CD-Review: Shakra - "Snakes & Ladders"

How fast time passes by - it feels like yesterday when singer Mark Fox rejoined the Swiss Hard Rockers of Shakra. It did not even take them two years to release the follow-up to their highly acclaimed reunion album "High Noon". I think it is the shortest period of time between two albums when it comes to these guys. So is "Snakes & Ladders" a rushed record or an essential album in Shakra's band history?

CD-Review: Art Nation - "Liberation"

So here we have another Melodic Rock band from Sweden, called Art Nation. Sweden is always a seal for approval when it comes to quality rock music, so it was no wonder that the debut album from these guys hit the melodic rock community really hard back in 2015. They came out of nowhere and they succeeded all the way. With that said, now two years later they are ready for their second strike, named "Liberation".

Quick-Reviews: Bon Jovi & Pretty Maids

Hey folks,

first of all I wish you guys a Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the time with your loved ones.
After a long break (I think 3 months) I finally found the time to write some new stuff here. I posted my review to the forthcoming GOTTHARD album some hours ago and now I'd like to write something down to two major releases from the end of last year:

- BON JOVI - "This House Is Not For Sale"
- PRETTY MAIDS - "Kingmaker"

CD-Review: Gotthard - "Silver"

25 years in musicbusiness is a very long time and not every band formed in the early 90's is still around these days. But the Swiss guys of GOTTHARD stood the test of time. With "Silver" they celebrate their 25th anniversary - and it was a very moving quarter century. Started as a Hard Rock band in a time where this kind of music was simply dead, Gotthard quickly became one of the top acts of Switzerland with various number one records in their home country. In the late 90's they changed their musical direction from Hard Rock to more radiofriendly Soft Rock, just to hit everyone in the face in 2005 with a newborn, fresh heaviness on their outstanding record "Lipservice" (one of my all-time favorites).

Quick-Reviews: Steven Tyler, Kissin' Dynamite, Miss Behaviour (July 2016)

Here are three more "Quick-Reviews" for you guys. This time I got something for Hard Rockers, AOR fans and even for Country lovers:

- STEVEN TYLER - "We're All somebody From Somewhere"
- KISSIN' DYNAMITE - "Generation Goodbye"
- MISS BEHAVIOUR - "Ghost Play"

Quick-Reviews: Dare, Trick Or Treat, Phantom 5 (July 2016)

Here are three more "Quick-Reviews" for you guys. This time I got something for Hard Rockers, Power Metal fans and Melodic Rock lovers:

- DARE - "Sacred Ground"
- TRICK OR TREAT - "Rabbits' Hill Pt. 2"
- PHANTOM 5 - "Phantom 5"

Quick-Reviews: Volbeat, ToxicRose, Bonfire (June 2016)

As announced yesterday, today I'll give you my first "Quick-Reviews" that will show you my opinion on some new records, but without the "PR blah-blah" ;)

This time with the following records:

- VOLBEAT - "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie"
- TOXICROSE - "Total Tranquility"
- BONFIRE - "Pearls"

CD-Review: Dynazty - "Titanic Mass"

The Swedish group Dynazty is one of those bands, who always deliver high quality with each new album, but surprisingly nobody seems to care about them. If musicbusiness would be fair this band should have conquered the world by storm with their infectious Metal anthems. Started as a Hair/Sleaze Metal outfit they reinvented themselves back in 2014 with their latest album "Renatus", which was simply one of the best albums of the year. Now their fifth record "Titanic Mass" hit the stores and Dynazty continue where they left off with "Renatus".

CD-Review: Treat - "Ghost Of Graceland"

It's kind of a surprise to hear something new from the legendary Scandi-Rock act Treat these days, because three years back they announced the end of the band. To be honest in my opinion it was a good decision at that time, because with their previous album "Coup De Grace" Treat were on the top of their game. It just couldn't get any better. CDG was praised by press and fans all over the world and so it seemed acceptable to me to end the journey when you are at your best - just to keep the legacy alive. With that in mind the new record "Ghost Of Graceland" has big shoes to fill. I'll tell you if the resurrection of Treat can live up to its hype.

CD-Review: Dion Bayman - "Don't Look Down"

Australian multi-talent Dion Bayman was the surprise act of the year for me back in 2013. With his smooth melodic rock and a sense for beautiful melodies he hit the spot in every way. He continued this path on the folowing album "Afterburn" in 2014, where he did some fine tuning here and there. It was another very infectious record. Now nearly two years later Dion comes along with his new effort, called "Don't Look Down".

CD-Review: Reckless Love - "InVader"

The Finish Glam Rockers Reckless Love impressed me very much with their latest record "Spirit" back in 2013. To me it was a huge step into the right direction - more Rock'n'Roll than Pop. Reckless Love had always an image problem.They were often ridiculed as a boygroup. That was partly justified, because especially their second album was hard on the edge to a generic Pop-Rock album. With their fourth record "InVader" they finally crossed that line for the worse.

CD-Review: Dream Theater - "The Astonishing"

Although American Prog Metal heroes Dream Theater are around for so many years now and they've gained a large fanbase, their newest piece of work "The Astonishing" is my first contact with this band. As far as I've seen it, this album splits the fanbase pretty much. Some people think it is a boring record, others praise it as a true masterpiece. Maybe the truth lies between those opinions. Because I never listened to Dream Theater before I can give you a more objective opinion on this album in my review.

CD-Review: Serenity - "Codex Atlanticus"

End of January was an amazing time for Symphonic Metal fans. With  Avantasia's "Ghostlights" and Dream Theater's "The Astonishing" (which is supposed to be a Rock Opera this time with many symphonic elements) fans of this particular genre are pretty busy for the next few months. It wasn't the best idea from the Austrian Symphonic Metal band SERENITY to release their fitfth opus "Codex Atlanticus" on the same day. After many listens I just can say it's a shame that this album is so overlooked, because it deserves better.

CD-Review: Ecliptica - "Ecliptified"

Metal from Austria? Beside Symphonic Metal heroes Serenity I can't remember so many other bands of this particular genre from this country. Although Ecliptica are named after the debut album of Sonata Arctica they are not a Symphonic or Power Metal band as you might expect it. Ecliptica describe their music as "Metal'n'Roll" and they are around for quite some time already. Their new album "Ecliptified" marks their thrid record in band history and it shows the band from a more different side.

CD-Review: Shakra - "High Noon"

When singer Mark Fox left Shakra back in 2009 nobody thought these guys will ever team up again. It seemed to be impossible because it was a quiet ugly break up with lots of bad blood. Fox was replaced by John Prakesh and just after two albums Prakesh left the band in 2014. I don't know what it is, but Shakra always had problems to keep their singer. To me it was a huge surprise when I heard the news of Mark Fox's return on the new album, called "High Noon". Now it's finally here and it feels like Fox never left the band.

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.

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.