Multi-instrumentalist TOMMY DENANDER returns with the second CD of his project SAYIT. A few years ago AOR HEAVEN released the terrific debut CD and now the follow-up 'Again' has been released. Musically nothing has changed, so again we can enjoy high quality westcoast AOR in the style of TOTO, LE ROUX, T'BELL, DAVID ROBERTS, JAY GRAYDON and more recently RADIOACTIVE (another Tommy Denander project). There are 10 songs on the CD and a lot of various singers and musicians are involved in this project. Lead singers include Geir Ronning, Pierre Wensberg, Magnus Bjorkroth, Jim Jidhed and Kristoffer Lagerstrom, while musicians appearing on the new CD feature none-other than guitarists MICHAEL THOMPSON and (former EUROPE) KEE MARCELLO.

Most notable song is the closing track "Never gonna let you go", a terrific cover of the westcoast-AOR classic tune made by DAVID ROBERTS on his one-off classic record 'All dressed up'. The other 9 songs are all original SAYIT songs, all (co-) written by Tommy Denander. My favourite tracks are "Dawn" (classy 80s uptempo AOR), "Love you tonight" (semi 80s AOR/Westcoast, kinda like a mix between ALLIANCE 1982, FRANKE AND THE KNOCKOUTS and DAVID ROBERTS), "Don't cry" (midtempo AOR), "When I think about you" (FM typed semi-AOR, very 80s), "I can't go on" (calmer AOR ballad a la JOURNEY) and the TOTO inspired songs "Frozen" and "Halfway to heaven".

The only songs that didn't do much for me were the pop orientated "Moon comes calling" and "Heaven holds you near", but don't let that hold you back in purchasing this great record. Especially recommended if you're into TOTO, LE ROUX and if you enjoyed the recent RADIOACTIVE release. This is another great release by Mr. Tommy Denander!

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

The Californian band 7 MONTHS is one of the latest discoveries in the ever-growing rockscene. This band has released a terrific CD that is the perfect mixture between Progressive Rock and AOR. The high quality progressive AOR reminds me a bit of other recent acts such as ALIAS EYE and TOXIC SMILE, but also classic bands such as KANSAS and also DREAM THEATER come to mind when hearing this incredible new sensation. Yes, I can easily call this band a new sensation, because their songs are all quite wonderful. There are only 9 songs on the band's debut CD, but they are all very impressive. The first track is the progressive melodic hardrock song "New age", a great tune that sounds like a mix between DREAM THEATER, KANSAS and ARENA.

Next track "Change" is a very impressive progressive AOR tune with a lovely catchy and super melodic chorus, definitely one of my favourite tracks on the CD. "Stay" follows and is a very good progressive AOR/Melodic Rocker that sounds a bit like a progressive version of TYKETTO. "Start it over" is a fantastic progressive AOR song a la KANSAS, while "Say goodbye" is a nice progressive melodic semi-rockballad. The CD continues with the terrific calmer ballad "You and me", with perfect harmonies a la KANSAS. Another favourite track of mine is the superb Pomp/AOR of "The night", the chorus is pure AOR/Pomp Heaven and reminds me of FAITH NATION. The last 2 songs are both a must for fans of pure Progressive Rock. "Sometimes" is a nice midtempo progressive melodic rocker with excellent keyboardwork.

Closing track "Senorita seronade" (should be Sereñade" is a great progressive AOR tune with a lovely chorus and more interesting keyboardwork of keyboardplayer Goregin (should be Garejin) Kalajian. I also need to give my compliments to lead singer Joe Booe who has a wonderful voice (a bit like James LaBrie). Concluded, I can only say that you urgently need to check out this fantastic Californian band, because their debut CD is filled with high quality Progressive AOR. Pretty soon an interview, but for now, check out their site at: http://www.7months.com and e-mail them at: info@7months.com

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

I haven't got any info on this Swedish band, and there are only 2 tracks on the demo CDR they sent me. Nevertheless, they both sound very impressive and also the production is very impressive, so I can easily call this EYEKON an interesting band. The songs are called "The Manchurian candidate" and "Hear say", and both are great neo-progressive rock/metal tunes with excellent guitarwork, keyboards and also the vocals are quite good. "Hear say" is a very melodic song that even reminds me of the old Italian band HEAVENS TOUCH. Anyway, if you're into stuff like EVERON, KHARMA COSMIC and that type of melodic progressive rock/metal, then do check out this high quality-sounding band from Sweden called EYEKON. Their website is located at: http://www.mp3.com/eyekon and e-mail them at: eyekon@mail.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

The excellent singer JOE LYNN TURNER has sung on many records, starting back in the 70s as FANDAGO's lead singer, later ending up fronting RAINBOW (and scoring a big hit with "I surrender"), and since 1984 releasing solo-records, of which his debut 'Rescue you' is still a 'Classic AOR' record. In the meantime he was also the lead singer on the best YNGWIE MALMSTEEN album 'Odyssey' which gained him even more popularity. In the 90s he has released a bunch of solo-CDs, including 2 CDs filled with covers of 'classic rocksongs' and also a few CDs with original material written by Joe himself and now there is the new CD 'Slam'. Basically it follows the same path taken on his previous solo-CDs 'Hurry up and wait' and 'Holy man', so again we get to hear Bluesy Hard Rock that sometimes reminds me of GLENN HUGHES.

It's not bad at all and it is also performed very well (guitarist/co-songwriter Akira Kajiyama, bassist Eric Czar, keyboardplayer Paul Morris and drummer Kenny Kramme), but the problem is that it has not much to do with AOR or Melodic Rock and sometimes it even sounds like a pure Bluesrock record. If you're expecting something like 'Rescue you', then you can forget it, because this CD is a quality Bluesrock record with very raw vocals of Joe. It's a pity Joe will never release a record like 'Rescue you' again, because that album was just so perfect pure 80s AOR. Joe also has recorded many demos around that period that never got released, and happily I still enjoy listening to these unreleased AOR classics such as "Keep tonight", "Where this love goes wrong" and "I found love tonight".

But we're now in the year 2001 and Joe's new CD 'Slam' will be released in a few weeks and if you enjoyed the man's previous records, then this will definitely be something worth checking out. Best tracks are "Bloodsucker" (nice uptempo HR a la GLENN HUGHES), "Heart of the night" (good calmer AOR ballad), "Possession" (nice slower bluesy melodic rock a la WHITESNAKE) and "Cover up" (bonustrack). Towards the end of the CD it gets a bit too bluesy for me, with songs like "Hard time", Evil" and "Always tomorrow". I had hoped for a more AOR record, but I guess if you're a fan of RAINBOW or DEEP PURPLE and the last couple of CDs of Joe, then this will also be a must for you to have. The official release date is around the 15th of October…

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

I haven't got any info on this band called SHYLOCK, but they are coming out of Germany and their debut CD 'Pyronized' has been released on MTM MUSIC. In the 80s there was also a band with the name SHYLOCK, but I think this is a different band. Musically SHYLOCK is playing quality Melodic Hard Rock with some AOR and Progressive Rock influences. It sounds like a cross between the melodic hard rock of PINK CREAM 69 and BONFIRE and the AOR material of ZENO and FAIR WARNING. The production is very good and most of the songs sound pretty good.

The best songs are the uptempo melodic rockers "Bloodsister" (a la PINK CREAM 69), "Lost in a dream" (like BONFIRE/WHITE LION), "Heart on the line" and "Freedom rising" (slightly progressive) and the midtempo melodic rockers "That kills me" and "In vain" (both containing a very good catchy chorus). But one of my favourite tracks is the AOR ballad "Another lonely night", a very polished song that is similar in approach to FAIR WARNING, including the lead vocals of singer Matthias Schenk who sounds a lot like Tommy Heart from FAIR WARNING.

Anyway, this is a high quality melodic (hard) rock release from a German band on MTM MUSIC, and if my memory is right, it's one of the first German bands signed to MTM MUSIC!

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This is the 4th CD of RHAPSODY, the Italian Power Metal band. Although 'Rain of a thousand flames' is considered to be a mini-album, it still has a playing time of 41 minutes, so it's hard to call this a mini-album. Nevertheless, it is the forerunner of the upcoming full-length CD release of RHAPSODY that should be out early next year. Musically this new mini-CD will be a pleasure for everyone who likes RHAPSODY and their fast melodic power metal with classical influences. The 7 included tracks follow the same paths taken on the band's earlier works. The song "Queen of the dark horizons" contains the soundtrack's main theme composed for Dario Argento's horror masterpiece 'Phenomena' by the Italian artist Goblin. RHAPSODY fans can easily buy this new release and already look forward to a new full-length CD in a few months…

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Another new Finish band, they are called BURNING POINT and 'Salvation by fire' is their debut on the German LIMB MUSIC label. Musically they play a mixture of Melodic Hardrock/Heavy Rock and Power Metal. Both the production and the songs are from a high level, so we can conclude that this is another fine new band from Scandinavia. The band has also released a very diverse CD, because there are very fast songs on it, but also very melodic midtempo tunes. It doesn't matter if you like Power Metal or Melodic Hardrock, there's something for everyone on this CD. My favourite tracks are "Higher" (great uptempo melodic rocker), "Black star" (good midtempo melodic heavy rocker) and "The one" (great melodic chorus). But other songs, such as "Lake of fire", "Fall of thy kingdom" or the very fast RHAPSODY orientated "Under the dying sun", are also very impressive. This is definitely another interesting release of the quality label LIMB MUSIC.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Norwegian born Jorn Lande can actually be compared with Jeff Scott Soto, because both are session lead singers who have sung on a dozen of records by various bands and projects (both sung with MALMSTEEN!). But they also both release solo-CDs and 'Worldchanger' is the 2nd solo-CD of the ARK/MILLENIUM/BEYOND TWILIGHT singer Jorn Lande. Musically he has something to offer for every rockfan, because there is dark slow material on the album that reminds me of BLACK SABBATH ("Tungur knivur" and "Glow in the dark"), but also rocking uptempo melodic rock ("Worlchanger"). The material can best be described as a mix between ARK and MILLENIUM.

The best songs are "Sunset station" (slow start a la WHITESNAKE, but a pretty good uptempo melodic chorus a la MILLENIUM), "Worldchanger" (good melodic rocker, great chorus), "Christine" (80s typed semi melodic rocker like RAINBOW/JOE LYNN TURNER) and closing track "Bridges will burn". This final track of the CD is the best song of the whole CD, because this is an impressive midtempo melodic rocker with a fantastic MILLENIUM typed singable chorus. On the other hand, there are also some weaker moments on the CD, such as the earlier darker slower songs "Tungur knivur" and "Glow in the dark", but also the 90s typed industrial speed metal of "Bless the child" (a la ARK). If you enjoyed any of the previous records JORN LANDE sang on, then this new solo-CD of the singer has also something interesting to offer for you.

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

UNDER SUSPICION is a new 3-piece act settled in L.A. The band consists of bassist/vocalist Jeff Adams, guitarist Peter Roberts and drummer/keyboardplayer (and actor!) Klay Shroedel. Jeff played with JIMI JAMISON's SURVIVOR during his 'Empires' period, and I even saw him live in action and already was impressed with Jeff's fantastic performance as singer (he sang 1 song and was second vocalist on "Burning heart") and bassist. Peter has worked with both Pop and Rock musicians, gaining him success with STAN BUSH, but also with Irene Cara and George Benson. Finally, Klay played in movies like 'Titanic', 'Jurassic Park 2 - The lost world', 'Batman returns', so I guess you can say that these 3 musicians have already had their 15 minutes of fame.

But with UNDER SUSPICION they take a challenge into the AOR/Melodic Rockworld, because the debut CD of the band sounds very good and reminds me of the classic 80s AOR from SURVIVOR, JOURNEY, DAKOTA and SIGNAL. There are 10 tracks on the CD and like you can expect from such quality musicians, the production is very good. Especially the first couple of songs are very sensational.

Opener "Welcome to my life" is a good uptempo AOR rocker like DAKOTA, SIGNAL and 80s SURVIVOR. Next up is the very good midtempo heavy AOR tune "Love without a net" with it's catchy hooks and harmonies reminding me of the last SURVIVOR record. Next up is a duet with Kip Winger on the fantastic semi AOR ballad "End of the game". One of my favourite tracks is the uptempo AOR rocker "Come tomorrow" (a song that reminds me a bit of VON GROOVE). The nice AOR ballad "Hold on" follows.

The second part of the CD is a little bit less sensational, but still nice to listen to. "Just your God" is a weaker groovier HardRock tune, and the duet ("Fly") with MICKEY THOMAS (from STARSHIP fame) is a nice semi melodic rocker, but also not as good as the first few tracks. However, the last 3 songs are again very good. First up there is the uptempo AOR rocker "Destination unknown". Then comes the fantastic AOR ballad "I will live". Closing track of the CD is the semi AOR/Melodic rocker "Traveler of time". FRONTIERS RECORDS has released another great album, the debut of the AOR band UNDER SUSPICION, check it out if you like any of the mentioned acts or if you just want to check out a high quality AOR/Melodic Rock release.

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

DOCTOR WEIRD is a Swedish band founded in the early 90s. They have already played as a support act for acts like MENTAL HIPPIE BLOOD, THE SWEET and more recently, HAMMERFALL. 'Changes' is the first full-length CD release of this 6-member band. I have to admit that the progressive melodic rock/metal of DOCTOR WEIRD sounds very good. The production is very good and all the included 12 tracks are from a very high quality. You can comparable the band with FATES WARNING, only DOCTOR WEIRD tends to sound far more melodic, with some very catchy choruses displayed in the band's songs. My favourite tracks are "Changes" (very impressive prog, with a lovely melodic chorus), "Winter dreams" (great calmer semi-ballad) and "Face your fear" (lovely chorus). But there's nothing bad on this CD, because all the songs are very well performed progressive melodic rocksongs, such as "Conspiracy", "Jealousy", "Seven days" and "Paradise". DOCTOR WEIRD is highly recommendable to any fan of progressive melodic rock. More info at: http://www.listen.to/doctorweird and e-mail them at: svarra@swipnet.se

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Guitarist/bassist David Vaccaro is the leader behind the V-PROJECT. Their CD 'Lost demos' contains a collection of songs from artists that were not released on previous records and to most music fans, never even know about. The CD features some excellent performances by singers such as Robin McAuley (MSG) and James Christian (HOUSE OF LORDS) and Christopher Post (DILLINGER).

There are 10 tracks on the CD and don't let the CD title fool you, because the lost demos surely don't sound like demos. This is a high quality produced CD with some interesting melodic tunes. The first 6 songs are all sung by ROBIN MCAULEY and feature the best parts on the CD. "Only friend", "I'm feeling it now", "The good times" and "Can't wait any longer" are all good calmer laid-back melodic AOR rock/semi-ballads with an updated modern approach, but still very melodic and interesting for any AOR fan. A bit less interesting are the Pop orientated pieces such as "Be there for you", "When I'm drunk", "Coupe deville" and "Trippin' away".

My favourite tracks though are the last 2 songs, both pure AOR/Melodic (Hard) Rock. First up there is the fantastic semi AOR ballad "All over again" (vocals by Christopher Post). Final track of the album is the good uptempo Melodic Hardrocker "Rattle your cage" (the only uptempo rocker), with fantastic lead vocals by James Christian, a song that will be loved by anyone into HOUSE OF LORDS. There's a bit of everything on this CD (AOR, Pop, Rock and Hardrock), and especially fans of JAMES CHRISTIAN and ROBIN MCAULEY will find this a very interesting release. Check it out at: http://www.dmvmusic.com and e-mail at: dmvmusic@netscape.net

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

SYMMETRY is yet another interesting Dutch progressive rock/metal formation. They come out of Hengelo, a city close to the German border. Musically they play in the style of FATES WARNING, QUEENSRYCHE, yet with an own approach. The songs are very melodic and very impressive, while the production is from a high level, so everything is in good shape on the first full-length CD of SYMMETRY.

Opener "Mission" shows rightaway that this band is a very professional sounding band, because this first track is a great midtempo progressive melodic rocker with of course some clear QUEENSRYCHE and FATES WARNING influences, but definitely different and less complex. The best songs are besides opener "Mission", the uptempo progressive melodic rocker "Burning bridges" (a la early 90s FATES WARNING), "In your world" (calmer progressive AOR, even a bit like JOURNEY and HUGO!), "Chaos of birth" (uptempo progressive melodic rocker with some breaks) and the semi progressive rockers "The letters" and "Land evermore" (both with great harmonyvocals).

Remaining tracks are the semi-instrumental progressive rock/metal closing track "Raging planet", the weaker progressive metal song "Slave" and the nice uptempo progressive metal of "The circle". There's nothing really bad on this album and most of the time, it really is sensational progressive rock/metal, a must if you dig the best of QUEENSRYCHE, FATES WARNING, THRESHOLD and also like recent reviewed acts such as ALIAS EYE, THOUGHT SPHERE… More info at: http://www.interstroom.nl/~symmetry and e-mail them at: symmetry@interstroom.nl

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

JERA is a new Dutch band out of The Hague. They play melodic progressive rock/metal that has clear similarities to QUEENSRYCHE, FATES WARNING and DREAM THEATRE. Because the band has two guitarists in their line-up, instead of 1 guitarist and a keyboardplayer, they sound heavier than most other progressive bands. Nevertheless, their music is pure Progressive Rock/Metal and the high-pitched vocals are very much like the singers of the aforementioned bands. The production of their mini-CD 'Grip' is pretty good, and maybe the only complaint is that there are only 3 songs on the CD, which is not much, but all 3 are very nicely played tracks. The best song is "Wade against", a great progressive rocker that comes dangerously close to QUEENSRYCHE and DREAM THEATRE. JERA is another interesting Dutch Progressive Rock/Metal band, check out their site at: http://www.jeraworld.com and e-mail them at: webmaster@jeraworld.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

BEWILD is a New Jersey band and they sent me a 4-track CDR entitled 'Human nature'. Musically this act moves into quality Melodic Hardrock with a clear 80s approach, but they never sound dated. They remind me a bit of KEEL, although I have to say that this BEWILD sometimes even sounds better and more powerful than their American Rock'n'roll heroes. Songs like "Beware the woman", "Let 'em roll", "Ready to rock" and "Tougher than stone" prove that the typical 80s American Hardrocksound (read: KEEL, KISS, RATT, ICON) still exists. Check out this New Jersey based band if you're into this kind of 'macho' rock! More info at: http://www.bewildrocks.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Sometime ago I reviewed the debut CD and a 5-track CD of Swiss rockers SUN'N'STEEL. AOR HEAVEN has now released the band's second full-length CD 'Wicked world'. Although lead singer Walter Schutz has a clear accent, musically this band is playing quality melodic (hard) rock in the style of BONFIRE, VICTORY and a bit ZENO. The production is very good and the best songs can be heard at the start, with as best ones the uptempo melodic rockers "America", "Get out", "Rising heat" and "Heros", the midtempo AOR/Melodic rocker "Stranger" and the lovely semi melodic rockballad "Hunting with eagles" (catchy chorus, great keyboardintro and reminding me of ZENO). Towards the end the songs seem to become more straight-ahead Hardrock a la GOTTHARD/KROKUS ("Fireball" and "All or nothing" and the band also did a WHITESNAKE cover ("Don't break my heart again"). Well, we could do without these songs, because the band can really make good decent melodic rock like mentioned earlier in this review, so skip the last 4 songs and you have a good 'typical German/Swiss' Melodic Hardrockalbum.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Don't you just love it when albums fall on you unexpectedly and just blow you away, fans of Fair Warning and Dokken will love Shylock, they are one of the coolest bands I've heard in ages. Their songs are dynamic and very well structured, they flow with goregous melodies and vocal harmonies and new melodic rock God Matthias Schenk has a superb voice which is similar to Tommy Heart, his vocal tones fill the songs with energy and passion that has rarely been bettered by any other release this year or for the last few years.

Check out the opening track 'Bloodsister', a huge piece of molten melodic rock which drips in pompy keyboards and swirling guitars, just lend an ear to those towering vocals during the chorus, Jorn Lande and Tommy Heart had better start worrying. Next up is another fiery melodic rocker called 'Lovers In Chains', this is awesome like Dokken and Fair Warning, check out the bass work and cranking guitar playing, the song hooks itself into you and the whole arrangement flows together to construct a powerful song that has huge, huge potential.
'...Never Give Up Fighting' is an inspirational heavier melodic rocker, this song includes some pompy keyboard work, the vocals are powerful and the songs lyrics are possibly inspired by the film Gladiator Matthias' vocals are spread widely throughout the 'Lost In A Dream' which is superb pure melodic rocker that sounds a touch commercial a'la Fair Warning with slight Jon Bon Jovi inspired vocal melodies 'That Kills Me' starts off with a strange bounce, then the songs takes off into a keybord led melodic rocker, the lyrics fir the
song well which grows into a fantastic singalong rocker.

Another of the albums strongest cuts is 'Desperation's Song', an excellent piece because everything slides into place from the vocals to the guitar work, a fantastic melodic rocker that reminds me of Dream Theater crossed with Guild Of Ages, check out that huge chorus.
Next up is 'In Vain', again this song is well structured, the song starts off with guitars and keys which flow together well, then the song builds and builds into a superb piece that is dreamy to listen to, melodic heaven, that chorus is just huge and full of energy.

We get back to commercialised rock on the firey hard hitting 'Heart On The Line', I honestly don't know what it is about this band, but so far each song has it's own tale to tell and it's hard to ignore the passion and clarity of this whole album, this song like all the others is just very powerful and I found myself singing along from the first play and stopping there to listen to it several more times. 'Bad 'N' Sad (Won't You Heal My Soul)' has a cool riff backed again with keys making the song sound like a mix of Dream Theater and Fair Warning whilst the ballad 'Another Lonely Night' is just so heart warming, the lyrics are very profound and the music is beautiful.Lastly 'Freedom Rising' ends the album superbly, slightly progressive and slightly melodic the combination works making for a majestic song filled with power and glory..

Shylock you see are the new band that everyone is gonna start talking about, they are going to steal Fair Warning's crown and become one of the biggest European melodic rock bands, I can't believe how much this band rock, you are gonna love each song and this album could set the standard for the next few years, my only question is where the bloody hell did MTM find these guys? Possibly album of the year.

Rating: 9,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Now then with this release from New York's Surrender we are graced with none other than Sir Hugo who appears on background vocals, so you can guess what the album sounds like - but stop right there, I have spun this CD hundreds of times and have come to the conclusion that even though the band are competent musicians and singer Paul Carley has a great voice a'la Mike Tramp, Steve Augeri and Hugo, I feel that the songs lack identity and come across way to safe for my likings. They all start off really good and are catchy, but more often than not the songs become predictable, safe, lacklustre and tiresome. Some AOR fans may well get off on this because of Hugo's involvement, but even so that doesn't excuse the weakness of the songs which often soundlike a fourth rate White Lion or even worse a seventh rate Push!!

However all is not lost as the band score a big point on 'Autumn Wind' a gentle song with a wonderful melody, Paul sings this song with a soft whisper and the lyrics and instrumental arrangement flow elegantly to suit the songs moodThere are another few other songs that have a little punch, namely 'Do You Ever Think Of me', 'Until You' and the excellent 'Heavens Not That Far', but songs like 'Could've Been' and 'Til The End Of Time' do not suit the feel of the album, especially the former which sounds like what Bryan Adams does today, fine if you like that stuff, but it doesn't score Surrender any additional points with yours truly.

There's also a rather pleasantly subtle ballad called 'Silence Says It All' which has a nice piano melody arrangement with additional violin parts that add atmosphere to this slushy romantic song which Paul sings with touching power and grace, kind sounds similar to that classic ballad 'Unchained Melody' and Axe's classic 'Love Changes Everything'. More songs in the direction of 'Autumn Wind' and 'Heaven's Not That Far' could provide the band with a winning album as they have got the potential to take this thing further - so next time around the boys should try to be a little dangerous and drive the songs into grand prix status instead of just cruising along at a lazy tiresome Driving Miss Daisy rate and fizzling out into the far reaches of obscurity. www.surrender.net

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Meldrum are from Stockholm and feature former Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum. Meldrum are a mighty powerful all girl metal band, they look good and rock hard and are gonna rock the metal world's arse over the next twelve months. A tour with the likes of Megadeth or Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society would see the bands profile raised even higher as they sound very similar, one could maybe even call them the female Metallica. The album boasts a shit load of energy and bases its style and modern influences mixed with traditional metal, this is the type of album that Manholes Tarrie B. would love to have made and she can kiss her arse goodbye as Meldrum will be stealing her crown very soon.

The album kicks open with 'The Story Of Junk'. This song is groovy and powerful and mixes in an slight modern alternative vibe. Singer Moa Holmsten's performance changes vibe as the songs progresses, she almost sounds like Garbage's Shirley Manson in some parts, you can feel the fire in the ladies belly as she pours everything she's got into the song which just grooves. Michelle's guitar work is fiery and the band sound really dynamic, you can almost picture the video and the screaming fans. 'Aspartame' is also well cool, Moa adds in some rapping vocals during the chorus, this track reminds a little of Anthrax circa ""Persistence Of Time", very dark and angry with lots of groove which works really well. What I like about the band is that the vocals don't stick to one style of direction and change colours at various points during each song which keeps the album fresh and exciting right the way through.The band settle back for a more melodic piece on track three called 'Feeding The Hope'. This is one of my favourite songs, the words and bands performance are fantastic and I love the way Moa sings this song, her voice is just fantastic and the song is a lovely ballad that could score the band a hit, utterly fantastic song dripping in feeling, One of my fave songs of the year.

Next up is 'Through Shattered Eyes'. Now this song will excite you all as it features some tasty licks from Michelle's hubby and former Europe guitarist John Norum. The song is similar structurally to Phantom Blue, very melodic fiery. That's the beautiful thing about Meldrum, they don't restrict themselves to one particular style of music, they can be heavy, subtle, melodic and alsomodern with out loosing any of the flavour in the songs themselves, thus they impress and have tons of originality which above all is the most important factor. 'Feeling Small' continues to rock, this song is mean and lean with nasty gritty vocals and guitars, check out the Zakk Wylde influenced guitar antics, very cool.

Another fave tracks pops up next, this one is called 'Chaos' where we get to hear some mega cool axe work, the mood on this song is very cool, makes you bring out your old air guitar, nice changes musically and vocally in the song, whilst 'Two Lost Worlds' is a shit hot hard rocker, great fist punching riffs and great melodic vocals from Moa, imagine Metallica or Phantom Blue doing this song, absolutely killer, the song is moody and melodic and packs a powerful punch. The albums mood changes yet again on 'Brake' a very Ozzy circa "No Rest For The Wicked" meets Megadeth and Kings X sounding rocker, great vocals that sit back in the mix rather than scream 'n' shout on this one, the drug inflicted 'Attakapa' is up
next and is based around an acoustic structure mixed with electric guitars and is another song to groove to whilst 'New World Order' has a good vibe, the music is heavy and could be a song to release as a single as the song has lots of energy and the band sound as if they had a lot of fun recording this track, as does 'Crossin The Line' which again echo's similarities to Ozzy.

The last song is one for melodic rock fans to take note of as Talisman's Marcel Jacob's guests on the bass guitar. The song is another highlight and is a sexy dreamy uptempo tune which ends the album on a high. Overall the songs of Michelle's new band hold up right throughout the album, all the songs are played with plenty of fire and originality and I'm sure that over the next year well will be hearing lots more as this band have huge huge potential in today metal scene. Own it and play it loud. www.meldrum.nu

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Glacier are an English pomp/fusion band in the vein of Marillion or a looser edged Spock's Beard. The band have been together since the late seventies, yet this is their first recording as Glacier. Their music is very high tech and synthesisers are very prominent throughout this excellently produce album. In-between the songs we hear little sounds such as birds chirping and church bells which adds a degree of spiritual enlightenment to the record such as on the song 'Think Of England' which almost sounds very grandiose, almost operatic vocally and musically there are some rather delicious spots of guitar work and stunning drum work, which can be heard throughout out the albums as well as instruments such as flutes etc.etc. Often the music's spiritual side shows a feeling of courts jesters, castles, Kings 'n' Queens and minstrels, so perhaps the band oughta get a copy over to Prince William at Buckingham Palace, I hear he like a touch of progressive rock these days, lol.

No seriously every song is beautifully written and well crafted and shades of Spock's Beard, Pallas, Arena, Enya, Karnataka, Mostly Autumn and Marillion can be heard during pieces such as 'Another Open Door', 'Con Molto Noddus', One of my fave tracks that is almost like Yngwie Malmsteen and Uli Jon Roth is the rather grand title track. A gorgeous instrumental that flows with beautiful guitar structures and soothing synth work, emotional and well thought out the song slides in nicely with all the other vocal arrangements which makes guitarist John Youdale one of the most exciting and elegant players that I have heard from the UK in years, the playing is also delicious on 'East Of Arabia'. Overall the band sound great and if your a fan of the aforementioned acts then do yourselves a favour and grab this album whilst it's hot. www.glaciermusic.fsnet.co.uk or Email : bob@glaciermusic.fsnet.co.uk

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Broqun Masque are a two female, two guy band from Middletown in New York and have opened up for the likes of Joe Lynn Turner and Zebra to name but a few. Before I go further into the bands music, I would just like to say that given the current climate in the wake of the terror attacks on the World Trade Centre in NYC you have to feel a little sorrow for the areas bands, especially in the hard rock genre as it's going to be even tougher for them to break out of the local scene now, so do your bit to support them in anyway you can, and you can start off by giving deserved attention to Broqun Masque.

Dark haired raven Cynthia Dillenbeck (who looks like Suzy DeMarchi from Baby Animals) handles the vocals extremely well. Her voice is akin to Pat Benatar and Carol Decker (T'Pau) and the songs are also in the same vein as the aforementioned artists. We kicks the album off with a catchy little number called 'Eloise', you have to check out the superb Latin flavoured guitar work from Keith Sumner which are well cool. The songs arrangement and melody works well and gives off a Pat Benatar/Fiona flavour, even better is the next song 'Can You Love?' and the rocking 'Rock 19' both of which are very much like Fiona's 'Living In The Boys World'. Two a very catchy songs which will leave you humming along and Cynthia's vocals and lyrics work well, however the former song is let down with a weaker production, but it's still well good so who cares, I love this song to bits and I know you will to.

'You Won't Wake Up Alone' is a simple pop song a'la Dante Fox whilst 'Hair' is a catchy number a'la Heart and has a wonderful chorus to singalong to and 'Sorry' I found a little dissapointing, it has good guitar riffs but for me the vibe sounds a little to disco flavoured for my liking, whilst the music gets even more poppier on the next track 'Just Can't Get It Right' which is like Gloria Estefan's Miami Sound Machine, this is a very good song however and the musical arrangements are well played, and Cynthia's vocals flow with emotion.

One of my fave songs is the gentle acoustic ballad 'I Can't Believe You're Real', I love the way this song has been beautifully structured, the melodies, vocals, words all gel together and work well enough that if given to say Mariah Carey then you'd have a guaranteed hit. Another good ballad is 'Too Pretty', a darker more melodic piece, here Cynthia really pushes her voice, the song breaks into a catchy piece that reminds me of Jane Sibbery and Fiona Apple. I also really enjoyed the catchy 'Texas Star' because it reminded me of Belinda Carlisle and Fiona whom I am a massive fan of. What makes Broqun Masque an entertaining band is their songwriting craft which doesn't stick to one style, for instance have a listen to 'Catles' where the band go into country and western mode with Cynthia doing her best to sound like Dolly Parton, thus this song is a good fun tune that shows a sense of humour withing the band. Overall despite at times a weak production, Broqun Masque more than make up for this with a thoroughly entertaining release which deserve widespread attention. www.mp3.com/broquenmasque

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

I'm a sucker for power ballads and when this new release from Lion Music arrived it was straight onto the death deck where it has remainded ever since. "Dream Ballads' contains fifteen heart wrenching songs from Lion's artists which include Rolf Munkes, Baltimoore, James Byrd, Winterlong, Alex Masi, Torben Enevoldsen and loads more. Rolf Munkes' track 'The Man Who Learned To Fly' is an inspiring acoustic/melodic piece in the Dokken/Lynch Mob vein. Baltimoore pop up with 'Redemption', this song is very catchy and given to someone like Dan Reed or Sammy Hagar and you would have hit.

Lars Eric Mattsson performs two songs, 'Don't Loose Your Patience' and 'Midsummer Nights Magic'. The latter is a calming neo-classical piece demonstrating that the guitar can be played with feeling whilst the former is even better and features soothing vocals and contains superb soloing. Former Fifth Angel guitarist James Byrd is up next on the symphonic ''All Of Me (An Allegory)' which totally soars. The underrated Vision offer 'How Long?' and the fantastic AOR ballad 'Open Up Your Heart' whilst new guitar king Torben Enevoldsen once again like Lars Eric Mattsson proves the guitar can be played with tremendous passion and feeling. You have to hear this track which really shows tremendous depth and is quite exciting as well as moving.

Astral Groove and the female fronted Jarra hold the album up, particularly Jarra whose acoustic piece 'Always, All Ways' is beautifully sung by Kathy Jarra, the song reminds me of the Open Skies number 'The Answer'. Hard rocks youngest pioneers Winterlong give us the Queensryhe inspired power ballad 'Driven By Insanity' which is amazing and then we hear Alex Masi with his classical piece 'Siciliano In C Minor' which is breathtaking. Masi all also gives us the enchanting 'Writing On The Wall' which swirls with atmospherics and a lovely vocal and violin part.

Conditioned Red's piece 'Final Words' was also interesting and finally Empire give us 'Spread My Wing' which will please fans of seventies rock and neo-classical rock, this song is very well constructed and is an all round winner as is this whole album. The great thing about 'Dream Ballads' if say compared to the MTM ballads series is that the album in itself is very good and each song sounds different and keeps you interested to the end, each song is beautifully performed highly memorable and not watered down dross, this is one compilation not to be missed. Own it.

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Some months ago I reviewed a demo I received from Italian AOR sensations Eva who play gorgeous pure AOR a'la John Waite and Bad English. Their songs and musicianship are superb, singer Angelo Grassi reminds me so much of John Waite that it may as well be John himself singing these songs, thus this led the band to a deal with German mega AOR label AOR Heaven (www.aorheaven.com)

We have a few new songs that were not on that demo, they are 'The One', 'Give Up' (Toto meets Urban Tale meets Journey), and 'In Your Arms' which is full of atmospheric keyboards, superb vocal arrangements and a driven catchy chorus reminding me of Toto and Journey.

Still remaining my favourite song is 'New Day' which is so mega classy, the song features lovely keyboards built around catchy rhythms and a catchy chorus similar to Toto, I really cant stop playing and singalong to this song, it's so perfect .

Also sensational is the albums opening track 'Angel', which is just glorious and shows those John Waite influences, I loved the killer vocal harmonies which are filled with emotion as are the lyrics.

'Inside Out' is pure AOR and one of the albums highlights beacuse the chorus is very catchy and is just such a killer song, once you hit the chorus close your eyes for a moment and imagine the fans screaming and cheering the band as they perform what could be a potential hit single, if this was the late eighties radio would be all over this song and Eva would be like Bad English, Alias etc.. Superstars with number one hit records, ahhhh those were the days eh folks - but seriously this song is that good!!!.

'Blue Sky' is pure Bad English and sounds very familiar because Stefano Brusa's keyboard harmonies flow with a lovely melody that makes you think where have I heard this before?Thus why I came to the conclusion that 'Blue Sky' is a killer catchy pure AOR ballad a'la Bad English's 'When I See You Smile' , you see it's here Angelo's vocals sounds exactly like John Waite, all smooth and smoochy, although the song is a little more up-tempo than the Bad English song, this tune still flows with familiar melodies and great guitar hooks that make for the perfect radio hit for the band, and is currently my favourite song on the album along side 'New Day'. How can you not sing that chorus!!

The sophisticated 'Holdin' On' is polished AOR.pop by numbers reminding me of Toto amongst others, the chorus is very bright and catchy and easy to sing along to, whilst 'Call The Heart' is rich in keyboard melodies, I love this song which reminds me of Drive, She Said and Toto, the production throughout the album is very classy, take this song, Angelo's voice is very smooth a'la Jamison and Bolton with a Journey style melody and catchy chorus that's hard to ignore.

The band try their stab at the ballads and deliver a stunner called 'Too late', Angelo sings with huge emotion a'la Bobby Kimball and Kimmo from Urban Tale, 'Too Late' is a great ballad which ends a fantastic album from Italty's premier AOR outfit, own it!

www.evamusic.net or Email: silvestersteff@tiscalinet.it

Rating: 9,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

M.O.B. are a Swedish hard rock band that have been around since the early eighties and show a whole variety of musical influences. They have released two studio albums "Loony Tunes" and more recently "Merrie Melodies". Let's concentrate firsts on their debut album from 1998. If you like hard rock a'la Kiss and Mr.Big then you will like "Loony Tunes". The songs are vibrant with gutsy guitar work, and clear vocals. Sometimes the lyrics can be slightly cliched but for some reason it all works and ends up a super cool listen. I enjoyed the song 'Paradise On Earth' which is very very catchy well structured melodic rock and I'm suprised that the band didn't link a record deal with say Z Records.

Also catchy is 'Easy To Be Cold' which is almost in the same vein as Talisman and Warrant. The ballad 'Stolen Moments' is tastefully performed, it's structured around an acoustic melody and the vocals harmonies suit the songs mood. It's back to the hard rocking with the excellent 'Are You Ready', the vocals are very impressive on this song and once again I'm amazed why they haven't been signed yet, this is a great traditional rocker, very Mr.Big sounding. 'My Girl' is also very catchy as is the shredding 'Mean Guitar Man' and 'You And Me' which all go to prove that the band know how to pen memorable catchy hard rock songs, as I said they may at times sound cliched but tracks like 'You And Me' and 'Paradise On Earth' are hard to ignore and I think it's because the band very rarely go over four minutes on each song, so simplicity seems to be the key to the bands success.

A good debut album which led to the brand new follow up called 'Merrie Melodies', so how does this fare up against 'Loony Tunes' then? Is it better or worse I hear you cry, well yes it is, it's a more rounded melodic album sometimes reminding me Great King Rat and Aces High, especially the first song 'Mountain Of Despair', the drumming on axe work are shit hot on this track which sets the standard for the rest of the record. 'I Believe' absolutely slayed me, it's heavy like Great King Rat mixed with Bulletboys, very catchy and well performed. Also good is 'Miss Everything', Fredrik Nothing's vocals drive the song with power, this tune gets to be like old Van Halen and is a cool fun rocker.

The rock continues on 'Signs', the guitar furious Van Halen flavoured 'Hey Mama', through to more fun rockers such as Who's Out There?' and 'Wasted Again' which are similar to Bulletboys and Monkeyhead whilst 'Emotional Overload' sounds like Mr. Big. The last song 'Little Star' is a melodic ballad which is also structured well and delicatley song with lots of passion from Fredrik. Overall it's hard to not to like this band, and I find quite ironic why they remained unsigned, so let's hope that a labels sits up and takes notice soon. Interview soon. Check the band out at www.mobrockz.com or Email : mob_rockz@hotmail.com

Rating: 8,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

This is Thomas Hassler's Rock Ballad collection of songs from MTM's artists, a project put together in tribute to the victims and families of the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11th.I will say this now, all I have heard from the press is that this release is a label cash in, well bollocks to you all you heartless, soulless, individuals who think that. This album is for the brothers and sisters we have lost in these horrific acts of terrorism, even though it doesn't say I sincerely hope that MTM will be honourable and that the royalties of this double CD release will be sent to a fit charity like the Red Cross in NYC, so hats of to MTM for this charitable release.

31 tracks in total makes for a superb release with featured tracks from Dare, Think Out Loud, Metropolis Bad Habit, 101 South,, the incredible 'Love Changes Everything' from Axe, David Carl Band (about time they did a new CD?), Joe Lynn Turner, CITA, Velocity, Fergie Frederiksen, Jaded Heart and so the list goes on...... Purchase this album and in doing so, say a prayer for all those who lost their lives on September 11ith and light a virtual candle
www.icq.com

Rating: - (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

I've been looking forward to this album for ages and the good news is that it is one hell of a powerful hard rock record and another of this years highlights. Joe Lynn Turner has always had a distinctive style of his own which he has bought into each of his projects over the years and turned each one into something special and unique. We get twelve songs in total on this new record, I really loved the classic 'Deliver Me' which is a massive catchy rocker, swirling guitars and vocal lines, I love the lyrics to this song which are quite meaningful and powerful. The opening track 'Bloodsucker' is also a tasty number, I love this song to bits the chorus sticks with you from the first listen, this tune is almost like old Rainbow, pompy keys and a heaven sent chorus, I just love the way Joe's vocals take off on this song and the lyrics fit the songs mood, a potential single, just check out the amazing soloing from Akira Kajiyama who just stuns me on every song, how his fingers didn't bleed after playing the fantastic licks is beyond me, live the band had better have a doctor on stand by, lol.

'Heart Of The Night' is a smouldering sombre blusey ballad, Joe's voice is filled with emotion and power and the music fits the mood of Joe's vocals making for a classic rock ballad. Then it's back to the rock with the title song which is very melodic. 'Dark Days' is also very melodic and catchy, the whole band fire into gear and this song is skilfully performed by all the cast, once again Akira does his bit without sounding like all those guitar posers, he knows when to let the guitar fly without loosing his sense of melody, thus you can appreciate his talent as his technique is very powerful yet colourful and reminiscent of Michael Schenker, Gary Moore and Reb Beach, thus live he is no doubt visually engaging.

The next song 'Possession' has a loose vintage rock structure, whilst 'Show Yourself' is fun tune with a psychedelic powered-blues vibe, the chorus is catchy and memorable. Another great song which shows Led Zeppelin/Purple influences is 'Cover Up', Stuart Smith would die to have a song like this, it's very good and the solo licks suit the songs structure which leads into more gutsy straight ahead blues rocker 'Hard Time' which is excellent and powerfully structured and reminds me of Hughes/Thrall and Stevie Salas and is a cool song.
'Evil' continues the blues tinted hard rock whilst the last song 'Always Tomorrow' ends the album in a ball of commercialised solid hard rock, once again it's hard to ignore the quality of this song which is so damn infectious.

The great thing about this album is that every song is a sure classic and Joe Lynn is singing with so much fire in his belly that I just cannot seem to put this album down at the moment. The whole band sound very tight and full of energy and I bet that on stage no band will be able to touch their power. To say the least Turner's unique talent has graced many classic albums over the years which should never be ignored nor forgotten, he should be admired for his vast and continued contributions to rock music which shall always remain profound.

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

OK folks, listen up, here we go with the latest new sensation, and this time from France. If you like Dan Reed Network, Aldo Nova, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Byran Adams, Phil Vincent, Nelson, Garou, Michael Morales etc then you must at all cost check out this utterly fantastic demo. Every song is sung in French, they are all massively catchy with memorable chorus lines to "TRY" and sing along to. The production is also very good as is the guitar work, drums, in fact all that's missing in the mix is the garlic and onions, lol! Honest to god this is great stuff, the demo kicks off with 'Meme Si Je' which has a touch of Deacon Blue mixed with Dan Reed Network and is very catchy commercial AOR, just imagine if this was sung in English, all the labels would be queuing up to sign Patrick Durand. Greta song. Next up we get 'Vivre Pour Ca' which is very much in the Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi vein. The song is catchy and Patricks vocals sound very good, even though they are in French it's very hard to ignore the quality of this musician who has come from nowhere to taken on the rock world, I guarantee that it wont be long before he gets a deserved record deal. This is a great song with a great beat and poppy chorus.

Then we get into the next song which a really diamond, I think is called 'Ce Revieur Chez Ofui', now this is stunning ballad which reminds me of Bryan Adams, it's catchy and memorable and very well structured, god how this misses English's vocals, a superb song and one of my favourites from the demo because it simply is performed with class. 'Les Feus Qui Claquent' is up next, this is more of a driving song that you would find Dan Reed Network or even Steve Perry performing, the chorus is catchy and colourful, Patrick's vocals are powerful and direct, this guy should be a massive star as he carries the song such great flair that I really just cannot believe that even a French label has picked him, especially as another French native Garou is doing so well over there, Patrick is even better as he's not so much of a crooner as Garou who had the luck of having Aldo Nova co-write some material, ironic really as Patrick's material is more in the vein of Aldo Nova and Desmond Child than Garou.

Then we get to hear the seductive 'Ganda Le Temps' and again this is another amazing song that I can imagine Hugo or Kevin Chalfant or even House Of Shakira performing, great AOR with lots of catchy hooks and great vocals to singalong with the best you can. Hell this is such a good way to learn the French language, pitty I didn't have a translator at hand, not to worry though as one can over look this as the quality just shines, the song are also quite diverse and on the next tune 'Tout L'Temps' we hear something that is similar to say Tom Petty and is a simple but effective pop song which includes great vocal harmonies and background female background vocals and a tuneful harmonica. 'Conoze Tout 'Lomne' brings back flavours of Dan Reed Network and maybe even Phil Collins whilst 'Non' is a totally beautiful ballad that is catchy and memorable and reminds me of Passion Street, I love the guitar playing which reminds me of Bernt Steidel and then we hear the final track which is 'Rock 'N' Roll' which borrows familiar guitar riffs and is a Bryan Adams style fun rocker.

Overall Durand is an essential release, I wonder if we can persuade him to record the vocals in English as then he will be signed on the spot, in the meantime in the upcoming weeks I will bring you an interview with Durand, so watch out for that, in the meantime check him out at www.mp3.com/durand , I noticed a few additional songs on the website that may be worth checking out and you can email him direct at DurandP@iname.com

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Basar Leblebici is a singer/songwriter from Turkey. His songs follow a diverse range of melodic rock and pop and re sung in the mans native language which limits the appeal of his music to jsut a local level, which I find very annoying as the songs have enough colour musically and lyrically to gain the man a record deal if they were sung in English. What we hear are songs in the vein of Toto and Gary Hughes amongst others, one of my favourite songs is track two 'Olmaz Ki Boyle Dunya' which reminds me of Gary Hughes and Fish and is a catchy keyboard driven melodic rock song. 'Tutulmoz Istiyorum' is even better, it's a simple AOR ballad with a nice guitar tone and soothing vocal harmonies which again reminds me of Gary Hughes. 'Gibller Ormon' is a piano based piece that brings to mind Dennis De Young and Phil Vincent whilst 'Sende Soyle' is another of of my favourite songs as this is a catchy pop number that is structured well and sounds good, this cries out for English vocals.

'Sensiz Olymuor' is a keyboard orientated melodic rocker which is a deadringer for Phil Vincent, it's catchy and has a rather nice solo spot that is played rather tunefully, one of the Basar's better songs. 'Goloyuzb' kicks off with a great guitar riff a'la Joe Satriani, but is let down buy a weak production, however it's still structured and performed well with a memorable melody pattern which I liked. Next song is 'Mavi' which posses a terrific riff which is a deadringer for Dokken's 'Dream Warrior's', this is the albums killer cut because it's more melodic than the rest of the material, the only thing missing from the perfect beast of a song is actual lyrics and vocals, but hey who am I to complain, it's great and perhaps Basar would like to think about penning more songs in this style with vocals and lyrics in English. 'Ara Bemi' is next and is a kind of mystical track very similar to Phil Vincent, Dark Sky and Europe, pompy keys and a good melodic melody., and then the last song the keyboard driven 'Ne Tedaer Uzektasin' ends the album in AOR poppy mode and is quite catchy with a burning 80's style solo..

Overall Basar Leblebici has alot of potential if he can get his songs sung in English. Until then check him out at www.mp3.com/basarleblebici or email leblebici@mynet.com

Rating: 7,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Oh my god, I had really high expectations for this band, and I have to say that I was bitterly disappointed. It's not that the songs themselves aren't good, far from it, the songs are catchy pop rock by numbers and come across in the same vein as very early Bryan Adams and even the Eric Martin Band at times, so they do posses a quality in the song writing department, however, mechanically speaking the production of the demo limits the appeal of the band which is a shame because otherwise the songs are fine, the vocals have lots of bite and the song all have memorable chorus lines and catchy hooks. What the band need to do next is upgrade the song with a better production, granted it's tough and expensive to this these days, but if they are to gain and appeal with fans of this genre then these are the next steps for the band to take, the potential is there as they have some great catchy pop songs under the belt, a band to keep your eyes on. www.mp3.com/alittlestrange or Email : - little_strange@hotmail.com

Rating: 6/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)