Melodic Rock, AOR, Hard Rock, Prog, Classic Rock news
Universal Music Japan has started this year a curious but more than welcomed campaign: the reissue of long time out of print albums from their catalog titled ‘HR/HM 1000‘, that meaning Hard Rock / Heavy Metal at the price of 1000 Yen = about 9,5 USD.And it’s curious because these series focus on the ‘commercially less successful’ albums from each...
Founded about eight years ago in Storuman – is there any city in Sweden without a hard rock band? – VANITY INSANITY is another example of Scandinavian young acts playing this genre influenced by the 80s style, as heard on their album “Piece Of Her Cake” released at very end of past year. Musically, Vanity Insanity put themselves in the...
The last decade of STRYPER‘s career has been quite prolific and now they’re back with the strong “God Damn Evil“, the new album on Frontiers Music, and Avalon / Marquee in this Japanese Edition plus a bonus track.
When Stryper’s landmark ‘To Hell With The Devil’ hit MTV hard, many churchgoers were divided about their big hair, spandex jumpsuits, and heavy guitars. They gave us license to rock for the rock, as they liked to say.
Target practice was easy for the naysayers. The drastic heights of the aquanet hair. The iconic eyesore of the yellow and black attack wardrobe and staging. The saccharine sweet ballads that brought ladies out to a metal show.
Love them or hate them, Stryper was doing their own thing.
More than 30 years later, they still are.
The fashion, hair, and ballads have all been toned down, but the guitars have been cranked up. Lead singer Michael Sweet has traded his feminine-sounding falsetto to claim his place among the upper echelon of stratospheric screamers like Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson. The guys are confounding middle age gravity with insane vocal ranges.
MelodicRock Records partnered with American musician Jimmy Davis to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of JIMMY DAVIS & Junction‘s awesome debut album “Kick The Wall”. Freshly remastered from original master sources, “Kick The Wall [Remastered Deluxe Edition 2CD]” includes a very special bonus: a second disc featuring a rare live concert, ‘Live At The Bottom Line’, also remastered. Originally released in...
Alongside the very good Stevie McLaughlin solo debut CD (featured HERE) Limb Music is re-releasing his band SANDSTONE album “Tides Of Opinion” with refreshed artwork, remixed and remastered plus 3 previously unreleased tracks as bonus. Since forming in 2003, Sandstone have been a favourite on the Northern Ireland club and festival circuit, building a solid fan base. Known for their...
One of the finest Swedish AOR acts – STREET TALK – featuring among others stellar vocalist Göran Edman, got their most celebrated albums reissued by MelodicRock Records with exclusive all new artwork and each including several bonus tracks. This expanded reissue campaign covers 3 Street Talk albums limited to just 500 units each. (Sold out now) The original CDs are long...
Take a look at the album artwork, the songs titles, the album title… yeah, the debut from SWEDISH FUNK CONNECTION is titled “1987” for a reason: this is pure ’80s stuff from songwriting and execution to production sound.Don’t be fooled by the band’s name: these experienced musicians started as a cover band and playing funk / soul rock, but for...
Legend FOREIGNER recast some of their biggest hits and fan favorites in a new musical light last year with a pair of orchestral shows, and soon fans all over the world will be able to hear the results. Due in stores April 27, the group’s latest live release, “Foreigner with the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra & Chorus“, captures the May...
Hailing from Sweden, HEARTWIND is the creation of two musicians and long time friends, guitarist Goran Engvall (ex-Hitworks) and keyboard player Mikael Rosengren – ex Scudiero, one of my favorite underground AOR band from the ’90s. Their debut CD titled “Higher And Higher” is being released by AOR Heaven Records, and I can see why: Heartwind is pure Scandinavian melodic...
In the last two years CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD released an album, toured with Joe Lynn Turner, Robin Beck, House Of Lords and performed at the festival Hard Rock Hell AOR for the second time in their career. Not bad for the melodic rock Swedish band, and now are releasing their new CD “Struck By Lightning“, their first on MelodicRock Records....
Considering Swiss rockers CRYSTAL BALL started life out as a covers band named Cherry Pie, they have certainly come a long way. Constant consistency is the key for this 5-piece, and “Crystallizer” is the band’s tenth full-length recording, and die-hard fans of this well-polished style of melodic metal / hard rock will not be disappointed. Crystal Ball hold not last...
“Invincible” is the title of the new CROSSON album, the Australian band described by themselves as ‘Futuristic Theatrical Rock Warriors’. They were formed in 2004 in Sydney, fronted by leader Jason Crosson (guitar, vocals) backed up by a fantastic band. The album was mixed by legendary producer Duane Baron (Motley Crue, Alice Cooper) and mastered by Dave Donnelly (Aerosmith, KISS,...
THE MOOD GROOVE and their self-titled album “The Mood Groove” is a little something different from JK Northrup and indeed Escape Music. Formed by JK Northrup (Gypsy Soul, King Kobra, XYZ) and Ed Balldinger they wanted to make music outside of their usual musical boxes and it encompasses hard rock, funk, soul, blues, a little prog, and more. The Mood...
Canadian vocalist LEE AARON presents her new album “Diamond Baby Blues”, inspired by classic hard rock and heavy blues featuring 12 new recordings and produced with great feeling. Step by step former ’80s metal queen Lee Aaron gets back into Rock music after having had a few sidesteps into jazzy sounds. One year ago it was Fire & Gasoline that...
Formed by ex members of Lee Aaron Band and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Canadians THUNDERBIRD are releasing today their new album, self-titled as “Thunderbird“. This is my first approach to Thunderbird (this is their third album) and from the press sheet they promise a fresh take over the classic hard rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s with lots of...
