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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review : ROB MORATTI – Sovereign
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Album review : BRAZEN ABBOT – Live And Learn and Guilty As Sin (CD reissues)
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Album review : GRAHAM BONNET – Lost In Hollywood Again (Live)
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JIM PETERIK AND WORLD STAGE – River of Song – The Power Of Duets, Volume 1
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Album review: HENGE – Journey to Voltus B
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Album review : JIMI JAMISON – 1998 Live Hits
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Gig review: CURVED AIR – The Sub Rooms, Stroud, 20 November 2025
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Gig review: MARTIN BARRE & FRIENDS – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, 18 November 2025
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Tag Archives: melodic rock
Album review: TYKETTO – Reach

Frontiers [Release Date 14.10.16] Four years ago, the much-anticipated release from Tyketto’s original line up, ‘Dig In Deep’ fell rather flat – it was not a bad album in its own right, but failed to live up to the impossible … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Chris Green, Danny Vaughn, Ged Rylands, melodic rock, Michael Clayton Arbeeny, review, Tyketto
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Gig review: FM – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 19 November 2016

Since reforming a few years ago, Britain’s premier homegrown melodic rockers FM have steered a delicate balance between moving forward and looking backwards. The new line up with Jim Kirkpatrick on guitar has perhaps been the best in their history, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Bernie Marsden, FM, gig, Indiscreet, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, review, Steve Overland
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Album review: KEE MARCELLO – Scaling Up

Frontiers [Release Date 14.10.16] Guitarist with Europe in their commercial heyday first time round, Kee Marcello’s solo career to date has been an unspectacular one, and even his otherwise enjoyable live shows made me inclined to check out his own … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Darby Todd, Europe, hard rock, Kee Marcello, Ken Sandin, melodic rock, review, Scaling Up
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Album review: HARDLINE – Human Nature

Frontiers Records [Release date 04.10.16] Former super-group Hardline return with their 5th studio album “Human Nature” following on from 2012’s “Danger Zone”. Vocalist Johnny Gioeli and brother Joey formed Hardline on LA’s sunset strip back in 1991 and they found … Continue reading
Gig review: ROCKINGHAM FESTIVAL – Nottingham Trent University Students Union, 21-23 October 2016

Last year, a new festival, Rockingham, took on the unenviable mantle of filling the void left by Firefest, which for a decade had delighted melodic rock fans by bringing a series of cult melodic rock acts, many reforming after years … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Alessandro del Vecchio Band, Angels Or Kings, AOR, Art Nation, Blood Red Saints, Crazy Lixx, festival, Fortune, From The Fire, gig, Jean Beauvoir, Kevin Chalfant, Lee Aaron, Lionheart, Martina Edoff, melodic rock, Robby Valentine, Rockingham, Steelheart, Stone Broken, The Defiants, The Poodles, Trixter, Valentine
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Quick plays: WHITE WIDDOW, ARENA

WHITE WIDDOW Silhouette AOR Heaven [Release date 28.10.16] White Widdow return with album number four and they carry on where their last album, ‘Crossfire’, left off, with lots of catchy and hook filled AOR tunes – ‘Stranded’ and ‘Smile For … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, AOR, Arena, melodic rock, review, rock, Silhouette, White Widdow
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DVD review: JOURNEY – Live In Manila

Eagle Vision [Release date 09.09.16] Back in 2009, when this gig was filmed, vocalist Arnel Pineda was still very much the new boy. Recorded in Pinel’s hometown of Manila in the Phillipines the sound and visual quality is excellent and … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, Arnel Pineda, Bluray, Deen Castronovo, DVD, Jonathan Cain, Journey, Live In Manilla, melodic rock, Neal Schon, review, Ross Valory
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Album review: CRY OF DAWN featuring Goran Edman- Cry of Dawn

(Release Date 23.09.16) In melodic rock circles, the name of Goran Edman is spoken of in hushed terms as one of the genre’s top vocalists, in a long career ranging from singing with John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen to gracing … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Cry of Dawn, Daniel Flores, Goran Edman, melodic rock, Michael Palace
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Quick plays: FOREST FIELD, CTP (Christian Tolle Project)

FOREST FIELD Lonely Desert Rock Company [Release date 21.10.16] Thankfully this time the band have an album cover more suited to their prog rock leanings than last year’s ‘Angels’ cover. The band is focused around Peter Cox who wrote all … Continue reading
Gig review: KEE MARCELLO – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 21 September 2016

30 years ago, just as Europe’s The Final Countdown went stratospheric, John Norum left the band and it was Kee Marcello who went on to be the guitarist during their commercial heyday. However, while his erstwhile bandmates milk that milestone … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Europe, gig, guitar, guitarist, Kee Marcello, melodic rock, review, Scaling Up
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Gig review: MITCH MALLOY – Camden Underworld, 18 September 2016

Ever since the release of his classic self-titled debut in 1992, chock full of memorable anthems and heartfelt ballads, Mitch Malloy has been one of AOR and melodic rock’s cult figures. However despite several appearances at Firefest it has been … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 18 September 2016, AOR, Camden Underworld, Departed, gig, Kaato, melodic rock, Mitch Malloy, Red Dawn, Tristan Avakian
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DVD review: TOTO- Live At Montreux 1991

Eagle Vision [Release Date 16.09.16] Few bands can have had such a revolving cast of musicians, many joining and rejoining, as Toto, which makes the history of the AOR giants such a fascinating one. One interesting period of their career … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged AOR, David Paich, DVD, Jeff Porcaro, melodic rock, Mike Porcaro, Montreux Jazz Festival, Steve Lukather
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Gig review: KIP WINGER – The Borderline, London, 17 September 2016

Kip Winger’s acoustic shows at the Borderline, now billed as the 5th Annual Evening with Kip Winger, have become legendary events, not just from an ever growing number of diehard fans, but from the artist himself, who bounded on stage … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 17 September 2016, AOR, Borderline, Fiona, gig, Kip Winger, melodic rock, review, Winger
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Album review: PALACE- Master of the Universe

Frontiers [Release Date 26.08.16] No relation (sadly) to the footballing pride of South London, Palace is the eponymous project of poodle-haired Swedish singer Michael. I remember his band Big Time showing promise when they supported Houston in London in 2014, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Master Of The Universe, melodic rock, Michael Palace, Palace, review
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News: WINTERSTORM – Troon rocks in November with FM, Ricky Warwick, Last In Line and more

On Sunday 21 August, in his weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, David Randall previewed the Winterstorm event playing tracks by some of the artists appearing including Tygers of Pan Tang and FM. (20:09) Troon’s only real rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Festivals & Large Events, NEWS
Tagged 25-26 November 2016, AOER, Ayrshire, event, festival, FM, gig, hard rock, Inglorious, Last In Line, melodic rock, NWOBHM, Ricky Warwick, Toseland, Troon, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Vega, Winterstorm
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Album review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – No Superhero

Broken Road Records [Release date 22.07.16] The Darker My Horizon (TDMH) have been busy since releasing their enjoyable debut album ‘Acquiesce’ last year, including supporting Nazareth (twice), Geoff Tate’s Operation:Mindcrime and US AOR legend Terry Brock (Strangeways). The line-up is … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, melodic rock, modern, No Superhero, Paul Stead, review, rock, the Darker My Horizon
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Album review: CORNERSTONE – Reflections

Atom Records [Release date 29.07.16] One of the most extensive PR packs that I’ve seen accompanies this release – it looks more like an upmarket property purchase pack than a band/album synopsis. Although listings for the last three years of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Austria, Cornerstone, melodic rock, MOR, Reflections, review
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Album review: GUNHILL – Nightheat/One Over The Eight (John Lawton)

In 2012 David Randall interviewed John Lawton for an hour-long special on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. In this exclusive edit he chats about the band Gunhill. (2:36) JLB Media/Gunhill [Release date 08.07.16] Gunhill is the missing link in the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Gunhill, hard rock, John Lawton, Lucifer's Friend, melodic rock, Nightheat, One Over The Eight, reissue, review, Uriah Heep
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Gig review: NAZARETH – Under The Bridge, London, 17 July 2016

Gigs by Nazareth in the UK –certainly in London – used to be as rare as rocking horse dung with the veteran Scots finding the European and world markets more receptive to their enduring charms. However this nightclub, tucked away … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Carl Sentance, gig, hard rock, Jimmy Murrison, Lee Agnew, melodic rock, Nazareth, Paul Stead, Pete Agnew, review, the Darker My Horizon
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Album review: HEART – Beautiful Broken

UMC [Release date 08.07.16] Heart’s sixteenth studio album is their first since Fanatic (2012) and finds the Wilson sisters serving up a mix of old, new, and borrowed material with Metallica’s James Hetfield duetting with Ann Wilson on the title … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Ann Wilson, AOR, Beautiful Broken, hard rock, Heart, melodic rock, Nancy Wilson, review, rock
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Album review: FIRST SIGNAL- One Step Over The Line

Frontiers Records [Release Date 03.06.16] Even by the standards of the production line mentality that bedevils the melodic rock genre, First Signal’s second album may appear to risk a lack of cohesion. The one survivor from the team that created … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Daniel Flores, First Signal, Harem Scarem, Harry Hess, melodic rock, One Step Over The Line, review
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