Fans of neoclassical stuff with prog influences will be happy to know that Finnish guitar-player Lars Eric Mattsson has released his most complete solo cd to date. Once again Bjorn Lodin is handling the vocal duties... I have no complains technically-wise but his voice is so raspy that IMHO a listen from beginning to end becomes annoying at times. Anyway this is a quite unidirectional cd filled with Rainbow, Axel Rudi Pell, Malmsteen, Vanden Plas, Elegy or Purple hints and with special (and short) appearences of people like Patrick Rondat, Eric Norlander or Par Lindh. One for the Euro metal fans... although I am afraid it will bore the rest of the melodic fans.

To be honest, I think Frontline should have been one of the biggest acts in the nineties. They concentrated on Japan and that should have get the boys good money but not the fame the recognition they deserve in Europe or the States. AOR Heaven wants this situation to change and they have released the closest thing to an European edition of the INMENSE "Heroes" cd. "Right Attitude" comprises 8 tracks from "Heroes" plus 7 new tracks (I think that some of these were incl. in the "Heroes II" release). If you like acts like Journey, Bad Habit, Bad English... well, in a word, if you are reading this site, you must buy this. Frontline is big time AOR. Catchy choruses, good keys and powerful guitars. For those who already have "Heroes" this is a nice buy too. The info says the "Heroes" tracks have been re-mastered... though to be honest I don't hear it. Anyway, all the seven new tracks are great and I would highlight the opener "Any other Way", "Shelter Me" and above all the bombastic "Who's Crying now" and Journey-esque "Whole lot of Soul". If, by chance, you don't have "Heroes"... well you are wasting your time in front of the computer. Go and get a copy pronto.

Certainly, Ian Parry is no stranger to the music industry. Ian has appeared on numerous recordings, has recorded three solo albums to date and is currently the lead vocalist with the Dutch progressive metal band Elegy. The Consortium project is his last opus and features many great musicians of the Prog scene like Dirk Bruinenberg and Martin Helmantel (Elegy), Stephan Lill (Vanden Plas) Thomas Youngblood (Kamelot) plus luminaries like Patrick Rondat or Tommy Newton. The cd kicks off with the melodic epic metal "House of Cards" wich could have been Millenium gone prog. The anthemic "Banquet for Thieves" has a Malmsteen/Petrucci flavour in it with some good keys. I also like the slow-tempo "A miracle is all we need" and the Dream Theater-esque "The Snake". I just find that there a few filles and that the cd ends up sounding a bit unidirectional. Anyway, this is a recommended cd for fans of Progressive mixed with Euro metal elements. The musicianship is high quality and Ian raspy vocals work really well.

Some of you will remeber Charlie Farren's solo debut reviewed here some months ago. Some of you will also remember his past in the band FarrenHeit. Well the man, who has recently created his own label, is releasing two new cds with Farrenheit. "Greasetown" is the second release and the third album under the Farrenheit moniker. An what we have here is a very adult oriented pop/rock. Filled with fussion, westcoast and Toto hints, this is a very tasty record that I personally find extremely appealing. The musicians playing in this record are of the highest calibre and include Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai) and Igor Khoroshev who is now playing keyboards with Yes. The ballad "Stop talking in your Dreams" is beautiful, "Love Street" is Toto-esque slow-tempo and "Signal in the Noise " and "Doesn't love come here anymore" are pure Westcoast. If you are into the softer end of AOR you can't miss this fantastic record. Rich in textures, soft, elegant and well-crafted. Highly recommended.

Inside Out is re-releasing the first album by one of the most innovative bands Pain of Salvation. The cd was originally reelased in 1997 and get some success in Japan. the band combines progressive metal with darker influences like Faith no More. The cd is overally dark, heavy and varied. Actually, it ranges from the Queensryche-esque clean guitars of "Winning a War" to the funky bass in "People passing by" or the semi-industrial "Stress". Not reallya piece of work recommended for the melodic fan but worth checking out by the fans who like to spice their prog metal with some innocative elements. Not my cup of tea though...

Lion's Share have been together for X years now and released 2 albums. These guys play melodic metal though they add progressive touches here and there. "Unholy rites" is the opener and sounds like Judas Priest. Actually, these guys should like the Priest as they have included a (quite good) cover of Judas classic "A touch of Evil". This is not the only cover though, they have also included City Boy's "The Day the Earth caught Fire" adding powerful guitars and prog licks. For me the highlights of the cd come with "Edge of Sanity", wich is a very powerful tune with nice keyboards in the chorus and a good key/guitar duel in the solo, and "A Hole in Balck". Only 8 tracks and two cover versions make me think that this cd has been released quickly and that the band should have worked a little bit more on new songs. Anyway, "Fall from Grace" has some very good moments and will please lovers of melodic, well-played metal.

You may remember Norway for their first cd "Night Dreams" which was a very promising debut featuring some good 80's AOR tracks. Now and Then /Frontiers were wise enough to sign them and the fruits of that alliance is this new cd "Arrival". First off, I'd like to say that IMO this is a better album than the debut. The production is probably what makes the difference here. The sound is tigher and the guitars more present. There are some bombastic AOR tracks like the opener "Givin' it All", "When You Close your Eyes" or the anthemic "Heaven in your arms". Style-wise Norway haven't changed a bit and those who enjoyed the debut will be even happier with this release. On the other hand, the addition of some fillers like the rocker "My way Home" or the Dokken-esque "Hole in my Heart" makes the final mark decrease a little bit. To sum up, despite some highs and lows, this is a cd recommended for the lovers of 80's AOR with melody, good guitars and keyboards.

Street Legal are from Norway. They were signed in Japan but they were quite unknown in Europe or the States. Frontiers records broght them to the spotlight and they have given us the chance to discover this good melodic hard rock band. The main criticism comes due to the fact that they sound so much like everything smelling John Sykes (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy or Blue Murder)... even Bjorn Boge vocals so sound like John Sykes. But, they are not cheap ripp-offs... by no means. Street Legal are a very solid band and, yes, "Will I ever Love Again" is Whitesnake and "Wrong side of Town" a 90's version of Thin Lizzy but who cares when it's that good. I also personally love the hard rocker "Powertool" or "Shadow Dance". So the decission of the reader is pretty easy this time around. If you are a fan of quality melodic hardrock and especially the aforementioned bands you should buy this right now.

Mike Vescera saw his previous solo cd released a few months ago by Z Records. Now, this same label is releas¡ng "Animation" the last work by the ex-Malmsteen, Loudness... vocalist. Although, the style hasn't changed a bit this is a much stronger effort and features contributions from people like Roland Grapow (Helloween), Roy Z (Tribe of Gipsies, Bruce Dickinson) or guitar virtuoso Joe Stump. As I said before this will please the fans of power hard rock in a Malmsteen, Axel Rudi Pell or Narnia vein. The tunes are a little bit heavier this time around and I particulary enjoy the opener "Chances", that smells Malmsteen all over it, or the melodic "Justified". MVP is only recommended to the lovers of Euro Metal or Malmsteen-esque hard rock and though it's not a memorable album it has its moments.

Bluesy hard rock it's not my cup of tea but I can't deny it's a very attractive opus for the followers of the genre or the casual passer-by. The songs on this album were recorded before Ray Gillen passed away and prove that the man was a hell of a vocalist. The rest of the band is also of high caliber and features Jake E.Lee (Ozzy Osbourne), Jeff Martin (Racer X) and Greg Chaisson. "Dusk" is what "Voodo Highway" would have been in the late-90's, it is also a very cohesive and complete album and the Purple, Stuart Smith, Glenn Hughes, Flesh and Blood or Hendrix hints are all over it. To sum up, I enjoy from time to time listening to this cd. I may not like this style but it is surely a must for the many people that do.

If I had to define this record in one word that word would be evolution. Yes, Crown of Thorns have adapted their sound to the new millenium and added different textures to their music. I should say that they succeed though not always. This record, unlike Lost Cathedral and the debut, is more varied and you can hear loops, acoustic guitars, raw sounds and dark compositions all mixed up in this opus. The first track "Birds on a wire" is among the best in the album though the best moments for the AORster come at the end of the album with gems like the wonderful "Heaven Tonight" or "Long Way home". Tracks like "Buried alive" or "Crying Game" show a completely new direction for Mr Beauviour and co. I would critisize some of the fillers like the rather boring "Here she Comes" and the low mix of the rythm section. All in all, "Destiny unknown" is either instant nor an easily accesible album. COT have taken a brave step towards newer territories. The result is a little bit irregular but with some good moments. A suggestion: listen before you buy.

Robert Lamm has played in Chicago. He may be not as well known as Bill Champlin or Peter Cetera though he's obviously a very talented musician. Some years after his solo album "Life is good in my Neighbourhood", Robert is back with a new and extremely experimental album. "In my head" is a meal hard to chew. You cannot see the Chicago imprint anywhere but introspective tunes filled with loops and innovative melodies. Though this doesn't mean this is a bad record. Not at all. It's just a challenging opus that the listener should approach without a preconceived idea of Robert's past work. You won't find instant songs but persistance will lead you to capture the full flavour of the record and that's certainly worthwhile. For me the highlights are the beautiful "The Love you Call your own" and "Standing at your door". Also the duets with (what a voice!) Phoebe Snow - "The best thing" and "Swept Away" - are wonderful. The style can be defined as Westcoast pop though I am not 100% sure of this affirmation. Approach with an open mind.

A new artist with an independently release record under the belt. John Taglieri is a New Jersey-based songwritter that is working hard to get some recognition for his solo debut "Leap of Faith". As the great majority of the indie releases this doen't have a great sound quality though he has done a prety decent job here I won't complaint too much. The first two tracks (the titletrack and "Shangri-La") are the best of the album being both good rock/AOR with catchy chorus. The rest of the album is not that instant though it contains many good moments like the acoustic ballad "First Night" or the rocker "Hold me close tonight". There is a good dose of fillers...well, not really fillers but faceless songs like the acoustically driven "I found you" or the plain rocker "High Road".
"Leap of Face" is a good debut album. Nothing spectacular but interesting enough to expect good things in the future.

Thrills come from Long Island, New York. They realed two albums "First Thrills" (1980) and "Front Page News". Then they recorded their third album but it never got released. I have heard this story beofre you may think. Yep, our music has many sad chapters but also many happy one like this one. In the year 2000 Rewind records has released for the first time Thrills third album and thaks god they didi because it's a wonderful work. "3" is the name of the album (ok, they were not really original with titles) and features a good dose of pure AOR keyboards everywhere. From the opener track "Running Away" to the last one "It's too Late" each track is a winner and will please the avid fan of bands like Le Roux, Fortune or aviator...yes! this is that good!. I think this needs further comments. The first must-buy cd of the year and the first clear winner for Rewind records.

Balance of Power have found their own place in the world of melodic metal. Born as a melodic rock act, "Book of secrets", the band's second album, showed a major leap towars heavier territories. "Ten more Tales of greand Illusion" is their confirmation as one of the most relevant melodic acts in Europe. In fact, they are getting closer to where bands like Vanden Plas, Lion´s Share or Startovarious are at the moment. The sound of this third album is very close to the "Book of Secrets" opus and there's no trick here: wheter you liked that album you'll enjoy this one as well. "Day Breaker" and "Under the spell" are two of the brightest songs in the cd and they deliver a majestic combination of powerful guitars and melodic keyboards plus a chorus that should sound impressive live. This work is very regular and comes close to sounding a bit unidirectional but this guys are good in what they do. "Book of Secrets" was slightly better album but the final result here is highly recommended for those on the heavier end of the melodic spectrum and the definitive proof that Balance of Power should gain further recognition.

Rick Monroe may never be a household name in AOR circles. In fact he's not even AOR or Westcoast but more a Midwest pop/Country artist . But beyond any musical label he's a hardworker and that's the main reason why he deserves the increasing success and the recognition he's getting . His debut album "Legend's Diner" was a good collection of tunes and this time around his sophomore effort sees the man stretching his songwriting skills and using the talents of the Augie and Clay Meyers from the Texas Tornados. Obviously, the fianal results are more than positive and there's no doubt why he's touring the States and being heard on many radio stations all over the country. "Shame" is a fine slice of Americana in a Allman Brothers/Mellecamp vein featuring great tunes like the titletrack or the first single "Can I call you home". The next step for Rick: the mainstream. Good luck buddie!.

If you enjoyed Stuart Saltz "Any Day Now" this is definetly a recommended cd for you. Chapter 23 is also a Canada-based act delivering a good dose of AOR with some slight prog/pomp touches and a considerable amount of keyboards. The cd has been indepentdely released, that's probably why the mixing could have been improved a bit. The instrumentation is rich in textures and licks here and there. Pretty impressive I'd say. The band sounds really tight though the vocals let the side down as they seem lacking the passion and feeling that could have been expected. The opening track "Big Top" is Arena gone AOR. "Shakedown" starts with some great keyboards and is also a good moment of the cd. I also enjoy the Cannata-esque "Can't Stand the Weather". On top of it all, "Flying in the face of Conventional Wisdom" is a piece that requires several listens. If Keyboard-driven prog/AOR is your thing this album is going to please you for sure. No doubt that with a few more hooks here and there we would be talking about one of the best indie releases of the year. I'll keep an eye on these guys.

We talked some weeks ago about the fantastic Giraffe album. Kevin Gilbert the mastermind behind that album has another cd released being this one a live record including most of the songs on the "Thud" album. While Giraffe was more pop/westcoast oriented this one lays in the songwriter territory. Certainly this could be described as pop, but a very personal, minimalistic and even experimental pop. Kevin Gilbert's music has never been easy-listening but the opposite. This record (just like Thud) need several listens before you can judge it. Wheter love it or hate you can deny this guy knew how to write a touching song, just listen to the stirring "Song for a dead friend". Also wonderful are the classy "Tea for One", the Toy Matinee track "Ballad for Jenny Ledge" or "When you give your love to me" (hilarious lyrics!). includes a cover of Led Zep's favourite "Kashmir". Listen before you but or approach with wide open mind and ears. Nothing to do with AOR though extremely interesting if you are a lover of different music styles.

I expected big things from this record. The German act Jaded Heart had delivered a good dose of melodic rock in their three pervious works and I had the feeling that they were close to write a masterpiece but I am afraid IV is not this classic album. This records sounds harder than everything the band has done before probably due to Bobby Barth's (Axe) production. If we take into account that the Guild of Ages albums have also been produced by Mr.Barth we get a clue why Jaded Heart do sound a bit like the Danver-based band. The sound is not crystaline and too many things are going one at the same time and that's something that becomes annoying to me when I listen to this record. There are some good tracks like the opener "Live and Let die" or "Ain't a perfect world" but this is one of those records seems a bit ordinary and unidirectional to me after all. Songs like "When you hear the thunder" left me wondering how this album would have sounded with a different and more AOR approach. There are two cover tunes included in this album Rainbow's "Stonecold" and Phil Collins "Easy Lover" and both leave me quite cold to be honest. I am pretty sure that this album will cause very different opinions among melodic fans, as for me I wouldn't spend my money on it and I would rather recommend to look for the previous 3 cds of the band. But this is just a personal opinon.

Bob Catley needs no introduction. This record is definetly a risk-zero affair. Everything has been tried and tested before and given the success who dares to change. That's reasonable and taking into account what this man has represented I am not to blame him. So don´t expect anything surprising. Good pomp AOR is what this is all about. Gary Hughes has written all the tunes and this is somehow a proof of warranty. "Legends" follows exactly the same path started by "The Tower", that is Magnum influences through Ten eyes with Catley's vocals. "The Light", "Hydra" and "The Pain" are my favourite moments. If you enjoyed "The Tower" this is equally appealing though a less complete cd I dare to say. That was an easy review I guess.

When I was at the Gods'99 I tried to explain my feelings on this release to Khalil Turk from Escape. If he can remember, it was very hard to put into words my ideas. This is still hard now after having heard the record at least a dozen more times. This is good melodic rock/AOR but not brilliant. Even thought songs like "Fair Warning", "Destiny" or "Believer" are really good some others don´t stick in your brain they way the should. Definetly Mike Walsh's guitars and Dave Baldwin's vocals are above average. Just take a listen to the mid-tempo "You were Mine" to check the vocal exercise. Phew!. If you enjoyed the band's debut effort you'd better check this one out as I consider it to be a better album overall. Still some more memorable hooks would have pushed this record right into the big league. After all, this deserves a B.

Z records latest Sampler comes better than ever before. This time around the British label releases not one but two cds filled with a taste of many of their bands. The addition of many unreleased songs increase the interest for the record even for the most die-hard fan of the company products. There are 26 tracks and 12 of them are rather unreleased songs or advance tracks from forthcoming albums. From the first disc I really like Dreamhunter , the 24k (Mladen, Phil Naro) track and the unreleased Great King Rat tune. Also interesting are the slow-tempo verion of Savannah's "Two Hearts" and the track by Amaze Me included in the band's third album "Wonderland". The second disc is a little less brilliant but still it contains some promising unreleased songs by Damned Nation, Danny Danzi and Amaze Me. Over 115 minutes of good melodic hard rock is what Crusade contains, if you add that the double cd is released at single price this makes a very interesting purchase. It's a pity that didn't include a new tune by the Tyketto boys or Snakes in Paradise, I guess we will have to wait a little longer for that.

What do you think about Stan Meissner? For me this Canadian has a place in the AOR songwriters heaven very close to Mark Spiro et al. (Yes, he's that good!). "Undertow" and "Windows to Light" proved his abilities were never-ending and, along with Peter Fredette, he proves that he knows a thing or two about writing a catchy AOR tune. The songs on this Metropolis cd have been written in a 12-year period and makes me think how many good tunes must be covered in dust in his shelves. Mixing AOR with slight Westcoast touches here and there this record has not a single wasted moment. From the opener "Wild and Blue" to the majestic ballad "The power of the night" this is a cd that must be discovered by everyone who reads AORLAND. Also highlights are "Restless Moon", "Running after a dream" and... well I would end up naming them all so you get the idea, right? A must.