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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: 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
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Jonas Tyskhagen, Magnus Akerlund, melodic rock, Winding Road
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Book review: ROY WOOD, KANSAS (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
Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, book, classic rock, ELO, glam rock, Jeff Lynne, Kansas, Kerry Livgren, melodic rock, On Track, pomp rock, prog rock, review, rock 'n' roll, Roy Wood, Steve Wlash, The Move, Wizzard
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Album review: LION – Dangerous Attraction (reissue/remaster)

Rock Candy Records [Release date 12.02.21] Lion’s 1987 album, Dangerous Attraction, featured ex Tytan, Kal Swan on vocals, and talented guitarist, Doug Aldrich, who was just beginning his career. Between them, they wrote all the material. This remastered version has … Continue reading
Quick plays: JANET SIMPSON, D’ERCOLE

JANET SIMPSON Safe Distance Cornelius Chapel Records [Release date 19.03.21] Singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Janet Simpson’s latest album covers many human stories and emotions from running away from demons, to retreating from your troubles, and more. It also marks … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt country, Americana, country, D'Ercole, Hard Core, hard rock, Janet Simpson, melodic rock, Phil Vincent, review, rock, Safe Distance, singer songwriter, Solo
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Album review: SLAMMIN GLADYS – Two

JIB Machine Records [release date 12.02.21] In a reversal of conventional wisdom, Slammin Gladys have gone for the “2 years to write our first album”, and “20 years to write the second” approach. Proteges of Jani (Warrant) Lane, they recorded … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album review, BANG TANGO, blues, Chic, Electric Boys, funk rock, Jani Lane, JIB Machine records, melodic rock, Prince, Slammin Gladys, soul, Two, Warrant
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Album review: W.E.T. – Retransmission

Frontiers Records (Release Date 22.01.21) Of all the melodic rock supergroups assembled, usually on the Frontiers roster, W.E.T. have proved to have staying power. This fourth studio release comes a relatively recent three years after its predecessor ‘Earthrage’, which is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, Jeff Scott Soto, melodic rock, Robert Sall, W.E.T.
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Album review: BITE THE BULLET – Black & White

Escape Music [Release date 27.11.20] Bite The Bullet were originally formed in 1986 by singer songwriter Mick Benton and drummer Graham Cowling (who are also the only two musicians on this album) and they released their debut album in 1989. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Bite The Bullet, Black & White, Escape Music, melodic rock, Mr Mister, pop rock, review, The Outfield
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Album review: CREYE – II

Frontiers [Release date 22.01.21] Second album from Creye, a Swedish band founded by Andreas Gullstrand, now fronted by new vocalist, August Rauer. Sweden has been the lightning rod for AOR and melodic rock since the eighties, delivering up aspiring band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andreas Gullstrand, AOR, August Rauer, Creye, Frontiers, II, melodic rock, review
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Quick plays: AUTUMN’S CHILD, ALABAMA SLIM, LONELY THE BRAVE

AUTUMN’S CHILD Angel’s Gate AOR Heaven [Release date 26.02.21] Mikael Erlandsson used to release albums like clockwork (every January) with Last Autumn’s Dream and now his new band Autumn’s Child are back with album number two, a year after the … Continue reading
Album review: ANDY SUSEMIHL – Alienation

SM Noise [Release date 21.01.21] Andy Susemihl’s last album ‘Elevation’ was my “Best of 2018″ – perhaps it should have been called “revelation” such was the surprise at a seasoned pro – and a relatively unknown one albeit with an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alienation, Andy Susemihl, AOR, guitar, guitarist, melodic rock, review, U.D.O. Sinner
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Album review: PALACE- Rock And Roll Radio

Frontiers Records [Release date 04.12.20] Michael Palace, a man with multiple performing and writing credits to his name, is now onto the third album from his own project. 2016’s ‘Master of the Universe’ was mainstream melodic hard rock, but is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Michael Palace, Palace, review
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Album review: EAST TEMPLE AVENUE – Both Sides of Midnight

AOR Heaven (Release Date 27.11.20) East Temple Avenue sees Australian songwriter Darren Phillips, whose project under his own name featured a star studded cast, join forces for a whole album with Robbie Le Blanc, the Blanc Faces singer whose combination … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Darren Phillips, melodic rock, Philip Lindstrand, Robbie Le Blanc
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Album review: NEAL SCHON – Universe

[Release date 11.12.20] Neal Schon pops up in my Twitter feed every so often, his guitar emoting against a frequently funky undertow in his latest home video. He remains both enthusiastic and engaging. Even if the camera position and the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, guitar, guitarist, instrumental, melodic rock, Narada Michael Walden, Neal Schon, review, Universe
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Album review: UNRULY CHILD – Our Glass House

Frontiers [Release date 04.12.20] When Unruly Child arrived in 1992, Melodic Rock bands were crashing and burning all around them. AOR had been shot down in flames by the bands of the Pacific North West. Low altitude, below the radar … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Frontiers, Marcie Free, melodic rock, Our Glass House, prog rock, review, Unruly Child
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Album review: ART OF ILLUSION – X Marks The Spot

AOR Heaven [Release date 29.01.21] This is the debut album by Art Of Illusion, a duo consisting of composer and producer Anders Rydholm (Grand Illusion) and singer Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art) – see what they did there with the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Anders Rydholm, AOR, Art Of Ilusion, Grand Illusion, Lars Safsund, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Work Of Art, X Marks The Spot
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Album review: DAN REED – Liftoff

Zero One Entertainment [Release date 04.12.20] At the end of a horrific year for humanity, and also for music, Dan Reed’s latest solo album arrives to provide the perfect antidote. Dan’s solo works since the “comeback” – ‘Coming Up For … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Dan Reed, Dan Reed Network, Liftoff, melodic rock, review, singer, songwriter
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Album review: PHENOMENA – Still The Night

Cherry Red [Release date 27.11.20] Tom and Mel Galley put Phenomena together in 1984. Glenn Hughes, Don Airey, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray had been enlisted…Whitesnake versus Deep Purple, a metalised marriage made in hard rock heaven. The following year they … Continue reading
Album review: MAGNUM – Dance Of The Black Tattoo

David Randall chatted to Tony Clarkin for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio with tracks from the forthcoming compilation. First broadcast 20 December 2020. SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 08.01.21] What do inveterate songwriters do in Lockdown when they’ve no band to steer … Continue reading
News: The Best of 2020 – Get Ready to ROCK! reviewers choose their Top Albums of the Year

2020 has been a horrendous year for live music, silenced by the coronavirus pandemic. With live music off the agenda, there has been no shortage of album/EP releases, so this year our reviewers have concentrated on selecting their Top Albums, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, The Best of 2020
Tagged 20/20, album, best of, blues rock, breakthrough act, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, reissue, reviewer.top albums, singer songwriter
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Album review: JEFF SCOTT SOTO – Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)

Frontiers Records [Release Date 6.11.20] After going in a more modern metal direction with his Soto project and fronting prog rock supergroup Sons of Apollo, the latest album from the ever prolific Jeff Scott Soto sees him return to the … Continue reading
Album review: ECLIPSE – Viva La Victouria (CD/DVD)

Frontiers Records [Release Date 6.11.20] This package of goodies from Eclipse is very timely, as their last album ‘Paradigm’ rather got swamped in the rush of autumn 2019 releases, then after gearing up for a huge tour, it never reached … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, DVD, Eclipse, Eric Martensson, live album, Magnus Hendriksson, melodic rock, review
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Album review: CATS IN SPACE – Atlantis

Harmony Factory [Release date 27.11.20] On new album, “Atlantis”, it seems the new CIS line up, with vocalist Damien Edwards replacing Mark Pascall, has largely abandoned the iconoclastic tone of its predecessor, “Daytrip To Narnia” That of course, is down … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 70's rock, album, Atlantis, Cats In Space, clasic rock, Damien Edwards, glam rock, Greg Hart, melodic rock, pop rock, power pop, review, rock
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Album review: HEARTWIND – Strangers

Escape Music [Release date 20.11.20] Heartwind formed around keyboard player Mikael Rosengren and guitarist Goran Engvall (who also played bass on the album). Since their debut release they have changed vocalists bringing in not one, but two vocalists – Nina … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Eclipse, Escape Music, hard rock, Heartwind, melodic rock, review, Strangers, W.E.T.
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