More organic and definetly better produced than his last album with Barrage, "Language of the Heart" marks Stan's comeback to his solo career sound-wise. Not that this is a ballad-filled cd but the songwritting has a more "Nashville" kinda sound (if you know what I mean). I particulary like "What I have got is Real" and "Don't Tell Me" but there is not a single song that I could call a filler. Maybe it lacks of killer cuts like in the "Heaven" album but it's definetly an album that grows after several listens. "Language of the Heart" proves the maturity of Stan as a songwriter and how he has blended perfectly his AOR beginnings with some Midwestern influences. This is an album that won't let down any previous fans of this talented songwriter.

The first thing I heard from this Finnish band was their Journey-like ballad "One Day". Certainly it was a strong number and enough to keep me interested. Almost a year after they have their debut album out and what a big opus it is. Not only their Journey influences shine all over but they also add some very slight prog touches and pop-oriented arrangements. Great hook laden choruses can be found in the opener "The Devil in Me" and "King of Hearts". "Passion Takes Over" is a classic Scando-AOR number in the vein of Return, Street Talk or Charizma. Progresive keys introduce the Asia-like "Circus". Also great are "Runaway Train" or the ballad "Broken Chains". The thing I like the most about this band is that although reminding me of many great acts they have been talented enough to build their own sound. Sure Kimo Blom is a deadringer for Steve Perry but don't think of Urban Tale as a Journey copycat. Intelligent, modern and elegant AOR.

Hush became a band to keep an eye on after their promising debut album released three years ago. The formula is still intact and there are glorious and catchy-as-hell numbers just like in the debut album. Bad English, Bon Jovi or Europe are the main references here. On the downside we find a second half much boring that the first one which is top notch. Nothing on the second part gets close to AOR candies like "The Restless Ones" or the absolute winner "Don't Say Godnight". "Is it good enough?" could have been huge without the average chorus. Despite containing good numbers this is not better than the debut which was more regular. Anyway not a bad summer album.

After the weak ROULETTE release the Escape label hasn't recovered too well from the harm caused by the afore-mentioned band and brings another 80's-sounding band under the belt. Don't be scared because PARADISE's debut is a much decent release but still nothing that I would put in my wants list. PARADISE are a Cannuck band formed by Doug Johnson (Loverboy's keyboardist). The first three cuts are an oasis in a desert of party-time unspectacular rockers like "Rockiday", "2xtc" or "Going Down to Sin City". The production is quite okay and I would probably underline the Paul Gilbert-influenced guitar work by Joe Wowk. The titletrack is also among the best here. It has its moments but overall this is a dull album that can't compare to anything Loverboy recorded in the past.

SEVENTH KEY is the brainchild of Billy Greer of Kansas and The Sign fame. The man is sorrounded here by many friends including luminaires like Stave Morse, Terry Brock, Steve Walsh and Mike Slamer who co-wortes most of the songs. This record has been hyped everywhere and I won't be the exception. Sounding like and updated version of that magical band named Streets, this record smokes. Well-produced melodic rock in the vein of Steelhouse Lane another Slamer brainchild. "The kid could play" is a brutal hardrocking opener, then we have a varied combination of songs ranging from the Mr. Big-like "Surrender", the AOR-esque "Forsaken" or the Kansas sounding "No Man's Land" (awesome guitars courtesy of Steve Morse). The closing number is "Broken Home" a great mellow ballad written by Mark Spiro. Needless to say this is a must for all the fans of melodic rock.

Roulette is a new band from San Francisco... but the question is: are they really new? That hair can't be true and their music is too generic to say the least. Rockers in the most pure 80's style and lyrics to die for (e.g. "She says boy do you want to dance/and take me home and get in my pants/I'm not this way... not usually/but you make me hot"). Maybe I am being too tough. It's true that our music was born in that era of party, fun and big hair. It's not that I am against it but I sincerely don't enjoy listening to the same band over and over again. By the way, even the production (Jesse Bradman) sounds dated. The opener track is decent and it's not 'till the three last cuts that we get some good kicking melodies. Let me look at the release date once again...

After a notable debut album this Swedish band is back again with a more consistent record. Sound-wise this is very close to the debut "Kingdom Come" and has a very good balance between keys and rocking guitars. Even though they come from Sweden, Dreamhunter sound more American than the majority of Scando bands. Just listen to the Bon Jovi-esque "Can't Take another night". "City of Angels" is another gem sounding a little bit like Casanova especially because of the vocals. I think I would end up highlighting most of the songs of the album as it's a very cohesive opus. All in all, maybe not a milestone but surely a great melodic rock cd for this summer.

Site regulars will already know about my contradictory feelings towards Von Groove. I have never been able to understand why their career takes a different turn with each record. So what does "The Seventh Day" offer this time around? I would say that this new release is something inbetween their first album and their last "Driving off the Edge of the World" as it contains great melodies yet the rawness and power of its predecessor. The three first songs are awesome slices of melodic rock, probably among the best the band has written, but then the album starts slipping away dangerously towards a less melodic territory. The titletrack is decent yet unespectacular and "Guns over London" is very generic rocker. Then the fantastic ballad "The best in me" follows but after the acoustic-driven "Heaven knows your name" the record goes down again in the last two tracks. My heart is divided here, while some tracks are totally awesome then we have many fillers. Still better than the band's previous effort.

It's been awhile since I last enjoyed a cd like I enjoy ECLIPSE's debut. With resemblances to Europe or Kharma this cd is brilliant from beginning to end though there's is no doubt that the main highlights are in the first half of the disc. Songs like "Midnight Train", "The only one" or "Mesage of love" are superb. The guitars and keyboards are powerful yet clean and melodic but above all I would underline the fantastic vocals courtesy of Erik Martensson who is a deadringer for two of the best Swedish singers in the genre: Goran Edman and Joey Tempest. All in all, "The truth and little more" is a fantastic piece of Scando melodic rock filled with powerful musicianship, a vocalist to die for and sunny melodies. Beg, steal or borrow a copy.

I didn't know what to expect from Night Ranger's BRAD GILLIS new solo album. Even though Night Ranger are one of my favourite all-time bands I don't really enjoy their last two studio albums and JEFF WATSON's "Around the Sun" is still among my top ten of most boring albums. I am lucky this is very different. One thing is for sure, the man needed to strecht a little bit from the Night Ranger sound, and he has definetly succeded. The album is very diverse though the anthemic "Heart-Shaped Wings" is my top pick. From the blues/rock of "Alligator" to the acoustic-driven "Bigger than Life" or the hardrocker "Leap of Faith", Brad can play but his licks let hissongs breathe. Gary Moon (Night Ranger, Jeff Paris) is the vocalist in most of the album and he does a great job carrying the vocal duties. Classy and Innovative melodic Hard Rock. Not an instant record and far from being average or topical. Highly recommended.

If there was a band initially formed to be big in Japan that was PRIME TIME. Their epic hard rock and their members pedigree was unquestionable. While their first album "The Unknown" was solely rooted on hard rock, their sophomore effort was definetly a more melodic opus. "Free the Dream" is their third album and is a step further in the band's melodic sound. While the epic/pomp touches are always present (the keyboards rule constantly) the band's sound is far from the rockier debut and much closer to bands like Magnum/Bob Catley, Praying Mantis or Terranova. Personally I enjoy the uptempo "Hanging On", the Balance of Power-like "The new You" and the last track "Scorned". Everyting is very well done though sometimes I hate the way the backing vocals have been mixed. Special mention deserves mainman Henrik Poulsen which not only is a great guitarrist but also a keyboard virtuoso. If I had to buy just one record it wouldn't be this one. After several listens I cannot say it's bad but it leaves me cold somehow... still it contains some enjoyable moments specially for fans of the pomp/melodicrock.

Bob Catley, arguably the most noted figure in the melodic pomp rock field, is back with an album that you would expect from the ex-MAGNUM frontman. The Priest has joined forces as usual with Ten's Gary Hughes in "Middle Earth" his third solo album. This conceptual album based around the story of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" is a step forward his two last albums having this an extra dose of pomp and more ellaborated songs. In a way, "Middle Earth" is closer to Magnum than to Ten. Highlights include "City Wallls" wich resembles Meat Loaf's magnum opus "Bat out of Hell" and contains superb keyboards or the instant "Return of the mountain king". I would never expect Catley's departure from his previous solo albums though this is definetly a more meaty yet less AOR-oriented cd. All in all a mandatory purchase for all the fans of pomp-rock and Magnum fans.

VELOCITY's debut album created a big stir when it was released and the band's inclusion in the "Rock Never Stops" tour put them in the spotlight as one of the most promising classic hard-rock bands. Now, David has been experimenting with more modern sounds and a harder edge to his music and the final result of this 5-song EP entitled "Activator" will surely generate very diverse opinions among fans. "Stay" is a fine slice of powerful modern hardrock and you can't be but surprised that this is the same band that recaptured the 80's rock essences in a single jar named "Impact". Though I am not a lover of this kind of stuff this grown on me amazingly. "Stranger", the last track, is vibrant yet dark while the melody burts in "You". "Activator" is definetly an opus to approach with open ears and a love for the modern sounds.

Impressive is one of the adjectives that comes to mind when reviewing the solo debut by ex-Bam Bam Boys frontman Mati Alfonzetti. Probably one of the things that makes this cd so attractive is the combination of bluesy rock, and organic AOR. Whilst some songs lay in the Brett Walker field ("Better than Goodbye") others hold resemblances with Bad Habit circa-Adult Orientation ("Out in the Cold") or Bad Company's more AORish releases ("Blue Hero"). There are some fillers but the quality of the highlights is simply awesome. The inclusion of the Michael Morales-penned "Let me in" or the powerful opener "Blowing up Detroit" adds several point to Ready's overall mark. One of the many great cds released this year and an album that you will keep listening too the next summer. A MUST!

Considered by many one of the best bands in the scando AOR, RETURN have released many important records like the classic "Attitudes" or the more American sounding "V". After many years of inactivity and a just a year after their Greatest Hits album they started playing giggs again and this recording shows just how well they keep fit. All their classic cuts are here. From "Bye, Bye Johnny" to "Friends will be Friends", "Change the Attitude" or "To the top". The sound quaility is very good and every instrument is in the right place. A must if you own their discography and a good way to get to know this straighforward Scandinavian AOR band better.

Most of us think that Winger were a great band despite all the fun the MTV did of them. Kip wanted to take a different turn when his band split off and the oddly titled "thisconversationseemslikeadream" was an introspective journey to the mind of a mature songwriter. This second cd has been built on the same foundations and features 12 intense, moody and dark tracks sorrounded by a huge quality. Once again the list of musicians sorrounding Kip is filled with well-know luminaries like Andy Timmons (dangeDanger), Rod Morgenstein (Winger), Ken Mary (House of Lords)... For the nostalgics there's also a track featuring the Beach/Morgenstein/Winger who reforded Winger's farewell "Pull". There's a lot to be discovered in this cd. It's not an easy-listening but it's well worth you attention if you enjoyed the debut album.

eXtrareviews...

Once again thanks to Mr. Par Wimberg, we can have in our shelves another lost piece of AOR. OUTSIDE EDGE was a British band in the vein of other glorified bands coming from the islands like Stangeways or Fm. Superb AOR with an equal blend of guitars and keys and great catchy choruses. Two albums have been released at the same time: "Running Hot" and "More Edge". The former is the band's debut album which appears in cd format for the first time ever and the latter is a never-released cd. Both cds are in the same vein and it's har to say which one is the best though personally if I had to buy one I would get "More Edge" as it's a more balanced and a better album songwritting-wise.

Outside Edge Running Hot (Virgin'00) Outside Edge More Edge (Virgin'00)

Doug Howard SLast Man Standing (MTM'00)

Many of us enjoyed the powerful melodic rock that filled Stun Leeer's debut album. Now frontman DOUG HOWARD has taken the solo way and while the songwriting in this album is in line with the debut, the music is not. Much heavy and modern sounding, this record has decieved me. Some tunes like "Hey Money" or "Faith" simply go nowhere. Agressive, dark and hardrocking are words that define this boring cd. WEB: mtm-music.com

INTRUDER's first cd was completely centered in emulating George Karak's famous son "Runaway". The dut-dut keyboards were everywhere and each song could have been included in one of the old Bon Jovi cds. This time it's different. The band has taken a more personal approach and there are less Bon Jovi hints (though there's a different and updated version of Runaway). Everything is in the right place and some tunes like "Fatihful Love" or "Down on Love" are very good... but... there's something missing. Maybe the material is too generic and "Believer" is certainly not a record that I would be listening the next month. Good but average. WEB: escape-music.com

Intruder Believer (Escape'00)

The VU is one of those mega-stars projects of the eighties that featured an impressive (and I do mean IMPRESSIVE) line-ups. Chalfant, Valory, Prince , Stef Burns and Tim Gorman created AOR magic. Chalfant is especially brilliant and many tunes bring memories of the AOR heydays with Journey, John Waite etc leading the airwaves. Also I find resemblances with The Storm, Survivor, Rick Springfield, Bad English... "Who you gonna believe" is a great opener and also of high-caliber are "Keys to the City". I am not going to waste your time with more words. This is a must for the classic AOR lovers.

Voila! for a long time I was looking for a cd by these guys. Now that I have it in my hands I know the search was worthy. Maybe you have read about the Lennon brothers... msuch probably you have read abouth their vocals. Truly impressive how these guys sing harmonies. "Spin Art" is an entertainment for your ears just like the Garnd Canyon is for your eyes. Acoustically driven classy pop/rock songs that draw sunny landscapes. VENICE keep the American sound delivered by bands like the Eagles et al. Definetly one of the best pop bands around. A shame that they haven't been discovered mainstream-wise.

TEN are back and the whole FRONTIERS/NOW AND THEN machine starts working extra hours to promote their best selling band. I think the listener should try to get out of the the-best-Ten-album kind of slogans and just concentrate on the music. Obviously a new TEN cd always bring diverse opinions and after several spins I have one on my own: This is a very good album. It may not have the instant catchiness of their two first cds but it's definetly a better album than the previous Spellbound. the addition of Don Airey has been a very positive step toward a bigger sound with the epic proportions that Ten were looking for. Still this is a more melodic cd with AOR tunes like "Give in this time" or the melodic rock uptmepo "The Stranger". "Thunder in Heaven" is the most complex and heavy tune the Bristish band has ever written and the Gary Hughes trademark is obvious in ballads like "Silent Rain" or "Valentine" which could have been easily included in his solo records. BABYLON is an album that grows on you after several listens. It has many elements to keep you entertained for a long time plus the fact that it is a conceptual album adds some extra point of interest. All in all, an excellent piece of music.

ELYTE is another great band coming from my country (Spain). Once again thanks to the newly created VINNY RECORDS label many new and interesting bands are coming out from this beautiful (ok I am biased here!) territory. If SEVEN LTD delivered a nice piece of melodic rock with progressive touches, this fivesome offer nothing but strightforward melodic rock AOR in the vein of Danger Danger, Europe or Harem Scarem. The record has a great balance and contains several inmense tracks like "Todo Mi Tiempo", "No te puedo dejar atras", "Solo en la ciudad"... Obviously it's in Spanish and I know that this will work against the great majority of you, that's why the guys will re-record the disc in English sometime soon. If you are into the best melodic rock you should check this out or at least wait until the English version is released, you won't be let down.

Lovers of classic AOR/Pomp will be happy to know that Kivel Records has released a copilation with unreleased tracks by American quintet TOUR DE FORCE. The band's two previous efforts varied from the hardrocker and weak eponymous album to the fantastic "World on Fire" cd. Well, this new cd is definetly closer to the latter. With AOR anthems like "City Nights" or "Diana", this cd has some brilliant tunes offering a very balanced combination of keys and guitars. The production could be better though. Just like in the "WOF" cd there are some fillers ("Over n'Over" or "Roads" come to mind) but overall the highs are more present than the lows. Though this is not as great as World on Fire it has its moments and it makes a very enjoyable purchase for the lovers of classic bands like ArcAngel, Prophet, White Sister or for those who have enjoyed new albums like Storyteller or Kharma.

This album should have ben something big, really. It has the songs, the power and the musicianship but the sound is simply HORRIBLE. Melodica is the project of Gerhard Pichler and Ted (Danger Danger) Poley and this debut album offer a great collection of straighforward uptempo AOR tracks but... the recording is among the worst thing that I have heard from one of the AOR majors. It's a shame that the guys at Frontiers have released this cd with this poor sound quality because it could have been a hit among the AOR fans with a decent (even an average) production and mixing. The drums are thin, the vocals are more than raw and sometimes unproduced. The thunderous "It's not enough", "Best friend" or "Hardest part of love" are all AOR anthem that are continously let down by major sound problems. Please re-record the record and do justice to some of the best AOR tracks released this year.

Dark, complex and far from accesible are some words that easily describe the debut album of this Northamerican combo that mixes hard rock with modern influences and some prog a la Dream Theater (circa "Falling into Infinity"). Everything is very well done but nothing really makes me keep listening this record enough to start digging it. Maybe I'm not the right person to review this cd so i'll guess it's going to be much better if you could give it a spin before purchasing it.

It's modern rock time. NEVE come from the States and this is their debut album. JOHN KALODNER signed them for his Portrait/Columbia label (just like he did with MARS ELECTRIC) after including the first single "It's Over Now" in the soundtracks of the movie "The Faculty". This complete and balanced album spans from punk/rock ("Anything") to OASIS-like stuff ("Absent") but it's mainly power pop of the highest caliber with sharp guitars and good melodies. Fans of GOO GOO DOLLS, MATCHBOX 20 or MARS ELECTRIC would find a lot enjoy here with potential singles like the melodic "Motor", "Same old Story" or "Skyfall". The album closes with the wondeful and ethereal slow-tempo "Drift" that could have been easily written by the GOO GOO DOLLS. NEVE are working hard to get national airplay in the States and play live as much as they can. I hope they get the success that other similars bands have reached. Excellent modern rock.

MTM is the nº1 label when it comes to rescue demos from the late 80/90 and release them for the pleasure of the AOR fans being TOWER CITY the biggest discovery so far. STORYTELLER is another great band that could have been easily forgotten in a dusty shelf. Instead, ten years after it was recorded this album sees the light of day with upgraded versions of the original songs. The sound is big melodic rock... mouthwatering stuff for the fans of keyboard driven pomp/hard in the vein of Red Dawn, Artica, Kharma or Kansas in steroids. Tracks like "She Sherea" or the great "In your Arms" are simply essential. "Corridor of Widows" is not an instant work but some reiteration will pay off. Still some tunes like the titletrack are too pompish for my taste. All in all, AOR fans will find tons of excitement for their ears in this disc. This is not the album of the year but it's very well done and some songs are clearly above these days standard.

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA is, without any kind of doubt, one of the most innovative and talented bands in the AOR scene. Either you hate them or love them, these guys have written many good tunes and this third cd is the confirmation that they are here to stay. This disc has less African/Eastern stuff and more Hard Rock with Led Zep influences and some fantastic AOResque tunes like "In your Head" (brilliant!) or "Unforgiven". Both featuring a good dose of harmony vocals and Steve Pery-like vocals courtesy of aceman Andreas Eklund. All their previous albums took some time before you could taste their full flavour and "III" is not going to be the exception. A notable disc.

I think this Cannuck trio has still not find their place in music. No, seriously, they have 6 albums under the belt and still each album has a diferent direction than the predescessor. After the very good AOR cd that was "Test of Faith" now they come up with this ordinary hard rocker cd. I don't understand this change of direction. Obviously, these guys can play and the quality is here but the songwritting is just so average that I don't find any appealing in this album. Sure some tunes like "South of Zero" or "Stone Soldier" are quite catchy but after all nothing really impresses me after some spins.

Signed by Z RECORDS, DREAMHUNTER is a new act hailing from Sweden, something hard to tell given that their sound is not exactly Scando AOR and, moreover, because the booklet gives no info but the lyrics... it doesn't even mention the members of the band or who wrote the tunes(!). Well, when I first played this cd I was stunned by the first 2 songs "Kingdom come" and "When Heaven calls your name". The rest of the album is pretty good but never reaches the level of the two first cuts. Songs like the uplifting "Young, wild and Free" or "Tell me why" are sorrounded by faceless and ordinary hardrockin' numbers like "Anyway you want it" or "Rose tatoo". Not essential but certainly it has its moments.

Fredrik Bergh strikes back with STREET TALK's second album. What we have here is a continuation of what their debut album offered: Westcoasty/AOR melodies, great keyboards, elegance and Schon-esque guitars... well, I can't ask for more I guess. I really like this cd. Maybe it has many ballads but this is extremely well-performed and has high-class written in every song. No fillers. And to cap it all we have Goran Edman singing with all his soul and passion. His voice fits perfectly this material although he would never agree. "Transition" is a step further from "Collaboration" as this disc features more of a band feel which results into a tighter sound. Get a copy soon. Excellent disc.

From what I have heard this was meant to be a bonus cd to be included in the "Driving off the edge of the world". That would have been nice but I am afraid that as a single release this does nothing for me. VON GROOVE have released 4 completely different albums since their pretty weak "Chamaleon". As I said in the "Driving off the Edge of the World" reviews (see above) I still consider "Test of Faith" as their best and most cohesive effort to date. Probably AOR fans will think the same. Acoustic records are a very dangerous area because they may look like an easy, cheap and quick effort to release something new. HEARTLAND's "When Angels Call" was a definition of what I like in acoustic records i.e. very good arrangements, new aproaches to old songs... but this is not "When angels call" and ends up being what it was meant to be, a fans only cd.

Lovers of the keyboard-oriented melodicrock/pomp have two must-buy cds out now: the first one is STORYTELLER's "Corridors of Windows" and the second one is KHARMA's debut. This cd is divided in two parts: One half is formed by the more AOR-esque tracks like "Free Yourself", "Hold on", "Don't Close you Eyes" or "Standing Alone". All these songs are huge AOR anthems and among the best tracks released this year. Then we have the second part, far more pompish in the vein of Kansas and Styx with even some progressive licks here and there. Not being a great fan of classic pomp, I'd rather listen to the more AOR tracks but certainly some tunes like the titletracks are equally brilliant. Special mention deserves Goran Edman who sings his ass off once again in this cd. Fans of the man should be happy as he has two great cds out (this one and STREET TALK). A must for the fans of pomp/AOR and keyboard driven AOR like Styx, Kansas, Red Dawn, Giuffria et al.

Mars Electric is the first modern-sounding brand-new project by hard rock legend John Kalodner... and how good this is! You have probably heard very different (even completely opposite) opinions on this one. Here's mine: MARS ELECTRIC should be big. They play modern-rock but stuffed with melody, haramony vocals and good hooks. The thing starts bravely with the monster track "Someday", the first time I listened to the cd I though that this was the only brilliant track, but after some listens you realize the explicit quality of "Feel Like June" or "All the things", to name some. Maybe only the punkier moments don't do it for me. So, If you are NOT into modern sounding bands you should better not pick this one... as for the others, if you have a good time listening to bands like Goo Goo dolls, Rubber, Matchbox 20 or are looking for a rawer version of Emerald Rain, this is a must.

I was very happy when I heard that TALK OF THE TOWN was rejoining. The collection of never-released stuff that was "Reach for the Sky" was a rather boring disc so I didn't know what to expect from the band that wrote the Scando-AOR masterpiece that was the debut. The kick off is impressing. The first five tracks are pure bublegum. Nothing original for sure but, after all, bombastic AOR with all the elements that you would expect from a Swedish AOR cd. The album becomes a little bit irregular in the second half where good tracks like "A matter of the Heart" are sorrounded by some average ones like "Do Nothing". Tommy Denander has written most of the tunes, hence some of them sound a little bit like PRISONER (just listen to the wonderful ballad "A life so Frail"). Tommy along with Antonio Salueña has also produced the whole thing, and I must say this is one of the low points as the overall sound quality is one the worst things in this record. After all, "Way of the world" has many good tunes that will please the average AOR fan. Close to the debut... better production next time , please.

Chris Ousey and Steve Morris have done it again. Why almost every record they touch becomes a HEARTLAND clone escapes me... IMO, the boys at Escape should start seriously considering hiring different producers. Anyway (and having in mind that I dig HEARTLAND) Dean Fasano has managed to record a pretty tasty piece of music. It doesn't have the spectacular moments that filled "Fine Line" but it sounds more balanced to these ears. Some of the tracks like "For your Love" or "All I feel for you" have a KANSAS feel. Particulary brilliant are "Heart on the Line" (whre Ousey shine in the back. vocals...or is this the lead?) and "Love comes in its own sweet time". Good record.

SEVEN LTD come from my homeland Spain. I don't know if you will remember but appart from a very good band called LA FASE there has not been any other Spanish act to have a cd released in Europe in maybe a decade. The newly created Spanish label VINNY RECORDS is now releasing the debut album from SEVEN LTD and many other quality Spanish acts will follow. The 5 piece coming from Barcelona deliver a very tight and powerful blend of prog and AOR. "Reset Devices" is not an instant record but it is also miles away from the complexity of a progressive album. You can listen to Terranova or Journeyesque tracks like "Shine your light on me", the bombastic "Feel your Love" or the AOR ballad "Worlds Apart". "Seven" is probably the most progressive track with resemblances to RUSH (circa Hemispheres). All in all this is a very good, complete and varied album. Something that I can easily

Labelled as the American Hard Rock revolution, New Orleans HAIR OF THE DOG are nothing but an average hard rock band. Some good tunes fill this sophomore effort but don't believe this is a quintaessential release. Songs like "You are the One" are brilliant but then you get boring bluesy tracks like "Mokur Jahoobees" or "Twice" which are definetly not the cup of tea of your truly. No doubt these guys can play. Vocalist Ryan Cook has some great pipes to sing hard rock but it all sound so done a thousand times before that I just don't find the excitement. Only recommended for the fans of 80's party hard rock with bluesy touches.