Metal Reviews

I know that musical styles that members have around here varies but I'm a big fan of Melodic Rock and labels like Frontiers Records who releases and manages to reunites alot of past acts and release new material. Bands like Giant, Unruly Child, Stan Bush, First Signal, W.E.T, some of the recent one's that have put out great records.

Any thoughts on Melodic Rock bands you guys listen to?

I just downloaded both of the early Giant albums as a matter of fact. I found out about them because Dan Huff plays guitar on Peter Cetera's first three albums and his guitar work was killer on one of my favorite albums ever, Solitude/Solitaire, Ray Parker Jr. was also on that record too. I plan on listening to a lot of 80's Hair Metal and AOR since the production, songwriting and playing is generally really great on those records.

I'm a huge fan and it's always been my laziest genre to listen to. I love AOR and Hard Rock from the 70's and really it only got far better by the early 90's. Just listen to some of the 70's guys work, like BOC. I think Club Ninja is a terrific album and it is far from being what their fans want to hear or being the best at that game at that time. My tastes span everything in Pop music from AC to Judas Priest, so it is unlikely that I would find any melodic hard rock band to be too soft or commercial sounding. I love both really, so I wont be the one complaining about that aspect.

I'm making a huge list of bands actually from these years, from both melodic hard rock/AOR and Hair Metal to check out on youtube. I heard one Giant song and knew they were good stuff.

I'm a big AOR fan. I like Giant's old albums; i also like alot Mark Free, but unfortunately haven't heard any Unruly Child; however he kicks ass with King Kobra and Signal.

Here's some other AOR bands i 'm into: Bad English, Icon,Magnum,Journey,Harem Scarem,Giuffria, Triumph,Foreigner,Survivor,Bonfire,Toto,Hardline,House of Lords,Hughes/Thrall,Michael Bolton,Nightranger,Boston.

I enjoy Melodic Rock too. I enjoy Firehouse too apart from the other bands mentioned.

Boston is my biggest influence, bar none, despite my favorite band being Rush.

All those are great bands, in fact Triumph released a greatest hits recently, also all of their records have been re issue by Frontiers, Metalmind Productions also has some good AOR re-releases. Harem Scarem is one of my favs too underrated in my opinion. Harry Hess was on a new cd project recently called First Signal, check it out a great record.

like what, in flames?

The new Marcie Free led Unruly Child album is out now and man the songs i have heard from it, are brilliant, check them out of youtube.. you will be blown away by the legendary voice of AOR.

If you are looking for some awesome Melodic Rock/Metal, check out the new duet album by Michael Kiske and Amanda Somerville. This is just some amazing material, had never heard of Amanda before but the rock world needs to bring her to the forefront. She apparently took Simone Simons place on a US tour in 2008 when Simone was sick and got really positive reviews.

I dont listen to alot but I do love Place Vendome, Dreamtide and Harem Scarem.

Love that shit! Just got all these in the mail:

Anderson/Laine/Readman - Three
Crash The System – The Crowning
Eden’s Curse – Seven Deadly Sins: The Acoustic Sessions
Fair Warning – Brother’s Keeper (w/Bonus Track)
Fair Warning – Rainmaker
Kickhunter – All In
Kip Winger – From The Moon To The Sun (w/Bonus Track)
S.I.N. – Somewhere Into Nowhere
Slamer – Nowhere Land
Stan Bush - Dream The Dream
The Lou Gramm Band – The Lou Gramm Band (w/Bonus Tracks)
Tony Harnell And The Mercury Train – Round Trip (w/Bonus Track)
Vicious Mary – Vicious Mary

Last week, when The End Records had 60% off, there were a ton of Frontiers Records albums. Last night, with 70% off, there were still a few, so I bought those as well.

Oh, and check out Places of Power, if you want a killer album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXitDvc9v6w

Thin Lizzy = Melodic Rock

Not really.

Which albums are you listening to?

Which albums are you listening to?

Jail break, Johnny the fox and Bad reputation are classic melodic rock,
twin guitar harmonies way before Maiden made it famous, just my opinion tho.

Black Rose is really melodic. I think Big Country really drew a lot of inspiration from that one.

yes your are right about Black Rose !!! Gary Moore one of my favorite

The term "melodic rock" is rather ambiguous. It's basically what's used to describe modern AOR. Thin Lizzy, going by what genre labels generally refer to, would be more in the 70s rock/hard rock vein.

Are they a rock band that has melodic songs? No doubt. But they don't sound like Survivor or Stan Bush or Eden's Curse, you know. Those bands are generally the kind of bands lumped into the "melodic rock" category.

Yes, I know genres and labels are lame.