BULLETRAIN - What You Fear The Most (2016)

Genre - Melodic Rock

Label - AOR Heaven Records

Track listing:

01 - Memory Lane
02 - Love Lies
03 - Can't Get Away
04 - Fight with Me
05 - We Salute You
06 - Feed the Fire
07 - Wet, Tired & Lonely
08 - Old Lighthouse
09 - Fear
10 - Far Away

Swedish melodic hard rockers BULLETRAIN unleash their second album in the form of What You Fear The Most. Their Skid Row-esque meets Crazy Lixx rockin' music is filled in with big & heavy guitars, high-pitched vocals and choruses to sing-a-long for days. The band's new lead singer Sebastian Sundberg has an incredible vocal range and takes the final result to a higher level. The guitars are, as mentioned above, huge and pretty heavy at places but still melodic, while the rhythm section is a blast (brings to mind Eclipse's sound).
Much of the success to Bulletrain's second album should be credited to the mix and overall guidance of Grammy Award winning producer Tobias Lindell, the brain behind the music from bands like Hardcore Superstar, Europe and H.E.A.T to name a few.
Opener 'Memory Lane' kick-off things in an '80s fashion and brings back the golden era of US Hair Metal but with a modern, punchy production. 'Love Lies', that reminds me a bit of Guns N' Roses, is yet another 'ballsy' rocker that takes no prisoners, then the fast-paced 'Fight With Me' is even more aggressive with a thunderous rhythm section and a Skid Row attitude.
'We Salute You', is an anthemic tune fuelled by a superb catchy hook and a memorable chorus line.
The AOR-ish 'Wet, Tired And Lonely' is a personal favourite, a Scandi hymn in the typical mold of the genre but updated 2016, and the moody / modern 'Far Away' is another highlight out of this new record.
"What You Fear The Most" is one of these kind of albums that you fall in love at once and leaves you hungry for more!

Rating: 9/10

Skintrade - Scarred For Life (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - AOR Heaven Records

Track listing:

01. Scarred For Life

02. Goodbye

03. Wide Awake

04. Lay With Me

05. Find A Way

06. Lovehate

07. Leave A Scar

08. Broken

09. Storm Will Come

10. 15 Minutes Gone

Fronted by great vocalist Matti Alfonzetti, SKINTRADE are quickly hitting back with their fourth studio record "Scarred For Life" released by AOR Heaven Records.
Following the more than adequate comeback album of last year these Swedes consistently deliver in the melodic hard rock genre - and this new CD is no different.
The 10 songs in "Scarred For Life" are infectious, energetic, and bubbling from a bluesy perspective while the vocal harmonies and delivery out of Matti Alfonzetti remains top class, as he has been ever since I first heard him all those years ago on the debut EP from defunct UK rockers Jagged Edge, moulding the best of David Coverdale and Eric Martin in shimmering grace and gritty textures.
You can expect certain songs to have a cross between the '80s Sunset Strip scene and a little bit of '90s alt hard rock edge like "Storm Will Come" and "Goodbye", especially in terms of the guitar tone Alfonzetti and fellow Skintrade guitarist Stefan Bergström choose to employ.
At other times the band choose to go for more of a simplified, stripped down groove arrangement, which for the case of "Lay With Me" emphasizes the entertaining musical interplay between guitarists and rhythm section, and allow Matti a chance to dig deeper into his natural bluesy, playful melodic register.
Occasionally throwback elements come into play, the main riff for "Leave a Scar" has a bit of Aerosmith meets Ratt going on, while Skintrade also tackle a left field cover with Katy Perry's "Wide Awake" that works - much more hard rock oriented while the spacey elements are given a heavier, guitar fused charge up.
These are bountiful times if you are a melodic hard rock fan - and Scandinavia seems to be hitting pay dirt when it comes to exemplary songwriting and performances while understanding the need for memorable hooks, melodies, and choruses.
Skintrade with their second go around aren't living on nostalgia - and "Scarred for Life" proves their desire to keep the genre potent and worthwhile in current times.

Very Highly Recommended

Rating - 9/10