I was really looking forward to listening to this after I saw their performance at the Gods festival last year. Chalfant and Ramos are two of my favourite AOR musicians. I still regard The Storm albums as icons of our genre and the advance tracks predicted another great cd. Well, this is an excellent album. No fillers, just pure AOR in a Journey/Storm vein. The melodies are everywhere and some tracks transport you directly to the good ol' days when AOR was in the airwaves. Just listen to songs like "Summer of Love" or "Alyssia". Absolute gems. Also special mention deserves the Peterik-penned "Rivers of Destiny" which has the classic survivor flavour all over it. Obviously this is a risk-free cd... so don't expect innovation here. If you are reading this you should get a copy without hesitation. The only criticism... what an horrible cover! AWESOME CD.

This guy must be one of the most prolific songwriters this side of Mark "one-song-a-day" Spiro. "Thunder in the East" is PHIL VINCENT's 4th album. His songs keep getting better in every release and easily this is his best album to date. Phil will hate me for this but still the production is quite weak, especially the drums, and that's the main inconvenience for me. However the compositions are strong enough to make this record interesting for lovers of keyboard-driven AOR. I would personally highlight tunes like the uptempo "Guilty", the Asia-sounding "When love is Gone", or the 80's AOR of "Fooling Yourself". Many good tunes here to overlook this record. If you still don't know Phil and like your AOR like in the 80's look no further and get a copy of "Thunder in the East". Definetly his best album.

Acurately labeled as the 90's answer to White Lion, "On the run" is PUSH's second album and it seems that they are not going to change their formula...on the contrary the resemblances with Tramp, Bratta and co are more evident than before. Push may have a more rock n'roll/sleazy attitutude but compositions like the wonderful "Waitin in Line" just speak for themselves. IMO, the production is very weak and the record may become a little bit unidirectional after repeated listens that's mainly the major bug here. I am not one of those looking for originallity in every release but these guys could certainly put more of their own. After all, there are some interesting rock tunes but the overall result, althought this is a better album than the debut, is still too irregular.

The latest signing by MTM comes as a nice surprise. The 101 South name hides the side-project by Harlan Cage keyboasrdist Roger Scott Craig. Many poeple enjoy Harlan Cages fresh AOR, so there's no reason why this hould gain the same recognition as it sound very close to Harlan Cage music. IMO, this record is very good and much better than Harlan Cage's "Forbidden Colors". Probably the biggest difference are the vocals, here handled by Gregory Lynn Hall. For me this guy overtakes LA Greene work and sometimes he reminds me to Lou Gramm though in the excellent "Run like a Tiger" you wouldn't tell the diffence between LA and Gregory. there are some fantastic tracks like "We took the wrong road", the uptempo "Nowhere to run" or the ballad "She Walks on Water". The only fault that I find here is the weak mixing that takes some points out from the final mark. Basically this is Harlan Cage with a different singer. So those who enjoy HC should grab a copy without hesitation.

Danger Danger are back. This new record is a tribute to their favourite rock club when they were younger, hence the title "The Return of the Great Gildersleeves". This new cd is a little rawer than "4 the Hard Way" though it follows the same path. The whole thing starts with the powerful "Grind" where we can see how well can Paul Laine sing. I personally think he's the highlight here. He puts the songs on a higher level, much higher than they would have sounded with an average singer. The record get better with one of the best songs, the party-esque "When she's good she's good" which is, along with "Dead, drunk and wasted", the best tune in the cd and the most melodic too. The two slow-tempo songs "She's Gone" and the acoustic "My Secret" are very nice too. IMHO the boys should avoid getting into less-melodic territories like in "Six million dollar man" or the average "Dead Dog". All in all, those who loved "4 the Hard Way" will love this one too. This may not reach the quality of that awesome release but its as effective as "4 the..." was.

Under his newly created and co-owned label, Glenn Hughes will be releasing rare and unreleased material that he has been keeping from hin uncountable sessions with some of the greatest artists in rock. "Incense and Peaches" is the first release of these series and features the most soul/funky side of Glenn. Fans of the "Feel" era will have plenty of material to enjoy. Richie Kotzen (Poison and now in Mr. Big) adds his guitars in 3 tracks and they all have his distinctive blues/funky feeling. Glenn's pipes are in fine form but the production sound pretty rough and that doesn't make him justice. This cd has its moments and will please Glenn fans. If you didn't like his soul era pass on this one. Still, If he has to keep on releasing cds a better booklet and some sound improvements wouldn't do any harm.

Red Haze come from the Netherlands. Not a usual place for AOR but certainly a country that has given us some remarkable artists like 1st Avenue or Valentine. Read Haze are a female-fronted melodic rock band that started playing hard rock to later develope and polish their sound to build a newer and more melodic sound. This is the band's first cd. It has been released by the same band and surprisingly it features a very decent sound. Combining elements of Dante Fox, Tyketto or Emerald Rain, Red Haze have created a strong set of songs and, though it never reaches the level of the aforementioned bands, it works really well. A good and promising debut.

They have done it again!. Fair Warning can't stop releasing bombastic records and "Four" is no exception. If you never liked the music of this Germany-based act you won't like this record either but for the majority who love thir melodic hard rock this reaches the same levels of music excellence as their previous albums. Probably "Four" is harder than "Rainmaker" o "Go" but the Fair Warning unmistakeable stamp is everywhere. I would personally underline the inmense labour of the two guitar players - Andy Malecek and Helge Engelke - who prove they are in the best form. Just listen the intro of the uptempo opener "Heart of the Run". Other highlights are the mid-tempo "Brak Free" that contains a pure singalong chorus, the terrific "Forever", the super-AOR of "Time Will Tell", "I Fight"... Well I would name all the 13 tracks so I guess it's enough to say I consider "Four" a must-buy. This is Fair Warning as it's best: melodic, powerful, well-produced... in a word: Inmense.

After a label change Dakota's comeback "Little victories" is finally out and the wait was worthwhile. Hludzik and co. know a thing or two about writing a good melodic tune and "Little Victories" has plenty of them. From the opener "Don't count me out" to the Champlin-penned "Brother to Brother" or the titletrack every track is proof on how good they mix AOR and Westcoast to reach their own personal style. I also like the freshness of "Let go" , previously included in Rick Manwiller's second solo album but now in an improved version and better produced. Classic AOR fans will love "Next in Line" which put us directly in the mid eighties and reminds me of classic bands like Spys, Le Roux, Balance... Probably the dull rocker "Friday on my Mind" is the only filler of the cd and that's an important achievement if we take into account that we are talking about a 14-track record. "Little Victories" is a very rich and complete album filled with textures and melodies. AOR and Westcoast fans should get a copy right now.

To celebrate the band's 20th Anniversary, Dakota (who recently released their last studio effort "Little Victories") have put out a limited 1000-copies edition of this concert recorded live in 1980 and featuring songs from the Jerry/Kelly album and the debut under the Dakota moniker. I must say that this has a pretty decent sound if we take into account that it was recorded 20 years. The vocals of Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly certainly steal the spotlight and they create beautiful harmonies all over the record. "Three Live Times Ago" comprises 13 live tracks plus 4 recorded in the studio and the material is a combination of old AOR/Westcoast with hints of classic bands like Touch, LeRoux, Airplay or Whiteheart (first cds). This is a fantastic document for the fans of the band and old/classic AOR with this late 70's/beginning of the 80's sound.

Vacancy come from Germany. The combo was founded in 1989 by guitar-player Jay March and vocalist Robbo Stöltzel. Since then the band has supported many important bands like Gotthard, Victory and Sinner. Vacancy play a kind of bluesy hard rock. Sometimes it reminds me to Badlands (reviewed above) though these guys do it with from a more festive approach. In fact the first and third cuts ("Gone" and "Knock Me Out") could have been included in any of the Badlands records. The Brett walker-esque "I Believe" is the more AORish track of the record, but I am afraid this opus doesn't have what it takes to please the melodic rock fan. Recommended for festive souls who like their rock n'roll with some groove and blues. Not my cup of tea....

Hugo's back. "Time on earth" is his new and long-delayed cd and offers the expected dose of Steve Perry-esque vocals and good AOR compositions that already filled his wonderful solo debut. The final result if pretty remarkable although the ex-Valentine/Open Skyz frontman has not reached the excellence level of the debut. The record has a more laid-back feel with wonderful ballads ("Last one more time" or "Our love will be there") and good mid-tempos ("This Love song"). But not all the album is a syrupy collection of songs we have the great opener "Can't Stop Loving You", the rather ordinary "Fine" and the good cover of the Triumph classic "Magic Power". The Journey influnces bloom in "Blues For you" and "Anyone in Love" that could have been included in the "Trial by Fire" cd. After all, this is a more intimate, personal and stripped back album that sees Hugo stablishing his name in golden letters as one of the leaders of the genre. A must for AOR fans and for anyone who enjoys Journey or Steve Perry solo records.

A new Swedish guitar player...another Yngwie Malmsteen impersonator you may think....far from it. Tor Talle is a young newcomer that has laid the foundations of his playing in the "less is more" formula and that's quite far from what Malmsteen (or all his impersonators) does. This record has instrumental and vocal tracks. The intrumental part (12 songs) is in a Westcoasty vein. Something like Neal Schon's "Beyond the Thunder" and Bruce Gaitsch's "Nightingale". My personal favourite is "West cost" but the majority of the songs make a very nice late-night listen. Then we have the vocal tracks with Jorn Lande (Millenium, Snakes) as special guest in 3 tracks which are among the best in this cd. All the vocal tracks are pretty good and show hints of Street Talk and Mr.Mister in equal doses. Tor should hire a full-time vocalist for the next recording and create a good AOR/Westcoast cd. Undoubtely he has the potencial for it. Interesting.

Steve Archer is a Christian Adult contemporary artist. "Stay right Here" is his new solo record and mostly written by Tim Miner who should be recalled as the 50% of that post-King of Hearts duo that he did with Tommy Fundenburk. My fluffy tastes love this stuff though I should only recommend it to lovers od Westcoast/Pop. Into this laid back and tasty album the listener can find instant gems like the opener "I lnow it's you" that contains some jazzy touches and a great refrain or the urban/funky nfluences of "You never Leave". Wonderful ballads like the titletrack or "We all Fall Down" find their place in a record that has been written in a four-year period though the piano-led ballad "Care", written in 1981, has also found its place here. Released by candian label Kle-Toi "Stay Right Here" is a fine slice of Westcoast and it's highly recommended for lovers of this certain style.

I must admit it. I've never heard about this guys before... even though they have 2 albums released ("8084" and "Love and War") plus the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" EP. Now, in the dawn of a new millenium, they have released "So Far", a ten song retrospective of songs from all three 8084 releases, nine of which have never been released on CD thus far. Moreover, five tracks from the debut album have been re-recorded to bring them up to date. the final results is a brave combination of up-tempo AOR with good guitars and strong keys. Pretty much this is an 80's AOR disc and has all the ingredients to make a truly enjoyable listen. Definetly, the highlight here is the impressive aldo Nova-penned "Too Late for Love". The musical direction is a cross between Message's 2nd cd and Aviator which is pretty good in my book. Not a must but a great addition to your collection. By the way, it looks like the band is still together and writing songs for a new recording. I'll let you know more when I find out.

Can you remember a Uk band named Walk the Wire? well, one of the memebres of that interesting vombo was Niggel Hobbs and he's back to the music biz with an indie cd featuring his love for fine and soft prog/AOR. Not Dream Theater/Shadow Gallery here. Genesis/Yes touches is what we get all wrapped up in a pop/rock AOR fomula that makes nigel's something accesible though far from instant. Certainly nigel is a fine musician but not a brilliant vocalist and the overall result could have improved with Paul watkins as a full-time member. Paul just sings in 2 track but they are among the best. hi voice is more powerful and rich in textures and sometimes reminding me to AOR god Hugo.Personal favourites are the opener "Don't bring me down", "Living a Lie" or the titletrack that clocks over the 17 minutes. Nothing espectaculer but some interesting tracks if you are into soft prog/AOR.

This Norwegian came as a big surprise to me. Terje Hoilland from the Rock of Norway site sent me the cd (thanks Terje) and I was rather impressed with the mixture of AOR, Melodic Rock, Prog and even Westcoast that this band delivers. The cover is a clear contender for the "cover of the year" award, the production is pretty good too creating a very cristaline soung. Every instrument is in the right place, giving the melodies the necessary air to breathe. "Fade Prints" is built on layers of keyboards and bursts with some great backing vocals in a very catchy chorus. I should say that we are not talking about archetipical AOR here, not at all, this is a very personal and innovative formula neither instant nor easy-listening but well worth the persistance. "Crazy man" leads the innovation to the extreme and it's probably the worst song in the album. Songs like "Don't wanna be here" and the wondeful "Storyteller" make this album especial. And it comes clear there there are long hours of work behind this album. It's quite hard to define the sound of Millennya, so I would strongly suggest that you take a listen to the album first. Belive me, it deserves it. You can visit the band's website at: www.millennya.com

Some of you will remeber Charlie Farren for the one-off Farrenheit release. Well, the man is back but far from AOR and heading into the songwriter/vocal jazz territory. "Deja Blue" is a tasty acoustically-driven album, minimalistic in its intrumentations and highlighting Charlie's soulful vocals. The final result may be a little it irregular for the usual AOR fan as half of the record are beautiful Westcoast ballads while the rest lays in the jazzy vein. Probably if you are akin to Westcoast sounds a la Gino Vanelli or Marc Jordan this will be definetly your cup of tea. The titletrack, "Resurrected", "She Knows" or the Barry Goodrum-penned "Nobody's Somebody" are simply delightful and ideal for a late-night listen. All in all this has the word adult oriented written all over but if you give it a spin you will find in this a very relaxing and inspired piece of music. A memorable exercise of balladry, serenity and laid-back tunes. Well worth each penny if you enjoy jazzy westcoast. Laid back but too well-crafted to be overlooked.

Michel Vescera was, just to name a few, Loudness and Malmsteen's lead vocalist . "Windows" is the name of his first solo album that has been out for a while (though know gets a second kick by Z records who will also release Mike's new album soon). What I found here was what I expected no more no less, sort of what happened with the Bob Catley cd. Melodic hardrock tunes with multiple influences of the classics of the genre such as...yes! Yngwie Malmsteen, Rainbow...Thought the album has some good tracks (like the uptempo "Innocent Man") there's nothing here that have heard before and it's not that memorable to overlook the fact that this album is an average release. Yngwie appears on "Say a Prayer" and Al Pitrelli and Doug Aldrige on "Word Unspoken". I know that Mike Vescera's vocals on the Yngwie releases were a source of discussion among the fans of the Swedish virtuoso but I think there has been enough said. Classic Hard rock fans would find in this an interesting piece, as for the other, I'm afraid this is nothing special.

Since Marillion hired the pipes of Steve Hogarth the band has progresively moved away from the Fish days but marillion.com marks a giantic leap towards modernity and simplicity and I am afraid that this departure from the prog sound will cause a dramatic division among the fans of the band. I don't mean jumping to the bandwagon of alternative rock, far from it this is major update in the band's sound towards modern sounds. The Marillion style is present but in a implicit way. " A legacy" is in the middle betwen past works and the new sound. But the poppy "Deserve" build the foundations of a new order within the band. "Rich" even goes further being instant and even catchy... and instant and catchy are not words likely to appear in a Marillion review. Probably "Interior Lulu" is the coser this gets to previous albums. The piece clock over the 15 minutes and begins with and hypnothic part that developes into a very Marillion-esque intrumental scene. All in all, Marillion.com is a major update in the band's sound that won't leave anyone indifferent.

Emerald Rain are the Now and Then alternative to the early Harem Scarem. The label markets this Canadians as that and the boys seem happy with it because the resemblances are quite obvious in some tracks... though this is still not "Mood Swings". "Age of Innocence" is a step further from their debut. It is definetly a much stronger and complete album and I think that they are probably one step away from the big album. Though they are very good musicians, especially Mike Dmitrovic (Pete Lesperance II), the album sounds quite unidirectional and if you don´t pay atention you may end up thinking that you are always listening to the same tune. Anyway, songs like "No Saviour", "Don't Tell the Rain" or the titletrack prove that the band can write huge songs. Among the weakest tracks we find the raw "The Method", this is not really the way to follow. One more thing, the more you listen to it the more you like it. Good Job.

Alliance is Adult Oriented with capital letters. The superband formed by Robert Barry (3), Gary Pihl (Boston), Alan Fitzgerald (Night Ranger) and Dave Lauser (Sammy Hagar) have shaped a record that needs some time until you can really get all the juice that contains in the inside, but persistance will lead the listener to discover a very interesting cd. It's hard set resemblances with other bands as "Missing Piece" is a very personal and original opus and mixes elements of all their members....some Night Ranger (circa "Neverland") touches, some slight prog arrangements, Boston/RTZ here and there. But I must insist that this is not conventional AOR at all. This record is very mature, organic and introspective at times. Songs like the titletrack, "I'd Give Anything" or "Young Blood" are my personal favourites though I guess everyone will find his/her own different highlights. This is certainly a good piece of musical talent but, once again, I am afraid it will only appeal those with an open mind. With "Missing Piece" Alliance have written their own definition of what AOR should be in the next century. Wheter this comes close to yours is something you will have to find out.

A2 records is a newly created label based in the UK. Robin Brock is their first release and I must say that it's is a very noteworthy release. As you expect this is female fronted AOR with many strightforward rock songs. A rockier Robin Beck or Alannah Myles are influences that easily come to mind though I can hear some Shania Twain hints popping up at times. Definetly this album would have been a must with more songs lie "You lost your heart" which is the highlight of the album and a rather remarkable AOR mid-tempo with a wonderful refrain. "I Lied" is an acoustically-driven kind of Jamie Kyle midwest tune and "If I can forget" is a brilliant AOR tune. Then we get severals straightforward rockers and it's not that these rock n'roll numbers are fillers but they pale in comparison with the more melodic songs. This is something that makes me think about this album as an unbalanced whole with some good tracks but less memorable stuff sorrounding them. If she takes advantage of her more melodic side we can have a really good record the next time, meanwhile "Blame it on rock and Roll" has its interesting moments. If you need more info or want to buy this cd you can reach A2 amp@assassination.co.uk or check their website www.assassination.co.uk

Stonebolt are a Cannuck band that managed to create some buzz in the late 70's/early 80's until they went separate ways in 1983. Now Rewind (soon to re-release I-Ten and Stan Bush among others) has released this Best of cd with 3 new tracks written in the band reformation that occured in 1997. What we have here is the classic pomp/AOR from the later 70's reminding me of bands like Styx, Touch, Airborne etc. This is a very recomendable record but just to those who love the classic, old-fashioned AOR. Other will easily put the "sounds dated" tag though actually some tunes stand the test of time quite well. "Don´t Ya Hide it" is pure Touch with nice keys, "I will still love You" is an acoustic syrupy ballad that reached the Top 30 in the Billboard. "Queen of the Night" is country rock in the Eagles vein and "You don´t Care" sounds like the early Foreigner. The new tunes are "Let's go Back", "The Love I found" and "Extra Mile" and they all prove that the band can still write some good melodies though the latter is the more significant. A must for all the lovers of the aforementioned bands or AOR from the early days.

Many people consider Kevin Gilbert a genious. Well, he wrote the songs for Sheryl Crow's debut album, he was in Toy Matinee before following his solo career and releasing the wonderful pop album "Thud" before suddenly and sadly passing away. Giraffe is probably the most recommendable work for all the AORsters...though I don´t consider this AOR at all. I would define Giraffe's sound as hi-tech Westcoast with some experimental touches. Probably Mr. Mister (circa "Welcome to the Real World") is the band that comes to mind whilst trying to describe the sound but also Toy/Third Matinee hold obvious resemblances. "Giraffe" is a copilation of the 90% of the tracks of the two releases of the band ("The Power of Suggestion" and "The view from here") that are getting the rare status. So 16 keyboard-oriented tracks plus a live version of one of the best songs "This Warm Night". This is one fo these albums that you either love it or hate it as all the songs follow the same path. It took me awhile to get into Giraffe's music but now I can say I am very much into their stuff. All in all, you should approach with open mind and listen before buying. You can buy the record at www.kevingilbert.com