Den 22:e juli släpper projektbandet Compass med bland annat sångaren/låtskrivaren Steve Newman (Newman, Burn) sitt nya studioalbum ”Theory Of Tides” via bolaget Escape Music. Så här går att läsa i ett pressmeddelande:

THE CONCEPTION
The Compass story began back in December 2017 when singer songwriter Steve Newman decided to write a few songs that musically would step outside the barriers imposed by many years writing for his own band Newman. This was to be something very different, liberating, both musically and lyrically, from anything he had created before, with the freedom to move across genres and not be pigeon holed within any particular musical style.

THE BAND
Part of this removal from Steve’s previous work would involve looking for a singer to bring these ideas to life. After a few auditions and a few calls in the latter part of 2018 Steve started talking with singer Ben Green about the songs and through these conversations the nucleus of the band started to take shape. David Bartlett joined the band in early 2019 and was a very natural choice, Dave being a member of the Newman touring band for the passed 9 years. with the addition of Toni Lakush filling the drum position the Compass band was complete.

THE MUSIC
A very eclectic mix pulling in influences from Dream Theater, Rush, Saga, through It Bites, and Pink Floyd. the band set about recording their debut album ”Our Time On Earth” which was subsequently released through Escape Music (ESM 342) in 2020 to great acclaim by the music press and fans of both the Melodic Rock and Metal genres. Gathering multiple 10’s and 100% reviews, Steve’s vision, and indeed the rest of the band’s was successfully realised in creating a bridge between these two genres of music. One of the greatest compliments being that the songs could not be placed into one specific category. High on the momentum from the first album, and also restricted to only studio work due to the pandemic Steve set about constructing songs within a concept for the second album. Compass are very proud to introduce you to the ”Theory Of Tides” a concept album based on the life, works, and inner turmoil of the famous astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei. It follows in the Compass tradition of creating mindscapes both musically and lyrically taking the listener through a journey that encompasses Galileo’s life. ”Theory Of Tides” shows that Compass are a developing band and becoming even more in tune with each other as writers and performers. The musical arrangements and production also reflect this natural evolution. 

The band is:
Ben Green – Vocals
Steve Newman – Guitar, Keyboards
Dave Bartlett – Bass
Toni Lakush – Drums

1. Mountains On The Moon  10:59
2. Searching For Answers     6:35
3. The Assayer                       8:08
4. Once In A Lifetime            5:17
5. Laws Of Nature Dialogue I : Fly To The Sun   7:36
6. Laws Of Nature Dialogue II : God Only Knows  5:25
7. Laws Of Nature Dialogue III : This Pendulum Swings  6:48
8. Theory Of Tides  6:31

Recorded at Chrome Dome Studios, London, England between July 2020 and February 2022Produced and Mixes by Steve MannMastered by Dave DraperExecutive Producer Khalil Turk for Escape Music Ltd.

Det spanska AOR bandet 91 Suite har precis släppt nya albumet ”Back In The Game”, som finns att hitta via bland annat Spotify. För ytterligare information: facebook.com/91suite

Fredagen den 15:e juli släpper det melodiösa rockbandet Outland nya albumet ”Where Do We Go From Here” via bolaget MR Records. Så här går att läsa i ett pressmeddelande:

When Redondo Beach, CA based Jeff Prentice and Rob Nishida got together in the Summer of 2001, it was to create a new sound, based on what both musicians considered to be a nearly forgotten genre of music in the USA, Melodic AOR Rock. Both Prentice and Nishida felt that most new American music lacked inspiration, and wanted to develop a sound that was fresh, yet reminiscent of their favorite late ’70’s and ’80’s era of rock. With influences ranging from Boston to Night Ranger and Survivor, Prentice and Nishida wrote four complete songs on the first day they got together. Says Nishida, ”We just wanted to write some songs that we could both enjoy. It was getting to the point where the only music I really liked to listen to was the stuff that I grew up with. We later realized that there were some great new bands producing AOR music on independent labels around the world, but the whole point of Jeff and I getting together originally was to create this new-old American rock sound for ourselves to get off on. As we started to refine that early material, some of our friends like Rob Johnson from the band Magnitude 9 started to encourage us, and gave us the confidence to keep writing more songs.” With Jeff Prentice, lead vocalist and guitarist of the popular Metal Blade Records band Predator, and recently MP3.COM’s most downloaded instrumental artist, handling the lead vocals and the majority of lead guitar duties, and Rob Nishida a multi-instrumental member of one of GARAGE BAND.COM’s highest rated band of 2000 Weeds, playing bass, guitar and keyboards, the band’s sound was quickly defined. About the lush background vocals, extreme guitar playing and hook-laden harmony guitars, Prentice says, ”we wanted to take the elements we loved most about our favorite melodic AOR rock, somehow make it our own, and eventually create a band around that.” After the duo wrote eight proper songs, they recruited drummer, Lance Tamanaha, formerly of the Hollywood based Triple X Records act Human Drama and banged out a demo. This demo quickly won critical acclaim with online magazines and generated label interest from around the world. The positive reaction prompted the newly christened Outland to record their first, full-length album Outland – Different Worlds in late 2002 and Long Way Home in 2004 both released on Avalon.

Turn the clock forward to 2022, Outland have been back in the studio and completed a new album,

Where Do We Go From Here to be released on MR Records.

https://www.mrrecords.com.au

Den 22:e september släpper Mitchell’s Kiss of the Gypsy med sångaren Tony Mitchell i spetsen albumet ”Unfinished Business” via bolaget MR Records. Här nedan kan man kolla in ett klipp från inspelningarna. Ytterligare information väntas inom kort.

Det tyska AOR bandet Violet kommer senare i år att släppa ett debutalbum via bolaget Yellow Muffin Records. Så här går att läsa i ett pressmeddelande:

BREAKING NEWS!!!
We are very proud to announce the signing of one of the most exciting new German bands. Please welcome Violet to the Yellow Muffin family! The band was founded back in 2020 and brings back the typical keyboard influenced AOR sounds of the 80s. Their yet untitled debut album is a beast and will be released later on in 2022!

VIOLET are:
Jamie – Vocals
Manu – Guitars
Filip – Keyborads
Eric – Bass

The drummer will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

Det melodiösa rockbandet Masque of Art har släppt en musikvideo till låten ”Don’t Let it Rain” hämtad från debutskivan ”Masquerade”

Den 19:e augusti släpper ”supergrupen” Six By Six ett självbetitlat debutalbum via bolaget InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. Bandet utgörs av medlemmarna  Ian Crichton (Saga), Robert Berry (Alliance, 3.2, All 41) och Nigel Glockler (Saxon, Asia, Steve Howe)

1. Yearning To Fly
2. China
3. Reason To Feel Calm Again
4. The Upside Of Down
5. Casino
6. Live Forever
7. The Last Words On Earth
8. Skyfall
9. Battle Of A Lifetime
10. Save The Night

Här kan man lyssna på låten ”Yearning To Fly”

För några dagar sedan släppte  det melodiösa hårdrocksbandet Lazarus Dream med sångaren Carsten Schulz (Devoid, Evidence One) och gitarristen Markus Pfeffer nya albumet ”Lifeline”. Lyssna på plattan via Spotify.

Fredagen den 8:e juli släpper keyboardisten Jörgen Schelander (Astrakhan, Misth, House of Shakira) och hans nya projekt ett självbetitlat debutalbum. Här nedan kan man nu ta del av plattans öppningsspår ”The River of Silver and Gold”. Medverkar i detta gör även Stefan Nykvist (sång), Håkan Nilsson (gitarr), Jan Lund (bas) och Håkan Rangemo (trummor).

Fredagen den 15:e juli släpper Michael Palace hans AOR-projekt sitt nya studioalbum ”One 4 The Road” Via bland annat Spotify kan man nu lyssna in sig på låten ”Fifteen Minutes”