0dayrox

Melodic Rock, AOR, Hard Rock, Prog, Classic Rock news

Category: REMASTER

REMASTER / WHITESNAKE

WHITESNAKE – Into the Light: The Solo Albums [6-CD Box Set] (2024) *HQ*

David Coverdale, the unique voice behind Whitesnake and former Deep Purple frontman, sees his solo work shine brightly in a new collection featuring remixed, remastered, and revisited versions of his solo albums WhiteSnake (1977), NorthWinds (1978), and Into the Light (2000) in a 6-disc box set titled “Into the Light: The Solo Albums“.
The upcoming boxed set features two versions of Coverdale’s solo albums: one newly remixed to deliver a more dynamic sonic experience and a second remastered from the original recordings for those who want to revisit the classic sound.
The remixed versions feature significant updates (particularly to ‘WhiteSnake’ and ‘NorthWinds’) and utilize cutting-edge audio separation software. The track “Time & Again” from NorthWinds benefited from innovative voice extraction technology, allowing for new string and piano arrangements that Coverdale has envisioned for decades.
The collection also unearths several unreleased demos from Coverdale’s archives, including songs destined for future Whitesnake albums, old tapes, outtakes…

REMASTER / Uncategorized / VANDENBERG

VANDENBERG – The Definitive Vandenberg [Dutch only 2-CD / rarities] *EXCLUSIVE*

As requested, here’s the Dutch only 2-CD release “The Definitive Vandenberg”, including hard rockers VANDENBERG all singles remastered, plus new recordings and an extra disc of rarities, previously unreleased material.
This isn’t the typical ‘best of’, because includes a bunch of never heard Vandenberg songs essential for fans of the band and really enjoyable for hard rock aficionados in general.
The first disc features all of the band’s singles – some in its 7” versions/mix not available on CD before – ‘inside tracks’, as well as one new track for this release; a re-recorded version of their biggest hit ‘Burning Heart’ entitled “Burning Heart 2004” including a string arrangement. Of course, the original version of ‘Burning Heart’ is part of the track list too.
The second disc “Rarities” is a collection of previously unreleased material including live tracks, quality pre-production demos and a new acoustic version of Burning Heart, “Burning Heart 2004 Unplugged”.
It’s great to discover very good hard rocking songs that unfortunately never made it in disc but truly deserved it judging it quality, such as ‘Nothing to Lose’, the melodic ‘Ready for You’, ‘Back on My Feet’ (recalls early Europe), ‘I’m on Fire’ or the punchy ‘Out in the Streets’…

REMASTER / UNRELEASED

LOSTBOYS – From Demos To Atlantic [Previously Unreleased / FnA Records remaster] (2023) HQ *Exclusive*

In 1985, rock singer / songwriter Randy O. and his band Odin released their debut studio EP ‘Don’t Take No For An Answer’. Their debut was a top selling record for indie ‘Greenworld Records’ charting in Japan for 9 months. Their underground success even landed them a segment in the now cult 1988 Music Documentary “Decline of the Western Civilization Part II” featuring bands such as Aerosmith, Kiss, and many other star studded acts of the time.
Later, Randy would leave Odin in search of other musical pursuits and founded a new band; LOSTBOYS. Randy O. was signed to Vicky Hamilton’s management company, who handled acts such as Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Poison and Stryper.
Randy and the band ended up landing a record deal with Atlantic Records in 1988 and would release LOSTBOYS debut CD in 1990 titled “Lost & Found” featuring Jeff Duncan, former lead guitarist of Odin (and year later fo Armored Saint) and his brother Pat Gainor and second guitar.
Now FnA Records is releasing release “FROM DEMOS TO ATLANTIC“, a 18-track album of demos that eventually got the band signed to Atlantic Records, plus pre-production demos while preparing the debut album, all previously unreleased versions / songs remastered.
Sound quality is very good, professionally multi-track recorded songs, and alongside the unreleased tunes, some of these early versions are better than the finally released – rawer, aggressive…

REMASTER / RETURN

RETURN – Attitudes +1 [Norske Albumklassikere 80-tallet remastered] (2024) HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

As part of the ‘Norske Albumklassikere 80-tallet’ series from the excellent Norwegian reissue label Norske Albumklassikere – which seems to have access to almost every Norwegian release from the 70s and 80s – comes this really welcomed remastered reissue of RETURN 1988’s album ”Attitudes”, including a bonus track.
If you’re in the need for an ’80s dose of fluffy 80s AOR, ”Attitudes” does the tryck. This album takes you back to an era when rock music was fun, catchy, infectious, with songs plenty of catchiness, sweet multi-part vocal harmonies, and that Europe-like keys/synths. Very poppy at places – and perhaps a bit cheesy – but who cares, this is feel-good melodic music!
This is fluffy AOR, poppy and catchy as hell, a product of its time – but for fans of the genre… the time best ever. This remastered reissue, as happens with all Norske Albumklassikere 80-tallet series, avoid brickwall and comes balanced and clear…

JEFF PARIS / REMASTER

JEFF PARIS – Race To Paradise [Bad Reputation remaster +4] (2023) *HQ*

The name JEFF PARIS is undoubtedly familiar to many American Hard Rock / AOR fans, thanks to his contributions as songwriter to a number of 80s greats (Lita FORD, Y&T, Mr. BIG, VIXEN, XYZ, Stevie SALAS). He also took part in the recording of CINDERELLA’s 1st album (Night Songs) in 1986 as an additional musician, playing keyboards.
Less well known to the general public, this American musician has also had a solo career since the mid-80s. Having started out at the end of the 70s with PIECES, a band that mixed Jazz, Soul and Disco, and then with L.A.X, a Disco band, Jeff Paris finally found his feet in FM / Radio Rock in the Eighties. By the middle of the decade, he had signed to Mercury and was firmly on the road to a hopefully successful solo career.
His first studio album, “Race To Paradise”, appeared in 1986. For the occasion, Jeff Paris was supported by the future drummer of Mr. BIG’s future drummer, Pat Torpey. Jeff Paris’ first solo album navigates the Melodic Rock / AOR waters of the time and will not confuse fans of the genre.
Now reissue label Bad Reputation is releasing “Race To Paradise” for the first time on CD, including four bonus tracks…

DEF LEPPARD / JOE ELLIOTT'S DOWN 'N' OUTZ / REMASTER / SHM-CD

DEF LEPPARD – Hysteria [Japan SHM-CD new remaster / Limited Release] (2023) HQ *Exclusive*

A few days ago Universal Music Japan started a new reissue campaign of DEF LEPPARD albums pressed on SHM-CD, a Limited Edition release on miniLP faithfully replicating the album first edition LP in miniature and the original Japanese OBI. This reissue differs from the previous (now sold out) SHM-CD reissues, as features a new remastering.
“Hysteria” is a classic, one of the best selling albums in history, and one of the best produced. This album sounds terrific. Every track sparkles and burns. There is no filler. Mutt Lange gets full credit as a co-composer. He is, in fact, the sixth Leppard — the one who takes their riffs and choruses and assembles them into spectacular tracks.
There’s the relentless big drums; the dazzling guitar montages; the impeccable sense of structure and separation; the preternatural clarity. None of which is to suggest that Lange could have made this album on his own. Def Leppard is a sharp, hot and dedicated stage band that really delivers live. Steve Clark and Phil Collen worked like a two-man guitar firestorm – note the pulsing slabs of sound they pump into “Rocket” and the keening leads on “Don’t Shoot Shotgun” and “Love and Affection”. Rick Allen (despite his accident) and bassist Rick Savage remain a formidable rhythm section, and singer Joe Elliott, this time out, has convincingly deepened his range…

BARFLY / REMASTER / UNRELEASED

BARFLY – No Place Like Home [1991 Unreleased / Aqua Net Records remaster] (2023) *EXCLUSIVE*

This one should be one of the biggest rarity among rarities: the New York 5-piece melodic hard rockers BARFLY unreleased album “No Place Like Home”. BARFLY was formed in the late ’80s by lead guitarist Nick Bowcott when Grim Reaper broke up. Including renowned musicians from ex Spread Eagle and Big Mouth members, BARFLY developed a potent and melodic rocking sound and got signed by major label RCA.
Produced & mixed by top cats Jack Ponti & Michael Wagener, their debut album “No Place Like Home” was ready at the end of 1990, promotion and merchandising in the making, but inexplicably the release was shelved. Only few promotional / testing cassettes were distributed, and since then “No Place Like Home” remains into obscurity, with bootleg cassettes being traded among fans.
Now 2023 finally Canadian label Aqua Net Records is releasing a remastered version of this fine slice of classic early 90s American melodic hard rock, a silver pressed CD limited to 300 copies.
Quality here is all over the place, a killer mix of Danger Danger, Hurricane, first Damn Yankees, Warrant, etc.
Terrific stuff, collector’s item, Only at 0dayrox

REMASTER / RONNIE DIO

DIO – The Studio Albums 1996-2004 [remastered 4-disc box-set] (2023) HQ *Exclusive*

BMG and Niji Entertainment Group Inc. have partnered to issue Limited Edition Deluxe CD & LP box sets of Ronnie James Dio’s final 4 studio albums on September 22nd. Titled ”DIO – The Studio Albums: 1996-2004”, the set include Angry Machines (1996), Magica (2000), Killing The Dragon (2002), and Master of The Moon (2004).
Wendy Dio says, “I am very excited to be working with BMG, a label that still has a passion for rock music. They will be making the complete Dio catalogue available again with some interesting surprises.”
Each of the four albums on offer here have been remastered housed in a sideloading box with newly created artwork especially designed for the box-set release.
“DIO The Studio Album Collection: 1996 – 2004” kicks off with ‘Angry Machines’. Recorded in 1996, the album features Tracy G on guitars, ex Dokken Jeff Pilson on bass, skin basher Vinny Appice and Scott Warren on…

KEEL / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

KEEL – The Final Frontier [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] HQ *EXCLUSIVE*

There’s great news for KEEL fans as the long out of print records The Final Frontier (1986) and Keel (1987) are being finally remastered by Rock Candy Records. Although the CDs are not available yet – released at retail stores November 15 – they can be purchased via Ron Keel‘s website for $20.00 US each or as part of a $30.00 US bundle if you have a membership via patron.com/RonKeel.
Today we have here in exclusive at 0dayrox “The Final Frontier”, with this remastering making the album sound better than ever. It’s truly fantastic.
As requested, here’s a re-post, now at maximum quality…

KEEL / REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY

KEEL – Keel [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] HQ *EXCLUSIVE*

As requested by many, here’s a re-vamp of Keel’s self titled awesome remaster (contributors get lossless)
There’s great news for KEEL fans as the long out of print records The Final Frontier (1986) and Keel (1987) are being finally remastered by Rock Candy Records. Although the CDs are not available yet – released at retail stores November 15 – both can be purchased (autographed) via Ron Keel‘s website for $20.00 US each or as part of a $30.00 US bundle if you have a membership via patron.com/RonKeel.
Today we have here in exclusive at 0dayrox the self-titled “Keel”, with this remastering making the album sound better than ever: the dynamics are truly awesome.
As requested, here’s a re-post, now at maximum quality…

REMASTER / ROAD (NOR)

ROAD – Breaking Out ’86 [Norske Albumklassikere 80-tallet remastered] (2021) *Exclusive*

As part of the ‘80-tallet’ series from the excellent Norwegian reissue label Norske Albumklassikere – which seems to have access to almost every Norwegian release from the 70s and 80s – comes the reissue of ROAD, a hard rock band from Oslo established in the early ’80s. We already featured here Road’s EP from 1985 from these series, now it’s time for the band’s album 1986’s “Breaking Out“, for the first time remastered / on CD.
For this record only founder “Wild” Willy Bendiksen remain, and he enlisted talented musicians for this new version of the band including guitarist Jimmy Iversen and female vocalist Bente Smaavik (backing vocals but also performing lead on one track), both future members of AORsters BLONDE ON BLONDE together with Bendiksen. Also on bass & vocals we find Øystein Ringsby, later mamber of melodic rockers INTUITION.
So expect a much more commercial style & sound on “Breaking Out”, melodic hard rock with synth splashes and lots of harmonies…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / SCANDAL

SCANDAL featuring Patty Smyth – Warrior [Rock Candy remastered +5] HQ *Exclusive*

Patty Smyth is one of the finest AOR female singers emerged during the ’80s, and his vehicle to stardom was the band SCANDAL. Rock Candy Records reissued their album “Warrior” from 1984 including as bonus tracks the very hard to find 5-track EP debut from the band appeared in 1982, all digitally remastered with a fantastic sound quality.
This is the story of a very successful chart storming band, but it’s also the tale of a band in disarray. Scandal’s debut album won massive acceptance from the American mainstream quickly elevating them to Rock&pop star status, a position enhanced by the allure of vocalist Patty Smyth and her smokey voice.
Lead off track and first single, ‘The Warrior’ (written by Nick Gilder and Holy Knight) was a top 10 hit, helping to define the band’s style and potential reach. Or listen out to ‘Only The Young’ a rare track written by Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain for JOURNEY’s hit album ‘Frontiers’, but never made it into the final tracklist due to the limited running time available at the moment…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / STEVE JONES

STEVE JONES – Fire And Gasoline [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded +1] HQ *Exclusive*

As requested, here’s in full quality the Rock Candy Records ‘Remastered & Reloaded” versions of the two ’80s albums by STEVE JONES. Here’s the second, “Fire And Gasoline“, released in 1989 and according to times, sporting a polished hard rock production.
As guests appear The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy & singer Ian Astbury (also co-writing & co-producing), plus Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose providing vocals.
I guess The Cult’s core members contribution is really accurate in “Fire And Gasoline”: overall, this album brings to my mind The Cult’s ‘Americanized album’ Sonic Temple…

REMASTER / REMASTER ROCK CANDY / STEVE JONES / Uncategorized

STEVE JONES – Mercy [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] HQ *Exclusive*

As requested, here’s in full quality the Rock Candy Records ‘Remastered & Reloaded” versions of the two ’80s albums by STEVE JONES. Founding member of British punk pioneers the Sex Pistols, when the band disintegrated in 1978, the guitarist involved himself in a number of diverse projects but also faced some serious lifestyle issues. Relocating to the USA, amidst a period of serious drug dependency, he looked to a process of recovery by building a career as a solo artist.
Signed to MCA, his debut solo album “Mercy“, issued in 1987, showcased a new hard rock–minded guitarist. Choosing to focus on songs and melody, the record turned heads for an entirely different reason than the Sex Pistols…

GARY MOORE / REMASTER / SHM-CD

GARY MOORE – Still Got The Blues [Limited Japan SHM-CD remastered +5] (2023) *HQ*

Fortunately the excellent SHM-CD format used in Japan is not dead, and now Universal Music Japan is reissuing in 2023 masterpieces from GARY MOORE in a miniLP / cardboard sleeve cover artwork and the latest remastered sound, plus bonus tracks.
A return to his blues roots, “Still Got The Blues” is the most successful album both in sales and chart positions from Gary Moore in the US.
Relieved from the pressures of having to record a hit single, Gary Moore cuts loose on some blues standards as well as some newer material here. Moore plays better than ever, spitting out an endless stream of fiery licks that are both technically impressive and soulful.
I believe Gary Moore was the first hard rock guitarist to cross over to blues by dedicating a full CD to the genre. There have been a string of “heavy blues” records produced by predominantly rock guitarists since the release of “Still Got The Blues”, so I think Gary set a standard in this area that has yet to be equaled…