-
-
-
If you can't find what you're looking for - or wish to refine your search to include only references to the key search term - try putting inverted commas around the search term e.g. "Steve Lukather" or "Black Star Riders"
For example if you enter Black Star Riders the results will include all instances of "Black" "Star" and "Riders". The search will also be slower.
-
Our star rating
***** Out of this world
**** Pretty damn fine
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan of the artist or genre
** Instant bargain bin fodder
* Ugly, just ugly
Switch site
-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
-
Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2025
-
Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
-
Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
-
Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
-
Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
-
Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
-
Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
-
-
Latest Album Reviews
-
Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)
-
Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge
-
Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70
-
Feature: All Boxed Up for Christmas (December 2025)
-
Album review : LYNCH MOB – Dancing With The Devil
-
Album review: CYTRUS – Duality
-
-
Latest Gig Reviews
-
GRTR! Greats
-
Featured Album Reviews
-
Features
-
Interviews
-
Single & EP Reviews
-
DVD Reviews
-
Book Reviews
-
News
-
Quick Categories
Categories (All)
Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: GRAHAM BONNET – Solo Albums 1974-1992

In August 2017 Graham Bonnet chatted to David Randall about his career for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. This hour special includes several tracks featured in the latest box set. Cherry Red [Release date 27.11.20] Skegness born Graham Bonnet is … Continue reading
Album review: ALIEN – Into the Future

AOR Heaven [Release Date 27.11.20] One of the original wave of Scandi AOR bands at the end of the eighties, Alien’s return with their original line up was one of the stories of the early 2010’s. They followed up two … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alien, AOR, Jim Jidhed, melodic rock, Tony Borg
Leave a comment
Album review: BLACK ROSE – S/T

Rock Candy [Release date 09.10.20] 1980: on the surface, Black Rose had little going for it. And yet Cher, guitarist Les Dudek’s part time girlfriend, fronted the band. Strangely, it played down Cher’s involvement. To its cost. The band’s one … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, Bernie Taupin, BLACK ROSE, Cher, David Paich, melodic rock, New Wave, review, Rock Candy
Leave a comment
Album review: PRIDE OF LIONS – Lion Heart

Frontiers Records [Release Date 09.10.20] Approaching 70, maestro songwriter and Survivor founder member Jim Peterik is showing no signs of slowing down. After last year’s World Stage release with a star studded casts of guest vocalists, and co-writing much of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jim Peterik, melodic rock, Pride of Lions, Survivor, Toby Hitchcock
Leave a comment
Album review: STARDUST – Highway To Heartbreak

Frontiers [Release date 09.10.20] Debut album from (very) talented newcomers, Stardust. In the world inhabited by melodic rock fans, very good pastiches of Eighties’ AOR get the utmost respect. The era’s distinctively polished, precision calibrated, hook heavy hard rock is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Highway To Heartbreak, melodic, melodic rock, review, Stardust
Leave a comment
DVD review: DEF LEPPARD – Hits Vegas

Eagle Rock Entertainment Initially only available as part of the highly popular “London to Vegas” live box set, Def Leppard are now releasing stand-alone versions of their “Hits Vegas, Live at Planet Hollywood” set, these being available in DVD/2CD, Blu-ray/2CD, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged classic rock, Def Leppard, DVD, Eagle Rock, Hits Vegas, Joe Elliott, melodic rock, review, rock
Leave a comment
Album review: BROTHER FIRETRIBE – Feel The Burn

Odyssey Music (Release Date 18.09.20) With the release of their first album back in 2006, Brother Firetribe (alongside the Poodles and WigWam) kick started the Scandinavian-led revival of melodic rock that is thriving to this day. Since then the only … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brother Firetribe, melodic rock, Pekka Ansiu Heino, review
Leave a comment
News: Albums of the Month (July 2020 – September 2020)

MAGENTA Masters Of Illusion (Tiger Moth) It turns back the years without ever being ‘retro’ and I would suggest is comfortably the best Magenta album since Home. Masters Of Illusion – The Musical, anyone? ***** (Pete Whalley) WALTER TROUT Ordinary … Continue reading
Posted in Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS, NEWS
Tagged 20/20, albums of the month, AOR, Arctic Rain, August, blues, blues rock, classic rock, Deep Purple, hard rock, July, Kat Riggins, Legacy Pilots, Magenta, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, September, Walter Trout
Leave a comment
Album review: PERFECT PLAN- Time For A Miracle

Frontiers Records [Release Date 04.09.20] Perfect Plan’s self titled debut was one of the revelations of 2018, these seasoned Swedes emerging from nowhere with a high quality mix of hard rock and AOR. After keeping the pot boiling nicely with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan
Leave a comment
Single reviews: JESSICA LYNN, IVY GOLD, FUTURE RADIO, ZEA SY

JESSICA LYNN Love Me That Way Another new song from a rising star in the country scene Jessica Lynn. As Lynn hereself says – “Love Me That Way is one of my favorite songs from my new television concert special … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged blues, country, Future Radio, Ivy Gold, Jessica Lynn, melodic rock, pop, review, rock, singles, soul, Zea Sy
Leave a comment
Album review: LANDFALL – The Turning Point

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20] This is up and coming Brazilian band, Landfall’s first album with talented vocalist Gui Oliver. His high tenor has encouraged the label to compare him to Steve Perry, but his vocal timbre is often much closer … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Gui Oliver, Journey, Landfall, melodic rock, review, rock, Steve Perry, The Turning Point
Leave a comment
Album review: OVERLAND – Scandalous

Escape Music [Release date 18.09.20] FM vocalist Steve Overland returns with a new album, aided by Tommy Denander, along with Brian Anthony (bass, piano, Hammond) and drummer Brian Tichy (Foreigner, Whitesnake, Dead Daisies et al). The album’s contrasting styles can … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, FM, melodic rock, review, rock, Solo, soul, Steve Overland, Tommy Denander
Leave a comment
Album review: PAUL SABU – Heartbreak & Only Child

Rock Candy Records Remasters [Release date 07.08.20] From the moment he burst onto the disco music scene in the late seventies, the legend that is Paul Sabu has been inundated with accolades… “best this…”, “best that…”, but he never truly … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, AOR, Classic Albums, classic rock, Heartbreak, melodic rock, Only Child, Paul Sabu, review, Rock Candy
Leave a comment
Album review: HUSTLER – Reloaded

Black Cat Records [Release date 07.08.20] Many won’t know the name Hustler, however back in the 70’s they released two albums on A&M, supported Queen on that band’s first headline tour and toured with Status Quo in Europe. The band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bad Company, classic rock, Hustler, melodic rock, Queen, Reloaded, review, rock, soul
Leave a comment
Album review: TRISHULA – Time Waits For No Man

AOR Heaven [Release date 25.09.20] British melodic rock band Trishula is the brainchild of guitarist Neil Fraser (Rage Of Angels, Ten), accompanied by vocalist Jason Morgan. This is album number two, hot on the heels of last year’s very enjoyable … Continue reading
Album review: FORTUNE- The Gun’s Still Smoking Live (CD/DVD)

Frontiers Records (Release Date 07.08.20) One of the most heart-warming and unexpected comebacks of the last few years has been that of cult eighties AOR sters Fortune. It’s fair to say their comeback in 2016 at Rockingham Festival stole the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, AOR, Fortune. live album, Larry Greene, Mark Nilan, melodic rock, Richard Fortune, Ricky Rat
Leave a comment
Singles review: DREAMS OF AVALON – Under the Gun & Young Wild Hearts

Two teaser tracks released over the last month by Joachim (Astral Doors) Nordlund’s Melodic Rock band, Dreams Of Avalon. The full album “Beyond The Dream” is due for release at the end of August, by the Metalville label. It’s unadulterated … Continue reading
Album review: DUKES OF THE ORIENT – Freakshow

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] Dukes Of The Orient – vocalist John Payne (ex-Asia, GPS) and keyboardist Erik Norlander (Last In Line, Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) – return with their second album. Dukes Of The Orient has more of a band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Asia, Dukes of the Orient, Erik Norlander, Frontiers, John Payne, melodic rock, pomp rock, prog rock, review
Leave a comment
Album review: ARCTIC RAIN – The One

Frontiers [Release date 07.08.20] Arctic Rain’s music is gloriously reminiscent of the melodic rock genre’s more hypnotic moments. On most tracks, you can tell that they have been thumbing through a dog eared copy of the Eighties’ AOR Blueprint. Doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Arctic Rain, Frontiers, HEAT, melodic rock, review, rock, Survivor, The One, Treat
Leave a comment
Album review: LIONHEART – The Reality Of Miracles

Metalville Records [Release date 31.07.20] Lionheart’s second album since returning in 2016 and big expectations from this reviewer as their 2017 release ‘Second Nature’ was a classy piece of melodic hard rock. Lionheart have done it again, quite possibly pipping … Continue reading
Album review: LIONVILLE – Magic Is Alive

Frontiers Records [Release date 07.08.20] Fourth album from Lionville, an emphatically Westcoast Rock band. Each new release confirms that guitarist/songwriter Stefano Leonetti couldn’t have found a more suitable front man than Lars (Work Of Art) Safsund. What this celebrated vocalist … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Lars Sasfund, Lionville, Magic Is Alive, melodic rock, review, Stefano Leonetti, Work Of Art
Leave a comment





