Tag Archives: melodic rock

Album review: CASEY MAUNDER – Until Your Heart Stops Beating

CASEY MAUNDER - Until Your Heart Stops Beating

Website Once again the musical hand of fate plays a blinder as Casey Maunder sent his debut album in for possible review and boy is it a good one! Casey plays all the guitars, vocals, bass, keys and wrote all … Continue reading

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Album review: ISSA – Lights Of Japan

issa lights

Frontiers [Release date: 20.01.23] Issa Oversveen is married to James Martin, ex of Vega. With his brother Tom, he’s written the bulk of the material here. And you can tell. Even with the best efforts of guitarist Simone Mularoni and … Continue reading

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Album review: TEN – Something Wicked This Way Comes

ten something

Frontiers [Release date: 20.01.23] Here’s another Ten album title that will again appeal to the literati or the cinephiles among the band’s fans. It’s their sixteenth studio release since 1996. Ever present founder/ writer/ singer, Gary Hughes has gathered a … Continue reading

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Album review: AUTUMN’S CHILD – Starflower

AUTUMN'S CHILD - Starflower

Pride & Joy Music [Release date 20.01.23] Autumn’s Child return with their fourth album ‘Starflower’, the second one released by Pride & Joy Music. The band still features Michael Erlandsson on vocals, keyboards & guitars, Pontus Åkesson on lead guitar, … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE NEW ROSES – Camden Underworld, London, 1 December 2022

THE NEW ROSES- Camden Underworld, London, 1 December 2022

It’s been a case of making up for lost time for German rockers The New Roses.  I’d been highly impressed by their headline London show at this same venue in late 2018 and the following year’s ‘Nothing But Wild’ was … Continue reading

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Single reviews: LITTLE LORE, BROTHER FIRETRIBE, KING CUJO

Little Lore - Birds

LITTLE LORE Birds ‘Birds’ is the latest single from Little Lore, the alter-ego of London-based Americana singer-storyteller Tricia Duffy. She is joined on this song by Oli Deakin who adds the instrumental backing. Little Lore: “I wrote ‘Birds’ at a friend’s … Continue reading

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Album review: BARNABAS SKY – What Comes To Light

BARNABAS SKY - What Comes To Light

Pride & Glory [Release date 20.01.23] The all-star rock project Barnabas Sky, led by guitarist and songwriter Markus Pfeffer (Lazarus Dream, Winterland), is back a year later with album number two. Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn and Silent Rage’s Jesse Damon are … Continue reading

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Gig review: DANNY VAUGHN – The Grace, London, 4 December 2022

DANNY VAUGHN- The Grace, London, 4 December 2022

Danny Vaughn was one of those troubadours who made lockdown life more bearable for rock fans with his ‘Vaughnsday’ on line acoustic performances from his living room.  The pandemic had interrupted his usual busy schedule, whether solo, with Tyketto or … Continue reading

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Album review : NEVENA – Nevena

nevena

Frontiers [Release date: 09.12.22] After contributing to the Big Deal album earlier this year, with several other female singers, Nevena strikes out now as a solo performer. Her debut walks a high wire between modern pop and melodic rock, as … Continue reading

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Album review: PERFECT PLAN- Brace for Impact

PERFECT PLAN- Brace for Impact

Frontiers Records (release date 14.10.22) Of the multitude of Scandinavian melodic rock bands to emerge in recent years, Perfect Plan have been one of the best. Indeed their second album ‘Time for a Miracle’ was my album of 2020. The … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (October – December 2022)

grtr2022_aom3

DYNAZTY Final Advent (AFM Records) What it does is incrementally fine tune the sound that’s now established as their MO. Their epic, keyboard driven symphonic/melodic metal just bursts with energy and invention, pushing them streets ahead of every other band … Continue reading

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Album review: TOMMY DECARLO – Dancing In The Moonlight

tommy decarlo dancing

Frontiers [Release date: 09.12.22] Tommy DeCarlo, the singer who joined Boston in 2007, after being discovered on MySpace by Tom Scholz, is now on his second “solo” album for Frontiers. The current iteration of his studio band includes, on guitar, … Continue reading

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Album review: ROB MORATTI – Epical

Rob Moratti Epical

Frontiers [Release date: 09.12.22] Quite a line up Rob Moratti’s put together here. Tony (Blue Murder) Franklin, Joel (Whitesnake) Hoekstra, Pete (James Christian/ Robin McAuley) Alpenborg, Fredrik (Bloodbound) Bergh, with Steve (Tyketto/ Journey) Augeri on backing vocals. Moratti has been … Continue reading

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Album review: LANDFALL – Elevate

landfall elevate

Frontiers [Release date 9.12.22] Much more assured second album from Landfall, the Brazilian band led by Eric Martin soundalike, Gui Oliver. And boy does it sound good, graced with melodic, tightly constructed songs, great playing, a lean, taut production, no … Continue reading

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Quick plays: STAR CIRCUS, THE ROADS

Star Circus Separate Sides

STAR CIRCUS Seperate Sides  Diamond Formation Music [Release date 02.12.22] Star Circus is the brainchild of Dave Winkler (Bordello Rose, Renegade Playboys, Trophies of Man). After a detour playing guitar and touring as a hired gun for acts such as … Continue reading

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Album review : AUTOGRAPH – Beyond

autograph beyond

Frontiers Records [Release date 18.11.22] We all want to love this album because it’s Autograph. Even though they’re one-hit-wonders, and even though bassman Randy Rand is/was the only remaining original member. (Rand took part in the recording sessions, but died … Continue reading

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Album review: ARC OF LIFE – Don’t Look Down

arc of life dont

Frontiers [Release date: 18.11.22] Arc Of Life is a Progrock supergroup, arguably. In order of fame : Jon (Yes) Davison, Billy (Yes/ World Trade) Sherwood, Jay (Unruly Child) Schellen, Dave (Sound Of Contact) Kerzner and Jimmy (Air Supply/ Circa) Haun. … Continue reading

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Gig review: KINGDOM OF MADNESS- 100 Club, London, 28 October 2022

KINGDOM OF MADNESS- 100 Club, London, 28 October 2022

When Mark Stanway abruptly quit Magnum midway through a tour late in 2016, a significant trinity was broken up, as he had been the longest serving band member after Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin, his keys playing a big part … Continue reading

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Album review: ABOUT US – About Us

about us

Frontiers [release date: 11.11.22] It’s a pleasure to welcome a band from the Asian continent, About Us, to the world of AOR and Melodic Rock (despite the album’s Proggy cover). They are a well established, award winning band in their … Continue reading

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Gig review: DARE – Islington Academy, London, 27 October 2022

P1020955 - Copy

2022 has been Dare’s most active year in some while. Spring saw the release of their first album in six years, and their most convincing in a long time, in ‘Road To Eden’ and now came an extensive autumn tour, … Continue reading

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Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – Sub 89, Reading, 26 October 2022

CATS IN SPACE- Sub 89, Reading, 26 October 2022

2022 has seen the release of what for me is Cats in Space’s finest hour yet in their fifth studio release ‘Kickstart the Sun’. The double album fully justified their decision last year to curtail some tour dates to concentrate … Continue reading

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Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Melodic Rock – Primer

GRTR!@20 Anniversary - Melodic Rock - Primer

Melodic Rock Editor Andy Nathan witnesses the melodic revival… When GRTR! started in late-2002 traditional melodic rock and AOR was still in something of a prolonged hangover from the years of grunge which swept away the genre, and indeed much … Continue reading

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Gig review: H.E.A.T. – Electric, Brixton, London, 18 October 2022

H.E.A.T- Electric, Brixton, London, 18 October 2022

Since H.E.A.T’s London show was first announced in early 2020 a lot has happened. The show was postponed twice, the venue switched and Vega dropped off the bill after refusing to play second fiddle to the fast rising Mason Hill. … Continue reading

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Album review: RICHARD MARX – Songwriter

RICHARD MARX- Songwriter

Shelter Records (Release date 30.09.22) Only a year after releasing his last album. ‘Limitless’, Richard Marx is back with perhaps his most ambitious work yet. The very title suggests that despite a solo career which made him one of the … Continue reading

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Album review: TURKISH DELIGHT – Volume 1

TURKISH DELIGHT - Volume 1

Escape Music [Release date 21.10.22] Turkish Delight celebrates the joy that Escape Music co-owner Khalil Turk has for the kind of music he loves so much, namely AOR and melodic rock. This selection was personally chosen by Khalil, with material … Continue reading

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