'Here comes the flood' is the debut CD of the German band DREAMTIDE, a new band formed around former FAIR WARNING guitarist Helge Engelke. It was a pity that FAIR WARNING split up sometime ago, because they were definitely the best German AOR band ever, but happily Helge's new band DREAMTIDE is definitely as good as FAIR WARNING! The other members of the band are vocalist Olaf Senkbeil (JACK'S HAMMER, BLIND GUARDIAN), Bassist Ole Hempelmann (THUNDERHEAD) and 2 other former FAIR WARNING members (drummer CC Behrens and keyboardplayer Torsten Luderwalt). Together they are DREAMTIDE, an exciting new band that mixes Classic 80s AOR/Melodic Rock (FAIR WARNING) with up-to-date Melodic Power Heavy Rock/Metal (ROYAL HUNT).

The CD will officially be released in late November, so this review gives you a good idea why you must buy the CD when it is released in a few weeks. There are 13 songs on the album and you cant complain, because the production is very good, the band has a powerful singer and the songs are all from a very high quality. The best songs are "What you believe in" (fantastic melodic rocker, with both AOR and Progressive Heavy Rock influences, kinda like ROYAL HUNT meets FAIR WARNING, with some RAINBOW Joe Lynn Turner era typed vocals), "Come with me" (great progressive melodic rocker with a FAIR WARNING typed chorus), "Dreamers" (great AOR ballad), "Heaven knows" (fantastic bombastic ballad) and "I take the weight off your shoulders" (great semi AOR ballad, pure FAIR WARNING).

But why pick favourites, because everything sounds great on the debut CD of DREAMTIDE. This is a definite must for everyone who enjoys high quality and very melodic rockmusic. Just wait a few weeks and then find your way to the recordshops to buy the DREAMTIDE record 'Here comes the flood', as it is one of the highlights of 2001!

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

'3' is the title of the full-length comeback CD of legendary AOR rockers GIANT, who continue making the same kind of AOR/Melodic Rock as on their first 2 releases. The only changes are the line-up (original keyboardplayer Larry Hall left the band) and the label (A&M Records has been replaced by Frontiers Records), but musically everything's the same, so basically '3' is the perfect follow-up to 1992's 'Time to burn'. I think most of the songs were written (and perhaps recorded) the past decade, because the sound is just pure GIANT circa early 90s and besides a song like "Don't leave me in love" was already recorded by MARK SPIRO a few years ago.

Besides Mark Spiro, also the late VAN STEPHENSON co-wrote 2 songs on the new GIANT CD. The sound and production is very big and pure late 80s, so the fans of classic AOR/Melodic Rock will enjoy this album for sure. The only negative comment I can give is the fact that there are only 8 songs on the CD (not counting the instrumental intro and the useless cover of "Bad case of loving you"), but on the other hand these are 8 high quality songs, so definitely investing your money!

The best songs are "You will be mine" (great big late 80s uptempo AOR/Melodic rocker), "Over you" (big midtempo AOR), "Don't leave me in love" (typical GIANT typed semi AOR ballad), "It's not the end of the world" (great AOR ballad a la JOURNEY) and the emotional AOR ballad "Can't let go" (with very good lead vocals of Dann). The other 3 songs are the Hardrock songs "Love can't help you now" and "The sky is the limit" (the heaviest songs, kinda like MR. BIG) and the midtempo Melodic rocker "Oh yeah" (like DEF LEPPARD and BIG BAD WOLF). The CD will be released late November, so better save up your money for this release!

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

Besides the new GIANT and the DREAMTIDE release, Frontiers Records will also release the debut CD of newcomers SKIN TAG on the 28th of November. This band features lead vocalist JIMMY LAWRENCE (who released the average solo-CD 'The world is round' a few years ago) and as engineer we see the name STEPHEN DEACUTIS (who worked with PROPHET, SHOTGUN SYMPHONY and INTRUDER). Also part of the band is keyboardplayer Charlie Calv, who worked with MESSAGE, MELODICA and SHOTGUN SYMPHONY.

After mentioning all those names and bands and if you're a bit familiar with any of them, then you might realise that SKIN TAG is a New Jersey settled band who play in the typical New Jersey style (a la INTRUDER, SHOTGUN SYMPHONY), only a bit more leaning towards AOR. The production is very good and although not all songs are convincing, this SKIN TAG is definitely a good AOR band.

There are 10 songs on the CD, and my favourites are "Rainy Monday" (great 80s AOR a la SURVIVOR, INTRUDER), "All the way home" (midtempo AOR/Melodic rock), "Remember the times" (pure INTRUDER) and "On the run" (fun 80s uptempo melodic rocker). Maybe not one of the AOR highlights of this year, still a nice CD to check out if you're into New Jersey style AOR/Melodic Rock and appreciate the likes of TOUR DE FORCE, PROPHET, INTRUDER, SHOTGUN SYMPHONY…

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Late November GIANT will release their official full-length comeback CD on FRONTIERS RECORDS, but 'Don't leave me in love' is a nice preview of things to come. This is a 5-track EP of the legendary AOR rockers that include the fantastic new song "Don't leave me in love" (big midtempo AOR), live versions of the old GIANT songs "Chained", "I'm a believer" and "The big pitch" and the unplugged version of the AOR classic "Stay". 25 minutes of high quality music and a good warm-up for the upcoming new CD of GIANT!

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

'Reflections' is the title of the new CD of the Swedish band STORMWIND. The album will officially be released on the 29th of October, and I must say that this is their best release so far. On their 5th CD, STORMWIND continues the melodic progressive heavy rockstyle created on their previous albums. It is a very impressive record, with superb vocals of lead singer THOMAS VIKSTROM (the best Swedish singer?) and of course lovely guitarwork of bandleader Thomas Wolf. If you liked their earlier albums, then you will definitely enjoy the new album.

My favourite tracks are "The man behind the iron mask" (very good melodic chorus, semi progressive melodic rocker with some classical influences, kinda like RAINBOW and TEN), "Reflections" (good neo-progressive melodic rocker), "Illusion" (very melodic mix of prog, melodic rock and power metal, catchy fast uptempo chorus a la RHAPSODY and AVANTASIA) and the calmer ballad "Golden tears" (a la AXEL RUDI PELL). Of course the other songs are also very good, such as the uptempo melodic heavy rockers "Queen of nine days" and "Dynasty", both sounding a bit like the old EUROPE.

If you're into very fast power metal, then STORMWIND also delivers 2 songs in this style, "War of troy" and "Assasin of honour". The only songs I haven't mentioned yet are opener "Genesis" (intro) and closing track "Ramses" (nice midtempo progressive melodic heavy rocker). Conclusion is that you just have to buy this great record, because it contains some excellent music that will attract fans of progressive, melodic rock and power metal.

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

'Infatuator' is the second CD of the American/German Progressive Power Metal Band SILENT FORCE. The band around lead singer DC COOPER and guitarist Alex Beyroth has definitely been influenced by STRATOVARIUS with whom they toured throughout the world the past year, because they now have a lot more uptempo power metal pieces on their CD instead of the slower ballad orientated material of their debut. Happily, the band still has a good ear for a nice melody. The CD starts very heavy, with the fast uptempo melodic heavy rock/metal of "Infatuator" and "Fall into oblivion", both sounding like JUDAS PRIEST back in the old days.

Much better are the following tracks that show the STRATOVARIUS and MALMSTEEN influences. First there is the midtempo "Hear me calling", a great progressive melodic heavy rocktune like THRESHOLD meets QUEENSRYCHE. The following two songs ("Promised land" and "We must use the power") are good uptempo powerful melodic hardrocksongs with both a very catchy chorus a la STRATOVARIUS. These last 3 mentioned songs are very impressive and from the highest quality you can get these days in the world of Progressive Power Metal.

The JUDAS PRIEST cover "All guns blazing" is then forgettable, but after the instrumental intro "Cena libera" (which is part of the TRILOGY song), we're back into progressive power metal with the songs "Gladiator" and "The blade" (both a la STRATOVARIUS). Th best songs are kept until the very end, because the last 3 tracks are my favourites of the whole CD. First there is the fantastic midtempo melodic rocker "Last time" (very 80s Swedish sound, like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN circa 1988).

Then comes the good melodic progressive metal song "World aflame". And finally we get to hear the lovely AOR/Melodic rockballad "In my arms", the most polished song of the album and a winner for fans of Power AOR ballads, this could easily end up in the charts as it is a very catchy and memorable song, with some great piano/keyboardplay and backing vocals by a female singer (don't know the name, just heard it).

The outro "Northern lights" closes the CD. But it's not over yet, because there is also a cool videoclip of the song "See beyond" featured on the CD, and after watching it on my PC, I was totally satisfied. So if you're into Progressive Power Metal a la STRATOVARIUS with some MALMSTEEN typed guitarwork, excellent melodic singing and still also some heavy stuff a la PRIMAL FEAR, ICED EARTH and JUDAS PRIEST, then look no further, 'cause here's the answer: the new SILENT FORCE! The album will be released on the 12th of November.

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

Last year the Austrian band EDENBRIDGE released its debut 'Sunrise in Eden and that album got some very good response. Now the band has released the follow-up 'Arcana' on MASSACRE RECORDS. What sets them apart from most other bands on the German label, is the fact that EDENBRIDGE has a female lead singer. She (Sabine Edelsbacher) has a very calm melodic voice that is perfectly suitable for the progressive melodic hardrock of EDENBRIDGE.

The music fits somewhere between NIGHTWISH, WITHIN TEMPTATION and LANA LANE. I really enjoyed the whole album and can easily call this a high quality melodic hardrock/metal album with progressive rock and gothic rock influences, but mainly focused on melodic songs. The best songs are "The palace" (uptempo progressive melodic rock), "A moment of time" (fantastic melodic rockballad), "Fly on a rainbow dream" (good progressive melodic heavy rock), "Velvet eyes of dawn" (another great melodic rockballad), "Into the light" (bombastic midtempo power prog with heavy keys), "Winter winds" (symphonic Power ballad) and closing track "Arcana" (the titletrack, good midtempo power prog metal). There isn't a weak moment on this record, and it is recommended to both fans of Melodic Power/Prog Rock/Metal and Female Fronted Rock. Definitely one of the better releases on MASSACRE RECORDS lately.

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

A few years ago I reviewed 2 CDs of the Austrian band BLACK ROSE. If I remember it well, they played a mixture of AOR, Melodic Poprock, Hardrock and some Pop. Sometimes they reminded me of Canadian AOR acts from the 80s such as HAYWIRE, BYSTANDER, HOINEYMOON SUITE and LOVERBOY. Well, it became quiet around the band up until now, because the band is now called BADHOVEN and they have just released their CD 'Behind the masquerade'. Without any doubts, this is the band's best CD release so far, because the new CD is filled with high quality AOR/Melodic Poprock in the style of HAYWIRE, BYSTANDER, HONEYMOON SUITE…

There are 12 tracks on the album and the production is very impressive. Almost all the included tracks are very good, with the exception of 2 poprockers ("Rockin' old radio" and "Let yourself be beautiful"), but what you basically further get are 10 great AOR tracks. My favourites are "Behind the masquerade" (uptempo AOR a la BYSTANDER), "Dying for that miracle" (AOR/Melodic rockballad a la Aussies ROXUS), "Movie of my life" (semi AOR/Melodic rock) and the fantastic AOR ballad "Spirit of the lake" (ALIAS meets ROXUS). But also very good are the pure 80s uptempo melodic poprockers "Girl like you", "All or nothing" and "I am" (all 3 very much sounding like LOVERBOY and HAYWIRE). "Wasted time" is also a great AOR song in the best 80s tradition (bit like old FM, ZINATRA, HONEYMOON SUITE), but sadly disturbed by a saxsolo.

Nevertheless, if you're a fan of Canadian AOR a la BYSTANDER, HAYWIRE, PRISM, HONEYMOON SUITE, LOVERBOY, HARLEQUIN etc. etc., then do check out the Austrian band BADHOVEN, as they capture that style and that's something to admire, because there aren't any Canadian bands playing it anymore. More info at: http://www.BadHoven.com and e-mail them at: BadHoven@chello.at

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

Hungary is one of those many Eastern European countries that gave us only a few bands the past decades. It's hard to mention a few, but I guess the names OMEGA and TAMAS might ring a bell somewhere. Now I can tell you about a hot new band from Budapest and believe me, they are very good and already belong to the better sounding bands in Eastern Europe. The band sent me a CDR that contains 2 Demos, one from 1999 and the other one was made in 2000. Musically the band is playing quality progressive hardrock/metal with a good ear for melodies. Especially the choruses are very good and the band is not too much focused on playing very complex and progressive, but has chosen for a straight-ahead progressive melodic rocksound. Only singer Zol The Great sounds a bit forced at the start, but on the later songs he sounds much better.

Like I said the music isn't too complex and sometimes QED sounds like a typical melodic rockband! It would be best to describe QED as a mixture between Prog. Rock/Metal, Melodic Rock and AOR. The best songs are "Innocent dreams" (semi progressive melodic rockballad), "Forever alien" (uptempo progressive AOR, great chorus and nice dut-dut keys), "Perfect lovers" (melodic rockballad), "Madness" (uptempo prog aor/melodic rock a la ARENA) and closing track "Free love" (very progrock orientated song, with many good harmonies and a nice keyboardsolo). But there's actually nothing bad on the CDR, and especially the songs of the 2nd Demo are very impressive. Besides the already mentioned tracks, also very good are the uptempo progressive melodic rockers "I believe in you", "Night flowers" and "Mama". This QED is definitely a band worth listening to, and it doesn't matter if you're into AOR/Melodic Rock or Neo-prog/Progrock-metal, everyone will like this band. More info at: http://listen.to/Q.E.D. and e-mail them at: zolman@freemail.hu

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

Here's another Brazilian act, CALIX, and their debut CD is filled with Progressive Rock that also contains influences from other music genres without ever leaving the progressive rockgenre on any of the songs. There are 12 songs on the CD and everything looks and sounds very professional. I hear a lot of influences from the 70s GENESIS sound, but CALIX creates an own style because they integrate some Latin influences and instruments like flutes and mandolin into their music and above all they sing in the Portuguese language! The first songs show you exactly what to expect from this band.

Opener "Danca com devas" is a great semi progressive rocker a la 70s GENESIS. However, next track "Alem do vento" is a pretty good uptempo progressive melodic rocker, maybe a bit polished, but definitely an interesting song. Other notable tracks are "Cancoes de beurin" (progressive melodic semi-ballad), "Novidades" (nice latin prog, with good piano-play), "Aguas" (good progressive rocker), "Nao se lembram do queo sao" (rockiest tune on the CD with nice guitar riffs) and closing track "O fortuna" (a remake of the classic by Carl Orff). If you're into progressive rock and don't mind a band singing in the Portuguese language, then do check out this great Brazilian band CALIX at: http://www.calix.art.br and e-mail them at: calix@calix.art.br

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Very soon we can expect the seventh CD of the American Progressive rockband GLASS HAMMER, but this is the first time they appear on Strutter'zine. 'Chronometree' was the 5th CD of the band and was released last year. Musically this is classic 70s inspired Progressive Rock that of course sounds a lot like YES, but GLASS HAMMER definitely gives the Progressive Rock an own twist. Also there's much more space left for instrumental parts in which you can hear some pure Progressive Rock heaven (the duels between the keyboards/mellotron/hammond and guitar are very exciting).

Songs like "Revelation", "Chronotheme", "Shapes of the morning", "Chronoverture" and "Th waiting" are very impressive pure Progressive Rocksongs that especially during the instrumental parts remind me a lot of bands like YES, TRANSATLANTIC, THE FLOWER KINGS… Interesting note is that ARJEN LUCASSEN (AYREON) appears as additional lead guitarist on the CD, so that is bringing in some more excitement. Fans of YES, TRANSATLANTIC and even AYREON will like this a lot, but I think every decent music lover will find this CD interesting to listen to, as it is a very diverse album that features some very high quality music capabilities. If you're a prog fan, then go to: http://www.glasshammer.com and check out this great band.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Originally they came out of Florida, but they are no settles in the Connecticut area. The band is called DOUBLE EDGE and so far they have released a full-length CD, but a new CD is coming up. They sent me a single they just released. The CD-single contains only 2 songs, so it's hard to give a good review of it, but the 2 included tracks sounded pretty nice. "I want a shot of whiskey" is a rougher Melodic Hardrock song that reminds me of the 80s (KEEL, Y AND T). The other song is much better. It's called "Let go of the heartache", and this is a good early 80s typed melodic poprocker/radiorocker with a catchy chorus. Only a pity the song has a playing length of less than 3 minutes. I had rather heard some more songs of the band, so I could get a better view on DOUBLE EDGE. Nevertheless, this is still worth checking out at: http://www.noquarterrecords.com and e-mail them at: jbuzikjr@aol.com Their 2nd CD will be released early next year, a review will follow by then. Hopefully I can also get my hands on their debut.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

I got this 3-track promo CD of the new CD of THE WATCH. This Italian band has been talked about a lot in the underground scene, so it is now time to introduce them to more people, because they definitely deserve much more attention. THE WATCH is playing pure 70s Progressive Rock, with of course references to the big Italian bands (PFM, LE ORME), but the closest comparison is definitely early GENESIS. Nevertheless, the band also has material that can be compared to PENDRAGON, while at other times they have a style of their own.

In other words, THE WATCH is a must for every progressive rockfan. Unfortunately I could only hear 3 songs of their CD 'Ghost', but what I heard sounded pretty good. The songs I heard were "DNAlien", "Moving red" and "And the winner is", 3 well structured progressive rocksongs, all containing all the elements a good progressive song needs to have. The songs are long, with of course long instrumental passages that feature the highly skilled musicians on their instruments. I can definitely recommend every progressive rockfan to check out THE WATCH, as this band seems to be one of the best Italian prog bands around these days! More info at: http://www.thewatch.it and e-mail them at: thewatch@thewatch.it

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This is the fifth CD of the Swedish Female Fronted AOR/Poprockband TWO PIECE PUZZLE. The CD contains 8 songs and the first song is one of the best songs the band recorded so far. The song is called "It might be you", and this is a fantastic strong midtempo AOR song with a very catchy chorus. This opening song sounds perfect and is a must for everyone who digs typical 80s female fronted AOR (1st ROBIN BECK, TONE NORUM) and more recentl similarities I heard in this song were ALYSON AVENUE and DANTE FOX. "It might be you" has some great harmonyvocals and belongs to the top of female fronted AOR at the moment.

The rest of the CD is not as good as that first song, but nevertheless, it is quite enjoyable female fronted AOR/Poprock. "I'm ready" has some progressive guitar riffs, while the song itself is a nice uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker. A bit calmer is "I didn't mean to", a very 80s inspired laid-back radio-ready light AOR song with a memorable chorus.

Next track "What I want" is a nice midtempo AOR/Poprocker. Interesting song is "What can I do", a semi-ballad that changes into an uptempo poprocker halfway the song. The acoustic ballad "Without you" follows. The final two songs on the CD are the poprocker "Back in business" and the semi-ballad "Easy come easy go". TWO PIECE PUZZLE has released another fine record, recommended to fans of female fronted AOR/Poprock, check out the track "It might be you" and you're in AOR HEAVEN! More info at: http://www.tpp.nu and e-mail at: jespero@mac.com

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

The musicians appearing on the solo-album of former ALCATRAZZ/RAINBOW singer GRAHAM BONNET is very impressive, but the question is if the music holds up to the expectations after seeing the list of so many well-known names. To name a few, Slash (guitars), Vivian Campbell (guitarist DEF LEPPARD), Bruce Kulick (former KISS guitarist) and drummer Kevin Valentine (CINDERELLA) appear on the comeback solo-album of this legendary British singer, who achieved his biggest success with the RAINBOW song "Since you've been gone". His new solo-album, released on ESCAPE MUSIC, is filled with typical Hard Rock, not bad, but also far from sensational. I wonder if Escape signed him because of his past instead of his new songs (of which most were written by a guy called Jo Eime). Especially the first 5 songs are nothing-special hard rock/rock songs that reminded me of the last LOVERBOY record.

The second part of the CD is better, with as highlights the calmer ballad "This day", the uptempo Melodic Hardrocker "Flying not falling" (like ALCATRAZZ) and the midtempo rocker "Lolita Crush" (a bit like OZZY OSBOURNE). If you're a fan of GRAHAM BONNET, then you can check out his new solo record, but don't expect something as good as ALCATRAZ or the stuff he did with RAINBOW.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Do not confuse this KING SIZE from Austria with the fantastic same named Sympho-AOR band from Germany. This KING SIZE has been making music since the late 80s and also released a lot of albums so far. Their line-up changed a lot through the years and from the original line-up, only guitarist TOM PROLL is left on the band's most recent CD 'Around and around'. Musically they also changed a lot, although the band always has been a pure Rockband. Their first couple of albums show a very KROKUS meets PAGANINI typed Melodic Hardrockstyle, with some average screaming lead vocals.

Halfway the 90s, the band changed their style a bit and began to evolve in a more mature Melodic (Hard) Rockband, and some of the best songs from this period can be found on their 'Greatest and latest' CD from 1999. The best songs from this period are the uptempo melodic rockers "Show me the way", "Game over", "Face to face", "The dragon and the queen" and the semi AOR/Melodic rockballad "Don't say goodbye". I also need to mention the band recorded a song written by guitarist/vocalist STEVE LUKATHER (TOTO) entitled "Dreams", a nice calmer semi AOR song like the last TOTO record 'Mindfields'.

However, the best had yet to come for the Austrian band KING SIZE, because their latest CD 'Around and around' from last year is their best release so far. On this new CD, the band sounds as a high quality AOR band and I can guarantee you there is some great material on the CD. The band now has a full-time keyboardplayer (Wiff Eizenhofer) who gives the sound of KING SIZE a very 80s AOR approach. Also the addition of new singer Klaus Niederhuber is a welcome, because his voice is much more melodic than the previous singers (I believe the band has had different singers and in fact, a different line-up every album, except for guitarist/songwriter Tom Proll). I believe now the band has finally found what they are looking for, because 'Around and around' sounds perfect and is recommended to any AOR/Melodic Rockfans. Sometimes the band reminds me of the Austrian BLACK ROSE, but, as not many of you are familiar with that band, I will mention some other similarities later on in this review.

There are 15 (!) songs on the CD and apart from 2 instrumental intro/outro's, there's 70 minutes of enjoyable melodic rockmusic. "Around (the beginning)" is the intro for the album, a good instrumental Sympho/Prog piece that is a nice introduction to the following track "Machinery". "Machinery" is without any doubts the best song of the whole CD and in fact one of the best Austrian AOR songs of all time. This song is a very good uptempo pure 80s AOR/Melodic Rocker with a superb AOR HEAVEN CHORUS a la URBAN TALE, T'BELL, LE ROUX, TOTO and also some great dut-dut keys. What a great way to start an album, it totally blows away everything the band made before this CD.

Although it is hard to keep up this high AOR level and indeed not all of the songs on the CD are as good as "Machinery", I still can say I am very pleased to have heard this new KING SIZE album (thanks Christian!), because there are plenty more good AOR tracks on 'Around and around'. "Winners and losers" is up next and this is a nice uptempo MHR song a la DOMINOE, BONFIRE… and again has nice keyboardwork. With a title like "Could this be love" you know this has to be a ballad and indeed, it is a great AOR ballad. "Love?" follows and is the instrumental reprise of the ballad "Could this be love". "A song is born" follows, and this is a great uptempo AOR/FM-rocker.

Next track "Rock'n'proll" is described as a mix between PINK FLOYD and FLEETWOOD MAC, but is actually a nice instrumental 10-minutes counting progressive hardrocksong with some very interesting keyboard/guitarwork, a must for Progrock fans! The CD continues with the first weaker song, namely the hardrocker "Around and around" (the titlesong!). "Second skin" starts very experimental (terrible Rap!!!), but then comes the chorus and we're suddenly back into AOR. The shortest song on the CD is one of my favourite tracks. The song is called "Change your mind", a very catchy 80s typed uptempo AOR rocker with big keyboards and a singable chorus (hello CRAAFT, DOMINOE, DAVINCI, TREAT). The second weak song is the boogie Hardrock of "Good news", but with "Will we ever learn?", KING SIZE has another winner. This last mentioned tune starts as a ballad, but the chorus and keyboardsolo are pure Neo-prog meets AOR and with a playing length of 7 and a half minutes the band has another impressive Prog/AOR tune on their CD.

"Isabel" follows and is a nice piano/guitar orientated ballad. The dut-dut keys in the song "Welcome to L.A." are pure 80s AOR (think AGENT, SURVIVOR), while the song itself is a great fun uptempo melodic rocker a la WILD FRONTIER. The CD closes nicely with the progressive outro "And around (the end)". And so comes an end to a very good CD of the Austrian band KING SIZE. There's actually something for everyone on this CD, because the band has AOR, Melodic Rock, Hardrock and (Neo-) Prog/Sympho on their latest CD "Around and around'. The production is also very good, so nothing stands in my way to give 'em a high rating.

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

The UK band CONTAGIOUS made their debut last year with the mini-CD 'Red, white and slightly blue'. Now they have released their first full-length CD on the UK label Z RECORDS. I think this new CD is better than their EP, as the songs are much stronger. Most of the songs are fun 80s inspired uptempo melodic AOR rockers with many harmonyvocals and catchy choruses, not unlike the early HAREM SCAREM and HONEYMOON SUITE albums. If you like one song, then you will definitely love the whole album, because there is a clear same structure in each and every song. The best songs are "Heart is calling", "Time and again", "Lady", "Lost and lonely" and "Suzi Ann", all very catchy uptempo melodic rockers with clear AOR influences. I'm not saying this is the most sensational AOR/Melodic Rock record at the moment, but I can assure you that it is good 'safe sounding' AOR/Melodic Rock record that will definitely give you enough pleasure while listening.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Former LION/BAD MOON RISING guitarist Doug Aldrich has just released his new solo-CD 'Alter ego' on Z RECORDS. 14 songs are included and 5 of them feature lead vocals by singers such as Kal Swan (LION), Johnny Gioeli (HARDLINE), Ron Young (LITTLE CEASAR) and Matt Kramer (SAIGON KICK). You might think this is a Melodic Hardrockalbum, but don't be fooled, because this is surely not the typical Melodic Hardrockstyle you normally hear on the records of mentioned bands. Although the musicianship is excellent and Doug Aldrich proves to be a very good guitarplayer, the songs are nothing special.

The best songs are the instrumental songs "Torq", "High centred" and "The trudge", because most of the vocal songs are heavy groovy rock/metal songs with not much melody. The only vocal song that is very good is the calmer ballad "Skyblue and black" with Kal Swan singing at his very best (like he always does). I heard some comparisons to MR. BIG, but for the most part this record is more recommended to a fan of instrumental guitar orientated hard/heavy rock.

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

This French band formed around lead singer Patrick Durand has put some of their demos onto CDR and this is the result. The CDR contains 10 tracks and musically they are definitely not a pure AOR band, because there are too many outside influences in their songs. I would rather describe DURAND's music as modern melodic poprock, with some AOR influences in the choruses. Most of the songs are accompanied by acoustic guitars, so there's less space for keyboards and electric guitars, which on the other hand gives their music a radiofriendly and updated approach, kinda like BRYAN ADAMS and BON JOVI. Some of the songs also have a groovy/funky twist, and so they avoid anything to make them sound like your typical 80s AOR band.

The best songs are "Garder le Temps" and "Tout L'Temps", both midtempo AOR semi ballads with some great melodic catchy choruses and a sound somewhere between BON JOVI, BRYAN MCDONALD and MICHAEL MORALES. The rest of the CD is much lighter and modern poprock orientated, but if you like the recent BRYAN ADAMS records, then this is definitely up your alley. Check it out at: http://www.mp3.com/Durand and e-mail at: durandP@iname.com

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Multi-instrumentalist MYKEL JON from California sent me a demo CD that contains very pop orientated material. Especially the first 6 songs are pure 70s orientated Pop with a high 'Love boat' feeling! The songs though are quality Popsongs, with very good lead vocals, but the use of Sax in each song and also the fact there are almost no electric guitars used are making this more a winner for fans of quality Pop, kinda like GREG GUIDRY. Happily, later on the CD there are some interesting AOR pieces to check out. I am talking about the great AOR ballads "Nothing stays the same" and "Another victim", both with guitarsolo's and a sound close to the late VAN STEPHENSON. These 2 last mentioned songs are very impressive and show that MYKEL JON can really make some good music, so if he can make more songs in this style on a future CD, then it could easily become a winner!

For now, there's too much Pop and Sax on his recordings. 2 other tracks I would like to add here are the light poprocker "A day at a time" (a la early 80s MSB) and the 80s typed poprocker "Rock to be free" (a la RICK SPRINGFIELD). So, basically Mykel has some great AOR ballads, nice poprockers and a lot pure Poptracks on his CDR. I would suggest him to make more AOR songs (a la "Nothing stays the same" and "Another victim") in the future and get rid of the sax! Anyway, check out his site at: http://www.mykeljon.com and e-mail at: mykeljon@mykeljon.com

Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

Originally from New York, but now living in the Wisconsin are in the USA, comes multi-instrumentalist PAUL LUKAS. Musically he is playing a mixture of AOR and Poprock, not unlike JOE ROBINSON, only he also has some calmer moments. The first track of the 5-track album 'Dark dances' is the acoustic "An interruption in the urban feel", a song about the attacks on New York. Next track "Off in her own world" is maybe the best song on the CD, this is a great uptempo melodic poprocker like BRYAN ADAMS, RICK SPRINGFIELD… The semi rocker "Seasons" is a nice song, but nothing sensational. The first let-down is the poppy hi-tech tune "Good evening".

Closing track is "Mr. Blues", a midtempo rocker that reminds me somehow of ZAPPACOSTA! If Paul can make some more upbeat rockers like "Off in her own world", then this could easily be an interesting name to add on the list of multi-instrumentalists playing AOR typed music. For now, there's a bit too much hi-tech and poppy influences in his songs, but if you want to hear this kind of music (it sounds like 80s hi-tech aor/poprock a la JOHN PARR, ZAPPACOSTA), then this might interest you. I would rather hear some more rock, but check it out at: http://www.mp3.com/LukasMusic and e-mail at: lukasmusic@hotmail.com

Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

A band out of Romania! INTERITUS DEI sent me 2 albums they released the past few years. Musically they play a mix of Gothic, Symphonic and Doom Melodic Metal. Actually they have an own style and although instrumental is sounds pretty good, the weak point are the vocals. On both their albums 'Unholy' and The end of revelation', the band has a male and a female singer. The female singer doesn't sound too bad, very Gothic/Opera orientated way of singing, like NIGHTWISH and WITHIN TEMPTATION.

Some of the songs are also clearly in the style of those bands, so interesting Melodic Female Fronted Power Gothic Metal. The problem is the male singer who also sings and he only brings in Doom/Grunt vocals and they spoil each song. A pity, because the band definitely has potential to become one of the best sounding bands from Eastern Europe. The songs are mostly uptempo progressive Metal and even the choruses are nice, but the best thing for this band is to get rid of the male lead vocals and instead let the girl sing all the songs. But if you want to hear something totally different, then do check out this band asap, because their music is different than any other band on earth! Check out their music at: http://www.vapa.com/gallery/Interitus and e-mail at: Interitus_dei@yahoo.com

Rating: - (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

SOLITUDE is an Austrian band and their debut (?) release 'Still rock me!' is a very cliche hardrockalbum in the best 80s tradition of German/Swiss/Austrian Hardrock/Metal (think of KROKUS and STEELER). There are 15 songs on the album, but far too many songs are nothing special. The only songs that will attract a fan of Melodic Hardrock are "Valley of lost souls", "Never let me down" and "Remember". The "Hide your heart" cover is the worst one I've heard so far, because KISS, ROBIN BECK and even BONNIE TYLER's versions were much better (maybe only the version of MOLLY HATCHET is as bad as the SOLITUDE version). If you're into simple 80s typed Hardrock a la KROKUS, then you will love this, but AOR and Melodic Rockfans can better listen to other Austrian bands like KING SIZE and BADHOVEN. More info at: http://www.bluesonic.com and e-mail at: Solitude@bluesonic.com

Rating: 6/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)

If original guitar injected hard rock is your taste then at all costs check out Sweden's hottest new export BONKYMAN alias Johnny Cherobiano- vocals, Billy -Bob Ray - guitars, Pat Malone - bass and Ron D´Vou - drums. The band started off in Gothenburg in 1999 as a one man project by founder Billy-Bob Ray that eventually led in to a full band outfit that play solid guitar driven hard rock of the highest order, with influences ranging from Lynch Mob, Steve Stevens, Dokken, Hair Of The Dog, Dio, Hurricane, Bad Moon Rising, Motley Crue, Joe Satriani etc..etc...

The album kicks it's arse into full on metal mode with 'Metal Machine' and 'Say A Prayer', both these songs were recorded live and judging by the reaction from the audience it is fair to say that the band have a loyal following as they are chanting along with bands songs, so I find it pretty ironic that we haven't until now heard of Bonkyman, and even more bizarre is that they remain unsigned as they could do well for any record label out there as they have everything a quality hard rock bands needs. Both these songs totally rock and remind of the material on Jorn Lande's new album, the guitar totally buzz and the bands kick is powerful and hugely enjoyable. These guys mean business. America has Hair Of The Dog, and we in Europe have Bonkyman, both bands show a similarities and both bands rock and are original and holding the keys to the future of hard rock music, I mean when the old bands finally hang up their guitars and mics we need new heroes to keep the rock n roll flame burning and Bonkyman my friends are one of the bands to keep that flame burning ever so brightly as they are totally wicked.

It was interesting to hear a choir at the beginning of the song 'Save My Soul', which reminds me of Vince Neil's 'Look In Her Eyes', whilst the guitar patterns incopororate Steve Steven's inspired guitar fuelled excellence, this song is killer and the chorus is massive, whilst 'Alive' follows a similar pattern and is load n powerful with tons of spark flying licks and killer vocals from Johnny, this song reminds me Bad Moon Rising and Millenium as does 'Eternal Light' both are just superb melodic hard rock songs, with the latter boasting a fine melodic chorus, whilst I found 'Reset My Mind' to be another catchy song with strong melodies and vocals reminding me of Human Race.

Talk of Human Race, of the many great songs it was interesting to hear a recording of "Trapped In Time" which was originally written and recorded by Robert Hansson of fellow countrymen Human Race, the guitars wail and Johnny's vocals are amazingly sharp almost as good if not better than the original song, I really liked the Vai inspired guitar patterns which make the whole song powerful and dynamic.

'Welcome To The Boneyard' is chunky hard rock with guts, similar to Motley Crue when John Corabi was in the band mixed with Bad Moon Rising. 'All I Hear' reminds me of Dio and Lynch Mob is another classy hard rocker with furious rip roaring guitars from hell. We also hear a few guitar instrumentals, the Steve Vai inspired 'Showcase a'la Bonkyguitar', the progressive 'Obsession' and 'The Four Seasons Of Guitar Hell' which is pretty neat. One of the albums best track is 'Silent As The Water' which flows with many musical styles and is a spiritual ballad with lots of atmosphere reminding me of Europe, Whitesnake and Dare and is superb and very haunting.

As a debut independent release I found this record to be hugely inspiring, with a variety of styles pouring through, the songs seem to take off from the first time you listen to it, and the songs are instantly driving and very memorable. I see it as a progression because each time I listen to the songs I hear something different, I feel that as a debut 'The Alchemist' is very strong and I think that people will relate to the power and enthusiasm of the songs as Bonkyman my friends are simply not just another rock band, instead they are original with bucket loads of energy and spark flying guitar ripping songs to bang yer heads to!! Love it!! www.mp3.com/bonkyman or Email : - bonkyman@hotmail.com

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Loaded with all the right musical moves and a thirteen great songs, "Hollywood Trash" is the return of semi melodic rock legends King Kobra Throughout their career the band have gone through numerous frontmen, long gone are Mark Free and former one time Foreigner frontman Johnny Edwards, KK2001 features the wonderful Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge) nesting in the Kobra's belly, and boy does he pack a powerful spray of venom.

For their fifth album lead the band have upgraded their sound, so when you play don't expect a fully blown eighties melodic rock album a'la "Thrill Of A Lifetime", however it has to be said that once again KK have come up with a truly rocking new album which takes on many degrees of musicality, thus giving the mighty K a whole new audience to snake their music to.

The album bursts open with 'Do It' an excellent hard rock song, Keeling's vocals are superb, and during the song the band kinda rap with distorted vocals which reminds me of what Extreme did on "Waiting For The Punchline" and what Warrant did on "Ultraphobic" mixed with David Coverdale inspired vocals, thus this song is very modern sounding hard rock, it's very catchy with great soloing from the underrated Steve Fister.

'Bitch' is next and is another superb catchy song with lots of character that wouldn't have been out of place on the underrated Van Halen III record, it's bouncy and colourful, yet raw in dynamics. Even better is the guitar edged 'Ugly Side Of Me' which is one of my favourite songs and reminds me of early Vai material.

I have to say that vocally Kelly Keelling voice is structured differently on each song, check out the cool pop rockness of 'The Gift' and 'Freedom' which both give Cheap Trick, The Beatles and Enuff Z'Nuff a run for their money, the former song is a very driving power pop rockers, whilst the latter is a darker piece reminding me of Soundgarden, Warrior Soul and King's X and is excellent. both songs captivate the imagination.

'Hollywood Trash" is up next and again is flowered in modern pop riffs that could have been lifted off Bon Jovi's or Nelson's last album, this song is the one the clubs and radio will play, it's bouncy and fun to listen to, very Aerosmithy, especially vocally. 'Jessy' is another of my fave tracks and just blows my mind every time I hear it, don't ask me why it just does, very catchy, the vocals are superb and the melodies reminds me of Unruly Child. Good modern melodic rock coolness..

'The Edge' is where the band let it rip from head to in dazzling catchy as hell hard. The chorus is very catchy and has a modern Motley Crue (Corabi era) edge with a great drum sound from Carmine Appice.

'Watch What Ya Think' again make me think of Extreme, another great song which is full on hard rock at it's best, then the tongue 'n' cheek 'Angels' is most addictive and very melodic. Also scoring high points is the incredible 'Blaze', a rifftastic rocking song built for live arenas, this another driving song and is very very catchy, the guitars are burning and the drums are pounding which will truly satisfy KK fans.

'Ready To Strike' and 'Take It Off' you all know and love whilst the band honour their original vocalist Mark Free with the utterly fantastic 'Here Comes The Night', suprisingly this song tends to remind me of Lou Gramm's Shadow King project and is as I said fantastic melodic rock that all KK/Free fans will love. Overall "Hollywood Trash" follows allows a new era to open for KK, once again Carmine and co have nailed it, superb!!

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)