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Avenue of Allies/Sound Pollution

Polish multi-instrumentalist George (Jerzy) Grunwald once lived in the States, perfecting his music and making friends. His fancy for bands like THE EAGLES, TOTO and JOURNEY resulted in this “old school” AOR project. This album boasts musicians like; Bill Champlin, Joseph Williams, and Alex Ligertwood, and there is nothing run-of-the-mill about them. “So Much to Say” was written over an extensive period of time, recorded in various studios in Denmark, Poland and Sweden, and produced and mixed by the well-known Dane Oli Poulsen (MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK etc.). This album has previously been released in a ten track version in various Asian territories only.

The title track opens, and does so with a soft and contagious piano backline...

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Massacre/Sound Pollution

It has taken INSIDEAD 13 years to come up with their debut album. The Greek-Swedish combo, founding member and bass player Nick M was born and raised in Sweden, has played a lot live, won the Wacken Metal Battle in 2009, and managed to get sponsored by the likes of Schecter and Mapex. It sounds odd to me that their first demo was released as late as 2008. Mixing and mastering was done by RD Liapakis at Prophecy and Music Factory Studio, so I expect something from this band.

The barrage of riffs in “No I.D.” feels like a great choice for an interesting opener. The song is quite straightforward and sports an interesting refrain...

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Point Music

Nuremberg Germany, the roaming grounds of bands like TALON, and FRONTLINE. But there was apparently also PRIVATE ANGEL. The info tells the story of a bunch of friends who have been acquainted for 25 years. Their previous band efforts seem to have amounted to nothing, but PRIVATE ANGEL has just unleashed their third
album, “Nailed!”. Powerful and well-produced, the info exclaims, what´s the story?

5-7 years between albums, and a will to make adult, heavy and straightforward music. That seems to be the aim of Peter, Dazz, Robbo and Jo, the long-serving members. There is loads of classic touches already in opener “Human Wreck”, while he title track is strikingly odd, pointless, and even gloomy...

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Avenue of Allies/Sound Pollution

Back in 1989 things were getting interesting in AOR. Bruce Gaitsch was involved with Alan Kovac, RICHARD MARX´s then manager. A support slot for a forthcoming tour was in the cards. Due to inactivity in NIGHT RANGER Kelly Keagy was available for drums and vocal duties. George Hawkins Jr. joined on basss (KENNY LOGGINS, JOHN FOGERTY, and Tommy Funderburk (AIRPLAY, BOSTON) had been involved in RICHARD MARX´s activities and was offered the vocalist spot. Bruce himself took care of the guitar of cause. For some reason the album gathered dust for ten years before seeing a Japan only release ten years later. But Avenue of Allies is now making it available in Europe, for the first time.

We´re not talking second or third rate musicians here, nor are we into powe...

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Hype Records/Warner

2001 bildade Ville Laihiala, sång/gitarr (ex. SENTENCED), POISONBLACK, ett band han beskriver som sitt huvudband. Övriga i bandet heter; Antti Remes, bas, Marco Sneck, keyboards, och Tarmo Kanerva, trummor. DE är inne på femte skivan, och beskrivs som något annat än ett vanligt finskt gotband, eftersom de anses ha lämnat genren redan efter första skivan. Ok, övertyga mig!

Det finns något definitivt sleaze-igt över POISONBLACK. De snurrar mellan sleaze, stoner, melodifestivalsrefränger och påminner om alla band från GYLLENE TIDER till D.A.D. De gör larmig musik, och drivet i första singeln ”Mercury Falling” skäms inte för sig, om än det finns bättre låtar på skivan. Vissa refränger känns nästan tillrättalagt larmiga, som ”Maggot Song” och ”Sycophant”...

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This is Solsikk’s debut album. If you’ve seen that they have a female singer, you might be assuming that this is going to be symphonic rock/metal. Well if you are then you’ve got it totally wrong – this is proper powerful heavy metal, with perhaps a hint of punk thrown in. Solsikk are Vykki Turner (vocals), Chris Webb (Guitar), Matt C (drums), and Mark Mulcaster (Bass). Chris and Matt were formerly in the band Biomechanical.

Solsikk have been playing some of the album tracks in their live shows for some time, where they sound great, so I’ve been looking forwards to this album for a while, and it certainly doesnt disappoint.

Four of the tracks on the album also appeared on their Volatile territory EP from 2008 – ”Cut a little deeper”, ”Razored cell”, ”Volatile territory” and ”Your bliste...

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Escape/Border

ELECTRIC BOYS started as a duo of Conny Bloom, guitars/vocals, and Andy Christell, bass. They scored a direct hit with “All Lips N´ Hips”, and immediately recruited Franco Santunione on guitar and drummer Niclas Sigevall. The mix of grooves, BEATLES- psychedelica and heavy guitar riffs helped them get their debut “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride” out in 1989. A later rerelease featured five additional tracks produced by Bob Rock. Touring in Europe and the US ensued, and MTV played them frequently. Next up was the hit single “För Fet För Ett F’’k” written especially for the late comedian Micke Dubois. But they didn´t see it suitable to rest, but continued with the next album “Groovus Maximus”, which was followed by a lot of touring too...

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Napalm/Sound Pollution

Norwegian-German band LEAVES´ EYES releases their long awaited fourth album. According to the info, everything falls in place; Alexander Krull´s production, the epic of “Njord”, the direct approach of “Vinland Saga” and the folk touches of “Lovelorn”. As always vocalist Liv Kristine is backed by ATROCITY (Sander van der Meer, guitars, Thorsten Bauer, bass, Roland Navratil, drums and Alexander Krull, vocals).

The operatic pompous “Spirits Masquerade” opens with grandeur. The vocals are impeccable, and Liv is a genre icon. But you have to be able to muster the operatic overblown too. “Etaín”is a lot of surface, while “Velvet Heart” offers force and variation. Things get very Norwegian in the likes of “Kråkevisa” and the catchy “Nystev”...

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Napalm/Sound Pollution

The German-Norwegian sextet seems to have made a career in the fast lane in Nordic Gothic metal. They have played several of the genre´s most important festivals, and have released their third album. Charming songs with heavy riffs and thundering drums meet emotional vocals and dream-like interludes according to the info.

The pompy intro “Alva” is very Nordic too. But when Carmen Elise Espenaes starts singing there are no more doubts. The rest of the band seems to be German, as with label mates LEAVES´ EYES. The title track may not be typically Gothi atmospheric, but luckily enough, more guitar based. The vocals also sound very natural and unstrained. The same goes for “Spellbound” and all seems well. But “The Tide” feels awkwardly pointless, as well as “Forlorn”...

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”A farewell to arms” is the latest album from Norwegian rockers, TNT (although in the USA and Scandinavia it has been titled as ”Engine” for reasons best known to record companies.
Since forming in 1982 the band have been through many lineup changes, and the current lineup includes two members from the 1982 lineup – Ronni Le Tekrø (Guitar) and Morten ”Diesel” Dahl (Drums). They are joined by Victor Borge (Bass) and Tony Mills (Vocals), both of whom have been with the band for around five years.

The voice of Tony Mills is likely to be familiar to many people – as well as having recorded three albums with TNT, he had a long career with Shy releasing around a dozen albums with them, and he has also provided vocals for a number of other bands including the first two albums for upcoming Bri...