Tag Archives: AOR

Album review: DENNIS DE YOUNG – 26 East, Volume 2

DENNIS DE YOUNG- 26 East, Volume 2

Frontiers Records (Release date 11.06.21) This is an album I’ve been looking forward to for 12 months since the release of Volume 1. That represented the former Styx singer’s return to his melodic rock roots in far better fashion than … Continue reading

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Album review: ONE DESIRE – One Night Only- Live in Helsinki (CD/DVD)

ONE DESIRE- One Night Only- Live in Helsinki (CD/DVD)

Frontiers Records (Release Date 11.06.21) In normal times, it might seem vainglorious for a band to issue a live CD and DVD just two albums into their career. However, in these strange times it is easy to empathise with One … Continue reading

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Album review: NITRATE – Renegade

NITRATE - Renegade

AOR Heaven [Release date 30.07.21] Nitrate are back with album number three and it is all change in the line-up. Nick Hogg remains joined by a new vocalist, Art Nation’s Alexander Strandell, Alessandro Del Vecchio (keys, backing vocals) and lead … Continue reading

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Album review: TOTO – With A Little Help From My Friends

TOTO- With A Little Help From My Friends

The Players Club/Mascot Label Group (Release Date 25.06.21) Last November Toto broadcast a live stream from California, which in the absence of concerts was the only way to introduce to the wider world their new line up in which Steve … Continue reading

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Album review: KENT HILLI – The Rumble

kent hilli

Frontiers [Release date 18.06.21] After two albums fronting A Perfect Plan, Kent Hilli has gone solo (helped by wunderkind, Michael Palace, who has arranged and produced), with The Rumble, on which he has written the bulk of the material. Unsurprisingly, … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL ARMSTRONG – Ojai

MICHAEL ARMSTRONG - Ojai

www.michaelarmstrongmusic.co.uk [Release date 25.06.21] London-born, singer songwriter Michael Armstrong releases his third studio album, which going by the press releases is a modern take on the ‘Yacht Rock’ genre. As Michael explains – “In 2018 I was invited to join … Continue reading

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Album review: LOU GRAMM – Questions And Answers (3CD Atlantic Years Anthology, 1987-89)

LOU GRAMM - Questions And Answers (3CD Atlantic Years Anthology, 1987-89)

Cherry Red [Release date 28.05.21] As with most rock bands, the singer and guitarist driving force is a dynamic that ultimately shudders to a halt, at least on a temporary basis: Steven Tyler/ Joe Perry. Mick Jagger/ Keith Richards. Robert … Continue reading

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Album review: VINCE DICOLA – Only Time Will Tell

VINCE DICOLA – Only Time Will Tell

Escape Music [Release date 11.06.21] Vince DiCola is a musician / songwriter from Pennsylvania and relocated to LA in 1981 to advance his career. In the early to mid-eighties Vince was involved in some well-known film scores such as ‘Staying … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL FURY – Affairs In Babylon

MICHAEL FURY – Affairs In Babylon

AOR Heaven [Release date 28.05.21] Michael Fury are a band, as opposed to a solo artist, having formed in 1979 by vocalist/guitarist Myles Hunter (Avalon), bassist Martyn Jones and guitarist Rob Kennedy. They played a fair few gigs in their … Continue reading

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Album review: SAVE THE WORLD – Two

SAVE THE WORLD - Two

Frontiers [Release date 07.05.21] Save The World is chief songwriter Dan Tracey (guitar, vocals, piano, keyboards, percussion) and Robert Wright (bass, vocals, keyboards, drums, guitars, strings, percussion and producer). Dan Tracey currently plays guitar and sings in the Alan Parsons … Continue reading

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News: ASIA, ANTHRAX, TOBY HITCHCOCK, GENESIS (May 2021)

Dream Theater - Manchester O2 Apollo, 13 February 2014

Alter Bridge plan to record their next album in 2022. Joan Armatrading’s new album ‘Consequences’ is released on June 18 via BMG. Asia are celebrating their 40th anniversary by releasing a 5CD boxset ‘The Reunion Albums: 2007 – 2012′ through … Continue reading

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Album review: STINGRAY (Remaster with bonus track)

stingray_cover_ml

Bad Reputation France [Release date 05.03.21] Enterprising French label, Bad Reputation, has been bringing some excellent new material to our attention recently. But for now we’ll focus on some classic blasts from the past, beginning with criminally overlooked South African … Continue reading

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Album review: TEMPLE BALLS – Pyromide

Temple-Balls-Pyromide-1

Frontiers [Release date 16.03.21] Despite the diabolically bad band name, Temple Balls’ popularity and reputation continue to grow. Produced by Jonah (HEAT) Tee, Pyromide is their third album. Their high energy melodic rock songs have a bright, brash ebullience. But … Continue reading

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Album review: ROBBIE LaBLANC – Double Trouble

ROBBIE LaBLANC- Double Trouble

Escape Music (Release date 16.04.21) Robbie LaBlanc is not only one of the melodic rock world’s most admired singers, but increasingly its most prolific. It’s only a few months since I reviewed the East Temple Avenue album he lent his … Continue reading

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Album review: FM – Tough It Out Live

FM Tough It Out Live

Frontiers Records (Release date 09.04.21) It already seems a long time ago but one of the gig highlights of the winter before the pandemic struck was the Big-Three-O tour in which FM, together with Dan Reed Network and Gun, celebrated … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (January 2021 – March 2021)

Albums of the Month (January-March 2021)

THUNDER All the Right Noises (BMG) Thunder fans will love this album as it touches all the band’s key strengths – memorable songs, party rockers, ballads, lyrics to make you think and above all, well-crafted hard rock tunes. An Album … Continue reading

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Album review: GARY HUGHES – Decades

GARY HUGHES- Decades

Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.03.21] With Gary Hughes having just released his first solo album in a long while, the simultaneous release of this generous 29 track double compilation is very timely as an opportunity to discover (or rediscover) the … Continue reading

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Album review: CHEZ KANE

CHEZ KANE- S/T

Frontiers Records [Release Date 12.03.21] Chez Kane is one of three sisters fronting Kane’d, who have gained a reputation pre-pandemic as an enjoyable live act. This is her debut solo album, though equal uncredited billing goes to Danny Rexon, lead … Continue reading

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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD) April 2021 – June 2021

LYLE WORKMAN - Uncommon Measures

Compiled by Jason Ritchie January – March 2021 July-September 2021 October-December 2021 April 2nd DAVID BOWIE ‘The Kit Kat Klub (Live In New York ’99)’ Parlophone CACTUS ‘Tightrope’ Cleopatra Records DR FEELGOOD ‘Greatest Hits’ EAGLES ‘The Millennium Concert’ (vinyl) BRYAN … Continue reading

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Album review: RONNIE ATKINS – One Shot

ronnie atkins one shot

Frontiers Records [release date 12.03.21] Ronnie Atkins, founding member of Denmark’s Pretty Maids, bows out with his one and only solo album, One Shot. Ronnie has recently been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. So the album title is … Continue reading

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Album review: TOUCH – Tomorrow Never Comes

TOUCH-Tomorrow Never Comes

Escape Music [Release Date 26.03.21] Here’s a reunion few ever expected to see. Touch are most famous to the wider world as the band that opened the first ever Monsters of Rock at Download in 1980. Many years later I … Continue reading

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Album review: STEPHEN CRANE- Kicks

STEPHEN CRANE- Kicks

AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) The rock world is littered with hard luck stories of people failed by the record industry. One such is Stephen Crane. Already a seasoned figure on the Texas music scene, he was signed to MCA … Continue reading

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Album review: PARIS- 50/50

Paris- 50/50

AOR Heaven (Release Date 26.03.21) France is hardly a hotbed of melodic rock but Paris, essentially the duo of Frederic Dechevanne and Sebastien Montet with some guest musicians, have now released three albums. They  follow in a distinguished line of … Continue reading

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Album review: WINDING ROAD- s/t

WINDING ROAD- s/t

AOR Heaven [Release Date 26.03.21] The thriving Scandinavian melodic rock scene is not just one for young bucks. Winding Road are a new band in which three musicians with a long list of credits in their native Sweden have come … Continue reading

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Book review: ROY WOOD, KANSAS (On Track…)

ROY WOOD On Track

Sonic Bond Publishing Roy Wood: The Move, ELO & Wizzard by James R Turner The ‘On Track…’ series gets to one of my musical heroes, Roy Wood. An interesting musician to cover, as although he still tours, Roy Wood has … Continue reading

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