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…
In what has become a tradition of sorts, this scribe caught up with renowned keyboard player Mark Stanway who is primarily known for his magnificent work with such legendary acts as Magnum and Grand Slam. Since 2018 he has been occupied with a fabulous musical outfit known as Kingdom of Madness, and this talented ensemble…
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: 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: 2025BAND URL: https://www.sonicbondpublishing.co.uk/other-books/phil-lynott-renegade A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of reviewing a thoroughly engaging and superbly researched book on the mighty Thin Lizzy titled Are You Ready? Thin Lizzy: Album by Album by author Alan Byrne. Shortly after, I purchased Byrne’s biography on the vagabond of the Western world, i.e.…
VENUE: Oslo SpektrumDATE: 09.06.2024 ORGANIZER: LIve Nation PHOTOGRAPHER: C. NepperPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. With a stellar line-up consisting of Return, Stage Dolls, and the legendary Journey, there was absolutely no excuse for sitting at home on this…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/HumanZooOfficial This is my first encounter with the German hard rockers known as Human Zoo and let me tell you right off the bat that I am wildly impressed with these guys and what they offer. We are off to a cracking good start with the bombastic and punchy album opener…
PHOTOGRAPHER: Oliver HaremsaPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. Conducting an interview with the great Doogie White is always a pleasure and a real treat; not only is he a true gentleman but his discography is also utterly impressive…
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.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: 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: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.heatsweden.com/ Very few hard rock acts are as interesting and cool as the Swedish phenomenon H.E.A.T are, and Extra Force is the perfect illustration of why that is. Comprised of a couple of brand-new studio recordings (‘Freedom’ and ‘Will You Be’), some classic tracks by the band that were originally sung…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.heatsweden.com/ Yes, this is just what the good hard rock doctor ordered for a dismal day at work – a brand-new and sparkling remix of the excellent Freedom Rock, i.e., the second full-length LP by Swedish legends H.E.A.T, which originally came out in 2010. It should come as no surprise…
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: 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://badrainmusic.bandcamp.com/album/room-to-breathe-ep-pre-order The German/British outfit Bad Rain turned out to be a mighty fine surprise and a most welcome listen to these ears in that this skilled constellation of musicians dabbles in melodically strong and potent hard rock that sounds current while simultaneously paying respect to some of the greatest bands of…
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://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/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/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,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/artnationswe/ Hard-hitting Swedish rockers Art Nation are back with a brand-new batch of energetic and hook-laden tunes that are stuffed with fist-pumping riffs, big vocal melodies, and punchy choruses. There is nothing radically different nor particularly original to what these guys does compared to many other acts out there, yet they…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://aprideoflions.com/ I am still quite enamored with Pride of Lion’s superbly crafted Fearless LP from 2017 and to a slightly lesser extent the follow-up from three years later entitled Lion Heart. Dream Higher bears all the hallmarks of its predecessors in terms of its sound and style, but sadly, the songwriting…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/stardustaor Hungarian hard rockers Stardust impressed me with their stellar Highway to Heartbreak opus from 2020, so naturally, I was excited about this brand-new offering named Kingdom of Illusion and curious as to how the eleven-track effort would compare to its predecessor. How do these compositions fare then? The short answer…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/cryofdawnmusic/ The Swedish melodic rockers known as Cry of Dawn, which is fronted by the talented Göran Edman, serves up eleven catchy and easily digestible tunes that harken back to the 80s and contain more than a cursory nod to AOR ala Journey. This sophomore album of theirs is a well-produced…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/SweetLynch/ Heart & Sacrifice is without doubt an output that a lot of fans and listeners have been looking forward to. The two previous records by George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob) and Michael Sweet (Stryper), namely Only to Rise (2014) and Unified (2017), gained a lot of positive feedback and some…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.wingertheband.com/ The American hard rockers Winger are back with an incredibly inspired and lively offering that sees the talented Kip Winger and his cohorts deliver some of the outfit’s most powerful and irresistible tunes to date, which is merely another way of stating that Seven is a fabulous slab of arena-sized…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/HouseofShakira/ These melodic hard rockers from Sweden impressed me with their Radiocarbon LP from 2019, and I was curious as to what this brand-new opus of theirs would be like and whether it would sound like the natural successor to the aforementioned record and be just as cool and exciting as…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/OneDesireBand The Finnish melodic hard rock outfit known as One Desire is bloody marvelous, and its five members sure know to craft a big and juicy tune filled to the brim with soaring vocals, stadium-sized riffs, and more hooks that one can possibly digest. Having said that, their previous live effort…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/album/6JLKckkEpI8YDQtzCkXGdd?si=_TVE0GwPQpC6lRiUhWrq4Q The enormously talented Joe Vana and his inspired project named Mecca are back with their fifth album, and this is a gorgeously melodic offering that displays class, sophistication, and depth. The vocals and harmonies are pure ear candy and there is an understated sense of beauty to these superbly arranged…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionSaints/ The third album by the star-studded project named Revolution Saints sees a significant change in personnel in that the supremely talented Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) and bad-ass bassist Jeff Pilson (ex-DIO, Foreigner) have replaced Doug Aldrich and Jack Blades respectively. Deen Castronovo is still manning the drum stool and handling the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.wigwamofficial.com/ I was rather enamored with Wig Wam’s Never Say Die opus from 2021 as it was an utterly confident, enjoyable, and energetic slab of memorable hard rock, and it is pretty frigging awesome to see and hear that their latest output, Out of the Dark, offers more of the same.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/khymeraaor/ Melodic rock is what Khymera is all about, and this follow-up to Master of Illusions from 2020 is certainly a polished and great-sounding affair yet one that lacks truly mind-blowing and memorable compositions. These gentlemen sure know their way around their instruments and the recording studio, and there are plenty…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/creyesweden/ There was a lot to admire and cherish about the previous output by these melodic rockers from Sweden, and it is most satisfying to discover that this latest effort of theirs delivers too and leaves very little to be desired in terms of quality songwriting. A loud, crisp, and bright…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/firstsignalband/ The previous effort by First Signal (Closer to the Edge, 2022) was neither particularly impressive nor as cohesive in terms of quality as it could have been, and although this follow-up entitled Face Your Fears is also somewhat uneven and contain a number of filler tracks, it is quite the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7tibwgLd3lI7eXXPwIJ8sH This debut album by vocalist Nevena came out late last year via Frontiers and is in many ways a mixture of melodic hard rock and AOR. The Serbian singer has teamed up with songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Michael Palace, which is a great move on paper, but while the two of them are…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://paulsabu.com/ Sabu is the brainchild of the wildly talented musician/songwriter/producer Paul Sabu who is known for his work with David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and Madonna among many others, and what a thrill it is to hear him tear it up on this exquisitely crafted solo album of his titled Banshee. While…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/landfallofficial/ I was very fond of Landfall’s debut album titled The Turning Point (2020) as it boasted great songs with a sense of immediacy and youthful vigor to them, so naturally, I was curious as to how their latest offering, Elevate, would turn out. Sadly, it fails to capitalize on the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://robmoratti.net/ The talented Rob Moratti (ex-Saga) has a new record out that showcases both his excellent singing and great compositional skills, and although it is a slick and polished offering that falls somewhere between melodic rock and AOR, it also possesses some nice (albeit subtle) prog rock flavors and heaps of…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/AboutUsNagaland/ It is not often that something as exotic as kick-ass and dynamic hard rock from India finds its way to my mailbox, but I am really grateful that this vigorous and passionate opus by About Us did as this is a fantastic debut album. Energetic and chock-full of good ideas, the talented ensemble merge the old with…
