myprogmusic 2022 summer chronicles
In this hot summer period (and well-deserved holidays!!), despite the large number of album releases, my reviews are much more spaced out and I am much more tempted to listen to melodic music that we appropriate on first listen. Therefore, in the following days, I chose rock, hard-rock and melodic metal albums which were all released during months of July and August 2022. |
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| Sunstorm - Brothers in Arms (08-12-2022) |
We continue our little summer tour of the releases of memorable melodies with this time 'Sunstorm' which, after 'Afterlife' dating back a little over a year, continues its journey with a new album 'Brother in Arms'. We don't change a winning team and the two leaders 'Ronnie Romero' and 'Alessandro Del Vecchio' who need no introduction and who has surpassed himself again for this opus, offer us a collection of melodic jewels that parade one behind the others with well-established specifications now: a fairly fair alternation between powerful melodic hard-rock and more moderate AOR, the middle of the album delivering the magic ballad of the outstanding melodist that is 'Alessandro Del Vecchio': in the first register, the title song (see video above), 'I Will Remember', 'No Turning Back', 'Lost In The Shadows Of Love' and 'Living Out Of Fear' bring all the positive and communicative energy of this style, and in a more subdued AOR style, the melodic lines of 'Games We Play' (see the video here), 'I'll Keep Holding On', 'Taste Of Heaven', 'Hold The Night' and 'Miracle' are a real treat, the beautiful power ballad being 'Back My Dreams' which I added to my playlist of rock/hard-rock/metal ballads. In short, even if the recipe always remains the same, this last 'Sunstorm' is still a total melodic success thanks to the talents of composer and keyboardist of Alessandro Del Vecchio' and the remarkable vocal performances of 'Ronnie Romero' to which we can add the new guitarist of 'Doro', 'Luca Princiotta', and the rhythm section made up of bassist 'Nik Mazzucconi' ('Jorn', 'Shining Black' and 'Edge Of Forever') and drummer 'Michele Sanna' ('Brother Against Brother' and 'Black Rose Maze')... |
Line Up / Musicians :Ronnie Romero (Chant), Luca Princiotta (Guitare), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Claviers), Nik Mazzucconi (Basse), Michele Sanna (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/SunstormMusic |
| Generation Radio - Generation Radio (08-12-2022) |
Bizarre, a great group produced by 'Frontiers Music' in which 'Alessandro Del Vecchio' is not present!! It must be said that the artists constituting the line-up have a CV to make people jealous since we find, at the base of the project, the multi-instrumentalist 'Jay DeMarcus' of the American country group 'Rascal Flatts' who released in 2020 a Best Off of two decades of album releases but not necessarily well known on the European continent, then 'Jason Scheff' the former bassist and singer of 'Chicago' who just released their 38th album in July 2022 'Born For This Moment', the line-up being completed by drummer and vocalist 'Deen Castronovo' who returned in 2021 with 'Journey', and guitarists 'Tom Yankton' and 'Chris Rodríguez ' best known in the country world. No surprise, with this fine team, we are embarking, not without nostalgia, on a time when melodic jewels flowed naturally and all the compositions on this album would have each made a hit in the 70s and 80s. The majority of the compositions are in a refined and relaxing AOR, except for one 'Time to Let It Go', energetic as one might wish, in which 'Deen Castronovo' gives us an exceptional demonstration of drum breaker and 'Smoking', more rock and which wouldn't have gone wrong in the 70s sung by 'Joan Jett', which stand out. By the way, I've added the four ballads from the album to my rock ballads playlist/ hard-rock/metal. In short, this album brings us back to a classic AOR that we play over and over and, among all the albums that I presented to you in my summer playlist, is certainly the one that gave me the most pleasure (and there was material!!) and which should also make a whole audience happy with an AOR that takes us back a few decades... |
Line Up / Musicians :Jay DeMarcus (Basse), Deen Castronovo (Chant, Batterie), Jason Scheff (Chant), Tom Yankton (Guitare), Chris Rodriguez (Guitare) |
https://www.facebook.com/GenerationRadioBand |
| Hydra - Point Break (08-12-2022) |
Another new addition to the summer playlist with a new Swedish melodic hard-rock band (yet one more) which is produced by the essential label 'Frontiers Records'. This new project was born from the meeting of the songwriter, singer and guitarist 'Henrik Hedströmand' and the well-known drummer and keyboardist 'Daniel Flores' ('Find Me', 'The Murder Of My Sweet', 'Angelica', 'First Signal',...). The rest of the line-up is made up of singer and guitarist 'Andi Kravljaca' ('First Signal', 'Nergard',...) and bassist 'Jonny Trobro' ('First Signal', 'Find Me'). No surprise with this beautiful bevy of artists, we navigate in a catchy AOR from the first to the last title with melodic jewels at every street corner starting with a 'Stop the Madness' with an addictive chorus and the whole is good balanced between catchy compositions and other quieter ones, the album contains three magnificent ballads with 'Stay A While', 'Forever My Love' and 'To Say Goodbye'. In short, at the same time as 'Generation Radio', the Swedes of Hydra' release an album just as endearing and filled with good AOR hits which makes 'Point Break' a new opus to be consumed without moderation... |
Line Up / Musicians :Henrik Hedström (Claviers, Guitare), Daniel Flores (Batterie, Claviers), Andi Kravljaca (Chant, Guitare), Jonny Trobro (Basse) |
https://www.facebook.com/henrikhydra |
| Restless Spirits - Second to None (08-12-2022) |
Guitarist 'Tony Hernando' from the band 'Lords Of Black' also has another melodic hard-rock side project, 'Restless Spirit', and 'Second to None' is his second album, following 'Restless Spirit' dating from 2019. As with the first opus, he surrounded himself with singers known from the international scene and we find again 'Johnny Gioeli' ('Axel Rudi Pell' and 'Hardline') and 'Kent Hilli' ('Perfect Plan' and in solo here) already there in the first album, and two little new ones came to be added with, honour to the ladies, 'Chez Kane' and 'Renan Zonta' ('Skills', 'Brother Against Brother' and 'Electric Mob'). At the risk of repeating myself in relation to the other chronicles of my summer playlist, even if it's not yet an album that will revolutionize rock music, it's still an album filled with memorable melodies, simple but devilishly effective providing immediate pleasure listening. Each singer has been assigned three titles except 'Kent Hilli' who has only two and who is in charge of starting the album with the catchy 'Need A Lil' White Lie' with a first chorus to resume in choirs (see the video above) but also to close the album with the energetic 'Dirty Money'. The rest is in the image of these two compositions and, to quote the title that struck me the most for each of the other three artists, it is 'Dreams Of The Wild' for 'Chez Kane' which is completely cut out for her (see the video here), 'And Yet It Breaks' for 'Renan Zonta' and the beautiful ballad 'Always A Pretender' for 'Johnny Gioeli'. We can add that 'Tony Hernando' is not to be outdone with remarkable guitar solos, and this in each composition. In short, it's yet another album that I'm adding to the summer playlist of July and August 2022 releases, and which should make all fans of melodic hard rock and AOR happy... |
Line Up / Musicians :Tony Hernando (Guitare, Basse, Claviers, Chœurs), Victor Diez (Piano, Claviers), Matt De Vallejo (Batterie) + Invités : Johnny Gioeli (Chant), Kent Hilli (Chant), Chez Kane (Chant), Renan Zonta (Chant) |
https://www.facebook.com/RestlessSpiritsMusic/ |
| A-Z - A-Z (08-12-2022) |
Early September is here, and to end my summer playlist of rock and melodic hard rock albums providing immediate listening pleasure and released in July and August 2022, here is the new project 'A-Z', led by drummer 'Mark Zonder' (among other things to take only recent reviews, 'Shumaun', 'Pentesilea Road' and 'Enzo and the Glory Ensemble') and the singer of 'Fates Warning', 'Ray Alder' (logical, the A of Alder and the Z of Zonder). Joined by 'Philip Bynoe' on bass, 'Joop Wolters' on guitar and 'Vivien Lalu' on keyboards, the duo offers us more direct melodic hard rock for a wider audience than the progressive metal offered in their various respective projects. Although some titles include some more progressive sections, the objective is completely achieved and, from the start, with 'Trial by Fire' sends us good powerful hard rock with a memorable first melody, then, 'The Far Side of the Horizon' is less direct but brings a good dose of progressive. The suite is more accessible with energetic and more fluid titles: 'The Machine Gunner', 'Windows Panes', 'Run Away' or even 'Borrowed Time' attest to this and these titles alternate with more sedate atmospheres such as ballads 'Rise Again', the powerful 'Stranded', 'At the Waters Edge' eyeing towards AOR or even 'Sometimes' alternating ballad and mid-tempo with a very beautiful guitar solo in the second part of the title, the album ending with the bonus track 'The Silence Broken' which sums up well the philosophy of this opus with a catchy rhythm and a simple but very effective melody. In short, even if the progressive side comes out in small touches, this first album of this new project put together by 'Mark Zonder' and 'Ray Alder' shows a more immediate accessibility than their other respective projects and should appeal to a wide audience. public loving a metal that one appropriates quite quickly... |
Line Up / Musicians :Mark Zonder (Batterie), Ray Alder (Chant, Chœurs), Philip Bynoe (Basse), Vivien Lalu (Claviers), Joop Wolters (Guitare) |
https://www.facebook.com/AthruZBand |
| H.E.A.T - Force Majeure (08-05-2022) |
I continue my summer series to consume without moderation (see playlist above) with the latest 'H.E.A.T'. After the very good 'Into The Great Unknown ' released in 2017 and their latest baby soberly titled 'II' in 2020, here is their successor 'Force Majeure'. The singer 'Kenny Leckremo' who officiated on their first two albums is back in business, replacing 'Erik Grönwall' who left the group for the Americans of 'Skid Row'. No surprise with the Swedes, we're embarking on a series of melodic hard rock hits and if you don't hang on to the first four energetic titles with an explosive 'Hollywood' in the last position with an ultra-classic but completely addictive chorus, you can go your way. For the others, after a more moderate and AOR-like 'Harder to Breathe' allowing you to recover from all the energy already deployed, it's off again with a boosted 'Not for Sale' then the beautiful ballad 'One of Us' offers another well-deserved break. The end of the album scrolls through the lively 'Holdd Your Fire' which is always very melodic, then 'Paramount' is much more general public with a chorus to be taken up in chorus, unlike 'Demons Eyes' which sends heavy, and which is the heaviest title, the album ending with 'Wings of an Airplane', a very good mid-tempo on which you can't help beating time. In short, the Swedes of 'H.E.A.T' continue to lay us compositions of melodic hard rock always as effective and to parody a famous French saying, I would say that "everything is good in an album of H.E.A.T"... |
Line Up / Musicians :Kenny Leckremo (Chant), Dave Dalone (Guitare), Jona Tee (Claviers), Jimmy Jay (Basse), Don Crash (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/heatsweden |
| Adellaide - Deja Vu (07-29-2022) |
With the Brazilians of Adelaide', we are fully immersed in summer atmospheres because we are bathed in an AOR that goes off the beaten track by integrating different original components such as saxophone accompaniments, dancing rhythmic bases and keyboards that often dominate the guitars which are rather used in the solos. 'Déjà Vu' is their 4th studio recording following the 'New Horizons' released in 2019 and, they offer us 10 new compositions for 44 minutes of listening, starting with a 'Transcendence' which unfolds a moderate pop/rock atmosphere with a relaxed rhythm section and in this rather measured style, we can also mention 'Without You ' which mixes funk and AOR influences, the catchy 'Unia' with its memorable chorus and its aerial keyboards, 'Fell From The Sky' and 'Time Riders' which bring us straight back to a dancing atmosphere of the 80s and whose first highlights a beautiful vocal performance of 'Julianna Rossi', or even 'It's Not The End' which, even if some saturated guitar riffs add a little spice to the whole, remains in a classy and moderate AOR. In a more incisive atmosphere, 'Superfanic' and 'To Live Forever' show a more energetic face and, in more classic melodic rock, we can't miss the hit 'Girl From Syria' (see the video above) and the beautiful ballad 'Falling Petals'. In summary, 'Adellaide' brings us a freshness of South America with melodies which provide great immediate listening pleasure in this hot summer period, and which should appeal to all audiences who love a refined and harmonious AOR... |
Line Up / Musicians :Daniel Vargas (Chant), Leandro Freitas (Claviers), Vitor Balconi (Guitare), Marcello Naudi (Basse), Allan Julliano (Batterie), Deraldo Matos (Saxophone), Gigolette Angeline (Chœurs), Eddie VANTEZ (Chœurs), Rod Marenna (Chœurs), Julianna Rossi (Chant, Chœurs), Tito Falashi (Chœurs), Marcello Naudi (Chœurs) |
https://www.facebook.com/adellaide.official |
| Gathering of Kings - Enigmatic (07-29-2022) |
If you follow myprogmusic reviews, you must know the Swedes of 'Gathering of Kings' because I presented their first two albums to you ' First Mission' in 2019 and 'Discovery' in 2020 and their last studio recording,'Enigmatic', Just saw the light of day. We do not change a winning formula and 'Victor Olsson' continues to lay compositions for us which would all have been the subject of a single in the 80s. give you some bands that came to mind when listening to these 13 tracks with addictive melodies: I found myself back a few decades with, in bulk, 'Toto', 'Survivor', 'Alan Parsons Project' , 'Asia', 'Journey', 'Magnum' and even a little more progressive formations like 'Saga' or 'Genesis', in short, only beautiful people, to which we can add on this cake, the Swedes of ABBA' because one of the compositions 'Feed You My Love' takes us with the group 'One More Time' in a title that would certainly have caused a hit in the 70s, normal because the members of 'One More Time', Anne Grönvall, Maria Rådsten and Peter Grönvall, who is none other than the son of ABBA's 'Benny Andersson', have been very popular. res in Sweden in the 90s, with among others their participation in Eurovision in 1996 with 'Den Vilda' and continued to bring the melodic style of their elders to life. In summary, 'Ron Dahlgren' and 'Nina Dahlgren' had a very good idea of wanting to bring together the cream of Swedish melodic rock but when you know the talent of this country in this area, you are not surprised to be able to between the ears a new album of 'Gathering of Kings' filled with completely addictive melodies that can be listened to on repeat... |
Line Up / Musicians :Victor Olsson (Chant, Guitare, Claviers, Choeurs), Jonny Lindkvist (Chant), Rick Altzi (Chant), Alexander Frisborg (Chant), Apollo Papathanasio (Chant), Tobias Jansson (Chant), Magnus Mild (Guitare), Joel Selsfors (Claviers), Mikael Planefeldt (Basse), Efraim Larsson (Batterie), Jonas Källsbäck (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/gatheringofkingssweden |
| Whiskey Myers - Tornillo (07-29-2022) |
Direction the United States and more particularly Texas with 'Whiskey Myers' which is a formation that has become essential across the Atlantic but not necessarily very well known in Europe. They perpetuate a traditional southern rock and are on their 6th studio recording which bears the name of 'Tornillo'. We are therefore taken into compositions mixing southern rock and country with melodic lines that we immediately appropriate and which automatically start the foot tapping machine starting with a 'John Wayne' which gives ants in the legs and which shows a very catchy rhythm. In the same style, you will also, without a doubt, be seduced by the classic but so effective archis 'Antioch' and 'Feet's' on which it is impossible to stay unmoved, but also by the mid-tempo 'The Wolf' or still by the rhythmic 'Whole World Gone Crazy' and 'Bad Medicine', without forgetting 'Mission To Mars' and its addictive country rhythm. And when country melancholy takes over, the Americans also unleash magnificent anthems such as 'For The Kids' which deals with the difficult subject of divorce, but also the magnificent acoustic ballads 'Heavy On Me' and 'Heart Of Stone'. In short, if you like traditional southern rock alternating catchy rhythms and more melancholic moments, you should like this latest album from 'Wiskey Myers' which takes us on a journey into the great tradition of American song that has become timeless... |
Line Up / Musicians :Jean Jeffers (Guitare), Cody Tate (Guitare), Cody Canon (Chant, Guitare), Gary Brun (Basse), Jeff Hog (Batterie), Tony Kent (Percussions, Claviers) |
https://www.facebook.com/whiskeymyers |
| Cats In Space - Kickstart The Sun (07-29-2022) |
As I had already mentioned two days ago with the release of the latest album 'Enigmatic' from the 'Gathering of Kings' project, here is another project where I could copy/paste my previous chronicles, because our 'cats in space' , after the very good ones 'Scarecrow' in 2017, 'Day Trip to Narnia' in 2019 and 'Atlantis' in 2020, are back with a new album, very dense, since they are 13 titles framed by the two short 'Kickstart The Su n' for a little over an hour of listening that are offered to us. And, from the start, we take a good breath of melodic rock and catchy with an over-vitamined 'King of Stars', then, 'Poke the Witch' (see the video above) continues in this momentum of the 60s / 70s with radiant choirs that give an irresistible desire to accompany them and 'Teenage Millionaires' (see the video here) delivers a layer with the same energy. The sequel is in the image of this beginning of the album with, for example, the joyful 'Smoke & Mirrors' and the English also offer us very beautiful breaks with the ballads which are three in number, '1,000,000 Miles', 'A Big Balloon' and 'Hero', but also with the title track which adds a good pinch of progressive rock and 'Charlie's Ego' brings us back to the lightness and carelessness of the 'Beatles', just like 'Last Dance Saloon' which is dancing and whose melodic lines are closer this time to 'Electric Light Orchestra'. And before the cover of 'Kickstart The Sun', the album ends with the long development 'Bootleg Bandoleros' showing a more pronounced progressive side of 'Cats In Space' with a more complex construction which alternates different moods and which highlights a magnificent section of the two guitarists who pass the buck in the second part of the title. In summary, the English of 'Cats In Space' continue to offer us good melodic rock by making us travel in their spaceship which takes us back a few decades and the atmospheres released, joyful and filled with a beautiful positivity naturally have their place in the summer playlist that I have concocted for you since the end of July... |
Line Up / Musicians :Damien Edwards (Chant, Chœurs), Greg Hart (Guitare, Chœurs, Claviers, Tubular Bells), Steevi Bacon (Batterie, Percussions, Timpanin Gong, Harmonica), Jeff Brown (Basse, Chœurs), Andy Stewart (Claviers), Dean Howard (Guitare) + Invités : Jack Birchwood (Cuivres), Ian Cooper (Vilon, Violoncelle, Alto), BJ Cole (Pedal Steel), Emily Lynn (Chœurs), Julie Maguire (Chœurs), Lara Smiles (Chœurs), Mick Wilson (Chœurs) |
https://www.facebook.com/catsinspaceband/ |
| White Spirit - Right or Wrong (07-29-2022) |
With the album releases at the end of July and beginning of August, I will add a few more melodic nuggets to the summer playlist (here). So, we continue with the British of 'White Spirit'. Regarding this band, here's what can happen when you store these things badly: after a first eponymous album released in 1980 which had done well at the time, the group, with a few line-up changes, recorded a second album which would never see the light of day due to a separation of all the musicians while all titles are already on tape. Forty years later, after the death of 'Brian Howe', during a move, 'Mal Pearson' finally finds the tapes of this album and, after some technical exploits and with the participation of new artists both at the instrumental level than vocal (see the guests below), the album is finally out and we can finally put between our ears this melodic hard-rock which has not aged a bit during all this time with energetic and catchy compositions which put automatically starts the headbanging machine starting with the title song which delivers a memorable chorus on which 'Jeff Scott Soto' makes a remarkable vocal performance. The sequel continues in the same style, and everything is done to have a great time listening with references here and there to bands from that era like 'Deep Purple', 'Van Halen', 'Rainbow', 'Uriah Heep' or 'UFO'. Note that to pay tribute to 'Brian Howe', 'Steve Overland' covers 'Holly Water' from 'Bad Company'. In short, as we are used to say, it's better late than never because this unexpected album of 'White Spirit' is a good breath of melodic hard rock coming straight from the eighties and, 'Right or Wrong' is filled with accessible and very effective to consume without moderation... |
Line Up / Musicians :Mal Pearson (Claviers), Mick Tucker (Guitare), Brian Howe (Chant) + Invités : Russell Gilbrook (Batterie), Neil Murray (Basse), Jeff Scott Soto (Chant), Lee Small (Chant), Steve Overland (Chant) |
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057431412727 |
| Lessmann/Voss - Rock Is Our Religion (07-22-2022) |
In line with a melodic rock straight from the 80s, the German duo 'Claus Lessmann'/'Michel Voss', known for being the producers of 'Michael Schenker' released a first studio recording 'Rock Is Our Religion'. We therefore embark on a series of melodic hits and this, from the first titles, 'Medicine Man', 'Smoke Without A Fire' and 'Runaway Days' which unfold unifying hymns with heady refrains that give an irresistible desire to resume them in chorus. The suite is on the same level and quieter compositions allow to bring a beautiful variety to the whole with the mid-tempo 'Fight For Our Love', 'Take My Heart And Run' and 'Look Around' and the very beautiful ballad 'Slow Dance'. Note the cover of 'Sister Golden Hair' from the group 'America' released in 1975 which fits perfectly into the light and radiant atmosphere of the whole. In summary, the German producers 'Claus Lessmann' and 'Michel Voss' also show all their talent as composers and performers with this very beautiful album 'Rock Is Our Religion' which should appeal to an audience loving a harmonious and refined melodic rock. which takes us back a few decades... |
Line Up / Musicians :Claus Lessmann (Chant, Chœurs, Guitare), Michel Voss (Chant, Chœurs, Guitare, Basse, Claviers) + Invités : Vincent Goly (Batterie), Kenny Lessman (Batterie), Martin Huch (Pedal Steel) |
https://www.facebook.com/P5Fanclub/ |
| She Bites - Super Hero (07-22-2022) |
Unlike symphonic metal which very often puts forward female singers, in the field of melodic rock, singers are the majority and, 'She Bites' is a German melodic rock group which has always had front women since 'Melanie Stahlkopf' who officiated on the first album 'Joyride' has been replaced by 'Marion Welch' which is now the titular singer on this second album 'Super Hero'. The guitarist 'Lärs Konig' who is also the composer of the group, is not unknown since he also participates in other projects including 'Lioncage' and this last baby has its place in a summer playlist because all the compositions are very accessible and unfold harmonious melodies highlighted by the beautiful voice of 'Marion Welch' which brings a certain sweetness to the whole, even on the most energetic titles. The album starts in this way with 'Eye of the Storm' and 'Little Song' and, in the same style, we can also mention the catchy 'Running', 'Crazy', 'Holy Ground' and 'Say It'. When the group adopts more moderate atmospheres, we are also seduced by an enchanting AOR with the mid-tempo compositions that are 'Hunter', the eponymous title of the album, 'Ghost' and 'Out In The Open'. The composition 'Never ending Story' is particularly successful and alternates catchy parts and others calmer and we will not miss the ballad 'True Love' in which 'Dan Reed' and 'Marion Welch' offer us a very beautiful vocal duo. In summary, this second studio recording by the Germans of 'She Bites' is varied and offers accessible and classy melodic rock that is tamed from the first listen, which makes 'Super Hero' an album that lends itself very well to listening. during this summer... |
Line Up / Musicians :Marion Welch (Chant), Lärs Konig (Guitare), Arvid Lucas (Basse), Carsten Kohl (Batterie) + Invité : Dan Reed (Chant) |
https://www.facebook.com/officialSHEBITES/ |
| Fatal Vision - Once (07-22-2022) |
Fans of melodic rock of the 80s, you certainly do not know the Canadians of 'Fatal Vision' who formed in this decade which saw all the major formations of this style flourish but who did not, at the time, album release. It was only in 2019 that they decided to reform with, as a result, this first album 'Once', and, to get an idea, if you listen to 'Haven't We Been Here Before?' , you are likely to have the melody in your head all day and have a mad desire to play it over and over again just to give yourself a small dose of this catchy chorus. The rest may not be as addictive but pack in unstoppable melodies that could have done each a single some decades ago, starting with a catchy 'Hertbreaker' with a gorgeous, expressive saxophone intro, followed by a no less seductive 'Burning For You' and a radiant 'Open Your Eyes'. In the same luminous atmosphere, we can mention 'Little Rebel', 'Do You Remember Me?' or even 'Wings Of The Night' and when the light dims, we are also seduced by much calmer titles to add to the best melodic rock ballads with 'Into The Twilight', 'Time Keeps Slipping Away' and the title song which brings the album to a close. In summary, the Canadians of 'Fatal Vision' have done well to revive this project from the 80s because they offer us beautiful melodies which would have all been hits a few decades back, which makes 'Once' a natural addition. to my list of summer listens... |
Line Up / Musicians :Simon Marwood (Chant), Juan Miguel Gomez Montant (Guitare), Scottie Irving (Claviers), Andrew Burns (Basse), Alex Wickham (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/fatalvisionband |
| Dreamtide - Drama Dust Dream (07-22-2022) |
After the Canadians of 'Fatal Vision' who reformed in 2019, it is the turn of the Germans of 'Dreamtide' to return to the forefront of the melodic hard-rock scene after a last album, 'Dream and Deliver' in 2008. It must also be said that the leader of this formation, 'Helge Engelke', has been busy during all these years, because he also has another project 'Fair Warning' with which he released 3 albums during this long period. 'Drama Dust Dream' is therefore the fourth offering of the German combo and, what an offering: 12 compositions of good hard-rock for a short hour of listening which begins with a wild 'Stop Being Deep' which reminds me, in certain places, of their compatriots from 'Scorpions' ('Olaf Senkbeil' has some vocal similarities with 'Klaus Meine'), then, 'Spin' continues on this path and is for me the hit of the album that we play over and over again. And if you have already started the headbanging machine on these first 2 compositions, you should also be seduced by the energetic 'All Of Us', 'Merciless Sun' and 'Leisure Saints'. But, and that's why this album is worth the detour, the Germans alternate other atmospheres which bring a very pleasant diversity of styles: first of all, in a more moderate style, the hymns 'Around' and ' Drop The Curtain' can be enjoyed with a desire to sing along to the refrains. Then, the small acoustic breaks 'Ni Dos Ni Aqua' and 'A Fairy Prank' allow well-deserved breaks and the two ballads 'Dawn' and 'For the Fairies' (the latter takes us back a few decades) are to be added to the best melodic rock ballads. For lovers of a more refined style, you will certainly like 'One Rule' with its construction which flirts with melodic progressive, and which makes me think of the atmospheres of certain titles of 'Sting'. In summary, the Germans of 'Dreamtide' offer us a very beautiful album, dense and varied which can be tasted with great pleasure from the first to the last composition and 'Drama Dust Dream' is certainly the most varied album of this summery selection, mixing rock, hard-rock, ballads and little acoustic breaks with beautiful accessible melodies... |
Line Up / Musicians :Helge Engelke (Guitare), Olaf Senkbeil (Chant), Thorsten Lüderwaldt (Claviers), Lars Lehmann (Basse), Host Guntram (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/Dreamtideband/ |
| Palace - One 4 The Road (07-15-2022) |
I presented you the last 'Palace' in 2020 with 'Rock and Roll Radio' and the singer and multi-instrumentalist 'Michael Palace' continues his road with a new album 'One 4 The Road' which he has again entirely realized, from the composition to the production by also ensuring all the instrumental registers. On this latest opus, various singers known from the melodic hard-rock scene have collaborated and who come to reinforce the vocal section for an always perfect result. And I could not even extract a few titles that marked me the most because each composition gave me a great immediate listening pleasure: at the start, 'Fifteen Minutes' puts you in the bath with its addictive melody, then 'Westbound' drives the point home with a catchy new chorus and the catchy 'Too Old for This' gives you an irresistible desire to accompany the chorus in choirs. The sequel is on the same level with melodic lines as harmonious as ever and 'The Driver' is to be added to the best ballads of AOR. In short, 'Michael Palace' shows once again all his talent for memorable melodies and, of Lithuanian origin, it is perhaps not by chance that he migrated to Sweden, a country which is renowned for being one of the greatest purveyors of rock and melodic hard-rock in the world... |
Line Up / Musicians :Michael Palace (Chant, Guitare, Basse, Claviers, Batterie, Harmonica, Saxophone) + Invités : Harry Hess (Chant), Goran Edman (Chant), Jakob Samuel (Chant), Toby Hitchcock (Chant) |
https://www.facebook.com/palacesweden/ |
| Taz Taylor Band - Nocturnal (07-15-2022) |
Line Up / Musicians :Taz Taylor (Guitare), Val Trainor (Batterie), Barney Firks (Basse), Richie Klaar (Guitare) + Invités : David Reece (Chant), Mark Boals (Chant), Graham Bonnet (Chant), Doogie White (Chant) |
https://www.facebook.com/taztaylorband |
| Orianthi - Live from Hollywood (07-15-2022) |
Strangely, the Australian singer and guitarist 'Orianthi' is not very well known in Europe but she is one of the essential artists of the global melodic rock and hard-rock scene. With a well-filled CV (she has collaborated, among others, with 'Mickael Jackson', 'Carlos Santana' or even 'Alice Cooper'), she released a live album recorded at Hollywood's 'Bourbon Room' on January 8, 2022, and the setlist, (rather short because it does not exceed the hour), highlights a variety of styles ranging from rock to hard-rock through blues/rock and the concert atmosphere shows a real complicity with its audience which creates a very good atmosphere. And from the first title 'Contagious', from his latest album 'O', we are under the spell of this catchy style which gives a great energy and which unrolls a first memorable melody then, the titles follow one another without downtime with some nice interactions with the public and the quieter moments are not forgotten with 'Blues Don't Leave Me Alone' and 'How Do You Sleep' which are very good and torrid blues/rock. In summary, this live performance of the beautiful Australian 'Orianthi' highlights all the talent of this artist who takes on her full dimension in concert to convey to the public all her feeling, whether through her powerful singing but also through her guitar, the solos being of great beauty and having given me on several occasions this little shiver characteristic of an intense listening pleasure... |
Line Up / Musicians :Orianthi (Guitare, Chant), Nick Mayfield (Guitare), Carmen Vandenberg (Guitare), Justin Andres (Basse), Michael Bearden (Claviers), Glen Sobel (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/Orianthi |
| Phil Vincent - No Respect (07-15-2022) |
After 'Stigmata' en 2021 and the other album 'Quantum 8' with his 'D'Ercole' project in early 2022, 'Phil Vincent' continues his breakneck pace of recording albums and July 2022 saw the release of his new baby 'No Respect'. We therefore find the punchy and percussive style of the American who offers us this time 10 compositions for 41 minutes of listening and, at the start, 'Nobody Cares' sends us a good dose of heavy metal with a big sound supported by an energetic rhythm section. We find this heavy atmosphere on most ('War Arrow', 'The Rifleman', 'Fair Game', 'Feel so Bad' and 'When Will It End?') and 'Make It Last' and 'Anywhere at All' can remind some riffs of 'Status Quo'. And in the middle of all this sound power, some compositions are more moderate and the 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Since I Lost You' bring a variety to the whole. In short, between hard-rock and metal and as stipulated on its page bandcamp, the "one man band" 'Phil Vincent' continues to shower us with melodies that we immediately assimilate and, for all lovers of big sound with a singer with a powerful voice, you should subscribe to his latest opus 'No Respect'... |
Line Up / Musicians :Phil Vincent (Chant, Tous les instruments), Max Piccolo (Batterie, Percussions), Vince O'Regan (Guitare) |
https://www.facebook.com/phil.vincent.9 |
| Alan Parsons - From the New World (07-15-2022) |
And to end this summer playlist of albums released in July 2022 on a high note, this latest album from Alan Parsons' 'From the New World' is quite appropriate for listening in this hot period by the pool. After his latest album 'The Secret' which had been one of the very good surprises in 2019 and despite his concert cancellations for medical reasons which did not allow me to see him at the Colmar wine fair, I made up for it with the very beautiful DVD 'The Neverending Show: Live in the Netherlands' released at the end of 2021 and the magnificent blu-ray 'One Note Symphony: Live in Tel Aviv' from early 2022. This latest album 'From the New World' shows that the Englishman is still very active at 73 and allows us to recover between ears a new cake full of memorable melodies. And hearing the first notes of 'Fare Thee Well', a few shivers of pleasure accompany me so much we find the atmospheres deployed at the end of the 70s and this title would have had its place in an 'I Robot' or in 'Eye In The Sky'. The suite also shows this 'Alan Parsons' touch with melodies that give the impression of having always been part of our life, bringing at every moment this nostalgic and somehow timeless side of these compositions which, gently, deliciously touch our soul. We therefore get caught up in the game, once again, to listen religiously to these first 9 titles which seem to me difficult to classify so much each one brings its share of listening pleasure. Indeed, although the album offers 11 titles, for me, they are 9 original titles since the last two compositions are in fact covers: first of all, 'Alan Parsons' who titled his album 'From the New World ' in reference to the post-global health crisis, gives us a wink by taking up one of the movements of the 9th symphony of the new world by Antonin Dvorak ' of which one of the students, ' William Arms Fisher ', had added lyrics and which is a moving elegy of the threshold of death. But, not to end on this melancholy note, the last title and a cover of 'Be My Baby' by the 'Ronnettes' which closes the album on a happy note. In summary, even if some will regret an absent progressive side, 'Alan Parsons' takes us back a few decades with melodic lines that are still of high quality and, 'From the New World' will, without no doubt, happy among historical fans but will be able to reach a very large audience because all the compositions are very accessible from the first listen... |
Line Up / Musicians :Alan Parsons (Chant, Guitare, Claviers) + Invités : Dan Tracey (Chant), David Pack (Chant), James Durbin (Chant), Mark Mikel (Chant), P.j. Olsson (Chant), Tabitha Fair (Chant), Todd Cooper (Chant, Saxophone), Tommy Shaw (Chant), Kim Bullard (Claviers), Matt Mccarrin (Claviers), Doug Powell (Claviers), Tom Brooks (Claviers), Guy Erez (Basse), Joe Bonamassa (Guitare), Mika Larson (Violoncelle), Danny Thompson (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/alanparsons |
| Crossing Rubicon - Perfect Storm (07-08-2022) |
To start, in chronological order of releases, it is the Americans of 'Crossing Rubicon' who are in the spotlight with a new project born from the collaboration of multi-instrumentalist/producer 'Cenk Eroglu' and singer 'John Bisaha'. In an AOR style bringing us back to the best of the 80s, they offer us 11 compositions in the style of 'Foreigner' or 'Journey' and the duo recorded this first family album because the sons of 'Cenk Eroglu' are part of the adventure with Efe on guitar and keyboards and Reis Ali on drums, to which we must add the participation in the singing of the companion of 'John Bisaha', 'Holly Bisaha'. In summary, we have a great time listening to this 'Perfect Storm' with various compositions alternating energetic atmospheres ('Perfect Storm', 'Reason to Die', 'On the Run', 'Cry Me a River' , 'Time (Without You') and quieter moments ('Scar', 'Tool Late', '100 Thousand Years', 'Never Again', 'Get Away', 'Crash & Burn')... |
Line Up / Musicians :Cenk Eroglu (Guitare, Claviers), John Bisaha (Chant, Basse), Efe Eroglu (Guitare, Claviers), Reis Ali Eroglu (Batterie) + Invités : Holly Bisaha (Chant), Reb Beach, Pat Mastelotto, Ray Coburn |
https://www.facebook.com/CrossingRubiconOfficial/ |
| Altaria - Wisdom (07-08-2022) |
The second chronicle of this summer period is dedicated to the Finns of 'Altaria' who began their career in 2003 with two albums in stride 'Invitation' in 2003 and 'Divinity' in 2004. Followed 'The Fallen Empire' and 'Unholy', respectively in 2006 and 2009, then nothing until 2018, the year during which they decided to continue the 'Altaria' adventure with a new album 'Wisdom' which was due to be released in 2019 but which, due to the health crisis, has only been available since the beginning of July 2022. They therefore offer us a new slab of 10 compositions made of good melodic hard-rock with memorable refrains which bring a pleasure to immediate listening starting with the eponymous title of the album and we can also quote the addictive melody of 'Diablo Roj o', the energetic 'Power to Heal', 'Sometimes' which takes us back to the 80s with a little air of 'Survivor', just like 'Victory of Winter' and 'History of Times to Come' which follow with new melodies to sing along to. We won't miss either the 8 minutes of 'Crimson Rain' and the last title 'Kingdom of the Night' but we can regret the absence of ballads which would have allowed some breaks. In summary, the Finns of 'Altaria' are back with a good melodic hard-rock album that should please all fans of the genre... |
Line Up / Musicians :Taage Laiho (Chant), Pétri Aho (Guitare), JP Alanen (Guitare), Marko Pukkila (Basse), Tony Smedjebacka (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/altariaofficial |
| Cleanbreak - Coming Home (07-08-2022) |
We continue our summer series with the Americans of 'Clenbreak' led by 'James Durbin' who release a new album, 'Coming Home', in a melodic heavy metal style with powerful compositions which parade happily one behind the other, ' James Durbin' providing all the vocal power needed, 'Mike Flyntz' sharp guitar-driven riffs repeatedly triggering the headbanging machine and 'Perry Richardson'/'Robert Sweet' rhythm section providing the perfect accompaniment throughout . In short, no need to add more, I let you discover this very beautiful album 'Coming Home' which is a suite of hits with melodies that we immediately appropriate and which should make any fan of a bright and powerful heavy metal... |
Line Up / Musicians :James Durbin (Chant), Mike Flyntz (Guitare), Perry Richardson (Basse), Robert Sweet (Batterie) |
https://www.facebook.com/CleanbreakMetal/ |