The third CD of American AOR/Melodic Rockers SAVANNAH was anounced a long time ago when Michael Sweet was going to produce the record and indeed this new CD of the band is produced by the former STRYPER vocalist. Although there are some similarities to the 80s STRYPER sound, this new SAVANNAH record is definitely not a copycat like MASS was back in the 80s when their album got produced by Michael Sweet. In fact, this new album is a slight change in approach, it's still melodic rock, but definitely with an edge, kinda like JADED HEART and XYZ at times. I have to admit that Michael's production is quite superb, because this CD stands like a rock!

My favourite songs are the cheesy (can't help it!) uptempo 80s typed melodic rockers "All or nothing", "Day after day and night" and "Fight your way out of love" that remind me a lot of the band's debut record from a few years ago. Other highlights include the semi melodic rockballad "Forever's come and gone", the midtempo melodic rockers "Back against the wall" and "Make time" and the closing track "The questions" (great calmer AOR ballad). The remaining songs are "One more for the road", "Last to know" (lovely chorus) and "Live to see tomorrow", all 3 introducing a heavier SAVANNAH (guitars upfront), but still melodic during the choruses. These last couple of mentioned songs remind me of a cross between WINGER and JADED HEART. Anyway, this new CD of Boston Arena Melodic Rockers SAVANNAH is definitely a must for people that like good old Melodic (Hard) Rock a la FIREHOUSE, DANGER DANGER, JADED HEART, XYZ…

Rating: 9/10

I think I've heard about 5 or 6 different bands named CONTAGIOUS in the past, so why not listen to yet another one! This CONTAGIOUS comes out of the UK and their 4-track CD has been released on the UK Melodic Rocklabel Z RECORDS. Musically they play nice 80s typed melodic (hard) rock a la HEAVENS EDGE and XYZ. The first 3 songs ("Danger", "Find a way" and "Take me higher") are all written by the band and sound similar in style, just 3 nice uptempo melodic rockers in the style of afforementioned bands.

The last song of the CD is "Muscle", a midtempo melodic rocker with a great sound and definitely the best song on offer here. The Swedish musicians Mats Leven (TREAT) and Thomas Vikstrom (TALK OF THE TOWN, STORMWIND), wrote the song. If the band could write own songs in this style, then we could celebrate that the UK has another winner in the melodic rockscene. For now, their own songs are just nice to hear, but nothing sensational. Maybe a full-length CD in the future will bring more to light for this CONTAGIOUS.

Rating: 7,5/10

THE RUST is a band from Oregon, USA and they just released their self-titled debut CD. Musically they play very interesting 80s typed AOR/Melodic Rock, but the man who steals the show here is definitely the band's lead singer. He is called Pat Yadon and his voice is really superb!!! Man, I haven't heard a man singing so good and melodic since the 80s! He sounds like the perfect cross between FREDDY CURCI (ALIAS/SHERIFF) and DENNIS DEYOUNG (STYX). The first time I heard his voice, I was almost blown away, because it so damn good. Back to the music of THE RUST, which is also pretty good, I can add that the melodic rock on the CD has also a lot of influences from late 70s/early 80s AOR/Pomp. Actually, this band is quite sensational, because besides a good vocalist, some great melodic tunes, also the production is wonderful. Nothing stands in my way to give this band a big recommendation.

Anyway, the CD starts with "2359" which is the intro for the first real song "Midnight encounter". This midtempo melodic rocker has a lovely melodic chorus, while the heavy guitars give it an updated sound and overall it sounds like other newcomers MILLENIUM. The good semi melodic rockballad "Solid" flows. Vocalist Pat Yadon is getting over the top on the next track, because then I realised that this man is sounding very close to Freddy Curci and in my whole life only a few people reached that high level of singing so perfect. The song is called "Unheard" and coincidence or not, but also the song itself is a brilliant piece of an 80s Power AOR ballad, including the lovely keys and killer sound. This song sounds like the perfect mixture between SHERIFF and SAVANNAH.

Next track "Never give in" opens with some great harmonies and the song itself ends up being a great semi melodic rockballad. Then we get to hear the best song of the whole CD, namely the fantastic late 70s/early 80s AOR/Pomprocker "Everlasting wave", a song that sounds like TOUCH meets KANSAS meets THE SIGN! These first 5 songs are not a bad start at all for a new band! In fact, this is pretty sensational! So far so good, but the second part starts a little less sensational. The song "Bent" features some excellent AOR keys, but the song itself is just a nice midtempo melodic rocker. And following track "Odd sanity" is an average rocker. Happily, the last 3 songs are again very sensational with an important role again for lead singer Pat Yadon who proves that he is the winner of THE RUST, although I must say that keyboardist Phil Klahn also steals the show a couple of times with his fantastic 80s typed AOR keys.

"I heard you (the first time)" is a very nice midtempo early 80s AOR/Rocker that comes over as a cross between STYX and SHERIFF. "The balance" follows and is a nice semi melodic rocker. Closing track "New arrival" is a really beautiful AOR/Pomp song with a 70s Classic Rock approach, including melodic guitar solo's (by guitarist Dan McAlister), pompous keys by Phil Klahn and of course the wonderful lead vocals of singer Pat Yadon. I would really like to hear more songs with Pat Yadon singing, because this man is obviously a real talent who simply blows away about everyone in the scene today! Expect an interview with this band really soon, in the meantime check out their site at: http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/The_Rust/ and e-mail them at: therustband@aol.com

Rating: 8,5/10

New Jersey settled AOR rocker MATT GARBO returns with a new CD single. The single features one new song, a cover and a new version of an old song of Matt. The first track, "No holding me back", is the new track here and I must say it impressed me, because this is an awesome pure 80s uptempo AOR rocker in the style of STAN BUSH, JOE ROBINSON, PHIL CHRISTIAN and PHIL VINCENT. "No holding me back" has a very catchy AOR chorus and has some killer hooks and well, it just sounds perfect! The second song of the CD single is the ALICE COOPER cover "I'm eighteen", which is perfectly done by Matt.

The final track is "I'm alive and I'm free", a song already released on one of Matt's earlier releases. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful cheerful 80s uptempo AOR/Melodic Rocker with a very catchy memorable chorus, again STAN BUSH comes to mind. This new CD-single is definitely featuring Matt's best performances. I am looking forward to a full-length CD release in the near future. In the meantime, check out his website at: http://www.mattgarbo.com and e-mail him at: MattGarbo@aol.com

Rating: 7,5/10

JAR is another sensational AOR band from Sweden, because their debut 'In truth we trust' is very similar in style to other newcomers such as T'BELL, TALK OF THE TOWN, STREET TALK, SAYIT and SOLID BLUE. Vocalist Ray Alex is not always convincing, but the songs are very good pure 80s AOR and like afforementioned bands, the similarity to the first ALIEN Classic is obvious on a lot of tracks. So basically what we got here is a very interesting band to check out. A lot of material on the CDR is midtempo or semi-ballad orientated, such as the great songs "Hold on" (mixture of HEART, ALIEN and ALIAS!), "Grown up in a city" (pompous AOR a la first ALIEN), "Dreamland" , "Tears" (great pure 80s orientated keyboard AOR ballad a la LOVERBOY) and opener "Rain" (midtempo AOR). Songs like these are a must if you like other recent Swedish AOR releases of bands like T'BELL and STREET TALK.

My favourite song of the whole CD is definitely "Rosalie", this is prime-time HUGE classic 80s uptempo AOR that sounds like a mixture between T'BELL, HARLOT, DAKOTA and LE ROUX. This incredible song has just that excellent killer AOR approach you search for in a song and if the band could make some more songs in this style on a future record, then I could easily say that this is one of the best AOR bands to hail from Sweden. Nevertheless, they still have enough quality AOR songs in the old ALIEN style for you to check out, their website is located at: http://www.mp3.com/jarsweden and sent them an e-mail at: jar_unicorn@hotmail.com

Rating: 8,5/10

This band consists of vocalist/singer Jesse Bradman and multi-instrumentalist Phil Bright. Jesse played with bands like EDDIE MONEY, NIGHT RANGER, THE INNOCENT, SAINTS AND SINNERS, POISON, ALDO NOVA and released the project of JESSE'S POWERTRIP a few years ago on MTM Music. As you might all know, these are great melodic rock outfits, so I was actually especting a similar style on THE ELECTRIC CHAIR CD, but unfortunately the music performed on this disc has absolutely nothing to do with the glorious melodic rock Jesse used to play. On the other hand, this project of him was done long before he released the records with afforementioned bands, so you can also say that Jesse used to play the music as performed on this disc.

This CD is filled with experimental 90s orientated pop/rock with an occasional melody that will please AOR/Melodic Rockfans. Only songs like "Nowhere", "Baby", "Suicide flowers" (JESSE'S POWERTRIP style) and "My friend" have a nice melodic chorus, but the remaining 10 songs have absolutely nothing to do with our musicstyle. Especially the songs "Sammi", "The times", "Another shade of blue" The songbird", "Bring it back" and "Long walk home" are very weird, experimental and containing a lot of musicstyles, except melodic rock! I rather go for Jesse's old work with NIGHT RANGER, ALDO NOVA and of course his previous project JESSE'S POWERTRIP. If you're a fan of Jesse, you can check this out, but don't expect a melodic rockalbum. E-mail Jesse at: jessbrad@jps.net

Rating: -

DAVID CREWS from Florida sent me a CDR with 3 of his songs. "Let Jesus set you free" and "You carry me" are nice melodic ballads with very nice choruses. The problem though is that the drums are missing and a lot of time the music is acoustic based. I rather had heard some full-blown rocksongs with drums and all, but it's also nice to hear calmer melodic ballads at a time. Maybe in the future David can add some drums and make a full-length record with a variation of rockers and ballads, the talent sure ain't missing here! The third track of the CD is the very long instrumental "Mystery". More info on David at: http://www.davidcrews.com and e-mail him at: dacrews@gte.net

Rating: 6,5/10

SLAG is from Canada and their debut CD 'Growing pains' is not finished yet, so this is a review of their pre-mastered CD. So I won't be talking about the sound quality here, but about the music. Instrumental this SLAG is playing good 80s typed AOR/Melodic Rock, but unfortunately the lead vocals are making the songs sound average. If they would recruit a new singer, things would sound much better. Actually SLAG is a one-man band, because leader Douglas Frozel is doing everything on his own.

The songs are sometimes pretty nice to hear, but they would sound better with a different vocalist, but that's just my opinion. Anyway, best tracks are "Holding bck the tears" (melodic poprocker a la JOE ROBINSON), "Out of the blue" (uptempo melodic rocker in best 80s style) and the melodic rockballad "Hard lovin' you". Songs like these show that this man surely can write a good tune. I'm looking forward to a future record with maybe some more people involved, although Mr. Frozel plays the instrumental parts very well. More info at: http://www.mp3.com/Slag and e-mail him at: douglas.frozel@sympatico.ca

Rating: 6,5/10

ATTENTION!! Listen up people, I'm proud to inform you that this album is the melodic rock album of the year, joining the band is renowned vocalist Jorn Lande (Vagabond/ Mundas Imperium/The Ark/The Snakes etc..), his added quality has given Millenium a new harder edge. I'm biased the sound of these songs is soooooo huge, you simply MUST buy this album as every song is massive and very VERY powerful.

The first song 'Power To Love' is a very powerful melodic rocker, actually this is just so huge, Jorn Lande has turned Millenium into a really sensational band, he whips out some impressive ranges and this song has a killer chorus, Santolla finally proves himself as a worthy guitar hero, churning out endless frenzied notes that leave the listener in complete awe, I'm biased I have never heard Millenium sound this heavy, as I said they sound like a whole new band and they mean everything they say, classy melodic rock and one of my favourite songs of 2000.

'Wheels Are Turning' continues in this style, the chorus is very melodic whilst Santolla offers some neo-classical inspired guitar parts similar to Yngwie and Impellitteri. 'Hourglass', like 'Power To Love' is a monsterous song of epic proportions, the Japanese will love this song because of it's classic Whitesnake edge. 'No More Miracles' is a beautiful song, Jorn's voice sound almost classical, there's a sense of magic here as he scales unbelievable notes on this subtle song which is filled with delecate piano parts.

'Superstar' is a fun melodic rocker with a sensational chorus and wild guitar parts, a super song and another highlight. 'Rocket Ride' is the first song on 'Hourglass' to remind me of Jorn's previous band Vagabond, the song is musically experimental and lyrically diverse, check out Jorn's vocals which makes for a total change of direction, the chorus holds up for a really cool song that is very tounge n' cheek and another standout cut that is just so inspiring.

'I Will Follow' is a calmer song, a ballad with classical influences and a slight bluesy tint, whilst 'I Still Believe' starts off with a delecate piano passage before rocking up into a full on hard hitting chunk of pure melodic rock, another favourite song with a grandiose chorus to die for, this song is another of my faves, I really can't get over how addictive this album is, there is so much going on, in fact with 'Hourglass' Millenium have no entered the major league, it's this album that they will have to compete against from here on in.

'Masquerade' is simply stunning and is musically complex and the last song 'Chasing Time' just kills me, this is Millenium's signature song, a killer track filled to the brim with stunning melodies and vocals the lot. As I have said, I can't stop playing this album, album of the year without a doubt.Words cannot express the power of 'Hourglass', just let the music do the talking 'Hourglass' is sheer musical genius. Essential.

Rating: 10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Look out, put on your spandex trousers, get out the lipstick and hairspray because rock number one bad boys are back. 'New Tattoo' is the killer new Motely Crue album, and oh boy is this a monster that puts to the rest the ghosts of the John Corabi era and closes the door forever on the departed arsehole of rock Tommy Lee.

Thing get off too a rocking start with 'Hell On High Heels' which is a killer hard rock song, Vince Neil's classic voice is superb , you'd swear that John Corabi had never been in the band, they really sound tight and fresh again, Tommy Lee's repleacement Randy Castillo has indeed spiced up the Crue, 'Hell On High Heels' could have easily been off 'Dr.Feelgood' and is killer sleaazy colourful hard rock that is so damn catchy it's riduclous. The Crue are back baby!! Fired up in your face and ready to rock 'n roll.

'Treat Me Like The Dog I Am' continues to rock out, this song if you listen closely to the music could have fitted on the 'Motley Crue' album with John Corabi, it's just that Vince's vocals add that extra sparkle and colour into the band, Motley Crue without Vince Neil cannot exsit, and Neil can't exist with Motley Crue, the combination works, always has done, and you get it right in your face with nearl every song in the classic late eighties tradition that we all loved about Motley Crue. Take the song 'New Tattoo' whcih is a slower acoustic led song, a kind of semi ballad, Vince's voice is superb, you can really tell who CJ Snare from Firehosue is inspired by a killer song.

'Dragstrip Superstar' is a neat song, very catchy, a typical Crue rocker that goes on just a little bit too long and er drags... Motley Crue then come up with an uttlerly fantastic fist clenching rock song called '1st Band On The Moon'

Mick's guitar rules on this song, it's almost psychedelic sounding but it fucking rules and makes the song sound really stmping and heavy and is one of the album best songs, Vince is on form to, this is a classic Motley Creu song. Next up is 'She Needs Rock N Roll' which evens the album out, a great hard rocker with lots of spunk, 'Punched In The Teeth By Love' is another full on rockers, the guitar get pumped up and this is one to drive the die hard Crue fans mental live.

'Hollywood Ending' is another slower song, a semi uptempo ballad with a killer chorus to die for. Next up is 'Fake' another shit hit pounder as is the awesome 'Prono Star' whcih is the albums 'Girls, Girls, Girls', a killer song with lots and lots of chanting 'na na na' ditty and fired up shredding from Mick. A killer song and another highlight to listen out for. And it's not over yet folks, 'White Punks On Dope' gives the album an extra kick and reminds me of 'All In The Name Of Rock And Roll' from 'Girls Girls Girls' and then the last song 'Timebomb' explodes into a towering wall of bass pounding and killer axe work and singalong chorus lines that finish off what has to be Motley Crue's best album since 'Dr.Feelgood', 'New Tattoo' is one of the hard rock albums of the year, the old look, a new attitude, MOTLEY CRUE ARE BACK bring on the shows dudes!!!

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

Rhode Island's Phil Viincent is a man who needs no introduction in these pages, 'Tragic' follows on from Phils highly acclaimed Song Haus debut 'Thunder In The East' This new piece of melodic plastic shows a maturity in Phil's lyrics, thus 'Tragic' come across as Phil's best album to date The opening track 'Stand Or Fall' rips open into glorious keyboard melodies, the song is dead catchy and Phil's voice reminds me of Geir Ronning from Prisoner and Dennis De Young. Phil's voice is much fuller and his range is sure to please the AOR masses

'Where Do We Go From Here' is a gut wrenching ballad, the songs piano intro starts off reminding me of John Lennon, the song has a really smooth edge to it, similar to Mark Free and Styx, the lyrics are really strong and meaningful, 'Where Do We Go From Here' is a lovely piece of molten soft rock and one of my favourite songs of this year. 'Cruel' is pure melodic rock filled with great hooks and forceful vocals, the guitar parts get quite heavy and once the chorus hits home you'd swear you were listening to Dokken.

'Illusion' is a very special song for me, a hugely inspiring piece or music to get the goosepimples standing on edge. It's a haunting piece of musical genius, beautifully played and sung, 'Illusion' is a very very perfect ballad that left me speachless!! I have never heard Phil's voice reaching such high notes, (I'd hate be this guys neighbour, you'd never get any sleep) the delicate piano passages really turn this song into something special and is my absoloute favourite of the whole album. I'm biased, this is just so beautiful, I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but this could possibly be one of the most original and best rock ballads of the last ten years. Sheer musical genius

'So Sad' is another ballad but isn't as good as 'Illusion', 'The Hard Way' shuffles along at a steady pace offering nice catchy rhythms and strong lyrics, then Phil plays another trump card in the shape of a new version of ''Life Is A Game', the chorus is very stong and reminds me of Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love A Bad Name', one of Phil's best songs. The next three songs 'Matter Of Time', 'Changing Faces' and 'Long Night' continue to rock out in this style, particularly 'Matter Of Time' which reminds me of Tommy Shaw, especially when fill hits those high notes

.'My Life' is a song worth paying extra attention to as this almost hits STYX territories and is another of 'Tragic's' best songs 'Hard To Say Goodbye' is another great song with lots of great keyboards and brilliant melodies and a gigantic chorus that you will sing along too for months to come. All the songs featured throughout "Tragic" are hot little buggers, yearning to be heard by the masses of music fans worldwide take a bow Mr.Vincent sir.

http://www.Songhausmusic.com or http://www.philvincent.com

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

This year has seen a mass of AOR releases, some outstanding and others lacking in substance and quality, but Intruder in their three year existence have always provided listeners with the goods and they have done it again with their second release Believer, which is one of those albums that grabs you from the first play.

Intruder's new album is pure AOR and melodic rock heaven, there are limitless foot tapping catchy songs, and all over the majority of Believer the songs come across very melodic and silky like 'One Night Of Love' for example which is the first song on the album and sets the standard for the rest of the album.

The next track 'Stay' is awesome, this is quite a heavy song a'la Stryper, strong guitars shred their way through the song which has a very commerical feel to it and totally rocks. 'Losing You' is the albums first dissapointment, a calmer song that a bit too midpaced and looses the listeners attention.

'Runaway 2000' is a superb cover of the Bon Jovi classic which starts off with classical piano parts which add a little sentiment to the song, I like the fact that the band haven't ruined it and have carefully constructed their own craft into the song which works really really well. Escape should consider releasing this song as a single.

Faithful Love' is pure AOR and melodic rock featuring lovely vocal harmonies, reminding me of Faith Nation. The chorus is totally beautiful which will leave listeners singing along, after which we get to hear some pompy syths and crispy guitar playing making for a terrific song and another of the albums highlights.

'You Take The Chill' is a song with a strong European feel and is my favourite song of the whole of the cd, this a wonderful pure molten melodic rock song with amazing vocal harmonies and killer melodies that get very powerful as the song progresses to the end.

'Last Forever' and 'Halfway Home' are the albums ballads. The former is a swaying moody piece, the guitar work is good, reminding me of Brian May whilst the songs vocal harmonies are really strong and sexy, the song reminds me of Urban Tale's 'One Day' with a hint of Stryper etc... and is a killer ballad' . 'Halfway Home' opens up with a delecate bluesy solo, this song reminds me of Shotgun Symphony and is not as good as 'Last Forever' but is a still a dreamy piece of melodic balladry.

'The Love We Had' is my second favourite song which is a hot hard rocker in the Stryper mould. Everything about this song works, it's pretty formulized but the catchy and smooth addictive chorus and guitar work just kills me everytime I play the goddamn song.

'Down On Love' is another sensational melodic rocker with plenty of kick in the chorus department, the style on this song has an almost Journey inspired melody.

'Under My Skin' plods along and is not so good as the albums other songs, a simple hard rocker similar to say FM and Heartland..

Like 'The Love We Had', '19 And Ready' is a stomping catchy arena rocker which reminds me of Vince Neil's 'Exposed' album and features very hot blitzerating guitar work a'la Steve Stevens and concludes the album on a high note. I really like most of this album and I know you will to, Intruder ladies and gentleman will be here for a long-time to come and are one of
Escape music's top bands that are getting stronger with each release.Recommended.

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

'Dawn Of Victory' is the brand new much anticipated fourth studio album from Italian symphonic metallers Rhapsody which serves as my first introdction to the band who have already released three studio albums.

'Lux Triumphans' opens up the album with a short narrative intro before bursting into a massive awe-inspiring symphonic piece that is backed by a choir, that's just the first two minutes of the album, the song serves as an intro to the incredible title track 'Dawn Of Victory', a killer song similar to Helloween built with speedy guitar work from Luca Turilli this song is an epic piece of heavy symphonic metal that is rarely bettered.The chorus just kills me.

Next up is 'Triumph For My Magic Steel' which continues in this epic style, Fabio Lione's voice is really inspiring, 'The Village Of Dwarves' starts of slow, the gates of the song then open for a magical song with little pieces of flute music and violins, this is a slower song that is quite enchanting.

'Dargor, Shadowlord Of The Black Mountain' shows where bands like Ten are going wrong, this is a huge piece of symphonic metal that charges through your living room , I like the songs arrangemtents and Lione is just awesoem on this song, theres some really heavy speedy drum pounding in the background from Alex Holzworth who is just an amazing skin basher. No wonder bands such as Metallica are fooling around with orchestras etc, who needs Metallica though when this is obviously the real thing. A killer song that I really love.

'The Bloody Rage Of The Titans' is a beautifully crafted song of spirtiual values. This songs comes and go in waves of slower and faster movements and is backed by again backed by a choir and is one of the albums best songs, we also get to hear some beautiful harp playing in the song which will leave you speachless

'Holy Thunderforce' is the albums lead off single, the song is very symphonic and very heavy, the symphonic parts are like the music from (the OLD SPICE advert as my friend put it), Fabio Lione is an incredible singer, this is a thunderous song with lots of speedy keyboard melodies from Alex Staropoli and shit hot racey guitars from Luca Turilli etc,etc, the sound is dynamic and this is sure to get lots of press attention, especially in Europe where the band apparently have a huge following.

'Trolls In The Dark' is an instrumental piece that has a small hint of childlike vocals, Turilli's guitar playing is really good throughout this song. The pounding symphonies continue on 'The Last Winged Unicorn' whilst

'The Mighty Ride Of The Firelord' proves to be another killer song again oozing thematic and symphonic influences, this is quite glorious, close your eyes and you can imagine a song such as this being featured in the movie 'Gladiator'. A fine conclusion to an incredible album that I adore.

The band have release a single for 'Holy Thunderforce' which features a bonus song called 'Rage Of Winter' which is from the bands previous album 'Legendary Tales', I haven't heard that album so I can't tell you how different this demo version to the final album cut, all I can say is that it's a terrific piece of music heavy and catchy like the other two songs on this cd. I think it's time I checked out this bend to see what I have been missing as they sound magnificent. Essential.

Rating: 9/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Without Mr. Lynott you would have thought that Lizzy would never be the same, I figured that this 'LIVE' album was a cash in so I approached this record with an extreme amount of caution. I haven't listened to my old Lizzy records for a number of years now, and after listening to this I think it's high time they had an airing again.

The thing about this record is that even though Phil is no longer with us, his spirit lives on, reincarnated into the band members performing his songs, which are former Lizzy members John Sykes, Darren Wharton,, Scott Gorham, Marco Mendoza and Tommy Aldridge, who perform the songs as you'd expect. It's good time rock 'n' roll that spans thirteen songs from Thin Lizzy's career, including 'Cold Sweat', 'Are You Ready', 'Jailbreak', 'Suicide', 'Still In Love With You', 'Cowboy Song', 'Black Rose' and the crowd teaser 'The Boys Are Back In Town'.

Before you all start moaning about the other band mebers cashing in on the bandwagon that sees all the old bands reforming, step back and think for a little bit, would you rather strangers or the orginal band members pay homeage to one of hard rocks greatest performers? Listen to the reactions from the crowd as the boys rip through the songs, feel the energy and emotion from both the band and the crowd and then tell me that the boys are cashing in, it's still pretty evident that after all these years Phil Lynott is still desperatley missed, the fans need these shows and I can't wait for the UK dates.

http://www.spv.de

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

'Original Sin' is the brand spanking new album from Sweden's Baltimoore who have already released four excellent studio albums. The band broke up in 1993 whilst various band members worked on other projects. 'Orginal Sin' is the bands comeback album proving once again that Baltimoore always had something a little extra to offer.

The drums roll, the jazzy bluesy keyboard parp into gear and the guitars give an edge to a killer song called 'Conviction' which gets the new Baltimoore album underway, and oh boy does this song rock. The song is very catchy and the keyboards are played really fast, as I mentiond there is a blues tint to this song, similar to say Whitesnake and Glen Hughes, even maybe a hint of David Lee Roth and Tesla particularly Bjorn Lodin's voice, which is filled with smokey seduction.

We take a journey back in time for the next song 'Indecision', this has a great funky edge to it, what came to mind when listening to this song was seventies rock and roll, for some reason I'm also thinking of the tv program Starsky And Hutch, this could even be Huggy Bears theme. No seriously this song has a funky seventies edge to it which reminds me Stevie Salas more than anything, the playing of the song is superb, making for a hugely enjoyable song with a great chorus. But it's the next song 'Emancipation' that totally got me going, this song has it all, classic guitar melodies and a huge killer chorus that will leave you
singing along, this song is just so massive, there's a hint of everything from Led Zeppelin to early Whitesnake and this great song is so far the albums best song.

'Contradiction' is a musically interesting track which flows with Celtic influences and lovely soothing harmony vocals that Bjorn sings with convincing passion. This is another killer song as is the next track

'Recognition', Thomas Larsson's playing is strong on this track, his playing has a classic rock edge that makes the song sound fresh and exciting, check out Bjorn's vocal range where he sounds as if he's been smoking to many cigarettes.

'Retribution' is next up, here lies another of my favourite songs, this just rocks and is very infectious, the melodies simply kill me, a solid slab of classic bluesy hard rock.

'Superman' is where the band go a bit over the top, this song has a big jazzy swing to it, they should sell this track to David Lee Roth, it's a good song that breaks up the albums mood and is indeed a standout track.

We get back to plain old hard rocking with the next song which is the brilliant 'Omniscience', then the tone drops for 'Jealousy', the little guitar part at the beginning of this is played on a classical guitar, the song then builds up into another fine rocker which is another of my favourite songs.

Last but not least is 'Redemption' which is a killer uptempo ballad that reminds me of Richie Kotzen and Eric Martin, the hooks on this song are very infectious and give off a slight retro vibe which I'm sure you will all enjoy.

'Original Sin' is a killer album all the songs shine on this album so make sure you buy it pronto!!! Recommended.

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

Enchant are a wonderful progressive rock band from the home town of AOR gods Journey San Francisco.'Juggling' is the bands third studio album and it's been well worth waiting for as the quality standard of musicianship is sheer class

'Paint The Picture' is a killer song, you have to turn the volume up to max when you play this song, when this is done lie back shut your eyes and marvel in the amazing musical sound that you hear throughout this wonderful experimental track. There is just so much going on in this song but the main thing is that the band keep the melody going. Frontman Ted Leonard has an amazing voice, listen carefully and you can here a mix of James LaBrie and Geoff Tate amongst others, the song is almost like Dream Theater and opens up this album perfectly setting the mood for the next song which is called 'Rough Draft', this song has some very heavy guitar parts which will again remind listeners of Dream Theater, again there is much to talk about with this song, the musicianship is of a supremely high standard and we are only two songs in.

'What To Say' is a dreamy song possibly inspired by Marillion and maybe Pink Floyd or Genesis, Leonard's voice is very smooth throught this song which is calmer and flows with memorable melodies. Next up is 'Bite My Tounge' which is straight ahead progressive rock and nothing to spectacular, then we get to hear a neat little song called 'Colors Fade'. This song starts gently with subtle acoustic guitars which glide along like Rush and then breaks into a heavy pounding song mixed with layers of synths, a killer song that takes more than one listen to get into.

'Juggling Knives' develops into a funky, jazzy rhythm,this song has a killer chorus and is one of the albums best songs, a very Dream Theater sounding song to die for.

'Black Eyes And Broken Glass' is also very cool, again the song starts of with gently vocals, the guitar then rips the song into a musically complexed song that fans of the genre will love.

Another song that took some getting used to is 'Elyse',this is pretty heavy in structure and synths are pretty expiremental, but once the song sinks into your head your left with a wonderfully structured song with tons of superb arrangments and harmony vocals.

Next we get to hear another song that is a touch experimental, when the song starts the guitars sound as if they are being played out of tune, then the song builds into some strange melodies which make 'Shell Of A Man' one of the albums most musically interesting tracks.

The guitar and keyboard melodies on the excellent 'Broken Wave' are darker, the song itself has some interesting lyrics, a calmer song reminding me of say Saga with a hint of Extreme circa 'III Sides To Every Story'

'Traces' is song that you may find Spock's Beard performing and the last song 'Know That' is a short little piece that finishes the album off in a subtle whispery mood.

I was pleasantly suprised at how enjoyable this album is, if you get the chance I recommend that you check out this superb album.Nice one Inside out!!

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

Michael Halo is from Myrtle Beach in the USA, and he sent me his brand new three track demo featuring catchy uptempo rock n roll songs. Michael used to front the acclaimed Michael Ryan Band and has now decided to go solo for the time being with a slight change of musical direction. It's not that much of a change as the songs are still like his previous record, catchy with tons of hooks, only played in a down tuned manner such as the excellent and dead catchy pop/rock feel of 'You Never Know', this track is pretty similar to Henry Lee Summer and Bon Jovi with a slight southern influence. The chorus is irresistible and Michael's voice falls somewhere between Henry Lee Summer, Stevie Rachelle and Bret Michaels.

Next up is 'State Of Mind' a slightly more mature song with strong lyrics, 'Now Or Never' is again catchy and melodic, a'la Firehouse's 'Good Acoustics album, and is a killer song where Michael's voice comes over husky and southern fried.

We can look forward to a new solo album from Michael sometime in 2001, until then you can email Michael direct @- MRBFanClub@aol.com

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

Vanessa Handrick is a singer/songwriter who is currently based in New York City, inspired by artists such as Springsteen, Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart etc. 'A Letter Home To You' is a good collection of pop/rock songs with a contemporary modern edge, her voice is excellent and she carries her songs with amazing passion.

First of all we get a really catchy pop/rock song that reminds me of Belinda Carlisle, it's called 'Insane' and shows how far Vanessa can throw her voice which is almots identical to Belinda Carlisle. There are also some fairly heavy guitars in the song which deserves to be a smash hit single, then we get to hear 'That Way' this song is more laid back and has a modern groove with a memorable uptempo catchy singable chorus

'Our Resignation' is slightly weaker, a modern pop/rock song a'la Garbage mixed with Alanis Morissette, next up is gorgeous ballad called 'All The Answers (In Memory Of Dad)' which reminds me of Annie Lennox amongst others, this si a killer song sung with uplifting passion.'Breathe' is one of those power pop songs that messes around with effects and samples, it's a killer song a'la Fiona Apple and Lisa Dalbello and is one of the albums highlights.

'Not The One' is a weaker song, weaker because of the use of drum machines and dancy rhythms, 'Broken Wing' is a calmer song that works pretty well whilst 'Horrible Me' could be another song to choose for radio airplay, this one is groovy and again reminds me of Alanis Morrisette etc.

'Sentimental' is a nineties pop rocker, great guitar tone, killer vocals etc, etc, and the last song 'I Break Down' end the album in a subtle mood. This song is a nice ballad which again push the boundaries on Venessa's voice.

Overall a satisfying modern/pop album with lots of ear pleasing catchy songs which offer something for everyone to enjoy no matter what your musical tastes may be.

You can contact Vanessa direct @ vhandrick@hotmail.com or http://www.vanessahandrick.com

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

'Full Circle' is the debut album from guitarist Mike Campese who played with the excellent band Jekyll And Hyde. This album is filled with great instrumental and vocal songs that fans of the guitar genre should investigate.

The songs offer lots of different guitar tones and textures like 'Touch The Sky' and 'Torches' for example, the former relies on jazzy/bluesy melodies a'la Eric Johnson whilst the latter is a really strong instrumental that is beautifully performed and reminds me of Steve Stevens and Bernt Steidel, Mike keeps the flow of the song just right and it's played on acoustic guitar, Mike dabbles up and down the neck of his instrument making for a brilliant well thought out piece of music.

'Dark Aqua' is a straight ahead melodic rocker with neo-classical phrasing a'la Impellitteri and Jason Becker, on this track we get to hear Mike signing for the first time, his voice has a blusey edge similar to say Jeff Healey and Devin Townsend, the song could have been lifted off Steve Vai's 'Sex And Religion' album, it's performed well and offers subtle changes during the song and is one of the best songs on the album.

'Happy Snow' is also a very strong song with lots of character and hot guitar ditty's, 'Burgundy Mist' is a slower bluesy number a'la Eric Johnson, Gary Moore and Jeff Healey with great vocals from Mike whilst 'Scatterbrain' rocks things up and is a Richie Kotzen inspired rockers that is quite bizzare and experimental in structure.

'Africa' is short but huge studio instrumental, this song draws it's inspirations from African sound effects etc. it's really powerful but as I said it's very short and I would love to hear a much longer version of this song.

Next up is a wonderful ballad called 'Angel' that get's Mike pushing his voice, this is followed by 'Velvet' and like 'Torches'm is an acoustic piece played very fast again reminding me of Bernt Steidel, 'Crash And Burn' is even faster, expertly played this song reminds me of Joe Satriani and Yngwie and is pretty cool.

'In The Mirror' is another favourite song with cool playing and vocals a'la Eric Johnson, 'Bourbon St.' is a beautiful slower piece a'la Shawn Lane and Michael Lee Firkins whilst 'Whole Stepping' i found a little on the weaker side being to jazzy a'la Frank Gambale.

'Walk Away' brings in the classical influences mixed with vocals and is a killer song, 'Tinted Windows' I found a little to unimpressive and 'Rescue Me' is a fun little ditty. That leaves the magical and beautiful 'Loralie' which is my favourite song of the whole cd. This song reminds me of Mario Parga's 'Jane' and is just played with amazing passion.

This is very encouraging cd, Mike is an expert guitar player and his vocals are also really good, the production is also clear making for an entertaining semi instrumental and vocal album.Recommended

Contact:- GuitarMC@aol.com or http://www.mikecampese.com

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

This is not a brand new studio album from the German axe god, 'The Wizards Chosen Few' serves as a double compilation cd spanning Pell's twelve year career. Disc one kicks off with a brand new song called 'Broken Dreams' featuring Pell's current frontman Johnny Gioeli formerly of Neil Schon's Hardline.

Next we get a track from the underrated 'Oceans Of Time' album called 'Carousel', a bit of killer hard rock song this one with Gioeli handling the mike like a rock god.

This year Pell released a new album called 'The Masquerade Ball' of which I haven't heard yet so the next song which is called 'The Masquerade Ball' is a new one on me, the production sounds awesome and Gioeli again sings like a king. I can't get over the power in the guys voice on this stunning song which Pell plays with a tremendous amount of feeling.

Another new song props up next called 'Ghosthunter' and is typical German melodic hard rock with a slight progressive edge to it. We then get to hear the title track from the album 'Oceans Of Time' this song starts off with subtly vocals from Gioeli that grows into a powerful piece of melodic rock and is still one of my favourite songs that Pell has recorded.

'Still I'm Sad' is pulled from the Dio tribute album 'Holy Dio' whilst 'Come Back To Me' is another hot favourite that was featured on 'The Ballads 2' album, with another winning vocal performance from Gioeli that is just so massive sounding, check out the subtle and sexy keyboards backing Pells classy playing and Gioeli's voice.

Next up is a live recording medley of some well know classic rocks songs recorded from Pell's 1998 tour, then we get to hear a very cool instrumental entitled 'Total Eclipse (Opus #2 Allegro E Andante)' which showcases Axel's astounding melody. This track appeared on the Jap version of the 'Magic' album.

The last song on the first disc is 'Eternal Prisoner' with the incrediable Jeff Scott Soto handling the mike. Disc two opens with 'Fool Fool' which is followed by the heavy 'Casbah', 'Magic', the haunting ballad 'The Clown Is Dead', 'Nasty Reputation, the awesome 'The Land Of Giants', 'Can You Hear Me Calling' and a couple of live numbers all of which feature the might voice of Jeff Scott Soto complete disc two.

Axel Rudi Pell continues to knock you dead with big Yngwie sounding neo-classical riffs and is quite possibly one of the finest guitar players to have emerged from Germany.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

On my copy of the new album 'Bustercherry' from hard rocker survivors Cherry St., the first song 'Under The Gun' actually has a misprint, my version calls it 'Unde The Gin' which I thought was going to be a song about getting drunk, anyway this is typical LA styled hard rocker with killer guitar playing from Tom Mathers and a great chorus, next track in 'Dogtown' shuffles along like a Michael Monroe record whilst 'The Moon' is slightly heavier a'la Guns 'n Roses, this song is pretty cool and one of my favourites, nice guitar tone etc etc..

'Dirty Job' ozzes of Aerosmith, LA Guns and GNR, 'Suicide Ride' is another killer hard rock song remindig me of Michael Monroe and Helix which opens up with some tasty bass pounding from Don Korbecki and Brian Vollmer voice glides along make this song another stand out cut.

'Heart Of Stone' brings in the Aerosmith and GNR flavours again whilst 'Me Against The World' is another song which caught my attention, this is very catchy and grinds along in the sleezy LA style of the eighties reminding me Motley Crue. It's from here that the songs become very infectious like the next song 'Snake Eyes' which is also great and hold up the monumentum. 'Black 'N Blue' is chunky and the last song 'Talk Of The Town' has a slight southern influence in the guitar tone, this song is just a killer hard rock song with killer hooks and chorus. Overall this is pretty good album that I recommend to fans of the LA rock scene of the eighties. Recommended

http://www.perrisrecords.com Email:- perris@flash.net

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Virginia's Tetrad despite winning our worst band name of the month award are actually s pretty damn good hard rocking quartet fairness. Originally released in 1997 this album is suddenly getting alot of press attention within the hard rock circles, the band have done plenty of road work supporting well known acts like Slaughter, LA Guns, Funny Money etc and would be suited to a label such as Kivel records in the US.

'Hard Rocking' which is one of the cd best tracks kicks open the cd reminding me of Hair Of TheDog, Raggedy Ann and Dangerous Toys, a typical US hard rocker with heavy guitars and killer chorus, up next is the crunching 'Greed' which reminds me of Slaughter and Warrant circa 'Dog Eat Dog'. Steve Conrad's voice is like a mixture of Metallica's James Hetfield and L.A.Guns frontman Philip Lewis amongst others, especially on the melodic balladry of 'Sad Song'.

'Down On Life' is a slower song possably inspired by Metallica's 'One', Jake Sheets pulls off some really guitar work and Steve's brother Bob kicks up some beefy bass pounding.

'Waste Of Time' is one of my favourite songs from the album and is a great cacthy hard rocker that has a touch of early 80's Kiss about it.

'Hell Fire Burn' gets the guitars purring again, this is a heavy stomper number similar to Babylon A.D. and Ozzy. 'Highway' is played in a down-tuned manner and reminds me of Tesla. Another favourite song is the title track 'Teacher Of Pain' which reminds me of early Lillian Axe.

'Love Is Blind' is coloured with a great chorus and catchy riffs, whilst the last song 'Just Like Me' continues i this manner with walls shaking pounding drum beats from John Morgan.

The band inform me that they are currently working on their second album of which I can't wait for as these guys defintlley have a quality that will satisfy fans of great hard rock and power metal. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

This band I believe are from Geneva and play soft west coast pop and AOR, it's awfully annoying when a band goes to the trouble of sending you material without sending any contact information, which is a pitty as this is one of those bands I'd love to interview, the songs are pretty strong and it's a clear that alot of effort has been put into this release including the packaging, but what's even more of a shame is that these songs would be totally killer sung in English.

'Tu M'avais Dit' gets the album rolling, a superb song reminding me of Joseph Williams and Toto, the harmonies are really catchy, a good start. Next up is 'Macadam' a heavier song with some melodic guitar riffs, the meldoy is delightful an the lead singer (I don't know his or any of the musicians name) is a superb singer, and this wonderful song reminds me of so many west coast bands.

'Cet Apres-midi' is a gentler song with nice acoustic melodies reminding me of Don Henley and Spains Axis, the song build up into a glorious climax and is defintley one of my favourites.

'Egaux' proves that the band know how to rock, this is another killer song with a touch of Van Hagar influences, man I wish this one was in English, goddamn it that was goon one.

'Est-Ce Un Hasard' is a totally beautiful piano led ballad that played with tons of emotion whilst the guitars are pumped up for 'Jeu De Seduction' which is kinda modernish.

'Soheo' is more power popand is one of the weaker songs, 'A Mes Amis' bring in happy feelgood melodies and is a pretty cacthy laid back song, and last but not least is 'On Aura' a haunting ballad which rounds up the album.

If I ever hear from these guys again I will add their contacts to this review and put it up again. This is a good album for fans of soft west coast pop rock.

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

Yoke Shire's debut album takes a few spins to fully appreciate and then you will realise how good this band are, press reviews have already called this Boston based band 'The Next Pink Floyd', thanks to their progressive and sometimes psychedelic songs. They have been voted 'Best New Artist' for which the band recieved an ASCAP Plus award this summer.

The album hits off with 'The Three Welcomes' which is a delecate instrumental similar to Uli Jon Roth and features the use of violins, 'Black Tower' is inspired by seventies space age progressive rock with a touch of blues, the song is a slow moody piece with jazzy synths and cool guitar playing a'la Satch/Eric Johnson from Brian Herlihy

'Shape Of A Dancer' reminds me of Markus James, kinda like reggae metal in a wierd way with a touch of southern influences. 'Magic Circle' is similar in style to Arena and Santana meets The Dead Can Dance and offers some Celtic influences, Morris Dancing rock anyone?it's pretty cool with lots of musical diversity, possibly my favourite track. 'Maiden Voyage' is an experimental song which plays in tune with most of today's progressive bands such as Spock's Beard etc, 'The Brook, The Mirror And The Maiden' is another of my favourite tracks and even though very expressive and thematic with Christian influences the song builds into a catchy semi instrumental which includes magnificent gothic piano structures backed by some interesting flute playing from Brian's brother Craig.

'Return Voyage' is also cool, the guitar intro speeds up and sound like a motorbike firing up, 'Ghost Notes' makes the use of spooky sound effects such as wind chimes etc, the guitars then crash in, 'Ghost Notes' is a short instrumental which leads into 'Masque Of Shadows', this song is really good and another favourite, quite melodic with great lyrics and chorus. And last but not least is have a sniff at 'Magic Dust' a short but glorious enchanting piano piece that end the album in style which makes Yoke Shire a very interesting an entertaining band that is well worth checking out if your a fan of seventies experimental rock.

Email:- ztgo@mediaone.net http://www.yokeshire.com

Rating: 7/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Ahh Andy Deris is a man whose work I've always been fond of, be it with Pink Cream 69, Helloween or his own solo career. His new album though is a tough one, it's musically diverse but may annoy some of his die-hard fans as it's often quite experimental.

'Let Your Love Fly Free' is the best song of the whole album, powerful melodic rock, killer chorus, crunching guitars that not too disimilar from Pink Cream 69.

'Dangerous' is a little experimental in structure, this song doesn't know if it want's to be funky a'la The Electric Boys and It's Alive or just enter into the pop world of Michael Jackson's 'Dirty Diana' or Stevie Salas.The song is cacthy for the first half and then becomes quite yawnsome 'The Best You Don't Need To Pay For' is a good calmer melodic rock song with a killer upbeat chorus that hints at his early works with Pink Cream 69, whilst 'Harvest' serves as the intro for the next song which is called 'Free' which starts off with a classical guitar melody whic builds in to a song with electric guitars, the song also makes use of flashy sound effects, the song has a strong European melody and makes me think Helloween's 'Chameloen' album and Vagabond and is a very cool song and one of the albums highlights.

Next up is 'Did It All For You' is also a good song that suffers from the use of sample effects which annoy. 'A Little Bit More Each Day' is a song that is trying to experiment with the sound of todays bands mixed with a hint of TNT' last album 'Transistors' and offers interesting guitar parts. An experimentation that works, this is agreat song, also very cool is the next song 'I Don't Believe In The Good', this song may annoy some people with it's sampled effects, but listen clsoely and you hear that this song is actually quite melodic with some interesting msuical changes that blend in well with some of todays modern kerrang styled bands.

'Patient' is utter pants and does fuck all for me, next song 'Back Again' dabbles with the samples etc again, this is actually quite good and rmind sme The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Exreme and Faith No More. A killer song that gives then lisner the wrong impression at the beginning. The album closes out with an delightful ballad called 'Child Of My Fear'. Whils some of this album is entertaining for the most part it takes a strong set of ear to fully appreciate the direction Andy Deris is trying to take.

Rating: 6,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)

Well here it is folks the first release from MTM's sister label MTM METAL by a band called TOXSIN and I am afraid to report that this album is not so good. For a start it's sung in German but it's metal alright, but Kerrang styled Metal and not Power Metal etc that we were led to believe, the vocalist sounds like Ozzy playing with say Korn or The Deftones, which I suppose is a good move for the label as this style of music is as popular as ever, but it's strange that the label sould kick off with an album like this, so I guess they really are going into the Kerrang style of bands territory which should generate quite a bit of sales which hopefully will be invested wisely either into new progressive symphonic metal bands or into the labels melodic rock and AOR side.

But for me it's not so good and the albums songs sounds samey all the way through. The albums gets underway with a song called 'Illusion' which makes use of drum machines and sound samples, the guitar playing is not bad and the songs style is of your typical modern metal bands, the vocalsit Ronald however reminds me of Ozzy, next up is 'Hoffnung' a song in the style of Corrosion Of Coformity, big stomping beats make the song pretty heavy, but the sound effects annoy adding a techno edge to the groove.

'Gedankenspiel' starts off a bit slower then builds up in pace before dropping back to a steady pace, not a bad song which reminds me of the last Megadeth album 'Risk'.

'Ewig' is much of the same and is probably the most consistant song of the album, this is old schoold thrash metal and is pretty good with touches of Exodus.. 'Stadt Der Engek' sound pretty real though a song whihc mixes modern metal with a slight progressive edge mainly die to the guitar playing of Klaus. The song is alittle bit doomy as well.

'Der Berg' sounds like all the other songs whilst 'Hollenqual' is throaway cheesy modern metal. 'Probiers Noch Mal' is one of those song with lots of heavy growling that sees the band wanting to be either Fear Factory, Rage Against The Machine or Jungle Rot.

'Zeit' is much better, this track would have been great though sung in English, a killer song with great vocal harmonies. 'Mitten Ins Herz' does my head in whilst 'Ich Will' concludes the album and is forgettable.The song is slower and reminds me of Ozzy and alot of other modern metal bands.

I'd sooner listen to bands like Jungle Rot and Corrosion Of Coformity, the first few songs on TOXSIN are ok, but then there is just nothing exciting going on to really captivate the listener, I like some modern metal like Deftones and Fear Factory but this band sound unconvincing, still as I said it should do well for the label especially over in Germany but little elsewhere unless they get some English vocals in.!!Maybe me then we can judge this album better.

Rating: For modern metal fans 8/10
Rating: For the rest of us 6/10
(Review by Nicky Baldrian)