Special: Forthcoming Rock/Metal albums in 2016!

Hey folks,

today I'd like to take a look into the future. As I mentioned in a previous post, 2015 was a very slow year for me, because many of my favorite bands released their stuff already in 2014, so there was not much left for 2015, beside some surprises. But this means also 2016 will be one hell of a year! Have a look at the following list. It contains the forthcoming records I'm/I was most excited about and has no order or ranking. I just collected some bands here where I know they are currently working on a new album.

But before we start I want to take the time to THANK YOU guys for reading this blog and keep the whole thing rolling. Over 181.000 views show me that this site is still relevant for you and I have to apologize, that I didn't wrote so much stuff in 2015. Beside the lack of favorite releases it was still a matter of time. As you know, I'm running this site on my own and I have a day job. Things can become stressful very quickly. Also 2016 will be very busy for me and there will be months when you don't get to read any new stuff here. So, I want to thank you for your understanding. I'll try to upload new reviews as often as possible. Another thank you goes out to my colleagues at MYGLOBALMIND, who publish my stuff on their website, too. Those guys are doing a fantastic job as well. And last but not least I'd like to thank the musicians and their promoters, for giving me the chance to do all these reviews and interviews (although there was just one this year). Have a happy new year everybody! We'll hear from each other in 2016!

CD-Review: Axel Rudi Pell - "Game Of Sins"

Oh how time flies by. It feels like yesterday when Axel Rudi Pell's latest work "Into The Storm" was released. That was two years ago and everybody, who knows the German Axeman knows, that he is very consistent in what he is doing and so it is no wonder that the follow-up "Game Of Sins" will hit the stores on January 15th. "Into The Storm" was a huge chart success for Pell and I also felt that Axel could increase his songwriting skills from album to album in the last eight years. Let's see if "Game Of Sins" is another step forward.

CD-Review: Last Autumn's Dream - "Paintings"

Every new year sees a new Last Autumn's Dream release. That is as safe as the "Amen" in a church and so the forthcoming record "Paintings" will be released in the end of February 2016. Three years ago I said that the quality doesn't suffer under the annual releases. Now we are at some point where it does. But let me explain this in this review.

CD-Review: Nordic Union - "Nordic Union"

"Oh my God, not another mediocre Frontiers project" was my first reaction when I read the news about Nordic Union. It is a collaboration between singer Ronnie Atkins from Danish rockers PRETTY MAIDS and Frontiers' "in-house composer"/guitarist Erik Martensson. The latter became one of Melodic Rock's most acclaimed songwriters in recent years with projects like W.E.T, Age Sten Nilsen's Ammunition and his own band Eclipse. Beside those three he contributed even more songs to various other artists. So, I was ready for standard - but very solid - fare. Man, I was so wrong.

Special: Top 10 Album Of The Year 2015!

Hey Rockers,

I hope you guys had a great Christmas Eve! Today I'd like to reveal my top 10 albums of the year 2015. Maybe you found some of them under your Christmas tree???

Please remember: this is a very subjective ranking and a choice from the heart. Ratings are not important. The only thing that matters is the fact that those albums still find a place in my player.
Let me know which albums impressed you in 2015!

CD-Review: Avantasia - "Ghostlights"

Nowadays allstar-projects are nothing new, but remember the year 1999 when Edguy-singer Tobias Sammet defined a whole genre with his solo project Avantasia. The Metal Opera was born and in the following years Avantasia developed into a true force of bombastic Metal. With iconic guest musicians like Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine, Michael Kiske, Jorn Lande, Jon Oliva, Eric Martin and many others joining this ambitious project during the years expectations are getting higher with each new release. On January 29th the wait is over and the seventh album, called "Ghostlights" will hit the stores.

CD-Review: Johnny Lima - "Unplug 'n Play"

Californian Rocker Johnny Lima seems to be more active in recent years. Since 2012 he is touring around the globe, playing shows in America, UK, Sweden, Germany and more. In 2014 his latest record "My Revolution" came out and was one of the best Melodic Hard Rock records of that year. What came next? Some more shows in Northern Europe, but this time with an acoustic set. Maybe that was the reason for Mr. Lima to record a full acoustic album. Before you start to complain now about "boring" unplugged stuff you should read the following lines.

Special: TOP 10 Songs Of The Year 2015!

Hey folks,

after my list of the biggest disappointments in 2015 I'd like to reveal my TOP 10 songs of the year 2015 today. The following ten songs stood the test of time. Those are the ones that touched me somehow. I can't stop listening to these tunes, so if you don't know some of these tracks check them out. I tried to add a Youtube-Videoif possible.
Now let me know your top songs in 2015! I'm very excited which songs made YOUR year even more enjoyable. :)

Special: The biggest disappointments in 2015!

Hello folks,

it's December and the end of the year is near, which means it's time to look back once more. What can I say about 2015? I think for many of you it was a good year for Rock'n'Roll, but to me it was not. All my favorite bands released their stuff in 2014 and so not much was left for 2015. I also attended just one concert this year, which is very disappointing. But I'm really looking forward to 2016 when we will see new releases of Avantasia, Shakra, Axel Rudi Pell, Gotthard, Dynazty, Reckless Love, Richie Sambora (hopefully), Pretty Maids and many more. This will be a great year! But of course 2015 had also some good albums and songs to offer, which I will present you in the next few weeks. For now I'd like to start with the three biggest disappointments in 2015. Please keep in mind that this is a very subjective list and view on things, maybe you see it differently. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below!

CD-Review: Def Leppard - "Def Leppard"

It's been seven long years since Def Leppard released an album with new songmaterial. "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" wasn't something longtime fans hoped for. By the end of this month Def Leppard will release their 11th, simply self-titled, album and it is the first one they recorded without having a record deal in the hindquarters. That means no one made the rules beside the guys themselves. If this fact marks a return to the bands roots? Let's find out!

CD-Review: Pleasure Addiction - "Extra Balls"

Beside the guys of Black Rain France isn't really known for bands, that keep the flag of  Hair Metal/Glam-Rock very high. But in 2012 another band, called Pleasure Addiction, showed up and released their debut album "InDependence". I think this album was sadly overlooked by most people, but with the second album "Extra Balls" Pleasure Addiction claim for the attention they deserve.

CD-Review: Bryan Adams - "Get Up"

This October marks the return of some true Rock legends. Not only Def Leppard are back with an  album full of new songs, also Canadian Rock superstar Bryan Adams presents us a new album with completely new material. It took him seven long years to record some new original songs. In the meantime he did also some live shows, a remastered version of his classic "Reckless" and a cover album, but fans had to wait a very long time for something new. And what they get with "Get Up" is not really what they might have expected. I'll tell you why.

CD-Review: Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall - "Kingdom Of Rock"

What have Kiske/Somerville, The Codex, Allen/Lande and Primal Fear in common? They are all projects/bands where guitar-wizard Magnus Karlsson is involved. Especially with the Allen/Lande project he catapulted himself to Metal heaven. Magnus has the ability to write songs that are extremely catchy and anthemic, but still heavy and not cheesy. It's a balance act and he does it very well. But most of all he has a sense for melodies that fit the singers perfectly. So it was no wonder that Magnus presented us his first solo record "Free Fall" with a bunch of guest singers in 2013. Now his second solo outing will be released in November. "Kingdom Of Rock" is an album title, that sounds very over the top, so let's see if this record can do justice to its title.

CD-Review: Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper/Johnny Depp/Joe Perry) - "Hollywood Vampires"

I think it was three years ago when shockrock legend Alice Cooper was talking about doing a cover album, a tribute to his "dead friends" like Jimmy Hendrix and John Lennon. Since then there was not much information about it and I thought this album will never happen. Earlier this year it was announced that Cooper wanted to reanimate the Hollywood Vampires, a club of famous rockstars at Sunset Strip from the early 1970's, with none other then Joe Perry from Aerosmith and Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp. So what was meant to be a simple Alice Cooper cover album became much bigger when more Rock'n'Roll legends such as Brian Johnson, Paul McCartney, Slash, Kip Winger and many more joined the "Vampires".

Special: Blu-Ray Review - SCORPIONS "Forever And A Day"

It's been quite a while when I did my latest Blu-Ray review, so I thought it would be cool to do another one. Yesterday I watched the documentary "Forever And A Day", which deals mostly with the farewell tour from Germanys biggest Hard Rock export the Scorpions. The movie was shown in some cinemas in addition to the release of the new album "Return To Forever". If this was a smart move I'll discuss in this review.

CD-Review: Bon Jovi - "Burning Bridges"

It was a huge surprise when the guys of Bon Jovi announced a new album just four weeks ago. But to be honest it isn't that "new", because "Burning Bridges" consists mainly of songs that were originally written for older albums. It's not a collection of demos, because the tracks were recorded a few months ago, so this LP is supposed to be a "fan album" to fill the gap until a brand new record arrives in 2016. It also marks the first record in Bon Jovi history without Richie Sambora on guitars (which makes it to a Jon Bon Jovi solo record in my opinion, but later more on that). The big question is: can this album shine, where its predecessor failed?

CD-Review: Trixter - "Human Era"

American Hard Rockers TRIXTER are one of those bands that were washed away by the Grunge wave in the early 90s. Their self-titled debut was released back in 1990 - not the best time to start with infectious Glam Rock. Nevertheless it gained a huge fanbase and for a moment Trixter were celebrated as the next Rock sensation from New Jersey with hitsingles like "Give It To Me Good" or "One In A Million". But then the music world changed and the second record, which followed in 1992, wasn't that successful anymore. After Twenty years Trixter returned with their third album "New Audio Machine", that showed Trixter back on track and hungry for more. The follow-up "Human Era" will hit the stores on June 5th. Can the band surprise us again?

CD-Review: Nelson - "Peace Out"

It's always stunning how fast time is passing by. Five years ago the Nelson brothers Matthew and Gunnar started their big comeback with their album "Lightning Strikes Twice". So talking about their forthcoming record "Peace Out" you could easily say this is a second comeback. They describe the new effort as "return to the traditional Nelson sound" and "their future classic", so let's see if this is the truth or just PR rubbish.

CD-Review: Halestorm - "Into The Wild Life"

Halestorm are one of those bands who came out of nowhere and became one of the most successful Hard Rock bands of the new generation in a short period of time. It took them just two albums to get good chart positions and a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance (song: "Love Bites (So Do I)"). Their latest record "The Strange Case Of ..." was a fantastic well-crafted, modern Hard Rock album that combined straight heaviness with catchy, radio-friendly melodies. This mixture really worked for me and now three years later the follow-up "Into The Wild Life" will hit the stores on April 10th, 2015.

CD-Review: The Poodles - "Devil In The Details"

The Swedish Hard Rockers of THE POODLES are well known for their continuity in the Rock & Metal scene, because they released already six studio records in nine years. That's a huge number. Unfortunately, the songmaterial got weaker and weaker with each new album and everybody who read my review to "Tour De Force" knows that this was my personal low-point in Poodles history. I received a lot of criticism for this review, but it was just my honest opinion. So now, two years later The Poodles released their sixth album "Devil In The Details" and as you can imagine, my expectations weren't that big. 

Exclusive Interview with Amanda Somerville (Kiske/Somerville, Avantasia, Trillium)

She has one of the finest female voices in Rock & Metal: Amanda Somerville. The Michigan singer/songwriter/vocal coach is a real workhorse. In the last 15 years she was part of countless projects and background singer on many Metal records from Kamelot, Epica, Avantasia and the list goes on and on. At the moment she is on tour with Rock Meets Classic. That was the perfect time for me to meet her and ask her some questions about the new Kiske/Somerville album, the Metal community, talent shows, Rock Meets Classic and much more. Check out this interview and get a closer look at this talented woman.

Live-Report: Rock Meets Classic 2015 (Leipzig, March 25th, 2015)

Another year, another Rock Meets Classic tour in Europe! In 2014 I attended this show for the first time and everybody, who read my live-report knows that I was totally blown away by this fantastic mixture between Rock hits and Classic arrangements, performed by various Rock legends such as Alice Cooper, Joe Lynn Turner or Uriah Heep. The line-up last year was the best I've ever seen and so I was excited to see who will be part of the show this time around. Yeah, what can I say? The line-up has again many well-known Rock'n'Roll superstars to offer.

CD-Review: Kiske/Somerville - "City Of Heroes"

When the first Kiske/Somerville album was released in 2010 the resonance of fans and press was great , so the question was: will there be a sequel? Everybody was hoping so. In the meantime there was lots of talking. Michael Kiske and producer Mat Sinner told me already in 2013 a new Kiske/Somerville record is on the way and it will be great. But then another two years went by and now "City Of Heroes" will finally hit the stores on April 17th. Can this album keep up to its high expectations?

CD-Review: Wolfpakk - "Rise Of The Animal"

Just two years after their second release the "Wolfpakk" is back. The allstar-project of Michael Voss (Mad Max, ex-Casanova) and Mark Sweeney (ex-Crystal Ball) goes into the third round with "Rise Of The Animal" and the duo Voss/Sweeney managed it again to invite many famous guests to join the wolf pack in a short period of time. So the concept is still the same: we have a huge number of well-known musicians here, who leave their own mark on this album, but is this really enough? Let's find out!

CD-Review: Scorpions - "Return To Forever"

Oh, who we have here? Who would have believed that the legendary Hard Rock band from Germany would release another album? I think the answer is: Everybody! Their 2010 record "Sting In The Tail" was announced as the last Scorpions album together with a farewell tour and I still remember that nobody of my friends believed this. It was so obvious that the chapter "Scorpions" wasn't closed. I mean in the following years they released a live Blu-Ray in 3D, then the "Comeblack" album with cover songs and a MTV Unplugged record. No, it was just a matter of time and this time has finally arrived. Yesterday "Return To Forever" hit the stores. Are the Scorpions still hungry for more or is it just the need of money?

CD-Review: H.e.a.t - "Live In London"

The Melodic Rock sensation from Sweden released a terrific album last year. "Tearing Down The Walls" made it on # 01 of my album of the year list and so I was very excited for the first live album from this fantastic band. If you want to know what makes H.e.a.t so special as a live act, then take a look at my live-report from Berlin, which I did last year. It was a phenomenal performance and the question is can H.e.a.t transport this energy of their shows into your living room?

CD-Review: Issa - "Crossfire"

Norwegian Rock singer Issa Oversveen seems to become more and more the AOR queen of this generation. With her new album "Crossfire" she picks up where acts like Robin Beck, Heart or Roxette stopped in the early 90's. She says that this album is influenced by those musicians and so she has big shoes to fill. Fans of Issa had to wait 4 long years for a follow-up to her second record "Storm", that features new original material. "Can't Stop" was released in 2012 but this one just consisted of cover songs. Was it worth the wait?

CD-Review: Last Autumn's Dream - "Level Eleven"

It's impressive how many albums the Scandinavian band Last Autumn's Dream has produced since their start in 2004. With "Level Eleven" they release their 11th album in eleven years. This is a huge number. Most bands that are around for 20 years now aren't so productive. Now you might ask if this is always a good thing and to be honest although Last Autumn's Dream produced always good albums a certain continuity found its way in recent LAD records. Can "Level Eleven" add something new to the whole thing?

CD-Review: Jorn Lande & Trond Holter present DRACULA - "Swing Of Death"

While Age Sten Nilsen released his new album "Shanghaied" a few weeks ago, former Wig Wam guitarist Trond Holter comes up with his new DRACULA project in the next few days. It features Jorn Lande on vocals and is supposed to be a Rock Opera concept album about the life of Count Vlad the III - or as we call him: Dracula. The story deals with his inner struggles between love and his curse and it combines facts of the historical person with some elements of the Bram Stoker figure.