, AEROSMITH, ZZ TOP and
such. Following We Are America might be lyrically sounding cliché tingled, the
song itself is a very catchy uptempo 80s melodic rocker/hair metal piece in
classic DANGER DANGER/BON JOVI/VAN HALEN territory, yet vocally rawer in the
Southern Rock direction. So far so good, 2 tracks played loud and proud and
we’re definitely settling ourselves comfortably in a pure American Rockstyle
that also has those lovely soaring guitarsolos throughout the songs. Overall
it’s not too far removed from the mighty STEEL PANTHER musically speaking, yet
lyrically more like the 80s, so without the sexual part of that band. If you
miss the good old days of SKID ROW and WARRANT 80s Power Ballads, then Six Feet
Apart will definitely whet your appetite. I Love You Like The 80s contains
lyrics from almost each 80s rock classic, while the song itself is a nice
uptempo 80s poprocker with a Jessie’s Girl touch. The following songs are not
so strong and do not reach the level of the first couple of tracks, but still
there are a few highlights to be mentioned, such as the midtempo groovy
southern hardrocker Bourbon & Bibles. It’s a pretty good album that has
it’s best parts when it rocks big time during the beginning, so hopefully next
time Shawn will release a full-blown rock’n’roll record, because now during the
2nd part of the CD it gets a bit poppier and also quite modern
sometimes, such as can be heard during the song Slow Jam. Nevertheless, he is a
gifted singer with a strong voice and you can check out this talented
musician/singer/songwriter at: https://www.shawnperry.country/
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
AIRBAG ‘THE
CENTURY OF THE SELF’ (KARISMA RECORDS/PLASTIC HEAD/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
The
mighty Norwegian prog heroes of AIRBAG return with another sensational new
album. It’s titled The Century Of The Self, and it follows the style of their
earlier work, which means basically we have a great healthy mix of long epic
atmospheric PORCUPINE TREE meets PINK FLOYDish progressive rock tunes and shorter
catchy pop/rock influenced modern Neo-Progrock orientated material that could
well become radio hits. Opener Dysphoria belongs in the first category, because
this is a 10 minutes counting epic calmer progrock tune that is nevertheless
sensational in it’s approach and recalls the days of classic PINK FLOYD.
Following Tyrants And Kings is a shorter superb midtempo neo-prog pop/rock
piece that has irresistible melodies everywhere and a lovely soaring guitarsolo
as well. Fans of RPWL, SUBSIGNAL, JADIS, PORCUPINE TREE, KINO, IT BITES,
MARILLION and so on will go nuts when hearing this picture-perfect album that
could become one of 2024’s best progrock albums. AIRBAG does it so easily and
include so many beautiful melodies (both vocally and instrumentally) that you
keep on listening to the album over and over again. In the progrock world there
are many releases, but only a few stand above the rest. SUBSIGNAL, RPWL and
this AIRBAG are 3 of the best in a nutshell. Another highlight on this new
AIRBAG CD is definitely closing track Tear It Down, which has a playing length
of 15 minutes, so a definitely prog classic for the future to come, with as
absolute stunning moment the ending of the song that features a lovely soaring
guitarsolo that goes on and on! I have seen the future of prog and it’s called
AIRBAG! Check out their new album a.s.a.p. and find more info on them at: https://www.airbagsound.com/
(Points: 8.9 out of 10)
BLACK CAT BONES
‘TROUBLEMAKER’ (CODACOPINA MUSIC/FRANK ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
There
have been several bands with the band name BLACK CAT BONES, but this one is
coming out of Tucson, Arizona, USA, and they have already released several
albums the past 20 years. Now they make their return with the new album
Troublemaker, which is their 5th so far. The band mixes all kinds of
heavy blues rock influences with a bit of southern rock/soul, and they are
doing a great job on this new CD. The songs and diversity is definitely
impressive, but I have to say that vocally CHARLES PITTS is not a super strong
singer, although for the bluesy rock of BLACK CAT BONES he sounds well enough,
especially during the album’s highlight such as Troublemaker, Act Like You
Don’t Care (very good, a la ROLLING STONES), Come On Down and Anything Can
Happen. Recommended to the fans of bluesy rock and roll the American way,
because the band sounds tight! Check them out at: https://www.blackcatbones.net/
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
JAY GORDON ‘LIVE
AT WOODYSTOCK 2022’ (INDEPENDENT/ FRANK ROSZAK RADIO PROMOTIONS/USA IMPORT)
JAY
GORDON AND BLUES VENOM is one of those awesome local blues rockbands in the
USA, and they delivered an awesome show at the Woodystock Blues Festival in
Laughlin, Nevada, USA, which is now available on CD. Jay is an amazing singer
and guitarist, who is able to keep you entertained from start to finish. He has
been in the business for over a long time now, playing with such greats like
ERIC CLAPTON, BB KING, JEFF BECK, SANTANA and many more, and this CD feels like
you’re with them down at the performance they did. Definitely a band that
should do well at the blues rock festivals in Europe, so hopefully that will
happen someday. Meanwhile, check them out at: https://bluesvenom.com/
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
MARCO GLUHMANN ‘A
FRAGILE PRESENT’ (GENTLE ART OF MUSIC/NINETEEN 73/UK IMPORT)
MARCO
GLUHMANN is the successful singer of the Germany Neo-progrockband SYLVAN, but
now delivers his first solo album entitled A Fragile Present. Besides singing and
playing the keys and guitar, he is assisted by some of prog’s greatest
musicians at the moment, such as STEVE ROTHERY (MARILLION), BILLY SHERWOOD
(YES), KALLE WALLNER (RPWL), YOGI LANG (RPWL) and several others. The resulting
album is a lovely calmer album that sits nicely between progressive rock and
popmusic in a way that it reminds me of SUBSIGNAL here and there. It’s melodic
and driven on strong choruses and hooks, while the guitarwork is absolutely
stunning, but with guitarists from MARILLION, RPWL and SYLVAN that isn’t a big
surprise either. The first couple of songs (Hear Our Voice, Never Say Goodbye
and Reach Out) immediately show that we are dealing here with a high quality
record that should appeal to both prog and pop fans. In fact, despite the material
is sometimes very pop orientated, Marco does it so well with a light prog
touch, even the progfans will appreciate it. On the other hand, if radio picks
up any of the songs, Marco could easily breakthrough as a successful pop artist.
However, he is a proggy from origin and will hopefully also continue his work
with SYLVAN. Thankfully with a GEOFF TATE meets MICHAEL KISKE kinda voice
(especially during a somewhat heavier tune such as Fearless) and the need for
poppy hooks and choruses, he now has delivered a superb solo record that should
definitely gain attention from outside the progworld! More info at: www.marco-gluehmann.com
(Points: 8.6 out of 10)
LUNEAR ‘FROM
ABOVE’ (INDEPENDENT/SPAIN IMPORT)
LUNEAR
is a Spanish Progressive Rockband formed around Jean Philippe Benadjer on bass,
guitars, vocals, Sébastien Bournier on drums and vocals, and Paul J. No on lead
vocals and keyboards, and From Above is their 4th album so far.
Musically speaking this is a great melodic calmer progressive rock album in the
style of RPWL, SUBSIGNAL, MARILLION, SYLVAN, etc, etc. Although they are not at
the level of the aforementioned bands, they absolutely deliver a great record
here with this From Above. In Their Eyes is the epic 25 minutes counting opener
that contains all the progrock elements to become a classic for the proggies
among us! The other 3 songs are shorter in length, but also very enjoyable to
listen to. I would say, check them out for yourself at: https://lunear.bandcamp.com/album/from-above
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
HALMA ‘DRIVING BY
NUMBERS’ (KAPITAN PLATTE/SONIC RENDEZVOUS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out
of Germany comes the instrumental progressive post-rock band HALMA. This band
has already released 7 albums before Driving By Numbers, which makes this their
8th album overall. The foursome is formed around Fiona McKenzie
(drums), Andreas Voss (baritone guitar), Gundi Voigt (bass) and Thorsten
Carstens (guitar), and the CD contains 4 long songs. The instrumental music is calmer
post-progressive rock based and despite they are not as good as for example
MONKEY3 or LONG DISTANCE CALLING, HALMA is doing things at a high level as
well, although a bit calmer than the 2 aforementioned bands. Check them out for
yourself at: https://kapitaenplatte.bandcamp.com/album/driving-by-numbers
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
MEANWHILE PROJECT
LTD ‘SIR MANDRILL’ (KAPITAN PLATTE/SONIC RENDEZVOUS/CREATIVE ECLIPSE PR/GERMAN IMPORT)
Out
of Cologne, Germany comes MEANWHILE PROJECT LTD, which is formed around vocalist
MARCELL BIRRECK and multi-instrumentalist MARCUS ADAM. They released their debut Marseille in 2020, and now follow it up
as a 5-piece band with Sir Mandrill. The included music is calm, atmospheric yet
melodic post ambient pop/rock with influences from DEUS and MOTORPSYCHO. 11
songs are included in total, and it’s one of those great calmer relaxing albums
that you can easily listen to as background music. The band does a great job
and it sounds very internationally, so who knows they will breakthrough with
this new album. More info at: https://kapitaenplatte.bandcamp.com/album/sir-mandrill
(Points: 8.1 out of 10)
CARLA DIRATZ & THE ARCHERS OF SORROW ‘BLUE
STITCHES’ (DISCUS MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
CARLA
DIRATZ & THE ARCHERS OF SORROW from the UK released their previous work The
Scale in 2021, and they now return with a follow-up entitled Blue Stitches.
Carla is an unique singer with a voice that sounds like a female version of TOM
WAITS, while the band THE ARCHERS OF SORROW throws in all kinds of music
influences to give it a very diverse sound overall. Besides Carla on vocals and
keys, the band consists of Martin Archer - saxophones, clarinets, keyboards,
electronics, Nick Robinson – guitars, Adam Fairhall - organ, electric piano,
Dave Sturt - bass guitar, Adam Fairclough – drums and Charlotte Keeffe –
trumpet. The music is a mix of all kinds of styles, and in the end after
repeated listens, I can only conclude that Blue Stitches is impossible to compare,
because it absolutely has an own identity in which you can find blues (mostly),
jazz and rock influences that are connected with a dark sorta experimental
prog/kraut approach. It’s unique and original, but mix up PATTI SMITH, TOM
WAITS, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, DR. JOHN, BAUHAUS, NEIL YOUNG and CANNED HEAT with a
bit of 70s kraut/prog and jazz/fusion, then you might get an idea (or not!)
what this more or less could sound like. Job well done for sure and I challenge
everyone to check out this rather interesting album at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/blue-stitches-169cd-2024
(Points: 8.3 out of 10)
SHIVER ‘MEETS MATTHEW BOURNE VOLUME 2’ (DISCUS
MUSIC/UK IMPORT)
The
covid period also gave us some really good new exciting music, such as this
band SHIVER, which consists of Matthew Bourne - piano, memory moog, Andy
Champion - electric bass, Joost Hendrickx – drums and Chris Sharkey - electric
guitar. They already released a volume 1 CD, and now there is volume 2. The
included music is experimental instrumental modern improvised jazz with a rock,
kraut and electronic music touch. They got together for 2 days and started
jamming, and the result can be heard on this CD. Interesting to see these 4
talented musicians coming up with interesting original music that truly stands
on its own, because it goes in lots of different directions and at some point
even ticks the progressive rock box in especially closing track Cactus &
Roulette, with interesting guitar solo variations. Check more at: https://discusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/shiver-meets-matthew-bourne-volume-2-170cd-2024
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
THE BAND FAMOUS ‘AWAKENING + TO BE FRANK’ (INDEPENDENT/USA
IMPORT)
THE
BAND FAMOUS is a duo from St. Johns, Arizona, USA who kindly sent me 2 of their
EP releases. Awakening from 2020 and To Be Frank is their recent CD release.
The duo consists mainly of multi-instrumentalist JACOB ALEXANDER FIGUEROA and
lead singer MARY NORELL JACKSON. She has a great strong voice that reminds me a
bit of SINEAD O’CONNOR, while the music is a sorta acoustic alternative pop/rock
with a bluesy touch, yet while listening it’s much more diverse and going
everywhere actually, such as the synth modern Promises that is almost Nu-Disco
and somehow the finest track they have done together. Overall the music sounds
very thin, with a drumcomputer being used most of the time, which is a pity,
because with a real band line up (including a drummer), the energy and vibe
would be very differently and much more alive than how it now sounds. Anyway,
Mary is now solo and working on new music, which hopefully also will see a
music change into a more rock band orientated format, because her voice would
suit that very well! Check it out for yourself at: https://bandfamous.com/
(Points: 7.0 out of 10)
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