Almost Classy – a four piece outfit comprising members from all over the US – bring various elements of classic pop rock together on their debut EP.  Music fans will be about to pick out a myriad of influences throughout these five tunes and the active nature of the band’s arrangements are such that different [...]

Sometimes it feels as if half of Sweden were raised on Journey and Survivor and in AOR terms have chosen to keep the dream alive (to borrow a phrase from an old Now & Then Records sampler) with their own punchy melodic rock bands.  For those who’ve enjoyed the melodic rock and AOR over several [...]

‘Heaven Knows’ may be the first outing for Swedish rockers Edge, but the more aware listeners among you will certainly recognise a couple of band members.  The core of this band features vocalist Jonas Forss and guitarist Tobias Andersson, both of whom have also plied their trade as members of Seven Wishes.  Upon first hearing [...]

Although he has lent his musical prowess to many rock bands since the 70s, guitarist Micky Moody will always be most strongly associated with the early Whitesnake.  Since parting ways with David Coverdale and company in the early 80s, his association with that band is one he’s always been keen to flaunt, with his later [...]

Graham Bonnet’s self titled solo debut album was not a commercial success in the UK, but nevertheless, unforeseen sales in Australia (helped no end by a number one single) proved enough for the independent Ring-O Records to keep Bonnet on their books.  Although ‘Graham Bonnet’ had been a largely patchy affair – sometimes even woefully [...]

Having already released a self-titled EP at the end of 2010, Philadelphia’s Ruby The Hatchet began to create a small buzz via a few cult music blogs.  For those who sang the band’s praises previously, their first full length release will be welcomed with open arms.  For the many yet to be enthralled by this [...]

On The Faults’ debut EP (a self-titled release from 2011) the band’s two members, Oli (gtr/vox) and Tom (drums) hammered their way through four reverb-drenched songs, sticking rigidly to the confines of the two-man setup.  While their work didn’t actually bring anything of a new slant to the garage rock genre, the tunes were played [...]

In 1980, Rick Springfield’s fifth album ‘Working Class Dog’ shifted the Australian singer away from the teen market and into the pop/AOR market, its lead single ‘Jessie’s Girl’ subsequently propelling him to stardom.  During the next few years, he released album’s of a similarly high calibre, ending his most high profile period with the classic [...]

Instead of capitalising on her very enjoyable second album (2011’s ‘The Storm) with another set of specially written melodic rock tunes, on this third outing, Norwegian songstress Issa and her band venture into the wobbly world of the  covers album.  It would have been easy for Issa to wheel out a few of AOR’s best-loved [...]

Although familiar to almost all as the ex-Santana guitarist and driving force behind melodic rock giants Journey, Neal Schon’s instrumental solo records are hugely overlooked in comparison.  Working within complex rock and jazz styles (often leaning farther towards jazz and jazz-fusion than rock), the instrumental approach on those releases has always allowed him to stretch [...]