Tag Archives: melodic rock

Gig review: STYX – London Palladium, 4 June 2019

Posted on June 10, 2019 by andynathan

It’s been eight long years since Styx last crossed the pond and on that occasion they opened a three way battle of the AOR behemoths with Foreigner and Journey, and for many observers stole the show. This belated return was … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, gig, James Young, Lawrence Gowan, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Styx, Tommy Shaw | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (April 2019 – June 2019)

Posted on June 10, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

Albums of the Month 2019: April-June January-March 2019 ERJA LYYTINEN Another World (Tuohi Records) [Release Date 26.04.19] From the tension building intensity and a harmony guitar break of ‘Hard As Stone’ to the gently paced ‘Without You’, with its angst … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, All Posts, NEWS | Tagged 2019, albums of the month, April, Big Big Train, blues rock, classic rock, Diamond Head, Erja Lyytinen, hard rock, Izz, June, May, melodic rock, Michael Thompson Band, Prince, Progressive Rock, Rebecca Downes | Leave a comment

Quick plays: ROYAL REPUBLIC, ROB MORATTI, FINE SOFT DAY, TRAGIK

Posted on June 10, 2019 by jason

ROYAL REPUBLIC Club Majesty Nuclear Blast [Release date 31.05.19] Royal Republic are on the up and up with their mix of rock, dance, disco, funk, rock n roll – heck they will put in any style of music into their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, AOR, Club Majesty, dance, disco, Fine Soft Day, folk, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, Pink Floyd, pop rock, progressive, Quick Plays, review, Rob Moratti, rock, rock 'n' roll, Royal Republic, Saga, Survival Code, Tragik | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (January 2019 – March 2019)

Posted on June 10, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

Albums of the Month 2019: January – March April-June 2019 STEVE HACKETT At The Edge Of Light (Inside Out) [Release date 25.01.19] In his long and distinguished career at the forefront of everything that’s good about progressive rock, Steve Hackett … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums of the Month, All Posts, NEWS | Tagged 2019, albums of the month, blues rock, classic rock, DEL BROMHAM, Elles Bailey, February, hard rock, January, Keith Howe, March, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, RPWL, Steve Hackett, Wily Bo Walker | Leave a comment

Gig review: MAGNUM – Aberdare Coliseum, 5 June 2019

Posted on June 10, 2019 by GRTR! HQ

With more venues in South Wales falling by the wayside, it is refreshing to see someone taking a gamble, especially in the valleys and in the middle of the week, but the old adage of book them and they will … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 5 June 2019, Aberdare, Bob Catley, classic rock, Coliseum, gig, Hand of Dimes, Magnum, melodic rock, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Gig review: SWEDISH AOR CONVENTION – Malmo, Sweden, 30 May-2 June 2019

Posted on June 9, 2019 by andynathan

Melodic rock and AOR is an unlikely addition to the list of things- ergonomic design, environmental awareness, and dark crime dramas- where Scandinavia leads the world. The scene is particularly strong in Sweden, home of many of my favourite bands … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Age of Reflection, Anette Olzon, AOR, Bad Habit, Care of Night, Coastland Ride, Creye, festival, gig, Hank Erix, melodic rock, Osukaru, Philip Lindstrand, Pretty Wild, Sapphire Eyes, Shape of the New Sun, State of Salazar, Swedish AOR convention | Leave a comment

Album review: CRAZY LIXX – Forever Wild

Posted on June 6, 2019 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 17.05.19] “Forever Wild” is the sixth studio album from Swedish band Crazy Lixx, and could very well be their best to date. This is good, solid melodic rock n’ roll that is full of those ‘80’s style … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Bon Jovi, Crazy Lixx, Def Leppard, Forever Wild, glam metal, hair metal, melodic rock, review, Skid Row | Leave a comment

Album review: FICTION SYXX – The Alternate Me

Posted on May 30, 2019 by jason

MelodicRock Records [Release date 28.06.19] Fiction Syxx follow up last year’s debut ‘Tall Dark Secret’ with ‘The Alternate Me’. Fiction Syxx is the brain child of songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Mark Allen Lanoue and he is joined again by guitarist JK Northrup (King … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Alternate Me, Eric Ragno, Fiction Syxx, JK Northrup, Mark Allen Lanoue, melodic rock, progressive, review, rock, Styx, Uriah Heep | Leave a comment

Album review: MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – Love & Beyond

Posted on May 28, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 26.04.19] Michael Thompson is one of the most respected session guitarists in rock – alongside Steve Lukather and Bruce Gaitsch he is probably the go-to man, particularly for the so-called West Coast sound where soft rock and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged AOR, Guy Allison, Larry Antonino, Larry King, Mark Spiro, melodic rock, Michael Thompson, West Coast | Leave a comment

Album review: FORTUNE – II

Posted on May 28, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 26.04.19] Fortune’s 1985 self-titled albums is one that always featured highly in the list of obscure but brilliant melodic/AOR classics. While singer Larry (LA) Greene and keyboard player Roger Scott Craig went on to another cult AOR … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Fortune, Larry Greene, melodic rock, Mick Fortune, Richard Fortune | Leave a comment

Quick plays: NITRATE, HOWARD JONES

Posted on May 20, 2019 by jason

NITRATE Open Wide AOR Heaven [Release date 21.06.19] Hot on the heels of last year’s enjoyable debut album ‘Real World’, Nitrate are back with album number two. The core duo of Nick Hogg (bass, guitars, keyboards) and Midnite City’s Rob … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged 80's rock, album, BT, dance, electronica, hair metal, Harem Scarem, Harry Hess, Howard Jones, melodic rock, Midnite City, Nitrate, Open Wide, pop, review, rock, synthpop, Transform | Leave a comment

Album review: BLACK PAISLEY – Perennials

Posted on May 17, 2019 by jason

[Release date 27.09.18] If you are a fan of the likes of Vandenberg’s MoonKings or MTV era Whitesnake then you are going to love “Perennials”, the new album from Sweden’s Black Paisley. Following on from 2017’s “Late Bloomer” debut, this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, Black Paisley, Bon Jovi, classic rock, melodic rock, Perennials, review, rock, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Album review: BURNING RAIN – Face the Music

Posted on May 16, 2019 by andynathan

Release Date 22.03.19 Burning Rain have had a rather stop start career, this being their fourth release but only the second since 2001. In that time guitarist Doug Aldrich has raised his profile with stints with Dio, Whitesnake and latterly … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, blues rock, Burning Rain, Doug Aldrich, Face the music, Keith St John, melodic rock | Leave a comment

Quick plays: DUNCAN LLOYD, HARDLINE

Posted on May 15, 2019 by jason

DUNCAN LLOYD Outside Notion Afternoon In Bed [Release date 24.05.19] Third solo outing from Maximo Park’s guitarist and main songwriter Duncan Lloyd, one that sees a marked departure from his last album. This time it is less alternative rock, more … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Alex Rudi Pell, alternative, ambient, Duncan Lloyd, hard rock, Hardline, Johnny Gioeli, Journey, Maximo Park, melodic rock, review, rock, Stop Stop | Leave a comment

Album review: ALLIANCE – Fire and Grace

Posted on May 14, 2019 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 24.05.19] Robert Berry (vocals, bass, keyboards), Boston guitarist Gary Pihl and drummer David Lauser (Sammy Hagar), are back with a new Alliance album – their first in ten years. Only missing from the previous albums is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged 3, album, Alliance, AOR, Boston, Escape Music, hard rock, melodic rock, review, Robert Berry, rock, Sammy Hagar | Leave a comment

Album review: JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE – Winds of Change

Posted on May 6, 2019 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 10.04.19] The first World Stage came out way back in 2001, so it is well overdue a follow-up from Jim Peterik, although he has of course been playing live shows under the World Stage banner. The backing … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged .38 Special, album, AOR, classic rock, Danny Vaughn, Dennis De Young, Don Barnes, Jim Peterik, Kevin Cronin, Loverboy, melodic rock, REO Speedwagon, review, rock, Styx, Survivor, World Stage | Leave a comment

Quick plays: X-ROMANCE, THE DAMNED THINGS, LEGION

Posted on April 25, 2019 by jason

X-ROMANCE Voices From The Past AOR Heaven [Release date 24.05.19] Another blast from the past re-discovered and rebooted for today. This time it is the turn of X-Romance. X-Romance was initially a project started in 2015 as an offspring to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, Quick Plays | Tagged album, Anthrax, Fall Out Boy, hard rock, House Of Shakira, KILLER BEE, Legion, melodic rock, metal, modern rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Scott Ian, the Damned Things, Vince O'Regan, X-Romance | Leave a comment

Gig review: AIRRACE – London Borderline, 19 April 2019

Posted on April 24, 2019 by andynathan

Airrace’s stop-start career seems to have been characterised by support slots, whether with Queen back in 1984, or since they reformed a decade ago, a periodic set of shows consisting mainly of high profile support slots to the likes of … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 19 April 2019, Adam Payne, Airrace, AOR, Borderline, Dhani Mansworth, gig, Laurie Mansworth, Linda Kelsey Foster, London, melodic rock, review, Rocky Newton | Leave a comment

Album review: FM – The Italian Job (CD/DVD)

Posted on April 24, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 22.02.19] FM have delivered consistently excellent live performances since the second phase of the band effectively kicked off a decade ago with guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick’s arrival. However this era of their history has gone undocumented so far, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, DVD, FM, Frontiers Rock Festival, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Album review: LARS ERIC MATTSSON – Into The Unknown

Posted on April 23, 2019 by jason

Lion Music [Release date 09.05.19] Guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson (Condition Red, Mattsson) returns with a new album ‘Into The Unknown’, that sees him tap into his more melodic style of playing and song writing. He is joined by Alexander King … Continue reading →