STEEL PANTHER: "Balls Out"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Universal Republic 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Okay, it’s time to put on your ironic spandex pants and leopard skin headband, as Steel Panther have decided to do a second album - not much of a surprise after the success of the first. As before, the Steel Panther is a confusing beast, peddling mostly childish comedy songs with a style and flair that would have delighted sleaze rock fans of the mid eighties. So are we being homaged or is the piss being royally taken? I’m still not sure…

Perhaps the best fact about Steel Panther is the fact that vocalist Ralph Saenz used to front a Van Halen tribute band and was called Dave Lee Ralph. Now that’s funny. This also means the guy can sing, and as with everyone in Steel Panther there’s certainly no shortage of musical talent. Saenz (who uses the name Michael Starr in the band) can belt out “Supersonic Sex Machine” (a track that Reckless Love would kill for) like a pro, and when you have a lead guitarist with the talents of Russ Parish (“Satchel”) it’s good to see they are being utilized to the full, as “Balls Out” contains some monster riffs and searing solos.

As ever, though, the real debating point of Steel Panther is their longevity. It’s like watching a live comedy DVD - you love it the first time but the jokes don’t get better when you hear them again and again. Steel Panther have an advantage in that the songs are very well written, but in the end they are pretty standard glam metal distinguished by the fact that no one else writes lyrics quite like this. The lyrics are, well, filthy. They are at their best when there’s a bit of cleverness involved, such as single “If You Really Really Love Me” and “Just Like Tiger Woods”. Unfortunately, most of them are incredibly low IQ stuff, like “17 Girls In A Row” or the rather self explanatory “It Won’t Suck Itself”, a track that sounds a lot like Motley Crue at their peak.

So once again I am torn by a Steel Panther album. On one hand, the music really is pretty good, pure 80s Hollywood Strip metal, all hairspray, bandannas and venereal diseases. The other hand has the fact that the lyrics are often embarrassing to listen to, and it really can feel like they’re just making fun of music I love. If that’s true, anyone who buys it is being taken for a fool. Suffice to say, if you loved the debut, this will certainly float your boat, but those who think it’s all a bit silly should go and get the new Vain album for their sleaze needs.

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FASTWAY: "Eat Dog Eat"

Rating: 8/10

Label: SPV/Steamhammer 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

When you see that Fastway are releasing their first album for 20 years or so, you have to wonder if anyone is really going to care that much. Fastway, although hinged on the presence of Motorhead man Fast Eddie Clarke, were always a bit of a revolving door of a band, and this resulted in albums of varying quality, my favourite being the “Trick Or Treat” soundtrack from 1996. Unsurprisingly, the band has gone through more line up changes since they played at Hard Rock Hell a few years ago, and now consists of Clarke, Toby Jepson (vocals/bass) and Matt Eldrige (drums).

Although Jepson has his own habit of bouncing around different projects, he’s a safe bet for a decent vocal any day of the week, and as a result “Eat Dog Eat” sounds great, with Clarke laying down some melodic, bluesy riffs and throwing in plenty of nifty solos along the way. Musically, the sound is nicely between UFO and Little Angels, taking some of the better bits from both, with the result a surprisingly decent album. “Deliver Me”, “Fade Out”, “Leave The Light” on and “Sick As A Dog” all fly by early on with the album broken up by a cracking ballad (well, half a ballad with a rocky finish) in the shape of “Dead & Gone”, with Jepson relishing the chance to utilize his brilliant vocal range and grab bag full of emotion.

Refreshing, solid and crunchy, “Eat Dog Eat” is a welcome return for both Clarke and Jepson, playing off the talents of both in just the right way. Here’s hoping they manage to stick together to do some more.



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SOUL SELLER: "Back To Life"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Avenue Of Allies 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

This Italian hard rock band has been around since 1999, and they've even called it quits once, but the passion of the founding members Dave and Mike Zublena didn't go away. So, a couple of years ago they decided to give it another shot, and the result is here for all the world to hear - the album "Back To Life".

With new guys in the band and the services of producer Alessandro Del Vechhio enlisted, the band has come up with a decent melodic rock album. Musically they're standing somewhere between Journey, late eighties' Whitesnake and Bon Jovi of the same era. Especially vocalist Michael Carreta's voice reminds me of young Jon Bon Jovi.

The album starts strongly with the catchy "Wings Of Freedom", followed by the summertime AOR of "Change Your Heart Tonight" and the melancholic "All I Can Promise". The latter has a truly fine chorus.

Despite the guest vocals from Oliver Hartmann, "Keep On Moving" isn't one of my favourites, but it does show a harder side of the band. Hell, is that an Accept riff I hear?!

"Old Hero's Prayer" and the fine ballad "Hell Of Tears" are my favourites among the remaining tracks, but while some of the other tracks do have their moments, they're still somewhat forgettable. Hence the rating, although it was a close call... Not bad at all.

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ISSA: "The Storm"

Rating: 8/10

Label: Frontiers 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Norwegian AOR queen Issa follows her excellent debut with a rather fine second album. "The Storm" isn't quite as bombastic as the first album, but there's still plenty of big choruses and larger-than-life emotions.

Produced by Daniel Flores, this album is probably the most "experimental" out of the three Frontiers releases of October 2011. AOR purists need not to worry though, no drastic measures have been taken. The overall vibe of the album is just a bit more modern than that of Kimball-Jamison or Fergie Frederiksen.

For me, the album's key songs are the catchy first single "Looking For Love", "Black Clouds" and "What Does It Take". All three are blessed with superb choruses, colourful arrangements and excellent vocals. Other noteworthy songs include "Take A Stand", not a particulary strong song but its' goth leanings add a darker shade to the album. The two ballads have plenty of hit potential, especially "Invincible".

Thanks to a few songs which are merely "nice" in a slightly bland way I'll refrain from rating this any higher than I have done. Good album nevertheless.

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RECKLESS LOVE: "Animal Attraction"

Rating: 8/10

Label: Universal 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

So, the colourful glamsters are back with a new album. It's the "difficult second album", and the stakes are high. The record company is obviously expecting big things after the rather successful debut and the headway the band made during the last 18 months. The band certainly got themselves a high profile in the Finnish media thanks to numerous TV appearances, but there's a downside to this - the critics and enemies are now waiting with their knives sharpened... that's the way it goes here.

I liked the first album a lot, and I like this effort too. The band hasn't lost their knack of writing big hooks, and the production by Ilkka Wirtanen is glossy and polished. Maybe there aren't quite as many standout tracks as on the first album, but this is by no means a disappointment.

The Crüe-meets-Leppard vibe of the title track is the grand opener, and it's a big, BIG anthem. "Speedin'" is a bit of a throwaway and it could've been buried further down the tracklisting, as "Born To Break Your Heart" would've been a better second track. This is a cool, breezy track with a nice twist in the lyrics. The first single "Hot" I've grown to like a bit more over the last few months, but it's not one of my favourites. And that guitar solo... what the hell?

"Fantasy" is the album's big ballad, and if the band intend to do it like it was done in the eighties, it's the single number three. Very Def Lep again, maybe a bit sugary for some but I like it. "Dirty Dreams" could be a single candidate too, thanks to one of the best choruses of the album.

"Dance" is a bit of a departure for the band, even more than the controversial "Hot"... this dance-rock hybrid reminds me of The Rasmus actually. I don't know, it's okay but I'm not overtly into it. After the trickery beats, something more rockin' is needed and "Fight" is just that, a high-energy rocker with Olli Herman snarling the lyrics like he means it. "Switchblade Babe" is another rocker driven by Pepe's riffs, followed by my favourite track of the album, "On The Radio". With a Bon Jovi-vibe and a massive chorus, this song has brought some much needed sunshine to these dark autumn days.

I really don't know what to make of "Coconuts", a silly rocker in the vein of David Lee Roth's solo stuff, with Olli doing his best DLR impressions. It's not really much of a song but it's kinda funny... actually it reminds me slightly of another song with "Coconuts" in the title, Fate's "Beneath Da' Coconuts". I compared Reckless Love to those Danish rockers in my review of the first album, and now they sing about coconuts too. Strange.


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Bobby KIMBALL & Jimi JAMISON: "Kimball Jamison"

Rating: 8/10

Label: Frontiers 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

A few eyebrows when it was announced that Mat Sinner would produce an album by two AOR vocalist legends, former Toto singer Bobby Kimball and ex-Survivor Jimi Jamison. Yes, it's Mat Sinner of Sinner and Primal Fear fame, but Teutonic Metal sound isn't what he has created for the AOR veterans, this is album never strays away from what is the essence of the genre. We're talking about finely produced melodic rock, powerful when needed and subtle and soft when the song requires that. Besides, Mat Sinner hasn't always played metal or raunchy hard rock, his band Sinner did flirt with keyboard-driven AOR sounds on their late eighties' albums...

Provided by songwriters like Jim Peterik, Erik Martensson, Robert Sall, Richard Page and Randy Goodrum, the majority of the album is solid AOR material. Two tracks stand out for me, the superb "Can't Wait For Love" and the hard-hitting "Kicking And Screaming", both really magical tunes with big hooks and fine performances from both of the vocalists, not to mention the backing musicians. Then again, there are two songs that somehow make me cringe: "Get Back In The Game" is a bit of a throwaway uptempo romp, with the two gentlemen trying a bit too hard to prove that "the geezers can still rock", while "Your Photograph" has a cabaret/musical feel which doesn't appeal to me.

If you're a fan of either of the vocalists or both, this is a pretty safe purchase. Both guys still have their voices, and I especially liked Jamison's raspy delivery here. Musically "Kimball Jamison" is closer to Survivor than Toto, so don't expect to hear anything like "Rosanna" or "Africa". This is a pretty hard rockin' effort.


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Fergie FREDERIKSEN: "Happiness Is The Road"

Rating: 9/10

Label: Frontiers 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Dennis Ward as the producer, songs from the top writers of the genre and a well-known vocalist... yes, sounds like another Frontiers "project" and October seems to be the month of projects, as the other two October releases, Kimball-Jamison and Issa, are somewhat similar albums.

The well-known vocalist here is Fergie Frederiksen, a familiar name to most AOR fans, thanks to his work on Toto's "Isolation" album and a few other bands/projects such as Le Roux and Frederiksen-Phillips. Fergie's recent history hasn't been the happiest one, as he has suffered of Hepatitis C and a liver cancer, both of which have been beaten. Now the future looks brighter, and I guess "Happiness Is The Road" for him. Nice!

One thing that Fergie can surely be happy about is this album, which is the strongest one out of the three "project" albums released by Frontiers this month. Superb production & musicianship, good songs and fine vocals are the reasons for this.

Frederiksen's history with Toto isn't forgotten on the album, but there are only some light touches of "Totoism" here. Mostly this is a much harder-edged AOR album which suits me just fine. The album gets a flying start with a couple of uptempo AOR gems ("Angel" & "Elaine"), followed by a fine version of "First To Cry", a track written by Mark Baker. Strangely enough, House Of Lords covered it on their latest album too, released a month or so ago, on the same label! I actually prefer Fergie's version, it's somehow fuller and rolls along more effortlessly.

The grandiose, dramatic ballad "Follow Your Heart" is very good, but the title track leaves me a bit cold. Sure, it has Jim Peterik's trademarks all over it, but it's just nice, likeable enough but that's about it. "I Still Believe In Love" sounded familiar, and indeed it's the David Roberts song from his album "The Missing Years", reviewed by me in May. I said it was a fine AOR song then and it still is, one that should appeal to the fans of Fergie's Toto years.

The next two tracks could've been just as well saved as the bonus tracks for the Japanese version or something, because they are the weakest two of the bunch. "Lyin' Eyes" isn't too bad but forgettable all the same, and the soft rocking of "Love Waits For No One" doesn't work for me at all.

The uptempo and intense "Writing On The Wall" is more like it, while "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be" IS my kind of soft rocking, melodic to the core and anthemic at the same time. Two additional AOR jewels have been saved to the end, the majestic "The One" and the almost progressive "The Savior". Both of these tracks feature keyboard player Eric Ragno in the leading role, and he really enhances them with his fantastic playing.

To be honest, I wasn't really expecting this album to be this good. I thought that Fergie would have been pushed to the Toto mould, but thankfully this is more rocking, more uptempo than I expected. Excellent!

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GREG X: "Dream"

Rating: 7/10

Label: Greg X Music 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Greg X (not to be confused with vocalist Greg X Volz) is a London based guitarist (and teacher) who you probably haven’t heard of. This isn’t a problem, because if he has his way his name will be shouted from rooftops, or wherever two of three long haired lads are gathered to make devil horns and play air guitar. It was nice to get a fully packaged CD with a proper inlay with words and everything on it! Add to that a personally hand written note and Greg X already has me more interested than many more well known artists.

Mind you, I certainly sat up and decided to take notice when I realized that his vocalist was none other than Ken Tamplin, best known for his work with god botherers Shout (although this isn't a Christian album). Add to this a producer by the name of John Payne (Asia) and I get the feeling that Greg must be quite well respected in the music world. It’s all been cobbled together under his own banner and label, and I would urge people not to be put off by the rather yawnsome cover, as Greg X is worth taking notice of.

Unusually for an album made by a guitarist with that guitarist’s name on the cover, “Dream” certainly isn’t a guitar album. There’s a solitary instrumental track, “Victory”, to close the album, and it’s quite the little beauty, with the guitar histrionics reigned in to allow the melody to shine through, resulting in a marvellously uplifting piece of music. Otherwise it’s all standard melodic rock, often very good and occasionally not so good. The stand out track for me is “Dream The Dream”, which is one of the better AOR tracks of 2011 and shows that Greg knows how to put a good tune together. “As The World Spins Round” opens the album well, whilst “Love & Hate” has a great beat and some sterling work from both Greg X and Tamplin.

Obviously a labour of love, “Dream” is a solid melodic rock album that shows plenty of promise. It’s great to hear Ken Tamplin again, and Greg X himself pulls off some very nice work throughout. Aside from a rather weak drum sound, John Payne produces pretty well, and although there’s only 8 tracks the length feels just about right. I want you to go to Greg X’s website and get your free download of “Dream The Dream”, and if you like it go ahead and buy the album, because you won’t be short changed.

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GRAND DESIGN: "Idolizer"

Rating: 4/10

Label: RAOR Heaven 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

A couple of years ago, our own Kimmo Toivonen said of Swedden’s Grand Design that “the Def Leppard influence is so overbearing”, and boy, he wasn’t kidding. It seems that they are quite happy to be known as Leppard clones, however, because they’ve not changed a bit in the intervening 2 years, and “Idoliser” (shit, even the album title is like a Def Lep one) is yet another album the Sheffield superstars never got round to making.

There’s really two ways to take this sort of thing. You can be angry that Grand Design are basically a bunch of rip off merchants, with many tracks being close to carbon copies of Leps standards, or you can sit back and enjoy what are, after all, good melodic rock songs. Well, I tried the latter, but the former kept bubbling to the top, I’m afraid. I accept that it’s hard to be truly original in the melodic rock genre, but to so blatantly take off another band is pretty shameful.

So if you want a Leppard clone album with such godawful titles as “Let’s Rawk The Nite” or “OughttoGraugh” then this is certainly the album for you. To be totally fair, the music is really very catchy, the harmonies good and the songs harmless melodic fluff with catchy tunes. The low score is because every time you listen to it you will, track by track, be aware of just which Def Leppard song they are plagiarizing, and that sours what would otherwise be a fun listening experience.

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CHICKENFOOT: "III"

Rating: 9/10

Label: Ear Music 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Supergroups, whether they think they are one or not, seem to be all over the place lately. The title of “Bestest Supergroup Evar”, however, seems to be between Black Country Communion and the Sammy Hagar led Chickenfoot, who have cheekily titled their second album “III”, because “It’s so good… we jumped right past having to make a second record”. Quite a boast, Mr Hagar, but at least it’s not a hollow one.

The band’s first album was pretty much universally applauded, mainly because it was a great, tight album with plenty of good songs on it. Sometimes that’s all you need, people, and Chickenfoot haven’t tried to fix what wasn’t broken. The heaviest influence on “”III” is unsurprisingly Hagar, mainly because he will always stamp his presence on anything he sings on, and this in turn throws in some healthy comparisons with Hagar era Van Halen. My personal favourite track, “Different Devil” is actually one of the more laid back tracks, with a chorus that wouldn’t been out of place on Hagar’s self titled 1987 classic album, or even VH’s “F.U.C.K”. There’s no clue as to who wrote what anywhere, which is pretty annoying. There’s a 3D picture of each band member, but personally I’d rather have had a proper booklet, like what they used to do, ya know?

It’s not surprise that there is absolutely no filler on the album, just like the first, and although the tracks have a similar feel they’re all refreshingly different, if you see what I mean. Despite the inclusion of guitar legend Joe Satriani, the album doesn’t feature a great deal of shredding, with the erstwhile guitar hero content do just do his job as part of the band, although he certainly flies when let off the lead. There’s even a bit of social commentary, with “Three & A Half Letters”, where Hagar reads from letters by pissed off Americans desperate for a job in trying times before letting rip on the chorus. It’s very effective, and shows another side to the band with the silly name.

The 3D packaging is a tired gimmick, the album name is a confusing gimmick, but Chickenfoot are still anything but a gimmick band. As a fan of Sammy Hagar for many years, I can confidently say that “III” stands up well to plenty of his classic releases, and is the perfect follow on from his Van Halen years. Funky, rocky, melodic and angry, this has something for everyone.

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YÖ: "Kiitos Ja Kunnia - 30V. Juhlakokoelma"

Compilation

Label: Poko Records 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

This compilation features the hits of YÖ from the last decade and a few new songs. Yö has been around since the early eighties, they had their first "glory days" on that decade and for a while they were the biggest band in the country. They went through some lean years during the late eighties and the nineties but seriously bounced back in 2001. The newly-found success has lasted to this day, and with this album already going gold after a few days on the market, it seems that there's no stopping them.

I used to like the band as a kid, and just like many others, I've rediscovered them during the last few years. While their eighties' hits are still firmly stuck in my head, I think that they are a far better band these days. This double album is a carefully put together set of their hits and album tracks, and only a few of my favourites from their recent output are missing. Regardless of the language, I think that fans of melancholic, melodic rock could enjoy tracks like "Särkyvää", "Deadline" or "Rakkautta Vain", just to name a few.

The four new tracks on the album are all more or less worthy additions to the album, although not quite up there with the best of the tracks. The first single "Onnen Hohteessa" is my favourite of them. "Kun Nuoruus Katoaa", written and sung by the band's original songwriter Jussi Hakulinen, is a theatrical 8-minute epic and somewhat out of place here, but I've got to hand it out to Hakulinen - he has written some very challenging vocal melodies for himself.


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CORNERSTONE: "Somewhere In America"

Rating: 5/10

Label: Atom Records 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Cornerstone - their previous attempt at world domination ended up in the bin. Indeed, their first CD, 'Head Over Heels' - as much fun as watching a Rob Schneider comedy. By the way, could someone please stop him from filming ever again. I don't get it though? Why do Cornerstone share stages with eighties hard rock acts such as John Waite, Ted Poley, Iron Maiden's Dennis Stratton, as well as their performance at Z Rock Festival in the U.K.

Are they really so desperately clueless to where and when to promote their music and sound? Why do they promote themselves in magazine's such as Powerplay and Fireworks??? I hate to bring the news for Cornerstone - but you guys are NOT, I repeat, NOT even close to being in the same category and style as any of the above mentioned acts and mags. Sure, bits and pieces of melodic hardrock every now and then, but... you could say the exact same thing about Bruce Springsteen.

They certainly have just as much in common with 80s indie pop, Bangles-rock, Berlin (the band, not the city), Linda Rondstadt, and various radio friendly female fronted power-pop with merely a hint of modern country. I can't believe the s**t I'm reading regarding other reviews and what the reviewers are saying. I quote, "a mixture out of AOR like Journey, Asia and Toto with a female voice", end quote. Ehem, sure, if you've been smoking a lot of s**t for the last twenty years. Any good? Well, if the previous one were/was Rob Schneider - this one will surely entertain you just as much as any Adam Sandler movie. Neat, nice vocal harmonies, a couple of really strong melodies, but hardly up there among the real stars.

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SINNER: "One Bullet Left"

Rating: 5/10

Label: AFM Records 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Mat's certainly been quite a busy Sinner over the past years working on projects such as Godless Shiva, Jamison/Kimball, Kiske/Somerville, Scheepers, Voodoo Circle and of course Primal Fear. Sinner is however his first love with a nice background history that dates all the way back to the very early eighties. They were sort of the first wave of teutonic heavy metal which became later everyman's Running Wild, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Rage, etc, etc. I can't recall any Thin Lizzy influences whatsoever on their early records though?

Weird? But, much like previous attempt (Mask Of Sanity), "One Bullet Left" is basically two completely different sides/dogs of hard rock fighting over one album. Teutonic Lizzy? Well, it's still better than those blokes touring as Thin Lizzy nowadays. But to be completely frank, it's just not working out in the long run. The T-Lizzy sounding tracks are basically rip offs and the teutonic metal ones are few and barely enough to please this particular reviewer. Sinner is obviously obsessed by the thought of channeling the sound of Phil Lynnot, but it's hardly the most original idea in the history of hard rock. Final verdict: Too schizo and hardly above average.

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NORDIC NOMADIC: "Worldwide Skyline"

Rating: 4/10

Label: TeePee Records 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

The third album from TeePee Records in a row, and by far the most bearable. There's actual singing here! Nordic Nomadic is a project of Chad Ross, who sings and plays guitars in Quest For Fire, "Canada's most beloved psych rockers". This isn't really rock at all, more like acoustic guitar music with whisper-like vocals and electric instruments used as effects. The press release compares the album to Neil Young and Earth, I could describe this as "Kansas and Simon & Gartfunkel gone fishing together".

Some of the melodies are actually quite beautiful and I was able to listen to the whole album easily, but I don't think that there's anything too captivating here. Still, I'd rather listen to this again than those previous two TeePee audio assaults.


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THE FUCKING WRATH: "Valley Of The Serpent's Soul"

Rating: 2/10

Label: TeePee Records 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

I have a sneaking suspicion that the A&R people of TeePee Records do not value singing as most people know it too highly. I reviewed The Elks the other day, and now this... The band name alone suggested that this wouldn't be our usual melodic fare, but bravely I volunteered to review this. Actually, no-one else did so I thought I would, just for the "fun" of it.

Compared to the Elks, "Valley Of The Serpent's Soul" is better produced, at least the vocals are more audible. The band jumps from raw, punky rock to Sabbathy doom, sometimes within one song, but just like with their labelmates, a singer would have been a good addition to the band. There's a "vocalist", but he merely shouts, yells and hollers. There were some short moments of what I could call "singing" on one of the songs, but I'm beginning to think they were accidental, since he quickly returned to shouting and yelling.

"We are out to smash your eardrums with an audio assault of blood, riffs and gear", the band proudly says in the PR letter. Well, mission accomplished. Unofortunately I am not a masochist, so I didn't enjoy it at all.

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VAIN: "Enough Rope"

Rating: 8/10

Label: Jackie Rainbow Records 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Davy Vain scarred me for life back in 1989, strutting across the stage supporting Skid Row, wearing trousers made of, well, cellophane I think. With no underwear. Good as the music was (they were touring the classic “No Respect” album, after all), the man’s swinging wedding tackle was like a hypnotic pendulum. The only upside was that I was sure I was definitely not gay, but the nightmares…. they still haunt me.

So I should bear Vain at least a small grudge, but I don’t, and it’s great to hear them back and on great form with “Enough Rope”. As usual, there’s plenty of publicity blah, and it’s mentioned that this album ‘follows on seamlessly’ from their 1989 debut, and despite the fact that much of what’s said in press releases is hopeful bollocks, that phrase is right on the button. If this album had been released in 1990 to chase up “No Respect” it would have been praised to the skies. Although the 1991 album “All These Strangers” was good (finally released last year), this is much better. Davy Vain sounds exactly the same, all sleaze and swagger, and the songs are pure Vain. No other band can sound like this, like they’ve just woken up in the gutter with a used condom, a guitar and a fat girl’s number tattooed on their ass - this is proper, dirty sleaze music with pure heart and soul running through it. From the filth of “Triple X”, through the haunting ballad “Treasure Girl” right to closing balls out rocker “Worship”, this is exactly what fans have been waiting for.

In 2011, Vain aren’t exactly flavour of the month any more, but it’s heartening to see a band who can still hold a candle to their glory days. Released on their own label, “Enough Rope” should be eagerly snapped up by anyone who ever enjoyed “No Respect”, as it’s twenty years ago and Davy Vain’s testicles are once again dancing in front of my face… and I like it.

GOLDEN RESURRECTION: "Man With A Mission"

Rating: 7/10

Label: : Liljegren Records / Doolittle Group 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

It’s time to praise the Lord with big ass guitars and shitloads of melody, because Golden Resurrection are back with the eagerly awaited follow up to “Glory To My King”, and they’re not afraid to let you know just who is on the Lord’s side. It’s them, by the way, in case you didn’t get the subtle hints.

Headed by guitar maestro Tommy from ReinXeed and vocalist Christian Liljegran (Narnia, Divinefire) the Swedish band specialize in a sort of God bothering version of the type of melodic power metal Dragonforce made so popular Although not quite as fast, there’s certainly a plethora of fast, melodic guitar that will cement Tommy as a favourite in many people’s minds. This is frantic fret fiddling of the highest order, and it helps immensely that Christian has a competent higher register voice that compliments this style of metal so very well. For the non religious out there some of the lyrics may be a bitter biblical pill to swallow, but once you get round that particular obstacle there’s a lot to admire about “Man With A Mission”. If you’re a certified holy warrior then that only makes the album more desirable, but it’s important to state that it should appeal to Heavenly and Heathen alike. Worthy of note are the two bonus digital tracks, superlative covers of Kansas’ “Point Of Know Return” and Gary Moore’s “The End Of The World”, which has some of the best guitarwork on the album(appropriate, really), whilst the former has a great retro feel to it. A shame they can’t be on the physical copy, really.

Straightforward and melodic, Golden Resurrection don’t muck about very much musically. If you have a thing for melodic power metal that’s been with you since you first played air guitar to “Keeper Of The Seven Keys” then this is a worthy purchase, especially if you are also a Christian. As a confirmed Atheist I have enjoyed listening to it, and may Richard Dawkins strike me dead if I’m lying…

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ELKS: "Destined For The Sun"

Rating: 2/10

Label: TeePee Records 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

ELKS are an "Astral Metal" band from Brooklyn. "Soaring riffs, towering twin leads... perfect sonic experience" says the press bio. An experience this is all right. Truly a "once in a lifetime" experience, as I will not listen to this album ever again.

The guitarists churn out heavy riffs at a steady pace and do play some twin leads. That's just about the only good thing about this CD that I can think of. Otherwise it's quite horrible: messy production, weird drumming and a vocalist who makes Lemmy sound like a truly wonderful singer. The guy is just yelling and hollering thru the songs, like a drunken football hooligan. Almost funny. It's a good thing that the vocals are low in the mix.

The songs itself aren't much better, there are some decent guitar parts here 'n there but as soon as the "vocalist" starts yelling his head off, the songs become a joke. Thank you, next please.

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GREYLEVEL: "Hypostatic Union"

Rating: 7/10

Label: ProgRockRecords 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Oh... the melancholy of melancholic melancholia!!! Blimey, the music of Greylevel will bring the most upbeat person right back down to the ground and straight towards the abyss. Actually, "Hypostatic Union" reminded me of an episode of Father Ted (do a google if needed - it's a great U.K. TV comedy series of the nineties) where they've finally managed to cheer up this suicidal/depressed Irish catholic priest and he's on the bus on his way home looking forward to tomorrow... when the driver decides to play a music tape with Radiohead. Bummer indeed.

Greylevel play a progressive rock version of the above mentioned act also reminiscent to Porcupine Tree, Muse, and just a hint of Pink Floyd. The lyrics are thoughtworthy and the emotional pattern of synthesizers and keyboards are definitely all gloom and doom. It's heavy and dark (in the sense of being melancholic and sorrowful) and it's music that makes you take astand against everything you believe in as a human. Okay, clearly a bit too much and perhaps a too colourful description? But seriously, at the end of the disc, it's like if there's no future, no tomorrow, no meaning whatsoever and you might as well just lie in bed all day.

It's darkness and rainy days at the beach and all the tracks, from the opening "Memory Remains" to the closing of "Signals", speaks volume of massive grief and sadness. Cheerful buggers they are not and I could actually do with a pick me up song or a silly old tune such as "Cherry Pie". No, wait, Jani Lane's dead... crap, I think I'll just stay in bed for another month. Final verdict: Kudos to the Canadian act for coming up with a mighty decent sophomore release that literally transport the listener to a world of sorrow and hurt.

www.greylevel.com/

41POINT9: "Still Looking For Answers"

Rating: 8/10

Label: ProgRockRecords 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Anyone for Pop friendly Prog?? Sure, why not... as long as they're mixing things at this remarkable high level which include a fine texture and interesting rhythms. To be completely frank, we're all pretty fed up with all the extremely boring acts who merely play a third rate version of Dream Theatre arranged music anyhow. Indeed, thus why 41Point9 strikes me as something completely different, out-of the-box, possible even new and fresh?

The stunning new project by Brian Cline, original singer/bassist with Enchant and his partner-in-crime, Bob Marsden of Xen and Enchant fame. Add to this guest performances by Nick D'Virgilio and Jimmy Keegan of Spocks Beard and an eighties pop sound in everything from the production to rhythm section. Oh shut up you infront of the pc with the cheeky remark - any serious 4-string player knows that Level 42, Japan, Kajagoogoo, had some of the most interesting bass-lines around in the eighties. If not, bow yer head in shame. Hi-tech prog? Well, it's almost like if they're shaking the tree just to see what comes out and down to the ground. Have a go at this apple if you fancy a fun and rather vivid mix of (new) Marillion, Midge Ure, Peter Gabriel, Level 42, Porcupine Tree and Japan. Recommended.

www.41point9.com/

ZEN ROCK AND ROLL: "Undone"

Rating: 8/10

Label: ProgRockRecords 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Old school, definitely old school... and remarkably out of touch with today's music scene and industry. Quirky, innocent, close to naive at times? yet strangely intriguing and charming. I constantly find myself with a grin on my face as I play the latest offering to the Gods of... what exactly??? Indeed, it's Zen Rock and Roll and also the work of multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Saunders. The man's responsible for all instruments and vocals and Undone is actually a darn nice mix of 70s Pomp, Symphonic, Art-Rock with just a hint of the complex Prog.

In truth, the grand concept of lushy keyboards and soft-soft melodic songs seems best in theory than execution. Honestly, the whole concept is so utterly dated, wimpy, it could make any ordinary rocker blush of sympathy towards the poor bugger. I wasn't around the first time this kind of music had its peak in the seventies. However, it's like if Saunders decided to bring together all the nerdy acts of the past and declare them Gods of rock and roll. The mind boggles. It's the pomp of STYX (Dennis DeYoung), the over the top agenda of SPARKS, the lively arrangements of JOHN MILES, the innocence of AMBROSIA, the vocal harmonies of ELO, and why not the odd melody of ZON and YES. I probably shouldn't? but I do enjoy most of the seven tracks on display and there's hardly anything wrong with looking out through rose colored stained windows every now and then???

www.zenrockandroll.com/

BEYOND THE VORTEX: "One"

Rating: 4/10

Label: NonStopMusic 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

"This Is War - This Is War" - Beyond The Vortex are screaming out the words 'Slayer-style' as the opening track "The Infinite Delirium" takes off like a 747 to the sky. The band's first record, "One", takes the listener on a 40-minute journey through the world of... or rather Beyond The Vortex. They materialise through a world of pain and dispear which also include earth-shattering breakdowns, relentless double-bass passages, various violent behaviour, and a barking mad vocalist. Had it not been for the fact that we actually like (old) Slayer, this record could have gone straight to the bin. It's not bad, not bad at all, the riffing - absolutely massive and I really enjoy the work of their two excellent six-string benders Simon Burri and Oskar Zekorn (now there's a comedy pair if ever - Burri & Zekorn).

The downside? the technical and not to mention vocal frustrations are too many and they lose their footing as soon as Lukas Villiger goes bezerk behind the microphone stand. For fecks sake, take a breather every now and then instead of constantly trying to infuse as many words/growls as possible on each and every darn track. It's actually a blessing in the sky every time he's gone quite and you can finally begin to enjoy the melodies and crunchy guitarwork. Not for long though as it's once again back to the monotone... ehh, singing. You simply need a more diverse sounding vocalist if you're ever going to break to the masses.

www.beyondthevortex.com/

NINE STONES CLOSE: "Traces"

Rating: 6/10

Label: ProgRockRecords 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Man, what's up with ProgRock Records and their releases as of lately? First I had to listen to the (fine) Greylevel disc and here's yet another utterly melancholic act? I simply won't bother getting up from bed this month then? Reading through the press-release certainly won't cheer you up, it's, and I quote, "a journey through loss, growing up and getting older. Letting things go and learning how to move on. Asking questions that don't have immutable answers, telling stories that don't necessarily have happy endings. Coming to terms with things you can't change or control. Mood music not for elevators", end quote. Sounds more like perfect match and music for suicidal booths (not to be confused with suicidal boots as those are made for walking... off the cliff).

The future is bleak and if that's the case, Nine Stones Close are having a wonderful time looking out through black tinted windows. Neat, how many other supposedly sorrow-thinking prog acts are you supposed to listen to before you simply had enough? To be perfectly honest, Nine Stones Close are quite good at what they do. The influences on the gloomy textured sound are quite diverse, but, wolven deep into the layered fabric of songs that reeks of Camel, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree. The guitar work intones a style similar to David Gilmour and the songs are overall more towards the old school sound than recently released prog albums. The keyboard sound is definitely old school and not quite as dramatic and atmospheric as the work of fellow label act Greylevel.

The musicianship throughout the 15 minute epic "Thicker Than Water" add a nice dimension, but unfortunately it's nothing most old prog rock bands haven't already done back in the days. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice little gloomy album, it's just not up to pair with the you-know-what release (see above).

www.ninestonesclose.com/

ODIN'S COURT: "Human Life In Motion"

Rating: 4/10

Label: ProgRockRecords 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Look out, the vikings are here! Hide your women and gold and simply run for the hills as fast as you... no, wait, wait, it's merely just another Prog-Rock act, unfortunately equiped with the worst possible monicker. Absolutely spot on if you're aiming at the primitive headbanger and other, ehh, various metalheads. However, if you're going for the average posh prog rocker and his/her wine drinking friends... ehhh, nope, please try again, and replace that eighties heavy metal artcover while you're at it.

"Human Life In Motion" is a concept album where each track deals with a primary emotion and an introspective look at the human experience. Strickly speaking the guitars are sometimes way louder and more upfront than your usual ProgRockRecords release. This obviously being down to their influences and inspirations as the band likes to spice up things with the odd Maiden and Metallica riff. I'd go as far as saying it's approx 3/4 prog and 1/4 old heavy metal to be found on this record. Sadly, however, the music of Odin's Court passed it's sell by date around the time of when David Lee Roth lost his hairdo and charisma. Final verdict: Meh!

www.odinscourt.com/

ALICE COOPER: "Welcome 2 My Nightmare"

Rating: 5/10

Label: NonStopMusic 2011

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Why dear lord why? classic hard rock artist merely trying to ride the wave with ancient board and success. Why not just give it rest and try something completely different for a change? Golf? Clearly not Coop's best idea - naming the new album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare", especially if you're not capable of coming up with material that goes hand in hand with the legendary album. What's next, Welcome 3 My Nightmare? Well, it doesn't make sense, but, Welcome 4 My Nightmare could possibly work if you're not too picky?

What's the grand idea behind the title anyhow? It's obvious an attempt at attracting as many suckers and old fans as possible before they discover the truth about the album? Three or four decent/good tracks and a bunch of fillers? The album drops its metal noodling for dull mainstream pop/rock on a couple of tracks and consequently becomes less interesting. But, I'll have to say that the duet with Kesha is better than expected. Sure enough, "I'll Bite Your Face Off" is a nice tune in the style of the Rolling Stones vs. Cooper and Bob Ezrin's back behind the control desk. But hey, I'll be waiting for 'Trash 2' - the title may at least match the music then. Ouch, that's a bit harsh. The bottomline: it's just another Cooper release as of lately and it's been several years since his latest homerun? Huh, what? Beat It!?

www.alicecooper.com/

Kevin COSTNER & Modern West: "From Where I Stand"

Rating: 6/10

Label: Ear Music 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

You might know the name Kevin Costner and indeed it's the same guy, if you were wondering… As this album was available on the Finnish distributor's promo service, I downloaded it out of curiousity to check it out. And well, it's actually not too bad. There's nothing that really grabs me instantly, but it's pleasant to listen to, most of the songs are pretty good and Costner is a good singer and a songwriter. The lyrics are real stories, which is quite nice.

"From Where I Stand" stands somewhere between country and down-to-earth rock of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and John Mellencamp. My favorite tracks of the album are probably "No Fences" (very Petty'ish) and "Let Go Tonight", which features an unlikely guest star, the german pop rock singer Nena.


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SLAVES TO FASHION: "Artistic Differences"

Rating: 6/10

Label: Hands Of Blue Records 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

"Artistic Differences" is the first full-length album from Norwegian band Slaves To Fashion. They've previously released one CD and one EP as "P:O:B" and an EP under their current monicker. What we got here is a finely crafted progressive rock album, with interesting instrumentation and arrangements, fine playing and singing. It's obvious that the band has put a lot of effort into this.

Slaves To Fashion has an interesting sound that reminds me a bit of King's X and the acclaimed Finnish prog rockers Von Hertzen Brothers. Some of the songs have a bit of a psychedelic, even oriental vibe which doesn't really agree with me, but the vocal harmonies are fine. To these ears, the band is at their best when they cut corners a little and go for a more straight-forward approach, take the opening track "Love You Back" or the album's standout track "Libido Ride" for example. The more meandering and progressive tracks leave me a little cold.


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SHY: "Shy"

Rating: 9/10

Label: Escape Music 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

The unique voice of Tony Mills was the one thing that used to make Shy stand out among the competition and gave them an easily recognizable sound. Now that he's no longer in the band, the rest of the band had a difficult task in front of them - to re-introduce the band to the fans with a new, very different sounding singer. Sure enough, Shy 2011 sounds different, but what's important - it still sounds very good! Actually, the challenging situation has made the band stronger, and this self-titled album is far more satisfying an album than the previous couple of discs they made with Mills.

New vocalist Lee Small is definitely a different kind of singer to his predecessor, a bit in the vein of Glenn Hughes. Tony's high-pitched voice wasn't for everyone, but Lee's husky tones might have a wider appeal, so in a way he's a great choice.

When it comes to the music, the songs on this album are roughly in the same genre as the old Shy songs. Yet at the same time they sound different, as if the band had reinvented themselves. The "new" Shy is a bit heavier, should I say more "european" sounding, but on the other hand there are some really pop-styled melodies here and there. The guitars are more upfront, but so are the keyboards - both Steve Harris and Joe Basketts shine here.

There are no weak tracks on the album, but a few do stand out more than others. The opener "Land Of A Thousand Lies" makes it clear that this band is back in business. It's big, it's bold and the chorus is gloriously anthemic. Somehow it reminds me of Royal Hunt at their best. "Ran Out Of Time" is one of the more "vintage Shy" sounding songs, with plenty of keys and a strong hook, while the more mid tempo "Breathe" is a fine, moody song featuring a great vocal from Small. Fans of keyboards will probably fall in love with "Pray", which makes wonder whether Joe Baskett has more than two hands - there's a lot of ivory tinkling goin' on here! Those who are longing for the "old sound" there's the Journeyesque "Only For The Night" and the superb "Over You".

So… If I'm honest, I wasn't expecting that much of this album, but in this case it's nice to be proven wrong. Possibly the comeback album of the year and surely one of the Top Ten contenders.



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HOUSE OF LORDS: "Big Money"

Rating: 9/10

Label: Frontiers 2011

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

"The Root Of All Evil - MMMONEYYYYY!" This is how the new House Of Lords album starts, a soft female voice saying the first line and James Christian belting out the "MMMONEYYYYY". Effective, gets one's attention.

A brief HOL history - three albums during the late eighties and early nineties, break-up, then a comeback with 4 out of the 5 original members and a new, seventies' like raw sound. The reviews were mostly unfavorable, so vocalist James Christian took reins and put together a new House Of Lords, with an intention to go back to the original sound of the first three albums. And he did it with success, this album being the fourth in a row, true to the origins of the band.

The previous HOL album "Cartesian Dreams" was a good album, but not quite as stunning as the previous two. A few of the songs were clearly fillers, not meeting the high standard set previously. I'm glad to say that there are no real fillers on "Big Money". Naturally there are songs which aren't quite as good as the others, but the quality never really drops that much. "Searchin'" and "Seven" are probably the most "average" tracks of the album, but they're still pretty decent ones. On the other hand, there's a few tracks that would deserve a place on a Best Of House Of Lords compilation for sure: the clever and catchy "Hologram", the pompous AOR of "Someday When" and the beautiful ballad "The Next Time I Hold You" for example. Not to forget "First To Cry", the same song that was recorded a few years ago by Ignition. I might prefer the Ignition version, but this one isn't far behind.

If you've liked the previous three HOL albums or the original three ones, you can safely hand your well earned money to the cashier in your records store. Or should I say "use your credit card and buy the songs from your favourite electronic music dealer"… whatever is your choice, this is one of the essential AOR purchases of the year.

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Gary John BARDEN: "Eleventh Hour"

Rating: 5/10

Label: Escape 2011

Review by Alan Holloway

Gary Barden has returned, once again inserting his middle name for his solo projects as he utilizes his downtime from MSG. He’s been floating around since Schenker gave him a break back in 1980, with plenty of people affording him a God like status ever since. These days he seems to be doing as much as possible, although the promo blurb describing this as “Hard Rock Brilliance” may be a bit premature.

“Eleventh Hour” is, to be honest, pretty standard hard rock with some pretty cool tunes and some others that are a bit pants. It’s all quite bombastic, with some nice guitar and keyboard riffs and plenty of power throughout. “We Are Dead” and “Child Of Sorrow” both stomp about like petulant children, whilst “All In” is much more melodic in structure but lacks the conviction of the others. I had a bit of a surprise when I heard the Rainmakers-esque “Blackmail”, mainly because I genuinely thought Gary was singing “Black Man” (“Black Man, when you hold me in the night, Black Man, your grip is oh so tight” etc etc). Mind you, it did liven up a pretty dull song. Vocally, Barden does a good job, but he’s never been the best or worst of singers, nestling comfortably in the middle and offending no one whilst doing what he does.

It’s hard to really get behind “Eleventh Hour”, as I know I won’t be playing it any more than I have to. It’s passable without being exceptional, and has some pretty good songs as well as some below par ones. I think your enjoyment of it really will depend on how much you like Gary John Barden. Me, I can take him or leave him, and the same goes for the album.