6 years after their last album Magnum returned with an fresh album with a futuristic cover in the style of their previous albums and music that sounds definitive Magnum which means melodic hard rock with catchy hooks and also elements of progressive rock, like they have always have done. Here and there it can get a little too cheesy though and there are no songs that are more than pretty good. The album is somewhat low key and stripped down compared to much of their earlier majestic and pompous music. The melodies are as strong as ever though and it is incredible how songwriter and guitarrist Tony Clarkin is able to come with new killer songs album after album, year after year.

Tony Clarkin have said that he needed this break from Magnum since he had, since 1979 when the band's 1st album came out, constantly worked with or for Magnum. The drums on the album is either played by Clarkin or are samples. Live they were joined by Thunder's drummer Harry James. New bassist was Al Barrow who had played in Clarkin's and singer Bob Catley's band Hard Rain during Magnums hiatus.

1)Cry (7,5)

2)This heart (7,0)

3)Everyday (8,0)

4)Still (6,5)

5)Dream about you (7,5)

6)Breath of life (7,0)

7)After the rain (6,5)

8)That holy touch (7,5)

9)Let somebody in (7,5)

10)The face of an enemy (7,0)

11)Just like january (7,5)

12)Night after night (8,5)

Score: 7,33  

Bob Catley-vocals (b.1947)

Tony Clarkin-guitars (b.1946)

Al Barrow-bass (b.1968)

Mark Stanway-keyboards (b.1954)

Maryland's Clutch's 7th album. It's the first to include organist Mick Schauer wich makes this album lift another level. This is damn damn good music in my ears! I have never heard another band play music like this, it includes heavy 70's style riffing developed in to the 2000's, strong rock 'n' roll vocals, heavy funky hip hop rhythms and pure hardrock mixed into a great blend that fits my musical interests. A genuin great album that makes it impossible not to air guitar to, buy it! Great partyalbum too.

1)The incompareable Mr. Flannery (8,0) Funky, groovy and heavy and a damn good refrain. That sums this album up in the first song!

2)Burning beard (6,0) Cool main riff but way too chaotic.

3)Gullah (9,0) Slow and hip hop groovy. Great riff!! Fantastic song!

4)Mice and gods (8,0) Reminds of Black Label Society but not as heavy. Good stuff.

5)Pulaski highway (8,0) Super groovy and super heavy and with super strong vocals.

6)Never be moved (7,0)

7)10001110101 (8,0) Slow and groovy, a superb verse and a hip hoppy refrain.

8)Small upsetters (8,0) Almost instrumental bluesy organ number. Nice!

9)Circus maximus (8,0)

10)Tripping the alarm (7,5) Instrumental.

11)10 000 witnesess (8,0)

12)Land of pleasant living (8,0)

13)Gravel road (7,5) Blues song written by Mississippi Fred McDowell.

14)Who's been talking? (6,0) Old-time shuffle blues written by Howlin' Wolf.

Score: 7,64

Neil Fallon-vocals, guitars and percussion (b.1971)

Tim Sult-guitars

Dan Maines-bass (b.1971)

Jean Paul Gaster-drums (b.1971)

Mick Schauer-piano, organ and clavinet

The former Soundgarden and Audioslave singer's 2nd album. It's not at all as hard as those bands, but more of an ordinary rock-album with a lot of melody and simple riffs. As always with Chris, the singing is full of soul and feeling but I feel that the songs on this album is too low key and "sweet" for my taste. There ain't no bad songs here but the overall feeling is...dull.

Chris had just left Audioslave when he released this album. He said that the split from the band was permanent. The year before, in 2006, he hade recorded the theme song to the new James Bond-film.

The drummer Nir Zidkyahu is the brother of Blackfield's drummer Tomer Z. He has recorded with Genesis, John Mayer and others.

1)No such thing (6,5)

2)Poison eye (6,5)

3)Arms around your love (6,5)

4)Safe and sound (6,5)

5)She'll never be your man (6,5)

6)Ghosts (5,5)

7)Killing birds (6,0)

8)Billie Jean (7,5) (Michael Jackson-cover)

9)Scar on the sky (5,5)

10)Your soul today (6,5)

11)Finally forever (5,5)

12)Silence the voices (5,0)

13)Disappearing act (6,0)

14)You know my name (6,5)

Score: 6,11

Chris Cornell (Christopher John Boyle) -vocals and guitars (b.1964)

Gary Lucas-guitars

Nir Zidkyahu-drums (b.1967)

On this album Ten continued their well known concept of writing majestic and melodic hard rock with their own twist. It's an okey album but they had made better albums in the 90's that I rather listen to. The former keyboardplayer Jed Rylands was here replaced by the, in hard rock business, very famous artist Don Airey who had played with artists such as Gary Moore, Ozzy Osburne, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Whitesnake, Sinner, Michael Schenker, Uli John Roth and Rainbow.

1)The stranger (7,5) A good majestic song in the typical Ten-vein with catchy vocals, strong refrains and blistering guitarsoloing.

2)Barricade (8,0) A strong song with good singing!

3)Give in this time (6,5) Melodic AOR-style.

4)Love became the law (7,5) Beautiful powerballad.

5)The heat (6,0) Nothing special and too repetetive like many Ten-songs.

6)Silent rain (6,0) Another powerballad. Nothing special.

7)Timeless (7,0) Slow and heavy "big" song with a good refrain.

8)Black hearted woman (6,5) Now all songs sounds the same.

9)Thunder in heaven (7,5) A good hardrocking song.

10)Valentine (8,0) A beautuiful ballad!

Score: 7,05

Gary Hughes-vocals (b.1967)

Vinny Burns-guitars (b.1965)

John Halliwell-guitars

Steve McKenna-bass

Greg Morgan-drums

+

Don Airey-keyboards (b.1948)

This is the first full album I hear with the american/german hardrock/metal-band Axel Rudi Pell. I have also seen them live at Sweden Rock Festival a few years back and as good as this album is, as good was the concert, and then I mean that this really is a killer album and killer band! They have become an absolute favorite band of mine and continues to release good music well into the 2010's. I love the sheer power of the music, the incredible sense for melody, the singing, the production, the ballads and the playing. This really is an enjoyment of an album and great cover!

1)The curse of the chains (-) Intro.

2)Edge of the world (8,0) Very good melodic and powerful start.

3)Coming home (8,0) A slowtempo 7-minute song with great feeling. A little too repetitive.

4)Live for the king (8,0) A ballad for 3 minutes and then same as song 3. for 5 minutes.

5)All the rest of my life (8,0) Melodic and "big" ballad.

6)Follow the sign (9,0) A great driving hardrocker with a nice guitarsolo and great chorus.

7)Time of the truth (8,0) Very good for 6 minutes but the last 2 minutes are too much. Why such long songs if they don't have enough good music too fill them out?

8)Heartbreaker (8,0) Another ballad. Too many ballads but they are on the other hand very good.

9)Saint of fools (8,0) Good hardrocker.

10)Under the gun (7,5) Good ballad but too repetitive and a little too cheesy.

Score: 8,06

Johnny Gioeli-vocals (b.1967)

Axel Rudi Pell-guitars (b.1960)

Volker Krawczak-bass

Mike Terrana-drums (b.1960)

Ferdy Doernberg-keyboards (b.1967)

All songs on this album by former Uriah Heep-keyboardist and guitarrist Ken Hensley have a strong Uriah Heep-feel to them.The songs tell a self-biographical story about the rise and fall of a rock'n'roll-star. I like this album even if it looses tempo at the end. There are some strong hard rock-songs on it and norweigan Jörn Lande (ex.Masterplan) makes a really good job on lifting them. Also ex. Uriah Heep-singer John Lawton and my favorite-singer Glenn Hughes (ex.Deep Purple, Trapeze etc.) and Eve Gallagher sings on it.There's lot of melody and organ. The album was recorded in Spain with spanish musicians.

1)(This is) just the beginning (8,0) A really good melodic start with Jörn Lande putting on some strong vocals.

2)Were on our way (7,5) Uptempo rocker. Hensley and Lande sharing vocals.

3)Blood on the highway (8,0) A beautiful and laid back rocker.

4)You've got it (The american dream) (8,5) A great uptempo rocker!

5)Doom scene 1 (-)

6)It won't last (7,0) John Lawton (ex. Uriah Heep on vocals)

7)Think twice (Is it the music or the man?) (6,5) A Meat Loaf-style symphonic laid back rock song. Eve Gallagher on vocals.

8)Doom scene 2 (-)

9)There comes a time (8,0) Hensley sings this sensitive song just like former Uriah Heep-vocalist David Byron. Cool.

10)Okay this house is down (8,0) Uptempo rocker with Lande on vocals again.

11)What you gonna do (6,5) Glenn Hughes on vocals.

12)We're on our way...Postscript (solo) verse (-)

13)I dit it all (6,0)  A ballad that just makes it above the cheesy-level. Too many soft songs at the end of the album.

14)The last dance (El citano viejo) (9,0) 8-minute pompous and epic ballad building up to a chaotic end. Glenn Hughes on vocals.

Score: 7,55

Ken Hensley-vocals, guitars, dobro and keyboards (b.1945)

Ovidio Lopez-guitars

Antonio Fidel-bass

Juan Carlos Garcia-drums

Vicente Ruiz-piano

+

Glenn Hughes-vocals (b.1951)

Jörn Lande-vocals (b.1968)

John Lawton-vocals (b.1946)

Eve Gallagher-vocals

This band from Finland was founded in 1998 and features Taneli Jarva who quit the more known depression metal band Sentenced from Oulu in 1995. They play doomladen heavy metal with whiskyvocals and the songs are quite good but I'd like to hear more solos and variation. It just goes on and on once the songs starts. Jarva's vocals is more or less a copy of Glenn Danzig's but I like it anyway because it suits the music.

1)Zero providence (intro) (-)

2)Southern scars and curse (7,0)

3)Malabarista (there will be blood) (7,5)

4)Bones'n'thangs (7,0)

5)Misfortune (in the year of rotten luck) (7,0)

6)The beast is a riddle (7,0)

7)Bipolar meltdown (7,5)

8)No parole (7,5)

9)Ghost brothel (7,5)

10)Until we sail (7,5)

11)Vin mariani (7,0)

12)Joke's over (7,5)

13)Heavy downer (ex veto suscepto) (5,0)

Score: 7,08

Jarva-vocals

Maike-guitars

Heavy-guitars

I.T.-bass

Rale-drums

Symphonic power metal by the band Rhapsody's (later re-named Rhapsody Of Fire in 2006) -member Luca Turilli from Italy. All the other members are from Germany.

Olaf Hayer has released 3 albums with Dionysus.

Sascha Paeth has played with many heavy metal-bands such as; Heavens Gate, Angra, Gamma Ray, Aina, Kamelot, Epica, Shaman, Edguy and Avantasia.

Miro has played with Aina, Avantasia, Brainstorm, Kamelot, Luca Turilli, Shaaman and Thalion.

Robert Hunecke-Rizzo has played with Kamelot, Aina and Heavens Gate.

1)Aenigma (-) Impressive intro!

2)War of the universe (7,5) Incredibly pompous powermetal with double bassdrum all through. Good melody and singing including choir.

3)Rider of the astral fire (8,0) Like the first song but with even more power and melodic singing.

4)Zaephyr skies' theme (8,0) A sad and balladish short song with vocals by Amanda Sommerville and choir and, it seems, like an whole orchestra. Very nice.

5)The age of mystic ice (7,0) Mystic ice? As always the titles of Turillis songs are ridicioulus. More powermetal in the style of the other songs. It's beginning to get to much of the same thing all over again..

6)Prince of the starlight (7,0) ...and another one. The songs also have the same length.

7)Timeless oceans (7,0) A mystic and sweet kind of a ballad. Bombastic end.

8)Demon heart (7,5) Turilli himself describes this as "symphonic cosmic metal". Another good pompous power metaller but I need more variation in the tempo even if there is some nice breaks here and there.

9)New century's tarantella (7,0) Nice intro with Peruvian flute and then accordion, and a middletempo song at last!

10)Prophet of the last eclipse (9,0) 11-minute epic and powerful power metal with a lot of interesting sounds, playing and breaks. Really good arrangement and THIS is the way Luca Turilli-songs should sound like! Impressive!

Score: 7,56

Olaf Hayer-vocals

Luca Turilli-guitars (b.1972)

Sascha Paeth-bass (b.1970)

Robert Hunecke-drums and guitars

Miro(Michael Rodenberg)-keyboards