Top 10 Rock Albums of 2015

Its hard to do a list when Rock covers such a broad spectrum of music types. Here goes for my faves of 2015....

1. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls
If it wasn't enough for Bruce Dickinson to be struck down with cancer, Iron Maiden produced their most extravagant album in their history. Theres good reason it sits at the top of many a poll this December, its a great album

 

2. Eclipse - Armageddonize

Erik Martensson's Eclipse are at the other end of the melodic rock spectrum to Blood Red Saints. More raw power and edge to their music, they are the 2015 Oxford Dictionary meaning of 'anthemic rock'. Not a shit song on the album, its slayed me from the off. A HUGE album!

3. Clutch - Psychic Warfare
If you thought that 2013s Earth Rocker was a belter then Psychic Warfare continued where it left off and then some. Full of huge riffs, Clutch do it without much fuss and make it seem oh so easy.

 

4. Thunder - Wonder Days
Theres probably good reason why they broke up a few years back. Their return has been a great one. Wonder Days is their best since their debut. Wonder Days (the song) is one of THE BEST songs in its own right in 2015. 

 

5. Steven Wilson - Hand.Cannot.Erase
Wilson is probably Britain's finest export of Prog Rock. Scrap that, just rock in general. He has been positively scintillating since the demise of Porcupine Tree, and Hand.Cannot.Erase goes from Prog to metal and back (in just one song). Its bleak, broody, moving, heavy, industrial and most of all immersive. 

6. Amadeus Awads Eon - Death Is Just A Feeling
Awad continues his great journey, this time bringing in stalwarts Arjen Lucassen and Anneke Van Giersbergen on top of Ostura's Elia Monsef. Its a complicated concept piece, telling a compelling story. An enlightening piece of work  

7. Blood Red Saints - Speedway
Its a contrast to the joint winner of my 2015 list, but BRS are more 'classic' 80s AOR than anyone else on this list and they are a brand new band. Thanks to the dulcet tones of Pete Godfrey, and the superb songs (no fillers here folks) they deserve all the plaudits. Superb 80s slice of AOR

8. Romeos Daughter - Spin
OK its not exactly an AOR album as such, its a defining album for Romeos Daughter. They could have given up the ghost since reforming , but like their friends FM, they choose to plough through the field and make new music that is probably their most consistent and best work to date. They should be the darlings of Radio 2, but for some reason are overlooked, and that is a huge travesty.

9. FM - Heroes And Villains
  I am a tad biased when it comes to my beloved FM, but they wouldn't be in here if it wasn't any good (my proof - the disappointing Overland Ousey album). FM are in a very rich vein of form and this is one of their best pieces of work and sits close behind Indiscreet and Tough It Out, its that good!

10. Screaming Eagles - Stand Up And Be Counted
Looking for an AC/DC size hole to fill in 2016 (which is most likely thir last year) then Screaming Eagles are ready and waiting like a rock Polyfilla waiting to fill that hole for ya! Huge riffs, great songs, great singer.







Others worth a definite mention and JUST missing out on a Top 10 place are....
Age Sten Nielsens Ammunition - Shanghaied
V0id -  Keep Fighting
Tremonti - Cauterize
  

Blood Red Saints Live Review - Railway Venue Bolton 4.12.15

Blood Red Saints are one of the many melodic rock bands on Perugino Serafino’s Frontiers Label. It's where most of the decent melodic rock bands are gathered nowadays. Some are greats, some not so, and there’s also some indifferents, with the odd turkey thrown in for good measure! Hey you cant be 100% consistent in your approach.  I would like to predict that Blood Red Saints, on the basis of their new album, and this gig, could soon be up there with the ‘greats’.

The album review can be read here – http://rocklandreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/blood-red-saints-speedway-album-review.html

Although other reviews are available, terms and conditions apply.

It wasn’t exactly a sold out show as it was a ‘free’ ticketed event. I suppose it was a ‘free-out’ show!

I learned three things from last nights gig….

1.   The bloke working the controls is a Catholic (I’ve seen less smoke when a Pope is being elected!). At various points, Pete Newdeck disappeared.

2. Pete Godfrey is funny as fuck!

3. Blood Red Saints were on fire, and are definitely going places (OK it should be 4 points)

Anywho, by the time they took the stage, the room, and adjoining rooms were packed to the gills. The Railway is a cracking little set up, but for a short-arse like me, you have 2 options. Either get great sound near the middle to back and see bugger all, or get down the front and sacrifice some of the sound quality. I went for the latter and chose well.

Immediately you can tell that Godfrey is a good singer and also a funny frontman, engaging, and I imagine a top bloke. They have also dragged a keyboard player off the streets of Lancashire - one Invin Parratt (Arabia / Rage of Angels).

BRS kicked off with the opener from Speedway , in the very powerful ‘Kicking Up Dust‘. Its part Dokken, thanks to Lee  Revill’s Lynch-esque guitar playing. I suppose in a way, its ‘In Faith Mk2’ (but new and improved).  That is purely down to the sounds of Godfreys vocals. That aside, its not just about Pete!

Right from the off, they look as if they are a band that are professional but are not taking life seriously which immediately rubs off on their audience. The songs are tight, with lots of in-between banter. ‘Mercy’ live is what makes BRS stand out from the crowd of AOR wannabees. Led by Godfrey, the other 4 guys all weigh in with a heavy wall of sound. FFS they even have a singer in his own right playing the drums (Pete Newdeck, he of many, many bands).  Its 5 part harmonies on a huge scale. ‘Best Of Me’ is one of the best ballads that you will here this side of Xmas, smooth as velvet, it also has the now patented ‘BRS 5xH’ sound!    

A curve-ball is thrown into the mix where they play one of their fave bands songs. That is Signal’s ‘Does It Feel Like Love’ which is setting up their show for later on. Not all the songs from ‘Speedway are played tonight which is a little strange, but the highlight for me is my fave from the album, and that is the menacing ‘Dangerous’.

More of the BRS influences come to the fore for the last quarter of their blistering set. First, Godfrey called this guy a ‘God’, and he is spot-on, certainly in ref to his or should I say, THE voice, and its FMs ‘Face To Face’. A song that FM have dropped the last couple of years, it makes a surprise and welcome return here. Pete Godfrey does a great job. Barrie Jackson (he of Rob Naylors last outfit, Angels Or Kings) jumps up to the stage, all be it with a certain apprehension to sing Bon Jovi's ‘Runaway'. Considering both bands have the same approach to their music, both singers couldn’t be further apart in their sound. For the finale, BRS also call upon Steve Kenny (AoK) for Whitesnakes version of the classic ‘Here I Go Again’, the proper Hobo version!

‘Twas all soon over, and everyone in attendance witnessed a band in the ascendency. Those who attend HRH AOR in March will witness one of the bands of the festival, of that I’m very certain.

(Pics courtesy of Jeff Price)

Khymera - The Grand Design Album Review

While the Khymera project started out as an alliance between Italian producer/musician, Daniele Liverani and then Kansas singer Steve Walsh, it actually developed into a regular musical project when Pink Cream 69/Unisonic bassist and producer Dennis Ward came into the picture.

While known as a bassist, Dennis always sings background vocals with his bands, so it was quite interesting for many fans to hear his voice taking the lead on the Khymera albums “A New Promise” and “The Greatest Wonder”. While the project went on hiatus for some time, it was a natural choice for Dennis to grab the reins and take complete control (both on the songwriting and on the production side) of the new album, “The Grand Design”, which comes 7 years after the release of “The Greatest Wonder”.

Musically, the new album very much follows along the logical progression of the musical path that was started a few years ago. Basically if you are a fan of the previous two Khymera/Ward fronted offerings, then the third installment will be no big surprise in what you are expecting, and it showcases the fantastic vocal abilities of Dennis Ward and highlights his great skills as a songwriter and producer.

The keys running through the opener ‘Never Give Up On You’ sees Khymera trying to out-Journey Journey! Think on the lines of ‘Be Good To Yourself’ and you’re not far off the mark with this tune. ‘In ‘Tell Me Something’ its Khymera’s ‘classic Bon Jovi’ era sound being achieved and Ward’s vocals are crisp and clean – no need for a lyric sheet here folks! ‘Say What You Want’ is a song I could imagine being played on the TV show Nashville, think of it as US country rock meets Daughtry. 

Ragno obviously takes his lead from the likes of Cain and Rolie as ‘A Night To Remember’ certainly has more than a passing nod to Journey. It’s by no way a criticism, its hard earned praise. For ‘The Land Of Golden Dreams’ Ward sounds a cross between Gary Hughes and Sambora and makes it one of the best songs on the album.

For a band that practices what it preaches, then a ballad or two wouldn’t be amiss. The boxes are well and truly ticked on the heartwarming ‘Streetlights’ and ‘Where Is The Love’. It’s the former that manages to drag you in and tear you apart as it builds up to a ‘lighter-waving’ crescendo.

Khymera still offers one of the most shining examples of what great European Melodic Rock is all about: crystal clear production, soaring vocals, killer musicianship and songwriting that reminds fans of the heydays of the genre when bands like Giuffria, Icon, and Signal ruled the airwaves.  Khymera is a worthy addition to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned bands.

If it was 1988 and Khymera were American then they would be absolutely massive. The US tends to stick to what it knows (lots of airplay for the classics such as Foreigner / Journey / Styx etc), if you’re reading this across the pond then you could expand your horizon and listen to a band that knows how to perform AOR at its purest form.

Whilst there’s been a lot of average stuff peddled in 2015, ‘The Grand Design’ proves to be one of the better ones, and it is certainly an album that deserves many repeated listens, as few bands play melodic rock at this quality. There is enough present here to keep the AOR masses very happy indeed. Decent songs, great production, and Ward shows again why we should hear a lot more of him than we currently do. This is exactly they type of band that HRH AOR/Rockingham etc need to get their mitts on.

SCORE – 87/100

Tracklisting

Never Give Up On You

Tell Me Something

Say What You Want

I Believe

A Night To Remember

She’s Got The Love

Land Of Golden Dreams

The Grand Design

Streetlights

Who’s Fooling Who

Finally

Where Is The Love

KHYMERA:
Dennis Ward: bass guitar and lead vocals
Felix Bohnke: drums
Michael Klein: guitars
Eric Ragno: keyboards
Jim Rybkost: piano, additional keyboards

Blood Red Saints - Speedway Album Review

Bugger Me! BRS have only gone and probably come up with the best melodic rock album of 2015! More to follow, but first a little intro…..

A long time ago, probably in a pub far, far away, (the North West?), Blood Red Saints was formed around this time last year by Pete Godfrey and Rob Naylor. Pete’s In Faith album took a few by surprise last year and was one of the genres best in 2014. Pete, who is no spring chicken, made his debut on this In Faith album, and boy was it a good way to introduce yourself, but hungry to be in a band rather than a project so to speak, he formed Blood red Saints with Rob from Angels Or King (another nugget from 2014). So, do two nuggets make a diamond? Read on……

The search for a name came and ended with a chance discovery of a semi legendary speedway team, ‘The Blood Red Saints’ who were formed in Brooklyn in the late 1920s. Their leader was Freddie Rendetti who was allegedly a fiery and colorful character who ultimately lived the fast life a little too fast. It builds up a great background story, right?

Enlisted in as honorary mechanics are James Martin (Vega) who was instrumental in getting the band signed to Frontiers and along with his twin Tom, co-wrote 2 songs on the album. Chief mechanic comes in the form of Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) who mastered the album

The band is completed by another former In Faith member, drummer Pete Newdeck, and on guitar, Lee Revill.

Kicking Up Dust offers up a very lively start. Revill goes all George Lynch on us and it’s a more melodic and ‘sing-ier’ version of Dokken. It offers up more kick and punch than a school full of kick boxers. Throw in Godfrey’s melodic vocals and it makes this one of the tracks of the album, and the year.

Mercy is just an extension of ‘KUD’ instantly hummable and with more than enough bite and hooks to keep the melodic rock fan pulling windmills on his air guitar for days. ‘Best Of Me’ takes its lead from the likes of Foreigner and once again, is under your skin in double quick time. The BVs are so simple and so bloody effective. ‘Dangerous’ fades in and out, subtle one moment, then prowling and pulsating the next. ‘Love Set Me Up Again’ Is BRS Ronseal agreement for a power ballad. Godfrey even sounds like Jon Bon, only when JBJ was good! ‘Better Days’ honestly wouldn’t go amiss on the recent Def Leppard album, as the vocals mirror Leppard at their trademarked best. Should we still live in an era where MTV was king, and made bands millions and household names, then ‘The Best Thing’ could have done the same had it been performed 30 years ago. Thankfully songs of this quality are still being written. ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Wrapped Up In These Arms are VERY FM–like, and what’s not to like? For my liking, there’s probably one to many ballads, that’s just a small gripe on my part.

 It’s hard to sound original nowadays as so many have trodden the path before them. BRS will be likened to the likes of Giant, FM, and Dare etc, and rightly so. These are bands that were (still are) masters of their trade, and BRS deserve to be likened with such.

There’s been a fair bit of ‘average’ pushed onto the melodic rock fan on 2015, and ‘Speedway’ is anything but average. It isn’t perfect, (its no Night of The Crime) but there’s not a dodgy song or filler in sight, and that makes it one of the best, if not the best melodic rock albums of 2015.

Bands like Blood Red Saints deserve to be huge, HUGE!

BRS have an album launch on 4^th Dec at the Railway, Bolton, then HRH AOR 2016, in which I predict they will level Pwllheli!

Score 95/100

Tracklisting

Kicking Up Dust

Mercy

Best Of Me

Dangerous

Love Set Me Up Again

Better Days

The Best Thing

Unbreakable

Wrapped Up In These Arms

CGRNR

Feels A Lot Like Love

Faith

BLOOD RED SAINTS

Pete Godfrey – Vocals

Lee Revill – Guitars

Rob Naylor – Bass

Pete Newdeck – Drums

Def Leppard - Def Leppard Album Review

Def Leppard (album title) is their first album in seven years since the much praised ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’. Seven! In most peoples/ bands timescales, seven years is an eternity. Some bands have formed, disbanded and reformed in seven years. For the Leps though it’s a (Yorkshire) Tea break.

Apparently the band got together with the idea of putting a three track EP out. Before you could say ‘Up The Blades!’ twelve songs had been written. It’s the first time ever that the lads have not had the backing of a record deal in place and because of the freedom in doing something for themselves (and the fans of course) the early word on the streets is that it is a return to form. It’s on release via earMUSIC

The early word on the streets is spot on. Def Leppard is probably their finest release since those heady days of the 80s. Lets face it Leppard don’t need to release a new album. They certainly don’t need the money. It’s a huge testament to them that they wanted to release an album, because anyone that goes to see them in the 21^st Century probably isn’t interested on hearing anything after Hysteria. They are sitting on a back catalogue of songs that are massive anthems. I get a sneaky feeling that one or two at least are good enough to break into this ‘classic’ set list they have generated for themselves over their (almost) 40 years together.

There’s a couple of songs on there that could have done with being cut from the album, but there’s a nucleus of songs at the early end of the album that sound as if they belonged to the Pyromania era. In particular, the gorgeous ‘Dangerous’, the funky ‘Man Enough’, and the guitar laden ‘Sea Of Love’ with its Lynyrd-esque backing vocals. Opener ‘Lets Go’ has the hallmarks of ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ flowing through the riff. On the ballad ‘We Belong’ is a cool track as all five get a shot at lead vocals. It’s uncanny as to how close they all sound, which is why the harmonies are always so bloody good! ‘All Time High’ adds some welly back into proceedings; It’s a high energy full on rocker, choc full of Leppard’s layered vocals (pat.pending). ‘Battle Of My Own’ is an interesting mix of Led Zep, Coverdale Page and Chris Cornell’s ‘Seasons’.

Why this hasn’t happened with earlier albums is a mystery. Finally Def Leppard have played firmly to their strengths  -huge harmonies, and even bigger riffs.

The ‘older guard’ of rock music has certainly played their part in the music of 2015. Thunder have given us one of their finest ever albums, Bands such as FM Romeos Daughter and Europe have all made considerable valuable contributions – all of whom are proving that rock certainly aint dead.

Def Leppard have produced an album that few in 2015 would have thought was possible.  Its got Def Leppard running through it like a stick of rock, but is still modern and fresh in its approach

If this is to be their final album, then this is one decent way to go out. Def Leppard will certainly be lapped up by their existing fan base and deservedly so. The live gigs will/should be around for some time yet, in the meantime, get onto the retailer of your choice, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Score 88/100

Tracklisting

Lets Go

Dangerous

Man Enough

We Belong

Invincible

Sea Of Love

Energized

All Time High

Battle Of My Own

Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted

Forever Young

Last Dance

Wings Of An Angel

Blind Faith

Magnus Karlsson's Freefall - Kingdom Of Rock Review

There’s been a bit of a rebuttal from Serafino Perugino, owner of Frontiers Records very recently in the world of Facebook. He wrote an interesting personal note to the fans who are knocking the Frontiers ‘projects’ that will never see the light of day in a live setting – I strongly suggest you read it, as it’s a passionate plea to fans about his work, and most importantly, he does this because he is a fan.

I admit myself that I have been guilty of stating that some of these projects are a whim, but lets face it, if it were not for Serafino, the melodic rock genre would definitely be a poorer place in which we live. It costs a lot of money to bring people from all over the world to play for us. The recording costs are fairly low, but getting it altogether in a studio or a live setting is probably a logistical nightmare. If one person is capable then its Perugino. Especially as he has his labels own festival that could make it happen?

The melodic rock genre is probably in the best place its been in years, but lets not get carried away here, its still very much a minority spectator sport. When compared to RnB for example, Heavy Metal is a minority. So where the fuck does that place melodic rock /AOR music in the scale of things?

So thank you SP for your sterling work.

The above sets me up as Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall is the exact ‘project/supergroup’ type band that’s been in the news this week. In my eyes, if you’re going to go for it, do it with style, and in this instance the vocalists involved here are some of the communities finest – jus look at the assembled cast – Jorn Lande, Jakob Samuel, Joe Lynn Turner. JLT will turn up for the opening of a crisp packet for the right money, but ITS STILL JOE LYNN TURNER FFS! Also there’s Tony Martin, Tony Harnell, David Readman, Rick Altzi and Harry Hess. That’s quite a stellar cast of singers I’m sure you will agree. Backing up the  accomplished pack is Karlsson himself on 2 songs, and Rebecca De La Motte, so Im sure you will agree, its quite a collection (a ‘warble’ of singers perhaps?)

Consider Karlsson an artist, rather than artiste. He uses singers like an artist would choose colours. The right singer is picked for the right song. Opener and title track Kingdom Of Rock is pure Power Metal, with Norwegian JornLande channeling his inner Dio and is akin to his Allen-Lande music. One of my recent and newly acquired singers (well, new to me!) Jacob Samuel certainly delivers the goods on ‘Out Of The Dark’. Both JLT (No Control) and Hess (A Heart So Cold) get the more relaxed and straight down the middle melodic rock songs to cover. Turners vocals are aging very well I have to say. Tony Martin’s vocal chords get a good ‘ol airing on the epic and huge sounding ‘When The Sky Falls’ and is the standout track on the whole shebang. PC69s David Readman (Angel Of The Night) and Masterplan’s Rick Altzi (Another Life) are responsible for ‘KoRs’  more powerful and pulsating Power Metal songs. Tony Harnell’s voice as hardly changed in over 30 years and add his unmistakable tone to the ultra catchy ‘Never Look Away’.

Props to Karlsson for gathering such a cracking troupe to perform his songs, but the main plaudit must go to Magnus Karlsson himself, as its HIS songs, HIS, production, and HIS playing that knits the whole concert together like the strongest of glues.  It’s a testament that Karlsson holds his own when singing on ‘I Am Coming For You’ and ‘Walk This Road Alone’. That speaks strongly of the guy considering the company he keeps.

If you like your metal enthralling, pulsating, powerful and melodic at the same time then look no further than ‘Kingdom Of Rock’

The last word goes to Karlsson himself….Magnus Karlsson says, “When I made the first Free Fall album I had a wish list of my favorite singers. The list just got longer and longer and I realized that one album just wasn’t enough. I knew that some of the names on the list would be almost impossible to get but hey it’s ok to dream right? I started to work harder than ever before on new songs specially written for each singer. Well sometimes dreams come true and now some of the greatest singers in the world joined the dream team. This is not about having big names on the album, this is simply about making the best music I possibly can for the best singers I know!” Do you know what, he is spot on!

Score 85/100

Tracklisting…

Kingdom Of Rock (Jorn Lande)

Out Of The Dark (Jacob Samuel)

No Control (Joe Lynn Turner)

When The Sky Falls (Tony Martin)

Angel Of The Night (David Readman)

I Am Coming For You (Magnus Karlsson)

Another Life (Rick Altzi)

Never Look Away (Tony Harnell)

A Heart So Cold (Harry Hess)

The Right Moment (Rebecca De La Motte)

Walki This Road Alone (Magnus Karlsson)