Tag Archives: AOR

Album review : MAGNUM – The Great Adventure, The Jet Years 1978 – 1983 (6 CD Boxset)

Magnum_HNEBOX196-scaled 400

Cherry Red / HNE [Release date: 25.08.23] CD1 : Kingdom Of Madness (1978) CD2 : Archive (1976) CD3 : Magnum II (1979) CD4 : Marauder (1980) CD5 : Chase The Dragon (1982) CD6 : Eleventh Hour (1983) This Magnum 6 … Continue reading

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Album review : STREETLIGHT – Ignition

STREETLIGHT - Ignition

Frontiers [Release date : 11.08.23] Streetlight’s debut album is filled to the brim with heart and soul AOR. Few bands have the skill and ability to make it sound this honest. Just unpretentious songs of unerring simplicity and (mostly) uncomplicated … Continue reading

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Album review : RIAN – Wings

RIAN - Wings

Frontiers [Release date 04.08.23] Third album from Swedish melodic rock band, Rian, led by exceptionally talented vocalist/ guitarist Richard Andermyer. Their second on Frontiers. The band’s label debut, titled Twenty Three, was reviewed in GRTR! back in 2021. Here’s what … Continue reading

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Album review: MITCH MALLOY – The Last Song

MITCH MALLOY- The Last Song

Godsend Records [Release date 07.07.23] After his stint fronting Great White, Mitch Malloy resumes his solo career with his first album since ‘Making Noise’ some seven years ago. Indeed, like its predecessor, this is a solo effort in every sense … Continue reading

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Album review : KENT HILLI – Nothing Left To Lose

KENT HILLI - Nothing Left To Lose

Frontiers [Release date : 04.08.23] Only one solo album under his belt, yet Kent Hilli seems to have been around forever. Three studio albums with Perfect Plan, two Restless Spirits’ albums and a stint fronting legendary melodic rock band, Giant. … Continue reading

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Album review: TONY MITCHELL – Radio Heartbeat

TONY MITCHELL - Radio Heartbeat

Pride & Glory Music [Release date 21.07.23] The fourth solo album from Tony Mitchell, of Kiss Of The Gypsy & Dirty White Boyz fame. Joining him on here are Midnite City guitarist Miles Meakin, bassist Nigel Bailey (Dirty White Boyz, … Continue reading

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Album review: BLOODBOUND – Tales From The North

BLOODBOUND - Tales Of The North

AFM Records [release date 7.07.23] Since the early nineties, Northern European Metal bands have progressively sought to explore and celebrate the history and impact of Viking Culture. “Viking Metal” has grown considerably since then. One of today’s key exponents is … Continue reading

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Book review: ON TRACK… REO Speedwagon- every album, every song by James Romag

ON TRACK... REO Speedwagon- every album, every song by James Romag

Sonic Bond Publishing (Release Date 28.04.23) The ever growing On Track series is now spreading its wings to bands with at best cult status in the UK, in this case REO Speedwagon who, despite three big power ballad hits in … Continue reading

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Album review: MIDNITE CITY – In At The Deep End

MIDNITE CITY- In At The Deep End

Pride and Joy Music [Releaae date 23.06.23] This is an impressive fourth release in under six years from Midnite City, confirming them as one of the most enduring of the select band of UK melodic rock acts.  It doesn’t mess … Continue reading

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Album review : STARDUST – Kingdom Of Illusion

STARDUST - Kingdom Of Illusion

Frontiers [Release date: 16.06.23] Hungarian band, Stardust kick off their album with ‘War’ as the opening track.  Given current events, there was always someone who’d climb on the bandwagon. Lets move on. There’s a welcome familiarity to Stardust’s melodic rock, … Continue reading

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Album review: THE GUESS WHO – Plein D’Amour

THE GUESS WHO - Plein D'Amour

Deko Entertainment [Release date 07.07.23] The Guess Who’s 2018 album, ‘The Future IS What It Used to Be’, wasn’t bad at all, maybe a bit too AOR/melodic rock for diehard fans, possibly due to Styx’s Tommy Shaw having a large … Continue reading

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Album review: VIXEN Rev It Up (remaster)

VIXEN - Rev It Up

Rock Candy Records [release date 18.05.23] Minnesota band Vixen made their major label breakthrough in 1987, after moving to Los Angeles. Two albums were recorded by the original Vixen lineup, Jan Keuhnemund, Janet Gardner, Share Ross and Roxy Petrucci. The … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM/DARE/TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023

FM/DARE/TYKETTO- Islington Academy, London, 25 May 2023

The package tour is growing in popularity in the current economic climate as a way of bands combining forces to save on overheads and play in front of maximum audiences. Announced just before Christmas, this particular triple header was most … Continue reading

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Gig review: WINGER – Bristol Academy, 21 May 2023

230521_winger8a

Back in 2010 I reviewed Winger at Manchester Academy and took my son the guitarist Ben Randall.  Ben is a big fan of the band but I couldn’t entice him to see their latest tour supporting Steel Panther. Whether it’s … Continue reading

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News: Melodic Rockers FM enter The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness in June 2023

The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness

The latest inductees to “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” are melodic rockers FM. A major retrospective tracking FM’s comeback in the millennium will be published on 1 June by rock website Get Ready to ROCK! and throughout the month Get … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROCKNYTT CRUISE- Viking Line ‘Cinderella’, Stockholm, 21-22 April 2023

ROCKNYTT CRUISE- Viking Line 'Cinderella', Stockholm, 21-22 April 2023

The rock cruise is now a well established business model in the world of classic rock, as fans of rock’s golden age reach their Saga-eligible years and are looking for new experiences and greater comfort than sleeping in tents and … Continue reading

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Album review : MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – The Love Goes On

The Michael Thompson Band - The Love Goes On

Frontiers [Release date 12.05.23] Michael Thompson may be one of the most gifted, sought after rock guitarists in the business – his pedigree must run to several volumes – but the Michael Thompson Band, known as MTB, will forever be … Continue reading

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Gig review: TED POLEY – The Black Heart, London, 29 March 2023

TED POLEY- The Black Heart, London, 29 March 2023

The irrepressible, infectious figure of singer Ted Poley has been a welcome visitor to these shores regularly over the years, both with Danger Danger and also in a variety of other projects such as Bone Machine and Melodica.  However he … Continue reading

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Album review: MECCA – Everlasting

MECCA - Everlasting

Frontiers [release date 21.03.23] First Mecca album to be released in Europe since the Brexit Referendum. And the suitably titled opener, ‘And Now The Magic is Gone’ turns out to be the album’s big moment. Everlasting is not quite as … Continue reading

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Book review: FLEETWOOD MAC IN THE 1980s by Don Klees

Fleetwood Mac in the 1980s Don Klees

SonicBond Publishing [Publication date 27.01.23] During the 1980’s Fleetwood Mac only released two albums, 1982’s ‘Mirage’, which topped the US album charts, and 1987’s ‘Tango In The Night’, which saw the band top the UK album charts with sales to … Continue reading

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Album review : TRANSWORLD IDENTITY – Seven Worlds

transworld

Frontiers [Release date 17.3.23] Transworld Identity is a breath of fresh air. Vocalist Mila Bosa previously fronted a hard rock covers band, inevitably moving onto original material with her own band, T-ID. Hard to tell just how long they’ve been … Continue reading

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Album review : DEMONS DOWN – I Stand

demons down i stand

Frontiers [Release date: 10.03.23] Here’s an interesting band. Demons Down combine the legacy Melodic Rock of House Of Lords (and others) … Jimi Bell, Ken Mary and Chuck Wright, with today’s rising stars in the shape of Chilean vocalist, James … Continue reading

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Album review: KEN HENSLEY – Past And Present (Songs In Time Anthology, 1972-2021, 6 CD set)

KEN HENSLEY - Past And Present

Cherry Red [Release date: 27.02.23] The late Ken Hensley had been steadily accumulating cultural stock since 1970. His ability to write poetic, melodic rock’n’roll is well known in the music industry worldwide. His reputation grew exponentially as he converted that … Continue reading

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Album review: T3NORS – Naked Soul

T3NORS - Naked Soul

Frontiers [Release date: 10.02.23] So much of Frontiers’ melodic rock finds itself impervious to outside influences. There are few AOR albums from the label that have successfully taken on contemporary musical mores. The truth is – we all claim to … Continue reading

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Album review: GABRIELLE DE VAL – Kiss In A Dragon Night

GABRIELLE DE VAL - Kiss In A Dragon Night

Escape Music [Release date 17.02.23] Gabrielle de Val has been involved in the rock scene since 1987 when she created the band Yin-Yang, which would later be called D’Val. They never recorded a full album, however, fast forward to 2010 … Continue reading

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