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Alanna's Top 100 highest rated albums
| 1. Virgin Steele - Life Among the Ruins | Rating: 9.5/10
Most people know Virgin Steele as this impossibly grandiose power metal outfit that sometimes dabbles in hints of epic progressive. From the early 80s of the powerfully proud "Noble Savage" to their second coming in the 90s riding the acclaim of the Manowar-like triumphant opus, "Invictus", it was the clash of steel, the roar of the ....
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| 2. Def Leppard - Hysteria | Rating: 9.5/10
Since its debut nearly 20 years ago now, this album has been put through every critique possible for a disc. Wildly popular by any industry standards, it sold a ton of copies (something to the tune of 30 million) and spawned an incredible seven hit-out-of-the-ballpark singles, has been the focus of a VH-1 Special and been analyzed on a DVD th....
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| 3. Allen Lande - The Battle | Rating: 9.5/10
When you take two of the greatest vocalists to come out of the 90s and have them join forces, it could only result in something special. An album that is extraordinary. A disc that would blow your mind if only it was done properly. Thank the lucky stars, but Allen/Lande "The Battle" is an exercise in how to achieve superiority. It's a crushing....
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| 4. Whitesnake - Whitesnake | Rating: 9/10
Whitesnake's self titled album is likely one that is taking up space on your shelf but hasn't been dusted off for awhile. I would know, because my copy had largely suffered the same fate until recently. Every now and then then nostalgia bug bites and its time to resurrect a classic. After a good amount of time spent cozying up to WS's US relea....
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| 5. Vandenberg - The Definitive Collection | Rating: 9/10
"The Definitive Collection." To have a title of this magnitude, the release needs to be something special indeed, and thankfully this Vandenberg greatest hits CD fits the bill of being exceptional. It may (or may not) come as a surprise that Vandenberg is one of my favorite bands from the 1980s. In the space of time between 1982 and 1985 th....
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| 6. W.E.T. - W.E.T. | Rating: 9/10
Ready to get W.E.T.? How about just out and out drenched? W.E.T.'s "debut" album of sheer melodic rock bliss is made up of three main players who create the sound and forge the basis of the name. Songwriter Robert Sall from Work of Art for the W, Eclipse guitarist/songwriter/etc Erik Martensson....
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| 7. Ten - Return to Evermore | Rating: 9/10
Ten is one of those bands that for some - is just like magic. With each new album release there's high expectations, and it's almost become like an event. These days not too many bands continue to excite and up the ante with slight tweaks on every fresh disc, but frontman and leader Gary Hughes makes sure his band hums with the electricity o....
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| 8. Stan Bush - In This Life | Rating: 9/10
Many have heard Stan Bush, yet do not know it, as the singer for "The Touch" from the "Transformers: The Movie" theatrical animated film. So if the name seems dazedly familiar somehow, that is likely where you have touched base with his voice once before. This singer/songwriter solo artist's latest disc (and his tenth solo outing) is one tha....
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| 9. Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays | Rating: 9/10
Sonata Arctica was once penned as a bubbly happy rival to country mates and fellow power pomp rockers, Stratovarius. Six albums later and the label is not so certain anymore. Actually, it fell completely off and someone stepped on it. This band has come light years away from that first debut di....
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| 10. Pride of Lions - The Destiny Stone | Rating: 9/10
So you thought it would be nice to have Survivor for the 2000's right? Well these guys have just answered your prayers and granted your wishes. Headed by one of the former driving forces of Survivor, Pride of Lions is Jim Peterik's baby and therefore is treated with the utmost patience, care and love. Each song is nutured by him to try and ....
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| 11. Place Vendome - Streets of Fire | Rating: 9/10
This may very well be "the" album you are looking for, if quality, talent and a knack for sticky melodies is your bread and butter while the love of all things rock boils yearningly in your blood. Place Vendome answers the call in your veins and puts the crowning butter on your toast too, all for the sheer joy of it. Crossing ....
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| 12. Luca Turilli's Dreamquest - Lost Horizons | Rating: 9/10
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that this is Luca Turilli's personal work of art. An album that he invested alot of time and effort into that likely detracted from the inspiration spark for cobbling together the disc that many true metal fans were anxiously awaiting: "The Infinite Wonders of Creation", the not-so grand finale t....
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| 13. Kamelot - Ghost Opera | Rating: 9/10
It must be daunting to try and top or at least sustain the quality of your band after a watershed release such as "The Black Halo". There are very few bands out there that have released an album that had the emotional depth, musical intricacies, tightly wound song structures and catchy hooks such as contained in that "Halo" release. Kamelot ....
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| 14. House of Lords - World Upside Down | Rating: 9/10
House of Lords attempted a return a couple of years ago with the overly prehyped "The Power and the Myth". It largely had the same lineup as classic HOL, yet the sound was anything but. Gregg Giuffria, the keyboardist that originally put the band together back in the late 80s, jumped the rapidly sinking ship. It was apparent why he wouldn't wa....
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| 15. FM - Indiscreet | Rating: 9/10
The 1980s were most definitely the heyday for all things AOR. Stadium rockers Foriegner gone soft, a retooled Heart and the ever popular Journey ruled the early 80s and waiting in their wings were plenty more bands: Night Ranger, Mr. Mister, the delictable Icon and oh-so many others. Radio was flooded with song after song of U.S. AOR hopefuls ....
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| 16. Europe - Wings of Tomorrow | Rating: 9/10
It has been about seventeen years now since the first electric breeze of "Stormwind" blew through my cassette player and became responsible for igniting a passion that has lasted just as long as I've owned the record itself. "Wings of Tomorrow" was my formal introduction to the world of hard rock and heavy metal and looking b....
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| 17. Edge of Forever - Let the Demon Rock N Roll | Rating: 9/10
For the first several tracks on Edge of Forever's second outing, "Let the Demon Rock N Roll", you might just think you have found heavy metal heaven. This would, in theory, be a magical place where melodic rock and blazing riffs collide. And for awhile, this band achieves that, easily managing to rank themselves among the elite in one fail swo....
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| 18. Conception - Flow | Rating: 9/10
Rolling waves of sound, a high-tech progressive atmosphere, soul drifting vocals that weave in an out of your subconscious... this was the height of creative progressive metal, and the final release of the much beloved, but often forgotten band - Conception. This was Roy Khan's stomping grounds....
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| 19. Bob Catley - Immortal | Rating: 9/10
If there ever was an album that deserved the term "majestic", it would certainly be this one. Taking us back to the bardic medieval atmosphere of Magnum's "On A Storyteller's Night" and lavishly exploring this epic overall feeling, "Immortal" allows you free reign into a dangerous fantasy world of myth and magic, wonder and int....
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| 20. Allen Lande - The Revenge | Rating: 9/10
There are good albums and then there are great albums. Then there's this tiny little echelon of cds that fall into true masterpiece territory. Vocalists Russel Allen and Jorn Lande's collaboration with the brilliant songwriter/guitarist Magnus Karlsson was one of those rare discs that achieved such acclaim. Their feverishly awaited followup....
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| 21. Winger - Karma | Rating: 8.5/10
The band Winger has had several decades worth of ups and downs. From the quick commercial success of their bouncy AOR debut and the polished up followup, to the coming apart, and sinking popularity that followed the release of the decidedly un-hair metal-like "Pull". A decade plus went by and t....
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| 22. Whitesnake - Forevermore | Rating: 8.5/10
If the previous Whitesnake album, "Bad to be Good" was enough to please the fans, despite having lost it's hooks halfway between the writing and pressing phase, then the latest and greatest "Forevermore" should give every 'Snake fan a happy heartattack. It's a mashup of many Coverdale moments, as he seems to not be able to shake ....
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| 23. Tour De Force - World On Fire | Rating: 8.5/10
The story of Tour De Force is a depressed, confused one and a tale that is mystifying. Demos rumored to be the stuff of Scandi-AOR legend and a resulting album that was anything but. Then they slipped away, leaving little mark on the world of melodic rock, a world that should have been blown open by them, but was not. That one self titled dud ....
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| 24. Tony O'Hora - Escape Into the Sun | Rating: 8.5/10
Tony O'Hora was the vocalist that gave Praying Mantis their second lease on life. Or perhaps it was their third. Anyhow, it was a new birth for the band and with his fine pipes, they were able to capture a new appreciative audience with both Forever In Time and Nowhere To Hide. After he left the band should have folded since the mixed vocalist....
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| 25. Tony Harnell - Cinematic | Rating: 8.5/10
"Cinematic" is a surprisingly fantastic six song musical experience, given life and voice by Tony Harnell. It hits the sky like an exploding fireball and then goes dimmer upon escalating, soft and fading, leaving all the shades inbetween. Harnell's voice is golden and gorgeous and ....
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| 26. Sunstorm - Sunstorm | Rating: 8.5/10
If you weren't paying close attention, you likely missed it. Sunstorm is not an established name, but yet is another project that features Joe Lynn Turner behind the mic. And if you believe you have never heard anything sung by JOLT then you are likely wrong, since he has appeared everywhere. Turner has been the vocalist for Mother's Army, Rai....
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| 27. Sunstorm - House of Dreams | Rating: 8.5/10
There is no finer outlet to showcase Joe Lynn Turner's emotional versatility and nuanced depths than the Sunstorm releases. These focus his talents into the realm of AOR, that melodic rich subgenre that pinpoints the softer side, a sleek pop rock crossover. Joe Lynn Turner has held audiences in thrall for over thirty years in ....
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| 28. Street Talk - Destination | Rating: 8.5/10
I have been following Street Talk since their very first release, "Collaboration", named such likely due to the fact it utilized not one, but three vocalists. The "other two", Kristian Andren (which can be heard here on "Destination") and Daniel Jonsson were simply outclassed by the focal point of the cd, the fabulous Goran Edman. That was b....
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| 29. Street Talk - V | Rating: 8.5/10
Fredrik Burgh, the leader of Street Talk had considered letting the band go after nearly a decade to pursue other musical outlets. Thankfully something made him reconsider as the greatest hits type compilation "Destination" was anything but the final one. He and sidekick vocalist Goran Edman are giving it another go round and the results speak....
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| 30. Starbreaker - Starbreaker | Rating: 8.5/10
Starbreaker seems like a brand new outfit, and it is, but while the name might be new, don't let that fool you, the musicians within are very familiar in a warm and comforting way. Tony Harnell is by far the star of this show, his pipes bright and sometimes quite thick, a divergence from his usual delivery, but if you think Harnell can only h....
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| 31. Starbreaker - Love's Dying Wish | Rating: 8.5/10
The album's cover art says it all, as honest and open as it could possibly be. Dark and chaotic for the background created with splashes of blacks and greys. The showpiece being a single stark off-white dove, tear glistening from it's crying eye as its wings sweep it away, all while holding a blood dripping crimson heart in its beak, just as i....
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| 32. Spin Gallery - Embrace | Rating: 8.5/10
Putting a different spin on AOR is Spin Gallery's "Embrace", which is headed up by the prolific magic touch of Tommy Denander (who is everywhere you look these past few years), and painted around the vocals of sole singer Kristopher Lagerstrom. Their only other cd, from 2004 featured a trio of voices. That has been pared back to a ....
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| 33. Rough Silk - Roots of Hate | Rating: 8.5/10
This is a disc I've personally had a long history with and it comes as an oddity that up until now I have never written about it, despite the fact it has swerved in and out of my life for the past decade-plus. Rough Silk's "Roots of Hate" is a curiosity from a time when metal-type music was still being created ....
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| 34. Reingold - Universe | Rating: 8.5/10
Variety is the spice of life and bassist and ivory tickler Jonas Reingold's brainchild thrives on it. Many moods and emotions are given their due time as they swirl through a nice assortment of tunes inspired by many different metal sub-genres. One of the first steps of appreciating "Universe" (a fitting title since e....
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| 35. Radioactive - Taken | Rating: 8.5/10
This is a CD that forces you to kick back and marvel at the enormous amount of people that had to come together to create a single work of music. Radioactive has always been a showcase of snappy melodic tunes with a revolving guest list of vocalists to keep things shaken up, but neither of the previous duo of discs had quite this many musician....
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| 36. Pride of Lions - The Roaring of Dreams | Rating: 8.5/10
The sophomore disc from Pride of Lions has alot to live up to. The first disc was an excellence slice of AOR Survivor style and the followup, "The Destiny Stone" upped the ante by presenting the music in an even more bombastic and spine tingling form. It went overboard and then some with the theatrics, threatening huge heights that even Styx a....
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| 37. Pathfinder - Beyond the Space Beyond the Time | Rating: 8.5/10
Pathfinder has arrived from Poland and are playing power metal the classic way. Wicked fast riffing, thunderbound drumming, and a sound that takes epic to the highest levels. This is bombastic metal that thrashes through the blood and sets your heart afire. You can hear a glorious mixture of bands within their sound, including Labyrinth ("Retu....
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| 38. Northern Kings - Rethroned | Rating: 8.5/10
Northern Kings. The name implies so much. Mastery, rulership, the essence of being above all others. With "Rethroned", these 'kings' of metal have easily claimed such haughty ambitions and made them their own. A collaborative project between four of the hottest singers out of Finland, the first album "Reborn" was fant....
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| 39. Magnum - Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow | Rating: 8.5/10
Here's a band that needs little introduction. Magnum has been around since the 70s, changing their styles with every album, but keeping the signature core that makes an album, well, a Magnum album, intact and untarnished. They have shifted and changed during the years, the favorite period being the mid 80s that gave birth to a trilogy of highl....
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| 40. Magnum - Into the Valley of the Moonking | Rating: 8.5/10
"Into the Valley of the Moonking", Magnum's new opus, remembers what their previous post reunion efforts failed to recall. The resurrection of luxuriously slippery melodies, the fine knit meticulous inter weavings of high class musicianship and that signature sprinkle of magic. All is aliv....
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| 41. Kamelot - Poetry for the Poisoned | Rating: 8.5/10
"Poetry For the Poisoned" is a sweeping work of art, that is destined to come under fire for being not "power" enough for the metal majority. Kamelot continues to push the boundaries of what defines power metal, painting the walls with unexpected artistic touches, progressive moments, modern tendancies, and sheer thunderborn meta....
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| 42. Jorn - Out to Every Nation | Rating: 8.5/10
Jorn Lande is one metal talent that requires no media press hype for me at all to become absolutely madly frothing at the mouth at the prospect of digging into the delectable glory that is one of his projects. Hopping aboard the fan boat sometime in 1998 with his appearance on Mundanus Imperium's "The Spectral Spheres Coronation" and featurin....
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| 43. Jorn - The Gathering | Rating: 8.5/10
A Greatest Hits package or an excuse to rerecord and fluff up a collection of songs that perhaps didn't quite get the exposure warranted the first time around? "The Gathering" is a little bit of both. Jorn enlisted the help of Tommy Hansen to beef up the production on some of his earlier solo works that needed a boost and the others w....
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| 44. Jorn - Lonely Are the Brave | Rating: 8.5/10
Lande's latest, "Lonely Are the Brave" plays pretty much like the previous Jorn albums. Just in the first handful of songs, you can clearly hear his influences shining through like a beacon of brazen light. Bits of "Stargazer" from Rainbow, "Holy Diver"-era Dio, "Neon Knights" by Black Sabbath, he twists through ....
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| 45. Icon - Night Of Crime | Rating: 8.5/10
"Night of the Crime" was the one - and only time for Icon in the spotlight, in my eyes. They were a midwest band that received some minor attention for their self titled first release, and a little buzz for "Night of the Crime", which was their follow up. The depa....
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| 46. Harem Scarem - Mood Swings | Rating: 8.5/10
Harem Scarem seem to reinvent themselves every other album, going from the keyboard filled Def Leppard meets Honeymoon Suite debut and sliding all the way into the depths of nu-breed "modern" rock and then back to AOR again in recent years. But unlike other bands that seem to do this soul searching to try and discover the recipe of musical pe....
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| 47. Harem Scarem - Hope | Rating: 8.5/10
Harem Scarem has had a long career as a band that has not been untouched by controversy. They are one of those bands that changes up their sound every album or so, thus spawning a fresh spew of new fan debate with each release. They even split up for awhile, performed under the name Rubber in a radically different musical styl....
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| 48. Gary John Barden - Agony & The Xtasy | Rating: 8.5/10
After the colossal flop that was Gary John Barden's first solo cd, the dodgy remake album of dusty MSG classics titled "Past and Present", this follow up was met with seriously low expectations. Fortunately for those that have enjoyed the vocal stylings of Mr. Barden or gravitate towards blues tinged hard rock flavored by the fuel of the 80s, ....
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| 49. Edge of Forever - Feeding the Fire | Rating: 8.5/10
When I first received this CD for review, for some reason the music, with its heavily borrowed Yngwie Malmsteen neo-classical asthetics - be it from mood swings or the climate changes that was turning New England from a cool paradise to a hot sweltering desert and back again - just wasn't doing it for me. It was "hmm been here done that befor....
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| 50. Danzig - III: How the Gods Kill | Rating: 8.5/10
There is this weird quirk that people have that if you like some particular thing they believe you will get into anything having to do with it. This is the circumstances that lead me to owning "Danzig III". Since it was a well known fact that I liked metal, a relative decided to buy this for me for Christmas because obviously if I was into M....
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| 51. Danger Danger - Revolve | Rating: 8.5/10
The songs are strong, the entertainment value is completely evident yet the band has not lost track of the fact that it is not quite 1989 anymore and even give the feeling that they don't particular care either... Danger Danger's "Revolve" marks the 20th anniversary of the band's existance on the planet (in one....
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| 52. Crossfade - White On Blue | Rating: 8.5/10
Wow what an album! I've tried to hold back on this one for awhile and let the euphoria die down a little before throwing it against the wall and seeing what songs would "stick" in the long run and which ones would slide off into oblivion, but with Crossfade's "White On Blue", this simply is not happening. The music is completely spellbinding....
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| 53. Corin & Edman - Roc de Light | Rating: 8.5/10
Sunshine bleached sandy white beaches, palm trees stirring from the bay breeze, love drifting in on each aquamarine tide spray... yes this is the winding roads, carefree feel and romance of Westcoast. A dying breed of music which was delicately concocted by lush relaxed harmonies floating in on the ocean waves of the coastlines of California ....
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| 54. Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth | Rating: 8.5/10
Four years have passed and many wonder and ponder what path Blind Guardian will wander down next... "Night at the Opera" was at times, an overly complex affair. It brimmed with epic passages in pomp and length and presented a technical side buried in lavishly layered symphonic adventures. Due to the fact that this was the culmination of a mult....
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| 55. Blackmore´s Night - Winter Carols | Rating: 8.5/10
Blackmore's Night has been releasing discs of original and old material in a medieval "lite folksy rock" renassaince fair flair. Finally the team of Candice and Ritchie gives us their spin on "Winter Carols". This is such a treat simply for presenting these well known and beloved ....
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| 56. Bad Habit - Hear-Say | Rating: 8.5/10
Bad Habit have been kicking around since the mid 80s. In fact, this is their 20th year together. All those years have only produced enough albums to be counted on one hand and touring has been nearly non existent. In fact, the last time they were heard from was 1998's "Adult Orientation". Eight years is a long time to go without surfacing in t....
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| 57. Ambition - Ambition | Rating: 8.5/10
80s style, 2000 production. This is AOR done the right way. It slides down like ice cream on a hot summer day, and keeps you warm and cozy like beef stew on a winter night.
Three singers (including the Trillion vocalist Thom Griffin making a hyped return to the fold), great songwriters, the guitars of Tommy Denander (again?), and Frontiers....
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| 58. Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse | Rating: 8/10
"Eclipse" was different than anything that came before in the world of Malmsteen, and remains a strange entity when you look at everything that came after it. Yngwie gained respect and reputation for his genre shattering "Rising Force" album, catapulting him into shred superstardom. "March....
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| 59. Vision Divine - Stream of Consciousness | Rating: 8/10
When presented with a new Vision Divine CD, this wasn't exactly what I had expected. "VD" as they are commonly abbreviated to (all jokes about venereal disease, go ahead and get them out of your system now) was originally just a side project for Labyrinth guitarist Olaf Thorsen. My attention was brought to the band because at the time of the....
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| 60. Wildkard - Megalomania | Rating: 8/10
Songs penned at the opening of the 90s, lovely guitar riffs, gorgeous keyboards, a strong spellbinding voice to give life to it all... Wildkard is likely the best kept secret in melodic rock today. The music was written under The Zero Hour Project name as the 1990s first dawned. The music industry then was awash in the dirty carelessness of ....
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| 61. Whitesnake - Good to Be Bad | Rating: 8/10
Ten years and nothing recorded by Whitesnake. All of this is to change with 2008's studio recording, "Good to be Bad", an album that celebrates the naughty nice music of Whitesnake's past and a flash of Coverdale/Page, just to balance things in a more modern directional twist. Fans that have been begging and plea....
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| 62. Warrant - Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich | Rating: 8/10
It may be a leap of faith for the newer metal fans to believe that an album like this was once upon a time considered to be the hip "in thang". The music at this point had often become a stylized fashion extravaganza. Bands such as Cinderella had even complained that their mismatched selection of clothing often overshadowed their performances ....
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| 63. Valentine - The Most Beautiful Pain | Rating: 8/10
Robby Valentine was a huge success in the Netherlands and Japan at the beginning of the 90s with his first, self titled solo outing that produced the top five charting single (in Holland) "Over and Over Again". His style was more pop-AOR oriented during that period of time, his influences a combination of synthesizer driven melodic rock fused ....
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| 64. TNT - Transistor | Rating: 8/10
After the release of the dismal "Firefly" album, alot of hardcore TNT fans were more than just a little disappointed and sceptical about the band's next release. "Firefly" was another one of those albums where a metal band tries to go almost alternative it seems... either because they 'sold out' or as they claim, to go in the musical direction....
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| 65. The Murder of My Sweet - Divanity | Rating: 8/10
Daniel Flores (primarily drummer for Mind's Eye) has been at the center of quite a few interesting, and very different projects. Foremost in the mind is last year's underrated Crash the System disc "The Crowning" which was a roulette spin of vocalists set against a keyboard programmed heavy AOR atmosphere. The Murder of My Sweet project is ano....
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| 66. The LoveCrave - The Angel and the Rain | Rating: 8/10
For a debut album especially, The LoveCrave have offered up a fine slab of gothic rock here. One that will be a difficult juggernaut to topple. Alot of bands in this genre come across as cheesy, tongue and cheek, and lacking sincerity. You can tell they are painted up, leather chokers and all for the paycheck. Like outfitting at Hot Topic and ....
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| 67. The Gathering - Mandylion (re-release) | Rating: 8/10
I remember when I was first introduced to this band, I was floored by the level of maturity and casual elegance that emanated from their music. The female vocals paired with this swirling keyboard laden mixture of poppish progressive music with dark undertones was just unique and wonderful at the time. Ten years later, and the glow has still n....
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| 68. Ted Poley - Smile | Rating: 8/10
There's nothing quite like kicking back with a good cd that conjures up pretty sonic images like a pair of fuzzy warm slippers on a cold afternoon. That kind of warm, familiar air that keeps your blood running warm and your heart beating in a soothing rhythm . That's kind of the mind/body response that comes with Ted Poley's latest, <e....
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| 69. Stratovarius - Elysium | Rating: 8/10
This is the second album from Stratovarius without its previous heart and band founder, Timo Tolkki. There's no denying that the band had grown stagnant the last few years of Tolkki's reign, as interpersonal band relationships deteriorated and the music right along with it. The first disc with Tolkki dismissed, "Polaris", triumphed more on the....
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| 70. Steve Lukather - Ever Changing Times | Rating: 8/10
Steve Lukather likely needs no introduction. He's played on literally hundreds of albums, ranging from session work for wildly popular releases such as Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to being the guitarist for Toto. When one thinks of Lukather, the Toto sound is naturally what comes to mind. Following those expectations along th....
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| 71. State of Rock - A Point of Destiny | Rating: 8/10
What would happened if someone decided to cross wires between 1990s Frontline and 1980s Shy? And called themselves after the most important Frontline album, "State of Rock"? You don't have to question it any longer, because the resulting crossbreed is here to rock your AOR world. The musicians that made up Frontline have created a new band and....
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| 72. Shy - Sunset and Vine | Rating: 8/10
Shy is back with their second fresh full length effort since the latest reformation, which saw the return of original vocalist Tony Mills after a multi year and much missed absence. They came prepared with some great music and backed that up with killer performances and a polished production that brings their efforts into the spotlight. Thei....
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| 73. Seventh Key - Live in Atlanta | Rating: 8/10
I can't say that I have ever been a huge fan of live albums. It's not the same experience as seeing a band in person, and few live outputs ever seem to get the right balance between that "live" sound and being too raw. Just because it's the band exposed and in the rough doesn't mean I want to hear the singer flub his lines, the guitarist go on....
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| 74. Sanvoisen - Exotic Ways | Rating: 8/10
A fine example of progressive metal from the middle of the 1990s would be this 1994 disc by Sanvoisen. A double guitar attack band from Germany with a Greek singer, they only released a duo of discs before splitting apart in 2000. This "Exotic Ways" was their debut, and was a cleanly played, well crafted disc that while well reci....
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| 75. Royal Hunt - Collision Course - Paradox 2 | Rating: 8/10
Mark Boals has not done anything very impressive in quite a few years. His Ring of Fire projects have been atypical of the Euro-power genre, his second stint with Malmsteen largely unexciting - and so forth. It's a shame, because his voice always seemed to be so much better than the songs that attempted to fit with it. Royal H....
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| 76. Redemption - The Origins of Ruin | Rating: 8/10
Redemption's third album is truly their greatest. "The Origins of Ruin" represents all one would crave and desire from a metal minded progressive release. The songs are sharp and accessible yet very technical at their core. Its a labyrinth of instrumental excellence written by band member Nicolas van Dyk who also p....
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| 77. Rainbow - Bent Out of Shape | Rating: 8/10
There is very little AOR/hard rock from today that can stand against a true and tested classic, Rainbow's "Bent Out of Shape". That's right. Early 80s Rainbow. The band gets plenty of acclaim for the Ronnie James Dio trilogy mid to late 70s outings, but when Ritchie turned his Rainbow from a hard hitting metal band to a slick pop friendly r....
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| 78. Poisonblack - Lust Stained Despair | Rating: 8/10
The stake was shoved through the heart of Sentenced and from the band's blood another was reborn. Stronger and more wicked than ever before, Poisonblack rises from the ashes and takes the place of the former outfit. They once co-existed peacefully, Poisonblack being the sideproject and Sentenced the main focus of guitarist/vocalist Ville Laihi....
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| 79. Overland - Break Away | Rating: 8/10
It really can't be pinpointed if Steve Overland has ever lent his voice to anything quite as heavy as his solo album, "Break Away". However, that could just be a side effect of the Overland connection since his current works with FM and Shadowman are more laidback oriented.
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| 80. Over the Edge featuring Mickey Thomas - Over the edge | Rating: 8/10
I wanted to be subjective when reviewing this CD so I have held on to it a little longer than most, and by now most anyone that would potentially be interested in what it has to offer has already snapped it up and been enjoying it for a few months now. And those that aren't into AOR are likely not going to be converted with this. It is for t....
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| 81. Obsession - Carnival of Lies | Rating: 8/10
It may have taken them 20 years but Obsession is back and with a brand new album full of sizzling metal tunes. They truly have not skipped a beat since "Methods of Madness", as the new "Carnival of Lies" dishes up the same kind of screaming vocals and twin axe attack that made their 80s albums such cult favorites among the headbanging....
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| 82. Northern Kings - Reborn | Rating: 8/10
Northern King's "Reborn" is an album that most will overlook. It's a disc full of cover tracks, a niche of the metal release community that is usually more miss than hit. So many artists have pumped out tribute albums and many more have contributed to the "all star" tributes that usually boil down to a collection of d....
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| 83. Marcello-Vestry - Marcello-Vestry | Rating: 8/10
Stumbling upon Marcello-Vestry is akin to wandering a vast, featureless desert. Occasionally you trip over a pretty bit of desert brush here and there, but the way is mostly covered in mostly the same flat tones and endless dunes. Then bam, you slip and fall right into a welcoming paradise oasis. Ex....
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| 84. Magnum - Wings of Heaven Live | Rating: 8/10
A little Magnum history for you... They are a UK band that has been around since the 1970s, with a bit of a breakup during the 90s. Starting out as hard rock/progressive, as years marched on their music softened up until the British chartburner, the lofty "Wings of Heaven" was released. This album spawned quite a few hitmakers....
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| 85. Los Angeles - Los Angeles | Rating: 8/10
The voice behind Los Angeles may be frighteningly familiar to those who keep a keen eye trained on the world of power metal as well as the smoother grooves of AOR. Michele Luppi has been the pipes for Vision Divine, taking over the lead where Fabio (Rhapsody) left off. His voice is strong, and surprisingly tender here. Since screams and over-t....
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| 86. Leverage - Blind Fire | Rating: 8/10
Finland has been a hot spot for producing quality metal bands lately and Leverage is no exception to this new rule blown from the cold Scandinavian north. Their first album, entitled "Tides" was quite popular among critics and recently recieved a wider release from Frontiers Records. That re-releasing coincided with the unleashing of their sec....
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| 87. Lake of Tears - Black Brick Road | Rating: 8/10
Lake of Tears has truly covered all the bases here. "The Greymen" has this addiction synth rhythm that recalls the insanely playful "Devil's Diner", "Dystopia" has all the eerie rambunctious feel of "Demon You (Lily Anne)", "The Organ" is solemn and depressing and teems with exactly that whic....
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| 88. Kotipelto - Serenity | Rating: 8/10
Timo Kotipelto has been known as "the voice" for the tremendously popular Finnish metal act Stratovarius. His voice is instantly recognizable as a soaring, twisting thing that conveys emotion as naturally as breathing. The "main band" Stratovarius has been silent for a few years now and Kotipelto has cycled through what is now a trio of solo....
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| 89. Kiske Somerville - Kiske Somerville | Rating: 8/10
It is a concept that looks fantastic on paper. Michael Kiske (former Helloween singer, and currently smooth coating Place Vendrome into AOR superstardom) and Amanda Somerville (most recognized from Kamelot's "The Haunting" track from "The Black Halo") teaming up for an entire album of duets. But not only would these be duets, these songs would....
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| 90. Kamelot - One Cold Winter´s Night | Rating: 8/10
Kamelot have released a second live album, and it is quite the trip indeed. Their first live offering was "The Expedition" back in 2000, so its been a few years since we have had the treat of hearing the band crank it live. Their set is pulled from mostly the past three releases, with the majority of the material being pulled from the fantasti....
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| 91. Jorn - The Duke | Rating: 8/10
Jorn Lande is something of a vocalist wonder in the metal world. No one is quite up to his caliber (in my opinion) and manage to be so prolific at the same time. It was apparent he was going to be a special singer from the very beginning with his adept performance with Vagabond. Then he proved he could not only do AOR but mimic David Coverdale....
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| 92. Joe Lynn Turner - The Usual Suspects | Rating: 8/10
I've been waiting for Joe Lynn Turner to do an album like this for...well... ages now. He teased us with the spectacular slab of AOR goodness back in the mid 80s in the form of "Rescue You", which was a rarity til a recent re-release and never really followed up on it. I mean, sure there were lots of great songs and projects since, his appea....
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| 93. Joe Lynn Turner - Second Hand Life | Rating: 8/10
Joe Lynn Turner is undeniably a familiar staple of melodic rock. Having fronted Rainbow, Mother's Army, Yngwie Malmsteen's band, Sunstorm, Hughes/Turner, Deep Purple, guested on quite a number of tribute discs and multi singer affairs (Brazen Abbot, Vitalij Kuprij), plus many others and a slew of solo albums, it would be a difficult task to b....
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| 94. Jaded Heart - Helluva Time | Rating: 8/10
Jaded Heart have actually overcome all odds and managed to deliver just what the title promises: a "Helluva Time". Honestly, this comes as a surprise since all hope had been abandoned for the band once Michael Bormann departed. Whether he was kicked out or left on his own devices remains to be seen, the only sure piece of info was that he was ....
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| 95. Human Temple - Insomnia | Rating: 8/10
Wow this album is flooring. After not expecting much from it (really, what is a Human Temple anyway and what does it have to do with AOR?) some of these songs simply have the power to blow one away. We are talking top tier melodic rock, the kind that easily can sit on a pedestal and lord over all the crappier songs under their reign. Seriou....
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| 96. House of Lords - Come to My Kingdom | Rating: 8/10
House of Lords, keyboardist Greg Giuffria's pet after he abandoned the band named after his own name - had three gigantic rock albums in the early 90s - then split apart. The original members reunited for the controversial "Power and the Myth", an album that was more modern clunker than the bombastic AOR masterpiece that was p....
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| 97. Hodson - This Strange World | Rating: 8/10
Who really keeps up with most keyboard players anyway? Despite the fact that this instrument is often extremely important to a band's overall sound, most fans finds ourselves tracking the careers of the singers and guitarists, even the drummers over the guys behind the keys. But there are exceptions of course, such as the one and only Jens J....
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| 98. Heart - Red Velvet Car | Rating: 8/10
Heart has delivered pretty much what they promised for "Red Velvet Car". It is throwback (waaaay back, to the 70's and "Dreamboat Annie"). It has a raw, in-your-face, "live" sound. It also features mountains of chingy, changy acoustic guitars and a stripped instrumental approach. Those that covet the plush 80s sound or the electr....
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| 99. Gotthard - Domino Effect | Rating: 8/10
Gotthard have been around for a small portion of forever...well atleast as long as the early 90s. Finally they have managed to secure a US release with "Domino Effect" and lucky for them, the dominoes seem to have fallen in all the right places. This is a monster of a hard rock album, that is honed to a definite mel....
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| 100. Giuntini Project - III | Rating: 8/10
Tony Martin has always been one of my favored vocalists but his last few projects have left me feeling cold inside. His solo album from last year was too monotonous and even the Rainbow influenced Rondinelli disc seemed uninspired. So this is great news for fans of Mr. Martin. The Giuntini Project gives him the material he deserves and lets hi....
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Daily Spotlight
Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man, Something Wicked Pt. 2
 Iced Earth led their ride into glory and metal immortality with the amazing power/thrash masterpiece, "Somet....
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Retro Reviews
(Stuart)
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
 "So pure, so cold, Transilvanian Hunger" Darkthrone are one of the most respected black metal bands in existence. Along with bands like Mayhem, Burzum and Immortal they helped sp....
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(Alanna)
Rainbow - Bent Out of Shape
There is very little AOR/hard rock from today that can stand against a true and tested classic, Rainbow's "Bent Out of Shape". That's right. Early 80s Rainbow. The band gets plenty of acclaim for t....
Read full review
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