Tag Archives: AOR

Album review: KHYMERA- The Grand Design

Frontiers Records (Release Date 04.12.15) Khymera have now released four albums under a variety of line ups. I must admit the only one I bought was their 2003 debut which had the ‘production line’  trademarks of too many melodic rock … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: BLOOD RED SAINTS- S/T

Frontiers Records (Release Date 4.12.15) One of 2014’s unexpected surprises in the world of melodic rock was a very impressive debut by Brits In Faith, unleashing a real vocal find in Pete Godfrey. They seem to have had a short … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: Melodic rockers FM top popular poll for top rock album of 2015

FM - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl, 7 December 2014

FM and Vintage Trouble scoop popular poll In the Get Ready to ROCK! end of year popular poll melodic rockers FM were voted top album with ‘Heroes And Villains’ whilst readers and listeners confirmed the reviewers rating by making Vintage … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, The Best Of 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: WIGELIUS – Tabula Rasa

WIGELIUS - Tabula Rasa

AOR Heaven [Release date 29.01.16] New rock music out of Sweden is getting more prolific than a Joe Bonamassa release – like a long-running TV soap opera, sometimes it’s great and mostly it’s annoying. But fair’s fair, open mind and … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: GRAND SLAM – A New Dawn

GRAND SLAM - A New Dawn

AOR Heaven [Release date 29.01.16] Next up – guess what….a melodic, AOR release out of Sweden ! If I didn’t get a free promo copy from the record label, this would undoubtedly be on my annual wish-list to the North … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: FM/Vega – Guildhall, Gloucester, 7 November 2015

FM - Guildhall, Gloucester, 7 November 2015

A Saturday night gig with two of the best melodic rock bands in the country, a two hour drive away but totally worth it. A four date trot around the country playing in some venues that you don’t often hear … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL – Rock City, Nottingham, 23-25 October 2015

Santa Cruz - Rockingham Festival, Nottingham, 23-25 October 2015

Ten great years of melodic rock festivals at Nottingham’s Rock City seemed to have come to an emotional end with the final ever Firefest last year. However just 12 months on with the Rock City organisation having taken on the … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: FEROCIOUS DOG, FRANKIE LEE, EQUATOR, SAFFIRE

FEROCIOUS DOG From Without www.ferociousdog.co.uk Well with a name like Ferocious Dog they are not going to be a lounge jazz act that’s for sure! They are a six piece folk punk rock band from Nottingham and this is their … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SAGA – Generation 13/Steel Umbrellas (Reissues)

Saga - Steel Umbrellas

earMUSIC [Release date 27.11.15] Released originally back in 1995, Generation 13 is a concept album based on a storyline by Jim Crichton inspired in part by the book ’13 GEN abort retry ignore fail’ by Neil Howe and Bill Straus. … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: CHAMPLIN, WILLIAMS, FRIESTEDT – CWF

CHAMPLIN, WILLIAMS, FRIESTEDT - CWF

AOR Heaven [Release date 26.10.15] CWF is a West Coast AOR supergroup teaming up Toto’s Joseph Williams with former Chicago vocalist Bill Champlin and guitarist/producer Peter Friestedt. The trio have released a live DVD already and Williams & Friestedt released … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: HAREM SCAREM, MAJOR INSTINCT, DEE SNIDER – Tuesday 29 September 2015

Dee Snider - STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL Day 2 - Ebbw Vale, South Wales, 26 July 2015

Dave Gilmour topped the UK album charts this week with his new album ‘Rattle That Lock’. Major Instinct release their debut album, ‘High Five’ on Nov 27th via AOR Heaven. The band features M.ILL.ION founder, main songwriter and bass guitarist B.J. Laneby. Harem Scarem … Continue reading

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: KIP WINGER – The Borderline, London, 12 September 2015

KIP WINGER - The Borderline, London, 12 September 2015

Kip Winger’s solo acoustic shows at the Borderline have began to take on such a mythical status that the promotional blurb for this year’s show even marketed it as the ‘4th annual evening with Kip Winger’. It was noticeable that … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: JOEL HOEKSTRA’S 13 – Dying To Live

JOEL HOEKSTRA

Frontiers [Release date 16.10.15] www.joelhoekstra.com Current Whitesnake and former Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra has released a handful of instrumental only solo albums and this time he’s gone for vocals. He’s not the singer, instead we have two vocal giants … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: C.O.P., MARTINA EDOFF, TAD MOROSE

MARTINA EDOFF - Unity

C.O.P – State Of Rock AOR Heaven [Release date 25.09.15] C.O.P. are a new band featuring Grand Illusion’s vocalist Peter Sundell, who is joined by Ola af Trampe (guitar/bass) and his younger brother Christian (keys/drums). Take the first letter of … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

News: GHOST, THE SWORD, GTR – Monday 31st August 2015

Broken Teeth release a new album, ‘Bulldozer’ in October. Kansas have signed with Inside Out who will release their new studio album, the first in over fifteen years. This will mark the recording debut of new members David Manion (keys) … Continue reading

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: NEWMAN – The Elegance Machine

AOR Heaven [Released 31.08.15] Steve Newman is back with his band Newman and joining him are his long term drummer Rob McEwen and on backing vocals Geoff Wootton and Mark Thompson-Smith (who worked with Steve Newman on the criminally underrated … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE TUBES – Club Academy, Manchester, 8 August 2015

THE TUBES - Club Academy, Manchester, 8 August 2015

I really hope The Tubes don’t leave it another decade before their next UK tour.  I mean the 50th anniversary will be in 2025 and their oldest member will be nearly 80.  The band have always had a soft spot … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: RUSS BALLARD interview feature, Sunday 26 July 2015

Russ Ballard

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio Part 1, Sunday 26 July, 16:00 GMT Part 2, Sunday 2 August, 16:00 GMT In the first of a two-part special rock writing royalty Russ Ballard chats to Get Ready to ROCK! Radio’s David Randall. … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: SHOOTING STAR, MICHAEL MONROE, ART NATION – Saturday 25th July 2015

Shooting Star - Firefest X

Shooting Star have released their new album ‘Into the Night’ for free as a download on their website. Download by going to www.shootingstarmaniacs.com and using the code “1980″. Art Nation release their new album ‘Revolution’ on AOR Heaven on 28th … Continue reading

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: THE BURNING CROWS – Murder At The Gin House

THE BURNING CROWS – Murder At The Gin House

Burning Crows Records [Release date 03.08.15] This is the second album release from The Burning Crows and on listening it would appear that the band are developing nicely. The thing which impresses here is the advanced song writing skills on … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: ROOM EXPERIENCE – Room Experience

ROOM EXPERIENCE – Room Experience

MelodicRock Records [Release date 22.05.15] First thing’s first…Room Experience…what an absolutely awful name for a band!!! Let’s hope the music improves things… Who are Room Experience then?…well it’s the name for Italian keyboard player Gianluca Firmo’s solo project which features … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: FLEETWOOD MAC – 02 Arena, London, 24 June 2015

FLEETWOOD MAC - 02 Arena, London, 24 June 2015

When I paid over the odds to see Fleetwood Mac at the soulless 02 in Autumn 2013, it was in the knowledge that this was a chance to see the legendary band one last time, yet less than two years … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: OSUKARU, DAVID CELIA, ED DUPAS

OSUKARU Transition

OSUKARU Transition www.osukarumusic.com [Release date 01.06.15] A band led by keyboards player/songwriter Oz Osukaru and this album is half new material, with some older songs given a reboot. Must admit not to knowing the name, however the songs on here … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: Fee Waybill of THE TUBES interview and UK tour (June 2015)

The Tubes - Club Academy, Manchester, 8 August 2015

In this exclusive interview edit Fee Waybill of The Tubes chats to David Randall about the forthcoming tour and meeting audience expectations (14:58) Gig review: Manchester, 8 August 2015 The Tubes tour continues! The Tubes Anniversary Special Get Ready to … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, NEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Album review: ASIA, JAH WOBBLE, STRAWBS, GONG (Access All Areas)

Asia - Access All Areas

Edsel Records [Release date 08.06.15]  CD/DVD The latest batch of AAA releases run the full gamut from the melodic pop rock of Asia to the weird and wonderful meanderings of Daevid Allen’s Gong. All packages include a CD plus DVD … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment