AOR – Power Of Metal.dk

Royal Mob – Cinematic

Rick Ossian — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 12:50:54 +0000

This album is probably perfect for certain markets: the teenybopper AOR scene (Maroon 5, The Darkness, etc.), pop rock, NOT heavy metal. The harmonies and the melodies are like slick polished steel. I don’t recall hearing a single lead guitar solo, though there were some interesting rhythms and riffs going on. The bass guitar was heard to do a bit of plucking as well. The interesting thing about these fellows is that their music touches our heartstrings ever-so-lightly. Just when you think you’re certain this is pop pap, all of a sudden they hit you with a lyric from the title track: “She’s a cinematic girl/ The drama in her eyes can kill you with a look”. Deep stuff.

The four guys in Royal Mob hail from Copenhagen, and Cinematic is filled with sharp pop hooks on three-minute FM-friendly gems. The longest track, What Do You Want From Me?, sort of a bluesier pop number, clocks in at 4:20. All of the others are right around the three-minute mark. What does that tell me? It tells me that these boys are shooting for the stars. If you want to make a mark on the pop world, you have to concoct something that will make people remember you. Enter the video for I Wanna Lie With You. This is a memorable video if ever there was one.

Of the other tracks, there are a few standouts. I was definitely digging the rhythm guitar work on Fire, even though it was basically just a boy band with a bit of a rock edge. The lyrics are deplorable, however (“You are my fire/ My sweet desire”). Didn’t that go out in the 80’s? The closer, Become, features some very nice rhythm work on the drums. Save You does have some good heavy riffing, but for the most part is still just basic pop. If you’re after hard rock with Royal Mob, then look elsewhere, reader. Please, don’t do this to yourself. It’s good, not just not my cuppa…

The Sea Within – The Sea Within

Rick Ossian — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 18:33:59 +0000

Today we look at Prog’s most recent supergroup, The Sea Within, and their self-titled eponymous debut. When it comes to supergroups, Prog is no stranger to danger. For many years we have been treated to the likes of Sons of Apollo, Flying Colours, etc., etc., almost ad nauseum. Rest assured, dear readers, I would not waste your time if this aggregation was not worth listening to. To begin with, let’s just say that the personnel involved on this most recent collaboration reads like a Who’s Who of the current prog world. On board are Marco Minneman (Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, UK, Joe Satriani), Jonas Reingold (Flower Kings, Karmakanic, The Tangent), Roine Stolt (Anderson/Stolt, Transatlantic, Flower Kings), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), Tom Brislin (Yes-symphonic, Renaissance, Camel, Spiraling, Meatloaf) and Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev, Flying Colors). Also on the sidelines are Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Rob Townsend and Jon Anderson.

Of course, all that star power wouldn’t mean anything if the tunes were lame. Ashes of Dawn, the opener, smacks slightly of Riverside. This is classic prog, with a wah solo about 3 minutes in, then a sax solo of all things! They Know My Name features wicked sky vocals and a piano intro that will boggle your brain. The Void is slower and heavier, and even gets a bit dark at times. An Eye For an Eye For an Eye is a longer number, right at 7 minutes, and features busy drumming, piano and bass solos, and well you get the picture, right? Lots of soloing involved here!

Goodbye is a slower, mellower number. The wah pedal is used liberally. Some cool shredding, and a funky midsection also. Sea Without is an avant-garde sort of jam with waves FX. Broken Cord is very long – twice as long as the Eyes tune – 14 minutes! You might think it would get boring, but I didn’t. The Hiding of Truth is another mellower tune, but has some excellent vocals. This brings us to the end of Disc 1.

CD 2 starts us off with another longer number, The Roaring Silence. Lots of good bass on here, as on most of the tracks. Where Are You Going? is another vocal showcase, with some nice bass and piano. Time is another longer number with a neat mystical intro. Denise, the closer, is not your typical love song. There is a really ethereal section here that blew my mind, and that does not happen often, friends! However, let me caution the skeptical reader: if you are into prog metal, I’m sorry but you won’t really find it here. There are metallic moments, but this is more AOR prog, if you get my meaning.

Dukes of the Orient – Dukes of the Orient

Kenn Jensen — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 10:54:39 +0000

On surface this looks like a brand new up- and coming band, but if you look closer you’ll hear and see that this is actually two veterans joining forces under the moniker Dukes of the Orient. Behind the name hides none other than John Payne (ex-Asia) and Erik Norlander (Last in Line, Lana Lane, solo etc.) and the band has its origin in the 2007 version of Asia (touring as Asia featuring John Payne), which also featured Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellen, who are also a part of this recording.

Guthrie Govan left to form The Aristocrats and he was replaced by Bruce Bouillet followed by Jeff Kollman and Moni Scaria, all of whom are a part of this as well. The songs have been created over the years and are now released out of respect for the late John Wetton.

The result is first class, if you happen to like Asia, because all of the songs are written with that band in mind and it sounds and feels like Asia all the way. It’s clear that these musicians know their craft and the roots of Asia to the fullest. And when you know the background for this recording then there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy this as much as any Asia album.

Dukes of the Orient carries the Asia torch on with great pride and the humility needed to deliver an album so close to the original. And the perfect fusion of AOR and progressive rock should appeal to many rock fans across the globe.

Well done!

Best moments: “Strange Days”, “Time Waits For No One” & “Fourth of July”.

Unruly Child – Unhinged: Live from Milan

Kenn Jensen — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 13:30:19 +0000

The Frontiers Rock Festival has quickly established itself as one the most important hard rock festivals in Europe, and the big getting together of label’s band has produced many fine and unique performances over the year. Last year it was time for Unruly Child to hit the stage and give the audience a once in a lifetime experience: playing their critical acclaimed debut album in it’s entirety (with the exception of “Criminal”).

Personally I think their debut album is one the best Hard Rock albums with a strong AOR vibe from the nineties, but their sophomore album ‘Waiting for the Sun’ does in my world top it and will always be the album I return to… but let’s return to this live album.

They have mixed the set-list nicely up without ruining the flow of the show, you get all the cool songs from the album, just in another order. The performance is solid and the songs do still hold water so many years later. Unruly Child proves that they are still current all these years later.

A fine live disc (and DVD) from a vastly underrated band – if you like their studio albums then I suggest you should check this release out as well.

Raintimes – Raintimes

Kenn Jensen — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 13:08:09 +0000

It is very easy to try too hard and fail when it comes to AOR; the line between cheesy and well done is razorsharp. And newcomers Raintimes do thankfully walk on the right side of the line, and delivers a fine debut album with many fine melodic rock songs that should appeal to AOR fans all over the World.

If The Storm crosses your mind a few times when you listen to this album it’s no coincident, because one of the driving forces in the band Pierpaolo Monti wanted to create an album that paid tribute to his love and admiration to The Storm. Together with Davide Barbieri he created a force to be reckoned with when you talk about modern AOR bands.

The decision to hire Michael Shotton (Von Groove) was in retrospective a very wise and intelligent choice because his presence helps elevate this album above many up and coming new AOR bands.

The self-titled debut album is amongst the best AOR albums I’ve come across the past five years – but remember it’s AOR and might be too polished, chlichéd and cheesy for your taste, so so give it a listen before you throw your hard earned money at it…

The Night Flight Orchestra – Amber Galactic

Wade Reitz — Thu, 25 May 2017 14:01:22 +0000

I think I can speak for many of you visitors to Power of Metal when I say metal is not the only music I listen to. I feel like I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes, especially if you more than glance at my musical library. Sure, metal is the most dominant, but it’s not all that’s there. One of my new found guilty pleasures is yacht rock, with its smooth beats and cheesy lyrics. My love of late 70’s/early, 80’s arena rock probably drove me there. Björn “Speed” Strid and David Andersson of Soilwork also have proclaimed their love for this genre, which is how The Night Flight Orchestra came about. They have just released their third album, Amber Galactic, through Nuclear Blast Records on May 19, 2017.

Amber Galactic is as groovy as ever, with each song’s lyrics reading like the plot of an 80’s porn. Perfect, right? Damn near, as each track has its own identity, but the album still flows very well. Opening track ‘Midnight Flyer’ shuffles in with a triplet filled kick drum. It and ‘Space Whisperer’ are two of the heavier tracks on the record. We always knew Strid had one of the best voices in the melo-death world, but it is most clear in TNFO. The combination of keyboards and backing vocals really highlights its soulfulness on tracks like ‘Star of Rio,’ ‘Josephine,’ and ‘Something Mysterious.’ Using different modulations and synths also adds just the right amount of “spaceyness” to tracks like ‘Gemini’ and ‘Saturn in Velvet.’ In addition, the omission of Hammond organs brings the tunes out of the 70’s and firmly into the early 80’s. None more so than the extra groovy ‘Domino’ or the tambourine tinged ‘Sad State of Affairs.’

Amber Galactic might not be The Night Flight Orchestra’s heaviest record, but it is definitely their most complete. The orchestra’s sound has slowly changed since their first album, but it seems to have more to do with the production than the style. Between the outstanding musicianship and an obvious love for the music of the period, they have the recipe for this flavor of AOR tuned to perfection. I suppose that is what TNFO is really about: a love for something that once was, and the need to make it again. It’s been fun listening to the “evolution” of TNFO, and I can bet their next step will once again take us on an incredible journey.

Lionville – A World of Fools

Kenn Jensen — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:00:04 +0000

Five years have passed since their last album, and the line-up is not the same any longer, but that doesn’t seem to matter, because Lionville are still waving the AOR flag high. Founder, songwriter, and guitarist Stefano Lionetti is a skillful and talented songwriter and guitarist who knows his trade, and so does vocalist Lars Säflund (Work of Art) with his smooth voice.

AOR is all about catchy choruses, melodic vocal harmonies, and sweet sugar coated songs about love and harmony. It is pretty easy to fall into the trap and use the same template for all of your songs. The result is an album that leaves no lasting impression.

That’s sadly the case here. A World of Fools is a very smooth ride down the middle of the road. Too smooth, too polished, and too average if you ask me. Only the strong singing and a few guitar solos help salvage an otherwise very bland experience.

This has simply not struck a nerve with me at all, and even after numerous spins I still haven’t found a favorite song, which in my world tells the whole story of the product at hand. Sad, but true.