Khymera are an example of a band with a fairly fluid existence. Originally formed as a project for Italian musician Daniele Liverani and sometime Kansas man Steve Walsh, they gained a following despite not always being as impressive as Walsh’s Streets, or hitting the highs of another band from the Kansas family tree, the mighty Seventh Key. Walsh only appeared on the debut LP, subsequently handing lead vocal duties over to Pink Cream 69 man Dennis Ward for the next two releases – works that seemed well respected within the AOR community.
Tag Archives: melodic rock
BLOOD RED SAINTS – Speedway
Vocalist Pete Godfrey first came to the attention of the melodic rock community as frontman of the short-lived (but very promising) In Faith. Realising that being part of a full band would have better career prospects, he formed Blood Red Saints with Rob Naylor (previously of Angels Or Kings) and then enlisted the talents of Gary Hughes’s sometime guitarist Lee Revill. The result is a debut album with some hugely enjoyable melodic hard rock tunes – tunes that constantly hark back to the golden age of 1985-1989 – which should very much appeal to a cross-section of melodic rock buffs.
THE ROOM – Beyond The Gates Of Bedlam
At the end of 2012, UK melodic prog rockers The Room released their debut album ‘Open Fire’. Its mix of pompy melodic rock with proggy flourishes really struck a chord with some listeners and in the live setting, the band really excelled. Their level of professionalism was hardly surprising given the seasoned musicians involved (vocalist Martin Wilson and guitarist Steve Anderson had previous links with Grey Lady Down), but it was also good to hear a bigger focus on chorus based material, even if the band sometimes insisted on keeping a strong hold onto epic track lengths.
THE ROOM – Open Fire
In the 1990s, British progressive rockers Grey Lady Down released a few very enjoyable discs. Their second album, ‘Forces’, is one of the best cult releases of the era, chock full of fine music. With his slightly warbly vocal style, Martin Wilson often found himself in the “acquired taste” category, but if nothing else, his performances always made GLD’s work instantly recognisable.
SHAFT OF STEEL – Shaft Of Steel EP
In an age where so many melodic rock discs seem to suffer from average production values, it’s a pleasure when one comes along that sounds almost as sharp as those great releases from the late 80s. Although only an EP, this debut release from London based Shaft of Steel is a bright and shiny affair where everything crunches in the way melodic rock always should, with its four songs delivered with plenty of enthusiasm.