LIONVILLE: "Magic Is Alive"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

'Magic Is Alive' according to the Italo lads of Lionville and that's 80's Magic, people. Indeed. They are raving and singing about the 80's scene, hanging out the Rainbow (the most famous bar at the sunset strip) at the same time as they proudly proclaim that 'We can rise' and that 80's music plays on the radio. It's no doubt the overall good-great feeling and having Lars Säfsund from Work Of Art on vocals turned out to be a massive game changer.

Indeed. They mix powerhouse vox with fragments of 'Luke' guitardom, stabbing keyboards, poppy AOR, and the odd splash of yacht and westcoast rock. They explore some interesting corners on their 4th album and tend to plunder their influences (Toto, Richard Marx, Journey, Bad English, Survivor, Foreigner, Signal, etc.) with little or no shame. Only lacking the depth and timeless legency of their heores, this album is a lot of fun, showing a keen AOR sensibility and ear for clinical sonic effects and smoothing surprises. Opener "Nothing Without You" may also display the magical touch of the one and only Signal album.

Stefano Lionetti, their main songwriter and guitarist from Genova, Italy, now display a knack for coming up with the goodies and it's got that flashy mid/late eighties vibe going on at eleven. Instantly recognizable AOR yet insanely catchy and richly layered through Lionetti's fine combination of guitar-driven hi-tech production and power-pop, it may come as a mild surprise to realise just how happy-poppy there are. Simply check out the smoothly stuff of "Runaway" and try telling me it's not catchy/poppy AOR??? Truth be told. Lars does it better than any Italo born vocalist (that I'm aware of) and I may sound like a hater (which I'm not), but it's difficult to find a more impressive AOR singer in the land of pizza and pasta.

Final verdict: Lionville has recorded an wonderful little album in/of true eighties vibe and style. Play it loud, play it proud. It's one of those albums that will instantly put a happy face of yer sad and lonely figure. Recommended!

Lionville facebook

ARCTIC RAIN: "The One"

Rating: RRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Arctic Rain from Sweden? One quick glance at the track listing and you already know what to expect really. Seriously. Titles such as 'Love Of My Life, Night After Night, Give Me All Of Your Love, Breakout, Madeleine, Take Me To Your Heart', etc. It's like reading the same old story all over again. It came from the 80's - the paint by numbers AOR book that gave all the kiddies plenty of blank moments and crayon smeared fingers. That's a bit harsh, especially since it's a rather catchy and innocent little platter.

The very definition of Scandi-Rock and somewhere down the same road as Bad Habit, Creye, Crystal Blue, Dalton, and Glory (the first album). Innocence would be the keyword here and they're almost too caught up in their own interpretation of not sounding too sinister or dangerous. Believe me, you won't find anything too loud, scary or out of the box on 'The One'. It's safer than your safest safe, which hold your most cuddly duddly fuddly wuddly teddybears and overall kid friendly AOR. Bassist Gert Daun is the experience musician with a background playing with Horizon, Andromeda, Falcon, etc. and vocalist Tobias Jonsson certainly have the pipes and stamina for singing the blues... ehh, AOR.

Keyboardist Pete Alpenborg has an track record of working with acts such as Revolution Saints, House Of Lords, Issa, Toby Hitchcock, Sunstorm, Kee Of Hearts and many more. In fact. Take on third each of Bad Habit, Glory, Treat, and you'd end up with 'Madeleine' and 'Take Me To Your Heart'. It's weird though. The two best tracks on the record are both stuck at the very end of the album? What's up with that?? They both have more stamina and energy than the rest of the album, which is still a nice but frankly a bit too sterile effort. But seriously. This is the kind of Scandi-rock we prefer and opener "Love of My Life" wouldn't sound out of place on the Dalton or Bad Habit album of the eighties. Perhaps it's nitpicking since I can't find anything to really complain about. Then again. I've heard it all before... oh feck... it's catchy, fun, and just a tad too predictible. Yet close to 4R's... go figure. https://www.facebook.com/arcticrainband

DUKES OF THE ORIENT: "Freakshow"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The Dukes of Hazzard? Nah. The Dukes Of The Orient is a collaboration between vocalist John Payne (ex-Asia, GPS) and keyboardist Erik Norlander (Last In Line, Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists) and it's apperantly a Freakshow??? They proudly proclaim on their opening number and I quote that "The Dukes Return" after years away on foreign lands and seas, we thought this day would never come! And now we're back, tell all who believed", end quote. Blimey. Is that really John Payne behind the microphone? The voice is certainly rougher and tougher than in the past. Still as good or nearly so, but not quite as high-pitched or baby-clean as we knew him on all those old albums.

What to expect soundwise on the record? Supertramp, quite a lot of saxophones, Soft Machine, King Crimson, Paice Ashton Lord, and obviously the odd Asia moment. The opening three songs "The Dukes Return", "The Ice Is Thin", "Freakshow" are more about the early 70's sound and more in the vein of Soft Machine, King Crimson, Paice Ashton Lord. I like it though. It's moodier, more complex and challenging than expected. Lots of Lord and Ashton moments to be found in the keys and arrangements. Track four "The Monitors" is more like ASIA and soft AOR and more direct and to the point. Darn catchy. "Man of Machine" goes through several different layers of Asia and symphonic, nearly Purple-ish rock.

"The Last Time Traveller" and "A Quest For Knowledge" are legitimate successors of John Payne's Asia. Classic synthesizers and keyboards are plenty and they do everything with a compelling sense of knowledge and know-how. It lays down the agenda for the album and the Dukes are no schmucks or hazzards for that matter. The instrumental "The Great Brass Stream Engine" give a nice tribute to acts such as Tangerine Dream, ELP, Soft Machine, and Ashton/Lord. Final verdict: professional done and executed. Kind of strange that you can still find these kind of albums in the year of 2020.

https://dukesoftheorient.net https://www.facebook.com/Dukes.of.the.Orient

FORTUNE: "The Gun's Still Smokin Live" DVD

Rating: Live
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Mr. Greene, Mr. Rat, Mr. Nilan, and the two Fortune brothers. Blimey. It sounds more like your average children's story than a rock concert? Ricky Rat (bass) is no doubt the animated character and quite the attention seeking little animal. The man of thousand faces and just as many fun and wacky moves I may add and that's always a big plus in my books. There's nothing more boring than watching a DVD with a band from the past with none or little activity on stage. The guys are blasting hot lead and silver bullets all over the place and will send the werewolfs' packing for a trip around the moon. Where's the howling at???

Lo and behold. The DVD is more pleasing to the ear/eye than expected and that's entirelly down to sheer joy of the musicians. They're actually having a ball up there and really seem to appreciate the chance of performing their cult classic AOR infront of the audience at Frontiers Rock Festival. It's been professional filmed and dirrected by Moviedel/Maurizio Del Piccolo and the vision is darn right pure AOR in mind. Fair enough. A couple of strange moments (angle-wise). The last thing I need is yet another close-up of LA Greene's armpit! Yuk!!

The least impressive member of the band would have to be Mick Fortune. The kit is spare and bare and he's more or less a statue behind the drums. Only the arms are (barely) moving and you can't really tell if he's having a stoke or playing the drums? Would it hurt crack up a smile or display any emotion for that matter? It's Mick "Stoneface" Fortune from now on. I don't quite get the audience either for that matter. The musicians are doing good, the music is good. The people should be up and dancing the tables but are clearly too afraid to show some effection? It's not cool to move?

Opening up the show with their best, "Thrill Of It All", still commands the crowd reaction and sends shivers down the spine with its typical mid-eighties sound. It's a nice blend of the 1985 material and II from the year of 2019. "Don't Say You Love Me" sits nicely in with the likes of "Deep In The Heart Of The Night" and "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter". There's also "Through The Fire" from Top Gun and Mr Greene is a strong frontman and I'm impressed by the moves and licks of Richard Fortune. The somewhat underrated guitarist in my humble opinion. You'll get a bit of SAGA vibe on several tracks. Make no mistake. These AOR geezers are rather fun to watch and The Gun's Still Smokin'... highly recommended! Buy or die (or whatever).

BLACK ROSE MAZE: "S/T"

Rating: RRr
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Black Rose Maze is french/Canadian singer Rosa Laricchiuta's all-female hard rock project. This Rose/Rosa is a songwriter and performer from Montreal, Quebec and rather famous over there afer spending precious time on the third season (2015) of La Voix, Quebec's version of the popular TV show The Voice. She released one album in the Quebec market and released her first English language album "Free", in 2017. Not sure why Laricchiuta decided to release this platter via frontiers but hey, what ever floats the boat or whatever.

Opening number "In The Dark" is like a massive flashback attack of the early 2000's. It's Anastacia vs. Evanescence rock and that's including the dark production and lyric that goes on about the destructive and controlling freak. I really enjoy the song "Free", written by Rosa and originally on the 2017 album? It's a nice little semi-ballad that reminds us of Alannah Myles. Another Laricchiuta' original is "Look At Me Now" that speaks about pain and suffering and I quote, 'Who died and made you King? Your words counts for nothing'. Once again, like the slightly heavier/darker version of Anastacia? I hope you recall Anastacia? Left Outside Alone? Massive voice, massive success in the early 2000's. Rosa is like a distant hard rock cousin singer-wise and the proper belter I may add.

Unfortunately. There's too many generic moments inbetween the nuggets and something like "Let Me Go" is sadly poor. "Only You", written by Cliff Magness and not one of his best compositions, sounds again like Anastacia vs. Evanescence. "Earth Calling" is plodding at its best/worst and we've heard it all before. The shocking poor piano ballad "Call Me Now" should never have been allowed to enter the studio in the first place. Geez. Many ups and downs on their debut and not quite the 5 R's and rating that we expected. Final verdict: Great singer, kudos to the all-female band, but not really the strong material in the end. Ciao Rosa! No wait... that's not the correct language... then again... I'm pretty sure it is...

RAMOS: "My Many Sides"

Rating: Rr
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

12 sides to every story? Twelve tracks on the record and not a hit-single in sight. Nevertheless. Josh Ramos is a classy six-string bender and forever connected with or rather to some big selling records in the world of AOR. Big sounding records anyhow and especially The Storm albums (S/T 1991. Eye of the storm 1995) are must have to any serious collector of the genre. This on the other hand, not as much. There's no actual production to be found on the entire album! The sound quality of your below average tape and everything is worse than your daft neighbours garage band's demo. It's like if it's been recorded through some sort of crap system that would make your 80's ghetto blaster sound like a million bucks.

It's overall a rather bluesy effort and not the catchy-happy stuff that made the Storm albums essentials. Tiresome blues hard rock I may add and it's no good when your material, though original is stuffed full of second rate Great White melodies. Note that I'm not really a big fan of the mentioned act. Guest vocalists such as Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Danny Vaughn (Tyketto), Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Terry Ilous (XYZ), Tony Harnell (TNT), Tony Mills (Shy, TNT), should make for a great listening but what good are vocalists without proper song material? It's a shame really and especially since "My Many Sides" feature the last recorded performance from the late Mills (RIP).

Final verdict: the album simply lacks the essential elements that makes any type of music work - decent song material and ditto production. Back to the drawing board or in this case computer? My Many Sides and they're all rubbish? The story of my life.

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT: "45th Anniversary Live In London"

Rating: Live
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Blue Öyster Cult and some kind of anniversary? The 45th to be exact and that's way back in 2017. Yes. Three years ago and we're talking about their debut album which yours truly haven't been listening to prior to this live DVD/CD. Sure. A couple of tracks here and there, but this is a first time. Live at O2 INDIGO, London, UK at the Stone Free Festival on June 17th 2017, the band are playing the first album in its entirety! To be frank or bloom or buck dharma for that matter. I've been desperately trying to find any or some thing to type down, on a positive note, regarding their debut effort from the ancient old year of 1972. Alas, no such luck and it's frankly just a very dire, dull, and out-dated effort with hardly any high-notes or high-lights. Perhaps it's a generation thing and a matter of being too young to appreciate the BÖC debut? But I find it remarkably straight-forward and flat without the standard ups and downs by the band? Blimey. I would most likely mark it down as the 1 and a half R's out of 5 possible. It's going nowhere fast really and the melodies are low-key and dare I say very forgettable? "Stairway To The Stars" could send you on a trip across the sky, but it's quickly back down to earth with an awful crash and bang. You probably need to be the stark raving mad, long-time member of the cult to truly appreciate the hippie arrangements of their debut. They go through that first album like zombies is search of brains. Way too trippy and definitely not holding up well after five decades or so. I have to give them credit for sounding fine and I do enjoy some of their bigger hits towards the end of the disc. The early BÖC albums are not my cup of tea though and they recorded better albums later on in the 70s and 80s. Behind the scenes moments are neat and that's about it really.

Album round-up/ Summer of 2020 (part two)

 Mini-reviews by Kimmo Toivonen

Okay, let's continue the rounding up of the recent releases! SAPPHIRE EYES' "Magic Moments" (RRRR) took a whole lot of spins before it made it to my "Top Albums of 2020" list. The first impression was a bit "AOR by numbers", enjoyable but nothing earth-shattering. A couple of more spins and some of the songs found their target - I caught myself humming those melodies! Sneaky Swedish b**tards! Seriously though, this is a solid album, with superb vocals from Kimmo "Finland's Steve Perry" Blom.  If you check out just one song from this, "Just Leave Me" would be the one I'd pick. 

There's no getting away from the Swedes, CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD are the next band in spotlight. Their sound is somewhere between The Nightflight Orchestra and H.E.A.T., which itself is already a recommendation. Their songwriting isn't necessary on the same level as those masters of their craft, but they're getting there and I like their energy. Although this is the first time I hear their music, "Sonic Forces" (RRRR) is actually their fourth album. I guess I'll have some investigating to do.

Enough of these Scandinavian bands, let's check a band from southern Europe: WILD SOULS from Greece. Their third album "Queen Of My Heart" (RRRr) is a bit of a hit-or-miss affair. They're very good at AOR-type of stuff, as the likes of "Nothing But Loving You", "Love Ain't No Lie" and "I Remember You" prove, but they also dabble in sleazy hair metal type of stuff, wh. "Night Groove" and "Sexcellent" (yeah, seriously...) could've been left off the album and the fourth "r" would have been a stronger one.

Back in 1987, MAD MAX were probably one of my top five favourite bands, and I still consider "Night Of Passion" one of my favourite albums. The band has already kind of revisited that album with "Another Night Of Passion", and now they are kind of continuing the story of "Stormchild", their third album from the mid-eighties. "Stormchild Rising" (RRR) is the name of their latest effort. I really don't hear that many echoes of the original "Stormchild" album musically though. It's still decent enough melodic hard rock or even metal at times, but somehow I can't really get into it. "Talk To The Moon", "Eyes Of Love" and "Kingdom Fall" are good songs, but are they "Best Of Mad Max" material? Not necessarily. The jury's still out.

After the great "Heart Of The Hurricane", I had really high expectations for the new BEYOND THE BLACK album "Horizons" (RRRr). It didn't quite meet them, but it's not as disappointing as I first thought it was. The first three tracks still leave me a bit cold, but starting with "Some Kind Of Monster" the band shape up and sharpen their hooks. With 13 tracks, this album might have benefitted of leaving one of the tracks as a "Japanese bonustrack" and maybe the sequecing could've been better too. Recommended for fans of Within Temptation and that sort of stuff. 

"Storm In Paradise" (RRRR) from TANNA is basically a continuation of the band PRAYER, main man Tapani Tikkanen just went back to using his old band name from the eighties. Tanna was a fairly big name back then, scoring some hits with their songs sung in Finnish. It remains to be seen whether the old fans of Tanna will discover this english-sung material. I hope they do because this is good stuff. Tapani's vocals are instantly recognizable, and that's a good thing when so many bands in this genre sound quite alike. The biggest "hits" for me are the title track, the "Thin Lizzy goes AOR" of "Silhouettes", "This Town Ain't Big Enough" and "Mysterious Fire". 

Next one on my list is DEVICIOUS with "Phase Three" (RRRR). Devicious is a German band with an Italian singer Antonio Calanna, who was recruited soon after the release of their previous album. "Phase Three" is a real throwback to the late eighties, and doesn't really contain many modern influences. For some reason I can only think of German bands when trying to find comparisons - Bonfire, Domain, Axxis, early Pink Cream 69. Nothing wrong with that of course! If you've got albums from those bands in your collection, you should check this album out. 

The overall consensus seems to be that GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES from India are just about the best new hard rock band in years. I simply cannot really understand what the fuss is all about. "Rock The Highway"(RRR) isn't bad, the band certainly has enough drive and attitude, but none of the songs really do it for me. Girish himself sounds like combination of speeded-up Sammy Hagar, Axl Rose and Sebastian Bach - very over-the-top and maybe a bit too "screechy" for my taste. All in all, this album sounds like it could have been released in the tail-end of the "golden era of hair metal", 1992 and thereabouts. Song to check out: "Indentity Crisis".  As the title suggests, not really representative of the album, but has some cool semi-progressive elements and hooks.

 

 

 

 

Album round-up/ Summer of 2020 (part one)

Mini-reviews by Kimmo Toivonen

Since I haven’t had the chance to write too many reviews this summer, I thought I’d do a ”round-up” of some of the recent releases which have impressed me (and the others haven't reviewed). 

Let’s start with UK’s COLLATERAL and their self-titled debut album (rating: RRRR). One of the most exciting debuts of the year, Collateral deliver us a big-sounding album with touches of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Gotthard, while occasionally taking a left turn to a country and western direction! Highlights include ”Mr. Big Shot”, ”In It For Love” and ”Midnight Queen”. 

Finnish AMBERIAN DAWN converted me with their previous album ”Darkness Of Eternity”. Before that I had kind of mislabeled them as one of the numerous Goth Metal bands here, and never really given them the time of day. Wrong, very wrong! With their last few albums the band has created a genre of their own, ”Abba-metal”. And I like it! Big melodies, plenty of keyboards, lovely vocals from Capri and a bit of Nightwish’y touches. ”Looking For You” is their latest album, and it deserves a RRRRr rating. My favourite tracks include the catchy title track, ”Go For A Ride” and ”Eternal Fire Burning”, to name a few.

Another Finnish band THE RAGGED SAINTS released their second album ”Sonic Playground Revisited”, and it ended also on my ”2020 Top Albums” playlist. Recommended for fans of Brother Firetribe, although the Saints are maybe a bit darker and rougher-edged. But plenty of strong hooks, check out ”Take Me With You” and ”Always Forever” for example. RRRR.

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA have released solid albums, but their previous one ”Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough” tore the roof off and was one of my favourites of 2018. ”AEROMANTIC” (RRRR) isn’t as good, but not a disappointment either. The band’s curious late 70s/early 80’s retro-sound is very vintage sounding. On this album they take a couple of steps towards the late eighties - ”Golden Swansdown” sound uncannily like ”Vigilante”-era Magnum! Not to mention ”Divinyls” which borrows heavily from Roxette’s ”Good Karma”. Maybe it’s a Swedish thing, the origins of both songs might be in some Swedish golden oldie I’m just not aware of!

DYNAZTY have grown from a somewhat average hard rock band to a first class modern melodic metal band, and ”The Dark Delight” (RRRRr) is possibly their finest hour so far. It’s full of massive, gigantic hooks. Try to get the likes of ”Heartless Madness”  or ”The Black” out of your head after hearing them just once… no chance! Vocalist Nils Molin might be more well known as one of the vocalists of Amaranthe these days, but frankly, Dynazty has better songs…

A third Swedish band in a row… GATHERING OF KINGS released an absolutely stunning first album last year, and this year it was time for the ”difficult second album” syndrome… while ”Discovery” (RRRR) is a good album, its’ highlights do not reach the dizzying heights of those of the first album. 

The debut ONE DESIRE album got a lot of spins in our household in 2017, and after 3 long years, the guys finally released their second effort ”Midnight Empire” (RRRRr). It’s well worth the wait, and it showcases new sides of the band. The opener ”Shadowman” is heavy yet melodic, while the pop hooks of ”Godsent Exstasy” and ”Rio” are hard to resist. A special mention to ”Through The Fire”, an epic ballad, sung by guitarist Jimmy Westerlund. ”Giant meets Whitesnake in a Kingdom of Desire”. Having said that, the other ballad ”Only When I Breathe” doesn’t work for me at all, the chorus is painful!

DENNIS DEYOUNG - "26 EAST VOLUME 1"

RATING: RRRR
LABEL: FRONTIERS
REVIEW BY: ALAN HOLLOWAY

It's interesting that I'm covering this, as I'm not exatly a Styx fan of old. Sure, I'm partial to a bit of "Paradise Theatre" and can almost hit the notes to "Babe"on karaoke, but I've never followed them, only getting interested when Larry Gowan joined, something that resulted in 2017s superb "The Mission". DeYoung himself hasn't released a solo album for over a dcade, and I was apprehensive, more worried about being bored than entertained.

As you can tell by the plethora of Rs above, boredom was not a thing with "26 East Volume 1". Straight away DeYoung goes for the throat with "East Of Midnight" and "With All Due Respect", both of which are bouncy tracks with crunching riffs. "A Kingdom Ablaze" tones things down a little but still shoves in an aggressive refrain, with "You My Love" going into full on ballad territory and doing it just right, as it's a beautiful song that still has enough bite to grab listeners. "Run For The Roses" really sounds like something from a stage musical, and is a good, catchy track, with "Damn that Dream" having more of a pompy bounce that will delight Styx fans. Elsewhere there's a piano led duet with Julian Lennon, "To The Good Old Days" that could be the closing song of a musical and will certainly be the set closer if he ever tours. It's nice enough with emotional lyrics, a bit wet for my tastes but even so I don't skip it. The emotion stays in "The Promise Of This Land", which is a love letter to 'Murca, and how AWESOME it used to be (Wooooo!). It's a full on Styx type track and once it gets going it rattles along brilliantly, full of pomp and energy. Woo indeed.

Although only nine full tracks long (plus a one minute closer), "26 East Volume 1" still provides over 40 minutes of music, with every track hovering between four and six minutes and none outstaying their welcome. Very well crafted ballads, catchy balls out rockers and a healthy amount of pomp for the fans, it's wormed it's way into my brain over the last month and it's an album I keep coming back to for the sheer enjoyment of listening to it. So for me, as a casual Styx fan at best, it's a greart album, because I was never going to be disappointed that it's not "Paradise Theatre" part two. Personally, I'm looking forward to Volume 2, hopefully with a cover that doesn't look like it was made with 1972 TV technology...

Christian SHIELDS: "This Is Rock'N'Roll"

Rating: RRR
Label: Shields Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Mr. Shields kicks the door open with "Not This Time", a track modelled after Aldo Nova classic "Fantasy". This is indeed Rock'n Roll, not EDM, rap or anything else you're likely to hear on the radio these days. And for that I applaud this artist.

Apart from the Aldo Nova influence, We're talking about vintage 80ies sounds with a touch of the quirkiness of The Darkness thrown in. "Rock And Roll" and the bluesy "Here Comes The Man" have a Cinderella vibe, the semi-ballad "By The Strings" borrows a bit from Danger Danger, "Can't Get Enough" is straightforward rock, Accadacca meets KIX, the ballad "Without You" is a hybrid of Bon Jovi and Guns'n Roses...

The album's biggest downfall might just be what I wrote above: apart from Shields' rather unique vocals there isn't much here that I haven't heard before. I know, it's hard to re-invent the wheel and come up with something totally new, and I don't expect that. Shields could very well be on his way to finding his own style, but with this debut solo album, he's not there yet. Still, the is a decent good-time hard rock album, and I might add a couple of these songs to my summertime rock playlist.

http://www.christianshieldsrocks.com

FM: “Synchronized”

RATING: RRRRr

Label: Frontiers
Review by Alan Holloway

British rock legends FM have now released more albums since their reformation ten or so years ago than they did in their original form, and it's testament to their individual and collective talents that the quality shows no signs of dipping. “Synchronized” sees them carrying on from where “Heroes & Villains” left off, so nothing groundbreaking, but that's what fans want anyway.

The two advance tracks, the title track and “Superstar” kick things off, with the first continuing a recent trend of starting with a stomping track, and the latter smooth as silk with a horrendously catchy chorus. Let's be honest, it wouldn't be FM without a ton of catchy choruses, and “Synchronized” doesn't disappoint. I think my favourite is actually the closing track “Ready For Me”, which really lets the album finish with a melodic explosion. They do slow things down, of course, but there's no out and out soppy ballads – no frozen tarts on this album! “Ghosts Of You And I” is the slowest here, but it's no surprise that Steve Overland's soaring vocals mean it never gets dull, and is quite a beautiful song. “Change For The Better” is another first class straightforward AOR track, whilst “Pray” turns everything up to eleven and let's Overland really let rip vocally.

Overall, this is a very solid, tight album. As with recent releases FM have found that sweet spot between AOR and the blues influence that Jim Kirkpatrick brought in when he joined a decade ago. It's all tied together by one of the best melodic rock vocalists of the last forty years, and once more the band have knocked it out of the park. Not perfect, not quite up there with the new Vega album, but there is nothing that should stop fans buying and enjoying this gem.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

Mike TRAMP: "Second Time Around"

Rating: RRRr
Label: Target Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

White Lion were one of my absolute favourite bands back in the day. When the band broke up, I kept following vocalist Mike Tramp's career with Freak Of Nature and later as a solo artist, all the way to the questionable White Lion rebirth. Somehow I've lost track of his solo stuff after that. I've been vaguely aware that he's released several solo albums during the last ten years, but I haven't really tracked any of them down. So, although all songs on this album have been previously recorded on the "Rock'n Roll Circuz" album, they're all new to me.

Mike Tramp the solo artist doesn't sound like White Lion or Freak Of Nature, both products of their time. Tramp's solo material could be described as timeless guitar-driven melodic rock. These songs could have been recorded anytime during the last 40 years, there aren't any real telltale signs of when they were written or recorded. What's more, the years have been kind to Tramp's voice and he sings with passion. The heavy metal wails may be history but instead we get a Springsteen'ish storyteller.

There are some highlights I want to mention. The opener "All Of My Life" is an excellent uptempo pop-rock track which reminds me of vintage Bryan Adams, while "Back To You" goes back to the 70'ies or early 80'ies. The same goes for "Between Good And Bad" which mixes The Who with Thin Lizzy. There's even a touch of White Lion in the chorus, I think. The duo of road songs, "Highway" and "The Road", both have a bit of a Springsteen vibe, the latter especially. Someone cynical might say that Tramp has tried to re-write White Lion's biggest hit "When The Children Cry" when it comes to the album's ballad "When She Cries", but despite the title and the song's acoustic nature, it is a more personal story, and a very touching one at that.

A few somewhat average songs bring down the rating a notch, but still, it's nice to get reacquainted with one of my heroes from the past.

www.miketramp.dk

FALLEN ARISE: "Enigma"

Rating: RRR
Label: ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Fallen Arise are from Greece, and they're labelled as symphonic metal. "Enigma" is their third album, and apparently they wanted to refresh their musical style with it. I haven't heard the previous albums so I can't comment on that.

I've played the album a few times, and while it's quite enjoyable as it is, it clearly misses the standout tracks and perhaps something that could be described as "their own thing". Now the band sounds like rough-edged Within Temptation from a few years ago, with some growled male vocals thrown in. The symphonic, bombastic elements aren't particulary dominant, and while the press release states that "pop music is a huge influence on the band's compositions", the hooks aren't pop-catchy.

The stronger tracks and sharpest hooks are on the first half of the album. My favourite tracks are the title track and "Forsaken". The acoustic "Horizon" is a nice breather among the heavier tracks, it has a certain kind of a relaxing vibe and Fiona Creaby's vocals are really good.

If you think that Within Temptation has moved too far from their roots, you might want to check out this album.

https://www.fallenariseofficial.com

Frank VESTRY: "My Collection"

Rating: - (compilation)
Label: Lions Pride Music
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Frank Vestry may not be a household name, but he does have a long history. This album is collection (no surprise!) of songs from his career, starting with Jack Starr's Burning Starr album "Rock The American Way". It also features songs from the bands Laneslide, Last Temptation, The Pack and Devias. One third of the album's songs originate from the highly-rated Marcello-Vestry album (2008), on which he collaborated with Danger Danger members Rob Marcello and Bruno Ravel.

Despite being from various songs, the album sounds rather cohesive. The production quality  varies, but the musical style stays pretty much the same. Depending of the era they were originally recorded, the songs come with typical stylings of the time, but in the end, it's AOR, melodic hard rock all the way.

Mr. Vestry has a great voice for this kind of material, sounding to my ears like a relaxed Mike Reno (Loverboy). Yeah, I like this... so much that I need to get my hands on the original releases these songs came from.

VEGA: "Grit Your Teeth"

RATING: RRRRR

LABEL: FRONTIERS

REVIEW BY: ALAN HOLLOWAY

It's that time again, as British would be rock legends Vega release their sixth album, continuing a trend that has seen them get better and better with every one. For those not in the know (where have you been? North Korea?), Vega specialize in ultra melodic hard rock music with catchy choruses, short guitar solos and soaring vocals. 

 

'Grit Your Teeth' kicks off, as do all Vega albums, with a banging track. 'Blind' is a bass heavy stomper that allows vocalist Nick Workman to show off his range nicely. It's definitely the heavier side of Vega, as is the fantastic fourth track 'Man On A Mission', which has an even bigger sound and an even better chorus, more bluesy but still unmistakably melodic rock. The recent single (I Don't Need) Perfection' is a perfect Vega track, a pure piece of upbeat melody with a solid guitar sound and a chorus that just won't quit. Go have a listen on YouTube and if you like it then there's zero doubts you will love this album. The main problem is picking highlights, as there's so much awesomeness here. It's all about the choruses, really, and that's what Vega do best. 'Consequence Of Having A Heart' skates perilously close to Tears For Fears' 'Mad World', but I am assured that any legal challenge would fall flat! The slowest track is 'Battles Ain't A War', and it's a great tune that doesn't get in the way of the faster tracks in any way. The quality continues all the way to the end, as 'Done With Me' closes the album with a real dollop of pure melody and, naturally, a killer chorus backed with a little 'Hey! Hey! Hey!' for the live shows.

Eleven tracks stuffed in just over forty minutes after 'Blind' kicks in and it's over. I'll be honest, I've not yet been able to listen to this album just the once, as it's one of those that makes time really fly, and if you start listening to it you'll soon be wondering just where the afternoon went. Special mention must go to the production from the Graves Brothers, who have given Vega a more meaty sound that brings to live more how they are live and really works. Vega have really puled it off with 'Grit Your Teeth', and I have no doubt that this is their best album yet, in itself quite a feat. It sucks that everything gig wise has been put on hold, but hopefully there will plenty of locked down households getting Vegafied who will make the tour, when it happens, the best yet too.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

Lars Eric MATTSSON: "Hot And Able 1983-85"

Rating: RRR
Label: Lion Music
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Lars Eric Mattsson has been around for what seems like forever. My first encounter with his music was on a Bailey Brothers' collection album in 1987 I think. He's now the head of Lion Music record company, who have released plenty of progressive, instrumental and neo-classical metal over the years, including the classic Seventh Wonder albums "Mercy Falls" and "The Great Escape".

These songs pre-date the first Lars Eric Mattsson solo album "Eternity" (1988) and his appearance on the aforementioned compilation album. They are from the archives of his first band JOE COOL, but re-recorded now. These songs truly sound like they were recorded in 1983-1985, but then again, maybe that was the intention. There's a certain charm in the sound, it reminds me a little bit of White Lion's debut album "Fight To Survive", but at times it's rather dated.

Most of the songs are rather straight-forward hard rock tracks, with fierce guitars from Mattsson. At times the songs venture into the Progland and never find their way back, take the aimlessly wandering "Enola Gay" for example. For my money, the uptempo, catchy rockers "Hot And Able" and "Run Tonight" are the best ones of the bunch. There are a few others I enjoy too, like "Don't Think It's Love" with its' Zeno-vibe and "Don't Throw Away" which has a strong hook.

With 16 tracks, there's maybe a few too many here, but I get it, this is an "anthology"-type of an album, celebrating the legacy of Joe Cool.

http://www.larsericmattsson.com
http://www.lionmusic.com

NASTY HIGH: "Where The River Runs"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Absorbing Recordings
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Nasty High? To be honest, with a name like that I was expecting this to be yet another mediocre sleaze rock band, a Steel Panther tribute or something like that. Maybe a new Swedish band put together by former members of Nasty Idols and Aces High... but no, Nasty High are from Nottingham, UK and having supported Crazy Lixx (another "great" band name!) is their only connection to Sweden, as far as I know.

The first track "Make 'Em Pay" didn't do much to improve the band's position in my books, it was a fairly standard sleaze rocker with high-pitched vocals and a dull hook. It was energetic though, and I kept listening... "Renegade" sounded better, with a somewhat better hook and good backing vocals. And I kept listening... "Waiting To Fall" kicked off with a Poisonesque riff but morphed into something highly melodic. The chorus showcased the band's rather excellent vocal power.

The winning streak continued with the superb "Travelling In Time", "Catastrophe" and  "Don't Leave The Light On". All of them featured the "Nasty High Choir" in a starring role, and I threw away my prejudice. Nasty High had won me over.

The remaining four tracks included one gem, "Believe It". The other three weren't quite as strong. The title track, the big ballad of the album had the makings of another hit, but somehow it sounded a bit over-the-top, a more subtle approach might have been better for it.

And hey, extra points for the cover art, it's kinda cool and unusual.


http://www.nastyhighrocks.com
https://www.facebook.com/nastyhighrocks

CONFESS: "Burn 'Em All"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Street Symphonies / Burning Minds Music Group
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Here's a band with a wide appeal... their songs range from no-frills sleazy hard rock to AOR'ish melodic rock. I think I'll take the one-by-one approach to this review, haven't done that for a while.

"So What" - no frills, and no thrills for me either. A straight-forward rocker, reminds me of Hardcore Superstar and Ratt.

"Malleus" - a single release, and rather catchy. John Elliot snarls with conviction and the guitar lick underneath the chorus sounds like tango. Bang Tango to be exact.

"Welcome Insanity" - is that a Scorpions riff? I like it! Cool backing vocals and a more melodic approach.

"A Beautiful Mind" - intro with sounds of thunder (not the band) and bells... dramatic... the chorus is good, but somehow the verses don't do it for me.

"Heresy" - L.A., 1988... again a more melodic approach and some keyboards. The lovers of the sleazy side of the band might not dig but I do.

"Burn 'em All" - It's a rush hour in L.A., 1983! "Live Wire" anyone? Frantic. The chorus isn't really there.

"Is It Love" - well, it might just be! This is something different, a mid-tempo melodic track. Think Crazy Lixx at their most AOR'ish, maybe H.E.A.T... yes, I love this one.

"My Vicious Way" - very good melodic sleaze, somewhere between the band's two extremes.

"509" - 2 minutes and 18 seconds of punky rock. No frills, but I kinda like it. Maybe it's the "whoah's".

"Prominence" - The opening riff has a Babylon A.D. vibe. Good hook. An extra point for the title, I confess (haha) that I had to look it up.

"One For The Road" - An anthemic song that sounds very familiar. It's not a cover according to the credits, but the chorus sounds like something that could be sung by the crowd in a football match. Hands in the air, all together now!

https://www.facebook.com/confessofsweden

STARGAZERY: "Constellation"

Rating: RRRRr
Label: Pure Steel Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

How time flies... I thought surely it hasn't been more than 3 years when I proclaimed Stargazery's previous album "Stars Aligned" as one of the best melodic metal albums of the year. Well that year was actually 2015! Anyway, the band, fronted by ex-MSG vocalist Jari Tiura and axeman/songsmith Pete Ahonen, does it again. "Constellation" is timeless, classic melodic metal with very few "modern influences". I don't know about you, but at least I have no problem with that.

Pasi Hiltula's keyboards and Pete Ahonen's guitar are pleasantly co-existing here, supporting each other rather than trying to steal the spotlight. Jari Tiura's majestic vocals are sounding better than ever. This album really shows how versatile he is and his tremendous range. The new rhythm section featuring bass player Marko Pukkila and drummer Ilkka Leskelä provide a solid foundation. The band is in good form these days.

The three tasters you may have heard already from this album have been good, but my real favourite tracks are among the other tracks. For example, "War Torn", the balladic "I Found Angels", "Caught In The Crossfire", "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "In My Blood" are all quite different to each other, yet all of them have some things in common - strong melodies and sharp hooks.

The press release states that the these songs are "strongly influenced by RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH (Tony Martin era)". I won't argue with that, but I guess the biggest Rainbow influence is in the name of the band. I also had some flashbacks to Yngwie Malmsteen's "Eclipse", Joshua's "Intense Defence", Helloween's "Keeper of The Seven Keys" albums and seminal Finnish 80's heavy rockers Iron Cross.

I gave "four very strong R's" to the previous Stargazery album, now I have to add an additional small "r" to the rating, "Constellation" is a step forward.

https://www.facebook.com/stargazery/

XTASY: "Eye Of The Storm"

Rating: RRRr
Label: Metalopolis Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

I remember reviewing the first Xtasy album a few years ago. I don't remember much about it, it left a good enough impression that I wanted to check out this new one, when a review link was sent to me. "Eye Of The Storm" is the band's third album, and just like the previous two it's been mixed and mastered by Erik Mårtensson of Eclipse/W.E.T./Nordic Union fame. However, on this album Mårtensson has taken a bigger role as a co-writer. I haven't heard the second album, but at least compared to the first one this is a tighter and a harder-edged album. I and have a feeling that it's because of Mårtensson's bigger input, at least to some degree. There are certainly some very "Eclips'ish" moments here and there!

The song material here is very solid from start to finish, and the production is very good. Silvia Idoate's vocals have improved, I thought her singing wasn't too convincing on the first album, she's much more passionate on this one. Her singing does get a little screechy sometimes, but at least she's not playing it safe. What's more, the vocal melodies are better than before.

My favourite songs include the catchy "Flesh & Blood", "Eye Of The Storm" and "Nowhere to Run", just to name a few. I will not let you know which songs I think are the Eclips'ish ones, you can play the "Spot the Erik" game yourself!


https://www.xtasyband.com
https://www.facebook.com/xtasyrockband/

SILVERNITE: "So It Began"

Rating: - (EP)
Label:  Valve Studio Records
Review by Kimmo Toivonen

Silvernite is a Greek/Finnish band and as the name suggests, this is their first EP. 5 tracks, two of them instrumentals, all heavily influenced by the 80's. Every songs sounds like it could have been on a soundtrack of some glorious 80's B-movie, you can almost visualise the aliens, ray guns, convertible cars, mullets and sunsets in Miami.

Multi-instrumentalist Strutter and guitarist Thanks G. have put together the songs, and Finnish singer Tanja Härkönen has provided the vocals. The album starts with an intro type of a track "Colt Has Fallen. Run... Run...?" that sounds as if it was taken from the first Terminator movie. Plenty of blipping keyboards, synthetic drums and a steady bass line with cool guitars on top - tasty! "Sweet Mary" is the first "real" song and it's a gem - more conventional AOR with a big chorus and fine vocals from Tanja. "Cry For Love" follows, more in the vein of synthwave with 80's electronic drums sounds, although the chorus is more AOR with crunchy guitars.

"Lost In Your Eyes" is an instrumental that has touches of Italo-pop, synthwave, AOR'ish guitar work and (synth-)saxophone-driven pop hook, with a pulsating synth bass underneath it all.

The final track "We Will Be Back" is an ethereal synth-based track with vocals in a supporting role, rather than stealing the limelight. The song promises that SILVERNITE will return to save the Earth. Armed with more eighties' sounds, Simmons drums and Flying V's I'm sure.  

I'm looking forward to hearing more, both of the more conventional songs were very good and the more instrumental mood pieces very enjoyable as well. The EP has served its' purpose, it has left at least this particular listener hungry for more.

https://silvernite.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/silverniteofficial
https://www.facebook.com/silverniteofficial

HAREM SCAREM: "Change The World"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

"We all want to find peace and harmony" - You and I are gonna Change The World? And Lesperance breaks out into the 80's UK rock-riff? (think: The Alarm, U2,). They haven't changed much since their previous record though and that's probably a good thing? Recall when they did Rubber and band-wagon material? It has worked against the Canadians because people seem to still want to talk about it. It's not something that I feel is all too relevant to what the boyos' are doing now and in the 2000's. As far as I'm concerned it's all in the past and... hang on a minute, 'The Death Of Me' might just be Rubber meets Moodswings? The slightly downtuned vibe? Ehem. Anyhow. It's catchy and fun stuff and the following track "Mother of Invention" goes through the Queen and My Chemical Romance transformation before setteling in at the Harem Scarem. The refrain is pure magic with it's smothering message, "Just let love shine into your heart, mind, body, and soul".

They might have been accused of being very 'solid' and it is no coincidence that their 15th album sounds similar to some of their previous ones. It's however not a case of three chords and keeping it boogie-woogie. For instance. Take something like "Riot In My Head" with its punky attitude and punch to the teeth. If Green Day decided to go melodic rock? Then again. Green Day are doing a lot of Power-Pop melodies. "No Me Without You" is like a trusty old ballad with a formula and arrangement that goes hand in hand with the world according to Harry Hess.

"Fire & Gasoline" smells like something Hess and Pete Lesperance just write and play spontaneously, and it simply just end up scary deadly and darn catchy. You'd expect the heavy artillery with a title such as "Swollowed By The Machine" and to my surprise, it's not the latest Marilyn Manson single, but a super melodic HS composition. The track listing is kind of weird and I would personally change a lot of the numbers. Final verdict: I don't truly believe they can "Change The World" with this record. They can however change your moodswings (ouch! lame-o) and brighten up your day. It's professional and well executed rock from one of the best and most trusted melodic rock acts in the business. Recommended .https://www.facebook.com/harem.scarem.band

ALLEN/OLZON: "Worlds Apart"

Rating: RRr
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The latest project aka ambitious work of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer: Magnus "Klister" Karlsson (Primal Fear, etc.) and we're still talking about melodic/symphonic metal with the rather poppy agenda. This time, Worlds Apart, and the male voice: Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob) vs. the female dito in Anette Olzon. Reading the press-release, it's funny how they're completely trying to erase the musical past of Anette. She's obviously the vocalist from ALYSON AVENUE which yours truly raved about in their demo days (I still have unreleased stuff in my collection) and gave a helping hand. This eventually led to Nightwish and fame with lots of... Hey! Where's my transfer cut? Nevermind ;-)

This album is certainly well produced with plenty of symphony and keyboard moments, Klister riffs and flashy guitar solos. Fistfuls of classy arrangements from a Swedish point of view, but with an undertow of elegant musicanship courtesy of the solid songwriter and project maker at the Frontiers. Does it work? Well... Anette echoes the ABBA-history on tracks such as "I'll Never Leave You" and "One More Chance" and that's including the Swedish accent and the Poppy/Symphonic vibe. In fact. Check out RockUnited.com and our massive archive and you may notice that my thoughts of Anette were always on a positive note, but she may at times sound like the 'dansband' vocalist. AKA The place where all the rock/metal musicians go when all of their dreams have died. Believe it or not. Anette's vocals were actually recorded at the Alyson Avenue studio by Niclas Olsson. Kudos!

Russell Allen sound also great on most tracks, but I struggle to enjoy duets such as "My Enemy" where the two vocalists are worlds apart (pun intended) and never really close on the pitch nor scale. The refrain is painful to say the least and I tend to skip this tune asap. Borderline off-key most of the time to be honest. Final verdict: Flashy guitar-work, smashing keys, but a tad too predictable. You are simply not left with anything on here that will knock your socks off. It's all drama and no thriller in my books or movies for that matter. FYI. Klister is the Swedish word for glue and Karlsson was the brand of the past. Which sort of make sense as this is a rather sticky affair. You might enjoy this more than I did if you're into Swedish Drama Metal though.

NOVENA: "Eleventh Hour"

Rating: Rr
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Prog-Rock from UK and Novena which include the line-up: Vocals by Ross Jennings' (Haken) and Gareth Mason's (Slice The Cake), guitars by Dan Thornton's (Ex-HAARP Machine, Ex-No Sin Evades His Gaze), drums: Cameron Spence's (Ravenface) and wicked bass-line from Moat Lowe's (Slugdge, Ex-NSEHG) and keyboard by Harrison White. Well. It's hardly Progressive Rock if you're stuck with a growler? That's a very posh attitude especially considering that I enjoy the Semblant release (see review elsewhere). It's not really the growls rather than the arrangements that gets on my nerves. I do find them to be eclectic and out of the box, but at the same time I struggle to find any purpose or direction since the melodies goes around and around in circles like a darn merry-go-round. You'd like to scream at them to sit down, stop smoking all that pot, focus, find your path, as they clearly got lost somewhere along the way.

And don't give me that crap that I clearly don't appreciate Prog, I friggin' love the genre with everything from ancient 70's stuff to modern era. These particular compositions? I find them to be too introspective and without any lasting memories or choruses. "Lucidity" is however the exception from the rule and something that's clearly worthy of your attention. It's sadly back to the annoying stuff with the following track "Corazón" though. It's like if they're throwing stuff at you just to see what sticks. Nothing, nothing sticks! According to the press-release, "every song has a solid and personal identity, with choruses that dare the listener to try and forget them". Blimey. They sure got it dead wrong this time. Forget them? I bloody well couldn't find them in the first place. I haven't been this put off by an Prog album for years and years. The absolutely best thing I can say about the Eleventh Hour? Check it for yourself. Great musicians. It's... different, odd, but oh-so incrediable b-o-r-i-n-g. It's like if they've invented a completely new genre, Snooze-Prog... Zzzz!

KHYMERA: "Master Of Illusions"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

What once started out by Italian producer/musician Daniele Liverani and then Kansas singer Steve Walsh, has developed into a regular on/off melodic hardrock project by bassist and producer Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Magnum). I never quite understood why they decided to keep the moniker? All the previous musicians are gone and it's a completely different sound and project? Anyhow. It's still Ward-Khymera and you can except the great production and pretty darn solid songwriting by Mister Pink Magnum. Indeed. 'Master of Illusions' may have the appearance of some kind of electrifed Goddess with a wacky taste for success. Even the album title may suggest the progressive outfit, and it's kind of alarming to find several riffs that are just a bit too clichéd to be worthy of full praise and the 21 guns salute.

On first play it's a little bit on the safe side. However, it's definitely a grower and as a rock band the line-up of Ward (vox/bass), Michael Klein (guitars), Eric Ragno (keyboards), Pete Newdeck (drums) are bloody excellent, but it would have been nice if they hadn't completely drenched their melodies in all the eighties goo and muck. The quick track by track. The opener "Walk Away" is actually one of the more headbanging tracks on the album. It's uptempo and catchy stuff with the memorizing keyboard attack by Ragno and it's all very pleasing to these pair of ears. "The First Time" gets the blood pumping and your poor ticker may skip a beat or two as you're up dancing on the tables and screaming along to the refrain. The title track goes through Fair Warning and Bon Jovi vibes while keeing it Ward-y. "The Sun Goes Down" is a dark (pun intended) moment on the record and not really something to write home about. "Paradise" may not be the place to spend your after life since it's a rather sappy ballad. "The Rhythm Of My Life" is the sunny and fun moment and the same goes for "Follow The Sun".

"Spending my time drinking Whiskey and Wine" is the rather dodgy line from "Father And Son". It's however a really great sentimental ballad that goes straight to the heart with a heartfelt refrain that goes "Heaven help me, stand beside me, said the father to the son". All songs are written by Ward with the exception of "After All This Time" which is the work of Michael Palace. Not his best work up to date and it may just lack a proper hook. "Victim Of Your Love", great verse(s) and the so-so refrain. The closer "Just Let It Happen" is one of the highlights with its sophisticated sound and arrangement. Sadly hidden away as the last track on the album? Final verdict: It's a nice listening experience and you simply can't go wrong here, if you enjoyed the previous work by Ward and Khymera.

SEMBLANT: "Obscura"

Rating: RRRR
Label: Frontiers 2020
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

I've got all the things that I'm "allowed" to mention written down when it comes to Frontiers and their releases. It's usally words such as pink, fluffy, melodic, catchy, hairmetal, AOR, shoulder pads, and several cans of extremely sticky hairspray. Imagine my surprise when Sergio 'Cookie Monster' Mazul came through my loud speakers with growls and howls in the tradition of Black and Death Metal. Now, please don't go thinking early 90's stuff and church burning psycho freaks from Norway. It's v-e-r-y melodic stuff, music-wise, and they have the clean female vocalist Mizhuo Lin at the very centre of attention.

In fact. Their only brutal take at the scene would be the 'every-now-and-then' growls by Mazul. I wouldn't even categorize this as melodic death metal (as mentioned in the press-release), it's more or less traditional melodic (symphonic) metal with a sidekick growler. Strange genre disasters apart, Frontiers provides the backing and Semblant are merely doing what any other band debuting their music would do (Obscura is their third album though), and taking full advantage of whatever kind of cash and marketing that a melodic Italo label can afford to splash on the so-called Melodic Death Metal band from Brazil. Ehem. It's not looking great when typed down and it might just be a strange combo?

Nonetheless. It's all about the music and it's actually quite darn good. Obscura takes catchy riffage of Neo-classical and symphonic acts and sets it aside a stylistic range that combines a meaningful grasp of female fronted 'Goth' and atmospheric horror and excellent growls. Sure. Something like "Wallachia" might just include too many growls for the average melodic fan. However. It's all very nicely done and I'd like to think of it as watching the great horror flick. It fits the concept as well as the story of the lord of the shadows. It's a real grower (and growler) of an album and and tracks such as Murder of Crows, Control The Masters, Daydream Tragedy, etc. show a band outgrowing any of the genres that people care to throw in their faces. Mizuho Lin is a proper belter of an vocalist and it's overall a very pleasant surprise of metal. Goody!!