MTG 2003
Review by 14 September 2003

Now here's a first..songs with Finnish lyrics might be a bit too exotic for many of our readers, but for those who are looking for something special, this one's worth hunting down. For the Finnish hard rock fans, this is an almost essential purchase!

In the Finnish rock scene, Kilpi offer something that has rarely been heard. They play melodic metal with a strong 80'ies vibe, and while that's uncommon enough, the lyrics in Finnish make it quite unique. I will not go into detail about the lyrics, let's just say that they are...interesting. Musically Kilpi will most probably please anyone who's into 80'ies hard rock, as they sound like a perfect mixture of just about every band of the era: Queensrÿche, Dokken, Van Halen, Whitesnake, Dio...you name 'em. Great riffs, catchy hooks and on top of it, strong vocals from Taage Laiho, one of the best Finnish rock shouters. Had this album been recorded with english lyrics, it would have been one of the most talked about releases this year - take my word for it. The band has already scored a Top 40 position for it in Finland, and the first single "Nerokasta Ikävää" has been one of the biggest radio hits of the year so far, so there's something that appeals to the masses too.

Best tracks here are the aforementioned single (á la Mindcrime-era Queensrÿche but even more accessible), "Pahalle Et Käännä Selkää" (like Judas Priest with an extra dose of melody), "Antakaa Aikaa" and "Savuna Ilmaan". Worth mentioning is also the new single "Villin Vaaran Kosto" which is the most AOR-like song here. It's a laid-back track with smooth harmonies, very much in the vein of Whitesnake's "The Deeper The Love".

Indie 2003
Review by 23 April 2003

Ummm... silly me thought the King died way back in 1977??? Wasn't there a pop schmuck in the 80's too??? I believe he became later a video DJ at MTV & VH1??? Nevermind, that was then and this is now. Forget about the past and look into the future instead....

On the other hand... the five members of the Swedish "King", do play "retro-rock" with lots of inspiration from the 70's music. This is totally happy-go-easy-rock and they're main influences, include legendary bands such as: T-Rex, Guns'N'Roses, Bruce Springsteen, The Commitments etc. (according to their info-sheet). I would add a big dose of Hanoi Rocks, with horn sections, female backup vocalists and everything, to the overall sound though.

Z Records 2004
Review by Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
30 April 2004

Where do they come from? What do they sound like? What the heck is King Karma all about really? Well, completely out of the blue and without any real intention of being hip or trendy, this Canadian act will surely please some folks in the hardrock scene. Their indie release has already been the cause of quite some attention in the past and Z Records decided to pick 'em up for the future.

Ulftone Music 2002
Review by 11 October 2002

Independent can be good, Independent often means the artist himself has total control over everything you'll hear through out your speakers. Independent stands for freedom and full responsiblity over the music you're creating. Sadly, Independent doesn't always go hand in hand with quality music though.

This isn't too heavy, too modern, or in any other way too much of anything. It's the other way around actually as it's basicially not enough of everything. I hear a lot of cool songs, but I don't hear that many tempo changes or big choruses here. I love the first two albums with Kingdom Come and that's more than you can say about Robert Plant. Do you remember all the crap Lenny Wolf had to put up with, only because of the old Led Zeppelin geezer. Geeez, they may not have been the most original sounding albums in the world, but c'mon... they were never 'that' much Led Zep either.

Consytech Limited 2004
Review by Martien Koolen,
19 March 2004

Kingcrow was founded in 1996 by Diego Cafolla (lead guitar) and his brother Manuel Cafolla(drums). The band published and commercialized their first demo "Eyes Of Memories", and it received good reviews, which led to a sale of over 700 records. In 1999 Kingcrow modified its style towards progressive metal and a year later they released their second demo "Hurricane Eyes". In 2001 they record their first real album "Something Unknown". Ivan Nastasi(ex-Sanitarium) joined the band later and singer Stefano Tissi is replaced by Mauro Gelsomini (ex-Windseeker). The new line-up was complete now and they started to work on new material, and so the project "Insider" became reality.

"Insider" is a concept album about the story of two friends(Jason and Alan), both involved in a series of dramatic events..... The music is a complex mixture of heavy metal and progressive rock and sometimes reminds me of Savatage or Queensryche("Operation Mindcrime"). A song called "The Project" definitely has that sort of influences; great guitar passages, "gloomy atmosphere"; in fact this song reminds me of Winter Bane, the first band of singer Ripper Owens.

Sanctuary/Metal-Is 2003
Review by 5 July 2003

"You wanted the best - You got the best, The hottest band in the world" etc. Well... you've all heard it before and you'll probably hear it many times again. If there's one reason to why yours truly started enjoying (hard) rock and loud guitars in the first place, then this must be it. I've been a KISS-oholic since the tender age of 6 (!!) I turned away from the nursery rhymes and started worshiping 4 rock monsters in make-up instead (yuk!). They were the hardrock version of marvel comics somehow and you got into the image as much as the music.

The grease is not as important anymore and what matters most in the end is the songs after all. I'm actually glad they scrapped the original plan of releasing just another "Alive" album. How many times can you hear "different" live versions of the same songs... over and over again? You really need some changes every now and then and to spice it all up with a Symphony Orchestra, is not such a bad idea really. To celebrate the band's 30th Anniversary (1973-2003) Kiss teamed up with the 60 musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to record a one-of-a-kind live album down under. "Symphony - Alive IV" was recorded Febuary 28th at Melbourne's Telstra Dome after months of intense work and the result is a rather smashing 2-CD set.

Atlantic 1992
Review by

Probably this is another band that not too many of you have heard about. Actually this is just a one-man-band, Tony Mitchell all the music, all the lyrics, he sang and played most of the guitars on the album. And ladies and gentlemen, this guy has talent!

"Whatever It Takes" is the opening rocker, followed by "Blind For Love", both of them are rocking as hell in that Cinderella, Blackeyed Susan vein with a bit of (but not too annoying) sleazy touch. The arrangements are nothing special, pure, old, rocking guitar sound, loud drums and vocals. The first slower and different point is track four "Take This Heart", an emotional acoustic ballad. Tony's voice shines on this one. I could compare the song to Cinderella's "Heartbreak Station" but this one is less commercial and features lot more enjoyable vocals (not that I myself had any problems with Tom Keifer but most of the AOR fans can't stand his voice).

"Infactuation" rocks you up again and to use this cheap word-playing it has an infectious groove, a definite concert favorite with its oh-oh, yeah-yeah refrain and its mid-tempo that makes you clap your hands and step your feet. However my personal fave of the album is "From The Dirt". This is a pure rock n' roll musician anthem, even "God Gave R'n'R To You" (Argent/Kiss) fades compared to this one. This song is one of my all time fave rockers, has wonderful lyrics and for all of you ever being part of the music scene here's the first verse of the lyrics to enjoy:

I've had my lovin' with a black magic woman
I've been Johnny Be Goode for a day
Done my time at the Nickel and Dime
and lived my life on the fast lane
Raced my silver machine through the American Dream
tossed my coin down the wishing well
Overcome with inspiration
I took my satisfaction
and I learnt to kiss and tell
All my life it's been the music
it picked me up and I felt so strong
Nothing can take the place of music
it gave me strength to carry on.
- Cool, ain't it?!

High And Loud/Century Media 2004
Review by Satu Reunanen, 14 April 2004

Timo Kotipelto returns with his second album and the historical pages of the warm Egypt have changed into the Scandinavian coldness. Or more like cold feelings, as the lyrics attest, embracing you to this dark and lonely trip with only sadness showing the way. So forget those Stratovarius’ "like birds in the sky"-lines, this ain’t a happy album at all and the warm sound in "Waiting For The Dawn" is far from the chilling feelings of "Coldness". The band behind the lead vocalist has stayed somewhat the same, a pack of professional musicians who also make the whole album an enjoyable listen; Mirka Rantanen-drums, Jari Kainulainen-bass, Janne Wirman-keys, Antti Wirman-guest guitars, Mike Romeo and Juhani Malmberg-guitars.

The tracks are: "Seeds Of Sorrow", "Reasons", "Around", "Can You Hear The Sound", "Snowbound", "Journey Back", "Evening´s Fall", "Coldness Of My Mind", "Take Me Away" and "Here We Are". All the songs sound familiar already at first listen. Occasionally the songs draw near the calmer mood from Stratovarius. But of course the vocals effect a lot in the end and that’s it really, don’t expect this to be another Stratovarius album. The old, classical eighties metal influences ring through here most of all. But the black wings of melancholia have spread throughout, even the guitars are weeping. The melodies are strong and Kotipelto has once again proven his abilities in this territory.

"Reasons", the chosen single track, is one of the most catchiest tunes here. It’s really dynamic, yet carrying a melancholic, heavy load on its shoulders. The heavy guitars back it up really well and also the backing vocals, which sound good on each track, sung by Kotipelto himself. The following song "Around" is also very good and very sad, Wirman kicking it off with his keys, this time being more gentle towards them than usual, not stabbing his way through the song but having a delicate, haunting feeling to them, and the crying guitars taking from there. This is how the album goes, giving you goosebumps and staying true to the "Coldness"-theme, moving in midtempo most of the time. The basic song structures are pretty much the same as in "Waiting For The Dawn" and both albums aren’t the least bit easy to open, though at first you’re being fooled by the easy-sounding vocal lines, making you wonder you ain’t getting any deeper than this. So bearing that in mind, take a bunch of spins to really sink yourself into these emotions, it ain’t an easy trip.

Frontiers 2003
Review by 22 July 2003

Richie Kotzen is surely not a stranger to "Change": once a young axe-hero, then the guitarist in million-selling group Poison, a solo artist, and then again the guitarist in another name band, Mr. Big. Now Kotzen is flyin' solo again, and his latest album is as varied as his career has been.

One thing that "Change" proves instantly is the fact that Kotzen is not only a great guitarist, he's also a soulful vocalist. In fact he sounds a lot like his former bandmate Eric Martin. Another thing is that Kotzen is clearly focusing on rock again, which suits us just fine, I think!

Opener "Forever One" is a curious mix of groove and modern rock, kinda like Lenny Kravitz jamming with Nickelback! Not too bad, but nowhere near as good as "Get A Life", which could've been taken from Mr. Big's last album. It's a great catchy track with a "nu-breed" vibe, and Kotzen sounds a lot like Eric Martin here. Something makes me think that might've been written with Mr. Big in mind.

The title track is a nice, pop/soul/rock type of an acoustic ballad, while "Don't Ask" is another great modern-day melodic rock track with a killer hook. "Deeper (into you)" is more pop-oriented again, quite OK nevertheless, although I prefer the more rocking tracks. "High" isn't one of those, instead it's another soulful ballad. Damn, this sound could easily be a big hit if covered by someone like Destiny's Child...

Indie 2003
Review by 3 October 2003

You may remember Krank for their 1986 album "Hideous" (Metal Blade) which was recorded by Bon Jovi/Lita Ford producer Obie O'Brien. They have a long going history in the New Jersey district which dates back to the very early 80's. They were the opening act for bands such as Twisted Sister, Megadeth, Loudness, Cinderella, etc. and the song "Rented Heat" was selected for the Metal Blade Records compilation - Metal Massacre 7.

Whoever produced and engineered this CD should really bow his head in shame though. The poor drummer is probably having nighmares about his performance as the drums comes out sounding like tin cans. I know that money is always the issue when it comes to producing, but when everything else is "ok" and only the drums comes out sounding like crap, you can't help to wonder. "Ugly Gift" is a very appropriate title I'd say and spot on in describing the whole situation.

Perris Records 2003
Review by Petri Kautto,
16 February 2004

Ex-Pretty Boy Floyd Kristy Krash Majors has still some PBF left in him but "Goodbye Rock ‘n’-roller" is a lot more punk than Pretty Boy Floyd ever was. There’s even a Bad Religion cover “21st Century Digital Boy” and a couple of other songs that fit the same category.

The title track “Goodbye Rock´n´Roller” opens promisingly and the following song “Hey Hey Punks” is a pretty good song too. But the same can be said for basically all of the following songs. They are OK but nothing really ravishing comes along. There are ten songs all together but I really didn’t get anything out of this. The songs are played through without any surprises and once you’re done listening to the album no highlights come to mind.

Mascot Records 2003
Review by Martien Koolen 3 May 2003

This is truly a heavy weight “super”metal band, with 4 members that already have proven their musical capacities. Mainman Leif Edling is of course well-known from doom godfathers Candlemass, Furthermore we have singer Mats Leven, who can be heard on two Malmsteen-albums, namely “Live”(1998) and “Facing The Animal”(1997). Last but not least to complete the line-up Krux consists of two former Entombed members; Jorgen Sandstrom(guitar) and Peter Stjarnvind(drums). So if you look at these musicians you can expect an awesome album full of metal/doom songs with musical influences that range from Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, Rainbow, Candlemass, Entombed and Solitude Aeturnus.

Hence, lovers of these bands can buy this cd without any hesitation, for those of who that still have doubts, or do not believe me, just listen to the record and be astonished. Maybe you will like the excellent songwriting of Leif or the nerve racking guitarriffs in “Black Moon”, but most of all you will experience the wonderful voice of Mats. Especially in the titletrack he sings like a young god, but he also shows that he can do other things with his voice; like in the dark and mysterious track “Sibiria”.

Mascot Records 2003
Review by 27 September 2003

The debut cd of Krux has already been reviewed here and if you digged that album well there is no stopping you in buying this dvd. There are not many bands that release their first dvd as fast as Krux, but hey, why should I complain about that??

As all the guys in this band also play in other bands; Leif Edling(Candlemass), Mats Leven(At Vance) and the rhythm section in Entombed it is almost impossible to go on a tour with Krux. So the band opted for this dvd because if the fans cannot come to Krux then Krux will come to the fans. So now they show their capacity on stage via this dvd.

Hydrant Records 2003
Review by 8 December 2003

You may actually recall the Boston line-up from the 80's with Steve Sera (vocals/guitars), Benny Fiorentino (guitars), Danny Callan (bass), and Mike Lamm (drums). They were never into hockey however (the hairdo never really mixed well with the helmet), and instead you could find them rocking out with their band Axminster.

Axminster toured with the likes of Extreme, Lita Ford, Twisted Sister, and scored a couple of regional hits in the New England area. Speaking of New England, Hirsh Gardner (drums) produced most of their stuff back then and a compilation CD, was released a couple of years ago (see review in our archive).

Now & Then 1997
Review by

Once again I have to wonder: why hasn't this album sold millions? Jamie has everything that Shania Twain or Leann Rimes have and more - she has two albums full of potential hits, of which this is the more recent one. Okay, she isn't a country artist, but some of these songs wouldn't sound out of place on Twain's "Come On Over", for example. Besides, Jaime has already made it big in the country world with Faith Hill's "Wild One", which she wrote.

On "BFH" Jaime showcases her talent as a songwriter, producer and a singer. She has a great voice, which reminds me a bit of Ann Wilson of Heart. And speaking of Heart... Her song "Stranded" was covered by Heart on their "Brigade" album. The song is also featured here, along with a remake of the excellent "Bed Of Roses" from her first album. The remaining ten tracks are exclusively written for this album, as far as I know. I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of "The Best Of My Heart", "Crossing Over" (co-written by Van Stephenson) and "How Do I Stop The Tears" found their way to the US Top 40 covered by someone like Heart.

Frontiers/Now & Then 1999
Review by

"The Best Of My Heart" is a new compilation album from the very talented Ms. Kyle, featuring tracks from both of her albums as well as four new songs. The selected tracks indeed represent the very best of Jaime Kyle, and the new tracks lead us to believe that there's more to come.

Out of the 15 tracks, only 3 are from Jaime's first album, "The Passionate Kind". I would have included at least a couple of others too, but there's no denying that "Bad News", "When Angels Cry" and "Let It Go" are three of the highlights of that album. Jaime's second album "Back From Hollywood" is represented with eight tracks, excellent choices all, and very likely the ones that I would have chosen too.

The new tracks are pretty much what one would expect from the lady, except for one track, but I'll get back to it later. "More Than Meets The Eye" is a good midtempo AOR track, co-written by Van Stephenson, one time AOR hero and currently a member of the coutry rock band Blackhawk. "Movin' On Down The Road" is a cool song that wouldn't sound out of place on a Chris Isaak album, even though Jaime's vocals sound nothing like Isaak's. "If Not For You" is a typical balladic Jaime Kyle song, and she sure can write them!

The biggest surprise was "Bombs Away". It's probably the heaviest track Jaime has ever cut, proving that she sure can ROCK too! A great track, full of crunching guitars and Jaime sings like she really means it! The chorus is still catchy and melodic, and the backing vocals are quite brilliant too.

There you have it, an excellent compilation from my favourite AOR goddess. Knowing that the two albums are getting harder and harder to find, this will be an essential puchase for anyone into quality AOR with a slight "new countryish" twist.