RICHIE KOTZEN - Into The Black
Fresh from opening for the Rolling Stones during their recent tour of Japan, Richie Kotzen has released 'Into The Black' on his own label. Kotzen wrote all the songs, played all the instruments, arranged, produced, engineered and mixed. Literally a one man band.
It's intense, articulate, strident and eminently melodic.
THE DOGMA - Black Roses
Italian Power Metal band The Dogma's album 'Black Roses' has just been released in Europe on Sony BMG. Major label backing is rare in this genre, so they must have something. They do, bigtime. Apart from their chiselled, photogenic looks, The Dogma's brand of metal alternates between brooding and explosive, creating just enough aural hooks to reel us in.
THE STORM - Eye Of The Storm
It's hard to believe that this album did the rounds on the illegal tape circuit for so long, then simply known as "The Storm's Unreleased Second Album", eventually getting a release on MFN in 1995.
Ross Valory and Manager Mark Sandoval have now re-released this polished, gleaming melodic rock gem on their own label, along with the debut, plus The Vu's one and only album release.
AOR bliss, and then some. And then some more. And then etc etc.
MICHAEL SWEET - Him
A neat play on words announces Michael (Stryper) Sweet's fifth solo album.
Sweet has written new melodies to a bunch of traditional hymns and recorded them in collaboration with Kenny Lewis. The result is a worship album that flirts with pop and rock. In places it's as much MOR as AOR, but it's beautifully produced and Sweet's voice just soars on several sweetly melodic tracks.
NEUROSONIC - Drama Queen
Essentially, Neurosonic is Canadian wunderkind, Jason Darr. Darr started his climb to fame in dance/techno before moving upward into rock. We should be grateful he did. 'Drama Queen' welds Beatlesque melodies, pounding beats, industrial metal and huge, melodic choruses into one long treat for the senses. One to watch.
CHEAP TRICK - Rockford
A tightly structured, clearly focused melodic rock album, geared for maximum emotional impact. One that takes us back to the early years of the band.
The best Cheap Trick album for a decade.
| |
