Retroactive 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
24 June 2008

Be Afraid... be v-e-r-y afraid. No seriously, this is one scary CD in the old fashioned punk rock style of The Misfits, The Ramones, verses the metal sound of Dictators, plus the goth rock of Danzig and Type O'Negative. And what about the monicker, Grave Robber, and they're an Christian act? Wow, I haven't been exposed to this much fun since the last time we dug up grandma from the graveyard the other year.

Now, I couldn't care less about image, since we let music do most of the talking here (really?), however, I guess I need to type down a couple of words about these clowns. Yep, not only do they have scary career names such as: Wretched (Vocals), Nameless (Guitars), Maggot (Bass), and Dr.Cadaver (Drums). Nope, they also sport a shocking horror outfit in the style of GWAR, Lordi and Slipknot.

But according to the band,'the brown and red paint on the costumes symbolizes the blood of Christ covering our dirt or sin. The Zombie-like masks that cover our faces symbolize our earthly flesh or our sin nature'. Yeah, whatever, call me jaded, I'd say it's just another cheap trick to lure the kids into buying their CD's. Not necessarily a bad thing, since the music does kick like a mule to the head, if you fancy a punk/metal experience of above mentioned acts. However, I really don't see the point with their 'Zombie' outfit??? You know, considering the music they play (punk-ish) and the fact that average U.S. Christians won't take kindly to zombie nonsense. Seriously, I can't see too many folks inviting these lads to play at their church.

They have possible recorded the song of the year so far though. "I Wanna Kill You Over And Over Again" is amazingly fun and tongue-in-cheek. Not to mention catchy with a hook that The Ramones would kill for. Vocalist 'Wretched' does his best Elvis vs. Joey Ramone impression and it's a huge sing-a-long party for start to finish. They have a bunch of other really catchy songs: "Skeletons", "Burn Witch Burn", "Bloodbath", "Rigor Mortis", "Screams Of The Voiceless", Schizofied", "I Zombie", "Army Of The Dead", etc.

SunCity Records 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
23 June 2008

Those who lived the 80's glory days in Finland remember Finnish Androids (don't confuse them with the Aussies, Irish or Scottish The Androids), the dreamy hairband, who were among first hard rock bands in Finland coming up with a more melodic style, and delivering it in english. They first started out with singer Johnny Lee Michaels, then hiring Scarlette (Tommy Eriksson) and shortening their name to Androids. Their biggest hit was "Same As You", which caused the type of hysteria not very often seen in Finland back in the day. Teenage girls followed the band everywhere, who were quite the rascals, causing headaches to few who encountered the band. Still, I have only good memories with the guys and from their shows.

Back in the 80's it was tough for Finnish rock musicians, and there weren't many equiped with the world class skills. Although Androids had potential in their genre, their fame never reached any further than Spain, where their debut, their only album ever, was also released. The following hits for "Same As You" were an emotional acoustic ballad "When The Sun Turns To Rain" and the rockers "Let It All Out" and "Hard Lovin' Girl". Androids got aired on Finnish TV and radio a lot between 1987-1988, but the band was forgotten soon after the 80's hard rock scene faded. The guys are still working in the music business, and bassist/singer Jone Ullakko still plays in Jone's Bros, while singer Scarlette has been seen in Ageness, a progband and guitarist Ade Manninen in Monsterbore, a Finnish all-star band.

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
20 June 2008

Hey... look what the cat dragged in... sheer poison in the hands of Welsh rockers, Tigertailz. I've been told that Mark Hughes (Man Utd player at the time and Man City manager nowadays) danced along to the music of "Young And Crazy", but probably needed to be dead drunk to admit it (not really a problem since all U.K. football players were heavy drinkers in those days).

On the glossy cover of "Young And Crazy", their first and only release for MFN in 1987, the 'lads' appear in all their GLAMourous glory, a mess of lipstick, mascara, rouge, and hairspray. Yep, pretty much every band from U.K.'s Whitesnake to the U.S. Jesus rockers of Stryper, were professional crossdressers back in those days. Hey, I'm not passing any judgement thoughts merely stating the facts.

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
21 June 2008

Let's see... Paul Chapman as 'The Good', Fin, 'The Bad', and obviously Pete Way as 'The Waysted'. Originally released in 1985 and during the height of their notorious substance abuse, this platter followed on the highly coveted support slot on Iron Maiden's 'Powerslave' UK tour. Although Britain doesn't seem overly desperate for Waysted right now, this supper went down smooth in the mid-lands.

Starting up with a couple of raw AC/DC kind of rockers in the name of "Hang 'Em High" and "Hi Ho My Lady", what followed next would still end up as the biggest surprise. The fluffy piano ballad, "Heaven Tonight", doesn't really match their U.K. rock rather than a posh MTV friendly hairmetal powerballad. Fin's barbwire vocals, much like a spooky version of Rod Stewart, doesn't really fit the song, and thus why he was out of the band by late -85? The band decided to aim for the stars and America with a new U.S. singer (Danny Vaughn - Tyketto), a MTV friendly sound, and a posh re-recording of Heaven Tonight.

Retroactive 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
24 June 2008

Remember Titanic? That ship went down fast after a tragic meeting with an ice berg (not to be confused with Connors after a tennis court meeting with the Ice Borg). Ehhh... I'm obviously talking about the nineties act featuring Robert Sweet of Stryper and with two rather dull albums on their conscience (Maiden Voyage & Screaming In Silence).

Well, it seems like the very same geezers of Titanic were previously known as 'Final Axe' as they recorded the 'Beyond Hell's Gate' album on EastWest records in the late eighties. Anyhow, "The Axe Of The Apostles", meant to be their sophomore release in 1990, hasn't seen the light of day until present date. It's a more solid construction than their forthcoming debacle, then again, pretty much everything would stay better a float than a brick aka Titanic.

PFS 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
25 June 2008

"...A Bitter Beginning", dude, you can't help to wonder what they'll sound like after a couple of more albums and years under their belt. You know, when they r-e-a-l-l-y have stuff and issues to be bitter about. Like, music business, not the best environment for ever lasting companionship.

Prey For Sleep, formed 2006 in Austin/Texas, the band quickly set out to conquer the world through their powerful blend of melodic death and thrash metal. This is their 10-track CD debut (they have previously recorded a 5-song EP) with Grammy nominated producer Tim Gerron (M.O.D./Deadhorse) behind the control desk. I might as well inform you already: strickly intended for the real headbangers out there as you're immediately overthrown by a cascade of Pantera metal and hatered.

"Escape" is a mind opener and also a real kick to the head. It's been a while since I've heard such a demon-ish vocal performance. Actually, comparisons with Pantera are perhaps a little unfair, singer Hunter Townsend does not let anything go to waste, it's obvious that he's got a lot of issues and managed somehow to unleash them all into his vocals [:-)]. The lyrics are straightforward and speak of broken promises, empty words, betrayal, misconceptions, sell outs, and lack of remorse. Oh, it's a deadly bitter little CD, featuring double-bass drumming not of this world and ultra heavy power riffing.

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
21 June 2008

Now you can finally pick up a copy of the legendery Waysted EP or mini-album on CD. Released by Krescendo Records in remastered and expanded form, it's been something of a missing link in the Waysted story. There's actually a "funny" story behind this mini-album. Everything started out ok in 1983 with the UFO sounding album "Vices" on Chrysalis records. However, later on tour with Dio things got ugly or rather heavily toxicated.

Pete Way, drunk as a skunk on stage in Brussels, where the band ended the show with Ufo's 'Only You Can Rock Me', and the musicians walked off stage. Way doesn't realize this (due to you-know-what) and goes on singing and playing all alone on stage. Doing this he knocks down several amps, that fall on top of a roadie, who at his turn starts throwing things at Way and fists were soon flying in the air (hic!).

The result, the band lost the Chrysalis deal and this very mini-album was sort of a test-run for their new record label, Roadrunner. You know, to see if they could handle all the problems with a band such as Waysted [:-)]. The six original tracks, "Won't Get Out Alive", "The Price You Pay", "Rock Steady", "Hurt So Bad", "Cinderella Boys", "Ball And Chain", are all among the best numbers Waysted ever recorded. In fact, you could almost name this their best overall release. Short and sweet, but viciously rough around the edges. Plus, the raw and close to off key vocals by Fin does add a certain charm to the hardrock songs. This is true and blue collar music, sort of a UK working class salute of the year of 1984.

Spinefarm 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
27 June 2008

It comes as no surprise that the release of this single (or "EP", whatever you want to call it) was delayed. Spinefarm already messed around with the release of the album ("Heart Full Of Fire"), pushing it several weeks from the original release date. Unfortunately the first advertising campaign took place around the time of the first announced release date, just when there first reviews were published... and there was no product in the stores. Oh well, shit happens. The album's done nicely in the Finnish charts anyway, 6th week in top 30 as I write this.

The title track of the album follows "Runaways" as the band's second single. The nice, but somewhat bland "Runaways" would have never been my choice as a single, but I can't argue about the hit potential of "HFOF". The song flirts with dance sounds, and the chorus is as catchy as anything you'll likely to hear this year. And then there's the "guest star", Anette of Nightwish, who shares lead vocal duties with Pekka... that could be the X-factor to push this song to the playlists.

The remix by JS16 is an interesting one. The well-known Finnish dance music producer (Bomfunk MC's, Darude) has stripped everything but the vocals from the song, and turned it into a somewhat ambient-sounding dance track. I can't say that I'm too crazy about it, it's slower and the chorus doesn't work nowhere near as well as in the more bombastic original version. Still, if this remix gets them more airplay, then more power to them.

The other two songs are what make this EP more interesting. "Two Hearts" is a nice, ethreal ballad that reminds me a bit of Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". This would have been a worthy addition to the album, especially since there are no full-on ballads on the album. "Hungry For Heaven" has always been one of my favourite Dio songs, and Firetribe's cover turns it into a real killer AOR song with keyboards more prominently on display and bigger background vocals. Another contender to be the cover song of the year.
www.brotherfiretribe.com

Integral 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
16th June 2008

You should all know about Stone Gods by now, the band formed from the ashes of the mega successful Darkness, but without the catsuited shrieker Justin Hawkins. “Silver Spoons & Broken Bones” is their first album, and it's a million miles away from their former sound, bringing in big brass balls to replace the camp excesses associated with the Darkness.

Straight off, “Burn the Witch” nails it's colours to the pole and dares the listener to ever mention the “D” word again. This monster mosher is more like something from Black Sabbath or Priest than anything else, a full on fistful of metal that tells you in no uncertain turns that this is a new band with a new sound. Mind you, it's a cracking song with a good melody behind it that allows newly promoted vocalist Richie Edwards to get all his frustrations out as he does his best Rob Halford with gusto. It's not all shouting and swearing, though, as this is by far the heaviest track on the album. What you get elsewhere is a total mix of styles that may infuriate some but delight others. There's the 3 Colours Red stylings of brilliance that is “Don't Drink The Water”, the Western feel of “Where You Coming From”, the acoustic balladry of “Magdalene Street” or the Darkness flavoured “I'm With The Band” for starters. The album bounces around like a puppy on speed, throwing loads of ideas at you, with every one working in one way or another. For fuck's sake, they even do a Status Quo on “Making It Hard” and manage to make it work.

“Silver Spoons & Broken Bones” is an album that really shouldn't work as well as it does. It's a bit of a reviewers dream, as it's more of a brilliant compilation album than something you'd ever expect from one band. There's plenty of heavy shit, plenty of melodic shit, plenty of mid tempo shit, and the fact that none of it actually is shit is a bit of a miracle. As a singer, Richie Edwards does a great job coping with the different songs, able to scream like a banshee for the likes of “Knight Of The Living Dead”, another moshpit rocker, or croon like a soppy old git on “Magdalene Street”. He's not one of your technical super singers, but he's definitely the right man for the job here. It's about time the UK produced another truly original band to take on the world, and Stone Gods could be that band.
www.stonegods.co.uk

Escape 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
12 June 2008

Steve Overland attract what must be the most stubborn minded fans in the world. Wildlife turned out to be a disasterous affair in the early 80's and even though FM received good critical acclaim, the band never really managed to lift up and reach outer space. But if anything is guaranteed to make an old Overland fan go bezerk in the dark, this surely should/could be it?

This is supposed to be Overland's first solo album, however, all music is the work of former Grand Illusion man, Anders Rydholm. The Swede is also responsible for production, recording, arrangements, as well as keyboards, rhythm guitars, and bass. What exactly did Stevie do on his own solo album? Well... all the excellent lead vocals of course and most of the lyrics too.

Thus why you can find a lot of Grand Illusion and typical "Swedish" melodies on this CD. It's very AOR poppy at times, pompy at others, but always quite interesting and intriguing. However, do not expect an instant homerun as you need to spin this sucker several times to get the full impact. Opener "This Time" is like Grand Illusion lite as it's a mix of pop, pomp, and AOR. "Alive And Kicking" is more guitar oriented and in the vein of early FM. "Like A River" is hi-tech AOR of finest quality and similar to the Work Of Art CD. "Look Into Your Eyes" is a great ballad that Mark Free and Signal would have been darn proud of. "After The Fire" features dut-dut keyboards and a catchy refrain which we haven't really heard from Steve since his very early FM days.

LionMusic 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
12 June 2008

I had to check the disc several times for misprint as I certainly didn't expect it to sound like it did. Lars Eric Mattsson is an 'old dog' in this game and you know what they usually say about old dogs and new tricks. Not this time however as "Dream Child" is definitely a completely new chapter in the musical book of the guitarist.

Wave goodbye to all the husky male lead vocals of the past (well, you can still find Baltimoore's Björn Lodin on backup vocals on a couple of the tracks) and say hello to angelic female vocals by newcomer, Adrienn Antal. The music has also taken a slightly new direction and you could almost compare this to Lana Lane, Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation. Very progressive as always when it comes to Mattsson releases and now more gothic than ever before.

Z Records 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
16 June 2008

Originally released in 1999, this album was a compilation of unreleased recordings and more or less polished demos. Although this re-issue has been remastered and contains two bonustracks, it's still a rather mixed bag of more or less polished demos. As a collection of songs, I actually like this more than the latest "real" Lillian Axe album "Waters Rising", but at the same time, it's easy to see why some of these songs did't make it to the Axe albums. The production or the lack of it doesn't do justice to the songs, but that's what expected when we're talking about an album of demos.

Lillian Axe has always had a rather distinguishable style, and the melodies of songwriter Steve Blaze set them apart from their contemporaries. There are a few songs on this album which showcase this "magic of Lillian Axe" quite well, especially coupled with Ron Taylor's superb vocals. My absolute favourite is "Do It", which pretty much sums up the band's finest elements: power, melodies, great vocals, musicianship. Other favourites of mine are "For Crying Out Loud", "Kill Me Again" and the fine ballad "When It Rains". The Likes Of "Pulling The Rats Out" and "Blood On The Moon" are just plain dull, and unfortunately there a few songs like this album. The bonus tracks aren't anything too special, although it's a pity that especially the better one, "Throw You Away" suffers from a really poor production.
www.lillianaxe.com

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
9 June 2008

"Crash And Burn" from the ancient time of 1980 was an adventures attempt to break new territory as it's a slightly more varied approach to music 'ala Pat Travers. The Canadian's previous albums were (find reviews in our massive archive) more basic 'meat and potato' rock in the old school of blues. It takes merely a couple of seconds of opener and title track, "Crash And Burn", to realize that other influences were at play this time. Its cloase to jazzy approach will certainly not please each and every fan of the man.

"Can't Be Right" is more straight rock in the vein of Eddie Money. However, the real winners of the bunch were the two most basic blues rockers of the album. "Snortin Whiskey" and "Born Under A Bad Sign" are the songs that have stayed with him through the years and are still important ingredients and favourites of any Pat Travers live performance.

SoundPollution 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
9 June 2008

War, war, bloody war, it's yet another friggin' album about the art of war. Nope, we are not a bunch of peace lovin' hippies and do enjoy a good bloodbath in the form of game, movie, or CD. However, it's getting a bit boring already as it's yet another war concept album by the Swedes of Sabaton. It's like Manowar and all of their song titles featuring the word 'metal' or Running Wild and their pirate outfits.

And don't get me wrong, 'Death Or Glory' by Running Wild is the best friggin' speed power metal album in the world (superb from start to finish). We all know that 80's Manowar albums are all essential pieces in any metal fans private collection. No reason to rush out and buy every second rate version of mentioned acts though. Not entirely the truth as Sabaton do have their own sound and style, it's merely hidden under a thick layer of all the 80's ga ga.

Frontiers 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
12 June 2008

(F)irst (U)nderground (N)uclear (K)itchen. Oh, it's almost too clever really. What you get is FUNK and it's hardly the A+++++ quality in the vein of Prince or Dan Reed Network. Nah, this is more like a mindless Funk without any proper direction or charm. It merely keeps on boppin' in the background and it's darn difficult to recall any melodies at all really.

There's however always an exception to the rule and "Love Communion" is possible the track of the month. Marvelous funky guitars and with a catchy hook featuring a fake (keyboard) horn section. I'am also very fond of the aggressive funk of, "We Shall Be Free", plus the sweet, seventies, soul ballad of "Imperfection". Check out the latter for an excellent vocal performance by 'The Voice'. But the song is no way near the high quality of the soul, r&b of The O'Jays, Temptations, Gaye, Bill Withers, Hayes, etc, etc.

Frontiers Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
5th June 2008

Okay, so you all know the story, right? You know... Journey get a new singer from YouTube of all places, with Neil Schon jetting in young Arnel Pineda and changing him from being a covers singer to the real thing. So far, so Judas Priest I suppose, but the proof is, as they say, in the pudding. “Revelation” is that pudding, seeing Pineda tackle eleven brand new Schon/Cain compositions as well as getting his vocal chords on eleven Journey classics. As puddings go, it's bloody tasty, and it's time I dropped the food metaphors and started talking about the music, yes?

From the off, it's one hundred percent no holds barred Journey, with “Never Walk Away” cementing it's place as one of the band's all time classics. Complete with catchy chorus, cool guitars and, to be frank, amazing vocals, it's gonna stay on my ipod forever. Pineda sings like an angel, albeit an angel that sings like Steve Perry, if you see what I mean. You can pick your corner in this fight, and for myself I acknowledge that the guy is what some would refer to as a Perry Clone vocally, but as that's the sort of voice that goes perfectly with the music I'm not going to complain. At the end, he sounds great, and that's what counts for me. After such a storming start, “Like A Sunshower” is a little disappointing, as it's a very “Lights”-esque offering. “Change For The Better” brings back the harder edge, and it's another classic sounding tune, showing that the guys can still write songs as well as they ever could. “Wildest Dream” follows up nicely, afetr which we get a new version of “Faith In The Heartland” from “Generations”. I say it's a new version, but really it's almost identical, and an odd thing to include here, even though it's a classy song. It's back to ballads after this with “After All These Years”, a pretty standard Journey slowie that reminds me of a mixture of “Faithfully” and Westlife's “You Raise Me Up”. As with Perry era ballads, the songs is really made by Pineda's soaring vocals, and I can see it going down well live. It's a pattern prevalent throughout the album, with the band cranking up the guitars for one or two songs before throwing a big ballad straight at you. It makes it hard to really get into the album, because as good as the ballads are there are too many of them. It reminds me of “Raised On Radio” which had the same problem of being overloaded with slower songs. Okay, so it's only really 4 out of the 12 songs, but it really would have been better if the ballads had been limited to 2.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the inclusion of an instrumental song, "the Journey (Revelation)", which is five minutes plus of masterful musicianship that showcases some exceptional guitar playingfrom Neil Schon. Another nice thing at the end of the album is the European release bonus track “Let It Take You Back”. A great song that we can piss of the Americans with, it's a foot tapping party track that sees Pineda lowering his register slightly and sounding more like himself, one would assume. It's a good closer to an album that will relight the fire in the hearts of Journey fans, except those too pig headed to give it a go.

A couple of months ago I raved about Italian band Myland, whose “No Man's Land” album seemed to out Journey Journey themselves. If you stand the two albums side by side it's a close race, as “Revelation” has plenty of songs that could only have come from Schon and Cain. On the other hand, Myland rock out for just about the whole of their album, which makes it more fun to listen to. Having said that, some of the ballads here are very good, and Arnel Pineda is an even better singer that Myland's Guido Priori (quite a feat). Hmmm... what to do. Tell you what, just buy both albums and you won't regret it. I think Myland have the edge overall, but "Revelation" is a really classy album that will give you pleasure for years to come.
www.journeymusic.com

Demolition Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
6th June 2008

I've been reading up on Kentucky band Hydrogyn, and have read quite a few glowing tributes to their last album “Bombshell”. The phrases “Great song writing” and “Catchy hooks” were raised, but after listening to “Deadly Passions” a dozen times I just can't see or hear anything to get over excited about.

First up, the obvious focus of the band is singer Julie Westlake, a woman not afraid to look both cheap and ridiculous on an album cover. Sticking such images on the front of your CD is a good way not to be taken seriously. The ten tracks contained within are neither great nor awful, nestling somewhere in between. All the ingredients are there, like pretty good singing, some cool guitar, some good choruses, but nothing stands out, except perhaps the chorus to “Seroquil”, which stuck in my head more than anything else on the album. After this many listens I should be able to at least sing along with a track or two, but “Deadly Passions” is so unremarkable it just goes in one ear and out of the other. There's a decent cover of Alanis Morrissette's “You Oughta Know” that works pretty well, but the original is such a classic the cover is pretty redundant.

Although not as soulless as Lauren Harris, Hydrogyn is female fronted rock by numbers. There's just no real spark, nothing that makes you go “Woah!” at any point. Colour me unimpressed but slightly entertained nonetheless.
www.hydrogyn.com

Demolition Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
5th June 2008

Okay, so here's the Legend: Russ Ballard (yes, that one) spotted this pretty girl singing and was so impressed he blah blah blah (you know the drill), without even knowing she was the daughter of Iron Maiden's Steve Harris. The part of this I find hard to believe is that anyone would see Lauren Harris singing and think that she could ever make it. It's not that she's a bad singer, but she's so painfully average that I sincerely believe that if it wasn't for her parentage she'd never get out of the pub rock scene.

“Calm Before The Storm” is Lauren's first album, mixing up nine original tracks with three covers. Starting off with Gun's “Steal Your Fire” certainly works well, as it's a great song. Lauren does her best with it, and comes off pretty well, although as with so many covers it's not a patch on the original. Even the first original song, “Your Turn”, made me think that this wasn't going to be a bad album at all – it's a good, uptempo track that is nothing new but a good listen nonetheless. Unfortunately it all goes to shit with two excruciatingly old school plodders and a slower track (“From the Bottom To the Top”) that sounds like a poor demo, then it goes downhill. I had to double check that the album was mixed by Kevin Shirley, with the difference between this and the new Journey album being vast. The main problem is that Harris puts almost no emotion into the singing, and coupled with an average voice and songs in the key of 'meh', it all adds up to a lackluster album that should never have been recorded.

When I was a teenager, I would buy everything as long as it had a pretty girl on the cover. I went to see the likes of Gypsy Queen and Lisa Dominique because their music was okay and the looked hot. Lauren Harris would fit in nicely with these, but unfortunately she's twenty five years too late. There's a few good tracks, including a decent version of the 70s classic “Come On Over” (originally by Stray), and the catchy “See Through”. Overall this album doesn't even show potential, with too many below average songs to make it worth checking out. All that's left for Lauren Harris is an undeserved gig at Twickenham, followed by a slide into obscurity and perhaps a tour with the equally middling Kelly Osbourne is she's lucky.

(Dammit! I was determined not to be too mean, but I went and listened to the album again!)
http://www.myspace.com/laurenharrisuk

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
25 May 2008

Ka-blaam!!! Here's a slightly different blast from the past. Like all the other kids, yours truly grew up watching MacGyver on tele. A rather sappy U.S. series about the adventures of a secret agent armed with merely his dodgy sense of humor and a swiss army knife. It had it perks though, like the lovely Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher) and of course, the recurring villain and MacGyver's nemesis, Murdoc. What's that you say? Murdoc is a hardrocker??? Get out of town, no, seriously, give me a call when you hit Reno!!!

OK, it's appearantly all true, Murdoc was a hardrocker of the name of Michael Des Barres. And yes, I knew of him as a brief member of Power Station (he actually fronted the band at the Live Aid Concert in 1985), but I never put two and two together. Mainly due to the fact that I couldn't care less about any Duran Duran side project as a kid. Funnily enough, I do enjoy all that 80's Pop nowadays.

Anyhow, Des Barres started out as a Silverhead in the early 70's, continued with Detective, went solo in the early 80's before teaming up in 1983 with Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Nigel Harrison & Clem Burk (Blondie) and former Iggy Pop guitarist, Tony Hunt. The five of them became Chequered Past, who, with their one and only release for EMI records in 1984, produced one helluva cool guitar oriented rock album.

This is frankly just a barrel of fun. Kikk-azz rock'n'roll in the vein of: Shark Island, Billy Idol, The Cult, and the at the time future solo album by Steve Jones, 'Fire And Gasoline', 1989. It's loud guitars, catchy choruses, and one helluva attitude. Opener, "A World Gone Wild" is THE perfect mix of Billy Idol, The Cult, and Shark Island. Seriously, people always talk about how Axl Rose of Guns'N Roses stole the Richard Black (Shark Island) persona and stagecraft. Well, I'm sure Black noticed Des Barres in 1984 as they played the same L.A. scene and stole a lot of his fire and attitude. Des' is however more of a classic rock vocalist than both of them though... and perhaps a better one too.

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
24 May 2008

Robin 'H-H-H-Heartline' George (Life, Notorious) and Glenn 'The Voice' Hughes (Deep Purple, etc, etc.) recorded this album in 1989. This was supposed to be the first step on the ladder back to success and to the top for Hughes after his stint with Black Sabbath. No such luck though as the project halted abrupt and the 10-track album was never officially released.

Unreleased no longer though as Krescendo Records has finally made it avaliable. Produced and recorded by George at his studio in Wolverhampton (Steve Bull forever?), the semi guitar hero was also responsible for playing all the instruments and writing most of the songs. Hughes co-wrote four of them though. You'll quickly notice tracks such as: "War Dance", "Don't Come Crying", "Flying", and "Machine", they could just as easily have been from George's 'Dangerous Music' release.

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
25 May 2008

Marcus? Who the f**k is Marcus??? One of the most obscure and underrated 70's hardrock albums ever - that's who. Well, not as much 'underrated' as 'we've never even heard about you', since you can't really underrate something as criminally ignored and underground as this release. Named after power vocalist, Marcus Malone (a natural vocal hybrid of Glenn Hughes & Rod Stewart) and with Tim Bogart (Vanilla Fudge, Bogart, Cactus) as guest bassist, they released a one off album in 1976 before disappearing into complete and utter obscurity. Malone would not turn up on the face off the earth again until late 90's/early 00' as a blues performer of the old school.

According to the sheet, in issue 1 of Kerrang, this album was featured in the 'Strickly For Konnoisseurs' section. Yeah? well, that only helps older rockers, the first kerrang was issued when? 1982? Nevermind. Let's do a quick track by track. Opener "Black Magic" starts with a riff similar to Purple's 'Space Truckin' before it turns into Alice Cooper. "Salmon Ball" is heavy funk rock, "Kelly" is basically a fine Rod Stewart ballad with the gutsy attitude of Aerosmith. "Gypsy Fever" is very much 'out there', almost too much hippie rock for my personal taste (much like a lot of 70's Scorpions).

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
27 May 2008

It's hard to remember... I reckon, and even harder to forget. I'm obviously talking about the silly effect of 'super stardom gone sour'. You know, at least according to all the great (hint: sarcastic mode) A&R representatives of the mid 80's. They must all have gone completely bonkers - not wanting to sign a deal with Phil Lynott's post-Thin Lizzy act, Grand Slam.

Grand Slam - fair enough, not exactly the best thing since sliced bread. But, c'mon... they would easily have sold a couple of million copies of albums anyhow. And they were certainly worthy of a record deal looking at the line-up with Lynott (vocals/bass) and Magnum keyboardist, Mark Stanway, Lawrence Archer (gtr), Robbie Brennan (drums), Doish Nagle (gtr). Recorded live at Glasgow's Mayfair in October 1984, the band opened up the show with a keyboard oriented attack of "Yellow Pearl". Giving the audience and faithful a sneak preview of what later would become a Lynott solo hit, "Nineteen", and not the expected first single release off the Grand Slam album. Again, what were they thinking?

The continuing with "Sisters Of Mercy" make an impressive start despite the band's struggle with record labels and, I guess, new members such as the at the time, twenty one year old, Archer. It may somtimes appear cheap and nasty, soundwise, mainly due to a average PA system? However, no worse than any Frontiers or Metal/AOR Heaven live release. And here you have a major joker in the deck. Lynott sure could sing the 'blues' and his soulful voice breaks through any speaker - no matter what.

Artist Worxx / MusicBuyMail 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
03 June 2008

Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the ever-revolving merry-go-round of the Hard Rock world. Everyone seems to have at least a couple of bands going on, and especially many of the vocalists in the genre are real "travellin' men". One such travellin' singer is Carsten "Lizard" Schultz, who's been in Domain, Evidence One and Midnite Club during the last few years. Of course it's understandable that musicians need several projects to make ends meet, but at the same time, it might be confusing for the end customer.

The driving force behind Midnite Club is guitarist Steffen "Seegi" Seeger, who has produced the album and co-written the songs with Schultz. A couple of the songs were co-written with Robby Boebel of Evidence One/Frontline fame, and the track "Danger Zone" is a cover of the Top Gun-track originally sung by Kenny Loggins.

"Circus Of Life" is a well-produced melodic hard rock album which should appeal to the fans of German Hard Rock band such as Frontline, Domain and Jaded Heart. I don't know why, but German rockers tend to have a sound of their own. Schultz tends to sound a bit like Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart), and some of the songs remind me a lot of Frontline, and not only the ones co-written by Boebel.

The highlights for me are the keyboard-driven opener "Circus", "Afraid Of Love", "Behind My Eyes" and the cover "Danger Zone", which has been given a harder edge than the original. Steffen Seeger throws in some tasty shredding, and guest keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg adds some cool touches to the song. Unfortunately the rest of the songs aren't nowhere near as good, and don't leave a lasting impression.
www.midniteclub.de
www.myspace.com/midniteclubofficial

Krescendo 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
26 May 2008

Spider, not to be confused with the U.S. act, consisting of Amanda Blue, songsmith, Holly Knight, and future Ace Frehley and David Letterman drummer, Anton Fig. And they changed their name to Shanghai anyhow, simply to avoid any confusion with their English namesake. Nope, this particular Spider was formed in 1976 by the Burrows Brothers (Brian - bass/vocals and Rob -drums). They first played the club circuit in their native Meresyside until they moved to London in November 1978.

The 'undisputed U.K. kings of boogie rock' during the years of 1983-85, you know, when Status Quo decided to call it quits for their first of many 100's attempts. They've done a lot of 'farewell' tours since and they're still at it - cheeky buggers. It's basically twelve bar boogie and three chord rock, the Status Quo kind of way, only not quite as impressive and fun.

I must say that I find this to be the poor man's version of Quo and not really something to dance the night away to. Yes, the two albums, "Rock N' Roll Gypsies" (1982) and "Rough Justice" (1983), did receive a lot of praise in U.K. magazine at the times, but there's absolutely no reason to wet your pants. They also believe to have the best football team in Europe... but you won't find them at Euro-Cup in June. Ouch, that's just rude, no need to get ugly (too late), just for the record, U.K. footie and Premier League rules - ok.

Emperor/Naxos 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
27 May 2008

The #1 Bryan Adams wannabee of Sweden in the past. Hardly anymore though as Stefan Andersson's latest CD reeks of laidback singer/songwriter stuff. But let's be honest, his sort of slick radio friendly albums of the past were always about hits and misses. And let's be really frank (I thought he was Bryan?), it was mostly about misses and a couple of really great songs in between (Catch The Moon, It's Over Now, Walk Right On).

The Gothenburger delivers a collection of tunes that will either drive you completely bananas or help you find true serenity. I can't say that I noticed much of the latter as there's simply not enough of hours in a day to make me wanna play this over and over again. At first listen, "Nr 90 Kleist" sounds like a nu-psychodelic take on Bob Dylan without much of either a structure or plan. At second listen it's merely just modern singer/songwriter material without any real killer song(s) or meaning.

Sakara Records 2008
Review by Lasse Korpi
24 May 2008

From melodic guitar intros to massive vocal performances and with an tight and well fitting drum performance the new Diablo album "Icaros" is everything you would want from a band of the new age of heavy metal.

The first time I heard about Diablo was when I found out they were going to open for Metallica in 2007 with HIM. I didn’t quite know what to expect but after a couple of songs I could tell that this band was great. Any band that has to open up for a band like Metallica should keep a low profile, but these guys did it with style. So the question is can a great live band like this make an even greater album? Even if this is Diablo’s fifth album, it is always hard for a band that mostly is know for there great live performances to make an album that will leave the listeners with the same feeling of excitement and hunger for more. All I can say is that "Icaros" will leave the listeners hungry for more like never before. Songs like "Resign From Life", "Bad Sign" and "Chagrin", just to name a few, will hit the listeners like a wall of sound and rock attitude that will get anyone begging for more.

Diablo has quite a list of great guest stars on the album like Tuomo Saikkonen (Mokoma), Tommi Salmela (Tarot), Jarkko Ahola (Teräsbetoni) and many more. Probably the only thing that bothers me is the fact that almost all the songs sound the same but why would anyone care when it still sounds so good that you could listen to it over and over again. The lyrics and the album cover have got their influence from the Finnish movie "Kahdeksan Surmanluotia" by director Mikko Niskanen. Like Rainer Nygård (lead singer and rhythm guitarist) says that the album cover and the lyrics would be completely different if it weren’t for the movie. I haven’t seen the movie so I can’t tell how it reflects to the lyrics but the lyrics remind me of the older Diablo material so I don’t really mind cause I like it.

The new Diablo album "Icaros" is great, maybe not great enough to be epic, but still an album to be a must for every metal lover. If only Diablo would make their next album with a little variety and maybe some kind of twist so that they could capture the elements of their live performances. Still, "Icaros" is a great start of something special.
www.diabloperkele.com

Violent Journey Records 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
May 2008

The Finns Domination Black are continuing the horror music saga Lordi hyped Europe with. Might not be intentional, which I doubt, because Mr. Lordi himself does guest vocals on this EP's "The House Of 1000 Eyes", a track that has a playful swing to it with light keys in the back. A juicy kickoff for the 5-track EP with 80's feel a´la Ozzy and Judas Priest, even early Sentenced. The dynamic arrangements hit right at home, DB is a classy act with each member standing out as equal and strong.

The Kiss cover "A World Without Heroes" has gotten new life to it, being more powerful than the original and updated, and DB has managed to hold on to the emotion too, the keys and guitars crying and Kilgast singing the song warmly. "Evil Has Found A Home" sounds like a soundtrack to a horror film featuring additional evil voice, that reminds me of Chucky or something similar to what King Diamond would do, it's also on "No More Again (H.F.H.)". On the first mentioned track they've found the right place. DB should in the future be really careful not to overdo the horror cliches to keep this level of credibility.

AOR Heaven 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
24 May 2008

The fourth album from German hard rockers Dark Sky sees the band fine-tuning their sound and becoming a tighter unit than before. This is a slightly more metallic effort than their previous album, and if I previously compared them to Scorpions and Bonfire, I might throw in Helloween, Masterplan and the likes to the mix as well.

The album kicks off with "Hands Up", which is bound to be a live favourite. Straightforward uptempo beat and cool riffs lead the way to a strong chorus, and I'd imagine there will be a lot of hands up in the air during this song... The title song is another cool song that showcases the newly-found urgency of the band - sharp riffs, uptempo rhythm and excellent melodies. Many German hard rockers tend to favour the plodding "marching beat", but thankfully Dark Sky do not. Track number three is another proof of that, a good uptempo rocker called "Slave Of Time".

"Send Them To Hell" is one of the less impressive tracks, a bit of a "German Metal by numbers" kind of track with a strong Accept-influence. The melodic "Chase Your Dreams" is better, as is the Michael Sembello-cover "Maniac" from the movie "Flashdance". "Saints Beneath The Sky" has another strong chorus, but even better is "Pleasure & Pain", which is one of my favourites with its' excellent hook.

The moody "Believe It" is a remake of a song from the band's first album I believe. I haven't heard the first version, but this one is a good one. I can't say that I'm too crazy about the band's big ballad "Meaning Of Life", which sounds a bit too contrived to these eyes. It has a big hymn-like "wave-your-hands-in-the-air" chorus for sure, but it borders on being corny. The hidden track "Final Day" is also a ballad and it's more sincere, unfortunately it doesn't have enough meat around the bones.

I may have granted the previous album the same rating, but having re-visited it, I must say that I was perhaps a bit too generous back then. "Empty Faces" does deserve its' rating as it's quite a bit stronger than its' predecessor.
www.dark-sky.de

Prog Rock Records/SPV 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
19 May 2008

This new young Italian prog metal band has probably listened to Dream Theater a lot because on their debut album called "Flowing Portraits" you can recognise a couple of familiar DT riffs and melodies. Soul Secret was founded in 2004 and after a couple of personnel changes the band finally found their ideal line-up and signed a contract with Prog Rock Records. "Flowing Portraits" was mastered by no one less than Karl Groom, guitar player of Threshold.

The music of Soul Secret can be best described as a blend of prog rock, metal and symphonic rock. Certain musical passages remind me of DT, Dynamic Lights and Mind Key. This is obvious as the ex-lead singer of Mind Key, Mark Basile, did all the vocal parts on this CD, as Michele Serpico was too ill to do the recording.

"Dance Of The Waves" is the opener and this is a great prog metal track filled with staccato riffs, amazing guitar parts and outstanding melodies. During "First Creature" and "Inner War" the piano tends to become more dominant and because of that the music sounds much more like Dynamic Lights during those two songs. The abolute "failure" on this album is the boring, acoustic song called "Regrets". But if you skip that song then you can enjoy a rather great prog metal album after all.

Rivel Records 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
22 May 2008

Holy Water and Mother Mary. There's truly high-pitched vocals to be found on this CD. It's almost too much and over the top at times, especially since we're talking about male lead vocals here. ReinXeed is more or less a one man project and the creation of Tommy Johansson (vocals, gtr, keys, bass, orchestration, programming, and of course: songwriting).

Discovered by a member of Majestic Vanguard at MySpace, signed by Rivel Records, and co-produced and mixed by Jani Stefanovic of Divinefire, "The Light" is something as unusual as a christian, fantasy, concept album. It's about the two kingdoms, Reindhill and Heelh, once united, the latter fell to greed and the harmony between them ended in silence (what? no violence and bloodshed?). It's of course up to God to retain the goodness and restore the kingdoms, for the prophecy of a perfect world had to be...

It's double-bass drumming, tempo furioso, and music in a similar mode to Dragonforce, Rhapsody, plus the fluffy harmonies of Robbie Valentine. But although the CD flexes the power metal muscle, the projects diversity has to be heard to be believed. Tommy has the gift of hi-pitch flexibility veering from spine-tingled Michael Kiske stuff to a more not of this earth-esque mood.

Rivel Records 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
22 May 2008

Stonefuze is merely Cornerstone under a new banner. Indeed, we're talking about the Swedish band, formed already back in 1989 and with albums such as "Dust", "Flying Gasoline" and "Jesus Rides A Harley Too" in their vast back catalogue. I guess the name changed took place to avoid any confusion with their namesake featuring former Rainbow vocalist, Doogie White.

Nevertheless, the Christian heavy blues band are still quite reminiscent of Finland's Peer Gunt. A lot heavier and more intense than in the past though. They're actually using a similar approach to guitar and bass sound as Leviticus did on "I Shall Conquer" and "The Strongest Power". It's raw and naked with a wealth of grinding noise and gasoline.

DMV Music 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
24 May 2008

Back in 2001, I got a package from David Vaccaro. He sent me his "Lost Demos" CD, which featured songs sung by Robin McAuley and James Christian. Despite the lo-fi equipment the songs were recorded with, they sounded pretty good, and I stated that in my review. Now, 7 years later, Vaccaro's "V-Project" returns with a "New Machine", and once again, Robin McAuley is co-piloting the vehichle. Only this time, Mr. Vaccaro sings many of the songs on his own, and does and okay job with them actually.

The "Lost Demos" was a bit of mixed bag, but on "New Machine" the V-Project seems to have found a more defined style. As vague as the term is, "Classic Rock" does describe the album quite well. You'll find a lot of influences from the 70'ies and some from the eighties - a bit of Zeppelin there, some Aerosmith here, and I'll be damned if one of the songs didn't sound like ZZ Top's eighties' material. The biggest nods towards modern sounds are the instrumental "Desert Run" which combines almost techno-like sounds with gentle acoustic guitar parts, and the orientally flavoured "You Don't Care" with it's aggressive chorus. McAuley doesn't often sound as angry as he does on this song...

Even though the album has its' merits, I just can't really get into it. Many of the songs seem to follow the blues-rock formula with the emphasis on the lyrics, and that doesn't appeal to me that much. Some of the lyrics on the album did save otherwise average songs for a while, I didn't skip to the next song just because I wanted to know how the "story" would end... of course, that effect didn't last for long. No matter how good the lyrics are, in the end it's the music that counts, and this time the music didn't win me over. A few songs with bigger hooks would have been a worthy addition to the tracklisting.

Once again I'll have to say that don't take my word for it, if you're into the classic rock sounds of the seventies you should really check this album out. Vaccaro's production is good and the fine lead vocals from McAuley are an added bonus.
www.dmvmusic.com

Blue Violet 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
May 2008

MoonMadness has had their debut underway for a long time, also going through singer and drummer changes, Antto Tuomainen and Heidi Bergbacka being the bands fresh"men". In between the album process they've been gigging, also supporting Yngwie Malmsteen, and releasing one track singles, which have gotten good rotation on radios. Their 70's-80's classic rock style is easy for anyone to digest, and for the old Feedback members Otto Hallamaa (guitar) and Juha Leppäharju (bass) playing this type of melodic rock came natural. Their earlier bands, including a Deep Purple cover band, weren't far from what they're playing today.

Having reviewed the bands each release since 2006 I still stand behind those good words. MoonMadness is still strong, and since their first single release "Thunder" they're now even stronger. This debut includes all the single songs, and finally after the one track releases "All In Between" shows the bands capability in the whole rock genre. Releasing their demons, or moreso angels, they with ease churn out exceptional classic rock ballads and rockers. "Stroke Of Midnight", "Shot Through The Wing", "Too Much To Lose", the straight shooter "Torn", truely Purple-mannered "Ain't No Angel" and the thundering "Thunder" are the rockers, while the melancholic "Before It's Too Late", a chillingly longful track "Victims Of The Moon" and the closing track, mid-tempo rocker "On The Edge Of Madness" are more or less ballads and/or emotional rides.

Phil Vincent 2007
Review by Alan Holloway,
14th May 2008

Okay, here's another release from rock workaholic Phil Vincent, once more going under his solo guise after the slightly disappointing Circular Logik album. Straight away, “White Noise” is an improvement, with Vincent delivering some first class melodic rock with “How Long”, a song that throws a catchy riff with some great harmonies that immediately makes me sit up and look forward to the rest of the album.

Thankfully, “White Noise” is as consistent an album as Phil Vincent has ever made, scrubbing away the averageness of Circular Logik with some proper classic rock that will delight existing fans and hopefully win him a few more. As per usual, Vincent does just about everything himself, save for some lead guitar on seven of the thirteen tracks, as well as writing and producing the album. By now he should know what he's doing, and the album sounds pretty good, with a decent mix that doesn't short change any of the instruments. Musically, this is no frills classic hard rock that mixes up the likes of Deep Purple, The Scorpions and Whitesnake, along with a dozen lesser bands. There's plenty of big riffage and some excellent guitar solos, with most of the songs following a well tested template.

“White Noise” can be seen as a positive album for Phil Vincent, delivering some good music. Whilst it doesn't leap out and kick you straight in the balls like some of the better albums of the year so far, it should stand the test of time as a solid, enjoyable disc that is worth coming back to if only to play a little air guitar to.
http://www.philvincent.com

SunCity 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
15 May 2008

According to the info-sheet, the Johnny Crash CD should feature Dizzy Reed and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses fame. Not that easy to check and confirm actually, since there's absolutely no info about any band member in the sheet nor CD booklet. But... I did find a small pic of the former Jeff Paris drummer, Matt Sorum, so I guess it's ok, then?

The music of Johnny Crash is straight and simple Acca Dacca stuff with a sleazy twist. Every other track will either have you thinking about AC/DC or Junkyard. The three-chords are literally flying across the room and it's hardly the most original sounding release of the year.

"Monkey See Monkey Do" is the most basic 'meat and potato' rocker of them all. Its simple, raunchy riff, vaguely reminiscent of each and every Acca Dacca tune of the Brian Johnson era, will do just fine on any friday night. "Mama Don't Care (What She Don't See)" is a rather predictable, but strong on adrenaline, rocker in the vein of Junkyard and Skid Row (the 2nd album - 'punk' tunes). But it certainly works and I can't blame them for wanting to sound like these fine acts.

Plastic Passion 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
13 May 2008

"Marseille" is the fourth album from Hundred Million Martians. Although the band is based in the same corner of Finland as I am, these are the first songs I've heard from them. I've seen their name in the local magazines every now and then, but somehow I was under the impression that they are some sort of a boring, pseudo-intellectual college pop band. Shame on me, as I've now learned that they are actually a decent pop-rock band.

The band has an interesting selection of tunes which range from the almost Ramones-like "Across The Street" to the Rolling Stones-flavoured swagger of "UC/BC", with a couple of more indie-tinged pop tracks in between. My favourites are among the more uptempo rock tracks, of which the opening trio of "New Year's Eve", "Backseat Of My Car" and "Life Ain't That Bad, Girl" stands out. With a little help from fellow Turku-based rockers Ben's Diapers, the band has put together big background vocals for these tracks, making the choruses quite strong. The "men's choir" is used throughout the album, and on a few occasions it sounds a bit too much, bringing up images of a quartet of elderly gentlemen in suits and ties humming the choruses next to a rock band...

Even though the song material is varied enough, as an album experience "Marseille" is doesn't really work that well. The somewhat one-dimensional vocals of Jyrki Mäkelä work ok in small doses, but after a while they tend to start irritating me.

PS. Hanoi Rocks fans might be interested to know that Michael Monroe is featured on three of the tracks, playing harmonica and saxophone.
wwww.hundredmillionmartians.com
www.myspace.com/hundredmillionmartians

Playground 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
15 May 2008

"On The Verge"... of a nervous breakdown. Indeed, there's no real temptation in listening to a full CD of mediocre vocals. Asgård was formed in Krasnodar/Russia in 2003. The lyrics are all in the language of "English", however, the eastern accent will spoil an otherwise fun, melodic, power metal album.

Honestly, it's like watching a Eurovision Song Contest, half of the competition wouldn't know how to pronounce "live" from "life". Ehem, not that 'Opus' ever took part of the euro crap, if you can recall a rather horrible pop-hit of the 80's. The music on the other hand is pretty good though. Steeped in the U.S./U.K. rock of Rainbow, Crimson Glory, and Yngwie (yeah, he's a swedish meatball), Asgård doesn't want their band to be seen as a part of the Russian folkmusic. And who can blame them. There's actually far more to the band than such a restrictive tag would suggest, and it's just too much of a stereotype really, poor lead vocals if you're an Russian act.

ZinkMusic 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
8 May 2008

Robbie Dupree, one of those artists which I've only heard about and never actually had the pleasure of listening to in the past. "Time And Tide" is my very first encounter with the man and his music and I can honestly say, I would/could not have appreciated this sort of stuff as a kid or teenager (too bleedin' soft and corny).

I believe you get a broader, more open-minded, approach to music as you enter adult-hood. If not, well, then you're basically a juvenile, narrow-minded, piece of %¤¤#"%. But seriously though, what about Dupree? Well, there's absolutely no intent of being 'hip' or modern, nevertheless, "Time And Tide" is a timeless display of bona fide smooth, soulful, jazzy, westcoast music, which just as easily could have been recorded in 78', 88', 98', or for that matter, 2018.

There's no gimmick, merely an musician's honest endeavour to produce the best friggin' soft platter of the century. Indeed, there's no better representation of ultra-smooth "Westcoast" music. He's practically building bridges out of air and turning water into wine (easy now, he's not the actual savior, you know), right infront of your eyes... ehh... ears. It's so easy somehow, simplicity at its finest content, yet, complicated enough to have you scratching your head in disbelief. Excellent production, colourful texture, killer vocals, and overall top class performance and musicianship.

Indie 2008
Review by Endre 'Bandi' Hübner
7 May 2008

Taking a look at the artwork for the obvious reason Icon's classic album "Right Between the Eyes" came into my mind. When I played the album I thought to myself it was pretty much Icon in 2008: bombastic melodic rock with catchy hooks and a great sound. Hard to believe it is an independent effort.

Taking a further look at the photos of the CD booklet one will see we are not talking about teenagers but seasoned veterans, hence the instrumental confidence and the studio experience. The band produced the album themselves and the result is as good as a major label release, sometimes even better. The song material lives up to the classic late 80s/early 90s materials, obvious comparisons would be bands like Treat, early Pink Cream 69. Heaven's Edge, etc. Yet this ain't no nostalgic material but absolutely fresh stuff full of energy. Sometimes I had a hard time believing the songs were recorded these days and not back in '89 or so, they really sound so authentic. When taking a look at the photos of the guys (they do look as bad as Dr. House) you have to ask yourself how they managed to conserve so much energy for so many years.

Massacre Records 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
May 2008

German melodic progband Dreamscape decided to re-record a selection of songs off their first two albums, "Trance-like State" (released 1998) and "Very" (1999). All the songs have been re-arranged and completely re-recorded. The bands discography also includes "End Of Silence" (2004) and "5th Season" (2007). Roland Stoll was the singer on the latter one and "Revoiced", but his place has now been given to Mischa Mang. Since the first two albums both had different singers it seems like the vocalist spot is really windy in the band.

This year should treat the fans with another album, "Breathing Spaces", and hopefully Mang will stay longer than just one or two albums. "Revoiced" includes a bonus, the title track from their forthcoming album, which shows the talents of Mang, and his deep tone sounds good, he's quite the Tobias Sammet when he's not screaming. The song has various influences and tempos and jumps from feeling to another using heavy riffs and pianos. Another bonus is the video "When Shadows Are Gone", which wasn't included in the promo cd. Mang isn't the only change in the band. Their drummer is mentioned to be Michael Schwager now, who doesn't play on this album though.

Metal Heaven 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
7 May 2008

This was supposed to be an exclusive double CD package, where disc two hold bonus tracks from the archive of Soul Doctor. Yeah? well, we've merely received disc one for review though, nevermind the rest, it could probably not stand the RockUnited test.

"That's Live!" was recorded over Europe (yup, it clearly reads 'over' on my CD) between 2005 and 2007. Bloody 'ell, it took them 48 months to record 13 tracks? There's however an unmistakable confidence about Soul Doctor's retro rock swagger. Almost too much of a self belief at times, these German euro contenders setting out on a well trodden path of melodic hardrock music.

Gravitas Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
9th May 2008

A few years ago, I enjoyed listening to and seeing Brit hopefuls The Ga Gas, a band that was all guitars and attitide and seemed tied together with other new exciting bands such as Hurricane Party, The Glitterati and The Black Velvets. It was a pretty exciting time for fans, but none of the bands really made the impact they should have, with the Black Velvets vanishing and Hurricane Party now trading under their new name Heavens Basement. The Ga Gas called it a day as well, but have resurfaced as Slaves To Gravity with a new album that presses pretty much the same buttons as they did before.

“Scatter the Crow” is, if I'm honest, a rather grungy album. It makes you think of the mid nineties and bands like Send No Flowers or Pearl Jam, thrusting bass heavy riffs and mournful vocals at you like a child poking a tiger with a stick. The problem is that, good as it is, it never really gets going, never reaches out through the speakers and gives your brain a good shake. You can listen to Slaves To Gravity and know you're listening to some damned fine grunge rock, but it's hard to really care that much if it doesn't reach the parts other albums reach. “Scatter The Crow” is a pretty good album, and I'll lay money on them being shit hot live, but as a whole it doesn't pull all the strings that I hoped it would.
http://www.slavestogravity.com

DM 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
3 May 2008

"The Inner Circle" is a independent Prog-Rock album by Germany's Dante. First of all, I really must congratulate the lads for an excellent display of design and concept on their twenty pages booklet. It's the work of vocalist Alexander Göhs, appearantly a rather skilful photographer and art director (check out his site at MySpace).

Secondly, Dante have achieved a sound and production that compliments their IQ [the band - not their actual intelligence :-)] vibe and overall nice Prog-Rock influences. "The Inner Circle" is a growing, rather professional sounding CD that will surely appeal to people who like their Prog without the metal edges and melodies of the late 80's acts.

WildKingdom 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
4 May 2008

Gemini Five - fast earning themselves the tag of "Sweden's new sleaze sensation" in the early 2000. We're writing down 2008 now and they are fading quick like a flower in the presence of Lemmy. Though they are still hanging on to their rockabilly sleaze, the Swedes now lack all the trademarks of proper quality rock.

Frontiers 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
7 May 2008

I don't get it... why would you try so hard to erase your musical past??? Michael Kiske is clearly ashamed of his Helloween past, considering he's been constantly trying to piss off his old fan base, you know, ever since he left the pumpkins. It's funny though, according to the info-sheet, Kiske is one of the most respected and loved singers of the scene. Really? all this must have been taken place some time before he basically named all the fans "idiots" for still enjoying the Helloween albums.

"Past In Different Ways" is Kiske's laidback take at the Helloween material which he wrote. The acoustic arrangements are indeed basic and they've sometimes even changed around the key to make them sound better? But the thing is, Kiske sings the melodies at the top of his lungs, like it would still be the loud power metal of the past and not the acoustic rock of this CD.

Polygram Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
1st May 2008

I'll be honest, and admit that Def Leppard's 2006 covers album "Yeah!" left me pretty cold, even arctic at times. There were a few good tracks but mostly it was pretty dire and looked like the final throw of Def Leppard's career dice was a double one when they needed a couple of sixes. Two years on, and "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" has arrived to coincide with the bands much hyped co headlining tour with recently rejuvenated rock monsters Whitesnake. The good news is that The Leps are back with an album that should delight the loyal fans that have stuck with them over the last 28 recording years. The bad news? There isn't any, which i suppose is more good news.

At first, this album didn't quite ring my bells, and on first listen I was happy to dismiss it as a good album but nothing more. A couple more spins and the songs started to worm their way into my head, and I found myself eagerly awaiting certain tracks (Elliot's "Bad Actress" being a pure hard rock standout). A bit later I found myself looking forward to hearing the ballad (the very White Lion-esque "Love") and I knew that the album had me. In fact, the only thing that I don't look forward to is opening the booklet and looking at a picture of Rick Savage that, quite frankly, makes him look like Suzi Quatro after a makeover...

Musically, "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge" is stuffed full of great melodic rock. It's not immensely innovative, and those who want 'another Pyromania' will be disappointed once again. Realists, however, will enjoy a well crafted rock album from a band that, like Whitesnake, have proved that they can still make it happen where it really counts. The opening riffs to album leader "Go" rattle out from the speakers, followed by a thundering bassline that reminds me of "Slang" but a little better. It's a good start, an aggressive opener that says Leppard may be melodic rock but that doesn't mean they can't wave their balls in the air every so often. Single "Nine Lives" has more of a traditional riff and melody akin to "Armageddon It". Throughout the album some superb melody lines are dragged out, with all the band except Rick Allen contributing to the writing pretty equally. With only one ballad it's a full on hard rockin' album, with all the other tracks being well paced and designed to be listened to with a smile on your face and a foot that won't stop tapping.

"Songs From the Sparkle Lounge" is, for me at least, the most complete album the band have produced since "Hysteria", and even then it's more concise and not worried about impressing listeners and critics with how awfully clever it's being. I didn't think that Leppard as a band could match Phil Collen's side project Man-Raze, but I would rate both albums as being as good as each other, although this is more clean cut. If you're going to see any of the gigs this Summer then this, as well as Whitesnake's "Good To Be Bad", is pretty much an album you just have to get.
http://www.defleppard.com

Escape 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
2 May 2008

Welcome to the magnum opus of Alliance. To be frank, I sort of gave up on this "super-group" years ago - Robert Berry (Hush, GTR, Ambrosia), Gary Phil (Boston, Sammy Hagar), David Lauser (Sammy Hagar), Alan Fitzgerald (Night Ranger). All of their previous attempts had been nothin' bout disappointments and average rock. It seems like they've finally found their "Road To Heaven" though, since this is a great collection of songs in a classic sort of way and style.

Indeed, they are no longer stuck in their early albums rut. They have progressed, but managed to do so without compromising themselves too much. They've basically taken what they already had and improved on the formula with a more basic rock approach. You'll find more influences of Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Tom Cochrane, than ever before, and it works nicely along with the Giant (Last Of The Runaways), Bad English, and Night Ranger sound.

Tracks such as "Make A Stand" and "Anything Goes" are almost classics in their approach, complemented by Robert Berry's distinctive vocal style in the vein of Dan Huff (Giant). The excellent keyboard work by Fitzgerald makes tracks such as "Like Me Like That" and "Broken Glass" sound like stuff off the first Bad English album (great!). "Comin' Home" is a rough guitar rocker with matching vocals in the style of Mellencamp and Huff. "Walkin' Away" is a 50/50 affair in the style of Tom Cochrane vs. Giant, and "Remember Those Days" borrows quite a lot from the sound of The Last Of The Runaways.

Demolition Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
24th APril 2008

Some of you may be aware of Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13, from his work eith the Murderdolls or even Frankenstein Drag Queens From the Planet 13. He's a busy little chap, apparently having a lot of fun making horror themed music, something he's been doing for over ten years now with quite a bit of success. Whereas fellow shock rocker Marylin Manson sparks outrage wherever he does (mostly for no good reason, admittedly), Wednesday 13 comes across as more mischievous scamp than Satan worshipping loony.

One look at the tracklisting tells the listener exactly what to expect here, as titles like “Scream baby Scream”, “Gimmie Gimmie Bloodshed” and “All American Massacre” suggest that perhaps Mr 13 isn't a fan of kittens and bunnies (unless they're being decapitated or something). Musically, it's nowhere near as bad as it could be, with the songs coming across as pretty well thought out, meaty and often quite catchy, despite the themes. It's an easy thing to compare him with Alice Cooper, so why shouldn't I do that? Wednesday 13 and Alice would go well together, perhaps augmented by a bit of the Misfits for good measure. Sure to delight rebellious teenagers everywhere, “Skeletons” is a good piece of horror rock that isn't half as nasty as it first appears.
http://www.myspace.com/officialwednesday13

Frontiers 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
23 April 2008

Wow, "Never Again" is a great opener for an album. It's such a great little number that I started thinking in big words and a raving review. It's definitely just as good as the best of Asia. However, they were always about hits and misses anyhow. Seriously, I discovered the band in the mid 90's and I could never really understand all the fuzz about these geezers.

"Phoenix" is however the ultimate Asia reunion with the original line-up of John Wetton (vox/bass), Steve Howe (gtr), Geoff Downes (keys) and Carl Palmer (drums). What they have basically come up with here is a carbon copy of their first two albums. It's very much the sound of 1982/83 and it's like they've never even heard about any other music during all these years.

SubSound 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
28 April 2008

"The Death Of A Man Called Icarus" - a geezer of the Greek Mythology. Icarus' father, Daedalus, attempted to escape Crete, where he and son were imprisoned at the hands of King Minos. Ehem, due to a rather bizzare coupling between the Queen and a bull??? (don't ask). The result: the Minotaur (please see previous request). Anyhow, to make a long and rather boring story short. Father and son escaped on wings of wax, Icarus flew too close to the sun (which of course melted his wings, duh!) and crashed into the sea (aka the Icarian Sea).

... And what did we learn from this story? Yes, too much acid will eventually melt your brain, damn hippies. The music of Zeroin is a completely different story though. Their freshness and competence makes for an truly enjoyable CD in the style of rock of today. It's once again a Italian act who works inbetween genres and with both synth and metal influences. It's typical though, once you play the disc, it takes a slow time about getting started. However, just when you're about to check for misprint, the CD literally explodes into a cascade of dark, catchy, modern rock/metal.

MetalHeaven 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
28 April 2008

Give me one reason to stay and I'll give you M.ILL.ION reasons to leave. Simply replace, stay with buy, leave with not, and you'll get one helluva starting point for a lousy review. Not at all. It's not quite as bad though. However, I must admit that I''m feeling a bit disappointed, especially since their previous album turned out to be such a winning concept.

The first five tracks are actually all steeped in a similar mode as the "King Size" album. Thus why they are all winners too. Splendid hammond work by the ever so present Johan Bergqvist, plus soaring vocals by Ulrich Carlsson, gets the album quickly into hyper speed.

Indeed, "Thrill Of The Chase", "Menace To Society", "Slave To You", "The One Above", the latter heavily inspired by the Deep Purple sound and featuring a fine chorus in the vein of Scandi-Rock, are all pleasing to the fan of previous M.ILL.ION release. Very high-class, very metal, and also very much like the King Size album. That's also my biggest objection for not liking this to the point of giving out a eight, nine, or even a perfect ten rating (well, I haven't handed out a perfect ten in six, seven, years time).

Racing Junior Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
24th APril 2008

Animal Alpha have finally got round to releasing a full length album, and it's exactly what you would expect if you've been following them since the release of their debut album “Pheromones” in 2005. the Norwegian quartet have become known for blistering live shows at various festivals. 2008 sees them release this, their second album, but is it good enough to launch this slightly nutty band into the public consciousness?

One thing Animal Alpha don't do is subtlety. “YPFTWSBYONTE” is an album stuffed full of shouty, melodic, weird metal mayhem guaranteed to get an audience distributing dandruff as the guitars scream out aggressive riffs time after time. Vocalist Agnete Maria Kjolsrud is the scary focus of the band, looking and singing like a demented circus clown who has finally snapped after years of pies in the face. With the heavy music and her powerful yet offbeat vocals, Animal Alpha can be compared to Brit Metal goddesses McQueen, if they replaced their current singer with Bjork (if Bjork was in the middle of a really bad period at the time). This is a powerful album, with some great songs like “Bundy” and most recent single “Pin You All”, but it tails off a bit towards the end, as if keeping the momentum just wore the band out.

From the reviews I've seen, I may be in the minority, but Animal Alpha aren't quite the band I'm looking for. They have some good songs and a crazy visual style, but in the end there's not quite enough punch in the album to keep me coming back for more. Regardless, it's pretty entertaining for the most part, and those that are curious should check them out, especially on video.
http://www.animalalpha.com

ZinkMusic 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
25 April 2008

Okie-dokie. Daniel Andersson from little Sweden is a new name on the Westcoast scene. His music is however representive of the sound created in California during the late seventies and very early eightees. It's very laidback stuff in the vein of Steely Dan, Marc Jordan, etc. and with one feet standing in the soul genre too. In fact, the opening track had me thinking about both Eric Gadd, Steely Dan, and rather dozy elevator music.

Gesundheit!!! Here's a thought for ya'. How come foreign people always write songs about America (U.S.A.) instead of their homeland??? Seriously, they've spent a lifetime at home and yet, a couple of friggin', "Days In L.A." is enough to throw it all out through the window and, 'let's re-write my entire background history'. Yes, I get that we are ALL inspired by the MUSIC of all the great bands from the states. But, c'mon, at least your LYRICS should/could tell stories about something else than "L.A." and like the opening track of this CD, "Glamorous Hollywood". It's so, 'been there, done that', and by much greater bands from the actual U.S. of A

LionMusic 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
25 April 2008

Emir Hot is appearantly THE Yngwie Malmsteen wannabee of the Balkans. Seriously, look no further if you crave for another widdly-widdly guitarist in the vein of the barking mad Swede. This fellow has been spending most of his teens at his parents basement with a guitar and amp as only companions.

It's Neo-classical, melodic metal, the balkan way, and "Sevdah" is merely their way of saying: bollocks. Nah, just kidding, it's supposed to be their word for the entire eastern balkan music genre or sumthin (ahh, ignorance is bliss). Emir does however mix both styles into his guitar playing and thus why the rather suitable title. He even went to back to Bosnia to record some traditional instruments (Emir lives in London nowadays) and mixed and mastered the album in Croatia.

NuclearBlast 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
24 April 2008

Hmmm... a weary album, this, it switches from being decent metal to utterly dull with ease. The digi version comes with a bonus DVD, I'm told. I'm not entirely sure it helps though. In places, "Carved In Stone", sound a little like their early albums, but elsewhere it merely sound like unoriginal thrash and bad Rage rip-offs. It's remarkable stale at times and the tawny lay-out doesn't add any colour whatsoever to the big picture.

Avenue Of Allies 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
2 May 2008

"I'm going through the motions - simply going through the motions". Nah, there's no such lyrics on the disc, but it sure would fit the lack-lustre experience of listening to Frozen Rain. This my friends is AOR by numbers and I believe they've skipped three and four and went straight for the eight ball in the left corner pocket (that's enough snooker for a while, yeah?).

Frozen Rain does lack the two most important ingredients when it comes to music. #1 - a decent vocalist, #2 - decent material. I could actually end the review right here as there's nothing much else to write home about. But here goes anyhow. There are actually five different lead vocalists and not one of them half decent enough to cope with the hi-pitched harmonies. Sure, you could probably get away with murder and vocalists such as these, if you're playing loud heavy metal or noisy punk rock, but smooth AOR? I think not.

AFM Records 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
17 April 2008

"Delusions Of Grandeur" (an interesting title by the way) is Circle2Circle's fourth album and this one is definitely heavier than the previous concept album "Burden Of Truth". Guitarplayers Andy Lee and Evan Christopher are dominantly present at this great melodic power metal CD. Their riffs and solos really set the tone on this album, like e.g. in songs like "Dead Of Dawn" or "Waiting".

Zak's vocal parts are again, as usual, out of this world and this is particularly noticable in breathtaking songs like "Echoes" and the absolute highlight of this CD called: "Every Last Thing". By the way this is also the first single of the album and it is a song that will stick to your ears for a very long time as it is one of the best Circle2Circle songs I have ever heard!! Other great songs are "Seclusion"(with a Savatage-like intro), "So Many Reasons" (featuring an awesome chorus) and the powerful titletrack.

Sony/BMG Records 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
17 April 2008

Satch's 13th studio album is again a must for guitar freaks all over the world. However if you are a beginning amateur guitar picker - like yours truly - then you might get frustrated listening to Joe's six strings fireworks. "Super Colossal" dates already from 2006 but the wait of two years was worth it, as the new songs are even better! This is pure instrumental bliss as Joe's impressive breadth of styles never leads to guitar boredom. His solos are again very distinctive and his Ibanez does wonderful things again...

The opener "Musterion" starts with mysterious bass riffs followed by Satch's dazzling solos with lots of vibrato. "Overdriver" - the title says it all - features lots of powerhouse chords, dreamy solos and even some Jimi Hendrix-like rock passages. One of my favourites is "Revelation", a song with those typical Satch gooseflesh melodies at some time even reminding me of Steve Morse. "Come On,Baby" has a cool, jazzy like intro followed by sparkling solos, piano parts (played by Joe himself) and even some tambourine.... The longest track is:"Asik Vaysel" and this one features some Middle Eastern motifs and of course again some smashing solos. Last but not least we are treated to a flamenco flavoured song, so with acoustic guitar passages and solos, but luckily also with lots of electric solo playing.

AFM Records 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
18 april 2008

This is Jon Oliva's third album with his "new" band JOP and I must say that it is probably his best so far... "Global Warning" is a very diverse CD with lots of heavy songs but also with pure melodic songs dominated by the incredible voice of the Mountain King!! Once again several new songs are based on ideas Criss Oliva had recorded on those now famous tapes discovered by Jon's wife in that shoe box..... "GW"is an almost perfect blend of heaviness, sensitive yet bombastic arrangement, crazy humour and musical depth that we all have been waiting for.

The opening, title track, features a great bombastic Trans-Siberian-like musical intro followed by some dark Savatage-like stuff. "Before I Hang" and "Adding The Cost" are mainly aggressive rockers and songs like "Look At The World" or "The Ride" bring back memories of those good old "Streets" days!

Retroactive 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
15 April 2008

"Fire It Up" is actually a re-recording of X-sinner's "Peace Treaty" sessions, recorded in 1991 at the infamous Pakaderm Studios in California. The band were however not at all pleased with the production of the Elefante Brothers and decided to leave the label. Unhappy with the final product and the lack of biting guitars, they (Rex Scott, ex-Zion: vocals, Greg Bishop: guitars, Rob Kniep: bass, Mike Buckner: Drums) re-recorded the whole she-bang in Australia and edited it later in the states.

They've always been labeled as the Jesus rockers mix of AC/DC and Def Leppard and you won't get a better description here. It's very much the sound of Def's "High N' Dry" and "Pyromania" albums vs. the entire back catalogue of Acca Dacca and especially the era of Bon Scott and early Brian Johnson. I'am personally very fond of their first album (Get It - 1989) and original singer, David Robbins, who also sang on the first Mastedon release by the Elefante Bros.

Killbee Records 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
21 April 2008

Ever since Kilpi emerged to the Finnish metal scene, they've divided opinions. Those who are against the band sometimes seem to be the most vocal ones, dismissing the band because of their lyrics or because of the melodic nature of their songs. Melodies and occasionally romantic lyrics are for wimps of course - "real men" can not listen to this kind of music. Well, I prefer Kilpi to the "Äijä-Metalli"-bands, because for my money, the magic of music is in the melodies. If that makes me a wimp then so be it.

"IV" is the fourth (what a surprise!) Kilpi album and while it doesn't offer any major suprises when it comes to the music, some changes have taken place "behind the scenes". Guitarist Pete Kilpi wasn't able to contribute much to the songwriting, and he asked the others to step up to the plate. They did, and especially drummer Janne Kattelus proved to be a true writing force to be reckoned with. What's more, none of the guys tried to drastically change the band's style, these songs are easily recgonizable as Kilpi material.

While I think that "the definite Kilpi album" is yet to be released, I must commend the band for their rather good track record. Each one of the Kilpi albums has had a few tracks which have become staples in their live set, and despite a few dodgy tracks here and there, all of their albums have been quite good. "IV" is a good addition to the band's discography, and I'm sure that a few of its' tracks will become big fan favourites.

The first single "Tuli, Vesi, Ilma ja Maa" is a good opener, with its' powerful riffs and a somewhat funny chorus. The very "teutonic" macho choir reminds me a lot of Accept and Hammerfall. I have a feeling that this one might remain in the band's setlist for quite some time, and unlike some of the band's previous singles, this shouldn't be too wussy for real metal fans! "Sisäinen Vihollinen" doesn't really move me one way or another, decent enough track but forgettable. The melodic "Seireeni" is much better, and among the stronger tracks here. "Järjen Riemuvoitto" is quite the opposite, a heavy, plodding rocker that wouldn't be out of place on a Kotiteollisuus or a Trio Niskalaukaus album. It does sound a bit out of place on a Kilpi album.

The next four songs all get my vote, each one of them has a good chorus and fine melodies. "Kunnes Kuolema Meidät Erottaa" is Pete Kilpi's sole contribution to the songwriting, a very strong song with a bit of a Queensrÿche vibe, while "Elämän Vanki" sees lead guitarist Aleksi Summe taking charge of the songwriting. Apparently there's no shortage of songwriters in the band, as this is a very good song too. Both "Musta Sade" and "Tähti" rank high on my list as well, especially "Musta Sade" which just might be the best song of the album.

"Keskiyön Cowboy" might have uncharastically "sleazy" lyrics which have gotten the song some attention, but that doesn't help when the song is a rather average, straight-forward rocker. "Riko Hiljaisuus" is anything but average, this breezy and upbeat track is one of my favourites. Pete Kilpi has said that every album of theirs will always have one "AOR"-type of a song, and obviously it's this one on "IV". "Vettä Peilissä" closes the show, it's a heavy and long track that is basically quite ok, but somehow I just can't get a grip of it.

To sum it up, another solid, well-produced release from the band, not necessarily their best album but not their weakest either.
www.kilpi.com

Retroactive 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
15 April 2008

Now, if X-Sinner are recognized as the religious mix of Def Lep & AC/DC (see review elsewhere on this site), White Cross were always hailed as White Metal's version of RATT. Low and behold, this is yet another re-recording as "Nineteen Eighty Seven" was the year of the band's very first album. Indeed, they are all present here, "Who Will You Follow", "Enough Is Enough", "He Is The Rock", "Lookin' For A Reason", "No Way I'm Goin' Down", "Seein' Is Believin", etc. and they all sound beefier and better than ever before.

First thought(s) while listening to the CD: lead guitarist and band leader Rex Carrol (ex-Fierce Heart) is an unsung guitar hero. He's been criminaly underrated and sadly not enough appreciated in the metal scene. It takes merely a couple of minutes to realise, the flashy solos and intelligent riffing belongs up there among the ranks of Vito Bratta and Jake E Lee (or very close to).

Silverdust Records 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
12 april 2008

This is the 10th year anniversary album of Psychopunch. "Moonlight City" is also the 7th album of the Swedish punk/rock band Psychopunch. The 10 new songs are again a musical mix of punk, rock and roll and rock and you can hear the band's characteristic riffs and catchy melodies throughout the entire CD. Melody and power walk hand in hand and Psychopunch present themselves as one big impact on this new album.

The album opens with the Guns N'Roses sound-a-like "It Remains To Be Seen", being a dirty rock and roll up tempo track with a rather distorted guitar solo. Follow up "Hush Now Baby" is again up tempo, with rather "raw" vocals and a nice slide guitar solo. "On My Own" is one of the highlights, being a mid tempo somg with aggressive vocals, nice melodic passages and a sparkling guitar solo. Some of the tracks even remind me of a band like Monstermganet and the so-called stonerrock genre.

42nd Street Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
10th APril 2008

The debut album by Canadian born David Mader has turned out to be quite a find. I was pointed at it by an article in a magazine, had a listen on his webpage and decided I might be interested in this. It's another example of how easy it is these days to track down new music from around the world. Man, I love the internet!

“90 Days Of Rain” is most assuredly not a guitar heavy album, and falls squarely into the light and fluffy area of AOR music. There's a long list of comparisons that can be drawn up, throwing in the likes of Richard Marx, Bruce Hornsby, Glen Burtnick and Matchbox Twenty, but Mader manages to have his own voice in the midst of these contemporaries. It's the sort of music that I could imagine Ronan Keating singing, as it's inoffensive and well written, but luckily Mader has a much better voice than Keating could ever have, perfectly suited for the music he is singing. As I said, this isn't heavy music, but it certainly is good music, and as an album it really grows on the listener.

David Mader should be a name to watch in the AOR field, because he obviously has a natural talent for it. Personally, I'd want a few more lively tracks such as the excellent “Stand As One”, but even though this is an album that 'proper' metalheads would call wet, it's the good kind of wet that can only come from... well... 90 days of rain, I suppose.
http://www.davidmader.com

UK Division 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
13 April 2008

Gothic, 80's New Wave??? The ltalian five-piece act of Lost Reality are without a doubt a mystery. Just when you thought you'd found the secret behind their success, they pull out another rabbit from out of nowhere. Indeed, it's difficult to pen down the sound of the band as they're working in between genres and with an constantly open mind to new ideas and effects.

It's more or less electronic, synth music of the 80's, plus a very Gothic approach, and just a hint of the industrial formula. It's always easier to name-drop some acts of the past. So, if you could imagine a sub-conscious mixture of The Mission, Depeche Mode, and just a touch of the latest record by Good Charlotte, you'd still not get the entire picture.

RMB Records / AOR Heaven2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
12 April 2008

Bormann's previous album "Conspiracy" was a big favourite over here at RockUnited.Com, scoring the Album Of The Year 2006 award. Understandably my expectations for the former Jaded Heart/Charade/Zeno/Bloodbound-vocalist were high, I was almost sure that he would come up with an album that could match the quality of "Consipiracy". "Capture The Moment" only succeeds in that on some areas: the production, the performances, the artwork... that doesn't really mean much when the songwriting is the weakest link.

The album kicks off with the rather good "Push Comes To Shove", a melodic, heavy rocker with a slow pace. Not the most energetic opener, but decent enough. The level of energy doesn't rise with the next song, another slow-paced track "Friends Will Be Friends". It's less appealing with its' big but predictable chorus. Third track "Come Take Me Higher" starts promisingly with cool keyboards, yet it turns into another plodding number with an average chorus. What is this, a "Collection Of Marches"?!

"Live Your Life" has a bit of a Bon Jovi-vibe ("It's My Life" and the likes), and it presents a very welcomed change of pace - an uptempo song at last! "I Wanna Hear Your Voice" is the first of the ballads, and while it may not offer anything new under the sun, it's a very strong song and one of the album's highlights. "Half Way Down" is another winner in my books, a very good rocker which sounds like it could've been co-written by Jeff Paris. It is in fact co-written by Niclas Olsson of Alyson Avenue fame.

With "I Will Hold The Line" we're taken back to the Midtempo City, but the song is thankfully a decent one. Next up, something even slower: "Love Is Magic" is a remake of the Jaded Heart ballad from the album "Trust", and it's always been one of my favourite Bormann-sung ballads. Whether we really needed another version of it is debatable... I kind of understand that Bormann would want to "re-claim" it by re-recording it though. At this point something faster and more urgent wouldn't have been out of place, but instead we'll get 4 more or less plodding numbers back to back... first up we've got "Glory & Pain", which has a chorus that sounds a bit like a less exciting version of Desmond Child's "The Price Of Loving You", also recorded by Bonfire... and Bormann was briefly their lead vocalist... is there a connection? "Don't Bother Me" features Edenbridge's Sabine Edelbacher dueting with Bormann (I guess it's her, she's mentioned as the featured female vocalist on the previous song?!), and while this song is a bit more uptempo than the other three, it doesn't have the most memorable melodies. The curiously titled "Doing Or Not" is a good song that reminds me a bit of Giant, while "Still Haven't Found It" rates as one of the better tracks too, thanks to its' strong hook.

"For Just A Little While" shines like a beacon in the dark, a rare uptempo song among the "marches" and ballads. What's more, it's the best song of the album with a glorious hook and plenty of melody. A few more like this wouldn't have gone amiss... Anyway, there's one song left, "Go Going Gone", a ballad for a change... a fine vocal from Bormann, and an OK song, if nothing more.

Time for the headcount: 14 songs altogether, and three of them were uptempo ones. That leaves us with 11 slower songs - not the recipe for a killer rock album in my books. I'll admit that most of the 11 slower songs aren't too bad, but still... just by trimming the tracklisting to 10 or 12 songs this would have been a stronger album.
www.michaelbormannpage.de

RecordHeaven 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
11 April 2008

"Groovy early 70's Jam - Hippie Rock" - reading the info-sheet, I sort of expected the worst. You know, a complete meltdown of acid rock and psychedelica outbursts in the style of The Doors, Woodstock, and everything that was basically crap and 'far out' in the hippie days. But Thank God... there's no need to be high as a kite while listening to the groovy rock of Siena Roots.

Their rather classic but somewhat "original" sound is based on heavy hammond organ, strat leads, bass riffing, and big drums with soulful vocals on top. It's a very diverse affair, "Far From The Sun", and you find alot of early Uriah Heep, Captain Beyond, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin within these tracks. OK, there's a bit too much flute & citar on a couple of the tracks, but it's overall a nice little hippie CD.

STC Recordings Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
14th APril 2008

Well, you can't keep a good band down, and Thunder never seem to stop working these days. After the well received “Six Of One...” EP, the rather predictably names “Half A Dozen Of The Other” follows the same format, giving fans three new songs and three live ones. The three new songs are all pretty impressive, showing no slowdown, a good feat for a band nearly twenty years old now. “Make My Day” and “Bette Davis Meltdown” are both good, hard rocking slices of the now familiar Thunder formula, whilst “I Believe” is a powerful new ballad that should knock people out live. The three live tracks are “Last Man Standing”, “Chain Reaction” and “Like A Satellite”, and it's no surprise that they are all well up ti scratch, something you'd expect from a band with so many live albums under their collective belts. In a nutshell, Thunder fans should certainly check this out (along with the previous one if you haven't already), cause the boys have still got it where it counts.
http://www.thunderonline.com

Andromeda 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
12 april 2008

Nexxt is an Italian metal band and after listening to this CD for a couple of minutes I already know that "Addicted To Sin" is not really my cup of metal tea. This is mainly due to the horrible Pantera-like vocals of singer/shouter Cristian Tricarico. The music can be best described as old-fashioned trash metal reminding me of the good old nineties....

Musically speaking this is not that bad, especially some of the guitar riffs and solos are quite serious headbanging stuff, but the real agivating throat of the lead singer kills all the fun for me. Even when the band decides to slow down a bit Tricarico keeps on shouting and grumbling like an angry young man!! The sound of the album also leaves much to be desired, so all in all the mark 5 is well deserved, sorry guys!

Universal/Polydor 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
11 April 2008

11 - Recorded mostly on tour, backstage and in hotel bathrooms. Yep, the Canadian rawker is possible dead broke (not!) and obviously dead tired of uptempo numbers in the old school of rock. Say hello to mid-aged, mid-tempo numbers, and wave goodbye to everything that used to be fun about Bryan Adams. Then again, pretty much all of his albums during the past 12-15 year period of time has been of substandard quality.

Bloody 'ell, "We Found What We Were Looking For", sounds a bit like a watered down version of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Nothing wrong with sounding like U2, but that tune was pretty mellow for starters and it's not getting any better. The first single, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", may cause a riot at Wal-Mart, as mature hausfraus will rush the gate to pick up another "average" platter. The comeback of Jim Vallance should provied the listener with quality tunes. However, he's only in for the ride on a couple of the tracks and it's not enough to kickstart this old rocker into a "Reckless" rage.

UK Division 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
13 April 2008

To sum up this review in merely three words: Mars Volta wannabee's (or would that be two or perhaps four words? nevermind). We've been swarmed by Italian acts as of lately here at RockUnited. Some of them worse than others, Soul Of The Cave, are however good at what they do. They have an interesting rhythm section in the two of Flavio Gamboni (drums) and Giovanni De Sanctis (bass). The latter also responsible for most of the vocals.

The other lead vocalist, Jack Serri, no stranger to the six-string, which he happily operates together with fellow string-bender, Paolo Boni. The four of them have created a slab of "Asphalt", not quite worthy of the Italian walkways and streets. It will however work as a warning example of how some acts may be too influenced by a certain sound or act.

UK Division 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
10 April 2008

Them Philosophy? What's up with that? Anyhow, this Italian quartet has an interesting sound and attitude. Their female vocalist spits out the lyrics like a mad raving valkyria in heat... and it's all a very intense and scary experience. Not to mention, she's not bad to look at either, well, I probably shouldn't have mention it, since it's got nothin' to do with the quality of their music (but can ya' blame me? yeah, you probably could, and sue me too - whatever).

"Thought Before Action" is most certainly a cross-over release where hardcore, emo, ska, and basic metal, comes together in a big melting pot. It's a frantic display of clatter drumming, really crunchy guitars, a funky bassist, and overall weird beats. The spirit of System Of A Down shines through on several tracks, even if they've taken a lot of other influences to create their CD.

T.O.N.Records 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
10 April 2008

Cherish and embrace the title of "Free Violence", because it certainly doesn't get any better afterwards. Multiplate a kick to the head a thousand fault and you'll get the result of Reflections (now there's a poor monicker for a hardcore act). You'll quickly run out of stamina and the lack of fatigue will eventually bring your brain to turn off your sense of hearing in a last desperate action of self-defence.

Review by Alan Holloway,
9th APril 2008

“Ere's a few new songs for ya!” is something that David Coverdale hasn't been able to shout for over ten years now. Regardless of what you thought of “Restless Heart” from 1997, there are gonna be plenty of people waiting in rabid anticipation to hear live versions of songs from “Good To Be Bad”, which is the spiritual successor to the mind bogglingly successful “1987”.

The album has been getting a goodly bit of hype, not least because of the upcoming double header tour with Def Leppard (not forgetting Thunder as well). The album cover is emblazoned with a big X, I assume because it's the band's 10th studio album. Amazingly, there have been more live and compilation albums of the band than there have been studio releases, with all of the compilations bar one coming out post 2000. It's fair to say that since “1987” Whitesnake have been a bit of a cash cow for the likes of EMI and Geffen, so it's nice to see this new album come out on SPV, a hardworking rock label.

Anyone who doubts the return of the 'Snake only has to listen to the title track, which is a glorious mix of Seventies and Eighties Whitesnake, with Reb Beach and album co-writer Doug Aldrich delivering riffs more monstrous than a mother in law convention, whilst Coverdale belts out some of his tackiest lyrics with style, including a cheeky little “To the bone” which will please fans of “Slow & Easy”. For sheer rock bollocks, this is up there with “Still Of the Night”, one of my favourite ever Whitesnake songs. Vocally, he doesn't miss a trick throughout the whole album, showing time and time again why he is regarded as one of the best rock singers of all time.

There's eleven tracks here, and it's a collection that should really please old school fans, as Coverdale and Aldrich haven't forgotten where this band came from. “All Fro Love”, for example, is more of a laid back bluesy number that could easily predate “1987”, and “Summer Rain” is the sort of soulful ballad that Coverdale would more likely have done in the late Seventies. For fans of the more recent kind of soppiness, “All I Want, All I Need” is more of a drippy ballad that will probably trouble the singles chart one day but leaves me rather cold. I've always preferred Whitesnake when they rock out to cheesy lyrics and big guitars, and “Good To Be Bad” does not disappoint in that area. “Lay Down Your Love”, “Best Years” and the title track have enormous riffs, whilst “A Fool In Love”, “Can You Hear The Wind Blow” and the cheeky “Got What You Need” carry on the good work with more of a retro feel. Trust me when I say that these songs are staggeringly good.

As an album, “Good To Be Bad” is right up there with the best the band have produced. The three slower songs break it up nicely, but in all honesty they left me wanting to skip forward or back to the rockier stuff. Coverdale is still a frickin' rock god, and you can picture him singing these songs with a glint in his eye and a big smile on his face. If you were ever a Whitesnake fan you have to have this album, and go and see the tour whilst you're at it.
http://www.whitesnake.com

Inside Out Records 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
10 april 2008

This is the third and final part of the 03 Trilogy by Dominici. The first acoustic part was terrible, the second part was amazing and this last episode is again great. This is prog metal as it should be; heavy, melodic, lots of musical variety, amazing guitar solos and excellent vocal parts as well.

The CD opens with "King Of Terror", a fascinating prog metal track filled with lots of bombastic elements and a super speedy guitar solo. The best tracks are without any shadow of a doubt the two long epic tracks of more than 10 minutes called: "Enemies Of God" and "Genesis". Both songs are really heavy with Annihilator and Grip Inc. soundalike metal riffs. But these songs also feature melodic passages, like amazing keyboardsolos and again mindboggling guitar parts.

Valery Records 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
10th April 2008

The first time I listened to this album, before I did any digging, I was half convinced that it was a new, 'secret' Journey album. The voice, the songs and the guitar all pointed towards it. A few internet clicks later and it was apparent that Myland are a geuine group who just happen to sound almost exactly like Journey, but even now it's spooky listening to the album and having to tell myself it's not Journey.

Things are a bit clearer when you learn that singer Guido Priori is a bit of a Journey fan. Well, make that a lot of a Journey fan, inasmuch as recorded a whole album of Journey cover versions in 2005, an album that had several critics suggesting that the band could do a lot worse than give him a job. Personally, I'd like to hear the album myself. Let me say now that if this guy sang for Journey there would be absolutely no complaints, as his voice is a rich mix of Steve Perry and Steve Augeri. Myland appear to be some sort of Italian AOR supergroup (of a sort), and from the sound of “No Man's land" they've got a great bunch of musicians.

As good as the voice is, “No Man's Land" would be useless without some killer songs, and it's got them by the bucketful. One big difference between them and their obvious influence is the total lack of any ballads. If I'm honest, I find this refreshing, as it means I get to hear a whole album of fast paced melodic rock without having to sit through some soppy rubbish interfering with the rocking. Priori is very ably backed up by guitarists Hox Martino and Max Pesserini, with the likes of Kee Marcello and Tommy Denander helping out. As I write this, I'm listening to the track “Someday (Love Leaves You Lonely)" and it's so weird to hear the Journey chorus and the Journey guitar solo from a totally unconnected band. I know I'm going on about this, but it really is uncanny.

The bottom line is that if Journey had come out with this album it would be hailed as a triumphant comeback and all that bollocks. Some of the songs lack the spark of the Journey classics, but all are entertaining with great hooks and soaring vocals. Obviously, if you like Journey then you will really like “No Man's Land" - it's a very competent album full of great melodic rock that I know I will be playing for a long time to come. Their website says it all: Passion, Groove, Feeling & Melody.
http://www.mylandmusic.com

ZinkMusic 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
8 April 2008

The name really does say it all... or in this case... not!!!. There's so much more to, "Peter Friestedt's LA Project Vol:2", than meets the eyes, that it's almost silly. It craves your full attention and all ears as it's simply just a fun all-star project in the grand old style of: Chicago, Toto, Doobie Brothers (the later part of the 70's), and basically everything that were labeled as fine "Westcoast" music in the days.

After four minutes of pure Westcoast rhythms in the lovely hands of "Cheyenne" (Track: 2), vicious saxophone and trumpet honks and sweet harmonies, you'll be lucky to stand on your own two feets. The CD features a great list of musicians and the lead vocals by: Bill Champlin (Chicago), Joseph Williams (Toto), Michael Ruff, Randy Goodrum, Bill Cantos, Lou Pardini (Koinoia), and Stefan Gunnarsson. The latter recognized as the longhaired piano player in a very popular (prime-time TV) friday music show in Sweden.

This is obviously not a "party album". Well, it could be to some. However, the sheer class speaks for itself and there's hardly a dull moment to be found. Well, the only downer(s), 2 out of 10 tracks are instrumentals. I'am personally not that much into the smooth guitar play of "Closer To Home" and "Waiting For You". Nice? yeah, but it's just such a waste, considering all the great vocalists on this project (especially since there's only 10 tracks). Opener, "Where To Touch You", sung by Joe Williams and you will be reminded of Toto at their very best in my opinion. Killer harmonies by Joe, Champlin & Gunnarsson, and instantly a homerun for the Westcoast fans.

Champlin takes over lead vocals on above mentioned "Cheyenne". Co-written by Goodrum this track comes out sounding like Chicago meets The Doobies (Michael McDonald). Marvelous, smooth, stuff. "One More Night", Joe is back behind the mike for "One More Night", and it's Toto flavoured music with a bridge in the vein of Lionel Richie (excellent!). "There Ain't Nothin", vocals by Bill Cantos who co-wrote the piece with among others: Friestedt. Very smooth and that horn section again. "Love Is Gonna Getcha", I would not object if someone had told this was a Michael McDonald tune. It's actually Lou Pardini behind the mike though. "Love Is A Powerful Thing" is a Michael Ruff song with the man himself as lead vocalist. His Stevie Wonder influences shines through even though it's a "Westcoast" tune. Randy Goodrum sings his "Careless Mockingbird" and everybody stops in their tracks. It's merely Randy, a piano, some strings, and Friestedt's guitar, but the message goes straight to th e heart.

Alkemist Fanatix 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
8th APril 2008

I get a bit disheartened with Italian rock sometimes, as all I seem to hear is lots of substandard doom and gloom metal that couldn't raise a smile with a vat of nitrous oxide. Back One Out seem to be the opposite, delivering middle range pop punk, some of which wouldn't be out of place on a Blink 182 album. They certainly don't sound like anything else I've heard from Italy, so that's a good start. Back One Out are a bit of a mystery, as I can't seem to get on their website, so all I know is that they are talented and they obviously like pacey, punky music. Even the inlay I have doesn't mention the band members or anything except the song titles. Thus, this review is a short one, but I would certainly not be averse to finding out more about the band. Fans of the likes of Simple Plan, Sum 41 and the various bands featuring members of Blimk 182 should really enjoy “Helpless", as it sounds very American. The songs are full of melody and frenetic drumming, the singing is pretty generic but because of this works just fine, and it's all well produced. If this band were hooke dup with a big record company they would be all over Kerrang TV and touring their asses off. As it is, “Helpless" will probably float by most people, but hopefully it will be the start of big things for a talented band.
http://www.backoneout.com

Frontiers 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
8 April 2008

Damned if you do - damned if you don't. Indeed, it's not an easy task, pleasing past and present fans of White Lion and Mike Tramp. Some will probably think it's daft to record a CD with the old sound and monicker, especially since there's no guitar hero aka Vito Bratta by Mike Tramp's side. Others will think of it as nostalgia... and some will probably see this as the second coming of christ.

But honestly, it all comes down to the quality of the songs and everything else is b.s. Just think about all the other acts with merely one original member and you'll quickly understand that's it not all about Bratta vs. Tramp. Their 80's effort, "Pride", is an all-time classic and everyone should have at least one copy of the CD at his/her home. "The Return Of The Pride" is frankly just a mish-mash of great songs and truly awful moments.

It starts out just fine with the epic tune of "Sangre De Cristo" (play length: 8.44). It's a great mix of the first Lion album and the driving guitar rock of Freak Of Nature. "Dream" is an ok attempt of re-creating the past sound of mid-tempo tunes with Tramp's categorical voice at the centre of attention. "Live Your Life" may be a rocking tune... but it's been blessed with one of the cheesiest choruses of the year. "Set Me Free" sounds like a mix of Stairway To Heaven and Broken Heart, and it works out just fine in the end, two thumbs up. "I Will", features great keyboard work and some truly uninspiring vocals by Tramp. Honestly, it sounds like he's singing through the motion without any emotional string(s) attached.

Retroactive Records / Artist Worxx / MusicBuyMail 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
April 2008

Continuing on the thrash/speed scene, Ultimatum are one of the bands, that enjoy more from underground fame than being right there on the same level with the real thrash monsters like Exodus and Overkill. I've pretty much lost the connection to the thrash scene in the last ten years, but as an old fan of the music Ultimatum, already formed in 1992 now with four full lengths, never became familiar for me at least. Bearing the significant marks this scene became known from, Ultimatum doesn't lose much in comparison to its predecessors with their shredding style, they thrive from primitive forces.

Surprisingly a Christian band, which is still a strange combination in thrash and death metal scene, Scott Waters executes his vocals close to Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (Overkill) or Steve Souza (Exodus) style, growling partially in death metal style, then doing some raw and harsh bits very monstrous kind of way. Where's the Christianity in this, I wonder, but we're not in church now. The whole band keeps it pretty tight, although not too serious, which shows in few arrangements, but vocals matter here the most, and Waters' sound might not appeal all.

Retroactive Records / Artist Worxx / MusicBuyMail 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
April 2008

From the label that houses Christian bands comes Titanic with their third full length. Featuring a new singer in David St. Andrew, they also have a guest in Stryper-drummer Robert Sweet on the two bonus tracks, remakes from their debut, which close this album. Not to be mixed with the Norwegian Titanic that was active between 1969 to 1979, this American cousin released their debut "Maiden Voyage" in 1995, followed by "Screaming In Silence" in 2002, which never found their way to my hands, but if they were anything like "Full Steam Ahead", their brand doesn't move me much. They've got their moments though in their guitar driven, crude and straight approach, even some catchy choruses like heard in “Shovel The Coal" or "Sons Of Thunder", and good old enthusiasm to what they do.

Massacre Records 2008
Review by Satu Reunanen
April 2008

The Canadian speed/thrash legends Exciter, formed 1978, are back with a new album, their debut "Heavy Metal Maniac" seing the light of day already in 1983. "Trash, Speed, Burn" shows the shrieking talents of new vocalist Kenny Winter, who delivers what was on order. Strangely some bands manage to stay true to their sound, even with an amazingly long career such as Exciter has behind, and they still get their strength from that raw 80's thrash sound, where the hectic, sometimes Manowar-type guitars are there right on top, and both guitars and drums have that worn out, sharp sound.

Alkemist Fanatix 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
8th APril 2008

Apparently, The Shiver have been together for over three years now. Their modest aim is to make it in the music world, but on the strength of their debut that's not all that likely to happen. These young Italians may have ambition, but after three years all they have delivered is a very below par Goth rock album.

“Inside" has had every chance to soar, with plenty of time for the band to write and perfect their songs. What they have come up with, however, is an album that would not be out of place coming from a student band who have been together a few months. The songwriting is badly disjointed, with the songs feeling like they have been forced together by a man with two half bricks instead of a mixer. The singer has an okay voice, but again she just sounds like another pub band singer. There's no real life here, just some rather moody melodies that never excite the interest. File under Why Bother, then don't bother.
http://www.myspace.com/theshiverband

Alkemist Fanatix 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
8th APril 2008

You know, there must be a reason why drummers are content to sit behind the kit and hit things, rather than write all the songs, sing and play all the other instruments as well. Filthy Teens' “Target: Deceased" may well be that reason. Italian drummer Muriel Saracino does absolutely everything on this album, described rather optimistically as “A cocktail full of sensations about life". Well, if boredom and misery combine to make a cocktail then this is it. “Target:Deceased" is a bit of an industrial metal type of album, although the doom is mixed with some more traditional metal stylings. Saracino sings with a voice that is halfway between Grunt Rock and The Misfits, never bringing anything of interest to the songs. The songs themselves are, well, uninspired is probably the best word. It's not an awful cacophony or anything like that, but it's all just rather dull, charmless and ultimately pointless. His bandmates who play livewith him like to wear “scary" make up, and it's all probably rather entertaining if you're fifteen, but grown ups should just walk away slowly.
http://www.filthyteens.it

Metal Mind productions 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
11 april 2008

Another DVD by Scottish prog rockers Pallas and again it is a beauty. This DVD was recorded in Poland and besides the 12 amazing songs you can also enjoy two bonus videos filled with tales from the tourbus and a couple of rehearsal tapes. The setlist is great especially the 5 songs from their last album "The Dreams Of Men". The oldest tracks are "Hide And Seek", "Fragments Of The Sun" from "Beat The Drum" and "Cut And Run" and "Heart Attack" from the album "The Sentinel".

Alkemist Fanatix 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
8th April 2008

When I played this, I seriously thought my computer had a fault and was playing it at the wrong speed! That, and I was in an Eighties timewarp listening to songs that Depeche Mode thought were too bloody miserable to release. The worst thing is the vocals – possibly the worst vocal performance I have ever heard, it sounds like a miserable Goth being put through a mangle whilst someone stabs his Granny and his girlfriend dumps him. So yeah, it's quite depressing. So, take a bit of Marilyn Manson, a lot of Depeche Mode and an overdose and you have Charlotte's Shadow – absolute garbage, with the best thing being it only has 4 tracks to suffer through.
http://www.charlottesshadow.com

Metal Mind productions 2008
Review by Martien Koolen,
11 april 2008

Artist Worxx / MusicBuyMail 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
3rd April 2008

Concept albums can be a tricky affair. To weave a single theme or story throughout an album is a bit of an art, even more so when you want a coherent narrative. My favourite piece in this vein has always been the multi layered “2112" by Rush, even though it was only for half an album. “The 13th Apostle" is the 3rd album by Germany's S.I.N (Somewhere Into Nowhere), and their first attempt at what can only be called a Rock Opera. What they have crafted is, to my mind, the finest example of storytelling within songwriting that I have yet come across.

The story revolves around Julian, who wanted only to be a disciple of Jesus but was told that only 12 were required. As a result, he followed them, dressed like them and waited for his chance to take someone's place. Perhaps if someone betrayed Christ he would have his chance? Telling the tale are Julian himself (band singer Patrick Simonsen), Jesus, Judas and Junia, Jesus' sister. All the Js are here, and to their credit it is a highly believable and well written story. The lyrics are incredibly emotional and well sung by all concerned, with the music suitably epic when necessary. Some parts have a somber narration to fill in the gaps, but mainly it's all sung with no real attempt to force in catchy choruses where they wouldn't be welcome. It's “Operation: Mindcrime" for this decade, and every bit as good as that was.

Maybe I should point out that I am a 100% atheist, and do not take lightly to being preached at by bands. Even with this firmly in mind, I was moved by “The 13th Apostle", due to the sheer quality of the lyrics and presentation. The fact that the music rocks is just a bonus (and it DOES rock, very nicely). I can easily imagine this being performed as a genuine rock opera to huge acclaim. Forget that the story is based around biblical characters, just let it carry you away, and feel the pain and agony of the lead characters as life shits on their heads like an albatross with the runs. I can't believe I'm giving out another maximum here, but this deserves it.
http://www.sin-band.com

Frontiers 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
2 April 2008

"Come To My Kingdom" is the second album from the "new" House Of Lords, lead by vocalist James Christian. Just like the first album of this incarnation of the band, it should please most fans of the band's first three albums. Sure, the over-the-top keyboard wizardy of Gregg Giuffria isn't anywhere to be heard, but I'll be damned if this isn't the most consistent selection of songs the band has ever released. The early albums are held in high esteem by many, but I actually think that they all had their share of filler, especially "Sahara"... however, on this album there are no songs I'd like to skip, and that's saying something. Even the "bonus track" is something quite special, but we'll get to that later.

I could rant and rave about most of the songs on the album, but I guess I'll just go through some of the highlights. Many of my favourite songs are among the more balladic numbers, including "I Need To Fly" with its' monumental chorus, the dramatic "Another Day In Heaven" and the melancholic and dark "The Dream". The harder-edged songs may be a slightly less hard than on the previous albums, but I can't complain when there are songs like the massive title track, the superb "Even Love Can't Save Us" and "In The Light" on offer, all dripping with melody and armed with deadly hooks. Dangerously good stuff! And the aforementioned bonustrack...it's a piano/vocal version of "Another Day In Heaven", which is even more dramatic than the "other" version and easily as good, if not better.

In a nutshell: great production, excellent songs and very good performances by everyone involved... the years may have taken their toll on Christian's voice, but he can still reach the high notes, maybe just not as easily as before. He's still a top vocalist, and one for most younger shouters to look up to.

There won't be many albums better than "Come To My Kingdom" released this year, and if this isn't in my Top 5 of 2008 I'll be very surprised. If one or two of the songs had reached the level of "instant classic!", I might have slapped this album the full points. It was pretty damn close though.
www.jameschristianmusic.com

Playground 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
2 April 2008

H.E.A.T. - The monicker reminded me of some dodgy action movie of the past. The music on their debut CD on the other hand... took me right back to my childhood and all those artists with huge friggin' hairdo's and flashy outfits. This is however the new generation of Melodic Hardrock acts as these Swedes are all in their early twentys. It's frankly just a fun mix of AOR/MHR in the vein of Europe, Winger, The Storm, Giant. It's mostly uptempo tracks, biting guitar work and fun keyboards rather than boring mid-tempo tunes tho'.

They've won several prestigious rock competitions, including the one that Europe (The Final Countdown) ended up winning back in 1982 (3 years before any of these lads were born). They've also managed to attract the attention of a real Hollywood Star. Movie genius and overall weirdo-actor, Peter Stormare, signed them up to his own label (a part of PlaygroundMusic) and he was even involved in the mixing of the album.

The first thing you'll notice about their CD is the way above average vocals and harmonies. Kenny Leckremo is quite possible the most impressive singer of his genre to come out of Sweden since the heydays of Joey Tempest, Tommy Nilsson, Göran Edman. He's got the ability to reach the really high parts as well as keeping it emotional for the ladies during power ballads. The harmonies by the band has the trademark of pure U.S. class.

Opener, "There For You", a massive force of singing guitars and outstanding vocals."Never Let Go", a great mix of The Storm & Europe. "Late Nite Lady", opens up with a guitar strutt in the vein of Winger and continues with more of the Europe sound of the late 80's/early 90's. "Keep On Dreaming", could just as easily have been superb leftover material from 'Out Of This World'. Next up, the power ballad of, "Follow Me", a perfect mix of Giant and Unruly Child. "Straight For The Heart" will simply knock you down for the count. etc, etc. This is pure 80's bliss. And those damn harmonies, you won't believe how neat they are, almost or just as good as the best of the U.S. acts.

Frontiers 2008
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
2 April 2008

Although I've grown a little sceptical about Frontiers' "projects", I was really looking forward to the third Khymera project album. The first one was a bit of a hit or miss, and featured a rather rough performance from the Kansas vocalist Steve Walsh. On the second album "A New Promise", Daniele Liverani, the Italian keyboard player and the "main operator" behind this project teamed up with Dennis Ward. The Pink Cream 69-bassist and producer proved to be a very good vocalist, and the songs, several of them provided UK songwriters Tom and James Martin, were top-notch. For this third album, the Martin brothers took over the songwriting duties completely. Having already proved that they can pen strong songs, I had the feeling that this one might a be a good one again. And I was right.

It puzzles me why this album is opened with possibly the weakest song of the album, the very bland "Beautiful Life". This is the kind of a song that AOR haters would probably use as an example of the dullness of the genre - polite, nice and nondescript. Oh yeah, there's a short instrumental intro called "Ablaze" that is actually the opener, But it doesn't really seem to have a purpose, so you might want to skip it and go straight to the track number three. "Borderline" is the name of the song, and it's the kind of song I hoped to find on this album. The intro is a bit similar to that of the previous song, but the similarities end there. This song is a textbook example of a great AOR song of the uptempo kind - lively keyboards, passionate vocals and a superb chorus. The Martin brothers may not have reinvented the wheel, but they can surely write great AOR tracks which sound "vintage" and fresh at the same time, if that's possible.

It's quite unbelieveble that the next song "Burn Out" is actually even better. This moody midtempo song is better than anything I've heard in quite a while. The lyrics paint a picture that is kind of bleak, but there's a glimmer of hope in there too. Musically the song is simply magnificent, with great, dark melodies and a chorus to die for. "Song Of The Year" material. Having these two exceptional tracks back to back would be enough for most, but Khymera keeps on delivering. "Since You Went Away" is another winner, again a bit moody and dark, but highly infectious all the same.

The big ballad of the album is "Love Has Come And Gone", and while it's good, it doesn't grab me as much as the previous three songs. The hardrocking "No Surpise" does just that, a great song with a fine chorus. Same could be said of the title track, even though it's a bit less urgent, more of a Journeysque AOR song.

The next few songs are all more AOR-like numbers, very solid but not among my ultimate favourites. The only one that makes me reach for the skip button is the somewhat lame "If I Can't Be". The album ends on high note though, with "The Other Side", another uptempo track with a another killer chorus and brilliant keyboard work from Liverani.

A couple of less thrilling songs can be forgiven when the rest of the album ranges from very good to phenomenal, but not so much that I could give this the prestigious "10". I need to leave some room for improvement, right?
www.myspace.com/khymeraband

Eagle Vision 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
3rd April 2008

31 years is a long time in music. 31 years ago Britain was waking up to punk rock, sticking safety pins through its collective nose and telling the government to piss off. America had it's own problems with a little country called Vietnam, but on the brighter side they also had the Wilson sisters Nancy and Ann. The Zeppellin obsessed duo had formed their own band, Heart, and in 1976 pushed out their first album that is still highly regarded today. “Dreamboat Annie" may be 31 years old, but she's still got a twinkle in her eye.

Okay, so some of you are thinking that I mean 32 years old, as 1976 was 32 years ago. How stupid am I, huh? Well, I'm going with 31, because this live DVD (also available on CD) was recorded last year in Los Angeles (Downtown, no less). Heart got together to jump on the ever increasing bandwagon that is playing a classic album all the way through live, and although I would rather they had done the “Heart" album myself, “Dreamboat Annie" is probably a wiser bet. It's interesting that more people are aware of Heart these days because of the inclusion of the excellent “Crazy On You" in the latest Guitar Hero game, and if you are one of those that would like to hear more from this band, then this is a good place to start. As an album, “Dreamboat Annie" is pretty solid, even today. The songs can be a little hippyish, and the Zeppelin influences still shine through at times, but for good, solid folk rock songs it's a decent debut. Performance wise, there's not a lot to complain about, with Nancy “Granite Fingers" Wilson keeping the guitar tight and Ann singing like the pro she is – still a superb voice after all this time. As an encore they bring out their old cover versions, including a cracking version of “Black Dog", which I assume are songs they used to play back in '76.

There are some interesting interview pieces here, as well as a couple of tracks from a County Fair performance. Not a huge amount of extras, but interesting enough. The main performance is why you'll want this, as it's cool if not overly exciting. The gals have still got what it takes, and if you're a fan then this is just what the rock doctor ordered.
http://www.heart-music.com

Escape 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
2 April 2008

Vindictiv is yet another one of those fine projects featuring the excellent vocals of Göran Edman (Madison, John Norum, Glory, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc, etc). Crunchy powerchords and flashy guitar/keyboard solos fly all over the place here, it's actually music that works along the lines of both symphonic, neo-classical, and melodic metal/rock.

Clearly a song entitled , Dreams Of A Demon's Head", will have most folks running for the door though (really, what were they thinking?), but Vindictiv are none too bad at what they do. For example, the utterly melodic, "David's House", may at first glance be just another weird song title. However, behind this particular 'iron curtain' lives a happy little cold war kid... brought up on commie dreams and potato stew??? Ehhh, what the? No, not at all!!!

Unlimited Music P 2008
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
2 April 2008

Aggressive yet melodic metal in the form of StoneLake. "Uncharted Souls" is their 4th studio release and if TNT ever had a bastard child with Lizzy Borden... ehem... they would have an explosive axe murderer on thier hands??? Nah, it would clearly be too much to handle for any parent [LOL!]. The description would however fit the label of Stonelake's music as their uncompromised slab of metal takes influences from both camps.

Like last years compilation of songs, they may seem a bit dated at times, like something that would have been better off in the late 80's. Then again, all, everything, and everybody, were better off in the late 80's, no??? The really powerful vocals by Peter Grundström, will merely add another dimension of TNT/Borden to the material as his voice is like a hybrid of Tony Harnell and that darn 'Lizzy' character.

Artist Worxx / MusicBuyMail 2008
Review by Alan Holloway,
3rd April 2008

That Phil Vincent bloke never seems to stop. He's the ultimate DIY hard rocker, happy to write and record his own stuff, often playing as many instruments as possible. He's sort of an accidental star, as his first album in 1996 was recorded to try to sell his songs to major artists such as The Scorpions and Ozzy. Fortunately, people recognized his innate talents as a singer and guitarist and he has carried on delivering good quality AOR since then.

Circular Logik sees Vincent teaming up with Steven Albanese (guitar), William V Arnold (bass), Tanion DeAngelis (drums) and William Roux (guitar) to form a 'proper' band, but he still writes 95% of the songs as well as producing (very well) the album, so if you like his solo stuff then Circular Logik's a;bum shouldn't be much of a stretch. It's no lightweight piece, with 13 tracks slicing in at just under an hour, and if I'm honest it would have been much better had it been pruned down to 10 tracks, as listening to the whole thing at once means you lose concentration after a while, which lessens the impact of the latter tracks. Musically, 'One' stands up well without being exceptional, featuring plenty of cool guitar and some catchy riffage. The thing with Phil Vincent is that he will always be outshone by standout artists in the genre, relegated to a lower tier despite some good songs. A definite case of always the bridesmaid, sure, but still a cute bridesmaid.

If you are an existing fan, 'One' will appeal, with plenty to like and enjoy. If you're new to the bloke, but like hard edged melodic power rock then this is worth investigating, although as I said it's not at the top of the tree. It's one of those albums that's hard to dislike, but equally hard to love. Still, it's good to hear another Phil Vincent album that has it's heart and guitar in the right place.
http://www.philvincent.com