-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
-
Album review: HANNAH JAMES & TOBY KUHN – Where All Our Names Belong
-
Album review: MARIACHI EL BRONX – Mariachi El Bronx IV
-
Album review : JON ANDERSON – Survival And Other Stories / Earth Mother Earth (2 CDs / remasters)
-
Album review: MYRATH – Wilderness Of Mirrors
-
Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Live At The Great Hall
-
Album review: JAMIE WILLIAMS AND THE ROOTS COLLECTIVE – In The Moment
-
Latest Gig Reviews
-
Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – The Stables, Milton Keynes, 14 March 2026
-
Gig review: A VERY SPECIAL EVENING OF MOTT THE HOOPLE – Riverside Studios, London, 27 February 2026
-
Gig review: EMERALD MOON – Le Marquee, Peyrignac, Dordogne, SW France, 7 March 2026
-
Gig review: MILKFEST, Indigo2, London, 1 March 2026
-
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
Features
Interviews
Single & EP Reviews
DVD Reviews
Book Reviews
News
Tag Archives: melodic rock
News: PAUL MCCARTNEY, THE 69 EYES, JUDAS PRIEST (April 2026)
Capitol Records/UMe is celebrating the Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ album’s 60th anniversary with ‘The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights’, which is released on May 15. The set features 25 alternate takes, a cappellas, and tracking sessions, all making their vinyl debut. Joe … 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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
Album review: DENNIS CHURCHILL-DRIES – Crazy Is This Life
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
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)
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
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
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
Album review: PETRA – Hope
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)
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)
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
Album review: MIDNITE CITY- Bite The Bullet
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
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
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)
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
News: BRYAN ADAMS, THE KARMA EFFECT, THE GEMS (December 2025)
Bryan Adams releases ‘Bryan Adams & Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam’ on December 8 via Bad Records – the same day the Christmas special of the same name premieres on Citytv and streams on Citytv+ in Canada. Asia release … Continue reading
Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, 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, Bryan Adams, folk, gigs, melodic rock, metal, news, re-issues, RIP, special editions, The Gems, The Karma Effect, tour dates
Leave a comment
Album review : CASSIDY PARIS – Bittersweet
Frontiers Music [Release date : 21.11.25] Bittersweet is Australian songbird, Cassidy Paris’s second long player on the Frontiers Music label, a follow up to the debut, New Sensation. Paris was “discovered” in her youth, and subsequently mentored, by Paul (Danger … Continue reading
Gig review: JIM KIRKPATRICK – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 12 November 2025
Jim Kirkpatrick has been an even busier man than usual this year- with FM’s acoustic tour, new album and further tour, in between helping out The Sweet as Andy Scott got back to full fitness. Now a brief run of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 November 2025, Bernie Marsden, blues rock, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, Leon Cave, London, melodic rock, Ollie Collins, Rory Gallagher, The Cavern
Leave a comment
Album review : CHEAP TRICK – All Washed Up
BMG [Release date 14.11.25] Cheap Trick’s best since Rockford. Some people thought it was all over, thus the tongue-in-cheek title. It’s no exaggeration to call this 40 minute album’s worth of expertly crafted songs a heavy hitting tour de force. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged All Washed Up, Cheap Trick, Daxx, melodic rock, review, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersen
Leave a comment
