Tag Archives: melodic rock

Gig review: FIREFEST – Nottingham Rock City, 24-26 October 2014 (Day 3)

Axxis - Firefest, Nottingham Rock City, 26 October 2014

DAY 3 -  DANGER DANGER, AUTOGRAPH, CONEY HATCH, BROTHER FIRETRIBE, TOUCH, GUILD OF AGES, AXXIS The final day of ‘the final fling’ began with a slightly left field choice of veteran German rockers Axxis, and yet they blew the cobwebs … Continue reading

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Gig review: FIREFEST – Nottingham Rock City, 24-26 October 2014 (Day 2)

Rage Of Angels -  Firefest - Nottingham Rock City, 25 October 2014

DAY 2 – FIREHOUSE, BLACK N BLUE, PRETTY MAIDS, BABYLON AD, BOULEVARD, FROM THE FIRE, RAGE OF ANGELS Day 2 also began with home grown talent in Rage Of Angels, formed by Ged Rylands who was playing guitar rather than … Continue reading

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Gig review: FIREFEST – Nottingham Rock City, 24-26 October 2014 (Day 1)

Pretty Maids - Firefest, Nottingham Rock City, 25 October 2014

GRTR!’s resident Melodic Rock/AOR expert Andy Nathan has been covering Firefest for us right from the start.  Andy’s informed report and Simon Dunkerley’s inspired photos celebrate ‘The Final Fling’ as the festival bows out in style… The announcement last year … Continue reading

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Quick plays: X-DRIVE, ADRENALINE RUSH, DALTON, DR JOHN

Adrenaline Rush

ADRENALINE RUSH Adrenaline Rush Frontiers [Release date:  25.08.14] ‘Adrenaline Rush’ is the debut album from the Scandinavian band of the same name, musically the album is up a notch from most debut albums I’ve heard this year and reminds me … Continue reading

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Album review: ANGELS OR KINGS – Kings Of Nowhere

Kings Of Nowhere

AOR Heaven [Released 27.10.14] Angels Or Kings can trace their history back to the 1980′s UK AOR scene when they were known as A.O.K. and played supports to bands passing through their hometown of Manchester. Guitarist Tony Bell has even … Continue reading

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Album review: NEONFLY – Strangers In Paradise plus interview with Frederick Thunder

NEONFLY – Strangers In Paradise

Inner Wound Recordings [Release date 01.12.14] Neonfly I discovered thanks to a tip-off from Charlie Farrell, a man who knows his way around the metal scene and recommended I got along early to see them supporting the mighty Power Quest. … Continue reading

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Gig review: MELODIC ROCK FEST 4, H.O.M.E.Bar, Arlington Heights,Chicago, USA, 3-5 October 2014

The Radio Sun - Melodic Rock Fest 4, Chicago, October 2014

After the success of the third Melodic Rock Fest last September, the attempt to bring to the Americans the cult melodic rock bands that are seen at Firefest and other places, melodicrock.com supremo Andrew McNeice swiftly moved forward with plans … Continue reading

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Gig review: MR. BIG – Koko, Camden, London, 17 October 2014

MR. BIG - Koko, Camden, London, 17 October 2014

Mr Big’s European tour to capitalise on their back-to-form new album ‘Stories We Could Tell’ squeezed in just a solitary UK show, their first in three years. It was unsurprising that the opulent surroundings of Koko were sold out, perhaps … Continue reading

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Gig review: HOUSTON, The Barfly, Camden, London, 16 October 2014

HOUSTON, The Barfly, Camden, London, 16 October 2014

When an AOR revival suddenly became flavour of the month late in 2010, the debut album by Swedes Houston was seen as the standard bearer of the new revolution. Even if live performances were a mixed bag, the quality of … Continue reading

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Album review: MR BIG – The Stories We Could Tell

Mr Big - The Stories We Could Tell

Frontiers Records [Release Date 29.09.14] Mr Big appear to be back to stay, despite the unfortunate news of drummer Pat Torpey’s progressive illness. Three years after returning with the somewhat dry sounding ‘What If’, this latest release sees them back … Continue reading

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Album review: XTASY – Revolution

XTASY – Revolution

MelodicRock Records [Release date 13.10.14] Andrew McNeice, the man behind melodicrock.com, has tapped into the Spanish melodic scene for Xtasy and their debut album Revolution. Xtasy were founded back in 2011 by guitarist Jorge and vocalist Silvia and they recorded … Continue reading

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Album review: KRUK – Be4ore

Metal Mind Productions (out now) Kruk are an established melodic hard rock act from Poland. Be4ore is the band’s 4th outing and mines a solid, old school seam of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Whitesnake references. Kruk means Raven in … Continue reading

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Gig review: KIP WINGER & FIONA – Borderline, London, 27 September 2014

KIP WINGER - Borderline, London, 27 September 2014

Despite a busy year for Winger, with the band touring the new Better Days Comin album as recently as June, Kip Winger’s London shows have now become an annual fixture in the calendar. As a bonus on this occasion one … Continue reading

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Album review: DAYLIGHT ROBBERY – Falling Back To Earth

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY - Falling Back To Earth

Solar Flare [Release date 18.10.14] www.daylightrobberyrocks.co.uk Thankfully, for their second album, Daylight Robbery have ramped up production values.  Birmingham-based, it was perhaps natural to use Sheena Sear who has worked with fellow Midlanders Magnum amongst others. However, improved production cannot … Continue reading

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Album review: WORK OF ART – Framework

WORK OF ART - Framework

Frontiers Records [Release Date 19.09.14] Few current bands in the world of melodic rock are of such reputed standing as Work of Art, the Swedes led by guitarist Robert Sall, also of W.E.T. Both their albums to date have been … Continue reading

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Album review: MOONLAND FEATURING LENNA KUURMAA

MOONLAND FEATURING LENNA KUURMAA

Frontiers Records (Release Date 19.09.14) Lenna Kuurmaa was apparently one of Estonia’s biggest pop stars with her band Vanilla Ninja, but her desire to rock out has led her into the arms of Frontiers Records and what seem to be … Continue reading

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Album review: JADED HEART – Fight The System

Fast Ball [Released 26.09.14] Jaded Heart deserve a medal for soldiering on over twenty years despite numerous line-up and record label changes. This album sees the recording debut of drummer Bodo Stricker, who replaces co-founding member Axel Kruse (although he … Continue reading

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Quick plays: EMERGENCY GATE, LANEY’S LEGION, MARTINA EDOFF, STARDUST CIRCUS

Laney

EMERGENCY GATE – Infected Fastball www.emergencygate.com [Released 09.09.14] Melodic death metal is not a genre I normally delve into and in the interests of trying something in this genre I have given Emergency Gate’s sixth album a listen (they have … Continue reading

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Single & EP reviews : WHEN WE WERE WOLVES, TEN PERCENTER, ASA, SHAFT OF STEEL

WHEN WE WERE WOLVES – Heartless

WHEN WE WERE WOLVES – Heartless EP Self Release  [Release date 22.09.14] When We Were Wolves are a post hardcore fivesome from South Wales. They formed in 2011 and Heartless is their second EP. Later this year they will be … Continue reading

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Album review: MISS BEHAVIOUR – Double Agent

Miss Behaviour - Double Agent

AOR Heaven [Released 01.09.14] Miss Behaviour have been going since 2004 and their last album, ‘Last Woman Standing’ won rave reviews. They were well in to writing this new album when a tragic accident saw the untimely passing of their … Continue reading

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Album review: NEAL MORSE – Songs From November

Neal Morse - Songs From November

Inside Out www.insideoutmusic.de   [Released 18.08.14] Neal Morse is back with a new solo album, however don’t go expecting something like his previous solo albums namely catchy melodic/progressive rock. This album has more in common with the albums from the likes … Continue reading

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Gig review: BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK – Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA, 22 July 2014

BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK - Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA, 22 July 2014

In Boston’s own words ‘it’s been such a long time’ for UK fans who would need to be 50 or over to have seen their last shows here in 1979. To catch the legendary band whose self-titled 1976 monster arguably … Continue reading

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Gig review: MOONDANCE JAM – Walker, Minnesota, 17-19 July 2014

Moondance Jam - Walker, Minnesota, 17-19 July 2014

There cannot be many places that match the ambience of Moondance Jam as a rock festival, set in beautiful countryside of woods and lakes in northern Minnesota and with the friendliest atmosphere that can be imagined. Surely the Mid-West of … Continue reading

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Album review: EUPHORIA AUDIO

Euphoria Audio

www.euphoria-audio.com [Released 08.09.14] Euphoria Audio hail from Wakefield in Yorkshire although listening to their debut album you’d be mistaken for thinking they were a US band used to playing arenas. This is in part no doubt due to having producer … Continue reading

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Album review: SAGA – Sagacity

Saga - Sagacity

earMUSIC [Release date 04.07.14] Saga release their latest album and the second since vocalist Michael Sadler returned to the band’s line-up a few years ago. This is not as instant as their last album ‘20/20’ taking a few plays to … Continue reading

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