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Melodic Rock, AOR, Hard Rock, Prog, Classic Rock news

Author: 0dayrox

GUNS N' ROSES

GUNS N’ ROSES – Use Your Illusion I & II (Japan Edition) [30th Anniversary]

Exactly thirty years ago today, September 17, GUNS N’ ROSES simultaneously released their third and fourth studio albums, ‘Use Your Illusion I‘ and ‘Use Your Illusion II‘. There isn’t a CD reissue, but we at 0dayrox celebrate the 30 years of these albums with the Japanese Edition, just because we think both are milestones in Hard Rock history. In many ways ‘Use Your Illusion I & II‘ marked the end of an era in Rock, and were the last great GUNS N’ ROSES songs.
During the early ’90s, there weren’t many acts that could touch GN’R and the ‘Use Your Illusion’ albums were an example of a band on top of their game pursuing something special…

OZZY OSBOURNE / REMASTER / ZAKK WYLDE

OZZY OSBOURNE – No More Tears [30th Anniversary Expanded Edition +13] (2021) *0dayrox Exclusive*

More than 30 years after its release, OZZY OSBOURNE’s sixth solo album –the Top 10 (#7) and quadruple platinum NO MORE TEARS will be celebrated with an expanded digital audio album due out September 17, plus a limited 2LP vinyl version. This 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition includes no less than 13 bonus tracks.
In its release, NO MORE TEARS yielded four top ten singles on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart, “Mama, I’m Coming Home” (#2), “Road To Nowhere” (#3), “Time After Time” (#6) and the title track (#10). In addition, the album’s “I Don’t Want to Change the World” earned OZZY his first Grammy for a live version of the track that was featured on his 1993 LIVE AND LOUD album.
The Grammy-winning track was one of the album’s four songs co-written with OZZY’s longtime friend and colleague Lemmy Kilmister; the others include “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” “Desire,” and “Hellraiser.”
Here’s a special 2021 remix of “Hellraiser” feat Lemmy, as part of the 13 bonus tracks.
You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

KING ZEBRA

KING ZEBRA – Survivors (2021) *0dayrox Exclusive*

Founded by Eric St. Michaels (ex- China), Swiss hard rockers KING ZEBRA have been around for almost a decade, releasing some singles, EP’s and touring extensively, and now are ready to release their debut album with Golden Robot / Crusader Records titled ”Survivors”. The band rides the line between modern and traditional old school ’80s hard rock / glam metal with tunes that certainly make them stand out from other rock acts that come from Switzerland.
The album opens with the cleverly titled ‘Under Destruction’, a high octane rocker that’s one of those “dangerous while driving” songs that can make you hit the gas just a little too hard if you’re not careful. The CD then sails into first single ‘She Don’t Like My R’N’R’, with it’s bluesy swagger that’s a different beast altogether from the first track.
From these two songs you can ascertain this is a band that is capable of touching on various genres of hard rock and delivering quite impressive results.
You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

INTERCORE

INTERCORE – Dreams For Sale (2021)

Released by Pride & Joy Records, “Dreams For Sale” is Sweden’s INTERCORE debut album, four years in the making. The time was well spent: it is an enjoyable, polished set of melodic hard rock songs.
Guitarist, songwriter and producer Raimo Rommedahl (ex Cousin Bill) and singer/guitarist Jesper Max (ex Friase) were touring musicians who met in early 2014. They shared a deep desire for making their own music and a dream of building their own professional studio. The result was the opening of premium Rockstone Studio in 2016.
In order to complete the lineup, they brought in drummer Thomas “Shuffle” Persson (ex Highlander) and bass player Robert Fallqvist, and InterCore born.
InterCore’s music is classic Scandinavian melodic hard rock: think current EUROPE with its bluesy traditional riffs & sound. There’s something of SCORPIONS, TREAT, THIN LIZZY too, all very well arranged & produced by Rommedahl & Max.

MIKE + THE MECHANICS / PAUL CARRACK

PAUL CARRACK – One on One (2021)

British Sheffield’s singer / songwriter PAUL CARRACK is rightly known as “the man with the golden voice”, with an impressive solo career but also as member of Mike + The Mechanics, Roxy Music, Squeeze, Roger Waters’ backing band and more. Indeed, if vocal talent equalled financial success, Paul Carrack would be a bigger name than legends such as Phil Collins or Elton John.
There are plenty more flattering epithets that critics and fans could confer on Paul – two off the top of the old head; “consistent” and “reliable”.
After many delays due the pandemic, finally his new solo album ‘One on One’ is being released today, and doesn’t disappoint – it’s both “consistent” and “reliable” and that “golden voice” has never sounded better…

FICTION SYXX / JK NORTHRUP

FICTION SYXX – Ghost Of My Fathers Past (2021)

Melodic hard rock / progressive rockers FICTION SYXX have put together a very well thought out, superbly executed set of tracks on new album ”Ghosts of My Fathers Past”. Spurning out and out bombast – though there are many moments throughout the record where sheer pomp metal majesty does win the day – in favour of old fashioned concepts like songwriting smarts and sheer talent, the band have created nine thoughtful, often poignant cuts built around the superb vocals of ex- BILOXI Mark Lanoue and the excellent guitar playing of ex- KING KOBRA JK Northrup…

DAUGHTRY

DAUGHTRY – Dearly Beloved (2021)

With three years since their last album, DAUGHTRY announces new LP, ”Dearly Beloved” due out September 17. The 13-track album features the Billboard Hard Rock Digital Songs Sales Chart #1 and Top 20 Active Rock Radio Hit ‘Heavy Is the Crown’, which lead the band’s upcoming headlining in-person tour kicking off this November 2021.
Though it could be argued that the singer’s most impressive achievement was breaking free of the curse of American Idol in the mid-2000s, since then Daughtry has established himself as a band leader and songwriter on his own merit.
With a string of hits and memorable anthems already behind him, ”Dearly Beloved’ promises to add even more to the collection, hitting mainly the right notes…

BILLY IDOL

BILLY IDOL – The Roadside (2021)

Eighties icon BILLY IDOL is set to release ”The Roadside” — his first new release in nearly seven years — on September 17 via Dark Horse Records. Produced by Butch Walker and featuring Idol’s longtime lead guitarist and co-writer Steve Stevens, ”The Roadside” was conceived, recorded, and mixed almost entirely under the shadow of the pandemic.
The new studio material is much closer to Idol’s classic ’80s works than the material of his last album (2014), an orientation we like a lot. The lead single “Bitter Taste” features some of Idol’s most introspective and confessional lyrics ever, as he confronts death, rebirth, and his personal growth in the thirty-one years since his near-fatal 1990 motorcycle accident.
When Stevens intertwines the acoustic guitar with the electric, it’s money. Shading the light with the dark, it’s the perfect balance. Stevens is one of those guitar greats who never gets the credit he deserves. He and Idol are a fabulous combination…

DREAM THEATER / METALLICA

DREAM THEATER – Lost Not Forgotten Archives; Master of Puppets – Live in Barcelona (2021)

DREAM THEATER are pleased to announce the upcoming re-release of one of the most sought-after entries in the band’s previously recorded Ytsejam Records catalog: “Master of Puppets”. The next entry in the Lost Not Forgotten Archives series will see this remastered edition of the band’s historic presentation from Barcelona, Spain, of Metallica’s 6x-certified platinum record, performed live in its entirety in 2002.
Here, Dream Theater cover Master of Puppets without drawing attention to themselves. Mike Portnoy does not grandstand and overplay. Nobody does. If the effort was to do an authentic version of Puppets, as close to note for note as possible, then I say mission accomplished. Beat for beat, this is stunningly true to the original album… with a Dream Theater flavor.
And it’s awesome…

DUCKWALK CHUCK

DUCKWALK CHUCK – Fired Up (2021)

Norwegian Hard Rockers DUCKWALK CHUCK has been active for 20 years, and to celebrate their anniversary they are about to release what should be their finest album, the upcoming ”Fired Up”.
Duckwalk Chuck – what a fun name by the way – music premise is to have a good time, straight in your face, timeless rock ‘n’ roll.
Opener, the title track, pretty much summarizes the band’s simple yet effective formula. ‘All Fired Up’ is not a cover of the Tina Turner cover of the Pat Benatar cover of the Kerryn Tolhurst song of the same name- what it is though is a kickin’ classic hard rocker compete with lyrics about leather & studs and some gang vocals in the choruses. Classic rock riffing, rolling bass lines, four to the floor drums and dirty raspy vocals give us exactly what we’d expect from a good rock ‘n’ roll song…

TALES OF THE OLD

TALES OF THE OLD – The Book Of Chaos (2021)

While formed more than a decade ago, “The Book Of Chaos” is TALES OF THE OLD first album to be released by Pride & Joy Music. Founded by keyboard player Mike Tzanakis, this Greek based band recorded an EP in 2012 but faced a lot of unspeakable difficulties and obstacles, until a couple years ago Tzanakis decided to reform the whole band and give birth to his dream. New members, new reality, a total new vision. A project which would never take flesh and bones without the contribution of renowned musician producer Bob Katsionis. Italian Fabio Lione, among others, contribute vocals on several songs.
The band’s sound is quite unique, mixing elements from classic melodic metal, hard rock, progressive with synth / keyboard orchestrations entwined with lyrics inspired by the Medieval Era, making the music of TALES OF THE OLD sound like a perfect soundtrack of the Dark Ages and the eternal battle of Good & Evil.

EDGE OF PARADISE

EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown (2021)

“The Unknown” is EDGE OF PARADISE‘s fourth studio album, coming on the heels of their well-received third album, and Frontiers Music debut, ‘Universe’. The band teamed up with renowned producer Howard Benson (Halestorm, Black Stone Cherry) who, together with Mike Plotnikoff (Halestorm) and Neil Sanderson (Three Days Grace) helped the band craft their biggest sounding album yet. Add in mixing and mastering by Jacob Hansen (Pretty Maids) and you have a fool proof recipe for a sonically stunning album.
“The Unknown” develops even more Edge Of Paradise’s overall symphonic and melodic metal sound while bringing it to the next level with big hooks paired with monolithic guitar riffs in a spacious sea of electric symphonic sounds…

ROBLEDO

ROBLEDO – Wanted Man (2021)

“Wanted Man” is the international presentation for vocalist James ROBLEDO, his debut album for Frontiers Music. James was first signed to the label as part of the melodic metal band Sinner’s Blood, whose debut album ‘The Mirror Star’ surprised listeners with their stunning take on melodic metal. The instrumentation and songwriting were superb and James’ voice equally impressed.
Frontiers was eager to explore more avenues to work with James and get his powerful vocals wider recognition, thus the idea of a solo album was born. “Wanted Man”, written and produced with Alessandro Del Vecchio, is a showcase of this wonderful singer’s talents.
Fortunately, “Wanted Man” doesn’t sounds like other Del Vecchio cookie-cutter productions, giving the songs, and especially Robledo’s abilities, a wide range of variation and different sounds…

DEGREED / ROBIN RED

ROBIN RED (Degreed) – Robin Red (2021)

Last year, ROBIN RED, lead vocalist of Sweden’s great modern melodic rockers Degreed, decided to launch a solo career and sent his demos to Frontiers Music, who were quite thrilled with what they heard, to say the least. ”I’ve been thinking about doing a solo album for many years. It’s kind of a dream come true. But I never really felt ready, not until now. I’m gonna go back to the roots and make it a little more organic. I’m very inspired by artists like Jimmy Barnes and Bryan Adams, and the sound will not be far from there. But it will still be me,” says Robin.
The resulting album is indeed a melodic rock fest with catchy, uptempo songs that will mightily impress fans of the genre and especially of such artists as Foreigner, Rick Springfield, Bryan Adams and John Waite. The album was recorded together with Dave Dalone (H.E.A.T), as producer, guitarist and co-songwriter.

VEGA

VEGA – Anarchy And Unity (2021)

UK melodic rockers VEGA are back with “Anarchy and Unity,” their seventh studio album overall and the culmination of a string of releases which started in 2009 with their debut album ‘Kiss of Life’. The new album, while not a departure from the band’s defined and classy sound, shows a band determined, mature, and ready for the next step in their career. It has a crisp sound and immaculate musicianship showcasing the great talents in the band. On the songwriting front, the band have returned with a more muscular sound, but no less full to the brim with melodies that will grab you from the first note to the last.
“Anarchy and Unity” sees two new faces in the band, Billy Taylor (ex-Inglorious) on guitars and Pete Newdeck (Nitrate, Midnite City) on drums
With this rejuvenated lineup VEGA has created their ‘magnificent seventh’, perhaps their best to date. The title of last track pretty much sums up the new CD: ‘2Die4’…