Tag Archives: AOR

Album review: N.O.W. – Bohemian Kingdom

Frontiers Records (Release Date 03.13) In 2010, one of the year’s most pleasant surprises came from Brazil, hardly a rock n roll hotbed. The brainchild of bassist and songwriter Alec Mendocna, N.O.W. provided a thoughtful and at times original twist … Continue reading

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Interview: 10 Q’s with AMAZE ME

There have been some cracking melodic rock albums so far this year and now you can add Amaze Me’s new album ‘Guilty As Sin’ released on AOR Heaven. Peter Broman answers are questions on the new album and more… What … Continue reading

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Interview: 10 Q’s with COVERED CALL

Covered Call

Covered Call have just released thier second album, the impressive ‘Impact’ via AOR Heaven. Here we catch-up with guitarist Joel Carlsson to find out what has been happening since their debut album and the background behind new vocalist Goran Edman … Continue reading

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Album review: AMAZE ME – Guilty As Sin

      AOR Heaven (Released 25th May) Amaze Me are a duo consisting of Peter Broman, who plays all the instruments and wrote the songs and vocalist Conny Lind (ex-Great King Rat/Mattsson). Their last album was released over ten … Continue reading

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Album review: CHASING VIOLETS – Jade Hearts

Chasing Violets - Jade Hearts

AOR Records [Release date 14.06.13] I think producer Frederic Slama compromised Chasing Violets’ debut album ‘Outside Heaven’ (2012) by re-using the songs (and the backing tracks) for his own project album ‘LA Temptation’. Slama is a respected LA-based AOR mover … Continue reading

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Gig Review: HRH AOR, Magna, Rotherham, 6 and 7 April 2013

This gallery contains 39 photos.

Mia Klose, HRH AOR, April 2013

The crowded world of classic rock festivals, as with magazines, seems to be splitting into ever more sub genres. The Hard Rock Hell brand, which has become well established with their holiday camp weekenders already assuming legendary status, launched two … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 23 March 2013

FM, Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 23 March 2013

2013 sees FM’s stock as high as it has been for some time. Hot on the heels of not one but two new albums, they filled the first three levels of Shepherds Bush Empire. While last year’s gigs celebrating the … Continue reading

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Gig Review: FM Album launch, 02 Academy, Islington, 6 March 2013

FM Album Launch - London, 6 March 2013

FM have taken took their time to follow up their well received comeback album Metropolis, but after celebrating 25 years of their classic ‘Indiscreet’‘ debut with live shows last year,  the finest melodic rock band forged on this side of … Continue reading

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Album Review: COVERED CALL – Impact

      AOR Heaven (Released March 28th) Been a few  years since Covered Call last raised their heads after an enjoyable debut album released back in 2009 on the now defunct Blistering Records. They have a new vocalist as … Continue reading

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Album review: FM – Rockville

FM - Rockville

Membran/Riff City Records [Release date 11.03.13 ] Listening to ‘Rockville’ you can’t help thinking “how on earth did the band remain nearly men” in the late-1980s in spite of a dedicated following and when AOR was “king”?  And then you … Continue reading

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Album review: M.I.C. – 5th Avenue

      Self release via Two Side Moon [Release date January 2013] M.I.C. is the brainchild of Canadian vocalist, guitarist and song-writer Yvon Serre, who over the last 8 years has carved out an AOR niche in China and … Continue reading

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Album review: PLAYER – Too Many Reasons

Frontiers www.frontiers.it         Player return with their first album in over ten years and this full album follows an EP released last year on Frontiers. The new lineup features original members Peter Beckett and Ronn Moss along … Continue reading

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Album review: RAGE OF ANGELS – Dreamworld

Escape Music         Rage Of Angels is the brainchild of original Ten keyboards player Ged Rylands and he has also worked with Danny Danzi and more recently guested on the enjoyable Love Under Cover album also on … Continue reading

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HEARTBREAK RADIO – On Air

AOR Heaven (Released 22nd February) Heartbreak Radio are a spin-off from Last Autumn’s Dream and have released one other album to date back in 2005. They were formed to pay homage to the band members’ love of West Coast AOR … Continue reading

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10Q’s with MIKAEL CARLSSON (LOVE UNDER COVER)

Love Under Cover recently released their debut album ‘Set The Night On Fire’ on Escape Music. Although a new band the line-up includes Last Autumn’s Dream vocalist Mikael Erlandsson and Martin Kronlund (Gypsy Rose/Phenomena). Here we catch-up with bassist Mikael … Continue reading

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FM – Only Foolin’ – EP

FM - Only Foolin

(Riff City Records) www.fmofficial.com FM were the nearly-men of AOR in the mid- to late-1980s.  The past few years has witnessed their comeback, attempting to make up for lost ground and the intervening years which have never been particularly kind … Continue reading

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Best of 2012 FM

FM – Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland, Jem Davis & Jim Kirkpatrick – give their best of 2012. They are currently touring with Thin Lizzy and they have a new album ‘Rockville’ out next March… http://www.fmofficial.com/ What have you got planned … Continue reading

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TORBEN SCHMIDT – Long Short Story

Blimey here is a blast from the past as Torben Schmidt used to front Danish melodic/pomp rockers Skagarack, who even played the Reading festival back in the late 80’s. The band split in the mid-90’s and nothing much has been … Continue reading

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AOR (Frederic Slama) – L.A.Temptation

AOR - L.A. Temptation

(AOR Heaven) There’s no doubt that AOR has been enjoying a revival in recent years, epitomised perhaps by the revival of the band FM, a dedicated UK-based print magazine, and a forthcoming UK festival.  And of course Firefest goes from … Continue reading

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PAUL SABU – In Dreams

www.z-records.com         Z Records continue their fine re-issue series of Paul Sabu’s back catalogue and this album first saw the light of day as a Japanese import back in 1994, before Now & Then picked it up. … Continue reading

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PRIDE OF LIONS – Immortal

FRONTIERS RECORDS Bringing together ex Survivor keyboardist and songwriter to the stars Jim Peterik with relatively young singer Toby Hitchcock, Pride of Lions are something of a Marmite band in AOR circles. Among the many – myself included- who drooled … Continue reading

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Hard Rock Hell Prog festival April 6th & 7th

Magna Science Park in Rotherham, weekend of 6th/7th April 2013. HRH PROG launches a new interactive festival in proud association with PROG Magazine on April 6th / 7th at MAGNA in Rotherham The Successful Hard Rock Hell weekender team is … Continue reading

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CHASING VIOLETS – Outside Heaven

Chasing Violets - Outside Heaven

Perris Records [Release date 03.07.12] This is an album I really wanted to like, the musicians roll-call reading like a Who’s Who of Melodic Rock in 2012.  Yes, Denander’s here,  Goran Edman (on ‘The Price To Pay’ and ‘Above Suspicion’), … Continue reading

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Retro-Vibe music shop launches

Retro-Vibe Music: There’s a new store in the UK (South Wales) selling vinyl records and CDs, and over the next few weeks a new room will be added especially for CDs. Melodic Rock and AOR will have its own section … Continue reading

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AIRS – A Rock Opera

 www.airs-rockopera.com Airs is a collaboration between lyricist/writer George Andrade and composer and multi-instrumentalist Steve Brockmann. They met on a Spock’s beard forum and keeping the Spock’s beard theme going Dave Meros and Alan Morse of the band guest on ‘Flight … Continue reading

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