-
-
-
If you can't find what you're looking for - or wish to refine your search to include only references to the key search term - try putting inverted commas around the search term e.g. "Steve Lukather" or "Black Star Riders"
For example if you enter Black Star Riders the results will include all instances of "Black" "Star" and "Riders". The search will also be slower.
-
Our star rating
***** Out of this world
**** Pretty damn fine
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan of the artist or genre
** Instant bargain bin fodder
* Ugly, just ugly
Switch site
-
Upcoming Gigs & Albums
-
Latest Album Reviews
-
Album review: SELWYN BIRCHWOOD – Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues
-
Album review: MIKE ZITO – Outside Or The Eastside
-
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
-
-
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
-
Quick Categories
Categories (All)
Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: NITRATE – Real World

MelodicRock Records [Release date 20.07.18] Nitrate is a new band and the brainchild of Nick Hogg (guitars, keyboards) with his main songwriting partner being Midnite City’s Rob Wylde (lead, rhythm & bass guitars, vocals). The band is completed by vocalist Joss Mennen … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 80's rock, album, AOR, Harem Scarem, melodic, melodic rock, Midnite City, Nitrate, Real World, review, rock, Zinatra
Leave a comment
Gig review: VEGA – Camden Underworld, London, 7 July 2018

Vega are certainly putting in the hard yards to capitalise on their excellent new album ‘Only Human’ with arguably the UK’s leading contemporary melodic rock band playing an extensive tour, culminating in this London date. While they have yet to … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7 July 2018, AOR, Camden Underworld, gig, London, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Midnite City, Mikey Kew, Nick Workman, Rob Wylde, Vega
Leave a comment
Album review: THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough

Nuclear Blast [Release date 29.06.18] The Night Flight Orchestra return with their new album following hot on the heels of last year’s AOR-tastic ’Amber Galactic’. Any doubts that they maybe running low on catchy songs is soon dispelled by the immense … Continue reading
Album review: JON BUTCHER AXIS – Stare At The Sun

Escape Music [Release date 25.05.18] The second Jon Butcher Axis album, originally released in 1984, gets a first time release on CD by Escape Music, following on from the self-titled album released earlier this year. Joining Jon Butcher on the album … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged album, AOR, Escape Musc, Jon Butcher, Jon Butcher Axis, melodic, melodic rock, reissue, review, rock, Stare At The Sun
Leave a comment
News: CARL PALMER’s ELP LEGACY – new album and radio interview (June 2018)

In this exclusive interview edit, Carl Palmer chats about progressive rock music (2:00) Carl Palmer releases a CD/DVD on 29 June (via BMG) celebrating the lives of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. “Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy Live” features a CD … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, INTERVIEWS, NEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, AOR, Asia, Atomic Rooster, Carl Palmer, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, classical rock, ELP, Greg Lake, interview, John Wetton, June 2018, Keith Emerson, live, melodic rock, prog, progressive, radio
Leave a comment
Album review: GUILD OF AGES – Rise

Escape Music [Release date 29.06.18] Guild Of Ages are this year’s ‘Missing In Action’ band now returning to action, following on from the return of Boulevard last year. They called it a day in 2002 before being tempted back for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, CITA, Escape Music, Guild Of Ages, hard rock, melodic, melodic rock, review, Rise, rock
Leave a comment
Album review: DARE – Out Of The Silence II

Legend Records [Release date 29.06.18] Amazing to think the classic album ‘Out Of The Silence’ is thirty years old, and also frightening to think where did the time go?! Like fellow melodic rockers FM did on ‘Indiscreet’, Dare have decided … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 30th anniversary, album, AOR, Brian Cox, Celtic, Classic Albums, Dare, Darren Wharton, melodic rock, Out Of The Silence II, review, rock, Vinny Burns
Leave a comment
Album review: SPACE ELEVATOR – II

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 25.05.18] Album number two from Space Elevator still sees the flamboyant singer The Duchess and guitarist David Young leading the band. In a neat twist they have collaborated with a Canadian space tech company Torth Technology who … Continue reading
Album review: JEAN BEAUVOIR – Rock Masterpieces Vol 1

AOR Heaven [Release date 29.06.18] Jean Beauvoir has a had a long and varied career working with Kiss, the Plasmatics, an album with cult faves Voodoo X and melodic rockers Crown Of Thorns, whose 1993 debut album featured Beauvoir alongside … Continue reading
Album review: PERFECT PLAN – All Rise

Frontiers Records [Release Date 20.04.18] The melodic rock world capital of Scandinavia is giving birth to an endless stream of bands- alongside now established names like H.E.A.T. and Eclipse, hardly a month goes by without a promising new band emerging … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, All Rise, AOR, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan
Leave a comment
Album review: VEGA – Only Human

Release Date 11.05.18 British melodic rock standard bearers Vega are not ones to let the grass grow under their feet, this being their fifth album since 2010. Its predecessor ‘Who We Are’ was their most consistently convincing yet and indeed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Only Human, Vega
Leave a comment
Album review: RYAN ROXIE – Imagine Your Reality

Cargo When I look through my record collection there are not many other guitarists that feature as much as Ryan Roxie. Having recorded with the likes of Slash, Gilby Clarke, Electric Angels, Casablanca, Roxie 77, more than a few Alice … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars
Tagged album, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Coldplay, guitarist, Hollywood Vampires, Imagine Your Reality, interview, melodic rock, review, Robin Zander, rock, Ryan Roxie
Leave a comment
Album review: JAMES CHRISTIAN – Craving

Frontiers [Release date 20.04.18] Fourth solo album from House Of Lords frontman James Christian sees him work with a variety of songwriters including Tommy Denander (who also plays guitars, bass and keys), Cliff Magness (who has his solo album released … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Craving, Frontiers, hard rock, House of Lords, James Christian, melodic, melodic rock, review, Tommy Denander
Leave a comment
Gig review: FOREIGNER – Manchester Apollo, 12 May 2018

The bets were on. Would Mick Jones appear at this first UK date of a massive 40th anniversary world tour? The omens weren’t good as four songs in the band played one of the massive “hits” (and somewhat ridiculous without … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 May 2018, AOR, classic rock, Foreigner, gig, Jeff Pilson, Joanne Shaw Taylor, John Parr, Kelly Hansen, Manchester Apollo, melodic rock, Mick Jones, review
Leave a comment
Album review: MASS – When 2 Worlds Collide

Escape Music [Release date 25.05.18] This is album number eight from Mass who have been making music since the mid-80′s. On this album the added keys/strings provided by Jeremy Heussi add another dimension to the band’s classy melodic hard rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS
Tagged album, Escape Music, hard rock, interview, Mass, melodic rock, Michael Sweet, review, rock, Stryper, When 2 Worlds Collide
Leave a comment
Album review: NO HOT ASHES – s/t

Frontiers [Release date 23.03.18] They never made it back in the eighties, despite a big reputation in their native Northern Ireland, but No Hot Ashes have been festival favourites for the last few years and finally make it to an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Eamon Nancarrow, melodic rock, No Hot Ashes, review
Leave a comment
Album review: W.E.T.- Earthrage

Frontiers [Release date 23.03.18] In the extensive world of melodic rock collaborations, W.E.T. can be seen as the nearest to a supergroup, bringing together the talents of prolific vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Eclipse’s main man Erik Martensson and Work of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, Jeff Scott Soto, Magnus Henriksen, melodic rock, review, Robert Sall, W.E.T.
Leave a comment
Album review: ANDY SUSEMIHL – Elevation

On Sunday 20 May, in the first hour of his weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, David Randall chatted to Andy Susemihl and played tracks from the new album ‘Elevation’ SM Noise Records [Release date 05.02.18] Andy who? … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged Andy Susemihl, Elevation. album, guitar, guitarist, interview, melodic rock, review, Sinner, U.D.O
Leave a comment
Album review: STONELAKE – Thunder And Rain

MelodicRock Records [Release date 20.04.18] This is album number seven from StoneLake, who return with their first album in five years and the band’s first for MelodicRock Records. The band features founder members Jan Akesson (S.A.Y./Jan Akesson’s Shadow Rain) … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Europe, melodic, melodic rock, MelodicRock Records, review, Skagarack, Stonelake, Thunder And Rain
Leave a comment
Album review: JK NORTHRUP & DAVID CAGLE – That’s Gonna Leave A Mark

MelodicRock Records [Release date 30.03.18] An interesting match-up here as guitarist JK Northrup is well known to hard rock fans for his work with King Kobra, Paul Shortino et al, however vocalist David Cagle will be a new name and boy does he have a rocking good vocal! … Continue reading
Album review: AMMUNITION- S/T

Release Date 26.01.18 Ammunition are something of a supergroup among the thriving Scandinavian melodic rock scene, with their members having pedigree with various bands, notably main songwriters Age Sten Nielsen, former singer with WigWam who were early standard bearers for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Age Sten Nielsen, album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, melodic rock, Wig Wam
Leave a comment






