Tag Archives: melodic rock

Album review: HOKKA – Via Miseria IV

Posted on April 14, 2026 by GRTR! HQ

Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 24.04.26] There is a lot of good stuff coming out of Finland at the moment, always underpinned by the Nordic/Scandi talent for melody (and a fair helping of darkness). Lovers of The Rasmus are going … Continue reading →

Gig review: FM- White Rock Studio, Hastings, 5 April 2026

Posted on April 11, 2026 by andynathan

With their 1986 debut album ‘Indiscreet’ FM took on the Americans at their own game with among the finest, and arguably the very best, British AOR albums ever recorded, with all the hallmarks of the genre- hook-filled songs on the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, Brave Rival, Ed 'the Shred' Clarke, FM, gig, Indiscreet, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Lindsey Bonnick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Album review : FIGHTER V – Deja Vu

Posted on April 6, 2026 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 10.04.26] We couldn’t help thinking that we’d heard this album somewhere before. Maybe it’ll come back to us. Deja Vu is the third album from Swiss melodic rock band, Fighter V. Emmo Acar (v), Lobe … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, David Coverdale, Deja Vu, Emmo Acar, Fighter V, Frontiers Music, melodic rock, review, Steely Dan | Leave a comment

Gig review: CHEZ KANE- Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames, 2 April 2026

Posted on April 5, 2026 by andynathan

No one can accuse Welsh songstress Chez Kane of not putting in the hard yards. This show in Kingston’s rock pub, in my South West London heartland, marked the last of a remarkable ten ‘in-store’ acoustic appearances in seven days … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged acoustic, Chez Kane, gig, Harry Scott Elliott, Henry Gottelier, James Ready, melodic rock, Reckless, The Karma Effect | Leave a comment

News: PAUL McCARTNEY, THE 69 EYES, JUDAS PRIEST (April 2026)

Posted on March 27, 2026 by jason

JOE BONAMASSA- Royal Albert Hall, London, 4 April 2024

Airbourne release their new self-titled album on August 27 via Spinefarm. Balaam and the Angel release a new EP on May 1 entitled ‘Love Death Wealth Water‘. Capitol Records/UMe is celebrating the Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ album’s 60th anniversary with ‘The … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Competitions, Exhibitions, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP, Special Events | Tagged albums, AOR, blues, folk, gigs, Judas Priest, melodic rock, metal, news, Paul McCartney, re-issues, RIP, special editions, The 69 Eyes, tour dates | Leave a comment

Album review: WARRANT – Belly To Belly Vol.1

Posted on March 22, 2026 by GRTR! HQ

Deko Entertainment [Release date 15.04.26] Warrant’s fifth album ‘Belly to Belly, Vol. 1′ has been remastered and repackaged and is being re-released in April, and for the first time will also be released on vinyl. Originally released in 1996 it … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues | Tagged album, Belly To Belly Vol.1, hard rock, melodic rock, review, Warrant | Leave a comment

Album review : CHEZ KANE – Reckless

Posted on March 22, 2026 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 27.3.26] We’re cranking the machine back to 1986. Yes, sounding like every Desmond Child Holly Knight/Diane Warren penned AOR hit 40 years ago, the album launches with the title track, ‘Restless’. Only this time with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Chez Kane, Crazy Lixx, Danny Rexon, Desmond Child, Dian Warren, eighties, Holly Knight, melodic rock, Reckless, review | Leave a comment

Album review: TYKETTO – Closer To The Sun

Posted on March 20, 2026 by andynathan

Silver Lining Music [Release Date 20.3.26] For so long one of rock’s best kept secrets, Tyketto’s mainstream exposure has grown over the past few years with well-received appearances at broader festivals outside their melodic rock genre and even a detailed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, blues rock, Closer to the Sun, Danny Vaughn, Ged Rylands, Harry Scott Elliott, melodic rock, Tyketto | Leave a comment

Album review: CASEY MAUNDER – Smash Down Jericho

Posted on March 7, 2026 by jason

Website [Release date 20.03.26] Album number three from Casey Maunder and pleased to report that he carries on with his high standards of penning catchy, melodic hard rock. Of the ten songs on here, only ‘Paint’ has been released ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Casey Maunder, hard rock, melodic rock, review, rock, Smash Down Jericho | Leave a comment

News: RUSH, CRIMSON GLORY, VON GROOVE (March 2026)

Posted on February 23, 2026 by jason

Acacia Avenue release ‘Chapter V’ via Pride & Joy Music on May 29. Amberian Dawn release their latest album, ‘Temptation’s Gates’, on June 26 via Napalm Records. The band have also announced Nicole Willerton as their new vocalist. Deko Entertainment release a 50th … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Exhibitions, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged albums, AOR, blues, Crimson Glory, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, re-issues, RIP, Rush, special editions, tour dates, Von Groove | Leave a comment

Album review : TRANSATLANTIC RADIO – Midnight Transmission

Posted on February 12, 2026 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 20.02.26] Swedish émigré and fully fledged Angeleno since the nineties, bass playing Victor Broden is a Grammy winning musician and producer. He moved to LA on a wing and prayer, with the echoes of the AOR … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged AOR, Chris Reeve, Filter, Frontiers, melodic rock, review, Ricky Martin, RJ Ronquillo, Santana, Transatlantic Radio, Victor Broden | Leave a comment

Album review: PHIL VINCENT – Thirst Trap

Posted on February 12, 2026 by jason

Rock Company Records [Release date 25.02.26] Phil Vincent has been releasing albums since 1996, as a solo artist or as a member of bands like Tragik and D’Ercole. ‘Thirst Trap’ is his 24th solo album to date, and it is … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Black Sabbath, classic rock, D'Ercole, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Thirst Trap, Tragik | Leave a comment

Album review : AUSTEN STARR – I Am The Enemy

Posted on February 5, 2026 by brianmc

Frontiers Music [Release date : 13.02.26] The label have teamed new kid on the block, vocalist Austen Starr, with Joel (Revolution Saints/ Whitesnake) Hoekstra, and together they’ve written a bunch of edgy rock songs that allow both talents to shine. … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Austen Starr, Avril Lavigne, Frontiers Music, I Am The Enemy, Joel Hoekstra, melodic rock, review | Leave a comment

Album review: DENNIS CHURCHILL-DRIES – Crazy Is This Life

Posted on February 3, 2026 by jason

AOR Blvd Records [Release date 30.01.26] Former White Sister and Tattoo Rodeo vocalist Dennis Churchill-Dries is back with another album packed full of classy melodic rock. He’s joined by Steve Newman on guitar and keys, along with Newman drummer Rob … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, AOR Blvd Records, Dennis Churchill Dries, hard rock, melodic rock, review, rock, Steve Newman, Tattoo Rodeo, White Sister | Leave a comment

Gig review: MIDNITE CITY – Black Heart, Camden, London, 24 January 2026

Posted on January 28, 2026 by andynathan

Midnite City continue to entertain with their feel good revival of the glammy melodic hard rock sounds of the late eighties (or hair metal as it was never called in the day). This show was originally scheduled for November but … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged gig, glam rock, hair metal, melodic rock, Midnite City, Miles Meakin, Nasty Ratz, Rob Wylde, Shawn Charvette | Leave a comment

News: AEROSMITH, SAVATAGE, CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL (February 2026)

Posted on January 27, 2026 by jason

SUZI QUATRO-London Palladium, 15 November 2023

Acid Reign will release a new album ‘Daze Of The Week’ on May 15. Aerosmith release ‘Aerosmith (Legendary Edition)’ on March 20 as a limited-edition deluxe 5LP box, a 4LP slipcase, black and colour vinyl, 3CD, CD, and digital. Steven Tyler and Joe … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, Listening Post, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged Aerosmith, albums, AOR, blues, Cambridge Folk Festival, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, re-issues, RIP, Savatage, special editions, tour dates | Leave a comment

Album review: PHIL THORNALLEY – Stacked

Posted on January 25, 2026 by jason

Facebook [Release date 23.01.26] Here at GRTR! Towers we love the work of Phil Thornalley, be it his solo pop/power rock delights or with Astral Drive, a band whose albums should be in any self-respecting music lover’s collection. On his … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Casey Shea, melodic rock, Phil Thornalley, pop punk, pop rock, power pop, review, Stacked | Leave a comment

Album review : AUTUMN’S CHILD – Melody Lane

Posted on January 13, 2026 by brianmc

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 23.01.26] Mikael Erlandsson: 9 solo albums, 17 albums with Last Autumn’s Dream, 10 collaborations (with Tom Galley, Tommy Denander and others). Melody Lane is his 6th (since 2019) with Autumn’s Child, his fourth on … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Autumn’s Child, Last Autumn’s Dream, melodic rock, Melody Lane, Mikael Erlandsson, Pride&Joy, review, Tom Galley, Tommy Denander | Leave a comment

Album review: PETRA – Hope

Posted on January 5, 2026 by jason

Girder Records [Release date 12.01.26] 2026 could well be the year of the comeback and one highly anticipated is this new album from Petra, their first studio album since 2003’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde’. Petra have been touring on and off … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Bob Hartman, Christian rock, Hope, John Schlitt, melodic rock, Petra, review, rock | Leave a comment

News: DEMON, QUEEN, PETRA (January 2026)

Posted on December 28, 2025 by jason

Black Label Society - HARD ROCK HELL IX - Hafan Y Mor, Pwlhelli, Wales, 12-14 November 2015

The All-American Rejects release their first album since 2012. ‘Sandbox’ will be released in February via Too Lost. Alt Blk Era have announced a new EP, ‘Our World’, which will arrive on May 22 via LAB Records. Tori Amos releases … Continue reading →

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged albums, AOR, blues, DEMON, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, Petra, Queen, re-issues, RIP, special editions, tour dates | Leave a comment

News: Albums of the Month (October-December 2025)

Posted on December 27, 2025 by GRTR! HQ

A quarterly feature highlighting album releases rated highly by the GRTR! review team and worthy of your investigation. We try and pick out a cross-section of albums that reflect the range of genres reviewed at the website. The star rating … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), Albums of the Month, ALL POSTS | Tagged albums of the month, Americana, classic rock, December 2025, funk, melodic rock, November, October, Progressive Rock, roots, singer, songwriter | Leave a comment

Album review: MIDNITE CITY- Bite The Bullet

Posted on December 26, 2025 by andynathan

Pride and Joy Music [Release Date 21.11.25] Unapologetically promoting themselves as ‘hair metal’ when other more self-conscious bands might balk at the description, Midnite City are impressively now onto their fifth album since 2017. Rob Wylde’s men are not about … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, hair metal, melodic rock, Midnite City, Miles Meakin, review, Rob Wylde, Shawn Charvette | Leave a comment

Album review : ROB MORATTI – Sovereign

Posted on December 16, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date: 12.12.25] Rob Moratti’s all star cast is arguably more famous than he is : Joel Hoekstra, Tony Franklin, Felix Borg, Fredrik Bergh and Pete Alpenborg. Alpenborg’s written stuff for Harry Hess, Robin McAuley, Kee Marcello, Tommy Heart … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged Epica, Fredric Bergh, Frontiers, Joel Hoekstra, melodic rock, Pete Alpenborg, review, Rob Moratti, Sovereign | Leave a comment

Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025

Posted on December 14, 2025 by andynathan

In all my years gig going, I don’t think I’ve ever been to one this close, just ten minutes walk from my house. That it should be by two members of FM, a band I’ve devotedly followed for 40 years … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged acoustic, AOR, FM, gig, Jim Kirkpatrick, Lara Brewer, melodic rock, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Album review : BRAZEN ABBOT – Live And Learn and Guilty As Sin (CD reissues)

Posted on December 13, 2025 by brianmc

Frontiers [Release date : 12.12.25] Classically trained Bulgarian multi-instrumentalist, Nikolo Kotzev founded Brazen Abbot in 1995. He could play every stringed instrument known to rock’n’roll mankind, but needed a singer. Over these two reissues, released simultaneously, the cream of European … Continue reading →