THE BOYSCOUT - Blood Red Rose [A Rock Fantasy] (2012)

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Manuel "The Boyscout" Mijalkovski is a German guitarist & vocalist with an immeasurable love for motorcycles, but aso for rock 'n' roll music.
This biker-rocker has been developing his musical passion from twenty years, occasionally recording and releasing by his own several singles.
Now The Boyscout is ready to bring out his full length debut "Blood Red Rose; A Rock Fantasy".

The mastermind behind "The Boyscout" is no other than Michael Voss (Michael Schenker, Casanova, Mad Max), who has played, produced and given musical direction to Manuel "The Boyscout" Mijalkovski ambition to rock the world.
The CD "Blood Red Rose; A Rock Fantasy" is available in Germany but will see its international release in August, 24th.
This promotional material includes some tracks from the album, featuring impressive guest stars such as Robin Beck and Amanda Somerville.

Manuel's declared influences are Bon Jovi, Gotthard, Casanova, and indeed we can hear these band's styles in his music.
Title track "Blood Red Rose; A Rock Fantasy" is a very good polished melodius rock tune including real orchestration, and a truly good duet with Somerville. The 'single edit' version, apart from being shorter, seems a bit re-mixed.
"Look At Me Now" has a catchy Casanova melodic rock style, while "Bikers Feeling" is a cool hard rocking ode to the 'biker' lifestile.
"Hey… I Love You!!!" is presented in two versions; one with The Boyscout on main vocals, and the other, much more interesting, in a duet with the always lovable Robin Beck.

The music is really well produced by Michael Voss, who also adds his touch with many instrumentation, and although Manuel The Boyscout isn't the best singer in the world, his hoarse vocals work for these tunes.
And we have Robin Beck and Amanda Somerville!
A future release to keep an eye on.

As a curious and innovative method of promotion, Manuel "The Boyscout" Mijalkovski is offering this deal; if you pre-order the CD and send him the receipt, as soon as 25.000 copies of the album "Blood Red Rose; A Rock Fantasy" are sold worldwide, two lucky winners will be drawn by a notary.
Prizes: a Harley Davidson bike and money.
The Boyscout says: "This is not a lottery or gambling, this is my way of saying Thank You to help me live my dream and I will give you the gift of 1 x Harley Davidson 'Fat Boy' and 1 x 10.000 € cash".
More info in his website: www.theboyscoutrocks.de/en


01 - Blood Red Rose (A Rock Fantasy) [feat. Amanda Somerville]
02 - Look At Me Now
03 - Blood Red Rose (single edit)
04 - Hey… I Love You!!! [feat. Robin Beck]
05 - Bikers Feeling
06 - Hey… I Love You!!! [Boyscout Edit]


Manuel "The Boyscout" Mijalkovski: lead vocals, guitar
Michael Voss: guitar, bass, production
Heiko Strings: guitar, bass, keys
Ben Hatten: drums, percussion
Stefan Heinz: keys
Robin Beck: lead vocals on 4
Amanda Somerville: lead vocals on 1, 3



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EMPIRE (Tony Martin) - Trading Souls (2012)

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“Trading Souls” was the sophomore release from EMPIRE, the super-group project from guitarist Rolf Munkes.
Alongside the German axe slingers skills we have the formidable vocal talents of Tony Martin (ex Black Sabbath), the keyboard wizardry of Don Airey (Deep Purple / ex Rainbow), whilst bass legend Neil Murray (ex Whitesnake) forms a tight rhythmic unit with drummer Gerald Kloos (Winterlong / Condition Red).
There's even a special guest in drummer Anders Johansson (ex Yngwie Malmsteen) who plays on two tracks.

It's always a supreme pleasure to hear Tony Martin.
His performance on the catchy opener "One In A Million" clearly shows why the man is one of the best singers of his generation. A great melodic hard rock track in the tradition of classic Whitesnake.
The same can be said for "Teenage Deadhead", a mellow tune that hints of perhaps Riverdogs, with sweeping melodies and tuneful acoustic guitar work from Mokes.
Fans of heavier music will love "Big World, Little Man", the catchy riff-o-rama of "You" , or the guitar crunch of "Wherever You Go." Munkes proves to be a capable guitarist, not one to overplay, but injects plenty of meaty riffs and wah-wah tinged solos throughout.
His thick chords and harmonic fills are highlighted on the upbeat closer "Back in the Light", a song whose lyrics tells of the desire for this type of music to once again top the charts.


These 10 tracks perfectly showcase the combined decades of experience and talent from this super group. The end result is a melodic hard rock record brimming with catchy anthems and great ensemble playing.
Originally released in 2003, “Trading Souls” saw Empire return after their 2001 debut 'Hypnotica' with an album full of killer songs in a classic late '80s melodious rockin' setting.
Now after a number of years being out of print and almost a decade on from original release, Lion Music presents a new limited edition digipak version of the CD which sees the album sounding as fresh in 2012 as it did in 2003.
Really Recommended.


01. One In A Million
02. Pay Back Time
03. Teenage Deadhead*
04. Big World, Little Man
05. You
06. Perfect Singularity
07. Wherever You Go*
08. Did You Ever Love Me
09. Comin' Home
10. Back In The Light


Tony Martin - Vocals
Rolf Munkes - Guitars
Neil Murray - Bass
Gerald Kloos - Drums
Don Airey - Keyboards
Anders Johansson - Drums *



BUY IT !
www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/EmpireTradingLE.htm

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MARYANN COTTON - Free Falling Angels (2012)

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"Free Falling Angels" is the debut CD of MARYANN COTTON, a new rock act from Denmark combining former members of King Diamond's band with a young and promising Scandinavian singer.
I am talking about Jackie Patino, also known as the shocking Maryann Cotton.

Jackie wanted a classic rock character (like Alice Cooper) to develop his love for '70s and '80s shock rock, and took his name from a disturbed British woman who killed over 20 people in London back in the 1850. Mary Ann Cotton was found guilty of poisoning many people including various lovers and husbands. She was convicted and hung in 1873 at the age of 40. Creepy!
Jackie Patino is the son of Hal Patino, the fairly famous bassist from who has been in King Diamond, Force Of Evil and Pretty Maids.
The cool side of this project is that Jackie's father is part of his backing band, which includes well known names of the Danish metal scene; Snowy Shaw (drums), Pete Blakk (guitar) Andy LaRocque (guitar) and Sebastain Sly (guitar).

But Maryann Cotton (the band, the character) isn't metal at all.
This is a Rock album with hints of Hard Rock and a huge retro vibe. The style deriving from their performance is vintage, flirting with the '70s and '80s but with a 2012 updated sound.
Maryann / Jackie sings like a young Alice Cooper, both in the phrasing and timbre, while the music and arrangements are close to Alice as well, peppered with some eighties smell on some tracks, specially the ballads.
The songs have an underlying current of malice related to shock rock but also play so well with melodious hard rock conventions like cowbells, lots of sound-effects, fake cheering added in the background, and more.

Among the interesting tracks on this CD we have the first single "Shock Me", a punchy Hard Rock number with nice orchestration and rhythm.
"Night Train To Paris" is heavier than the average rock yet also commercial and catchy at the same time. Easily delivered, this song puts a smile on you face.
I can say nearly the same on "Get It On", which is more snappy and energetic, and "Miss Misery" that took a bluesy turn and patched it up together with little shards of Metal and Rock.
Anyone who even heard an Alice Cooper album from late seventies will instantly recognize many of the musical components, but that is really awesome because no one is doing that these days, not even Alice himself.
If you listen carefully you can find as well bits of Kiss, Queen and Meatloaf scattered in the album.


With "Free Falling Angels" Maryann Cotton is trying to revive the lost days of theatrical, shocking rock, and success for the most part.
Jackie Patino graces his 'Maryann Cotton' character with multi-facted and multi-dimensional vocals - not in the sense of wide range or power - just in the way this kind of material needs; sometimes sings, sometimes whispers, sometimes croons, always in a precise retro fashion.
The musicians backing Cotton are also doing a fine work on this recording, and altough all come from a metal background they are experienced and play this style with ease.
Production is very good, there is a lot going on in this music, it's very polished and crafted to create the spooky atmosphere.
"Free Falling Angels" is a very interesting release framed into the almost disappeared shock rock, with a 2012 updated sound but containing all the roots from the famous '70s and '80s bands in this genre.
Pleasing and fun to listen, really well done.


01 - Heaven Send For Me
02 - Never Waste Land
03 - Crazy
04 - Get It On
05 - Free Falling Angels
06 - Night Train To Paris
07 - Die In Britain
08 - Miss Misery
09 - Shock Me
10 - The One
11 - "Maryann"


Maryann Cotton (Jackie Patino) - Vocals
Hal Patino - Bass
Pete Blakk - Guitars
Sebastian Sly - Guitars
Snowy Shaw - Drums
Andy LaRocque - guest Guitars



BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Free-Fallen-Angels-Maryann-Cotton/dp/B007XT7VL2

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DOCKER'S GUILD - The Mystic Technocracy Season 1 (2012)

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DOCKER'S GUILD is the brainchild of keyboardist and vocalist Douglas R. Docker (ex- Biloxi), who has managed to gather an impressive cast of other musicians and vocalists to back his project; the five 'seasons' / chapters "The Mystic Technocracy".

This first CD, called “Season I: The Age of Ignorance”, sees the participation of worldwide acclaimed vocalists like John Payne (Asia), Goran Edman (ex Malmsteen, Karmakanic), Tony Mills (TNT) and Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Epica).
Also first class musicians: guitarists Guthrie Govan (Asia) and Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), bassist Tony Franklin (Blue Murder) and drummers Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth / Joe Satriani) and Magnus Jacobson (Miss Behavior).
The sound of "The Mystic Technocracy" results from the mixture of several music styles. Docker echoes rocks greats from Yes and Genesis to Rush and Dream Theater, from Giuffria to ELP and more in between, with both his synth playing and compositions.

But rather than being overly technical or complex, Docker's Guild bedecks the arrangements in a very accessible AOR melodic rock wrapper. The music is hardly obscure or oppressive, but easily extravagant and expansive, friendly and pleasing.
It's massive ear candy, with the title track "The Mystic Technocracy", "Black Swans", "The Divine Comedy" and "The Secret of DNA" pure pleasures to enjoy.
"The Gem Of Love" is a gem of a song indeed, perhaps the more melodic rock oriented in the album, filled with tons of keys/guitar interplay and great singing.
Song wise the album contains a couple of multi-section suites, but mostly consists of straightforward rocking songs and ballads strongly keyboard-oriented, with Douglas using an arsenal of modern and vintage keyboards inspired by musicians like Geoff Downes, Gregg Giuffria and Keith Emerson.


"The Mystic Technocracy Season I: The Age of Ignorance" is meant to be part one of a 5 part concept album series with a story revolving around the idea of fanatical, dogmatic religion waging war and committing atrocities in the name of their god.
Sonically the CD is big and brilliant, perhaps to be expected where keyboards (and variants of) make up a big part of the sonic landscape but we find as well excellent guitar parts and bouncing drumming. The vocals are fantastic, as expected with the luminaires involved.
Production is first rate, masterfully mixed by Simon Hanhart (producer of Asia, Marillion and Arena) and mastered by Mike Lind (Dio, Talisman, Candlemass, etc.)
A final comment would be on the album's extreme (79 minute) length. That is always a dangerous undertaking, and so it impresses me that the music never seems tired or to stay past its length.
The music in "The Mystic Technocracy Season I: The Age of Ignorance" is energetic, dramatic, large-scaled, well-orchestrated and superbly arranged & played.
A work of art is here with the emphasis firmly on songs and it promises to be a superb journey on future releases.
Strongly Recommended.


01 - A Matter Of Energy
02 - The Mystic Technocracy
03 - Darwin's Tears
04 - Norse Cosmogony (Part 1)
05 - Norse Cosmogony (Part 2)
06 - Judeo-Christian Cosmogony
07 - The Divine Comedy
08 - Legion Of Aliens
09 - Loving The Alien
10 - The Gem Of Love
11 - The Secret of DNA (Part 1)
12 - Purple Orb
13 - The Secret of DNA (Part 2)
14 - Prophecy
15 - Black Swans


Douglas R Docker: Keyboards, Lead and backing vocals
John Payne: Lead and backing vocals
Göran Edman: Lead and backing vocals, spoken voice
Tony Mills: Lead and backing vocals
Amanda Somerville: Lead and backing vocals

Jeff Watson: Rhythm & Lead Guitar, 12-string guitar
Guthrie Govan: Guitars
Tony Franklin: Bass
Gregg Bissonette: Drums
Magnus Jacobson: Drums
Donald D. Docker: Winds, spoken voice.
Additional spoken voices: Silvana Momigliano / Touria Nouri / Andrea Rampa / Janthana Rodjakkhen / Davide Ronfetto



BUY IT !
www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/DockersMystic.htm

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RICHARD MARX - A Night Out With Friends (2012)

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For more than two decades, RICHARD MARX has made an indelible mark on the music community with more than 30 million records sold and 13 #1 singles.
He remains a radio fixture as an artist and producer, working with some of the biggest names in the music business.

"A Night Out With Friends" is a live recording of a PBS series Front Row Center, set to air this US Summer.
The CD features 12 tracks (10 live + 2 brand new studio tracks) accompanied by a DVD of the concert.
In this show, Marx takes us through his legendary career and brings along a few friends including Hugh Jackman, Kevin Marks, Matt Scannell, J.C. Chasez, Sara Niemietz and more.

We have acoustic, intimate versions of "Endless Summer Nights", "Hazard" and "Through My Veins", and full rocking electric of "Should've Known Better" and "Satisfied" to name a few. Also included are two new studio tracks recently recorded.
As special gift, the live version of "Take This Heart" is exclusive to his Fan Club, and is not available in audio format in the CD/DVD package of "A Night Out With Friends".

This is a US release, in Europe and the rest of the World only will be available as import.
Really Good, vibrant show.

You've seen it first here, at zerodayrockz


01 - Endless Summer Nights (Live)
02 - One Thing Left (Live)
03 - Hazard (Live)
04 - Through My Veins (Live)
05 - When You Loved Me (Live)
06 - This I Promise You (Live)
07 - The Letter (Live)
08 - Satisfied (Live)
09 - Should've Known Better (Live)
10 - Right Here Waiting (Live)
11 - Over My Head (new track 2012)
12 - Wouldn't Let Me Love You (new track 2012)
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Take This Heart (Live) [Fan Club exclusive] *


*not available in audio format in the CD/DVD package of "A Night Out With Friends"







BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Night-With-Friends-Richard-Marx/dp/B007Y56JDQ

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TIMES UP - Snow Queen (2012)

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www.cdbaby.com/cd/timesup2

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TALISMAN - I'll Be Waiting [Deluxe Edition 2012] (2012)

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TALISMAN was one of the most representative Melodic Hard Rock acts from Sweden.
Brainchild of talented Marcel Jacob (RIP), it was as well the vehicle for powerhouse vocalist Jeff Scott Soto to be definitively accepted all over Europe.

Talisman's self-titled debut was a collection of wonderful melodic tunes, a hit after hit, but the final production / sound was not the expected by Jacob.
His family and Talisman's former members in conjunction with A Sun Hill Production Ab Sweden are planning to re-issue the band's entire catalog, remastered and with a slight remix job.
"I'll Be Waiting [Deluxe Edition 2012]" seems to be the first maxi-single of the bunch, and indeed it sounds fantastic.
There's a noticeable improvement in the sound, full of dynamics and ambiance.

Melodic rockers; this is a must from a band that, in my opinion, still ranks among the best the genre has given birth.
Superb stuff.


01 - I'll Be Waiting
02 - Standin' On Fire
03 - Dangerous
04 - I'll Be Waiting (Live at Sweden Rock Festival)


Jeff Scott Soto - vocals
Marcel Jacob - bass, rhythm guitar, drums & keyboards
Christopher Stahl - guitars
Fredrik Akesson - guitars
Jamie Borger - drums



BUY IT !
itunes.apple.com/se/album/ill-be-waiting-deluxe-edition/id532189976

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KNIGHT FURY - Time To Rock (2012)

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KNIGHT FURY was put together by none other that guitarist Chris Sanders from Lizzy Borden about two years ago. The remaining line-up is top notch, featuring Megadeth's bass player Dave Ellefson, drummer Ken Mary of Alice Cooper / House of Lords / Robin Beck fame and vocalist William King.
Their first album "Time To Rock" was released privately last year, but now they have made a deal with AOR / Metal Heaven to be published on CD. The whole thing has been mastered again for this official release.

Knight Fury comprises a very juicy line-up indeed and the perfect combination of experience, skill and raw hunger. The band don't try and take their music to a new level or anything like that, instead they opt for a very dedicated hard rock / metal hybrid that takes a little from the melodic side of things for good measure.
The experience of the members involved in this band shines through in every aspect of "Time To Rock", and as musician you don't just get a great feel like this unless you really know what you're doing.

There's an interesting element here in the fact that vocalist William King is probably not the typical sort of guy you would usually expect to front this sort of outfit.
He has an almost Vince Neil quality about him at times and occasionally even brings out a voice that would usually be more associated with AOR or melodic rock music, but he can still reach true power when he wants to. In fact, this slightly different vocal approach really adds an interesting and different color to this style of music.
The rhythm section is as good as you would expect when you get two guys of the caliber of Ellefson and Mary together.

Anyway, where the album truly shines though is in the outstanding guitar work of Chris Sanders, who is quickly becoming one of today's most exciting metal stringers. Sanders tone and guitar phrasing really does remind you of the late Randy Rhoads, and as a hard rock guitarist that would have to be one of the biggest compliments you could receive.
The riffs all have that sharp mid-eighties metal feel to them and the lead breaks are virtuoistic at every turn.
Songs like the opener “Nothing Left”, “Endless” and the title track “Time to Rock” are straight to the point, old school, '80s US catchy melodic metal cuts that should satisfy just about any fan of guitar heroes, vibrato based vocals and pounding rhythm section.
“Forbidden” and “Out On Your Own” goes for a more hard rock orientation, while “Believe” is even melodic rock, with a harmonious delivery.


"Time To Rock" is a killer rockin' CD as its title promises
Musically Knight Fury is commercial '80s melodic metal which often extends to neighboring territories such as traditional melodic hard rock.
It is a fairly versatile record and it is key to note that "Time To Rock" never gets too heavy - on the contrary - it is all melody driven, up tempo rock music featuring catchy hooks, harmonious riffs and as few keyboard parts as possible.
If you yearn for the days when six-string technical ability ala Randy Rhoads, great songwriting and skillful vocals were just as important as image, then this new Knight Fury project certainly offers up more than a tasty platter.
I listened a copy (digital only) of their last year self release, and let me tell you this new mastering sounds much, much better. The album will be pressed on vinyl as well by the specialized German label Pure Steel Records.
Quite Recommended.


01 - Nothing Left
02 - Attack
03 - Forbidden
04 - Battle For The Castle
05 - Awaken
06 - The Message
07 - Endless Night
08 - Out On Your Own
09 - Believe
10 - Time To Rock


William King - Vocals
Chris Sanders - Guitars
Dave Ellefson - Bass
Ken Mary - Drums
Adam Emmons - Keyboards



BUY IT !
www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/KnightTime.htm 
www.puresteel-records.com/bands/view/187/Knight_Fury 
www.aorheaven.com/pages/ooze/ooze_sounds.php?1221&Knight+Fury&Time+To+Rock

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