RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/JoelHoekstra13 Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Revolution Saints, Cher) is not only one of the hardest working musicians out there but also one of the most talented and productive that I can think of, and a brief glance at his impressive resume should tell you all you need to know about this…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://originalasia.com/ Legendary prog rockers Asia returned to the stage last year with a reconfigured line-up featuring original keyboardist Geoff Downes, world-class guitarist John Mitchell, bass player extraordinaire Harry Whitley, and the fabulous drummer that is Virgil Donati. At the renowned venue known as Trading Boundaries in April 2025, the quartet performed the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/grahambonnetofficial/ The legendary Graham Bonnet (whose highly productive career in music has lasted for more years than he probably cares to remember himself) is set to release this cool-looking live album just in time for Christmas, and it is a robust-sounding affair all around. Bonnet is arguably best known for his work…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ronnieromeroofficial/ The immensely talented vocalist Ronnie Romero has become a household name in hard rock and heavy metal circles, which is hardly surprising given that he has lent his incredible voice to recordings by Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Michael Schenker, Vandenberg, Sunstorm, and Lords of Black just to list a few examples. His…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://honeymoonsuiteband.com/ These immensely talented Canadian rockers impressed me last year by means of their melodically rich and gorgeously crafted album titled Alive, so my hopes were high for this brand-new opus of theirs. Although lacking a bit of the vigor, energy, and immediacy that made its predecessor so memorable, “Wake Me up…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/wildnessofficial/ Wildness released a great and well-written album back in 2022 titled Resurrection, which blended melodic rock/AOR and hard rock to superb effect, and ever since then I have been looking forward to a follow-up to said piece of work. Their new record, Avenger, picks up the musical narrative where its predecessor…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/TheBandBigDeal/ The Big Deal hail from Serbia, and “immediately accessible” would be an apt description of what the quintet delivers on this twelve-track opus of theirs. They have certainly progressed as musicians and songwriters since the last time I listened to their stuff, which would have been the First Bite LP from…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.bonfire.de/ I recall reviewing Bonfire’s Pearls all the way back in 2016 and loving their take on huge-sounding hard rock and classic heavy metal with heaps of groove and class to it, and Higher Ground, which is their latest output, is a statement of intent and shows that there is still a…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/TheFerrymenofficial/ The Ferrymen impressed me greatly when they released their One More River to Cross opus from 2022, and with a line-up that is comprised of nothing but pure talent and skill in the shape of multi-instrumentalist and producer Magnus Karlsson, singer Ronnie Romero, and drummer Mike Terrana, that was arguably not…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/labyrinthitaly Truth be told, I was never really a huge fan of this Italian progressive power metal outfit as I found many of their earlier discs somewhat lacking in substance and longevity, or at least that is how it was for several years from my perspective. Having said that, their 2021 opus…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/wetofficialpage/ Receiving a new album by the fabulous international constellation known as W.E.T. is always a treat and this fifth full-length LP of theirs is no exception. Their line-up is akin to a wet dream (see what I did there?) to lovers of fist-pumping melodic hard rock and there is nothing…
Brazilian melodic hard rockers Landfall impressed me greatly with their spirited and energetic debut offering titled The Turning Point (2020) as it contained plenty of catchy tracks delivered with a sense of class and youthful vigor. The follow-up from 2022, Elevate, was a bit of letdown as it lacked those big, juicy hooks and memorable…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/nealmorse/ Neal Morse hardly needs any introduction to the prog rock aficionados out there, and his impressive back catalog speaks for itself. Personally, I favor his work with the amazing Flying Colors but that is a story for another day. The Nashville-based musician and songwriter is undoubtedly a virtuoso and his…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/gotusmusic/ This deftly executed slab of varied hard rock nearly got away from my enormous review pile but luckily found its way to the CD player before it was too late – something that I am extremely grateful for as the music housed in this great-looking jewel case is a fine…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/smokingsnakesofsweden/ Yes, this is just what I was in the mood for today – a raunchy and fiery blast of sleaze metal with a raw edge and a lively atmosphere to it. Swedish delinquents Smoking Snakes recently released this eleven-track debut offering of theirs via Frontiers and it ticks a lot…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/cobrakillrocks/ The German heavy metal/hard rock outfit known as Cobrakill unleashed their sophomore effort a couple of months ago via Frontiers and this 12-track slice of fiery fun is filled with adrenaline-fueled riffs, gang vocals, and a bad-ass attitude. There is no shortage of vigor and quality to this 80s-inspired blast…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.crazylixx.com/ Swedish hard rockers Crazy Lixx are consistently good and never cease to impress me with their high-octane, glam metal-fueled brand of loud, anthemic music. Well-played, tight as fuck, and relentlessly entertaining sum things up rather nicely, I think, and those attributes and characteristics also apply to Two Shots at Glory.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://honeymoonsuiteband.com/ Alive by the Canadian melodic rockers Honeymoon Suite was an album that I had looked forward to receiving and reviewing, and the cool thing is that it did not disappoint. Featuring some superb guitar work, excellent keyboard atmospherics, a tight and energetic rhythm section, and not least a great vocal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://jimpeterik.com/ There are few songwriters out there who can top the legendary Jim Peterik (Pride of Lions) when it comes to crafting a delicious AOR tune filled with irresistible hooks. This instalment in the “World Stage” project sees him teaming up with renowned singers and musicians such as Kevin Cronin (REO…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4HBC3DZwjOaVS5TQEt7fwB Medusa turned out to be a rather uplifting and enjoyable listening experience to these ears – more so than many of the other Frontiers projects conceived by the label – due to the style and tone of the record having a cool, groovy, and seventies-ish hard rock vibe to it.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/grandthebandsweden/ Swedish melodic rockers Grand are back with a new, pristine-sounding album that leans heavily towards AOR, which is no bad thing in my book, and I could easily see this outfit appealing to fans of Def Leppard, the Joe Lynn Turner-fronted version of Rainbow, and late eighties/early nineties Foreigner just…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/DurbinRock/ I quite enjoyed the pounding heavy metal exercise by the talented singer James Durbin that was The Beast Awakens, which came out in 2021. Rooted as it was in classic eighties-flavored metal inspired by the likes of Accept, Judas Priest, DIO, Jag Panzer, and NWOBHM in general, it provided lots…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://orcd.co/thegrandmasterblacksun The debut offering by The Grandmaster titled Skywards (2021) was a very entertaining and solid slab of epic heavy metal, and I recall thinking that this was one of those Frontiers Records projects that I would like to see continue and record a follow-up, which is exactly what has come…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://templeballsrocks.com/ These feisty Finnish hard rockers never cease to amaze me, and their latest offering appropriately named Avalanche contains an abundance of hooks and thrills that will make you lose your mind and go wild. You will also find your hand and fingers reaching for the “Repeat” button again and again…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/dgmprog DGM hails from Italy and is one of the coolest and most inspiring progressive metal acts out there in the humble opinion of this scribe, and Life once again sees them firing on all cylinders from beginning to end and delivering ten enticing and elegantly composed songs that are positively…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/secretsphere The Italian power metal outfit Secret Sphere rarely fails to impress me, and Blackened Heartbeat sees them deliver their most memorable opus to date. I cannot recall them ever having written such catchy and pleasing tunes as the ones that this LP is comprised off, and you get rip-roaring metal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1uDc5JEr1w The premise and idea of having Michael Sweet (Stryper, Sweet and Lynch, Sunbomb) and Alessandro Del Vecchio team up was an interesting one, and I was looking forward to Return Me to Light, but sadly, it turned out to be somewhat disappointing and lackluster. There is no denying the musical…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.voyageband.com/home With a core line-up consisting of superb musicians and a knack for crafting a pleasing and richly textured AOR tune, this is a pretty enjoyable musical affair and one that bodes very well for the future should Hugo and his skilled bandmates decide to continue down this cool musical path.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/careofnight/ The third record by the awesome melodic rockers from Sweden known as Care of Night is just the thing if 80s-flavored AOR gets you high. Everything here is easy to digest and instantly appealing, the production is pristine and oozes professionalism, and the number of hooks and catchy vocal melodies…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/LynchMobBand/ Renowned hard rockers Lynch Mob are responsible for some utterly cool and well-written records but their line-up has always appeared somewhat fluid and unstable, which is not necessarily a bad thing per say, but Babylon is the first time in a while that the band has gelled to such an…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://nightranger.com/ I am incredibly fond of Night Ranger and their (mostly) stellar musical outputs, and it is always exciting to receive one of their records for review. This latest one is rather special and a welcome addition to their discography in that it adds an extra dimension to some of their…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://youtu.be/dRCYtDQB36s?si=qH43DNocKPNUSdsW Now this melodic debut LP by the duo sporting the moniker Vitalines is an interesting one. With Robbie LaBlanc on vocals and Tommy Denander on guitars, bass, and keyboards, it is hardly as if the band lack pedigree, and when things work on the album, which they do most of…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Nitrateofficial/ With their fourth album these cool British rockers have well and firmly established their credentials as one of the more exciting AOR/melodic rock groups out there. Exploding right out of the gate by means of the hook-laden title track, these chaps definitely mean business and sound more confident and focused…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/edgeofforeverband/ The previous output by this group, namely Seminole from last year, was a fantastic and cohesive slice of epic melodic metal that ticked a lot of the right boxes for me, and this latest LP of theirs is just as vital-sounding and catchy as its predecessor was. These gents have…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/RonnieAtkinsOfficial/ The exceptionally skilled and charismatic Ronnie Atkins of Pretty Maids fame has recorded some of his finest work ever these past few years – both as a solo artist and with Nordic union. His third solo offering, which is rather appropriately titled Trinity, is a musically strong and incredibly well-written…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/kingscrowntheband/ The Swedish hard rockers known as Kings Crown recently released this deftly executed and well-written opus of theirs titled Closer to the Truth, and the actual truth is that this album rules from top to bottom. Boasting a loud and crisp sound that is quite heavy thanks to the solid…
VENUE: Troon Concert HallDATE: 23.11.2023 ORGANIZER: WinterStorm Festival (Plan B Events)PHOTOGRAPHER: C. NepperPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. Welsh vocalist and melodic hard rock sensation Chez Kane played the main stage at the brilliant WinterStorm festival on the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://m.facebook.com/Witheringscorn There was a sense, after the excellent The System Has Failed²⁰⁰⁴ Dave Mustaine’s intended solo album turned Megadeth’s comeback record (after the supposed 2002 end of the line), that Megadeth was back and stronger than ever. Dave Mustaine did not waste the momentum but, having previously gained former Black…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://www.edgeofparadiseband.co/ Also American and not that far removed in vein from A Dark Halo (whose 2nd full length I’ve just reviewed giving it a 5/6) the Californian alternative rock and metal quintet Edge Of Paradise released their 5th album Halo²⁰²³ on Frontiers Records on July 14th to follow Immortal Waltz²⁰¹⁵,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.vegaofficial.co.uk/ The previous full-length effort by these awesome British rockers was good albeit slightly uneven to these ears, but this crisp sounding new opus by the quintet is a totally different story. In short, Battlelines is Vega doing what they do best, meaning there is an abundance of tasty hooks, phenomenal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/traciiguns/ Blackbird Angels turned out to be a very cool and pleasant surprise in that it sees such skilled musicians as Tracii Guns (guitars), Todd Kerns (vocals), and Adam Hamilton (drums) teaming up to deliver a raw and raunchy slab of blues-infested hard rock. Two things that immediately came to mind…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ronnieromeroofficial/ Ever since becoming acquainted with the insanely talented singer Ronnie Romero thanks to a certain Ritchie Blackmore and his re-forming of the great Rainbow back in 2016, I have done my utmost to follow Romero’s career and work. His discography appears rather vast these days as he’s been working with…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://degreedmusic.com/ The Swedish hard rock sensation Degreed are back with a follow-up to last year’s near-flawless Are You Ready, and it goes without saying that I had been looking forward to cranking Public Address up real loud in the living room. I shall keep things short here and merely state that…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Vyperaofficial Vypera hail from Sweden and dabble in hard rock and heavy metal that harken back to the eighties in terms of sound and style, which is usually a very good thing in my book, but sadly, this sophomore effort of theirs is a bit disappointing in that it lacks those…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://www.joelhoekstra.com/ The brilliant songwriter and guitarist Joel Hoekstra has not only done wonderful things for Whitesnake but also released a couple of fabulous solo records, the latest being this 12-track effort titled Crash of Life where he is joined by a stellar cast of friends and musicians, namely Vinny Appice, Tony…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/Houstonsweden/ Melodic rock and AOR of the highest order are what this fabulous and utterly talented act from Sweden offers, and while the previous full-length disc named IV was an amazing and expertly crafted opus, this 2023 output of theirs is just as wicked due to its enticing atmosphere, melodic strength,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/screammaker Polish heavy metallers Scream Maker re-issued their enjoyable BloodKing album via Frontiers Records not that long ago, which was a solid effort, and I was looking forward to cranking Land of Fire (their fourth and latest LP) up loud and see how they had developed since then. Rooted in classic…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/JAMESROBLEDOOFICCIAL/ ROBLEDO – Broken Soul I was and still am quite fond of James Robledo’s previous album, the one named Wanted Man, and I am pleased to announce that his latest solo effort titled Broken Soul sounds like the natural successor and follow-up to the 2021 release. Broken Soul is very…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/JanetGardnerofficial/?locale=nb_NO Not being familiar with the previous offering titled Synergy by the skilled and musically powerful duo consisting of singer Janet Gardner and guitarist Justin James, I had no real idea what to expect when I popped this CD into the record player, but fortunately, I was in for a nice…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.frontiers.shop/new-releases/1580/v/a-steel-bars-a-tribute-to-michael-bolton-cd-jewelcase I was not entirely sure what to expect when I popped this CD, which is a melodic rock/AOR/hard rock tribute to none other than Michael Bolton, into the record player. Truth be told, I have fond memories of listening to Bolton’s songs on cassette tape when I was a kid,…
