"We took a back-to-basis approach" says Dutch guitarrist Arno Verstappen, actually this is a really proper definition of his own music. The title adds more info in this direction. Challenge is an American two piece fronted by Allison Lindsay silky vocals and the already quoted Arno Verspatten.
All acoustic AOR is not something frequent. The tunes have certainly a lot space to breathe and appart from the guitars they are also filled with the particular sound of B3 and minimalistic drumming and percussions.There are some tracks that deserve to be mentioned: "When Love Find a Fool" has a great melody and the same goes of the initial "Words". The midwest fans will have several reasons to enjoy this and specially in the groovy rock n'roll "It's my Life". This classic AOR chorus pop up in a couple of moments with quite success "Wake into the Daylight" and the last track "Don't Look Back".I know this would sound the band rather topical and annoying but I can't help to say what I feel, this record would have gotten more juice if they had recorded them "plugged" (Just listen "Dont Look Back" and imagine what could have become!). On the other hand, and trying not to become contradictory, I think they have been true to themselves enough to record these songs the way they wanted. For that Challenge deserves my congratulations.Not excellent but a rather good and original beginning.

I suppose RTZ will need no presentation: This band, formed by ex-Boston and Orion the Hunter members including Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau, released their debut album in 1991. "Lost" is a copilation from songs they wrote before calling it a day.
I suppose some of you will be a little bit surprised by the mark? Well, after hearing such big things from this cd and everybody praising over it, I found it a sort of dissapointment. Why? The whole thing starts with the super AOR track "When You Love Someone". Everything seems to be going through the expected path up to this point, but after repeated listenings I still can find anything really appealing in the rest of the album. It leaves me quite cold after all.
It's something easy to forsee that RTZ "Lost" will be the release of the year for all the fans of the Boston or Orion the Hunter, in fact the second track "Turn this Love Around" or the last "Don't Lead Me On" are proves of the strong influence of the glory days with Scholz and co. What is particulary painful for me is that some of the tracks like "Violent Days" sound quite dated and lack of the necessary bite. The same thing happens with the rock n'roller "Given You Up For Dead"
I don't want to seem heretic. I can't even say this is bad. Of course it's not, in this hypothetic case it would have got a 40%, but it's just that I expected a lot more. Anyway a must for Boston freaks.

Big, very big surprise we all have received with this record by unknown British AOR-sters: Change of Heart. The band has been helped by Chris Ousey and Steve Morris from Heartland fame which is easily audible by the quality showed by these 10 compositions. If you have been listening in the last years to bands like Heartland, Red Dawn, Departure, Mark Free you will find tons of material here for your enjoyment. Simply awesome in-your-face AOR.
The pompish keyboards start to shine from the first tune, the uplifting rocker "Sweat It Out". From the memorable bridge in "The Fire is Gone" to the Heartland-esque "A Place in Your Heart" this cd is a pure jewel. The eighth track "Don't Walk Away" is also sublime but this same adjective could easily qualify the whole recording. Sincerely this record deserves to be considered a classic in the making. It might not receive the marketing that bands like Ten or Crown of Thorn do receive but it's a hell of good album. Buy right now and start enjoying these tunes filled with great keys, guitars and vocals. Certainly Chris Ousey has a part in this Change of Heart success but I suppose the guys won't matter in recognize it!. Superb!.

Stormwind is basically Thomas Wolf project. This Swedish guitarrist, who left his axe to become the national karate champion of his country in 1993, shows his love for Malmsteen and Rainbow-esque virtuosism in this second album. "Straight From Your Heart" the band's debut featured a more AOR oriented style and Tina Leijonberg on the vocal duties. Now Tina has been replaced for Angelica Haggstrom and the overall sound has sharpened considerably.
The opener "Hit by the Sound" is a sort of Rainbow/Malmsteen track with an impressive key solo in a Johanssen style. "Masquerade of Love" is a excellent mid-tempo in a Stratovarius vein. For sure, we are not very used to hear femenine vocals in this music style but Angelica is a very capable singer who deals perfectly with high and low tones, even in some parts she reminds me to Timo Kotipelto gone girl!. "Aliens" is a heavy track with groovy swirling guitars. Apart from the intro "Pegasus" we find 2 instrumental numbers ("Sakura Opus" amnd "Miramar") both filled with medievalesque inspirations.
Maybe you can regard this record as a little bit too topical but some songs are very good and the musicianship is top-notch. We even find ex-Europe drummer Ian Haugland in a couple of tracks: the average mid-tempo and less metal oriented "Cry for Love" and "Beyond Lies", which starts with a piano-driven verse to become a great "dut-dut" Melodic Hard Rock piece.
If you enjoy this sort of epic Melodic Hard that Scandinavians use to play so well, you can't miss this one. The next record of Thomas Wolf's Stormwind will be released soon and it features vocalist Thomas Vikstrom (Talk of the Town). And all I have heard it will be a killer...

"Lint", the critically acclaimed debut album of this Swedish band wasn't exactlly easy listening AOR, "On the Verge" isn't either. In fact with this second record this five-piece keeps on building his own particular AOR style combining it with exotic touches. As a result of that you can't expect instant songs but after a couple or three listens you get completely grabbed.
"The Song Remains the Same" is a great start with powerful guitars and fine chorus. "Best of Times" could have been included in the debut album and "Ghost in Town" has a great guitar melody and some Snakes in Paradise hints. The fifth track "Yesterday's Gone" is probably the best song House of Shakira has ever recorded, starting in a campfire setting and an acoustic guitar the tune turns into a monster song when the full band cames up. Amazing and quite original as well. "Mbaloumouna" is a refernce to African traditional music. If you haven't had enough with the band own compositions this album even features a cover in the form of "Separate Ways" from Journey that the band plays live and being very faithfull to the original. Although this is a 13 tracks affair the cd doesn't contain a single track that we could conside a filler.
House of Shakira brought since their debut some fresh air into the world of AOR. "On the Verge" is the confirmation of a great act that has built a very personal sound. A killer album with fantastic tunes.

The first Billy Squier record in 5 years since 1993 "Face the Truth". Although, he has been object of several copilations during this half decade, the man was tired of the whole music biz and even though about giving up his musical career. Fortunately this never happened
1998 is the year of Billy's resurrection, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to come back with the same classic rock he had used to play so far. In fact, this is a one-man-and-his-guitar kind of record.
It has a lot of blues, some midwest and some pop in it but nothing closer to his previous efforts, which directly drives me to the uncertainty of not really knowing how to review this cd. I mean if you like this music you will love it and if you don't simply consider it for your top ten of most-boring cds. I suppose it basically depends on which mood you are when you listen to it.
"Happy Blue" is a very personal and introspective album with several clever lyrics. "Hapy Blues" is a...well, the title says it all. "She Will" goes in the same bluesy vein too and "Grasping for Oblivion" is a rendition to his love for the pinture with a great refrain. Billy has also recorded the songs he played for a VH-1 show. The first is a new and bluesy cover of "The Stroke" ( now renamed as "Stroke me Blues") and the other is "Inferno".
Those who expect a continuation of their previous works will be a little bit dissapointed by "Happy Blue". But I can't deny this is a good record written with feeling and soul and performed with an ultra-minimalistic instrumentation.

Bodragaz? Yes, before you start wondering I had the same question coming to my mind. What does that mean? Well, Michael Layer, vocalist and guitarrist of the band, explained to me it was the name of a Swiss town (hence the title of the album).
What came as a surprise was the fact that this was not the only sign of originality. The sound of this band is a fantastic combination of modern sound with our old AOR. It has the edge, the groove but also the melodies and the keys. I have always liked this bands that create a crossover sound with style and not only trying to jump on the train of easy cash. "I Will Not Forget You" is the cracking start with hard guitars and good chorus. There are some tunes that are reminiscent of Melodic Rock mixed with some Smashing Pumpkins/U2 elements and, at the risk of seeming crazy, I must say that like them very much. Certainly this album will surprise you and quite probably won't appeal those with not open tastes but I can't deny this is good. The sixth track "Eyes All Around"is also great with some dark chorus and the moody "Feel the Sun" contains some ambient keybords which create a great sorroundings. All along the record there are plenty of mid-tempos more than rockers and that appears as a good choice because this approach seems the very right one for Bodragaz songs.
Innovative, melodic, creative. Bodragaz are a band to watch out in future releases. Very interesting.
If you want to purchase the album visit the Bodragaz site.

The MTM boys seem to have found the winning team in rescuing late 80's acts that, due to the musical trends change, never got released. Tower City, Stone Soup and now Restless. A little bit of history. Restless, formerly Freelance, were beginning to spread their commercial and melodic hard rock in the LA area in the late eighties. But when success was only one step away, the nineties came and you can imagine the rest of the story that ends with some master tapes in some dusty shelf of a major.
"Alone in the Dark" introduces a band that, like many contemporaries, is capable of great things but also of mediocre ones. I wouldn't wait a single minute to say that Michael Lord's keys are among the most spectacular I have listened in this kind of sound, just take a listen to the supreme "Don't Do It to me". Also some other fantastic Melodic Rock moments are "Guilty", "Keep the Fire Burning" or the power ballad "Willing". Restless will surely appeal to those who enjoyed Stun Leer debut, old Bon Jovi or Giuffria to name a few. The overall sound is definetly powerful and has the necessary bite to please every AOR fan. The whole thing slips dangerously when the band plays this nonsense sleazy hard rock of "Body to Body" or more average songs like the titletrack or "Feels Like Love".
Anyway this is a worthly release featuring good Melodic Hard Rock based on great keyboards.. Despite some up and downs "Slone in the Dark" is a record with a lot to offer.

Hailing from Boston, MA comes one of the latest MTM signings: Sunshine Jive (formerly known as In The Pink). This five piece act delivers in this selftitled debut album a quite varied and original combination of Melodic Rock tracks in a Stun Leer vein, some Extreme kind of funkish AOR and also a couple of Journey hints here and there.
From the powerful keyboards of the opener track "Fools Parade" you know this one is gonna be great. The titletrack is just like Extreme in good shape and we look at the credits and yeah Mr. Nuno Bettencourt is behind mixing the song. I also enjoy the Melodic Rock in "When You Love Someone". "Sha Na La La" is just a music divertimento, and in "Lost in Love" is where Tommy Dempsey vocals shine and show the influence of Steve Perry in a sort of The Storm/Rokbox kind of tune.
Though not the best record of the year, this is clearly a winner. I prefer the MR/AOR side but it's okay when bands put some original touches in their music. Fantastic debut. Hope to hear more in the future.

I suppose almost every reader in AOR Land will know Amy Sky curriculum vitae in the songwritting area which includes several collaborations with artists like Heart or Diana Ross to name a few. Equally known is that she is married with westcoast/jazz singer Marc Jordan.
Well, this beautiful voice, who earned two Juno nominations with her debut "Cool Rain", hits the road again with another wonderful album filled with heartfelt slow tempos and some uplifting tunes (like the opener track and first single "Love, Hate and the Whole Damn Thing"). Amy brilliantly defines the music in "Burnt by the Sun" - I spent 3 years in Nashville learning the storytelling part of songwritting and 7 years in LA learning the hook part of it -. So what you can expect here are the Westcoast melodies but with a more rootsier and organic approach. In fact, several parts of the record could remind you to Sheryl Crow ("Waterfall") or Shania Twain last albums. Particular favs are the ballad "Ordinary Miracles" that has been dedicated to her children and "Burnt by the Sun".
This is a quite personal album, filled with slow tempos based around acoustic guitars, piano and B3. If you enjoy this kind of Midwest pop with nice melodies you will be entirely amused by Amy's last opus.

If I had to use a single word to define this record, this word would be varied. From the super catchy AOR in the opener "On The Air Tonight" to covers like Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" or soul classic "When a Man Loves a Woman" finding all along the way several doses of midwest and even a blues track ("King Tone Blues").
I suppose, an the album title is quite a great backing up clue, these are song that Dave has recorded along his career. His band features musician like Pete Bardens from symphonic rockers Camel, Neale Haywood who has toured with Lindsey Buckingham and in the last Fleetwood Mac resurrection and Sojourn and sopencer/Bullock bassist Dane Spencer. I certainly find this record quite appealing and "On the Air Tonight", "What Happened to Me" or the poppy ballad "Turn Your Heart Around" are the best tracks for the AOR-sters out there. There are also some moments for pomp freaks like "Serenity" or the Styx-like slow-tempo "I Never Wanted". Perhaps the straightforward rocker "One More Night" is the weakest song in "The Lost Years".
A better production would have done more justice to Dave's material. It sometimes sounds like a good demo. Anyway this fourteen tunes are a great and very complete listen.

"Thrills" is the second cd of the American act Silent Witness. Basically this one follows the same vein of the debut album but a little more hardrocker and less AOR. That doesn't mean the melodies are not there but maybe the tunes have received a more 80's Hard approach. The lyrics too. "All She Had On Was the Radio" is the first track and just reading the title you can safely guess what is gonna be about. Robert Mason has been replaced by a new singer, Anthony Lee Fontayne, who sings brilliantly and has a more high-pitched voice that his predecessor.
In the second track we can see John Bussnell using some kind of Van Halen/Paul Gilbert guitar lick. His playing along the record proves that he's a virtuoso when using the six-string. My particular favourite is "Run Thru the Night" which is a new version of "I'll Wait" (included in the debut cd). Maybe the first album was a more complete and consistent work. Anyway if you enjoyed their previous effort you will love this one too. The ballad "One Winged Angel" is a good tune. The last track is the cock rocker "Playin' with the Boys" which would have fit perfectly in Warrant's debut. "Thrills" is a direct and party rocker album. Uplifting enough to make you smile while remembering the eighties, not impressing but a good enough follow-up.