RADIATION ROMEOS - Radiation Romeos (2017)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

Track listing:

01. Radiation Romeos
02. Ocean Drive
03. Bad Bad Company
04. Mystic Mountain
05. Like an Arrow
06. Promised Land
07. Castaways
08. Ghost Town
09. Til the End of Time
10. On the Tight Rope
11. Monstertraxx

RADIATION ROMEOS are a new band formed by amazing singer Parramore McCarty best known for being the frontman of such legendary US metal acts Warrior and famed Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens' solo project, Atomic Playboys.
Musically, "Radiation Romeos" moves in a classic melodic hard rock direction spiced in AOR with punchy edges thanks to the production of Michael Voss (Phantom 5, Casanova, Michael Schenker) who also contributed to the song writing.
All songs on "Radiation Romeos" move on melody and harmony, plenty of rhythm and rich rock groove with catchy refrains. Heyne (founder member of Doc Heyne) lays down some terrific solos throughout.
On the harder side of thing we found 'On The Tight Rope', 'Bad Bad Company' and the edgy 'Mystic Mountain'. Then 'Monstertraxx' is a song that brought from his former band of the same name, and you hear the band blurring the distinction between US metal and classic hard rock, and you may catch a subtle heavy bluesy groove underneath. All of this is balanced with catchy melodic / hard tunes as the title track with strong AOR waves on it, the semi-ballad / mid-tempo 'Like An Arrow' including very nice acoustics, or 'Ocean Drive', where light piano leads into a delicious AOR breeze with great atmospheres.
Another song of interest is 'Castaways' which offers something different inspired by '80s US melodic metal, built as an anthem beginning with a slick keyboard line, then moves into groove and muscular riffs plus a strong vocal arrangement.

A great debut album from a bunch of well seasoned musicians,

Well worth checking out!

Rating: 9/10

The Ferrymen - The Ferrymen (2017)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music s.r.l

Track listing:

01. End Of The Road
02. Ferryman
03. Fool You All
04. Still Standing Up
05. Cry Wolf
06. One Heart
07. Darkest Hour
08. How The Story Ends
09. Enter Your Dream
10. Eyes On The Sky
11. Eternal Night
12. Welcome To My Show
JAPAN BONUS TRACK:
13. One Heart (Acoustic Version)

The Ferrymen are a new project featuring guitarist Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear), vocalist Ronnie Romero (Lords Of Black, Ritchie Blackmores Rainbow) and drummer Mike Terrana (Tarja, Axel Rudi Pell, Vision Divine). The songs for "The Ferrymen" were written by Karlsson in Sweden during the Summer of 2016, and apparently as soon as Romero heard the songs through their shared label he immediately wanting to become a part of the project. Mike Terrana coming on board just finalised the project.
Musically, you can expect maximum melodic stuff fusing the song writing and epic structures of the great Allen / Lande records (for which Magnus Karlsson was the main architect of the first three widely praised releases) with the Ronnie James Dio-esque vocal approach of Romero. (The main reason that he was recently selected by the legendary Ritchie Blackmore to front his latest incarnation of Richie Blackmore's Rainbow!)
The album kicks off with ‘End Of The Road,’ a fast-paced, classic melodic metal track with strong punchy riffs and vocals. The second track on the album, ‘Ferryman,’ has an anthemnic, stadium rock feel that crowds all over the globe will go wild for.
Then the softer ‘One Heart’ makes a nice change in dynamic to the album, and gives a fresh feel to the sound.  ‘The Darkest Hour,’ is an absolutely brilliant song, beginning with a  clock-like ticking that breaks into a fantastic drum section before Romero’s vocals to take over.
A beautiful keyboard introduction opens ‘Eternal Night,’ making for another of the standout tracks on the album, as it has a wonderful melodic and nostalgic feel which will undoubtedly remind you of listening to old Classic Rock albums from the good old days.
"The Ferrymen" is pure classic melodic metal / hard rock, and right up the street of any fan of the genre. There is no doubting the sheer talent of these three guys, with a stunning execution of each instrument performed plus a vibrant production.

Very very highly recommended!!

Rating: 10/10

Jorn - Life On Death Road (2017)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music s.r.l

Track listing:

01. Life on Death Road
02. Hammered to the Cross (The Business)
03. Love Is the Remedy
04. Dreamwalker
05. Fire to the Sun
06. Insoluble Maze (Dreams in the Blindness)
07. I Walked Away
08. The Slippery Slope (Hangman’s Rope)
09. Devil You Can Drive
10. The Optimist
11. Man of the 80’s
12. Blackbirds

One of the greatest voices of heavy rock Jorn Lande returns with his latest album, and ninth altogether,  in the form of Life On Death Road. The album also marks the debut of a new line-up of very experienced and gifted musicians around the Norwegian singer. On bass is Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Sinner, Kiske/Somerville) who needs virtually no introduction to metal fanatics.
On keyboards and production is Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Revolution Saints), who already joined JORN for the recording of his last covers album Heavy Rock Radio and was the glue that helped Jorn to create the feel and the direction for the new album.
Francesco Jovino (Primal Fear) is on drums and Alex Beyrodt (Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle) handles guitar. Truly a recipe for a roaring success.
With tracks like “Love Is the Remedy,” “Man of the '80s,” title track “Life On Death Road,""Hammered To The Cross (The Business)" "Slippery Slope (Hangmans Rope)," and “Insoluble Maze,” which are some standouts on a damn near perfect record, this album is a definite must have, especially when they are combined with the anthems and ballads which come with "Dreamwalker" and more so with "The Optimist",. This truly is a bloody great album!

As any rock fan, Jorn Lande's vocals come across as part David Coverdale, part Ronnie James Dio (hence why he was invited to perform with Heaven and Hell at the Ronnie James Dio tribute a few years ago), and he manages to utilise that full range across the length and breadth of Life on death Road.
I have to say that the production of this album is absolutely fantastic thanks to Alessandro Del Vecchio, who has done an amazing job! The albums sound is clear yet punchy, a melding of hard rocking melodic metal, catchy songs that take pages from both bands Whitesnake and Dio while still sounding 100% like a Jorn album, combining it all into his shining moment of his career thus far.
Between his stellar vocals to the brilliantly memorable songs to the on-target performances, this album is one that will likely wind up on many Best Of Lists by the end of the year.

Very highly recommended!!!

Rating: 10/10

Glenn Hughes - Resonate (2016)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

Track listing:

01 - Heavy
02 - My Town
03 - Flow
04 - Let It Shine
05 - Steady
06 - God of Money
07 - How Long
08 - When I Fall
09 - Landmines
10 - Stumble & Go
11 - Long Time Gone

"Resonate" is the first GLENN HUGHES solo album in eight years, and is to be released via Frontiers Records.
To say that "Resonate" lives up to its name is to understate Glenn Hughes’ pivotal role in hard rock related music. Both his music and his stage performance has always been about the twin pillars of drama and dynamics and he reverts to type here.
From his constant rumbling bass and stratopheric vocal whoops that transform a heavy duty groove into something unexpected, to the bone crunching guitar lines of co-producer Soren Andersen, Hughes and his band move every last air molecule in the studio.
Given that this is his first solo album for 8 years, he works hard to re-confirm his hard rock credentials. There’s barely a tip of the hat to his mid 90′s jive ass funk and blue eyed soul, except for ‘Landmines’, which combines funk and a vocoder break, and the closing rock ballad ‘Long Time Gone’.
The title track ticks all the right boxes as his impassioned phrasing provides a sharp contrast to the booming rhythm track. His sudden vocal swoop into the hook announces that ‘The Voice of Rock’ is back.
‘Resonate’ reveals more with each play as there’s so much going on. From Chad Smith’s bombastic drums on the opening title track - albeit Pontus Engborg puts in the main shift on the album – through Hughes’s pulsating bass to Soren Andersen’s distorted (but clean) guitar lines and the album’s overall enveloping sound, this is hard rock as it was meant to be.
That said, it’s also an album that belatedly leaves the heavy rock template at the three- quarter mark, as it goes in search of other musical directions.
Indeed by the extended blow of ‘How Long’, the heavy approach seems to have run it’s course, as keyboard player Lachy Doley adds a mid-number keyboard break that compared to his impressive riffing on ‘Steady’ sounds like a filler solo.
But there’s plenty of good stuff leading up that point. Hughes adds a trademark vocal on both the booming title track and the hook of ‘My Town’.
He’s also at his most expansive on the catchy ‘Let It Shine’, the Deep Purple influenced ‘Steady’ and the soulful ‘When I Fall’. And it’s on these highlights that the band members complete a reverse arc from the opening bluster to later more restrained approach that allows them to broaden their musical palette.

Hughes vocal performance, which, just like his ripping bass lines, is the cornerstone of a big sounding album. He confidently brings his full range to bear on a wide variety of material that showcases his ability to rock as well as nuance some introspective emotive moments
On ‘Let It Shine’ we have to briefly plough through rumbling bass lines and distorted guitar tones before an uplifting hook resolution that stays long in the memory. Soren Andersen’s subsequent gnawing guitar break drags us over the coals.
This track is the moment when the band is in perfect synchronicity as it counterbalances Hughes’s hard rock credentials with his soulful style vocals.
"Resonate" certainly lives up to its name. It’s an album sculpted by layered parts and shaped by a huge wall of sound that accommodates every element of Glenn’s bristling persona. He’s an indefatigable performer who rocks, grooves and gets just as soulful in the studio as he does while treading the boards.
Ultimately Glenn Hughes imbues the hard rock template with sundry possibilities, but just like a stick of rock the end result comes stamped all the way through with his unique DNA.

An Essential Release!!!

Rating: 10/10

RAVENEYE - Nova (2016)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

Track listing:

01. Wanna Feel You
02. Come With Me
03. Inside
04. Hero
05. Supernova
06. Walls
07. Oh My Love
08. Madeline
09. Hate
10. Out Of The Rain
11. Eternity

RAVENEYE are a UK-based trio formed in two years by 25 year old, multi-award winning guitarist & singer Oli Brown, along with Aussie bassist Aaron Spiers plus drummer Adam Breeze.
Recorded as a band as opposed to a passion project of guitarist and vocalist Oli Brown, "Nova" feels really consistent from the go and is a towering statement of how hard rock should sound in 2016.
There’s massive, dirty, bluesy riffs married with Oli’s snarling lyrics alongside his partners in crime; Aaron Spiers delivering meaty bass lines and Gunnar Olsen powering through his drum tracks.
Album opener 'Wanna Feel You' is mired in heavy blues and is a great way of pulling you in. One of the beefiest songs on the album it clocks in just under the six minute mark as it builds into a massive writhing beast before the radio-friendly gut punch of 'Come With Me' hits. It’s a brilliant juxtaposition of the two songs and shows how diverse the band can be whilst managing to retain their identity.
Between riffs and distortion, Oli Brown is proving his mettle with his weapon of choice and with some of the sounds he manages to get out of his guitar shows he’s intent on making a claim on becoming one of rock’s most talked about guitarists.
"Nova" is pretty exhilarating from top to toe, and I do have favourites, but only by a small margin may I add and when you get to ‘Walls’ you’ll know exactly what I mean. The complexity of the song writing blended with moments of outstanding flair that seep through are awesome, and will knock you off your feet while raising the rafters at the same time. ‘Walls’ comes at you all guns blazing from every direction in a bombardment of time changes and riffs that could make a grown man cry.
Oh My Love’ has that wonderful sensuous chunky bass with overlaid bluesy tones and high background harmonies that is just incredible, and I can’t get enough of this one either. Crank the volume, tighten the earphones, close your eyes and feel that damn solo swallow you whole.
The closing tune ‘Eternity’ is another great one. Harmonies are delicate and touching, the melody is captivating and then whoa it just slams you in the heart with an epic virtuoso and uplifting sensation that you just don’t want to come down from.
At this point you now just want to hit the repeat button and do it all over again, because you can’t believe the ride is over. This album gets better and better with every play!
"Nova" is a one of a hell rocking debut full of riffs and grooves, laden with hooks and singalong choruses. It’s exhilarating, it’s fast and furious one moment, and ripping out your heart the next.

Rating: 10/10

King Company - One for the Road (2016)

Genre - Melodic Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

Track listing:

1. One For The Road
2. Shining
3. In Wheels Of No Return
4. Coming Back To Life
5. No Man's Land
6. Farewell
7. Wings Of Love
8. Cast Away
9. Desire
10. Holding On
11. One Heart

12. Can't Let You Get Away (Bonus Track)

KING COMPANY are a  new melodic hard rock outfit from Finland, and "One For The Road" is their debut album, released via Frontiers Music. Formed barely two years ago, the band comprises of experienced musicians from the Scandinavian scene, most of whom coming from heavy metal bands.
Drummer Mirka 'Leka' Rantanen (Warmen, ex-Thunderstone, ex-Kotipelto, etc.) had been thinking about forming a new hard rock / melodic metal band for a long time. He wanted to play with people with whom he had worked before and whom he knew both as good musicians and considered friends.
First, he contacted guitarist Antti Wirman (Warmen), who immediately joined the project. Vocalist Pasi Rantanen, was in Mirka's mind from the beginning, as they had played together in a couple of bands before (Thunderstone, Warmen). After keyboardist Jari Pailamo (Kiuas, Ponies To Kill) and bassist Time Schleifer (Enfarce) joined the band, this 'supergroup' was ready to start working.
Broadening the King Company sound beyond classic hard rock, their music has a significant edge thanks to sharp riff's and bristling solos. Still, there's something more, a distinct underlying blues flavour shines through in many places, ala early Whitesnake. 'Shining', the melodic 'Desire', title track 'One For The Road', and 'No Man's Land' (which was the band's original name) are perfect examples of this. The latter song flows more like a hard rock anthem, yet steady almost smoldering like a fire grasping for more air, with vocalist, Pasi Rantanen sounding like the perfect cross of David Coverdale and Dee Snider! Also you can't discount the AOR factor in the bands tunes.
The songs are loaded to the brim with solid melody, good guitar and vocal harmony (Rantanen sings clean yet with a little rawness to his timbre), likable refrains, and catchy hooks. Just take the glorious 'Farewell' and 'One Heart', just two songs delivering that AOR momentum at the right place on the album, one in the middle, the other at the end, resulting in a perfect balance.

Well worth checking out

Rating: 9/10

King Company Are:

Pasi Rantanen (vocals)
Antti Wirman (guitars)
Jari Pailamo (keyboards)
Time Schleifer (bass)
Mirka Rantanen (drums)

DAN REED NETWORK - Fight Another Day (2016)

Genre - Melodic Rock / Funk Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

Track listing:

01 - Divided
02 - The Brave
03 - Infected
04 - Champion
05 - Ignition
06 - Give It Love
07 - B There With U
08 - Save The World
09 - Eye Of The Storm
10 - Reunite
11 - Heaven
12 - Sharp Turn
13 - Stand Tall

###### First things first, the following review is not my own work, but I have chosen to reproduce it here as I agree entirely with its sentiments. All credit must go to the original reviewer #######

Frontiers Music  release DAN REED NETWORK’s brand new record “Fight Another Day". The new album marks the anticipated return of one of the most infectious and gifted bands to come out in the melodic rock world in the second part of the '80s.

At the end of 2012 the band re-convened in their hometown of Portland, Oregon for a New Year celebration and the rest, as they say, is history. Appearances at Download Festival and a couple of short UK tours and – surprise surprise – the announcement of a brand new album.
It was as if they have never been away and it is the same with new album “Fight Another Day”. The key is clearly quality material and a definite zest for performance from all band members.
Whilst 1991′s ‘The Heat’ was Dan Reed Network’s most successful album it wasn’t their most consistent. This latest offering takes up the story and 25 years of silence is quickly forgotten about.

The band featured ‘Divided’ as advance single and it showcased that the magic is still there. The same applies to the whole album, with immediate appeal to anyone who enjoyed those earlier albums with the characteristic meld of funk and melodic rock and with a wider social conscience than previously - check ‘Infected’, ‘Save The World’, ‘Eye Of The Storm’.
Those who have followed Dan Reed’s parallel solo career will know that he is a great songwriter who brings gold dust to a project and nowhere is this more evident than on ‘Champion’, an utterly compelling case for buying the album.
The power chords that introduce ‘Give It Love’ recall Starship’s song Jane and underscoring yet another album highlight.

Fans will love the mix of old and new influences. Mid-tempo ‘Be There With U’ has all the charm of ‘Rainbow Child’. ‘The Brave’, ‘Reunite’ and ‘Heaven’ evidence Dan Reed’s essentially uplifting, anthemic approach with quite wonderful vocals throughout. The feel-good quotient is high on this album.
‘Sharp Turn’ combines the brilliance of Seal’s Crazy and Johnny Hates Jazz (Don’t Say It’s Love), so rooted in the late-1980s and early '90s just as it should be.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better the album closer ‘Stand Tall’ delivers a wonderful funk grind punctuated by Rob Daiker’s superb keyboard fills.

Some might say that "Fight Another Day" is more of a Dan Reed solo album, as the rest of the band do seem to be subjugated to the power of the song and vocals, with Brion James' guitar notably restrained on some tracks.
But "Fight Another Day" is a complete triumph, totally relevant, and underlining a wonderful comeback that can only go from strength to strength.
Highly Recommended

Rating: 9/10

THE TREATMENT - Generation Me (2016)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Records

Track listing:

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!

Rating - 9/10

Praying Mantis - Legacy (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / NWoBHM / Melodic Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

 

Track listing:

 

01. Fight For Your Honour
02. The One
03. Believable
04. Tokyo
05. Better Man
06. All I See
07. Eyes Of A Child
08. The Runner
09. Against The World
10. Fallen Angel
11. Second Time Around

 

NWoBHM vetrens, Praying Mantis, return with a brand new album in the form of Legacy, the first to feature drummer Hans In T' Zandt (Bangalore Choir, Vengeance) and new vocalist John 'Jaycee' Cujipers. It’s been four years since their Metamorphosis release, and that was just an EP of re-recordings. Their last proper studio album – the excellent Sanctuary – was released back in 2009.
Today, Praying Mantis are more of a melodic rock band, a very good one at that, but with a highly polished sound more akin to FM than their NWoBHM contemporaries of yesteryear such as Saxon, Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Jaguar Samson and Vardis, but that's no bad thing when the songs are as well written as those on offer here with Legacy. There’s still a bit of their British classic metal roots here, especially in the twin guitars of Tino Troy and Andy Burgess, but it’s the band’s focus on melody that drives the album, and what makes these songs hit home right from the start. What can we say of new vocalist John 'Jaycee' Cujipers? Well he is great to be honest, he has a steady, powerful voice (he sings for a Dio tribute band if that tells you anything) that’s just perfect for this kind of classic Melodic Hard Rock. Even more so when he’s backed by the Troy brothers on the soaring choruses, fitting the songs really, really well.

"Legacy" features eleven new songs, and they’re all very strong, some of them truly awesome.
Leadoff single “Fight For Your Honour” captures the spirit of "Legacy" quite well, but you could pick, “Tokyo,” “Against the World” or “Eyes of a Child” and still seal the deal.
Even the more traditional love song “The One” has pomp and power.
"Legacy" is more than a worthwhile addition to the Praying Mantis discography, it is one of the strongest Classic Melodic Hard Rock albums 2015 has to offered so far.

 

Existing fans will love this album, as will fans of the melodic rock genre on a whole.

 

Well worth checking out!!

 

Rating 9/10

 

 



REVOLUTION SAINTS - Revolution Saints (2015)

Genre - Melodic Rock 

Label - Frontiers Records

 

Track listing:

01. Back On My Trail
02. Turn Back Time
03. You're Not Alone (feat. Arnel Pineda)
04. Locked Out Of Paradise
05. Way To The Sun (feat. Neal Schon)
06. Dream On
07. Don't Walk Away
08. Here Forever
09. Strangers To This Life
10. Better World
11. How To Mend A Broken Heart
12. In The Name Of The Father (Fernando's Song)
BONUS TRACKS:
13. Don't Walk Away (Acoustic Version) [exclusive Japan bonus]
14. You're Not Alone (Arnel Pineda version)
15. Way To The Sun (Doug Aldrich Version)
16. You're Not Alone (Deen Castronovo Version)

Supergroup? There's no other word that fit best REVOLUTION SAINTS, the new project put together by Frontiers Records featuring former Bad English and current Journey drummer Deen Castronovo, AOR legend Jack Blades of Night Ranger / Damn Yankees fame, and former Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich.
Add to this superstar trio, Frontiers ‘go to’ man for Melodic Rock projects Alessandro Del Vecchio, who provides the keys, songwriting and production, and you have the awesome self-titled debut to be released next February 23, 2015.
We’ve always known that Deen Castronovo is a freak drummer and an amazing vocalist, but this album propels him into the spotlight and he excels in both roles.
‘It is a musician's record,' states Castronovo of the project. Indeed it is. There are a plethora of examples of exquisite musicianship from all throughout the record, none more so than Castronovo himself, who delivers a masters clinic on how exactly to play on a Meloric Rock album with power, soul and finesse.
On "Revolution Saints" Castronovo handles most of the lead vocals, lending it a real Journey feel to the music at times, particularly on the ballads like "Don’t Walk Away". You can see why he does a lot of the live harmonies for Journey as he has a rich, melodic vocal.
Speaking of Journey, vocalist Arnel Pineda duets on the massive slab of melodic rock that is "You’re Not Alone"; both vocalists complement each other very well. It could easily have been lifted of the last couple of Journey albums.
Not to be outdone fellow Journey band mate Neal Schon guests on "Way To The Sun", maybe the nearest we have Schon playing on a Journey-like '80s sounding song for some time.
"Turn Back Time" is the lead song of the album and rightly so as it roars out of the blocks, with Doug Aldrich letting fly with some tasty riffs. If that wasn’t enough, there is a cracking vocal trade off between Castronovo and Jack Blades, the nearest to a Night Ranger song on here.
Another classy melodic hard rocker is "Back On My Tail", featuring some monster Aldrich riffs (he never goes too flash on the solos yet gives the songs that extra touch of class) and another chorus that won’t leave your head.
The Journey influence rears it’s head again on "Stranger To This Life", and continues on the brilliant "Better World". Alessandro Del Vecchio's swanky production and tasty ivory tickling on this tune are a particular highlight. But the stop start build up to the genius chorus will have you hooked immediately. Without doubt one of the strongest track on the album.

Judging by the quality of the songwriting on this album, I'm surprised the band included a cover: "How To Mend A Broken Heart". This track was originally recorded by Swedish monsters Eclipse. The pummeling energy of this version more than matches the original.
If you don't had enough, this "Revolution Saints Japan SHM-CD" features the 3 great bonus tracks to be featured on the Deluxe Euro edition, plus the exclusive acoustic version of "Don't Walk Away".
Revolution Saints have set the bar very high, and if you like Journey, Night Ranger et al, this is a Must Have.

Rating - 9/10

The players:

Deen Castronovo – Lead Vocals, Drums
Jack Blades – Bass, Vocals on 2, 5
Doug Aldrich – Guitars
featuring:
Arnel Pineda – co-lead vocals on 3
Neal Schon – guitar solo on 5
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards, backing vocals, vocals on 5
Produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio

SWEET & LYNCH - Only To Rise (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

 

Track listing:

01 - The Wish
02 - Dying Rose
03 - Love Stays
04 - Time Will Tell
05 - Rescue Me
06 - Me Without You
07 - Recover
08 - Divine
09 - September
10 - Strength In Numbers
11 - Hero-Zero
12 - Only To Rise
 

"Only To Rise" is the debut album title, and SWEET & LYNCH is the name of the newest super-group to come together to make some old fashion, ass kickin’ classic US Hard Rock.
This pairing only seems awkward upon first glance, but there's a perfect logic to these guys hooking up.
Michael Sweet himself has stated on record he'd considered Lynch a 'bucket list' musician to work with and, straight outta the Eighties, SWEET & LYNCH was born.
Bringing along with them awesome skin basher Brian Tichy (Foreigner, Whitesnake, Billy Idol) on drums and James LoMenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Lynch Mob) on bass, the unit's debut "Only to Rise", is, well, pretty durned cool.
"The Wish" rings precisely like you might expect, an amalgam between Stryper and Dokken with a hair more toughening up. As a mid-tempo power jam, Michael Sweet pounces upon the straight-laced lines and for the most part soars overtop George Lynch's steady riffs.
The song is written in the classic verse-chorus hard rock format, hitting Lynch's solo precisely where expected and the tune wraps up nice 'n' tidy as "Like a Dying Rose" struts out from it.
This track carries more Lynch Mob influence as Lynch chucks some bluesy plugs amidst the bobbing bass and floating keyboards. Sweet sounds relaxed as he molds his pitch to fit the lowdown groove of the cut.
The same can be said of the dirtier blues rawker "Rescue Me".
"Love Stays" could've been a predictable power ballad, but there's a heavier swing to this track even as it tails at a leisurely pace. This song is louder and chocked full of George Lynch's peals and rips where he can get away with them, but otherwise, it has far more oomph than meets the eye.
"Me Without You", features a gorgeous intro and threading melody by Lynch to compliment Sweet's harmonious croons. Sounding a bit like the Scorpions as the would-be ballad winds along, "Me Without You"'s biggest strength is the stellar vocal harmonizing aside from George Lynch's stress-free solo.
"Time Will Tell" changes the pace as Lynch and James LoMenzo ride hard upon Brian Tichy's crashing march. Reverberating chords and a determined bass channel thickens up this stout tune that carries an '80s action film verve about it. Accordingly, Michael Sweet reserves his best octaves for this one and the song blazes. The backing vocals are particularly great, one of the most uplifting songs Lynch or Sweet has ever put his name behind.
As much as this album stays in a low-rolling tempo, "Recover" finally steps on the gas with James LoMenzo's bass driving what becomes a Stryper-based rocker with more of a blues base to it. Sweet lets his falsettos fly free with "Recover"'s banging groove and lofting choruses. Appropriately, George Lynch, who delivers mostly tempered solos on the preceding tracks, cuts loose on this one.
Dipping back to mid-tempo, the band jams like beasts on the crawling "Divine". Only on the appositely sugary choruses does this song ease up, and Michael Sweet seizes those opportunities to remind his listeners to avoid letting the sins of the world swamp their lives.
There's classic choruses on "September", hot riffs in "Strength in Numbers" and "Hero-Zero" gimp more than move, but all that's come before them is enough to compensate, and the title track closing the album has enough sweat and hump (including a quick, bitchin' drum solo by Brian Tichy) to call it a good day in this camp.
Whether you get the soundness of this union or come to it with a glaring question mark, Michael Sweet and George Lynch answer their own call and "Only to Rise" is a killer Hard Rock record.

Well worth checking out!

Rating - 9/10

The Players:

 

Michael Sweet (Stryper) – Vocals, Guitar
George Lynch (Lynch Mob) – Guitar
James Lomenzo (ex White Lion, Megadeth) – Bass
Brian Tichy (ex Whitesnake) – Drums