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Tag Archives: melodic rock
EP Review: BRAVE RIVAL – 5 to 4

Independent (Release Date: 17.10.25) Its been a year of change in the Brave Rival camp with the departure of Chloe Josephine, one of the twin lead singers that helped make their sound so distinctive. Given their incessant touring activity, there … Continue reading
Album review: PAVLOV’S DOG – Essential Recordings 1974-2018 (5-CD box set)

Ruf Records [Release date 27.09.24] What are we to make of a fairly basic box set from a band that have been described as “legendary” but who – this side of the pond – have largely gone unnoticed? ‘Essential Recordings’ … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Box sets
Tagged album, AOR, box set, David Surkamp, Essential Recordings 1974-2018, melodic rock, Pavlov's Dog, prog, prog pop, progressive, review
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Gig review: THE NEW ROSES- Downstairs at the Dome, London, 27 September 2025

The New Roses have become a fixture on the UK circuit, this being their fourth autumn jaunt in a row, and yet the success they have had in Germany still eludes them here despite all that roadwork. I did wonder … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Dizzy Daniels, gig, melodic rock, Norman Bites, The Mercury Riots, the New Roses, Timmy Rough
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Singles review : TREAT – ’1985′ and ‘Adam and Evil’

Frontiers Music [Release date : 26.09.25] Arena Rock experts and more, Treat recently released ‘Adam and Evil’ and ‘1985’ as teaser trailers for their forthcoming long player, The Wild Card, due out in November. The band’s high-sheen recording craft is … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged arena rock, Frontiers, melodic rock, review, singles, Treat, Wild Card
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Gig review: LUKE MORLEY – Bloomsbury Theatre, London, 19 September 2025

With Thunder on indefinite hiatus for some while during Danny Bowes’ long road to recovery, their guitarist and songwriter Luke Morley has been keeping himself extremely busy. In between touring with the Quireboys he has now trebled his solo output … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues rock, Chris Childs, Dean Howard, gig, Luke Morley, melodic rock, Sam Tanner, singer songwriter, Thunder, Willie Dowling
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Gig review: FM – Islington Academy, London, 18 September 2025

FM are on the road so constantly that it is hard to divine where one tour begins and another ends. However the release of their excellent latest album ‘Brotherhood’ marks the start of a long tour, with the set list … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Brave Rival, FM, gig, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp, Steve Overland
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Album review : MIKE TRAMP – The Songs Of White Lion Vol III

Frontiers Music [Release date : 19.09.25] Few musical artists get the chance to rerecord their old material. Still fewer improve upon the originals. Mike Tramp continues to claim – clearly very sincerely – that he is surprised to have got … Continue reading
Album review: LITTLE KING – Lente Viviente

Facebook [Release date 26.09.25] Little King was formed in November of 1996 by guitarist/singer/songwriter Ryan Rosoff in El Paso, Texas. Ryan is joined in the current Little King line-up by David Hamilton (bass, cello) and Tony Bojorquez (drums), and this … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alt rock, Lente Viviente, Little King, melodic rock, prog rock, review, rock
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Album review : THE SWITCH – No Way Out

Frontiers [Release date 12.08.25] It’s in some way inspiring to hear a band embracing the past wholeheartedly. Pretty well everywhere you scratch the paint on No Way Out, you’ll find the 1980s underneath. The Switch was formed by identical twin … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bobby John, Cruzh, Denis Butabi Borg, James Martin, melodic rock, Nitrate, review, The Switch, Tom Martin, Vega
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Single reviews: ROXY AND THE LOCKHEARTS, BIG TALL SHADOWS

Now there’s a bit of a backstory here… whilst both bands will be judged as single entities, these guys have in fact worked together before as the mighty King Voodoo whilst they disbanded and have gone their separate ways musically. … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged Biffy Clyro, Big Tall Shadows, debut, Def Leppard, King Voodoo, melodic rock, review, rock, Roxy and the Lockhearts, singles
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Album review: FM- Brotherhood

Frontiers Records (Release Date 05.09.25) You can set your watch by the fact that FM will release a new album every other year since 2018, no mean feat considering they seem to be perpetually on tour. Given that the live … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Brotherhood, FM, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Steve Overland
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Album review: ROULETTE – Go!

Black Lodge Records [Release Date 25.07.25] Swedish melodic rockers Roulette have had a chequered history- around since the eighties, they never got as far as releasing an album till 2008. It was another eleven years before a very well received … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Go!, melodic rock, review, Roulette, Thomas Lundgren
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Gig review: TEN – Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent, 9 August 2025

Back in the mid-nineties, when melodic rock was at its lowest ebb, Ten were one of the first shoots of hope as a thriving underground scene emerged and I was a huge fan. They were the great white hope of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Dann Rosingana, Darrell Treece-Birch, Gary Hughes, gig, Leo’s Red Lion, melodic rock, Steve Grocott, TEN
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Gig review: MALMO MELODIC – Plan B, Malmo, Sweden, 25-27 July 2025

Last year’s inaugural ‘Malmo Melodic’ was such a success that it was swiftly clear that a 2025 version would build the brand further. The line-up was stronger, and Johan Nylen and his team from Wind Up Productions brought into the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Animalyze, AOR, Arctic Rain, Arkado, Bad Habit, Brother Firetribe, Care of Night, Crazy Lixx, Cruzh, Daytona, Degreed, festival, FM, gig, House Of Shakira, Kissin’ Dynamite, Malmo Melodic, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Nitrate, Pittman Cole, Rian, Seventh Crystal, State of Salazar, Treat, Violet
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Album review: FIRST LIGHT – Elemental

Pride and Joy Music [Release Date 25.07.25] There are not enough British AOR bands around, so it is always a pleasure when one arrives with some pedigree. First Light released an EP a couple of years ago and, on top … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Carl Sharples, Dave Hardman, First Light, melodic rock, Phil Manchester, Warren Passaro
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