DUST – Tequila Shiver (CD)

I’ve seen this band has been in the starting blocks for quite some time, trying to build up a sort of hype around the upcoming album. Can’t say I usually fall for that, so I kept my expectations at a moderate level. Well, I truly wasn’t prepared to be blown away, but man, I WAS! Already from the opening track “Bad Boy” this Stockholm foursome show they mean business! There’s a pretty strong Badlands aura hovering over this band, and I honestly don’t mind that at all! There’s a band I truly miss. Dust do an impeccable job carrying that torch. Roger Solander has a knife sharp, outstanding rock voice, a bit similar to Ray Gillen when he goes for the high notes, Johan Niskanen’s brutal, crunchy guitar-work is wailing all over the place while bass player Bernt Ek holds the lower frequencies down with heaviness and precision and drummer Örjan “Dr Rock” Englin does his best to keep the Bonham legacy alive, and does really well. I love the way he makes the title track groove with the Bonhamish ghost strokes. This one does owe a bit more to Zeppelin, which Solander also shows vocally. “Stranger” kicks off with a mean, angry riff and then struts off in a cool, groovy way. “Black Dressed Woman” brings us back to Badlands territory with Englin grooving like a beast. “Changing Colours” is a cool bluesy acoustic, also with a Zeppelinish vibe to it. “Keltic Wheel” draws us back into the heavier Zeppelin territory, but only in the verse, I’d say. Dust are by no means any Zeppelin clones, even though the influences are quite clear. They have their personality and they also have the songs to show for. “Lies To Tell” is a prime example of Dust taking on a more personal sound. The riffs rule, Solander sings his ass off and I just love that groovy verse and the crushing chorus. Not really sure about a guitar solo “song”, "Mojo", on an album though, even if Niskanen is a great guitarist. Apart from this one I must say, I love every track on this album! Definitely one of the strongest debut albums this year has had to offer! Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014
Label: private 

BAILEY – Long Way Down (CD)

Nigel Bailey is foremost known for fronting UK melodic rockers Three Lions. This solo album was actually recorded before Three Lions, and I guess with the success of the lions this one was a no-brainer to release. Thank you for that! When Bailey does his own thing there’s a bit more edge to it, heavier guitars and a more power. We already know Nigel’s vocals are outstanding. So, all I can say is - This is a bloody brilliant album! Opener “Feed The Flames” gave me a vibe of Dave Bickler (Survivor) in the vocal delivery, while the song could be a Peterik penned thing, this one is slightly more guitar dominated in its direction. Love that! “In The Name Of The King” kicks off with a powerful detuned guitar riff that immediately catches my attention. Yet, another heavy and melodic hard rocker that just hits me right in the face. The production, by Allesandro del Vecchio is fat and big, yet dynamic. “Dirty Little Secret” reminds me even more of Bickler-era Survivor, which is great in my book. “Bad Reputation” is yet another great, catchy, straight ahead melodic hard rocker. “Stay”, even though it’s a really good song, feels a bit more run-of-the-mill. However that being said, this album’s weakest song is stronger than a lot of today’s albums strongest songs, which says a lot. “Somewhere In Oslo” is the album’s poppy moment, while “Long Way Down” brings back the heavy guitars and pounding rhythms. It makes me think of the same perfect balance of melody and heavy edge guitar riffs that can be found on the outstanding debut by Hardline. No need to go though each song I guess, but deliver the conclusion – this is a damn great melodic rock album and actually the reason I will still go to Frontiers Rock festival next summer! So far, one of my favorites this year! The UK has actually delivered some really strong stuff in that area!

Janne Stark

Country: UK

Year: 2014
Label: Frontiers Records

WHITE TRASH PRESIDENTS – s/t (CD)

If you’re into heavy Swedish sleaze rockers such as Hardcore Superstar, Crazy Lixx and Crashdïet, you simply have to check out the new SweDane unit: White Trash Presidents and I’m sure they will be added to your list. This band’s 8-track debut will hit you like a ton of bricks! With their roots in bands like Starats and Crazy Lixx these four guys takes the best from their previous bands and mix it into something that kicks their background firmly in the ass! “White Trash Presidents” and “One Fuse Left” will hit you like a ton of bricks! The band features former Starrats singer Magnus MP Möller and guitarist Dennis Post, flanked by former Crazy Lixx bassist Loke Rivano and drummer Brion Wekin. “Smack Me Around” is a bit mellower, closer to Enuff Z’nuff, which is ok by me. “Pushin’ Daisies” gets the power machine back in action with its heavy and grinding riffing. Every album needs a ballad, right? Well, I don’t think they do, but when they do they better bring me something that hits me. Well, this one contains two. “Cryin’” starts out pretty cool, but hell does break loose and it becomes a pretty bluesy powerful thing in the end. Nice soloing indeed by Mr Post! “Lovesong” finishes the album and this one is a pretty epic piano ballad with a pretty cool arrangement. I really like this one, indeed! “Lovers & Haters” and “Psycho Dad” also offer the, by now obligatory, punch in the face! The production and sound reminds me quite a bit of Hardcore Superstar, but to be honest White Trash Presidents hit me harder. This is really good stuff!

Janne Stark

Year: 2014
Label: WTP Music (private)

Country: Sweden

Link: www.whitetrashpresidents.com

AXENSTAR – Where Dreams Are Forgotten (CD)

Swedish power metal band Axenstar have been around for quite some time now. They started out as a cover band back in 1998 and made their first album in 2002. I must say they have evolved quite nicely by each album. Singer Magnus Winterwild started out as the band’s keyboardist, but his decision to become a singer was a really good one as his clean and strong voice fits the slightly progressive power metal perfectly. To be honest, my interest for power metal has more or less vanished the last couple of years, due to over exposure, probably ;-). However, while listening to “When Dreams Are Forgotten” I do realize there’s actually still some good power metal out there as well. The reason why Axenstar slips my through the net for me, is probably because 1. They lean a bit more towards the proggier side, which gives me a vibe of Pagan’s Mind. 2. They skip all the major scale happy lucky sing-a-long choruses that give me the shivers. A great and fat production by the band and Pelle Saether also gives the album a bump in the right direction. Then there are songs like the excellent “Curse Of The Tyrant” which sounds a bit like if you would mix Candlemass and Helloween, power metal with quite doomy riffs. Nice! Not bad at all, especially for a power metal album.

Janne Stark

Year: 2014
Label: Inner Wound
Country: Sweden

LOMMI – Horse (CD)

2013 saw the debut release “Life In Sepia” by Gothenburg brutality trio Lommi. A self-release in paper pocket format. The follow-up has however received a proper release by Rambo Music. The band follows the beaten path with their brick heavy, riff-oriented groovy metal. They sound a bit like a mix of Black Label Society and Pantera, actually not that far from fellows Transport League. Detuned riffs and crude, but still vocals that have enough melody to make it sound melodic. The sound is heavy as concrete with powerful thundering drums, a bass that fills out every crevice and a wall of guitars (even though there’s only one) right in your face. Outstanding production, by Sven Jensen! So far, so good. My only complaint this time is, the songs. They could have had it all going form them if they had only got me with the songs as well. If only a song like “Back Of My Head” had been the low point of the album. I’ve listened through the album three times and there’s unfortunately not one song I remember after wards. Love the sound, love the band, but miss the memorable hooks.

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014
Label: Rambo Music

CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD – Before Plastic (CD)

I have bit of a hard time deciding what I really think of this album. On one hand it’s a bit too poppy and happy for what I’m mostly into. The opening track “Please Come Home” reminds me of Swedish colleagues The Gloria Story, but I do like the Black Beards better. The song does have some cool intricate moments in the mid section. I’ve however always had a problem with “wooohooohoohooh” singalong vocals. “Somebody” sounds a bit Cheap Trick, which is ok by me, but I think it’s the vocals that lack the attitude that lifts the song for me. It’s by no means bad, just a little too mainstream. “Bad Girl” however is a really nice classic AOR number with a killer chorus and a nice melodic guitar solo. Not sure if the band really needed the lead guitar help of Tommy Denander, Mats Karlsson (220 Volt) and Bruce Kulick, but it is of course some added value. “Music Man” is also a nice melodic hard rocker with a touch of Kiss. There are some tracks that really stick out for me, in a positive way. I really love the riffy, intense hard rocker “Shout”, the boogie-oriented “Life’s What You Make It” and “Takin’ You Out” that also has quite a Kiss sounding pre-verse riff. Despite some moments that are a bit too slick and poppy for yours truly, this album does have its bright moments.

Janne Stark

Year: 2014
Country: Sweden

Label: Dead End Exit

FREAK KITCHEN – Cooking With Pagans (CD)

Freak Kitchen, this institute of Swedish retrofuturisticontemporary musical madness and melodic mayhem, is again back with another collection of mind-boggling songs. Lyrically the band’s ironic, cunning and satirical lyrics are the antithesis of Steel Panther. But the similarity is that you sit there and happily sing along to lyrics you would normally not even speak out loud, such as “(Saving Up For An) Anal Bleach”. However, in this case you actually get a second layer that gets you thinking. Think, yes, as a musician I am thinking when I listen to songs like “I Don’t Want To Golf” and the whacky rhythmic things going on, where you as a “normal” listener just groove to the rhythm. Well, don’t be fooled by the easy going surface, there are weird things happening under the surface. It does however surface a bit more in songs like “Mathematics Of Defeat”, which is proggy to the max. Except for the chorus, which is pure pop melodies. I just love the mix of the wackiness and the simple melodies in perfect symbiosis. “Private Property”, written and sung by bassist Christer Örtefors is another cool straight-ahead ditty. There has often been simple yet really cool simple but effective riffs coming out of Mr Eklundh and you get those here as well, just check out opener “Professional Help”, “Come Back To Comeback” and the catchy “Sloppy”. To me this feels like the most even Freak Kitchen since “Spanking Hour”, and this has quite quickly become my favorite since then as well! The only question mark of the album has to be the odd cover of “Goody Goody”, but what the hell… we’ve heard “La Bamba” coming out of this man before so why should I be surprised? All in all this is a damn great album! 

Janne Stark

Year: 2014
Country: Sweden
Label: Thunderstruck

TAD MOROSE – Revenant (CD)

Wow, that was an album long coming! 10 years since the last one! What immediately strikes me is that the band sounds darker and heavier than their previous efforts. I have no problem with that, none at all. The band delivers a big chunk of riff-oriented powerful metal in the vein of bands like Nevermore, Judas Priest (think "Painkiller"),  Former singer Urban Breed has now been replaced by Ronny Hemlin, who does an excellent job and at times actually reminds me a bit of Ripper Owen. I really love it when the band slows down a bit and digs a bit deeper into the more evil sounding tonalities and then mix them with classic power chords, like in “Within A Dream” which reminds me a bit of a marriage between Testament and Evergrey. New guitarist Kenneth Jonsson (The Citadel) does an outstanding job! The production is also fat and powerful, and brings out the best of the music. They actually now remind me of a band I’ve really missed: Pathos! And, that’s really good coming from me ;-).

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014
Label: Despotz

TONGUE – Look! It’s Rock ‘N Roll (CD)

Tongue is a new project formed by the masterminds of Ola Karlsson and Börje Reinholdsson, formerly of Balthazar’s Machine and X-Union. This is the guys' tribute to good old hard rock and their love for the seventies. “Find My Way Back Home” starts out with a great crunchy riff that promises really great stuff. The song itself however wanders off more to Cheap Trick’s power poppy hard rock, which is ok, but maybe not what I expected. “Hair Of The Dog” starts out with an equally interesting cool riff and a promising intro solo, and also becomes more of straight rock ‘n’ roller. In the song “The 70’s” the band sings praise to bands like Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy. But a chorus with “nananananana” in a pop vein... This is unfortunately, to me, more pop with some distorted guitars. Sorry boys, but you lost me there. “Sun” is a cool rocker with a touch of “Kashmir” and it’s definitely my favorite on the album together with the crunchy rocker “Back To Reality”. Unfortunately the chorus is also what brings it down for me, which is a pity. “The Music Takes Control” has a touch of Lenny Kravitz funky rock, while “Speak Louder” owes a bit to AC/DC. I’m afraid the title and the cool artwork promised a bit more than what the music delivered. There were some highlights, but too few and far between to save it for me.

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014
label: Wobbling Wart

M.O.B – Out From The Dark (CD)

I think M.O.B has been around since before Adam and Eve wore leaves, and they are still going strong. I will start by saying I think the band’s new album “Out From The Dark” is their best effort so far! The album opens with the dark, heavy and stomping “The Beast In Me”. The words dark and heavy actually come to mind quite often. It may be the fact that singer Fredrik Notling has struggled with cancer which has put a prominent stamp on both the music and the lyrics. Well, it seems like something good actually can come out of the bad. This new dark side fits the band perfectly. The title track continues in the dark vein, but also has a nice major scale guitar harmony part as a nice counterpart. “Legions Of The Antichrist” is true crushing metal in the vein of latter day Priest or Accept! The heaviest I’ve heard from this band. “Nightmare”, I would have thought would continue the battering metal ram. But, oh no. It is a melodic, almost poppy hard rock number. Not my favorite, but still ok. “By My Side” also shows a different side of the band. It is a beautiful, melancholic, fragile, almost Freddie Mercury:ish piano ballad. “The Dark Defender” brings back the metal and we are on track again. “Nowhere” is a heavy, almost doomy number, but with melodic vocals that gives it a totally different vibe. A cool song, indeed! This is by far the most “metal” album M.O.B have ever produced, and to be honest, they do it really well! Great job, boys!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden
Year: 2014
label: Mobrockz
Link: www.mobrockz.com

ASTRAL DOORS – Notes From The Shadows (CD)

Astral Doors have been around for quite some time now and even though singer Patrik Johansson is now fronting post-Sabaton band Civil War, he still delivers the goods on the new Astral Doors release. He still puts on his best vocal Ronnie Dio suite, which I did have some problems with initially, but I’ve actually grown to like the guy. He’s also taken on a more personal approach and it’s become more of his own style now. Conclusion: I really like it! The musical delivery is also top notch. The track “Disciples Of The Dragon Lord” actually reminds me quite a lot of Accept, especially the powerful guitars and the “Balls To The Wall” style choir. This is a really good piece of classic hard rock/metal like they it’s supposed to be done. Power chords straight between the eyes, a wall of guitars, keyboards filling out the voids in the background, stomping drums and powerful vocals. “Wailing Wall” is a perfect example, and it also has an element of Jake E Lee style “Bark At The Moon” chugging. Great lead work from guitarist Joachim Nordlund!  “Shadowchaser” has a riff way too reminiscent of “Man Of The Silver Mountain” for comfort, but ok, I’ll look away as the rest of the songs is no where close. “Die Alone” is a really great, epic and powerful song in the vein of UK band Tytan (probably my first comparison because I just listened to the excellent “Blind Men And Fools”). The intro riff of “Walker And Stalker” bears quite a big resemblance with the riff in Ozzy’s “Miracle Man”. It seems like Astral Doors have, quite deliberately, snuck in their influences in each of the songs. I have no problem with that. It does instead have its charm, since it’s only brief stuff here and there. This is a really good album indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: Metalville
Year: 2014
Country: Sweden
Link: www.astraldoors.com

SKULL PARADE – Sound Of Corruption (CD)

“Sound Of Corruption” is the debut by heavy rockers Skull Parade.  They stem from Gothenburg, just like Mustasch, In Flames, LOK, Transport League and Illwill, and for some reason they actually sound a bit like a mix of all of these. Well, to narrow it down a bit I’d go for a mix between today’s Transport League and Illwill. Heavy, crushing groove metal with a touch of thrash and US power metal (which is what Pantera used to be labelled). Erik Anell has a rough and angry, but still a bit melodic voice that fits the concrete heavy musical delivery perfect. One of my favorite tracks is the heavy and groovy “Man” where Erik really delivers the goods. Great chorus as well! The punchy, heavy production really helps bring out the best of the band, too. I don’t really get the artwork, but I do get the music! Great stuff!

Janne Stark

Label: private

Year: 2014
Country: Sweden

(GAELERI) – Gates Of Rome (CD)

Heldingborg based melodic hard rockers (gaeleri) was formed under the name Shooting Gallery back in 1992, shortened the name to the phonetic (gaeleri) and made their debut back in 1996, followed by Still Here in 1999 and A Brighter Day in 2002. The first two were classic melodic hard rock with hints of bands like Whitesnake and Zeppelin, while the last one was very commercial and a far cry from the first two. The band disappeared, but suddenly a new album has now seen the light of day. To my great joy I find the band has returned to their early, heavier sound again. The album kicks off with the two kick ass rockers “Ready Or Not” and “Queen Of Time”, followed by the more mainstream AOR number “Wannabe”. The title track puts the balls back in place with its chunky rhythm and cool rocking, but still melodic, vibe.”Let Your Love Bleed” opens with rifforama in the vein of 1987 Whitesnake, with a cool bluesy verse and singer Anders Vidhav sounding quite reminiscent of Stefan Berggren (Company Of Snakes, Snakes In Paradise etc). Good stuff, indeed! The mix, by Anders “Theo” Theander is ambient and quite analogue sounding. If you’re into what Swedish colleagues Angeline and Colorstone are doing, check this bunch out as well! Great melodic, guitar-based hard rock!

Janne Stark

Country: Sweden

Year: 2014
Label: TBM Records