I have grouped together in this column several album releases from October 13 mixing different styles ranging from rock to metal with melodic and catchy compositions from the first listen.
We start with 'Ronnie Atkins' which, after 'Make It Count' released in 2022 and despite his cancer diagnosed four years ago (wouldn't music be the best therapy?), continues to release new albums with ' Trinity' who is her last baby. Unsurprisingly, it's still a very good varied opus of melodic hard rock with energetic compositions like he has the secret to which he adds some welcome breaks with the very beautiful 'Soul Divine', the short instrumental break 'Via Dolorosa' and the magnificent final ballad 'What If'. In short, another album from 'Ronnie Atkins' which can be enjoyed with pleasure and which adds to the previous opuses showing all the Dane's talent as a melodist...
Video of 'Trinity'
We continue with the Americans of 'Station' in melodic hard rock with their new opus 'And Time Goes On' which arrives after 'Stained Glass' from 2019 and 'Perspective' of 2021. We embark on 50 minutes of melodic hard rock with 11 compositions that take us back to the best of this style from the 80s/90s. If you like the energy of effective hard rock with chorus melodies and if you're feeling a bit slack, listen to tracks like 'If You Want Me Too' and 'A Little Bit Of Love' and you'll see that they will immediately get you back in shape much better than any medication. And after getting back on track, listen to the only moment of recovery (but what a moment!) with the final title 'And Time Goes On' which is a magnificent ballad. In short, nothing yet to throw away in this latest album from 'Station' which parades addictive melodies throughout this 'And Time Goes On'...
Video of 'If You Want Me Too'
Not bad either, the British from 'Nitrate' offer us a new studio recording 'Feel The Heat' which comes after 'Open Wide' from 2019 and 'Renegade' from 2021. As with the two previous ones, we embark on endless melodic compositions that we want to listen to in a loop and they make us relive the best of melodic rock of the 80s in 11 new original compositions with 'Alexander Strandell' who always offers us magnificent vocal performances and talented instrumentalists on guitars, keyboards and rhythm section. Two calmer moments soften all the energy spent with the beautiful ballads 'One Kiss (To Save My Heart') in which 'Issa' was invited and 'Stay' which closes the album in style. In short, no need to add more for you say that 'Nitrate' brings us yet another album full of dynamite which should still make all fans of melodic rock and hard rock happy...
Video of 'Feel The Heat'
Heading to Italy with 'Edge Of Forever' who are releasing a new album 'Ritual' after giving us two sumptuous albums, 'Native Soul' dating from late 2019 and 'Seminole' dating from early 2022. You don't change a winning team and the sharp blade of the 'Frontiers Music' label, 'Alessandro Del Vecchio' is still at the helm of the ship and provides vocals and keyboards, the rest of the line-up consisting of Aldo Lonobile' on guitar, 'Nik Mazzucconi' on bass and 'Marco Di Salvia' on drums . Always as varied, the first part contains six "classic" melodic hard rock compositions with melodies that immediately get into your head, starting with the two brulots 'Where Are You' and 'Water Be My Path' which begin the album, the ballad not being forgotten with 'Love Is The Only Answer'. And then, the title 'Ritual', composed of seven parts for around twenty minutes of listening, brings its share of surprises with a progressive side and begins with oriental intonations in hard rock and, without downtime, the other parts s 'continue with 'Revert Destiny' which hardens the tone, then 'Taunting Souls' drives the point home with very good hard rock with a remarkable instrumental passage highlighting 'Aldo Lonobile' on guitar and a progressive finale with several rhythmic changes and melodic. Small a cappella interlude with 'Baptized By Fire', then it's off again for 'Ride The Wings Of Hope' which could be the standard meter of melodic hard rock (magnificent finale with the cover of the first part of 'Ritual') and the short ballad 'Cross My Eyes', which follows, shows 'Alessandro Del Vecchio' in top form, the album ending with 'Reconciliation' in which the same 'Alessandro Del Vecchio' takes us on an oriental journey with his vocals . In summary, the Italians of 'Edge Of Forever' come back in force with 'Ritual' and confirm that they are one of the major melodic hard rock groups, with the icing on the cake, a diversity in the compositions bringing this little bit of progressive while maintaining a fairly immediate melodic accessibility...
Video of 'Where Are You'
For this fifth and final album, we go to Gothenburg in Sweden, the country which is one of the greatest purveyors of melodic hard rock in the world, with the new project 'Kings Crown' created by guitarist 'Martin Kronlund' , joined by singer 'Lee Small' and keyboardist 'Anders Skoog' and who had the idea of reviving the hard rock style of the 70s. And I must say that, for a first album, the result is remarkable and actually takes us back a few decades with sounds reminiscent of, among others, 'Deep Purple', 'Rainbow' and 'Whitesnake', the Hammond organ bringing this vintage touch and 'Lee Small' being very close to the vocals of 'Glen Hugues'. The rhythm section 'Bas Berra Holmgren' and 'Pontus Engborg' bring the power needed by the compositions which pour considerable energy throughout the album. In short, this new project 'Kings Crown' shows an undeniable quality to offer good hard rock taking us back to the 70s and will undoubtedly make those nostalgic for the genre happy...
Video of 'Still Alive' | |
