Melodic rock and Sweden is a recipe that more than once stood for professionally made rock music with an addictive factor embedded. Rian is a band that follows the tradition and releases with 'Twenty- Three' a new album, filled with eleven tracks that are supposed to continue an undertaking that started in 2017 with the... Continue Reading →
Review CROWNE ‘Kings in the North’
Crowne and ‘Kings in the North’, that seems to be a very royal release that we get offered by Frontiers Music. If the Swedish melodic rock powerhouse will become the king in the North is something, future will bring to surface, or not. What is a given is the fact that the prerequisites are in... Continue Reading →
Review SEVENTH CRYSTAL ‘Delirium’
Seventh Crystal was originally planned as a solo project, driven by Kristian Fyhr, known from Perpetual Etude. Rather early in the songwriting process, Fyhr realized that a band approach would fit the songs much better, also with the consequence for him do focus on the role as a singer only. That Sweden has quite some... Continue Reading →
CD review ESCAPE ‘Fire in the Sky’
'Fire in the Sky' is the new album from Escape, and not. Friends of AOR will surely know the band from Black Country/West Yorkshire from earlier times. It was in the beginning of 2011 when Vince O'Regan started this melodic rock band and two albums could be launched at that time before it became quiet... Continue Reading →
CD review FM ‘Tough It Out Live’
It was on October 2nd, 1989 when British melodic rockers FM released with ‘Tough It Out’ an album that still belongs to the highlights this genre ever brought to surface. With no less than Neil Kernon at the helm, the album is a treat for fans of melodic rock music. To celebrate the 30th anniversary... Continue Reading →
CD review PALACE ‘Rock and Roll Radio’
If I counted correctly, 'Rock and Roll Radio' is Palace's third longplayer. It follows the 2018 release 'Binary Music' and brings for a next time some melodic rock to your private palace. Palace, that's basically Michael Palace, who started his collaboration with Frontiers Music with First Signal. This contact was the springboard for Palace to... Continue Reading →
CD review STAN BUSH ‘Dare to Dream’
Stan Bush is certainly no stranger to rock and AOR, as Bush has had his great moments and worked with such greats as Jim Vallance and Paul Stanley. With 'Dare to Dream' the singer releases his new album, packed with catchy rockers that can best be described with the song 'The 80's'. I have to... Continue Reading →
CD review BROTHER FIRETRIBE ‘Feel the Burn’
Brother Firetribe started their ear-candy production again and the result is their fifth longplayer called 'Feel the Burn'. That the guys are on fire when it comes to catchy Rock songs is what they showed on their earlier records and the new release didn't bring a change of musical direction. Three years after having launched... Continue Reading →
CD review LIONHEART ‘The Reality of Miracles’
Lionheart is releasing a new album these days and if you are a fan of Hardcore music, you can stop reading right here. Rather than new stuff from the Hardcore icons from the US, this album is about the Melodic Rockers from the UK. Dennis Stratton (ex-Iron Maiden), Steve Mann (Michael Schenker Fest) and Rocky... Continue Reading →
CD review THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA ‘Aeromantic’
One of the essential assets of The Night Flight is their excellence sense for big melodies. While listening to sings like ‘Divinyl’ and ‘Transmissions’ I’m tempted to say that The Night Flight Orchestra evolve to the ABBA of Rock. These song have an easy-going vibe, catchy melodies and still enough depth to avoid triviality. It’s not that these songs curries favor with the listener per se. Hooks and harmonies are the irresistible factor though for each of these tracks with various layer being the decisive factor for more than one spin of this longplayer.
CD review ROCKETT LOVE ‘Greetings From Rocketland’
(7/10) Some send postcards from vacation, or actually Insta-photos these days, while Danish rockers Rockett Love sends 'Greetings From Rocketland'. The band, being the brainchild of Daniel Samuelsson and Stefan Westerlund, was founded in 2015 and unveiled a debut entitled 'Grab the Rocket' in 2017. The band returns in 2019 with a next album, featuring... Continue Reading →
CD review TONY MILLS ‘Beyond the Law’
(7/10) English rock singer Tony Mills, known from bands like Shy, TNT and others, is a constant player in the fields of Rock and AOR. Next to enriching longplayers of the mentioned bands with his excellent voice it’s also solo albums the frontman reveals from time to time. ‘Beyond the Law’ is the latest one... Continue Reading →
CD review HARDLINE ‘Life’
(8/10) The 1992 album 'Double Eclipse' was a great start for Hardline, initiated by the Gioeli brothers. Unfortunately the great start wasn't followed by a great continuation. It took ten years and some line-up changes before the second album 'II' saw the light of day. Since then the band releases longplayers on a more regular... Continue Reading →
CD review ROULETTE ‘Now!’
(8/10) Roulette is a band that might be known by some of the older readers of Markus’ Heavy Music Blog while the younger generation might not have heard of the band earlier. Roulette is a Swedish AOR band that is rooted in the ‘90s. The phenomena with Roulette is the fact that they release some... Continue Reading →
CD review MIKAEL ERLANDSSON ‘Capricorn Six’
(8/10) Singer Mikael Erlandsson isn't a new kid at the block. The Gothenburg-based frontman started his career in the late '70s as a drummer of punk band, something that's hard to imgine while listening to his new solo album 'Capricorn Six'. Erlandsson's main band though is Last Autumn's Dream, but it has been the solo... Continue Reading →









