Its all anyone keeps asking – ‘what do you think of the Nestor’?! Well, folks might remember me championing the band from the time their first official single was released, so it should be no surprise that I rate the album very highly indeed and think the guys have done an amazing job of recapturing the glory days.

While the album might sound very familiar, with the various nods to classic songs of the past and some refurbished refrains, it still manages to sum up the fun elements of 80s melodic rock and the days of anthemic radio friendly hits and big soaring ballads.

The vocals are a strong point as is the equal mix of guitar and keyboards and a big production that has had some time and effort put into it.

Some have called Nestor the future of melodic rock, but I think they are providing a different service for fans - delivering one of the best albums of classic yesteryear classic AOR and melodic rock. A throwback to the glory days rather than being a band that pushes boundaries forward into the future as some other acts do.

The fast is we need both, and Nestor certainly have delivered one of the highest quality albums of this kind in recent memory. Its such a fan album with a few heartfelt ballads, it really is almost impossible to find any faults. Here’s to more glimpses into the past from the guys.

Frontiers Records continue their obsession with a Dann Huff-less Giant, something which for most fans just isn’t going to fly, no matter how you dress it up. It ain’t and never will be Giant guys.

Lineup changes are part of life, but there are specific circumstances when removing one member is akin to removing the soul of the band. And under those circumstances, its time for a new name, like when Giuffria minus David Glen Eisley morphed into House Of Lords for example.

Dann Huff is Giant. He’s not just one member being removed – he’s the vocalist, the main songwriter and guitarist.

Frontiers tried this once before with the Terry Brock/John Roth combo joining the original rhythm section. It wasn’t Giant either but at least was a solid American sounding melodic rock album I personally file alongside my Terry Brock solo CDs.

So now we have John Roth and Giant’s bass/drum combo returning with the great Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan) on vocals. Inspired choice you would think and yes, Kent sings his heart out, but he only replicates the Huff sound on a few tracks. Given his band’s amazing cover of the Giant classic ‘Stay’, I figured he would be closer to Dann’s vocal throughout.

But he doesn’t. And this to me sounds less Giant than ‘Promise Land’ album did. This time with Alessandro Del Vecchio on production and co-writing and a range of Frontiers’ other European writing regulars involved, it sounds more like a typical Frontiers Euro-melodic rock project.

That said, the guys have only picked some high quality of songs available to them and there are a few highlights here that I happily say are among the best Euro-rock songs of recent times. More specifically, the rockers Don’t Say A Word and Never Die Young and the big ballad Anna Lee.

I don’t think the production is as tight as I expected. The guitar sound is quite hollow, and the drums lack major impact, two assets of Giant’s two main studio albums that were impeccable and remarkable.

Well performed and well written and a solid Euro-AOR album overall, that I will buy, but I’ll file alongside my Perfect Plan CDs, as for the most part, that’s what the sound most closely mimics.

Music is all about moods. If there has ever been a ‘mood’ album this is it. Yesterday I had no interest in listening to it at all. Today, with the car windows down, the temperature and the volume up, I couldn’t have been happier cranking this bad boy up.

For those that haven’t heard, Jack Chrome And The Darkness Waltz is the recording project moniker for Australian rock royalty Russell Morris and Rick Springfield – both a product of the Australian pop/rock scene of the late 60s.

Its rough, its gruff, its blues drenched dirty rock n roll, with a dark heart and even darker lyrics. Celebrating the festival ‘Day Of The Dead’, the album glorifies the ying and yang of life and death, with both artists represented equally over the 14 tracks.

Basically this is two EPs of the same style put together. Rick Springfield takes 7 tracks – all written and recorded by Rick on his own in LA – and by ‘on his own’ I mean ‘on his own’ – all vocals and instruments performed by Rick himself.

Russell and his band perform the other 7 tracks, with the sequencing moving back and forth between the two.

Style wise you get two very similar takes, which was obviously the point, but to break it down, Russell delivers his usual gruff, raspy bluesy vocals in the semi-acoustic driven blues rock style that his last 3 acclaimed solo albums have delivered.

For Rick, his half of the album takes the style of The Snake King another step (or two) further into the darkness. His vocals are rougher and raspier than ever for the occasion and the heaviest blues of his last solo album are even more pronounced here.

There is no doubting who either half of Jack Chrome is, but I can imagine many RS fans having a harder time appreciating this than Russell’s fan base.

Rick breaks into a more familiar melody on Death Drives A Cadillac and 50mg Of Hope, but for the most part, this is a solid, dark blues drenched rock record.

If one point is to be taken from this record – its that Springfield is one hell of a guitar player and can deliver a swaggering blues riff alongside the best of them.

The album may not be the style everyone on the commercial rock side of life might want, but its mixed and produced impeccably, it sounds a million bucks.

One of my main objectives of running MR over the years is to give a voice to independent artists who otherwise might fly under the radar of potential fans.

Seven Ravens is a self-funded, self-recorded, self-released album featuring guitarist/producer James LePack and songwriter/producer Scott Bazzett – the very definition of an indie release, but one that demands your attention.

No expense has been spared on this record, with powerhouse vocalist Michael Bormann hired to sing, Matt Starr is on drums, the album was mixed by Pete Newdeck and mastered by Harry Hess. Also on board is the always brilliant Tony Franklin on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums.

Over the years I have seen names brought into a project to cover up inadequacies within, but the sum of all the names involved here only enhances what is already a monster base.

This is a big sounding hard rock record, in the traditional American sense, Bormann singing like the legend he is, but the album is founded on a huge guitar sound and a really tough production, putting it into the quality of material a major artist might be proud of.

The songs aren’t necessarily instant, but they are there, and repeated listens uncover those layers and melodies and also unlock so much more riffing!

This is a record for fans of classic Dokken and heavier Jaded Heart, with all bases covered as far as production, mix and even packaging. It’s a class release from top to bottom.

https://www.rathole.com/7RAVENS/