Archived Reviews: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Reviews Index
Aardvark Records 2002
Review by Endre 'Bandi' Hübner 
12 June 2003
I don't know why this Sampler got to us so late. In the first place I really don't know why it got here anyway. Aardvark Records is a U.K. based enterprise trying to manage a limited bunch of artists. They put a sampler CD together from four of their artists. Out of these four two are totally irrelevant for RockUnited (a trance/house project from the UK and a New York based dance pop formation); I don't even want to waste any time and word on them because this kind of music all sounds crap to these ears (no matter how well it is "played") and I assume 99.99% of our readers also think so.
One of the other two artists is Darrel Delk, a singer/songwriter from Florida with music heavily influenced by the Beatles and Tom Petty. He can surely sing and play, and his smooth music may be fun to enjoy in a restaurant but it's nothing out of the ordinary. Fans of VERY soft rock with acoustic arrangement might want to check him out, the label's page is offering downloads.
The other slightly related band Satya Graha
suffered from some pressing mistake as one of their two songs is almost
inaudibly silent on the CD. They also play withdrawn soft rock with almost
acoustic sounding, clear arrangements. It's all well-performed, the singer is
okay, again nothing out of the ordinary, might be fun in a bar. Check the
soundbytes if you care.
On a different note: I really can't see where the label(?) is heading to:
they request online mp3 file sharing from demoing bands, they seem to send out
home-burnt CD-Rs (supposedly turning those mp3 files to wav) with very little
information to magazines and webzines but forget to check the profile of those.
[Without any contracts to back this sharing up it raises quite some copyright
problems as well…] The whole thing is very unprofessional looking, it seems to
be a web-based initiative of one(?) man hoping to get into music business
without any comprehensive (legal and general) knowledge on how things work in
it.
www.aardvarkrecords.co.uk
Record Heaven 2001
01-06-12
Have mercy! The new Abramis Brama CD is a fantastic album filled with heavy blues riffs and complex progressive chords that fans of early 70s rock will love and adore. I got to admit that I´ve always had a hard time enjoying hardrock with Swedish lyrics, but here it becomes so natural and clear that it would actually sound strange in any other language
I don´t understand a single word of Swedish you say? I hear you! But don´t let that scare you away as this is pretty much a must have if you enjoy 70s rock such as Black Sabbath, Captain Beyond, Mountain & November, or nowadays like another band from Record Heaven´s label "Bigelf" but without the roaring hammond.
New vocalist Ulf Torkelsson (ex.Sunflower, Pathfinder) is a good replacement for Christian Andersen who left a couple of years back! Personally I´d say Torkelsson adds something extra to Abramis Brama´s sound here with some really powerful vocals. I find it difficult to pick out some favorite tracks as they are all great except the opening and closing track which are both pretty boring instrumental songs that I could have done without. Still some songs that I need to mention here are: "Kall som sten" actually the Pretty Things song "Cold as stone" with Swedish lyrics. "Nalen" (the needle) is another fave with its groovy beat "100 dagar" (100 days) and "Svart" (black) are both candy for music lovers. Recommended indeed!
ACID RAIN: "Acid Rain"
Indie 2003
4 October 2003
A Spanish week for me because of a pack coming from Jorge. However while I was blown away with Jorge Salán's guitar album, I'm not that crazy about Acid Rain. There's no problem with the guitars here either, what more, they are rather fine, Guillermo Guerrero may be the strongest point in the band. Spain appears to be a new breeding center for very good musicians, and the guys in Acid Rain would surely get their place in the Spanish rock scene soon. They play the typical progressive rock with the usual, guitar-bass-key-drums-vocals line up, yet they are not one of the 10.000 Dream Theater copycats out there.
This debut CD is a fine piece of craftmanship as far as songwriting, mixing, and production goes, especially if we take into account that this release is totally independent, everything was done by the band. However the songs do not seem to come alive. They are filled with good musical ideas, the guitar licks are rather original, the rhythm section (by Jose F. Cebrian on bass and Jose Luis Cicuendez on drums) is tight, and even the mix is okay (many of the progressive-wannabe bands put the keys way too much in the front of the mix, this is not the case here, and Javier Alvarez does not overplay, the synth tracks make the songs sound thicker, yet do not take the edge of the songs away). However the melodies are lacking. The main reason of that is the singer, Miguel Cacheiro. His vocal range is far to short for this type of music and there are no real melodies here, he's rather chanting and shouting. All this could easily be fixed by a year of singing lessons (at least three times a week, lead by a professional singing teacher). It appears to be a necessity, otherwise the band will never break through, the competition is far too strong for that.
Let's wait another year and see what the guys can come up with the next time. They are very close, just not there yet. They offer free download of the complete album on their site, so if you want to give a new band a try, just visit this site: www-acidrainsite.com.
Adrenaline Records 2000
01-03-16
ACCOMPLICE is a band from the USA that have been playing in a lot of various clubs and theatres throughout California in the last couple of years. They´ve been opening for bands such as: RUSH, VAN HALEN, T.N.T., SAVATAGE, NIGHT RANGER and others. That and the fact that they make good music have given them a record deal with the Italian label (Adrenaline) and they have now released their first (independent) CD again, this time with one bonus track and a new cover.
ACCOMPLICE is a smooth PROGRESSIVE band that plays a lovely mixture of old 70´s bands such as STYX, YES, GENESIS, RUSH and the bests from the 80´s MARILLION, QUEENSRYCHE, & SACRED WARRIOR. What we get is some well played music with catchy melodies and superb vocals by STEPHEN GREEN. He´s got a strong, solid voice that makes every song a joy to listen to.
Opening track "COURAGEOUS" is a song that sounds a lot like 70´s bands like YES & STYX! The keyboards are straight from the 70´s and the harmony vocals by all the members are superb! Next track "REACTOR" is one of the highlights on this CD; it´s a semi-rocker with truly amazing vocals from GREEN and a sound that fans of old QUEENSRYCHE will enjoy for sure. "FALLIN'" is a sad but still very beautiful piano-ballad with a good chorus. "FOR ALL THE WORLD" sounds a lot like a catchier YES song but it is only 3.25 minutes long, so it´s not one of those long&boring epics. "WELCOME" is a kinda boring ballad with a bad chorus but "CENTURION" is a good uptempo rocker with some great guitarwork by SEAN CLEGG; the song reminds me of SACRED WARRIOR. So... if you´re into PROG-ROCK make sure to the check ´em out! You can buy the CD direct from the label www.adrenaline.it and have a look at the homesite at www.accomplice.com
Limb Music 2001
01-07-22
Quick ! Name three hardrock bands from France that were actually any good! Yep... I had the same problems myself recently when I was trying to come up with something witty to write here. Adagio may just be the band that will open up your eyes for France though, especially if you´re into neo-classic, melodic metal with virtuoso guitar work and bombastic choirs.
New guitar hero Stephan Forté has together with Dirk Bruinenberg (Elegy), Richard Andersson (Majestic) and Pink Cream 69 vocalist David Readman created a nice album which fans of virtuoso music a-la Yngwie Malmsteen might enjoy. Produced by Dennis Ward and with some lovely keyboards in the true style of Jens "The Wiz" Johansson, is it indeed difficult to get away from the Swedish influences here. Not sure if Forté would appreciate all the talk about the mighty Swede though!
Then again, you will either have to be deaf or stupid to ignore what is obvious, Forté must have copied all the Yngwie licks ´n´ tricks in front of his mirror. Not a bad thing though, as many of the songs here are way better than the latest work by the wicked viking. Opener "Second sight" sets the pace of the whole album with great guitar work and a strong chorus. "The Inner road" is absolutely marvelous with its galloping guitars and catchy chorus "The stringless violin" is a nice mix of progressive and neo-classic metal and the same goes for the more than eleven (11) minutes long epic "Seven lands of sin". Another highlight is the instrumental version of the Led Zeppelin classic "Immigrant song" here of course done with a neo-classic touch. Bottom line: Sanctus Ignis is a nice album with a superb guitarist and it´s indeed recommended if you´re into "Yngwie" metal, even if some of the songmaterial is a bit weak.
www.limb-music.de
Nothing To Say 2003
Review by Martien Koolen 
20 September 2003
I really love this album. Stephan Forte started to record this cd just after he finished “Sanctus Ignis”; a rather mediocre album. “Underworld” is a completely different album; Forte’s musical influences changed a lot. His first big influence is now John Williams( a famous film music composer), furthermore you hear Mozart and Bartok influences and he rediscovered the fantastic sound of bands like Dimmu Borgir and Death. What else is new; well, he used RMS Hreimarr(singer of Anorexia Nervosa) as a guest singer on two tracks and Richard Anderson left the band and he is replaced by keyboard player Kevin Codfert. Kevin has a strong classical background and he contributed a great emotion to Adagio’s new songs. Furthermore Stephan used a choir and a complete symphonic orchestra, so check out this new Adagio album.
“Next Profundis” is the opener, and it really blew me of my feet; complex, dark, orchestral, lots of variation and really magnificent guitar solos a la Marty Friedman; wauw!!! The second track starts as an opera overture with the leading role for the already mentioned choir; again this track is full with superb instrumental passages. Not easy to listen to, but if you put an effort into it you are going to love it. Because Adagio’s music is melodic, dramatic, intense, complex, bombastic, epical and certainly no back ground material…..
You have to listen to the record yourself a couple of times to really appreciate this complex album, but then you will love it, or perhaps hate it…. This is not really an album for everyone, but I really love “Underworld”; nothing more to say.
Kivel Records 2000
01-03-16
Ready or Not... Can You Feel the Fire? Well... You better be ready cuz this CD is hotter than hell. ADRIAN GALE is the latest fashion from the other side of the pond (that would be the US of A) as the "newish" label "KIVEL RECORDS" now takes the step from being A New Kid on the block to a real force to be reckon with in the lovely Melodic Hardrock /AOR scene.
ADRIAN GALE is a new Project with the great "JAMIE ROWE" on Vocals, known from the band GUARDIAN and for the fact that he said "No Thanks" to the frontman position with RATT. He also recorded one great album with TEMPEST in the 80´s and he has now recorded another fun CD, together with VIC RIVERA (Guitars), TODD GOLDIE (Bass) & EDDIE CAMPBELL (Guitars).
"Feel the Fire" is a album that fans of Party/Melodic Hardrock a-la FIREHOUSE, DANGER DANGER, DOKKEN & JAMIE ROWE (of course) will really enjoy as RIVERA is not only a great guitarist but also a good Songwriter who knows how to write Catchy Hooks. The trick is to keep it simple and to write a Chorus that You can shout-along to at once and I must say that the Boys have done a good job. Songs like the title track "Feel the Fire, Save our Love, Reap What You Saw, Giving it Up & Easy Come Easy Go" are all fine examples of how Guitar rock should be written. Add that "Just let me Love You" is THE ballad of the year!!! A fantastic song with a chorus that goes straight to the heart. Hey! Even the label owner JOHN KIVEL gets a song credit for co-writing "Mission Man" a nice rocker about Bill Clinton? On the other hand "Honey Child" is a pretty boring LED ZEPPELIN ? inspired song that I could have done without; but the rest pretty much rocks and this is a CD that I would recommend to all fans of above mentioned bands. For more info (listen to a couple of songs etc.) and BUY the CD at: www.kivelrecords.com
Kivel Records 2002
Review by Jorge Antonaya 
4 September 2002
Second and eagerly awaited album by these New York based melodic hard rockers, who last year took almost everyone by surprise with their debut "Feel The Fire", followed by the mini album "Under The Hood" with both acoustic and live tracks. This "RE: Program" follows the path of FTF only that this time there are way better songs and they are way better produced. Top notch melodic hard rock that ranks from party rock ("Closer") to a mellower, tender approach ("If") and virtually everything in between!
The opener "Still Burning is an uptempo hard rocker that prepares you quite well to get an idea of what you can expect from this album. I especially love the twink they include at the end where you can hear a radio excerpt of "Feel The Fire". "Closer" is my fave so far of the album and one of the best party rock anthems I've heard in a very very long time. Full of melodies, great backing vocals and catchy hooks, you wont forget this tune ever since yu listen to it for the first time, much better anti-depressant than prozac, guaranteed! And talking 'bout guaranteed, "Heartbreak Guaranteed" is another rocker that's got everything it takes, including a guitar solo that works really well with the song, and again very good back-up vocals. "If" is a power ballad in the finest 80's US hard rock tradition, that reminds me a bit of Warrant at places, but with much better vocals, of course. "Over, Said N'Done" is a classic 80's hard rock track in the vein of such as Dokken, Ratt, etc. Really well done and excellent vocals both lead and backing. Good guitar solo. "Run Away" is a mellow rocker tune that has a really melodic chorus, and up to the overall level of the album. "Heartgames" is Dokken (Under Lock And Key era) all over the place. Great track with a bridge as melodic as you can get and a hard edged sound throughout the song. "41394" is an acoustic intro for the crunchy guitar-driven "Part Of Me", where Jamie Rowe does a remarkable work on vox. Catchy as hell and for sure another of the highlights of the CD. "Heather Please" takes us back to a more uptempo raunch'n roll tune. Finally, "No More Chances" is pure energy, a no nonsense in your face melodic hard rock tune with yet again plenty of good backing vocals. A perfect closing for a great CD all the way as there are no lesser or filler tracks in there. Guaranteed!
After their critically praised debut, both the band and Kivel decided to put all the meat in the grill as we say in Spain and oh man they have done it! Excellent production, great in your face sound, and crystal clear when it comes to vocals. Now every time someone will claim that productions nowadays can't be as good as back in the 80's, I'll put this record as an example of how it can be handled, and remeber we're not talking of a major release but a small, almost indie label in the US where these are tough times for melodic hard rock as we know and like it. When I first listened to the sound clips I wasn't that mad about this album, but man, the whole CD is quite a different story! I'm not that fan of saying this but the final recommendation for melodic hard rock fans (Dokken, Ratt, Warrant, etc) would be BUY OR DIE!!! You can't get wrong with this CD, trust me.
AEROSMITH: "Just Push Play" ****
Sony 2001
15-03-01
Aerosmith's latest is better than "Nine Lives", but nevertheless it isn't anything special. Included is the hit "Jaded", which is a typical Aerosmith song but other than that
this, "Just Push Play" is a flat CD. No song really stands out and the final kick is missing.
This will sell, no doubt about it, but it won't be anything like "Pump" or
"Permanent Vacation" which both I love. Songs that I like here are "Just Push
Play" (kicks a little bit), "Fly Away From Here" (a great ballad with great
lyrics), "Under My Skin" (a cool little rocker). So when I say this is not a
great CD it still is a good one, but it should have had something extra.
Actually the more I listen to this the more I like it, so maybe if I would
have done this review in a few weeks it might have gotten a better rating.
But - first impression is pretty important too.
Maybe the guys are getting too old and are losing the hunger, I don't
know. This should have been a better one. They even have same kind of artwork here that Autograph had a long time ago!
Mascot Records 2002
Review by Kimmo Toivonen 
10 April 2002
For what it's worth, I am quite tired of this endless flow of tribute album.s Thankfully this one does not include all the usual suspects, instead it includes a little bit more impressive line-up. However, I think I'd rather hear a tribute album with different bands performing their versions of these songs instead of these "supergroup lineups".
What you get hear is 11 eleven quite faithful renditions of Aero-classics from all eras of their career. Every song features different musicians, and the list of names is pretty impressive [list: voc/gt/bs/drs/optional keys]:
"Eat The Rich" : Jack Russell/ Doug Aldrich/ Jeff Pilson/ Carmine Appice
"Let The Music Do The Talkin'" : Joe Lynn Turner/ Al Pitrelli/ Carmine Rojas/ Pat Torpey
"Round And Round" : Tim "Ripper" Owens/ Reb Beach/ Tim Bogert/ Eric Singer
"Cryin'" : Jeff Scott Soto/ Craig Goldy/ Jason Scheff/ Aynsley Dunbar
"Kings And Queens" : Glenn Hughes/ Steve Lukather/ Tony Franklin/ Frankie Banali/ Paul Taylor
"Rats In The Cellar" : Fee Waybill/ Richie Kotzen/ Jimmy Haslip/ Vinnie Colaiuta
"One Way Street" : Doug Pinnick/ Elliot Easton/ Jimmy Bain/ Gregg Bissonette
"Living On The Edge" : John Corabi/ Stevie Salas/ John Alderete/ Brian Tichy
"What It Takes" : Bobby Kimball/ Waddy Wachtel/ Michael Porcaro/ Tony Thompson/ Derek Sherinian
"Lord Of The Tighs" : Whitfield Crane/ Bruce Kulick/ Marco Mendoza/ Vinny Appice
"Angel" : Robin McAuley/ Blues Saraceno/ Phil Sousson/ Rick Morotta
I admit that I am not the world's biggest Aerosimth fan, so many of the older tunes did very little to me. They're well performed, and I don't see any reason why they shouldn't rock the socks off any real Aerosmith fan. As mentioned before, you won't get any surprises when it comes to the arrangements, they seem to be similar to the originals as far as I know. The different vocalists do add a bit of variety, adding their personal touch to the song (or sometimes cloning Tyler's performance quite well), as well as the lead guitarists.
My favourite tracks are the latter day ballads (yeah, wussy me...) "Cryin'" and especially "Angel", which might be better than the original actually. The Kimball-sung "What It Takes" was a bit of a disappointment though.
MTM 2002
Review by Urban 'Wally' Wallström
19 October 2002
The story of Affair began in Munich/Germany 1987 when original guitarist Bobby Alvater formed the band. It took them five years to record their debut album 'Face To Face' and another five to find the label to release it. The original singer was by then long gone and Belgian power vocalist Peter De Wint (ex. Crossfire, Ostrogoth, Mystery) sang on the debut. Another five years down the road and both De Wint & Altvater now return with the album "No Substitute".
They are both well known producers and sound engineers too and you may already have many CD's of their work in your collection. De Wint's been busy working with Terra Nova, Glenn Hughes, Harem Scarem, Venegance etc, while Altvater is owner of the famous Sky Studio in Munich where bands such as Bonfire, Frontline, Avalon, Hotwire, Sabu, Boysvoice, Demon Drive, Brunorock etc. been recording over the years. This CD is of course recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by Altvater at the Sky Studios.
There's no substitute for rock'n'roll though and older fans of the band will surely recognize the sound from the debut album. "No Substitute" is a bit rougher in places though and it's sometimes very much in the Pretty Maids tradition. If you've never heard about Affair before, you could say they work in the similar style as Roko, Pink Cream 69 and the Maids. In other words, very powerful Melodic Hardrock with lots of excellent guitar work and hard hitting melodies. Highlights are opener "No Substitute", the lovely "Inside Out" with a great chorus. The glamour of "Magic Radio" with a upbeat tempo and party mood a-la US Glam meets German Hardrock. "Game Of Love" is a killer with a leathal hook and chorus. Actually, what they lack in hooks in a couple of places, they make up with overall really solid material and great performances by all musicians involved. Add that De Wint is a very underrated vocalist and Altvater the same, only guitarist and you're in for a treat here. The bottomline, "No Substitute" is a CD that will not disappoint many fans of German Hardrock. Even if it's not quite the album of the year either!!!
www.mtm-music.com
www.affair.de
Transmission Records 2003
Review by Jorge Antonaya,
15 February 2004
According to these Dutch metallers, "Exordium" means "introduction to a story", and that's what this mini album is meant to be, a collection of new songs, with a common link to a story to be revealed on the band's forthcoming album, "Invisible Circles" to be released on late March. The limited edition digipack includes an audio CD with 4 new songs (3 vocal tracks and an intro) and 2 covers, and a DVD with a video clip, making of and some extras.
I have to say that, being an After Forever fan, my expectations with the material included here were not completely fullfilled. I expected a bit more of what can be found in Exordium. The musical direction has changed quite a bit, and you can't hear much of the orchestrations and big choirs that became a trademark on After Forever's sound on the new songs, with the exception of "Glorifying Means". The intro, "Line Of Thoughts", contains some of the ideas to be developed on the following tracks. The problem is that the stuff somehow miss the intensity the Dutch band used to offer in the past, the songs somehow lack of "punch". Also, Floor's vocal approach is quite different, less operistic this time, again, with the exception of "Glorifying Means", which is the most similar track to previous records, but anyway, it wouldn't be a highlight on previous After Forever albums. "Beneath" is a mid tempo track with a nice chorus, but a bit on the light side. And the main feature "My Choice" is a more slow, dramatic song that admitely, works mcuh better live than on the record. The covers included, Iron Maiden's "The Evil That Men Do" and Randy Crawford's "One Day I'll Fly Away" adds the rarity factor to the recording with its potential commercial target. Not being a Maiden fan myself I'd say it's an ok cover, with the curiosity of the orchestral arrangements; as for "One Day I'll Fly Away", it turned out to be a nice song to cover with good results.
The final product is good enough but somehow a bit disappointing to these ears for what this band have offered in previous releases. Just let's wait and see what they come up with in the new album which is supposed not to have any of the new songs included in Exordium.
www.afterforever.com
FM/Revolver 1988
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
If you were a reader of Kerrang! or Metal Hammer during the late eighties you might have heard of this band. They were getting rave reviews in both magazines with this particular album that I believe is their only one.
The album kicks of with the very average "Love Attack" but the band pick up the pace with "Better Late Than Never" which is a good AOR track. Next, a bit early in the tracklisting is the ballad "Stay By My Side". A good track nevertheless, followed by another AOR tune "Another Lonely Night" that sounds like a grittier Journey. The high-pitched vocals of John Francis remind me of the german AORsters Frontline.
"The Game" is a good track where Francis gets to show us his Steve Perry-manners, and "Without You" is another nice ballad again with strong Journey overtones. The cover of Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" is also quite interesting. On this track Francis sounds a bit like Joe Lynn Turner.
All in all a good record, maybe not quite as good as the reviews led me to believe. It's a shame that we never heard anything more of this band, as they surely had lots of potentials.
Escape Music 2003
Review by Urban 'Wally' Wallström
15 May 2003
This is yet another example of how much influence those Jersey kidz used to have on the rest of us. The New York "suburban" was literally spitting out new and upcoming bands, each and every week during the hairy 80's & scary 90's. New Jersey was the place to be and this is merely just the... ummm... Aftermath :-)
Formed in 1995 by Joey Dia (vocals/bass) and Andy Kadin (keyboards), after they already had been playing together in various other bands. Some of you may or may not remember them from Open Fire. The rest of the Aftermath line-up consist of: Bill DiNapoli (guitars) and Marc Chandler (drums).
This quartet is obviously inspired by many different genres and styles. They tend to mix cheesy 80's rock (Danger Danger, Poison, Skid Row), with a touch of progressive metal a'la Savatage and even some funk-rock. Nope.. it's not like they're playing all styles at same time. In fact... only opener "It's Not Real", does show some real 'metal' influences whatsoever. The rest is pretty easy going party rock, with some really flashy guitarwork by DiNapoli. Lot of fretwork going on here and he shreds like a real trooper. Check Out "EZ Living" for a really funky time. "Natural Destruction" is without a doubt a grower and it only got better with each time I played it. Not a instant hit though and you really need to spin it several times, to truly appriciate some of the tracks. "Aint No Pretty Lovesong" & "For Being You" is a cool mixture of Glam & Funk and it reminded me a lot of the band: King Of The Hill (from the early 90's). They had a minor hit with "I Do U" if you can recall them? I say, Joey Dia is an excellent frontman with a strong, deep voice. Something which comes out at its best with ballads like "Lovin'You", "Behind These Eyes" and "Pain Of The Memory". OK power ballads with "Lovin'You" as the big MTV hit from the 80's. Or should have been the hit back then anyway! The uptempo track "Rich Got Richer" is very much like early Skid Row, only with some keys included this time. So-so and not too original, would have to be the final verdict.
www.escape-music.com
Aftershok Muzik 2002
Review by Endre 'Bandi' Hübner 3 April
2003
What can you expect from a band with such a spelling and with a frontman called Vic Hix? You'd go for glam rock ala early Motley Crue or Poison, right? Well, early Crue is okay, but the music on this album is a lot more aggressive than any of the "classic" glam bands have ever been; it has the fury and energy of early WASP. Add a surprisingly good production, aggressive vocals and lyrics, in-your-face simple riffing and you get what Aftershok is all about.
Despite the one guitar, bass, drums, vocals line-up and the relatively few backing vocals the sound of the album is surprisingly thick. Give a big hand to Lou Contumelio, the engineer. George Mihalovich's riffing is tight, his solos are okay, not too long, not too virtuoso either but that's what fits the music anyway. The rhythm section (George B - drums, Nick G - bass - are they from the movie "Men in Black" or what??) is as tight as your pants after a Dolly Buster movie. There are no highlights or downsides on the album, it would be useless to name any song as all of them are carved from the same wood: midtempo or uptempo heavy rockers with roaring vocals and shout-out refrains (not a single ballad or slow track here).
The artwork suggests that "This album is completely 'plugged', SO CRANK IT UP!!!" Well, pretty much that's it. If you like this kind of stuff you can't go wrong with Aftershok, cool heavy rock for cruising, fistfights, or for taking a big gun and blowing your head away. You can buy the album through the band's website: www.aftershok.com
Remedy Records 2003
Review by Martien Koolen
20 September 2003
When you read the bio of this band, you expect a super album, as it states e.g. Airborn is "a power metal band with a personal sound and vision, not just another Rhapsody clone" and "if you thought there is nothing new in power metal, you are in for a big surprise with the Italian band Airborn". This all sounds very promising, but the truth is that “D-Generation” is a rather disappointing, mediocre power metal album.
Thirteen tracks, of which the most are fast, three tracks are instrumental and there is of course one ballad. Airborn is nothing more than an average Italian power metal band which sounds like the 1,000,000th Helloween or Gamma Ray. Nothing special, nothing spectacular, but also not really bad; the thing that really bothers me though is the extremely nasal voice of lead singer Alessio Perardi (Klaus Meine out your heart out….).
The bonus track also “worries” me; it is a cover (as you already should know: I HATE covers) and it is a song of one of the best cult bands ever, namely Blue Oyster Cult. Airborn covers the superb track “Astronomy” and they really do it...Well listen to it yourself, I think it s***. If you like power metal, like I do, then forget about this album and buy something decent; sorry dudes!!
Lion Music 2001
Shredding sparks of neo classical compositions come flying out of Ohio USA thanks to an incredibly gifted new guitar played called Chris Steberl. His theory's add up to seven tracks of superbly constructed guitar monsters with superbly arranged classical pieces. This is a mighty accomplishment for an unsigned artist who has had to finance the recording himself, so credit where credit is due, Steberl knows exactly where and when to impress the listener and not to impress and just let the melodies flow, which keeps this album fresh and exciting.
The best tracks are the opening track 'Nightmare On Bald Mountain', see if you can spot his influences. I hear elements of Michael Fath, Shawn Lane, Eric Johnson, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman in his music. In fact 'Nightmare' features some chunky chopin riffage that could almost be the band Cacophony featuring the aformentioned Becker and Friedman. There is so much musicality playing throughout this song. As you can probably tell this is not your usual guitar album, check out 'Sahara Skies', another gorgeous song that plays with satisfying effect thanks to the added inclusion of the piano which is played by Chris himself. The feel of this song gives off European influences, also in -smegging- credible is 'Mozart's 25th Symphony In Gm (Amadeus)'.This is where the classical compositions come into full force, this song is quite fun and changes mood every so often, keeping the listener interested and entertained right to the very end, lets also not forget the relaxing 'Silk 'n' Honey' with it's gentle and calm ing theme reminding me of Eric Johnson.
Sterberl's playing is extraordinary, incredible, astonishing, wondrous, stupendous, sensational, miraculous, breathtaking, inspiring, and utterly mind-blowing, I really like this album and if your a fan of this style of music then you will appreciate the skill and passion of Chris Steberl's work which almost breaks previously held land speed records. You can catch Chris playing tribute to Jason Becker on "Warmth In The Wilderness" out now via Lion Music.
www.lionmusic.com
Ledsled/M&K Sound 2002
Review by Urban 'Wally' Wallström
27 October 2002
The Alchemist? Well, do not play this CD close to an open fire as you know something's gonna burn. The music is actually pretty hot though, even if this is soft rock in the tradition of Traffic, Marillion, King Crimson or the lovely Sade (what a woman). Actually, the best comparison would maybe be Sting, only with power vocalist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Hughes/Thrall, Gary Moore, Phenomena, Hughes/Turner etc.) behind the mic.
That's right!!! Glenn Hughes is indeed the vocalist here and the Alchemist aka Carl Kennedy (The Grege Lake Band) is responsible for the whole project. Drummer Kennedy is a pioneer in digital recording and his expertise in the recording studio eventually earned him the moniker "The Alchemist". "Songs From the Westside" was recorded back in 1994 with one of Kennedy's favorite vocalists (Hughes) and the help from guitarists Ian Crichton (Saga) and Tim Pierce (Toy Matinee, Roger Waters, Phil Collins, Rick Springfield, Rod Stewart, Goo Goo Girls etc.). Needless to say, the production is very good.
Unfortunately the album was never released until now and "Songs From the Westside" is a collection of well-crafted songs and lovely, laid-back music. Yep, do not expect this to rock like a hurricane with heavy metal guitars all over the place. Nah, this is very much matured music with a superb vocalist and good songs. Hughes is maybe doing his best performace since the Phenomena days here. He actually s-i-n-g-s this time and gone are the annoying 'screams' that he sometimes does way too many of. His voice is really hypnotizing here and it leaves you breathless as the CD finally stops spinning in your CD-player. He really IS a God here!!! Songs like "Right Before My Eyes", "Til The End", "Full Moon Rising" and "Westside" are all marvelous, laid-back music with d'man. Only "Taboo" is a bit disappointing really with a so-so chorus. "Hypnotized" and "Fools At The Wheel" are both sung by Kennedy himself and I must admit that he's a great vocalist. "Hypnotized" had me fooled as I still believed it to be Hughes behind the mic at first. It's not though (only backup), but that gives you some ideas about Kennendy as a singer. The latter is very 'progressive' and laid-back in the style of Marillion or King Crimson. There's a lot of Piano, keyboards and overall 'soft' music here. Don't let this stop you though as "Songs From The Westside" is also quality music from start to finish. However, if you're ONLY into screaming guitars, well... then stay clear from the Alchemist. Check out soundclips at the site below, where you can also buy the CD (search for: the alchemist).
www.mkcdstore.com
Liquid Note 2002
Review by Endre 'Bandi' Hübner
16 December 2002
I always appreciate if record labels dig up unknown talents to expose them to a wider range of audience they could ever reach before. This is what Liquid Note Records is doing with this double CD. The album is basically a compilation of songs by 27 unsigned guitarists, most of them unknown even to me, and there are only some of them I came across, mostly hearing their stuff on the net or receiving some demos from them.
Warning! The album is very long and it is only recommended to die-hard instrumental fans looking for new tunes. These guys sure can play and some of them write some really catchy melodies but most of the songs are on the rather progressive side of instrumental guitar rock and not everybody is prepared to digest two and a half hours of that. The first CD contains compositions heavily in the progressive vein; the second one is a bit easier to digest. It would be unfair to highlight any of the artists here as none of them really sticks out either this way or that, I assume all of the players submitted a song that is most characteristic for their current level and style of their playing and composing skills.
Fans of the genre (instrumental rock with some progressive edge) cannot go wrong with the
album, you get value for your money, cool packaging and a professional layout (with enough information to trace the artists which is very important in a compilation like this!), the players
are all worth your attention and some of the compositions are really memorable and make me
wanna dig the backing catalogue of the artists up. So I guess the album has reached its target.
Cheers to Liquid Note for the initiative.
www.liquidnoterecords.co.uk
ALFONZETTI: "Ready" ****+
MTM 20003-11-00 Matti
Alfonzetti of Jagged Edge/Skintrade/Bam Bam Boys fame makes a welcomed
return to melodic rock with this album. "Ready" is bursting with outstanding
melodic rockers such as "Blowing Up Detroit", "Out In The Cold" (an
old Jagged Edge track) and "Don't Let Our Love Go Down". Worth mentioning
are also "Better Than Goodbye", penned by Brett Walker and Jim Peterik
and sounding just like how you would imagine, Survivor meets Brett Walker,
and "Let Me In", a Michael Morales tune given a bit more "down-to-earth"
treatment here compared to the hi-tech AOR of the original.
The
only downfall of the album is the inclusion of a few tracks written
for Skintrade, who were a much heavier outfit. Even though I think these
tracks have been arranged to fit the overall style, they don't really
fit in here. At least for my ears they aren't nowhere near as appealing
as the more melodic tracks. Can't say I'm too fond of the closing contryish
ballad "Things That Make You Cry" either. But despite these minor complaints,
there's plenty of great songs here for any melodic fans to cherish,
and Matti's great performance should keep him firmly on the A-list of
Scandinavian rock singers. Recommended!
MTM Music 2000
01-03-16
Are You Ready for ALFONZETTI? The first solo album from the ex.Jagged Edge, Bam Bam Boys & Skintrade Vocalist MATTI ALFONZETTI has finally been released and it´s good one. A nice mixture of strong song material, a good production and well-known musicians such as Drummer JAMIE BORGER (Talisman, Treat, Six Feet Under, Baltimoore etc.) make this CD a winner.
MATTI has for me always been one helluva Vocalist but like many others he kinda got lost in the 90´s Brutal Music with a couple of crappy albums in the band SKINTRADE. The Super Swede has now returned to his roots with an album that smells and sounds both like AOR/Melodic Hardrock (Jagged Edge, FM) and some Classic Rock from the 70´s (Free, Bad Company).
A big surprise is the cover of the 1984 hit with John Palumbo (Crack The Sky) "Blowing up Detroit". This version is in many ways better than the original and it´s for sure a keeper, some of you might remember that Charlie Sexton also did it on his first album. Speaking of covers "Out in the Cold" is a excellent re-make of the old JAGGED EDGE classic and it sounds very fresh. "Angel" is a song that MATTI wrote while he was working with TALISMAN in the early 90´s (after Jagged Edge broke up) and it´s a good AOR rocker with a catchy hook. "Am I fooling myself" is another fave with a very slick AOR sound. "Let Me In" was written by Michael Morales and the superb Semi-ballad. "Don´t let our love go down" proves that Jamie Borger can do other things than bash the skins, as he´s the songwriter of this very catchy song (who said that Drummers are crazy???). Take a big dose of Classic British Hardrock mix it with smooth Swedish AOR and put it in the blender for 15 minutes or so... and Voila´ It´s READY!!! Recommended to fans of the above mentioned bands and ALONZETTI www.mtm-music.com
ALFONZETTI: "Ready"
MTM 2000Review by Jorge Antonaye
First solo effort for MTM by former Bam Bam Boys, Skintrade or Jagged Edge vocalist, Matti Alfonzetti. This time he has been surrounded by some prestigious musicans from Treat, Baltimore, Skintrade and Bam Bam Boys.
What he has come up with is a varied album, with quite a few different styles in it. Mixed bag, you might think, and nothing further from reality, this album has some remarkable moments, and not a single filler on it. From the opener "Blowing Up My Detroit", (a cover of Charlie Sexton's song), through the slightly funky hard rock ala Talisman in the Humanimal album like in "No Way Out" or the title track, (both old Skintrade tracks); to the more bluesy "Blue Hero", or "In The Groove" (in an early Whitesnake mood). The more melodic part of the album comes by the hand of the Brian-Adams-like "Better Than Gooodbye" or "Let Me In", the mid-tempo tunes "Angel", "Out In The Cold", (from Jagged Edge first album), or the great "Am I Fooling Myself?". The closer, "Things That Make You Cry" is the one and only ballad on the album, and has a certain Eagles mood.
Despite such a variety of styles, as I said, the album doesn't lack of an overall, consistent very good quality. Which ain't strange if you take into account Alfonzetti's great work on vocals and the rest of the band have been great as well (some are living legends of the Swedish scene). All in all this album is pretty much worth checking out. The songwriting has been briliant, so has been the production, delivering a pure, crilstaline sound. You can say most of the tracks have an 80's feeling (well, in fact most of the tracks were ACTUALLY written back then).
Highly recommended for fans of good melodic rock on an intermediate territory, neither too soft, nor too hard.
MTM Music 2002
Review by Urban 'Wally' Wallström
16 September 2002
Power vocalist Matti Alfonzetti (Jagged Edge, Skintrade, Bam Bam Boys etc.) is back with his second solo release at MTM music namely "Machine". Do pay some attention to the title here as it actually says a lot about the CD. Many of you out there may remember his first solo album "Ready" which was hardrock the traditional way with lots of hooks.
Well... "Machine" is not if you know what I mean?! It's modern, more up-to-date, nu-breed hard/rock with a heavier sound. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not one of those old farts who hates everything with a fresher sound than 1992. This is not the reason to why I'm not too crazy about this CD.
Nah, me thinks it's good if a musician likes to explore other dimensions of his ability to write music (see Eric Martin, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard etc.). However, you will still need to write some good songs if you're going to have some success with your brand new thing. I'm afraid that many of them here are just way too weak and without any hooks. Oh if only all the songs could have been as good as "Barbie Doll" or "Live In Sin". The first one is darn catchy with its power groove and big chorus. The lyrics are kinda' brutal though and about the use and abuse of young "Barbie Dolls" out there - 'Like a barbie doll use her til the end and then you pass her to your friends'. "A Happy Guy" is a nice rocker tune while "The Bitter End" is a darn fine ballad with lots of soul and great performance by Matti. By the way, the band Alfonzetti is now blessed with this line-up: Matti Alfonzetti (vocals, keys, drum programming), Stefan Bergström (ex. Skintrade, Baltimoore) - guitars & Mikael Höglund (ex. Thunder, Great King Rat etc.) - bass. While listening to the bonus live track "In The Groove" from his previous CD, you can't help to wonder... why not write songs like this only with a more up to date sound????
www.mtm-music.com