01 - Let It Begin 02 - The Devil 03 - Tell Us the Truth 04 - Generation Me 05 - Backseat Heartbeat 06 - Cry Tough 07 - We Are Beautiful 08 - I Know She Knows 09 - Bloodsucker 10 - Better Think Again 11 - Light the Sun 12 - Killer (digital Bonus Track)
"Generation Me" is THE TREATMENT's 3rd studio album and the first to feature new members Mitchell Emms (who some of you may recognise from the BBC TV program The Voice) on vocals & Tao Grey on guitar.
The opening track and first single ‘Let It Begin’ kicks in with a catchy classic hard rock inspired riff and some rather excellent vocals from Emms. Sonically, it’s the same full on attack that you would expect from the band but it’s the vocal delivery which is different now and it works really well. A belter. ‘The Devil’ is next up, another strong song propelling the album onwards and upwards. ‘Tell Us The Truth’ keeps the momentum going with another foot stomping and air guitar playing rocking track, and title track ‘Generation Me’, is no slouch either and could quite easily be the next single. This is an immense hard rock track, hard hitting with loads of great hooks and some truly great guitar playing. ‘Backseat Heartbeat’ is as slow as this album ever gets, an infectious song with a great chorus. ‘We Are Beautiful’, ‘I Know She Knows’, ‘Bloodsucker’ and ‘Better Think Again’ continue to maintain the high standards set by the albums earlier tracks and can all be examined and pass with flying colours, while the album closer ‘Light The Sun’ is really the icing on the cake. Bonus track 'Killer' is indeed an assassin rocker plenty of stinging double guitars and a cool street attitude.
"Generation Me" is a great album from a revitalised band.....very Highly Recommended!
01. Again 02. Now or Never 03. Rollcoaster 04. L.O.V.E 05. Line in the Sand 06. Love Should Be to Blame 07. Kiss My Lips 08. Spellbound 09. Starshine 10. Below Zero 11. Ready to Run 12. King for a Day (feat. Tony Martin)
Released by Frontiers Music, "Now Or Never" is the debut solo album from reputed vocalist Veronica Freeman (Benedictum) under the mysterious moniker of THE V, where she ventures away from her traditional metal style of lead vocals over a (melodic) hard rock material. Helping Veronica out musically we have a varied cast of hard rock icons such as Michael Sweet (Stryper), Jeff Pilson (Dokken), Jerry Dixon (Warrant), Mike Lepond (Symphony X), Tony Martin (ex- Black Sabbath) and more. "Now Or Never" shows that The V can wrap her tonsils around a wide variety of hard rock tunes where she displays some unexpected qualities and successfully try to stretch herself out with different singing styles and different approaches (check "Starshine"). Opener"Again" starts off like most songs in Freeman’s catalog, but the vocals soon shift gears and give this more of a hard rock/melodic feel that her typical heavy metal fare. Title track "Now Or Never" kicks off with strong bass & drums, then soon morphs into a cool melodic rock based track with searing leads and riffs that accompany Veronica’s rocking vocals. "L.O.V.E." is one of the tracks that take on a different sound and feel compared to others on the disc, and a personal favorite. The vocals really stand out, especially when the chorus comes in. The drums are big on this track, as are the guitar riffs. “Love Should Be To Blame” chugs along and gives the disc an edgier sound. The lower range of Veronica’s vocals in the chorus give her a sultry vibe that adds to the delivery of the emotionally charged lyrics. “Spellbound” takes on a darker, more straight sound that is very reminiscent of early '80s recordings from labels like Metal Blade. The bottom end is full and adds punch to the track in a hard rock / US metal vibe. “Below Zero” has a heavy bass line that runs through it, even when the guitars are lighter and the vocals are charging from verse to chorus and back. The different bassists featured on the disc include Jeff Pilson, Mel Brown, Garry Bordonaro, Aric Avina, John O’Boyle and Mike Lepond. “Roller Coaster” comes charging out of the gate and doesn’t let up from first note to the last. The drums, played by Derek Kerswill on the entire disc, keep the track anchored and the tempo steady.
Line In The Sand” is a melodic gem that stands out on this disc. The guitars soar and build the mood of the track and allow Freeman to run rampant with some of the best arranged vocals here. “Kiss My Lips” is one of the highlights too, as it is totally upbeat and full of rockin' energy. The guitars are full, the drums blast and the bass lines strong and steady. Throw in a cool duet between Veronica and Chastain's lead vocalist Leather Leone and you have a killer song. Producer John Herrera utilized several guitarists to put this disc together, including Pete Wells, Michael Sweet, Peter Tentindo, Jimmy Durkin, Mick Tucker, Jordan Ziff, and Michael Harris.
“Starshine” shifts the mood of the disc with a lighter rock track (semi-ballad) that moves further from Freeman’s comfort zone, but allows her vocals to take the spotlight and run. The acoustic guitars and additional vocals from Meliesa McDonell give the song a little something extra at the chorus. “Ready To Run” opens up like Motley’s Wild Side, but soon takes its own lead and direction, giving Freeman room to show off her vocals in a hard rock / melodic twist that gives the song a little depth. Disc closer “King For A Day” features a heavier and bluesier groove that carries the track while Veronica and the great Tony Martin trade off verses and duet at the chorus.
What started out as a mad experiment has turned out to be proof positive that Veronica Freeman has the chops to handle anything thrown her way. As 'The V', Veronica proves she's not just a metal singer, she is a Rock singer. And she is drop-dead sensational in this role!
Rating - 10/10
The Players :
Veronica Freeman - vocals Leather Leone – duet vocals on ‘Kiss My Lips’ Tony Martin – duet vocals on ‘King For A Day’ Meliesa McDonell – add vocals on 'Star Shine', acoustic guitar Derek Kerswill – drums Jeff Pilson, Mel Brown, Garry Bordonaro, Aric Avina, John O’Boyle, Mike LePond – bass Pete Wells, Michael Sweet, Peter Tentindo, Jim Durkin, Mick Tucker, Jordan Ziff, Michael Harris – guitars
Produced by John Herrera except for: 'King for a Day' (produced by Kenny Lewis) 'Love Should be to Blame', 'Again' (produced by Michael Sweet)
Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock / Melodic Metal / Rock Opera / Concept
Label - Frontiers Records / AVALON / MARQUEE Japan
Track listing:
01 - Hands Of Your God 02 - Walking On Water 03 - Swing Of Death 04 - Masquerade Ball 05 - Save Me 06 - River Of Tears 07 - Queen Of The Dead 08 - Into The Dark 09 - True Love Through Blood 10 - Under The Gun 11 - Hands Of Your God (Exclusive Japan Bonus Track)
Norwegian Rock Stars, singer JORN LANDE and guitarist TROND HOLTER (aka Teeny of WIG WAM), have created a new Rock Opera concept album about the life of Count Vlad the III, Prince of Wallachia, widely known as Vlad, The Impaler or by his patronymic name Vlad Dracul(a). "Dracula - Swing Of Death", to be released this weekend via Frontiers Records (available today in Japan), explores the inner struggle inside the multifaceted and engorging character that this mysterious 15th Century personality was, while also taking into account some of the metaphysical aspects that passed into literature, forming the whole basis of the vampire mythos. "Dracula - Swing Of Death" is an album detailing the story of Dracula (combining factual and fictional aspects). What makes this different from many previous rock operas is that there are no monologues, no interludes and no orchestral forays to create an atmosphere. This collection is an album of ten anthems of varying styles pulled together as a musical narrative. Where many concept albums over the years have been caught up on delivering a convoluted storyline that easily became the prime focus of the artist, Holter and Lande already had one of the greatest stories ever told and all they had to do was adapt the epic struggle of eternal love into their classic Hard Rock compositions.
“Walking On Water” and “Save Me” carry strong melodic sensibilities alongside Thin Lizzy harmonies. The title track is the real curveball as it is more vaudevillian than metallian and the flow of the album benefits from its ingenuity. The grotesquely gargantuan “Masquerade Ball” allows Dracula/Lande to bellow forth about his insatiable need – 'Tonight on you I’ll dine'. The vocal of Lena Fløitmoen who covers both Mina and Lucy is a succulent highlight on the album as her voice brings a crisp and sharp contrast to the gravelly rasp of Lande. Their trade-offs on the aforementioned “Save Me” and “Into The Dark” are what defines the album and brings the story to the forefront. “Queen of the Dead” could slot into the Jorn live set let alone the theatres to which the stage production is already being lined up. Holter’s guitar work throughout and notably on "True Love Through Blood" is clinically organic with a rich tone that lets his stringed voice be as much a character in the story as that of Lande’s or Fløitmoen’s. "River of Tears" and the album curtain call "Under The Gun" are old school Euro classic rock anthems that feed the lifeblood of the story that true love never dies. This Japanese version of the album includes the excellent bonus "Hands Of Your God" that deserved to be included into the regular release; it's a dark, moody and somehow charming semi-ballad plenty of rich (and terrifying) atmospheres. With "Dracula: Swing Of Death", Lande and Holter have delved deep within themselves, stoked the fires of inspiration and created their own chapter in the artistic mythos of the lovelorn Prince. “Listen to them, the children of the night, what music they make”... VERY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating - 10/10
The label contacted singer Joe Lynn Turner asking for a band of highest calibre musicians should be assembled to create an album of classic hard rock music. Turner, the former lead vocalist for both Rainbow and Deep Purple and a solo artist in his own right, agreed, and the search for the right players was on.
And what a bunch of players.
Alongside with Turner, we have living legend Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, King Kobra, Blue Murder), Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder, Whitesnake) and Karl Cochran (Ace Frehley) collaborating together. The album was made under the guidance of an aulic Frontiers’ producer, the omnipresent (and perhaps omnipotent, considering the vast amount as well as quality of his work) Alessandro Del Vecchio.
Do the iconic names in the band’s camp equal the fulfilment of the great expectations a listener should have?
Oh yeah.
Starting with thunderous drum roll that develops into the first track “Get Back My Crown,” Rated X is, to paraphrase an old adage, the best of four worlds. From the fiery drumming being the trademark of legendary Carmine Appice to Joe Lynn Turner’s powerhouse singing and charisma, it’s having all the key ingredients of hard rock masterpiece blended into one.
And although there might have been some Purple-esque flavors to the opening song on the album and you might have caught yourself thinking about Turner-fronted Purple album Slaves And Masters at times – the music is every inch contemporary, meaty rock sound that screams 2014 rather than the ‘80s or ‘90s.
The second track “This Is Who I Am” continues in a feisty, bluesy manner enhanced by the flawless modern-day production, with the infallible Turner belting out a powerful self-independence manifesto.
The mellow intro and slow-ish verses of “Fire And Ice” may have suggested there’s a ballad coming on, but it’s just the opposite with fiery choruses and fine guitar solo. Next is a groovy, Hammond-flavoured “I Don’t Cry No More” that has the reunited Blue Murder rhythm section of Appice and Franklin squeezing the blood, sweat and tears from their instruments – almost literally.
“Lhasa” begins with an eerie, mysterious intro that might have made your hair stand on end – only to develop into a monumental, slow, lumbering piece with some distant echoes of or Dio-era Rainbow. “Devil In Disguise” is another Purple-esque track that may remind you of Joe Lynn Turner’s work in either Purple or Stuart Smith’s Heaven & Earth.
It precedes a fine melodic mid-tempo “You Are The Music” enriched with what is perhaps the best guitar solo on the album. “Peace Of Mind” stands out because of the pounding bass sound and well-crafted choruses, while “Maybe Tonight” slows down a bit, a charming AOR / melodic rock piece much in Turner’s usual style (think Sunstorm or his solo albums).
“On The Way To Paradise” gets much feistier, bringing a solid dose of straight-in-your-face ‘70s-flavoured riffs against some powerhouse drumming. “Our Love Is Not Over” is a ballad-esque, AOR-ish mid-tempo featuring some tasteful guitar licks, again a nod and a wink to JLT’s melodic rock roots.
This being the next-to-last song on the album, the final one is a keyboard-laden, monumental track “Stranger In Us All” with many interesting changes of pace.
With Rated X, you may start to wonder what secret potions or magical practises keep the musicians in such a good shape – like a fine wine, they’re getting better and better with time, still able to amaze the listeners and release another milestones of their respective careers.
And even though the eldest of the pack, Carmine Appice, will celebrate his 68th birthday this year, there’s still no competition to the iconic drummer – none of the youngsters being able to rise up to such a challenge! If you have any doubts, check out the pounding drumming that’s been the backbone of Rated X and the core of their first album, against Karl Cochran’s tasteful guitar playing, Tony Franklin’s fretless-bass chops and the immaculate vocal talent of Joe Lynn Turner.
With such a line-up overseen by Alessandro Del Vecchio himself, you couldn’t simply have gone wrong. If you’re a Rainbow staunch aficionado or an avid Blue Murder fan, you know you can’t miss Rated X anyway, but if you’re just into the contemporary melodic hard rock that has its back-to-roots moments too – be sure to include it on your list of must-haves. Highly Recommended.
Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock / Progressive / Melodic Metal
Label - Frontiers Records.
Track listing:
01. Come And Dream With Me 02. Down From The Mountain 03. In The Hands Of Time 04. Solid Ground 05. Lady Of Winter 06. Dream About Tomorrow 07. Hymn For The Fallen 08. The Great Divide 09. Reaching For The Stars 10. Bittersweet
Norwegian Jorn Lande and American Russell Allen will release the fourth ALLEN / LANDE collaborative album, "The Great Divide".
Arguably two of the greatest singers progressive / melodic metal has had in the last 20 years, they started this collaboration back in 2005, in a melodic context to better highlight their far-reaching vocal abilities. Now, nine years later and three critically acclaimed albums, the duo comes back with a collection of ten pieces forged in a mould of passion and grandiose.
"The Great Divide" is a logical continuation of the previous effort from 2010. The guys are focusing on their trademarks, which are melodic metal anthems with heavy guitars, spacious keyboard arrangements and amazing hook lines. However, the backing band has changed. Timo Tolkki, of Stradivari's fame, replaces Magnus Karlsson on guitar, bass and keyboards. And like Magnus previously, he also holds songwriting duties. Last but not least, Jami Huovinen, of Ring of Fire fame, is now the drummer. But the music, the spirit and the thrill of ALLEN / LANDE is still present as ever.
As was the case with the previous albums of the duo, Jorn Lande delivers stunning vocal parts. His timbre is often compared to David Coverdale (Jorn started his musical career with a band covering Whitesnake songs), the match is particularly obvious with regard to the rasp of his voice. The other feature of his voice is the passionate rage with which he performs the choruses, here making the comparison with the late Ronnie James Dio quite fair. The first thing that strikes us when listening to his vocal delivery on this new record is how amazing it sounds nearly twenty years after his debuts. Jorn keeps indeed the rage and the enthusiasm of his earlier days. His mate Russell Allen shares the vocal duties in his elegant way. His theatrical and less 'throaty' performance is a great counterpoint to Jorn‘s aggressive notes.
The voices complement each other in such a way that it is sometimes hard to say who songs when (the opening track is a good example). Russell seems to be more often present in the chorus and backing vocals than in the verses (“Dream About Tomorrow” for example), which is a pity because his performance on “In the Hands of Time” makes it one of the best songs on an overall good album. The newly hired multi-instrumentalist Timo does a really good job with his fiery guitar solos, and some classically-oriented keys (orchestral on “Solid Ground”, neo-romantic on “Lady of Winter”, baroque on “Dream About Tomorrow”). Besides, with his proven experience in power/neo-classical metal realm, Jami provides the right pulse to the songs.
The Allen / Lande project creates, in a constant way, records on a high level. And "The Great Divide" is another great one from the duo. With its fair balance of melodic metal anthems, mid-tempo AORish songs and heart-breaking power ballads, "The Great Divide" is a killer release that will appeal all audiences. Highly Recommended to all.
NEAL SCHON pulls in fellow Journey man Deen Castronovo on drums and current Black Star Riders bassist Marco Mendoza for his latest solo outing “So U”.
Unlike his previous Frontiers Records album The Calling back in 2012, this new 2014 effort has vocals which are shared between the three players (all are accomplished singers).
With the help of monster songwriter Jack Blades from Night Ranger, Schon has crafted an album that combines Melodic Hard Rock melodies with his passion for the six-strings.
The disc opens with the bluesy rocker "Take A Ride" which swaggers out of the gates with a groove that provokes the body to move.
Next, the title track is an example of true wonder reaching out in length to an impressive nine minutes and fifty seconds. Beginning like a soulful crooning, ballad song, it shifts gears and blossoms in to a real journey of progression with a coloured palette.
Then the instrumental "Exotica" brings the jam and a tour de force between these talented cats, a song with a Santana feel and great the guitar playing.
Stevie Salas Concorde springs to mind when I crank up "On My Way"; upbeat with an urgent delivery of funk complete with hooks and some tasty harmony vocals. "What You Want" works well for similar reasons although in a much more rocking way akin Chickenfoot / Sammy Hagar.
On the opposite side of the coin from their up tempo material you also get a sweeping ballad in the shape of "Love Finds A Way' which finds a subtle backdoor to the memory and grips tight. This is pure Journey and I love it.
Talking about Schon's main band, "Serenity" is the typical Journey rockin' number (one of the Jack Blades co-writes) and best song on here, and much better than any on the last Jorney album. All three musicians share vocals here, and at places seems Steve Perry returned!
For the most part, "So U" is straight-ahead rock and roll, with few surprises to catch a casual listener off guard. One of the most enjoyable facets within the album’s nine songs is, as expected, the guitar work from bandleader Neal Schon.
This is a record with no production weaknesses, nicely designed and fine-tuned for a classic rock / melodic rock loving audience. Moods ranging from mid-tempo to highly energetic and enthused flow smoothly from the speakers.
Another very good effort from Neal Schon, which to be honest, sounds like a real band with the tight assemble achieved alongside the two seasoned monsters Mendoza / Castronovo.
A Solid Album from a living legend!
For Rock and Roll iconic legend Glenn Hughes, Black Country Communion is no more, enter; CALIFORNIA BREED, the new rocking trio formed together with Bonzo Bonham's son Jason and the young, but completely electrifying guitarist Andrew Watt.
While Hughes / Bonham need no introduction, 23-year old guitarist / singer Andrew Watt joined the two giants based on a recommendation from Julian Lennon. He's a revelation and you will be surprised by his chops.
Produced by Dave Cobb, who has worked wonders with Rival Sons, "California Breed" is pretty damn spectacular.
Glenn Hughes continues to amaze, as his vocals just keep getting better and better with age. He's in grandiose form here, screaming up a storm on the heavy opener "The Way", and soaring to the heavens on the groove laden hard rocker "Sweet Tea".
His bass playing is quite muscular as well, and locked in tight with his buddy Bonham on the crunchy delivery of "Chemical Rain", with Watt's textured riffs adding a playful edge. "Midnight Oil" sounds like a heavier Rolling Stones, with meaty riffs, funky grooves, and great female vocals backing up Hughes.
Watt has a completely different style than Joe Bonamassa, so don't look for that blues edge which we saw with BCC, instead he mixes '90s hard rock, psychedelia and classic rock elements into his playing evoking Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Ronson, Jerry Cantrell, and maybe even a little Jeff Beck. He also doesn't overplay, his brief solos complementing the songs as to allow the riffs to be the main focus.
Back to Mr. Hughes again, he's at the top of his game on the emotional ballad "All Falls Down" (also featuring a scorching solo from Watt) and sounds all devilish on the groovy "The Grey", with his bass weaving around some powerful drum fills from Bonham.
One of the heaviest songs on the CD is the crushing, almost doom laden barnburner "Invisible", complete with nasty riffing from Watt, a pounding Bonham, and powerful wailing courtesy of the 'voice of rock' .
Also of note is the '70s styled funky hard rocker "Scars", a Trapeze-meets-Humble Pie styled number with fat, wah-wah bass lines from Hughes, Watt's insistent riffing, and thunderous grooves from the son of the late Led Zeppelin drum legend.
Considering how long this band was shrouded in secrecy, it's great that California Breed has finally been unveiled for all to enjoy. Honestly, it sounds like these 3 have been playing together for years, as there's great chemistry between them already.
While it would have been great to hear Hughes & Watt sharing more vocal duties (Watt is a very good singer - check him out on youtube or alongside Hughes on the tender acoustic tinged track "Breathe"), there's a lot to take in here and a ton to love; fiery hard rockers, beefy '70s styled heavy rock, funk, classic rock, psych pop... it's all here and then some.
California Breed incorporates the face melting melodies of decades ago, then mixing it up with some seriously heavy 21st century structures, all wonderfully captured on tape (yes, this recording sounds warmly analog). STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Rating - 9/10
14 - Don't Let Me Fall (Acoustic Version) [Japanese bonus]
XXXXXXXX I am not the author of the following review but couldn't agree with it anymore, therefore I reproduce it here. All credit must go to the original author!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
HREE LIONS is the new British beast consisting of Vinny Burns (Dare, Ten, Asia) on guitar, Greg Morgan (Dare, Ten) on drums and Nigel Bailey on vocals and bass which are about to release their self-titled debut on Frontiers Records next week.
This Japanese version is already available through Avalon / Marquee with a bonus track.
Take a trio of talented cats, consisting of two-thirds of the musicians whose legendary status has already been deservedly attained in the Melodic Rock scene. Add some classic rock inspirations and brilliant songwriting. Stir together with a producer with the apparent Midas touch and spice up with some infectious, catchy melodies and solid instrumental backing.
This ‘recipe’ was followed by the powerful trio under the name Three Lions, closely enough to result in a perfect AOR / Melodic Rock album. With Alessandro Del Vecchio behind the console (his above Midas touch engaged also in some of the songwriting), the result of what they’ve rustled up in the studio is simply stunning.
In the first track “Trouble In A Red Dress”, the lyrical ego narrates:“… She came to the party after the show … isn’t that how the trouble starts…?” The story goes on, illustrated with a brilliant, infectious melody and a rich guitar work; it’s pure Melodic Rock with an AOR spirit which might as well be released thirty years ago.
“Hold Me Down” is more mellow, a lite AOR mid-tempo song, with “Twisted Soul”, the band delivers a dose of feisty, guitar-oriented British Melodic Rock with a catchy chorus. The latter’s follow-up “Winter Sun” explodes with wailing guitar sounds, developing into a wistful piece of wonderful mid-tempo balladry.
With the guitar-laden melancholy slowly fading, the next thing the listener’s treated with is “Just A Man” – a dynamic, yet polished song with harmonized vocals, the one that could end up on any Survivor or, especially, Jimi Jamison’s solo albums. A personal favorite for sure.
Groovy guitars and the great bluesy hook of “Holy Water” (ala John Sykes / Blue Murder) precede a soaring yet meaty power ballad “Two Hearts Beat As One”, a terrific cut with a strong Foreigner feel.
Particularly interesting is the storytelling track “Kathmandu” starting off with an oriental, Eastern-influenced intro and based on a slower lumbering riff. “Made For One Another” is a strong AOR midtempo that I can see performed live surrounded by thousand lighters held up in the air.
“Magdalene” is Magnum Vigilante / Goodnight L.A. era revisited, a keyboard-driven, awesome hooky rocker plenty of that '80s atmosphere.
Next track “Don’t Let Me Fall” is a really stylized AOR number recalling the guy's previous band Dare and why not, Strangeways, really polished and adorned by lovable vintage keyboards.
There is also “Hellfire Highway” – an intense keyboard / guitar duel kind of song with massive chorus, another AOR masterpiece – and the final “Sicilian Kiss”, a piece of sublime instrumental wizardry with a bit darker and somewhat dramatic vibes to it. It’s a beautiful guitar-oriented coda to this truly greatly-crafted MR / AOR gem of a CD.
The Japanese bonus track is an acoustic version of “Don’t Let Me Fall”, and really worth it because it's totally different from the original: just piano & vocals alone.
Three Lions’ self-titled debut is a perfect balance between instrumental prowess and great melodies, catchy hooks and dynamic guitar work, with not so distant echoes of where two of the three musicians come from music-wise (Dare, Ten).
Speaking shortly, it’s what album-oriented rock should stand for in the first place and as long as you’re into AOR, no matter if you think classics such as Survivor and Journey or 21st century representatives of the genre, you’re going to love this one.
Three Lions is terrific, believe me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
13. Almost Over You [Acoustic] (Japanese bonus track)
L.R.S. is a brand new Melodic Rock project which debut "Down To The Core" will be released by Frontiers Records soon, having just appeared in Japan with the usual bonus track.
Started initially as a way to bring back to the public the amazing vocal talent of Tommy La Verdi, a singer which came to the attention of the fans on the fabulous 21 GUNS debut album 'Salute' in 1992, the whole project morphed into a power band trio when two other well-known musicians for the genre - guitar player Josh Ramos (The Storm, Hardline) & drummer Michael Shotton (Von Groove) - were brought into the picture by the album producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (Lionville).
The writing sessions were fast and steady with Del Vecchio managing all contributions from the band members and offering a number of his own writings and co-writings to the record, which was anyway able to develop a distinct sound in the Journey / The Storm tradition with hints of '80s Canadian AOR.
A perfect example of this is the opening track "Our Love To Stay" with a main melody that would fit in with any Journey opus in their heyday. It's a perfect to introduce the music of L.R.S. to the listener with a feel-good vibe in it and the chorus line lift you up to heaven.
"Livin 4 A Dream" is a straight out of the box ‘get under your skin’ number, driven by a rocking guitar riff, inspired keyboards and a catchy chorus. La Verdi's pipes are intact and here he shows how powerful can be as performer.
"Almost Over You" is a ballad in the mould of 21 Guns' last albums, somehow reminding me as well Def Leppard going acoustic.
"Never Surrender" has all the opening hallmarks of The Storm's debut, and is a definite summer-ready feel good anthem that AOR fans will lap up in their droves. This is what real rockin' AOR is all about, with swirling synths, harmony vocals galore and pumping rhythm section.
"I Can Take You There" is a sweet mid-tempo, "Shadow Of A Man" includes a Westcoast touch, while title track "Down To The Core" is a great rocker much in the 21 Guns style giving Ramos’ fingers a flexing.
"Waiting For Love" is amongst my favorites from the CD with that kind of '80s pulsating rockin' spirit that would have been a massive radio hit 25 years ago. A highlight.
The ballad "To Be Your Man" is another gem much in the vein of Von Groove which gives La Verdi the opportunity to show how a slow rocker must be sung, and "Not One Way To Give" close the album in a full throttle energy.
The Japanese bonus is an even more acoustic version of "Almost Over You", stripped without the drums and some pianos added.
"Down To The Core" is an impressive album by La Verdi / Ramos/ Shotton, a shining example of today's MR / AOR music inspired by the golden era with soaring vocals from a superb vocalist who comes back into the well deserved spotlight and some exquisite guitar playing from Ramos.
I know some could be a little critical and say that some of the songs are formulaic, too much in the late '80s / early '90s mould. C'mon... these guys invented this style back in a day an we loved it, so we gonna love it again!
And "Down To The Core" delivers the true Melodic Rock / AOR essence in spades, believe me. A CD not to be missed and a highlight for early 2014.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(The above review is not my work and all credit should go to the original author!)
10. Another Beautiful Day (deluxe edition bonus track)
11. Out Of This World
One of the most influential Melodic Hard Rock bands to come out of the '80s return's with its first album in five years: WINGER will release "Better Days Comin' ".
"Better Days Comin´" is perhaps Winger's most diverse album to date.
Opening cut "Midnight Driver of a Love Machine" is probably closest in style to the Winger sound that brought them success on the first two albums but has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.
It is followed by "Queen Babylon", a groovy hard rocker which reminds you commercial Eighties Dio, and then "Rat Race" is one of the highlights on the CD with a heavy, furious riff and fat pace. The music reflects the title in a perfect way. It's a highspeed hardrock tune which is giving you a good shake - from the first to the last note.
However things then take a left turn as the title track has a stripped back retro vibe, and "Tin Soldier" continues the anti-war theme which is a recurring motif in the band's work, and the progressive intrusions reflect the involvement of the likes of drummer Rod Morgenstein in fusion and other musical genres.
Both "Ever Yours" and "Be Who You Are Now" have the slow, dreamy atmospherics more often found on Kip solo albums, and while "So Long China" has and edgy hooky chorus, "Storm In Me" is another moody, darker yet melodic cut showcasing Winger's united dynamics as they flex their muscles, lumbering on chunky guitars.
The bonus track for this deluxe edition called "Another Beautiful Day" is another favorite, combining early nineties Winger with modern hard rocking riffage.
Finally "Out Of This World" builds from slow beginnings into a strong chorus and a classic guitar outro on which Reb Beach gets to show his chops sometimes hidden within the confines of Whitesnake.
"Better Days Comin´" mixes Winger of the past with things from the last 2009 album, marrying up hard rockers with slow paced numbers. It is inevitable that with this sheer variety not every track will be of universal appeal.
However as a statement of Winger’s versatility and talent it cannot be bettered and, especially with the band touring and even playing Download this year, is a very timely profile builder.
Very Recommended.
13. Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game (Acoustic) [Japan bonus]
"Give 'Em Hell" is the latest and fifth solo studio album by ex- Skid Row frontman SEBASTIAN BACH.
Sebastian Bach has one hell of a distinctive voice, one of the most cherished in the history of Rock, and although some legends seem to lose their energy over time, he has never lost his focus and attitude.
Previous album Kicking & Screaming was a mighty fine affair, but Give Em Hell sets the bar even higher, and is possibly Seb's best solo release to date! This is in part down to the line up that he has assembled in order to produce Give Em Hell. Firstly, on bass, we have none other than Mr Duff McKagan (Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses).
Not to be outdone, there are three great guitarists involved. John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), the awesome Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Atomic Playboys) and Devin Bronson (Avril Lavigne, Pink) and it is their riffs and solos that lift this album beyond good.
Last, but certainly not least, is drummer Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot, Fates Warning) who lays down some pretty thunderous stick work. Sebastian himself is in better voice than I've heard for a long time and, together, they have made an album that is pretty heavy, full of hooks and great playing but, most importantly, melody, but it's certainly not stuck in the past. Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Halford, Alice Cooper, Tony Iommi) once again returns to handle the production duties which together with the great songwriting, makes everything sound huge!
"Give 'Em Hell" is one of those rare albums that is immediate but also improves with each listen, unleashing more and more hidden layers each time around. It pretty damn near impossible not to love this album!
In many ways Give Em Hell captures the spirit of Skid Rows seminal classic Slave To The Grind without sounding like an attempt to recapture and clone past glories. there really is not a bad track on here!
Quite possibly one of the best albums to released in 2014!
Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock / Modern Rock
Label - Frontiers Records
Track listing:
01 - Deceived
02 - Shout It Out
03 - Feeder (feat. Robin Zander)
04 - Fall From The Sky ~ Seagull
05 - Wasted (feat. Paul DiAnno)
06 - Slave
07 - Big Mouth (feat. Maria Brink)
08 - War Machine
09 - Redeem Me (feat. Sass Jordan)
10 - Exquisite Tenderness
11 - Feeder (Acoustic Version) [Japanese bonus track]
Guitar legend Jake E. Lee, the man behind Badlands and one of Ozzy Osbourne’s most famous albums, Bark At The Moon, is back after almost two decades out of the spotlight with his new band RED DRAGON CARTEL, and their self-titled debut to be released by Frontiers Records.
Clearly standing out from his countless contemporaries, Jake E. Lee first rose to international prominence as Ozzy Osbourne's sideman during the raucous '80s hard rock movement. Lee's signature guitar work and songwriting contributions on such million-selling albums as Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin helped further to cement Osbourne's credibility during that decade, while Lee, himself, soared into the stratosphere as rock's latest guitar hero.
Following his tenure with Ozzy, Lee went on to create arguably his best and most compelling music in the late '80s and early '90s with the short-lived hard blues based outfit Badlands with short term former Black Sabbath vocalist ray Gillan. In recent years, the reclusive icon has resurfaced only occasionally appearing on various tribute records and solo releases.
In 2014, the famed guitarist returns with his new project, Red Dragon Cartel.
Recorded at the Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, the self-titled debut from Red Dragon Cartel was produced by Lee and bassist Ronnie Mancuso (Beggars and Thieves), then mixed and mastered by Kevin Churko (Hinder, Ozzy). The band is completed with front man Darren James Smith and drummer Jonas Fairley.
However, the recording session was also gifted with some guest talent including singers Paul Di’Anno (ex-Iron Maiden), Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, as well as females Sass Jordan and Maria Brink (In This Moment), and Five Finger Death Punch’s Jeremy Spencer adding vocals.
And how do Red Dragon Cartel sound?
Simply put, pretty damn fine!
Red Dragon Cartel's sound is generally straight up melodic heavy rock with a modern tone, The music being driven by Lee's wall of riffage and wicked guitar solos. Additionally, underneath all this is some serious groove getting your toe tapping, while you're banging your head.
Perhaps the only Ozzy-like track on the disc is opener and lead single "Deceived" (a highlight), which possesses a no-holds-barred Bark At The Moon melodic energy. You really could imagine Ozzy singing the lead on this one! Paired together with "Shout It Out", these two hooky, guitar-driven groove monsters make for a powerful pair of openers. Plus Shout It Out has a real modern singalong feel to it that just makes it irresistible.
But even if the album revolves around Jake E. Lee’s endless talent, this is no guitarists solo album and it proves interesting to see how each of the guest artists are able to somehow slice off a bit of the Lee pie to showcase their wares. For instance, Zander on the track "Feeder" shines with an almost psychedelic feel and Maria Brink provides a Joan Jett-like moment that is a nice change up on "Big Mouth".
Haunting and melodic, "Fall From The Sky" is another stand-out, as is the bona fide pedal-to-the (old school) metal nugget "Wasted" featuring first Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno.
"Fall From the Sky" is fantastic ballad with superb instrumentation, centred on a strummed guitar pattern while vocalist Smith shines and gives his most passionate performance.
Another power point, "War Machine", lies stylistically somewhere between classic Black Sabbath and modern metal. Additionally, Sass Jordan's guest vocal on "Redeem Me" helps it to stand out from the rest of the hard-hitting pack as a straight-up and gritty blues rocker - one that's fabulously reminiscent of Badlands.
However, Lee's most vicious and enticing riffs (possibly) ever are heard on "Slave", which is another highlight here. You can hear a terrific palm muted fast picked riff that blends into an atmospheric verse before slamming into a fist-pumping shout along chorus.
Red Dragon Cartel's self-titled debut record is an impressive amalgam of Lee’s past output mixed with a modern spin. Blues inspired killer riff driven hard rock with melodic vocals is still the blueprint that Jake Lee works too. Great musicianship, asce production and some cracking songs!
Genre - Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
Label - Frontier Records / Soulfood
Track listing:
01 - King For A Day
02 - Rebel Faction
03 - When Death Comes Knocking
04 - Alive & On Fire
05 - Delivering The Black
06 - Road To Asylum
07 - One Night In December
08 - Never Pray For Justice
09 - Born With A Broken Heart
10 - Inseminoid
11 - Man Without Shadow (Bonus Track)
12 - When Death Comes Knocking (Single Edit) (Bonus Track)
13 - Born With A Broken Heart (Edit Version) (Bonus Track)
German metallers PRIMAL FEAR return with their 10th slab of metal, in the form of new album "Delivering The Black" to be released by Frontiers Records / Soulfood.
Bassist and co-founder Mat Sinner handles the production duties and delivers what is easily one of the band's most explosive records to date. Guitarists Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt are in simply phenomenal form, with sharp, resonating riffs and melodic spiraling solos throughout the entire album!
The production has been helped immensely by the the pairing of Jacob Hansen at the mixing with Achim Köhler mastering which along with the watchful of Mat Sinner overseeing the entire process as producer, has made this new album from Primal Fear somewhat more bombastic than ever.
Generally, the bands traditional sound has been magnificently maintained by Jacob Hansen - though a contemporary edge has been added, especially the modernized guitar sound, which really stands out on "Delivering The Black".
The album kicks off in blazing style with a barrage of crisp riffage and chugging rhythms on the album opener, “King for a Day”. Sinner's bass and Randy Black's drums are like a locomotive while the dual guitar leads soar and ensnare the listener. An anthemic hooky chorus and Scheeper's gritty vocal delivery seal the deal.
A dramatic intro sets the tone for “Rebel Faction” which quickly turns into a speedball of rapid-fire double bass and speed-riffing that will rattle teeth and vibrate bones.
This leads us into the album's debut single, “When Death Comes Knocking”: a blasting melodious piece which begins with an acoustic intro and a mid-tempo riff. Built for arenas, this beast has a massive feel to it and an undercurrent of Arabian nuances, particularly in the bridge. Scheepers’ performance gives the song an epic melodic feel.
The title cut as well as “Road to Asylum” are speeding juggernauts of pounding razor riffs and rhythms. Infectious melodies make them among the record's most memorable tracks.
The tolling of the bell and cawing birds lead into an emotive piano melody on the intro to the album's near ten-minute cinematic piece, “One Night in December”, which is, if I have it right in mind, the longest song Primal Fear ever released. The track has a sumptuous sound and orchestral elements, and a lot of variations and arching melodies which makes it really special.
You almost could say that a fierce album like this also needs a ballad. Sometimes these ballads are overloaded with cliche... but not in the case of Primal Fear. "Born with a Broken Heart" is a great song, an emotional ballad featuring Leaves Eyes' female vocalist Liv Kristine doing some fine backing vocals. Scheepers hits a poignant mark with his inspired delivery, and once again the guitars dance and spirit the song to new heights.
Closing out the album proper is the battering-ram rampage that is “Inseminoid”, propelled by Black's lightening quick feet and more fancy-fret axe-work by Beyrodt and Karlsson.
We then have the three bonus tracks, two edits of pre-existing album tracks and "Man Without Shadow", a great melodic rocker, that although a great track, doesn't really fit anywhere within the constraints of the album proper, and it is therefore understandable that it is used as a bonus track. Still a great song though!
"Delivering The Black" is easily Primal Fear's best all-around album in years, a really true return to form, packed with every bombastic element a metal / hard rock fan could hope for, "Delivering The Black" not only delivers - as the name suggests, it propels you into the centre of the arena, leather clad and head-banging.
Genre - Hard Rock / Bluesy Rock
Label - Frontiers Records
Track listing:
01 - Sweet Little Baby Thing
02 - The Cure
03 - Till You Die
04 - Heaven Gets Me By
05 - Pray Out Loud
06 - Our Time Is Gonna Come
07 - Too Hard To Break
08 - My Lust Your Fate
09 - Made For Your Heart
10 - Ride The Monkey
11 - Out In The Cold Again
12 - When Can I Believe In Love
13 - Kashmir (Bonus)
14 - Heaven Gets Me By (Acoustic Version) (Bonus)
The following are not my words by I couldn't agree with them any more, so I replicate them here -
"Guitarist extraordinaire Doug Aldrich is mostly known for his time as member in Dio's band and current employers Whitesnake, but he'd been in the music business for more than thirty-five years recording for other artists or as part of Lion (Transformers The Movie theme song) and Bad Moon Rising.
In the second half of the nineties Aldrich founded BURNING RAIN, releasing two stupendous bluesy melodic hard rock albums. Then the band was put on hold as he went on to fame and fortune with Ronnie and later the 'Snakes.
But now, after 13 years, tempted by Frontiers Records Doug is back with Burning Rain presenting the long awaited third release called "Epic Obsession".
This new Burning Rain incarnation features original singer and Aldrich's long time friend Keith St. John, but the duo recruited a completely new rhythm section in Sean McNabb (Dokken, Quiet Riot, XYZ) on bass guitar and backing vocals along with Matt Starr from Ace Frehley band on drums. The album does also features several guest musicians, the most notable being Brian Tichy and Jimmy D'Anda (Bullet Boys).
"Epic Obsession" captures all the elements that built Burning Rain's reputation: well worked riffs, virtuoso solos, a melodic voice and a bright sound. Like a good wine that remained some time in the cellar, it's a pleasure to listen to this record.
Unsurprisingly, there's a healthy amount of modern day Whitesnake, Led Zepp, Coverdale/Page, classic US Hard Rock and '80s like acoustic power ballads - the comfort zone of the foursome crew, and it sounds amazing. Keith St. John’s vocals are in top form, a mix of Coverdale and Plant but with an American touch, and Aldrich is ripping the hell of his Les Paul with melodious, punchy riffs and solos.
Opening with the groovy "Sweet Little Baby Thing" this is a great little rocker to kick start proceedings. "The Cure" meanwhile has an opening riff to die for and Aldrich very rarely gets to show off his chops off like he does here. This is the kind of song that Coverdale should be doing right now, but to be truthful I doubt his voice could pull it off.
"Till You Die" begins with a Nuno Bettencourt-esque intro before settling into a Bulletboys/early Van Halen groove, followed by the first of the slower songs, "Heaven Gets Me By", which in this case features the long forgotten hair metal balladesque with natural drums / percussions and electric & acoustic guitars in the first House Of Lords vein.
"Our Time Is Gonna Come" is a killer midtempo driven by a moster groove, the melodic "Too Hard to Break" flirts with American AOR (some Foreigner here), while "Ride the Monkey" echoes modern day Whitesnake.
There are a couple of bonus tracks as well, with the Burning Rain cover of Led Zeppelin's classic "Kashmir" (nicely done) and an acoustic version of "Heaven Gets Me By".
"Epic Obsession" is a solid third effort by Burning Rain. There's definitely a particular energy and one can feel that Doug and Keith are happy to work together again. Oh, and they were very productive: there are 73 minutes of music in total.
This is somehow sophisticated (Melodic) Hard Rock music. Burning Rain songs are not in the average bluesy rockin' style, it's not that easy. For example, the choruses won't be repeated on and on, and as a result not many tracks remain in the head after listening only once. There's more meat here. Several plays reveals how rich are these compositions and all their subtleties, and you realize how good they are."
Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock / Metal
Label - Frontiers Records
Track listing:
01. Wicked World (4:28)
02. Cirque du Freak (4:11)
03. Oh My Soul (4:57)
04. One of the Few (3:59)
05. Still In Love With You (4:19)
06. Can’t Stay Here (4:05)
07. Wardance (5:56)
08. Don’t Know What It Is About You (4:51)
09. Blind Fury (5:02)
10. Violet Moon (7:34)
"Dario Mollo and Tony Martin first got together when the Italian guitar player/produced and composer needed the right singer after the put together a new set of songs in the late 90’s. The former Black Sabbath singer came about on a suggestion from producer Kit Woolven (UFO, Thin Lizzy) with whom Dario Mollo had been working during his Crossbones years. Tony Martin wrote lyrics and melodies for the amazing tracks that Dario had already assembled, and thus The Cage was born.
The first album, released independently in 1999, gained a great success among the Hard Rock fans and the critics and Dario started finally to make himself a reputation over the international markets. This debut was later followed by an equally acclaimed second album in 2002.
Mollo has been very busy since then, releasing one more album with the Voodoo Hill project with Glenn Hughes. He then toured Europe with Graham Bonnet and Don Airey. After Don became a permanent Deep Purple member, Dario and Graham Bonnet put up Elektric Zoo, touring Europe again, performing songs from Rainbow, Alcatrazz, Voodoo Hill and The Cage. In 2008 Dario released an album with the more alt-rock Italian band Noize Machine, before getting again to work on a new set of Hard Rocking songs for a new record with Tony Martin.
“As usual we are 50/50 partners”, explains Mollo. “I write all the music and Tony then contributes with the melodies and lyrics. We also try together different structures of the tracks and we rearrange them to better fit the vocal parts. Then I go ahead and take care of the entire production of the album, tracking, mixing and mastering”.
The songwriting, the sound and the video production of this new project are absolutely stunning and show the great skills that Mollo has developed in the past few years. All Hard Rock lovers should simply not miss this record which bravely melts several influences in a cutting edge release. “There are much better songs, performances and production on this album, plus we will finally bring this project live out there: we have a lot of great songs to perform to our loyal fans, we look forward to meet them” concludes Dario Mollo."
This the latest collaboration between Dario Mollo and Tony Martin on The Cage project opens with the bone crunching heavy riff and attitude driven Wicked World, which is also the lead single and video to be taken from the album. A contemporary sounding track showing that these guys know how to move with the times. Next up is the brilliant Cirque Du Freak, which Tony says was lyrically inspired by the movie the Vampires Apprentice. Again a heavy track with a modern edge with a great use of keyboards, a great song!
Oh My Soul follows, and is, in my honest opinion, one of the albums highlights. A great song that would have fitted comfortably upon any of the albums that Tony recorded back in his period with Sabbath. A track filled with atmosphere and emotion filled lyrics, a great song of epic proportions!
One Of The Few quickens up the pace a little, being more of a heavy melodic rock track, before the guys slow things down with the eastern flavored heavy Still In love With You, which is very similar in style to the song Al-Sirat from Empire's The Raven Ride album, again a great song! (Who said love songs cannot be heavy?)
Can’t Stay here is up next and to be honest, in my opinion, is the weakest track on the album. The song switches the tempo up a gear with almost a little funk feeling going on, it is a good melodic song, just feels a little out of place here. The guys redeem themselves with the next track, a quirky heavy song, Wardance. A Great track with some excellent lyrics, with a strong message without taking itself too seriously.
Don’t Know What It Is About You, is another great song, heavy, great tempo, yet melodic, before the leading into Blind Fury, A mid tempo heavy track. Once again, a great song. The album closes with Violet Moon, a trippy melodic song for which Tony apparently managed to come up with the lyrics in the studio, not even writing them down.
The Third cage really is a great album, full of variety and above all else, great songs. The guy’s are apparently considering taking this album out on the road, and hopefull they do as they have a wealth of material which deserves to be aired to a live audience.
I love this album, and bias aside, (I am a huge Tony Martin Fan and have been since 1989!) it’s a very strong album well deserving of recognition. To be honest this album only has one fault, and that being that its not longer!
Rating - 10/10
Line-up:
Tony Martin – Vocals (ex-Black Sabbath, Giuntini Project, Empire, Rondinelli, Phenomena, Tony Martin Band)
Dario Mollo – Guitars (Don Airey, Kit Woolven, Giuntini Project, Voodoo Hill)
Brian War/Dario Patti – Keyboards (Giuntini Project, Voodoo Hill)
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass (Giuntini Project, ex-Crossbones)
Roberto Gualdi – Drums (Voodoo Hill)
Genre - Classic Rock / Hard Rock / Cock Rock / Bluesy Rock Label - Frontiers Records
Track Listing - 01. Steal Your Heart Away 02. All Out Of Luck 03. Love Will Set You Free 04. Easier Said Than Done 05. Tell Me How 06. I Need You (Shine A Light) 07. One Of These Days 08. Love And Treat Me Right 09. Dogs In The Street 10. Fare Thee Well 11. Whipping Boy Blues 12. My Evil Ways 13. Forevermore 14. Whipping Boy Blues (Swamp Mix)
Forevermore pucks up exactly where Good To Be Bad left off, whilst not quite as heavy, and slightly more melodic. The album finds messiah Coverdale in fine voice, sure his voice hasn't quite got the power it had in his heyday of the 80’s but Mr Coverdale knows how to work within his limitations and deliver a powerful soul lifting performance. I’ve got to be honest, Forevermore could be the strongest album Mr Coverdale has put his name to in years. There’s not a weak track here, and there’s enough variety to satisfy the fns of all eras of Whitesnake’s illustrious past. With Good To Be Bad, Whitesnake rediscovered their blues based rock roots, something that continues here on Forevermore. The line up changes have continues, unfortunately, but importantly the guitarist line-up has remained unchanged, with Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach forming a formidable partnership, whose riff’s and solos, really drive this album along and bring it to life! David Coverdale has really pulled out all the stops on this one. A great album from a legend! Possibly one of the albums of 2011!
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