Melodic Times December – Woody’s Melodic Rock & AOR News Round Up

Stuff by Woody

As I have previously reported British rockers Thunder have decided to get back in the saddle (again!) and have been fast recording a new album which will be called Wonder Days. Its release will coincide with the bands select Arena shows including Birmingham NIA on March 13^th. They have released a video of the band performing the title track live in Japan, enjoy, it’s a monster!

British AOR legends FM fresh from their 30^th anniversary tour have announced their forthcoming album and UK tour. The new album Heroes and Villains will be released on Frontiers on April 20^th. The tour to support it will start in May and includes a visit to The Robin, in Bilston, Wolverhampton! Which is great news especially as Romeo’s Daughter will be their main support act!

The new Frontiers Records project featuring vocalists Russell Allen and Mat Sinner has been named as Level 10, their debut album Chapter One will be release on 26^th January.

Rainbow sounding Rated X release another video to promote their recently released debut album. The super group feature former rainbow front man Joe Lynn Turner, enjoy ‘Fire and Ice’ below.

Former Wig Wam front man Age Sten Neilsen’s new band Ammunition will have their debut album released on AOR Heaven in January and AOR Heaven will also release the latest Last Autumns Dream album in February.

China Sky have released a new video to promote their forthcoming comeback album which will be released in early 2015 on Escape Music. Check out the rather impressive ‘One Life’….

Legend and genre hero Rick Springfield will release ‘Stripped Down’ a CD/DVD package in February 2015.  It’s a live package taken from one of his Stripped Down tour shows; it has fourteen tracks taken from this solo and intimate show. Including ‘Affair Of The Heart’, ‘I’ve Done Everything For You’, ‘Love Somebody’ and of course ‘Jessie’s Girl’.

John Waite will release a brand new acoustic EP on December 15^th. Wooden Heart features the following tracks ‘The One That Got Away’, ‘A Heart Needs A Home’, ‘Magic Camera’ and ‘Withered and Died’.

Not the biggest name in the world but many hardcore melodic rockers will know the name M.ill.ion. So it’s sad to state the band have decided to call it a day, they have been around for 25 years!

Frontiers Records will release a Dracula inspired album in January it features the vocals of Jorn Lande who plays Dracula and the guitar skills of Trond Holter. Dracula – Swing Of Death will feature some of the following tracks, ‘Masquerade Ball’, ‘River Of Tears’, ‘Queen Of The Dead’ and ‘Into The Dark’.

Classic rockers UFO have announced their latest album will be called A Conspiracy Of Stars and will be released in February next year. They of course then hit the road for an extensive tour to promote it including shows at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on 18^th Of April and Oxford O2 Academy on the 6^th of May.

Z Records stalwarts Legion featuring Black Country guitarist Vince O’Regan and American vocalist Phil Vincent have completed their seventh album in as many years. It will be released in January 2015 and samples should be available at the Z official website from mid December.

LA Guns raid the vaults for new live album Live – Boston 1989 it will feature linear notes from Phil Lewis. It’ll be fifteen tracks long including ‘Rip & Tear’, ‘Never Enough’, ‘Sex Action’ and ‘One More Reason’.

The insanely popular Swedish rockers H.E.A.T will unleash their first live album next February. Live in London will be released on ear music and will feature fifteen track’s including ‘1,000 Miles’, ‘Inferno’, ‘Enemy In Me’ and ‘Living On The Run’.

New Frontiers super group Revolution Saints will release their debut album next February. The band features Deen Castronovo (Journey), Jack Blades (Night Ranger) and Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) and the album was produced and written by Alessandro Del Vecchio. It will feature the following tracks ‘Back On My Trail’, ‘Turn Back Time’, ‘Don’t Walk Away’ and ‘Here Forever’.

Check out the first video from Revolution Saints for the track ‘Turn back Time’, below!

Legendary Swedish Pompsters Europe have completed recording their new album War Of Kings which will see the light of day in March. This will coincide with their joint headline tour with Black Star Riders which will include a midlands show at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on March 14^th.

Black Star Riders will also release a new album for their tour with Europe; it’s called The Killer Instinct. It will feature the following tracks ‘Bullet Blues’, ‘Blindsided’, ‘Sex, Guns & Gasoline’ and ‘Turn In My Arms’. For those that don’t know this is the band risen from the ashes of Thin Lizzy and feature Almighty vocalist Ricky Warwick.

Swede’s Care Of Night have been bubbling around the melodic rock underground causing a buzz with fans for a while now. They have been picked up by AOR Heaven for the release of their debut album Connected which will be released in late January. The band features ex-members of Melodic Heavy Metallers Seven Tears and the album will feature the following tracks, ‘Cassandra’, ‘Contact’ and ‘Hearts Belong’.

Impera will release their new album Empire Of Sin through Escape Music in January. The band features Matti Alfonzetti on Vocals, Tommy Denander on Guitars and JK Impera on Drums. The album will feature the following tracks ‘Hole In The Sky’, ‘Thunder In Your Heart’, ‘Lights In the Sky’ and ‘Fly Away’.

Vocalist Jeff Scott Soto has been preparing us for his new solo album which come under the simple moniker SOTO and will introduce us to a much harder, heavier, metallic collection of songs from the popular musician. It has finally been given a release date of February 2^nd and Inside The Vertigo will be unleashed on earMusic. The album will include the following tracks, ‘Break’, ‘Narcissistically Yours’, ‘Final Say’ and ‘When I’m Older’.

Scottish rockers GUN have a brand new album Frantic out on March 23^rd. This will be the first album to feature former bassist Dante Gizzi on vocals, their previous album Popkiller featured Toby Jepson on vocals – Ultra Gun fans will know Dante sang ‘Something Worthwhile’ on the bands third and most successful album Swagger. Dante has been Gun’s official vocalist since 2010 and has played many live shows over the past four years, so plenty of time for him to cut his teeth for this new one.

Chicago based pop rockers 7^th Heaven have finally get a new singer – Adam Blair Heisler who replaces Northern Irish vocalist Keith Semple.

Danny Vaughn and Dan Reed team up for a joint headline acoustic tour in the UK next April! The Snake Oil and Harmony tour will come to The Diamond in Sutton in Ashfield on 24^th March and The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton on the 1^st April…nice….

Last In Line have pulled out of the Frontiers Rock Festival next May in Italy. No reasons have been given but their replacement has already been announced and it’s one I’m sure many fans will be very happy with – Harem Scarem!

Former Queensryche front man Geoff Tate’s new band Operation: Mindcrime have signed a multi album deal with Frontiers Records. The album is due to drop in late spring early summer. This controversial signing is sure to divide fan opinion following the battle of the ‘Queensryche’s’!

Issa returns with her fourth album Crossfire next February to be released via Frontiers Records. The entire album was written and performed by Issa and The Martin Brothers (Vega) and is a cert to be my album of 2015 – yes it is that good! Issa will release a video for the song ‘Crossfire’ shortly. The album includes a few guest appearances most notably a duet with Steve Overland on ‘Raintown’ – keep your ears peeled for melodic rock goodies ‘Ghost Inside My Heart’, ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Only You’ as well!

Canadian classic rockers Moxy will release their 40^th anniversary celebration release through Escape Music in March. It will feature a live cd and dvd as well as a re-recorded best of cd featuring songs from Moxy I, Moxy II and Riding High.

Wolfpakk – the project featuring German vocalists Michael Voss and Mark Sweeny will release their third album Rise Of the Animal in February. The Following tracks will be included, ‘Sock It To Me’, ‘Monkey On Your Back’, ‘Running Out of Time’ and ‘Rise Of The Animal.

Crazy Lixx have released a new video for the track ‘Call To Action’ in support of their recently released self titled album.

Martina Edoff has released the second video from her self-titled album – enjoy ‘Seduce Your Mind’ below.

Female fronted rockers Fyre have released another video to support their ‘Missy Powerfull’ album. Check out the rather awesome ‘The Devil Is Me’!

Popular Swede’s Eclipse will release their fourth album Armageddonize through Frontiers Records in February. Tracks to be included are ‘Stand On Your Feet’, ‘Live Like I’m Dying’, ‘Love Bites’ and ‘Caught Up In The Rush’.

Well that’s all the juicy bits of news from the past month; I’ll be back in a month’s time with even more news and gossip from the world of AOR and melodic rock.