DANGER ZONE, one of the most popular, veteran Italian Hard Rock bands, began their musical journey in the early 1980s. After releasing several demos and undergoing numerous line-up changes, they debuted with their EP, Victim Of Time in 1984 and four more studio albums to follow (Line Of Fire recorded in 1989 but released in 2011); Undying (2012), Closer To Heaven (2016) and Don’t Count On Heroes (2019).
The pandemic in 2020/21 hindered the band’s ability to fully promote their album, leading to a temporary hiatus. They reconvened in 2022, resuming live performances and writing sessions.
During this time, they decided to return to a sound reminiscent of the golden era of American melodic hard rock / AOR, characterized by catchy choruses, loud guitars, pounding drums, and dreamy keyboards. This new chapter in their musical journey is encapsulated in their upcoming album, ”Shut Up!”, set for release on September 20, 2024, by Pride & Joy Music.
A darn good album with a huge production – one of the best collection of songs we heard this year!

Swedish rockers ECLIPSE are ready for the release of their highly anticipated new studio album ”Megalomanium II” on September 20th, 2024, via Frontiers Music. Following on from the release of ‘Megalomanium’ last year, with this second part ”II”, the band’s trajectory to craft memorable anthems is bound to stay intact.
Writing catchy, uplifting, and high-energy anthems while also keeping things diverse and interesting is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. However, some bands have found their rhythm and strategy which allows them to consistently put out hit singles and great albums. ECLIPSE is definitely one such band.
“Megalomanium II” is a killer hard rock album boasting everything you can expect from the genre from commanding vocals and thrilling guitar parts all the way to the well-written lyrics, excellent songwriting, and emotional depth, there’s nothing to fault here.
The fact that most of the songs are short numbers (between three and four minutes) only maximizes the catchiness factor of the melodies without ever feeling like they have overstayed their welcome…

Frontiers Music has announced the signing of TAK MATSUMOTO GROUP (TMG), marking the triumphant return of the internationally acclaimed project formed by guitar virtuoso, Tak Matsumoto.
After a 20-year hiatus, TMG returns with original members Tak Matsumoto (guitarist and member of the Japanese rock superstars B’z), JACK BLADES (Night Ranger) on vocals & bass, and ERIC MARTIN (Mr. Big) on lead vocals, reigniting the powerhouse trio’s signature rock sound. Now the drummer is excellent MATT SORUM (Guns n’ Roses, The Cult, Velvet Revolver)
Originally launched in 2004, TMG wowed fans worldwide with their unique fusion of hard-hitting rock and oriental influences. Now after two decades, they’re set to do it all again. The new album, ”TMG II”, was produced by Matsumoto, offered to Frontiers, and a deal was done for a physical release next December 6.
It’s a pleasure listening to Eric Martin lead vocals on all songs, Blades does backing / harmonies, while Japanese band BabyMetal and female singer Lisa appear as guests…

TAK MATSUMOTO GROUP is back with their second album after 2 decades of their first opus, and it’s the right opportunity to revisit that very recommended debut CD: “TMG I“.
Tak Matsumoto is one of the most famous Rock guitar virtuosos in Japan. He was leader of a popular band called B’z that sold nearly 60 million albums in Japan. He became so popular Gibson guitars made him their first Asian signature guitar player.
During several years Matsumoto planned to create a band in a U.S. hard rock style, melodic, with a classic ’80s sound & feel but also adding a special ‘Asian touch’. For that matter, he was looking an American singer – enter Mr. Big’s Eric Martin, a vocalist / musician hugely popular in Japan.
Then Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees) joined on bass / vocals, but also songwriting, providing that American sheen to the songs. With stupendous Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner) handling the drums, “TMG I” was recorded in California, released by Frontiers Music in 2004 and of course in Asia. A successful 3-month tour followed….

CHRYSALÏD, the trad heavy metal powerhouse from Northern England, was founded in 1999 by the talented Emmanuel Thorsen. Their music is a passionate blend inspired by NWOHBM, power / progressive metal and a pinch of thrash. If you love a “straight to the point” attitude, that’s exactly what you’ll get from Chrysalïd. Their sound perfectly captures the energy, passion, joy and chill of their metal roots.
CHRYSALÏD will release the new album “Breaking The Chains” next October, and the record features some impressive guests like Tim “Ripper” Owens, Zak Stevens (Savatage), Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire), Henning Basse (Metalium) providing the lead vocals. Many other musicians from the genre are involved as well.
This album is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a powerful message to the world about never giving up, always fighting for your dreams and standing tall no matter how many times you fall. And using a melodic-punch arsenal of riffs to it.
For fans of Judas Priest, Savatage, Helloween, Iron Maiden…

As you may know by now, despite their band name, STEELCITY is a melodic hard rock act – the name is derived from the Mid-Western town of Youngstown, Ohio. Initially started as a solo project by founding member, principal songwriter, and guitarist Mike Floros, SteelCity evolved into the band that it is today.
Now Frontiers Music will release the band’s third, new album titled “Reverence” next September 20th, and again, don’t be confused by its ‘epic metal-like’ cover art – the music inside comes influenced from bands like GIANT and TYKETTO, just in a more punchy, edgy way.
By carefully assembling the most skilled, talented rock musicians available, Floros molded a band that became a vaunted force in the melodic hard rock underground. Enter Roy Cathey, lead vocalist extraordinaire. As a member of the early-90s sensation Cold Sweat, his Herculean voice has been appreciated by audiences worldwide.
Holding down the bottom end is Jason Cornwell, an experienced studio and touring musician, “The Boston Bassman” has shared the stage with such luminaries as Eric Martin, skilled drummer Anthony White (also a former member of Cold Sweat) complete the rhythm section. Rounding out the group is Tony Stahl, whose keyboards bring texture and depth to SteelCity’s songs, thus completing the shape of their sound….

After KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD 2023’s critically acclaimed, #1 Billboard Blues Chart release – ‘Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 1’- the singer / guitarist is about to release next September 20th the highly anticipated follow-up; “Dirt On My Diamonds, Volume 2“.
With the acclaimed Vol 1 released only last November, Shepherd’s fans are still poring over that first slug of stellar material (“There’s no denying the impact,” wrote Classic Rock, “when he lets the blues off the leash”). But the Louisiana-born bandleader always had a bigger plan.
Holding back a second set of songs birthed at the same writing sessions at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, he now presents a follow-up record that is a very different animal, with shared DNA.
“When I started writing all of these songs, I started to see two individual identities emerge,” explains Shepherd of Dirt On My Diamonds Vol 2. “You’ll hear the same spirit across both albums, but the songs, sounds and grooves are very different. Because of the way that people live and consume music now, we decided to stagger the releases – but it’s essentially a double album. We had creative momentum on our side, so we just wanted to keep it rolling.”..

For the first time ever, iconic guitarist MICHAEL SCHENKER returns to his classic years with UFO, revisiting the era that catapulted both him and the British hard rock band to international stardom. Produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss, the upcoming new album “My Years with UFO (50th Anniversary Celebration 1972-1978)” marks the 50th anniversary of Schenker’s tenure with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978.
Touring the globe as a teenager, Schenker became a driving force behind some of UFO’s most beloved tracks, such as ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘Rock Bottom’, and ‘Only You Can Rock Me’. During these meteoric years, the UFO albums ‘Phenomenon’, ‘Force It’, ‘No Heavy Petting’, ‘Lights Out’, ‘Obsession’, and the seminal live album ‘Strangers in the Night’ were released, each contributing significantly to the genre.
Now, Michael Schenker is set to celebrate those glory days with his new album, alongside today’s rock elite. The new album presents 11 of UFO’s greatest hits with an impressive lineup of guest stars.
Joining Schenker on this journey are Derek Sherinian on keys, Brian Tichy on drums, and Barry Sparks on bass. The stellar roster of guest artists includes Axl Rose, Slash, Kai Hansen, Roger Glover, Joey Tempest, Biff Byford, Jeff Scott Soto, John Norum, Dee Snider, Joel Hoekstra, Joe Lynn Turner, Carmine Appice, Adrian Vandenberg, Michael Voss, Stephen Pearcy, and Erik Grönwall.
Awesome…

Founded by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY / former OZZY guitarist and singer Zakk Wylde, ZAKK SABBATH born with the idea of perform a live tribute to heavy metal legends BLACK SABBATH. Many successful gigs followed, with fans asking for a studio recording.
Inspired by the 50th anniversary of BLACK SABBATH’s self-titled debut full-length, ZAKK SABBATH released a tribute to this monumental heavy metal milestone under the title “Vertigo” in 2020. The album was heaped with praise from critics and fans alike. Early 2024 ZAKK SABBATH put out a second studio album, the stupendous “Doomed Forever Forever Doomed”.
Now today September 17 is being released “Greatest Riffs“, featuring selected ZAKK SABBATH tracks. Originally, the tribute band elected to release these albums in physical formats only to hearken back to the originals. Yet their fans kept asking for an official digital release, so at long last the band has agreed to publish a hand-picked collection assembled in homage to one of BLACK SABBATH’s most ubiquitous releases, “We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n Roll”, the ultimate greatest hits album…

We featured in exclusive weeks ago the new EP “From Now Until Today” from Swedish AOR / melodic rockers ROULETTE, now has appeared the physical CD version including an extra track.
Since the release of their comeback album ‘Now!,’ ROULETTE embarked on a remarkable musical journey. Over the years released several digital-only singles, each contributing to the evolving story of the band. Now 2024 and release this special collection “From Now Until Today”. This EP gathers all the singles released since ‘Now!,’ encapsulating the essence of Roulette’s latest musical explorations.
“Life Will Go On” is an uptempo AOR ballad, and Roulette’s first track release since their highly acclaimed album “Now!” from 2019. The song is about how life might change when someone close leaves us, something that many can relate to during the current pandemic. However, the song came about when a parent of one the band members passed away due to cancer. The lyrics are for those who remain among us and how the loss affects our everyday life, but also how important it is that life must go on. “Life Will Go On” took another meaning when the band’s former keyboardist, and original member, also tragically passed away in January 2021.
A song titled “Summer Day” pretty much speaks for itself. A song that celebrates the warmth and carefree attitude that comes along during this time of the year. A feel-good melodic rocker. Exclusive EP track ”Test of Time” is a pure AOR ditty plenty of parping keys, melodic guitars and soaring vocals / harmonies. A more than a worthy addition…

In celebration of 50 years of THIN LIZZY, Universal Music are presenting today “Rock Legends” box set, the first installment of an archive release programme for the Irish rock staples. The Japanese release is pressed on SHM-CD, a Limited hard box housing 6 discs and a DVD.
We have a mammoth 99 tracks in total, 74 of which are unreleased and 83 have never been released on CD or streaming before. It is simply the ultimate THIN LIZZY box-set.
The material embraces Lizzy’s entire career and has been newly mastered by Andy Pearce (Rock Candy Records) and has been compiled by Thin Lizzy’s celebrated guitarist Scott Gorham along with band expert Nick Sharp. It embraces a collection of newly-discovered tapes (Decca era & Mauger Tape Rarities), most of which have never been heard…

As part of the very good ‘Transmission Impossible‘ series, here the JUDAS PRIEST collection over 3 discs presenting each very different eras from the band.
While releasing an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when the album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.
In celebration of the band’s longevity, commercial & critical success, and musicianship, this new triple disc set presents three live recordings of the mighty Priest, all taken from FM radio broadcast at different era of their lengthy career.
Disc 1 contains Priest’s October 1979 show from Seattle, in Washington State, USA, while the band were on their ‘Killing Machine tour’.
Disc 2 presents their May 1986 concert from Kansas City, played as part of another US tour, while promoting the Turbo album, released in March the same year.
Disc 3 concludes this superb collection with Judas Priest’s gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September 2001, a show which was played while promoting their Demolition album. Both the concert and the album featured, Tim “Ripper” Owens on vocals, Rob Halford’s replacement during his decade long hiatus…

Based in Stockholm, HEARTWIND have been serving quality melodic hard rock with influences from the classic rock bands of the 80s such as Journey, Whitesnake, Europe for over seven years and has released two delebrated albums, showcasing the band’s ability to create powerful and emotional songs with strong
Via Pride & Joy music, the band will release “Heartwind III“, where they have perfected the songwriting and elevated the production sound awesomely.
The core of Göran Engvall (guitars), Mikael Rosengren (keyboards) and Peter Svensson (drums) is heped by impressive musicians such as legendary vocalist Matti Alfonzetti, Nalle Påhlsson (Treat), Rick Altzi (Gathering of Kings), Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed), Jakob Samuel (The Poodles), Henrik Bergqvist (The Poodles), Thomas Vikström (Candlemass, Therion), Andreas Novak (House of Shakira), to name a few.
Seriously, this is one of best AOR / Melodic Hard Rock albums of the year…

German band HOUSE OF SPIRITS was founded in 1993 by vocalist Olaf Bilic and bass player Martin Hirsch from the ashes of their previous band Jester’s March, looking for a more elaborated sound. The pair recruited ex- Mekong Delta guitarist Uwe Baltrusch and colossal drummer Jörg Michael (Laos, Axel Rudi Pell, Saxon and recently Devil’s Train) to complete the line-up and immediately started to pre-produce their first album – requested by one of you.
Titled “Turn Of The Tide“, House Of Spirits’ debut album blends elements from traditional German metal / hard rock with an accessible progressive feel plenty of melody. This album is often compared to Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime / Empire highlights, but House Of Spirits’ feel is less dramatic and much more melodic.
With most of tracks in a midtempo pace built around exquisite, clean guitar arrangements and greatly crafted choruses, “Turn Of The Tide” is a truly remarkable record.
Songs like the pumping ‘Keep Me From Dreaming’ or the quite melodic ‘In My Heart’ (including keyboard layers and acoustics into the mix) are quite memorable with an indubitable Queensryche’s Empire-era feeling: a huge bass line, grandiose vocals, ‘floating’ drums > you know, that sound.
The sizzling guitars on title track ‘Turn The Tide’, the broken riff of ‘Wasteland’ and the almost AOR atmospheres in ‘He Waited’ (superb guitar solo) are some of the other notable moments on this CD…

“A Brand New World” is the upcoming debut album from FRANT1C, the brainchild of Anne-Claire Rallo, keyboardist in the French prog bands Nine Skies and Solace Supplice. She also energetically runs Bad Dog Promotions, a company that aims to bring underground bands to the forefront.
“A Brand New World” is a piece of work / soncept album she can be immensely proud of. When the project’s ten tracks are released to the world on September 27, 2024, everyone will be able to immerse themselves in the thick, rich prog sounds delivered by Frant1c.
Besides taking the initiative for the project, Rallo also wrote the lyrics, together with Martin Wilson, the vocalist of The Room, who portrays the male lead in the concept. Wilson is accompanied in the story by singer Helen Tiron from Sun Q. Their theatricality is perfectly balanced and never intrusive.
This is an immaculate album of dynamic, melodic progressive rock songs that fill a wonderful story, which evolves through each song with ease.
Mixed & mastered by John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, Arena, Asia, Frost, etc.), Fant1c’s ”A Brand New World” is one of the best progressive rock albums of 2024 – well worth of your listening time…