Melodicrock.nl – Work in progress

January 2022 Highlights

This month we were most impressed by these new albums:

Lalu‘s 3rd studio album Paint The Sky is a band-project of Vivian Lalu with Joop Wolters and Damian Wilson. Adventurous and classy progressive heavy rock, somewhat like a modern version of classic style Yes. Very well done. Reviews: 1, 2, 3. Videos: The Chosen Ones and Paint The Sky. Interview. You gotta love this guy.

Eric Gales new album Crown is probably his most personal and consistent one. Produced by Joe Bonamassa this is an excellent and varied Blues Rock album. Eric definitely deserves a far wider audience. Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Videos: I Want My Crown and Stand Up.

Inviolate - Steve Vai

Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai certainly doesn’t disappoint on his 10th album, Inviolate.… Read the rest

2021: an overview

Melodic Hard Rock

Melodic hard rock is still dominated by Scandinavian bands. W.e.t., Eclipse and Creye came up with almost flawless albums. Strangely still unsigned Nestor joined the club with a great debut album, while Ronnie Atkins, Crazy Lixx and Wig Wam all released very listenable solo CD’s. Leverage and Seventh Crystal also came up with albums that definitely deserve attention.

Non-Scandinavian highlights include the ever dependable Robin McAuley and Brazilian newcomers Spektra. Lee Aaron came up with a varied album that ranks among her best and Chez Kane‘s debut also catapulted us right back to the great female fronted bands of the 80’s.

AOR

Tim‘s brilliant album is basically the 1983 unreleased successor of the semi classic second Trillion album, that luckily was dug up by MelodicRock Records.… Read the rest

2017: an overview

Melodic Hard Rock

Melodic hard rock is dominated by Scandinavian bands these days. In 2017 Eclipse, H.e.a.t. & Brother Firetribe issued great new albums. One Desire is a new Finnish band that released a suprisingly good debut album.

Non-Scandinavian highlights include Harem Scarem latest album, a return to form, the peculair named Tokyo Motor Fist’s debut album and semi-Scandinavian Pinnacle Point’s debut. Honourable mentionings: Revolution Saints and For All We Know’s second albums.

Classic Rock

Greta van Fleet caused some stir with their great 70’s style debut album. Cats In Space’s second album is another noteworthy classic rock release. As is Riverdogs latest album: excellent stuff! And last but not least, Styx issued a concept album that comes close to their 70’s heydays.

Blues Rock

Blues Rock is on a rise.… Read the rest

2016: an overview in 25 releases

We lost far too many musicians in 2016.

But 2016 is also to be remembered for some great albums. We present 25 of them in the categories melodic hard rock, AOR, classic rock, hard rock, blues rock, southern rock.

Melodic Hard Rock

Vega Who We Are CD Album Review

British Vega released their fourth CD in 2016, Who We Are. It’s probably the best melodic hard rock album of the year. Almost perfect in every respect (review). Melodicrock.nl rating: 94/100.

Master of the universe | Palace CD | Large Palace‘s debut Master Of The Universe offers excellent melodic rock with a lot of keyboards. A band to keep an eye on in the years to come (short review). Melodicrock.nl rating: 91/100.

Treat

Treat‘s second album after their comeback, Ghost Of Graceland, is more proof for the fact that the band is one of the best melodic hard rock band around in 2016 (review).… Read the rest

Classic albums: 1975-1980

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Boston‘s self-titled debut album (Epic, 1976) is a landmark in the history of melodic hard rock, that showed how heavy rock guitars could be successfully combined with ultra melodic songs (review).

Meat Loaf‘s second album, Bat Out Of Hell (Epic, 1977), was extremely successful both artistically and commercially, not in the least because of Jim Steinman‘s stellar songwriting (review).

Van Halen‘s self-titled debut gate.io (Warner Bros, 1978) ‘rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general’ as some put it. A very influential album (review).

Thin Lizzy ‘s ninth album, Black Rose: A Rock Legend (Vertigo, 1979), is their most balanced work. It draws from their Irish heritage with great effect and has some excellent compositions (review)

Classic albums: this century

Linkin Park‘s debut CD, Hybrid Theory (Warner Bros, 2000), was one of the first commercially successful albums to herald the new subgenre of Nu Metal (review).

Classic albums: the 1990’s

Gary Moore‘s album Still Got The Blues (10 Records, 1990) gave blues rock a huge boost and was more proof for the versatility of the guitar hero (review).

In the 1990’s grunge ruled the world. Temple Of The Dog‘s only album (A&M, 1990) is an essential link between some of the bands that stood at its beginning (review).

Pearl Jam‘s debut CD Ten (Columbia, 1991) is another one of grunge’s essential albums (review). Although initially a bit overshadowed by Nirvana, the band’s enduring influence is probably bigger.

Nirvana‘s second album Nevermind (Geffen, 1991) instantly made the underground become the new standard for years to come (review).

Skintrade‘s self-titled debut (Polydor, 1993) wasn’t a huge seller but is held in high esteem by most metal and hard rock reviewers because of the solid songwriting and execution.… Read the rest

Classic albums: the 1980’s

Black Sabbath‘s second life started with this album, Heaven And Hell (Vertigo, 1980). Ronnie James Dio‘s powerful vocals combined with Iommi ‘s riffs make it an almost unbeatable hard rock classic (review).

AC/DC Back in Black

AC/DC also needed a new singer on their 8th album Back In Black (Atlantic, 1980), because the charismatic Bon Scott had died. The album sold 50 million worldwide – the ultimate proof for the universal appeal of this uncomplicated and powerful rock machine (review).

Saxon - Wheels of Steel

Saxon‘s 2th album, Wheels Of Steel (Carrere, 1980) (reviews), and 3th album, Strong Arm Of The Law (Carrere, 1980) (review) are genre defining metal albums. The heavy yet accessible songs are prime NWOBHM.

Foreigner – 4 (Atlantic, 1981)

Y & T – Earthshaker (A&M, 1981)

Journey – Escape (CBS, 1981)

Iron Maiden – The Number Of The Beast (EMI, 1982)

Hughes/Thrall – Hughes/Thrall (Epic, 1982)

Bryan Adams – Cuts Like A Knife (A&M, 1983)

Metallica – Kill ‘em All (Roadrunner, 1983)

Van Halen – 1984 (WB, 1984)

Survivor – Vital Signs (Scotti Bros, 1984)

Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (Mercury, 1986)

David Lee Roth – Eat ‘em And Smile (WEA, 1986)

Joe Satriani – Surfing With The Alien (Relativity, 1987)

Whitesnake – 1987 (EMI, 1987)

Guns N Roses – Appetite For Destruction (Geffen, 1987)

Def Leppard – Hysteria (Vertigo, 1987)

Living Colour – Vivid (Epic, 1988)

TNT – Intuition (Phonogram, 1989)