CONTENTS 04_Stryper 05_Dokken 08_FM 10_James Christian 11 _ I s s a 12_Reviews 16_No Hot Ashes 17_Perfect Plan 2 3 _ W. E . T. Melodic Rock Fanzine The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. magazine Year #14 - Nr. 2 / Issue #85 Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Concept, Graphics & Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Rob “Ezy” Bone, Primo Bonali, Fabiana Spinelli, Sven Jorgensen.
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Fabiana Spinelli: Hi Michael, welcome to MRF! Stryper 10th studio album is a constant surprise: modernity, freshness and overwhelming power. “God Damn Evil” can be summed up like this? Please, tell us from where do you find a similar energy after 35 years of career! Michael Sweet: We are recharged and so excited about our new chapter. Perry has brought so much to the band and he's such a joy to have as a teammate. We have a new energy and that has translated over to the album. We feel like it's 1984 all over again. We have no plans of slowing down and we have so much left in is. And we will continue to strive to make our best music / recordings over the next 15 years! FS: I think that an opener as heavy as “Take It To The Cross” is a strong message about the band state of health and a great will to surprise all your fans. Do you think “God Damn Evil” will find a perfect balance between fans of the old guard and new fringe of audience? MS: I believe once they hear the entire album absolutely! There is something for everyone on this album and it's our best to date, IMO. We always do our best to mix it up with each song/album yet retain our flow and continuity. That's important to us. It's hard to do yet something that many bands don't try to do. I’m personally not a fan of albums that have very song sounding the same. We enjoy trying new things. FS: Can you please tell us something more about Perry Richardson? How did he joined the band and how did you know he was the right one? MS: He was mentioned by Dave Rose and we thought, "Of course!" We wound up talking to Perry and then flying him out to audition and the minute he walked in the room we knew he was the right choice. Then we heard him sing and play and that sealed the deal. Once everyone hears him play and sing with the band everyone will be sold, if not already. Perry is a very talented guy and we're blessed to have him. FS: Of course, we can find in “God Damn
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Evil” all the band trademarks and strenghts, starting from lyrics. But it seems to be something darker, deeper, in tracks like “Sorry”, “Lost”, “YouDon’t Even Know Me”. Do you think we can read this mixing as a mirror of our times, with the eternal struggle between good and evil stronger than ever? MS: Without question. We live in a very volatile time and it seems to be getting worse. This is why we named the album "God Damn Evil". It's a prayer, a request for God to damn evil. I always want to write from experience and from the heart and this album really comes from the heart. We should all be asking God to Damn Evil. Maybe this world would be a better place. There is power in prayer. FS: Stryper fans are always been deep inside your message and lyrics, you have always had a special relationship with yourpublic. How do you think they are going to receive “God Damn Evil”? MS: So far the reception is great! Once we explain what we're saying and how we're saying it they get it. It's a bold message for bold times. We've always been about making people think and this album will make everyone think even more. No holding back. The music is just as powerful as the message and sonically it sounds great too. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. FS: You are really operative with social networks! I follow your Facebook and Twitter pages and you often offer some interestingfood for thought, as you did about the recent diatribe on phones or no phones at concerts / shows. What’s your thoughts about thissubject in particular and in general, about communication by social media between an artist and his fans? MS: I'm torn. I understand that people are very attached to their phones (myself included) but, it's sad to see phones rob us of our social skills. We should go to a concert and enjoy it. When you're holding a phone up the entire show it's not fair to yourself or others around you IMO. It's a very touchy subject because some people just don't want to be told
what to do. I understand that yet if it becomes a distraction or hinderance for others then it's not right or fair is it? FS: There are lots of differences from live activity in the Eightiesand touring all around the world today, but do you think that thereare also some similarities? And maybe something better than in the past? MS: As long as you keep evolving and moving forward that's all that matters. It's hard to do that and stay true to who you are and we're. We gained our fans based on our original sound so we should never abandon that but, we need to continue to grow and experiment and try new things. We also do our best not to over saturate the market. You can do "too much" and burn fans out. We basically tour every other year, not every year. When we do tour and release new music we work hard to make it special. FS: You are going to be on tour supporting “God Damn Evil”, is there someplace where you’ve neve r been and in which you wouldlike to play? Do you think music can still unite and maybe can overcome the cultural barriers? MS: I would love to perform in China, Russia and Mexico and Cuba. Hopefully this will become reality. Music brings us all together. It transcends anything that separates us and it heals us. It is our common denominator and such a powerful tool. When we step in stage and see the crowd it's a reminder of that. It's an amazing sight to see when people come together like that. We try to do our part to encourage and inspire people. FS: What aspect would you like to see coming out right from “God Damn Evil” to the fans? MS: I hope that it's our biggest album to date and that it reaches a new fan base as well as our old base. I think it a very strong possibility. We are excited about 2018 and what's to come in the future. Our best is yet to come and we can't wait!! Our goal is to keep getting better and we'll keep trying to outdo the last. I think GDE is better than the last two albums.
Barry McMinn: What did you expected at first in the moment Dokken (the band) decided to accept to reunite for this tour? Jeff Pilson: Well my first reaction was a bit of trepidation as I wasn't sure where everyone's headspace and attitudes were. But that was also combined with excitement at the prospect of playing together. Fortunately as soon as we all got together I realized we were all in a very good headspace to do a reunion and the tension was gone immediately. BM: Tell us the truth Jeff: I don't know why, but I've always thought you were and you are the center of gravity of the band, the one who could keep George and Don together. Was it true? Is it true? Which role have you played for this time? JP: In a sense I think that's always been a slight exaggeration. There is an element of truth to it, but not quite the way it sounded in the press. The truth is I always had a good working chemistry with everyone in the band so because Don and George didn't really work much one on one, I tended to be the one to transfer ideas back and forth. So maybe a bit of being a center of gravity, but more just a good working relationship with everyone. BM: Everybody knows this tour was planned by an external request (thanks to Japanise fans/promotoers) and that was covered with money - we know that because of some band members statements - so: in the end do you think you've done the right thing? Is there any chance to carry on the reunion, at least on the live front? JP: It's true that the money was hard to turn down so was a bit factor in making it happen. But the Japanese promoters were also very cool in that they carefully scheduled it. They even got a hold of my Foreigner itinerary and booked the tour around my free time. How can you turn that down? Bit especially considering the circumstances I think it turned out
quite well and I'm really glad we did it. Plus the fact that we came up with a great new song showed we still have an amazing chemistry- and that has nothing to do with money. Will there be more- who knows? I certainly hope so but it still comes down to scheduling. That's the hard part. BM: Now, after this concerts, I can ask you this: which are the stronger Dokken songs? The ones that still give you chills to perform? JP: Most of them really. The one "sleeper" that I know we all really enjoyed was "Will The Sunrise". That song has aged very gracefully! Plus it was really fun to do Dreamwarriors again. There really is something magical when Don, Mick and I sing together. BM: Let's start diving into the past Jeff: what did you find more special in the Dokken sound and style when you joined the band? JP: The first thing that struck me was George's playing. I'd never played with anyone that was this level before- and I'd jammed with a lot of amazing guitarists. But he was so on fire. Then Mick's drumming really moved me. He hit real hard and he was so into groove. Then when we started singing harmonies I was completely in love with the sound of the band. BM: Were there some differences between the writing session for your first Dokken album - Tooth & Nail - and the preparation for the one which was supposed to be chart-breaking - Unchained The Night- ? (and it was!) JP: Yes the writing was a bit different on each record. With T&N I practically lived at George's house for a month while we wrote a lot of it. Don wasn't quite as involved on that record though his contributions were significant. He and I got together to write/workout Alone Again and Into the Fire. Then when we got to the studio George came up with the
chorus riff to Into the Fire and that really took it to a new level. Then on UL&K we took our time a little more. George and I had started a lot of the music while on the road so we had a good head start. Then off the road Don and I (and sometimes Mick) worked on several songs together. Then when we did preproduction, even more stuff came out. It really felt like a band there at that point. Great inspired material was coming through. Both were great writing experiences. T&N is a bit closer to my heart cuz the energy was so intense and it all felt so inspired. But UL&K was bit more together and all 4 of us were really engaged heavily in that writing, so in some ways it was more satisfying. That was definitely the peak of the band's productivity ninth 80's. BM: What was the first thing you did (musically and personally) when you were officially out of the band the first time (it must be at about 1989-90), and the first you did the second time, when the first reunion reached an end? JP: When we broke up in 89 I had a pretty good idea it was coming, so I was already working with Michael Diamond on our band Flesh and Blood. We were hoping that it would be Michael on bass, George, Mick and me singing, but it never happened. When I didn't hear from George or Mick (for months) Michael and I went into the studio with Vinny Appice and Randy Hansen on guitar and that was magical. Unfortunately we ended up waiting for Vinny to leave Dio and that took a couple years so by the time we were looking for a record deal Nirvana had come along and the musical landscape changed. We were doomed! That ended up becoming War and Peace, but it wasn't quite the same- not as heavy. Unfortunate really. Plus I made some bad decisions and second guessed myself. I'll never do that again. After the second break up I ended up doing the Rockstar movie and got into production for a couple years until Foreigner came along.
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Duncan Jamieson: Since you reformed for Metropolis in 2010 your albums have been consistently of a high standard. You clearly still love writing songs. What keeps you so enthusiastic? Steve Overland: We all still love making music. If we couldn’t keep the quality high then we’d probably give up. I always do my best to write the best songs possible and I put all my passion on them. This is my life and writing songs is something I really love to do. DJ: Can you believe you’ve made more studio albums (if you count the Rockville discs as two records) since reforming than you did first time round? SO: Yes. The band has been back together for about he same amount of times as first time round. The difference now is that we’re free to pretty much do as we please so we can make as much or little music as we like. The music industry is different today. I don’t want to say if it is better or not, but from this prospective, I really enjoy the contemporary times because we are doing what we like. We release, write and do live shows when we love do to them, pretty much the best situation a band could ask for. DJ: Did you approach the new album any differently than you’ve done before or have
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stuck to a way that works for you in the studio? SO: We didn’t really do anything particularly different than we did with the last few albums. We just wrote the songs, ispired by opur kifes and record them like we always have done in the past. This is always the way we do it and we do not want to change it. Do you think we need to do it? Eh! I love this! DJ: It’s a mature sounding record. Was this something you had in mind going into the studio? SO: Not really to be honest. We recorded 19 songs but decided to only pick 11. We didn’t want the album to be too long and we wanted it to be diverse. We have choosen the songs we really think fits perfectly together. It was a difficoult process, as you can image. We love all of them and I’m sure you will listen to them one day. DJ: There’s not a duff track and I can see ‘Black Magic’, ‘Killed By Love’ and ‘In It For The Money’ going into your live set. Which songs do you think will get airing in forthcoming gigs? SO: You’ll have to come along and see! But I’m sure the once you just mentioned are good choices... Come to our shows! I’m sure you’ll
ejoy our set! DJ: You still manage to surprise, songwriting wise with the Santana sounding ‘Playing Tricks On Me’ and the 70s rocker ‘Stronger’. Was going for a slightly different sound deliberate on these tracks? SO: Certainly yes for ‘Playing Tricks’. I hope are enjoyng the song as muche we have done writing and recording it. I really think is one of my favourite songs of the album. Let’s say, different, but always in the FM style and mood. DJ: There’s some lovely production on the record from the arrangements of the songs to the instrumentation and the work done on the harmony vocals. Did it take a while in the studio to get it right? SO: No longer than usual. We are pretty efficient in the studio and try to have our parts planned out in advance. So we just enter in it and play all the time recording the staff we have. At the end we really like the final result and reflect our expectations. DJ: You’re off to play the US for the first time soon. That must be a bucket list moment. SO: Yes for the band. We’ve all been to the States many times with work and holidays but never collectively as FM to do a gig. We can’t wait!
Fabiana Spinelli: Hi James and welcome to MRF! Let’s talk about your new solo album “Craving”, starting from the very beginning: four solo albums in 24 years, does it means that you really dig deep into yourself before publishing something just in your name? James Christian: I don't go out of my way to make solo cd's cause I love the feeling of being in a band rather than a solo artist. But if i do a solo CD, I like to step outside of what people expect. It's is a time for me to record songs that have a very personal connection to me, a time to try things that I might not do with HOL. I have a very broad range of Taste in music. It is not all rock. When my daughter Olivia decided to choose a path on Broadway, I went head first into it with her. I now consider myself pretty adept in Show Tunes. They are actually very complicated pieces of work. I love how the singer sings and acts the song on stage. I'm into many different styles of music as long as there is a melodic element to it. FS: “Craving” is beautifully crafted, a delicate and intense album. I’m impressed by lyrics, can you please tell us something more about contents? JC: Craving has a lot of very deep and thoughtful lyrics. I worked with various songwriters who contributed so much to this CD. I'm a very spiritual person and this time around I let myself express that belief. I am aware that the older I get the close I get to the other side. I find that faith gives me as much joy as music does so why not sing about it. The lyrics are always important to me. They don't always have to. And serious, they can be sexy, political, spiritual, funny. As long as it says something that I can relate to. On the CD Craving, there are a lot of spiritual moments. There are a couple of songs I
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wrote with my partner Jeff Kent. I had a few songs that we did that we never finished. So I finished them in his honor. FS: You wrote a long and interesting biography on your website, closing with a sentence that I found inspiring: “my dream was fulfilled on the day I signed my first legitimate record deal”. Does it means that dreams are a starting point, but it’s our daily commitment that really realize them? JC: No, for me the signing of a record deal was the dream and everything else that happened was a fringe benefit. My dream was always getting a deal. I don't know why, but that was what I thought about. It made me so happy to accomplish that. This was no easy task and took many years in the business. When I was out looking for a record deal, it was a very difficult process. I made a lot of trips into NYC. I played all the dive clubs in the city. CBGB's was one of them. I remember the place was a dump, but everyone was playing there. It has its own History. But my dream ended up being fulfilled in Los Angeles California. I have Gene Simmons to thank for that. It was a great time to be in the business. It's not like that anymore. FS: You are songwriter, producer and performer, which aspect of your career do you think is most difficult? JC: Writer is the hardest for me because I sometime like to do things that fall outside of what is expected of me. I hesitate to release those songs because I feel that it might not be accepted in our community. I sang a song on this cd which I sing in a falsetto voice in the vein of "Beach Boys" this was a band that I loved growing up. "Pet Sounds" was one of my favorite records. I decided to record the song because it made me feel good. The song is called "if there's
a God". I'm not sure how my fans will react to it. It is kind like The Beach Boys Meets George Harrison! I'm always happy to work with other songwriters and it does not matter if I write it or someone else writes it. I have songs on here from Cliff Magnus, Richard Hymas, Alessandro Delvecchio, Daniel Volpe. If it's a strong song I wanna sing it. I also have a song I wrote with my guitar player Jimi Bell. In closing I find that willpower is an important element in creative writing. Good songs don't just appear, they take time and you need the willpower to wait for it. FS: I find “Craving” so elegant, starting from the artwork. It reminds me a piece of an old manuscript, with capital letters. Do you choose it by yourself? Is there a special meaning in it? JC: I have a great CD designer his name is Richard Jones'. That is his work. He understands that I am an old soul. I have always loved cd covers that had a Grandiose look to them. Bigger than Life. That's what I loved about the 80's. There was so much mystique in the bands and their look. We use to prance around Sunset Strip and the Rainbow. It really was a magical time. FS: “Amen” and “Jesus Wept” are two intense songs, can I ask you something more about your vision of religion and spirituality? I firmly believe that “Love Is The Answer”, would you like to give us an opinion about connections between faith, love and music in these hard times? JC: Those three songs are all meant to be a message of hope to those who have lost faith. I wrote "Love is The Answer" with Jeff Kent. He was a close friend and co-writer. This song was written over 3 years ago but after his passing. I wanted to record it and have it out there.
Bruce Atkinson: Issa, I cannot believe that we are about to talk about your fifth studio album…for me it just seems like yesterday that you roared onto the music scene with your first, “Sign Of Angels”! Issa: Yes I cant believe the amazing journey I have had throughout my career and over these years.. every album I’ve done means something special to me and they also represent events throughout my life… I feel incredible lucky and I have enjoyed it so much, who would have thought it would lead to all this that day I stepped into the studio to record “Sign of Angels”. BA; And you have had a long standing relationship with Frontiers Music…which speaks highly for both yourself and the label… Issa: Frontiers is like a family to me, and after all these years we know each other more then well by now.. Frontiers have been a part of every aspect of my life… I feel like we met when I was a young girl and now I’m into woman “hood” and its just great to have that relationship... I’m preforming at Frontiers Rock Festival this year and I’m not only excited to preform but also to spend some time with the men behind the scene at Frontiers… Can’t wait boys... BA: I would imagine that “Run With The Pack” is somewhat a return for you, as much has happened in your life since your last recording… Issa: Yes “Run with the pack” has kinda brough me full circle… its taken me back to when I started as a recording artist just with so much more experience.. like you mentioned so much has happened since last time. Not only did I meet my husband through Frontiers but I have now got a 2 year old son.. so as you can imagine - I’ve been more then busy over the last few years… record-
ing “Run With the Pack” was a total different experience for me- I’ve also grown so much on a personal level and I have even more to give in both performance and vocally... BA: I see that you have teamed up with Alessandro Del Vecchio this time round… How was that experience? And not only that, but you have brought in some heavyweight musicians in addition to Alessandro, and who might they be? Issa: Ahhh yes - I love working with Ale, he’s AMAZING... we’ve also worked together on “cant stop” so we are no strangers to both work ethics and personalities. This time around I had my hands full as you can imagine... I didn’t really know how to manage it all and how to do this album.. its sometimes a very overwhelming feeling becoming a mum so I couldn’t have been in better hands. Ale and Serafino (president at Frontiers) took charge and made it easier for me to manage.. we took our time with the album and made sure everything fell into place before we started to record.. The band this time is Simone Mularoni (DGM) on guitar, Marco Di Salvia (Kee of Hearts) on drums, Andrea "ToWer" Torricini (Vision Divine) on bass, and of course Alessandro on keys… the amount of talent in the band is incredible- these guys had so much to contribute with throughout the making of the album - I feel like the album should have been a band album more then a solo act… These guys deserve all the credit… BA: Sounds like a great team… Would it be fair to say that your whole approach to this new record was quite different from past sessions? Issa: Yes of course, feeling like I have matured more myself has made me feel like I brough something different to the table this time. I honest-
ly feel like this album came very natural to meand I also think I had so much emotional/personal going on at the time of recording that its made a huge impaction the finished result.. sometimes as an artist you try to find moments or emotions to “feel’,experience or even live trough to put into a song… thats how great songs are made.. this time it was just what was going on in life… BA: Would you take us through “Run With The Pack”, how the sessions went, who did you collaborate with on the song writing and did you try any different production techniques? Issa: As I mentioned earlier I’ve worked with Ale in the past so we work well together.. me being a busy me recorded all my vocals in the uk where I now live.. I do have use my local studio to record in but this time around I did all my own recordings.. when you work with an engineer it often vocally goes in their favour or taste if you like, so this time I was my own boss and did all the recording myself before sending my parts over to Ale… it just gave me incredible peace and I loved working that way.. so I feel like its much more “me”this time… The songwriters on this album is of another level.. you have Bob Mitchell who wrote for cheap trick (The Flame) and Glen Ballard that wrote “Man in the Mirror” Michael Jackson… also Bruce Gaitsch”s wife Janey who wrote “How long” together with my great friends Soren Kronquist, Pete Godfrey, Mr Alpenborg and of course Alessandro Del Vecchio himself… me and Ale teamed up and wrote “Sacrifice me”.. it was hugely inspired by my obsession of “Game of thrones”... And what can I say, Dean heard the song and loved it - he was in the studio working with Ale at the time I send vocals over so it was such a cool surprise to have Deen sing this song with me.
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W.E.T. “Earthrage” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
“Earthrage” is the third effort from this highly creative trio of Erik Martensson, Robert Sall and Jeff Scott Soto. Better known as “W.E.T.”. “Earthrage” finds these three plus guitarist Magnus Henriksson and drummer Robban Back sounding strong and rocking to the ‘n’th degree! This-“Earthrage” rocks with a capital ‘R’! Each performer is in top form… Each performance is equally so; rock hard, high energy, emotive slices of melodic music oozing from each groove. Together their creative music brings back memories, and influences from the three groups they continue to salute. However, “W.E.T.” is its own entity, and a full fledged creative force that constantly creates unique rivers of hard rocking and funky sounds! The songs contained within this album will sound just as fresh twenty years on! And just as exciting too! Each piece is a ‘stand-out’. From the opening “Watch The Fire” to the very last “The Never-ending Retraceable Dream” Now if that is not enough, the production work from Erik is sterling! He brings the absolute best from each of his musical mates to the forefront. This team have created a sonically brilliant and highly energetic recorded Work! There is absolutely not a dull moment on this record…”W.E.T.” – “Earthrage” is a must have and will be playing on my music system for a very long time! Bruce Atkinson (98/100)
STRYPER “God Damn Evil” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
You know, growing old… what does that even mean? Sure, we can’t ask to Michael Sweet and company, because time seems to stand still for this band. “God Damn Evil” is a punch in the face, a mighty wallop, a burst of energy: it’s not easy to find right words for this album and for opener “Take It To The Cross”, with death growls (yes, you heard that correctly!) courtesy of Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall, Act Of Defiance). Modernity and originality first, but the band also take a look back and play gems like “Sorry” and “Lost”, until it gets to a proper anthem with mighty “God Damn Evil”. You can hear the band trademark just on every corner, but filled with fresh lifeblood, as you can experience in “The Valley”, an heavy and majestic piece of art. Stryper know hot to talk to hearts and “Can’t Live Without Your Love” proves it with its dreamy mood and sweet harmonies. We have been waiting for this album a long time: heavier than ever, classy, “God Damn Evil” is a perfect machine and how we can stay immune to that passion, that energy? We simply cannot resist to this power, so press play button and let it go. Fabiana Spinelli (100/100)
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FM “Atomic Generation” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
The UK band prove their class with another consummate set of aor. There are no rough edges her; the songs go down smooth, full of fine musicianship and velvety vocals. Steve Overland’s singing is as strong and as instantly recognisable as ever. Although the band work within the narrow confines of aor they manage to find fresh spins on an old format. The songs are instantly hummable. ‘Black Magic’’, ‘Killed By Loved’ and are ‘Follow Your Heart’ will join the list of FM classics while the excellent ‘In It For The Money’ reprises that bluesier mid period FM sound. They even manage to surprise on ‘Playing Tricks On Me’ that taps into their inner Santana and ‘Stronger’ has a rockier 70s edge.FM are one of those rare heritage bands whose quality hasn’t dipped and if you can put nostagia to the side, then there’s a claim that their output has been even better, certainly more consistent, since their reformation in 2010. Overland sings that he wants to go back to the past on ‘Golden Days’ and his wistful dreaming comes true as this album returns you to those heady days in the 80s when aor was king. Duncan Jamieson (94/100)
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NO HOT ASHES “No Hot Ashes” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
There’s an interesting back story to this Belfast band who have taken over 34 years to finally release an album. Their sound mines 80s melodic rock but it’s not a complete throwback as most of the songs have been written more recently which gives the music a welcome freshness. A hard rock riff and parping keys on the strong opener ‘Come Alive’ tell you which decade has shaped the band’s sound. There’s some good aor on the ballad ‘Boulders’ and the ultra-catchy ‘Souls’. They rock harder, without it ever tipping into metal, on ‘Good To Be Back’, ‘I’m Back’, ‘Glow’ and ‘Running Red Lights’. It’s quirkier on the fast paced ‘Johnny Redhead’ and they just about get away with the funkier ‘Satisfied’. Eamon Nancarrow’s vocals carry a bit more of an edge than many melodic rock singers and this helps separate them from the herd. Their bass player Paul Boyd sadly passed away last year but they dedicate the album to him. NHA have supported the likes of FM, Foreigner, Aerosmith and UFO, proving the old adage that if you don’t give up on a dream it can really happen. Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
PERFECT PLAN “All Rise” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
What can I say, Frontiers Music srl have once again dipped into the wealth of talent coming out of Scandinavia and brought us another gem. This time it’s Perfect Plan from Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. This the band debut album is pure melodic rock joy, as the Swedish quintet of Kent Hilli (vocals), Rolf Nordström (guitar), P-O Sedin (bass), Fredrik Forsberg (drums) and Leif Ehlin (keyboards), showcase perfectly how the Swedes have taken this genre to their hearts and brought it kicking and screaming into the now. A sign of pure class ‘All Rise’ ticks all the right boxes for all Melodic / Hard Rock fans, featuring great guitar work, soaring keys and a strong rhythm section, but most of all a great vocalist. In Kent Hilli the band have a front man that has that timeless vocal style, that was made for this style of rock. The album is 11 slices of pure earcandy from the opener ‘Bad City Woman’, to closer ‘Heaven in Your Eyes’. Some of my many favourites have to be said opener ‘Bad City Woman’, the riff laden ‘Stone Cold Lover’, ‘Can’t Turn Back’ and the superb nostalgia filled rocker ‘1985’. This definitely one of the albums of 2018, ‘All Rise’ and salute Perfect Plan. Barry McMinn (95/100)
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KIP WINGER “Solo Box Set Collection” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
In this boxset we can find a sneak peak of Kip Winger’s brilliant career, limited edition. All the solo works into one collection (“This Conversation Seems Like A Dream”, “Down Incognito”, “Songs From The Ocean Floor” and “From The Moon To the Sun”), an exclusive bonus disc with a brand new song, all the unreleased, bonus, rare and demo tracks and a booklet with notes written by Kip himself. It’s a journey through the troubled and intense history of this acclaimed bassist and composer, from 1997 to 2008, from his grief over the loss of his wife, to renaissance in the light of Moon and Sun. A deep dive into great Kip Winger’ talent and artistic inspiration, in a more intimate scale, where darkness and beauty are blended. This box set is a gem for all music collectors, but it could be a good way to better understand an artist over the shiny success with Alice Cooper and of course, Winger. A deluxe limited edition of 1500 copies worldwide, classy packaging and matters of substance, make this release a must have. Fabiana Spinelli (90/100)
New releases available on www.frontiers.shop - The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. shop! CD fr o : € 1 2 ntie . rs.s 99 hop
Bo C D x s e t: 44 +D Blu VD: € .99 14. Vin Ray: 99 €1 yl(2 7.9 L P 9 fr o ntie ): €22 .9 rs.s hop 9
DOKKEN “Return to the East Live (2016)” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
On 16th November 1988 Dokken released their live album ‘Beast from the East’, recorded on their ‘Back for the Attack’ tour in support of the album. In 2016 the classic line-up of Don Dokken, George Lynch Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown returned to Japan for the Loud Park festival in October and recorded the show. Now in 2018 that show finally makes is way to us via the album and DVD ‘Return to the East Live 2016’. As you would guess a live reunion means classic Dokken and sure enough, this has them all. ‘Break the Chains’, ‘Dream Warrior’, ‘Kiss of Death’ and ‘In My Dreams’, the list goes on, but the real bonus has to be the first new song recorded by the original members, which is something quite special. ‘Its Another Day’ is the excellent bonus track that has tongues wagging already, with rumors of a full reunion rife. There as the usual bonus features included. I don’t know if a full reunion is on the cards or not, but this album and DVD is proof the guys can still put on one a hell of show! Barry McMinn (90/100)
C Fro D: €1 ntie 3.99 rs.s hop
JAMES CHRISTIAN “Craving” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Fourth solo album for House Of Lords singer James Christian and he comes back with a crafted melodic rock release, where different genres of music and influences are perfectly blended. “Craving” is a deep, intense work but you really won’t miss lightness and carefreeness because of supercatchy songs and winning melodies. With songwriting contributions from Tommy Denander, Chris Pelcer, Jimi Bell, Clif Magness, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Richard Hymas, Charlie Mason and Jeff Kent, “Craving” is probably outside of fans expectations, with an original sound and a really personal connection to an intimate field of the artist. Thoughtful lyrics and deep emotions are keywords to understand a path from “Heaven Is a Place in Hell” to “Amen”, in a brilliant and costant crescendo. Songs like “Craving” and “World Of Possibility” are a bridge to the past, but there’s room for a breath mint with “If There’s a God”, an unusual combination of Beach Boys and George Harrison, only for foodies. James Christian is 360-degree artist, with no fear to explore every possibility of his talent: the result is a great new album to find out. Fabiana Spinelli (90/100)
CD +D VD Bl Vin u Ray : €14 yl(2 : €1 .99 fro LP): 7.99 ntie € rs.s 21.99 hop
L.A. GUNS “Made in Milan” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns have made their peace once mor and this live CD/DVD set finds LA Guns sounding as potent and dangerous as ever. They come out the gate, with Guns’ guitar unleashing their rabid rock ‘n’ roll sound. ‘No Mercy’ is a steam train going off the tracks and over a cliff, in a good way. Your first thought as a listener is how can they keep this intensity up without your ears bleeding. Fortunately, there are a couple of slower interludes, ‘Over The Edge’ and the fun, knockabout ‘Kiss My Love Goodbye’ to allow you to get your breath back. The one track ‘Speed’ included from their new album shows that they’ve still got their mojo.. The album features a number of the tracks from their golden era at the end of the 80s including The Ballad Of Jane’ , a song which is the epitome of the 80’s LA scene and of course ‘Rip ‘N’ Tear’ , which does exactly that to the receptive Italian crowd. The chemistry between Lewis and Guns is undeniable and this album is strong evidence of LA Guns enduring fire power. Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
ISSA “Run With The Pack” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Issa has teamed with none other than Alessandro Del Vecchio and, possibly to show her growing strength and growth… guitarist Simone Mularoni, (DGM). Continuing with the pleasant surprises, Issa also duets with Deen Castronovo on the splendid “Sacrifice Me”! The growth that Issa displayed on that album has continued through each release and does on this her fifth. But with a difference! This gal is not afraid of stepping out of her ‘comfort zone’. She takes chances on “Run With The Pack”. Her voice has grown as well, stronger, more range and she has developed in to such a commanding vocalist…that no matter what style of music she expresses, we will sit up and take notice! You can pick any of the eleven songs and be moved by her delivery and taken to levels of music that you have seldom heard. Issa weaves heavenly tapestries with her voice. “The Sound Of Yesterday”, “How Long” and “Come Back Again Now” will move you, elevate you to emotional highs like nothing before! And just wait to you hear “Everything To Me” Performed to perfection, “Run With The Pack” is a Work of the highest order, from the angelic vocalist from Norway, simply known to us all as Issa. Bruce Atkinson (92/100)
Cle CD: € ar V 13.9 Vin inyl: 9 fro yl: €1 €20.99 ntie 7 rs.s .99 hop
BULLETBOYS “From Out of the Skies” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Quite a lot of water has passed under the bridge since the Bulletboys self-titled debut ‘Rock the World’ in 1988, now in 2018 the band celebrate their 30th Anniversary and what better way than with a new album. Heading the charge as always is founding member vocalist and guitarist Marq Torien, who along with Nick Rozz, Chad MacDonald and Anthony Biuso, along with a little help from guest vocalist Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal, have produced a very diverse and energy filled album. Anyone who has followed the band over the years will know the band expand the Bulletboys envelope from time to time and this is one of those albums. The likes of the all-out heads-down rocker opener ‘Apocalypto’ shows, as does the rampaging almost punkesque feel of ‘D-Evil’, (the first single that features Hughes on guest vocal), and a song that will rock your very soul. Then there’s the other side of the coin with the melodic touches like ‘Hi-Fi Drive By’, the acoustic tones of ‘Switchblade Butterfly’ and the excellent ballad ‘Once Upon a Time’, which really show Torien at his vocal best. The band even through in the occasional curve ball with ‘PRAB’. This is without a doubt the bands best and most adventurous album for years. Barry McMinn (90/100)
Duncan Jamieson: It’s taken 34 years to release your debut. That must be some kind of record. What took you so long? Eamon Nancarrow: Great question. It does seem like a very long time but we hope it is worth the wait. You know I think we will approach the Guinness book of records and see what they say. NHA had originally recorded an album in the eighties when we were signed to GWR (Motorhead, Girlschool etc). Unfortunately before it was released the distributor, PRT, went bust and GWR Records was taken over by Castle Communications (later Sanctuary Records) and the roster of bands on the label was reduced. With no completely finished product to go to market NHA were one of the bands released. DJ: It can’t have been easy being a band in Northern Ireland in the 80s. EN: It was brilliant. There was such a lively and strong rock and metal scene in Northern Ireland, and still is, that it couldn’t be anything but that. Although some bands did not play Belfast due to the so called ‘Troubles’ it perhaps created an atmosphere that local bands thrived and enjoyed great support. The only thing that was difficult was that you had to be selective about which areas you played gigs. Some places were riskier than others. DJ: I think there’s only one song ‘I’m Back’ that is an older song of yours. What led you to write all new material for the record? EN: When we decided to make an album in 2015 we decided it was best just to write completely
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new songs with a contemporary edge. Over the years we have all listened to a lot of different influences and I think those can be heard throughout the album. The new songs are fresh and alive. We have all contributed and collaborated in the song writing process. There are no egos, the song quality is the most important thing. DJ: Which songs do you think best capture the NHA sound as it is today? EN: I think they all do. There are all out rockers like ‘come alive’ and a power ballad ‘boulders.’ We have grown as song writers and have been influenced by different artists. It is true that we can be easily identified as an 80s band but there is a definite modern twist and feel. DJ: Where do you draw your inspiration for the lyrics? EN: I write from the heart and from personal experience. I’m not 19 anymore; girls and partying were import then, infact they were the only thing that was important then lol. I have a more mature outlook on life especially now that I have 3 kids. One of the songs ‘Jonny Red Head’ is written about my youngest son who used to keep us up all night when he was a baby. It sounds like a party song with lyrics like, ‘he wakes the morning with a smile. Slept like a log now back to bed for a while’ but it’s actually what he used to say when we asked him how he slept, ‘like a log’ even though he had been up four or five times driving us mad. ‘Boulders’ was written about my father’s struggle to care for my mum at home following her stroke. He has managed to do this for
10 years. He is 82 and a hero. It’s a love song with a difference. So as you can see the subject matter for lyrics is wide and varied but always personal. DJ: When you got back together for the 2013 tribute gig, did you think at the time it was going to lead to a rekindling of interest and start the momentum that has seen you release the new album? EN: Absolutely not! I thought we would do the gig, have a few beers, a few laughs and that would be that. But our drummer, Steve Strange (successful tour promoter) had other ideas. He felt there was a great album in us and he was determined for us to stay together. We did just that and he was right about the great album. DJ: Pat McManus from Mama’s Boys pops up on the bonus track. Is he an old friend from back in the day and how come he isn’t playing guitar? EN: No Hot Ashes went on tour with Mama’s Boys in the eighties and there has been contact with the McManus’s since then. Our drummer Steve played in Fastway with John McManus for example. Pat is one of the most hard working souls in the blues/rock circuit and we were just blown away when he agreed to find time to record the track. He is an absolutely fantastic traditional Irish fiddle player and we thought the track would really benefit from Pat playing a lament over the acoustic guitars. And he played it in one take...completely brilliant player.
Barry McMinn: Perfect Plan are a new Swedish sensation to many, so can you give us a brief history of the band? Fredrik Forsberg: All of us has been playing together for many years in different bands. Kent, Leif and Rolf had been playing in a Europe tribute band and P-O also did some gigs with them. Myself and P-O has been playing together in different bands since we were teenagers. In 2014 the five of us decided to start writing songs and play together. BM: The debut album is just great and has that high quality rock we’ve come to expect out of the Scandinavian quarter, but where do the band get their influences? Rolf Nordström: We have lot of influences in the band. But we´re all into songs that has a strong melody line and of course a good guitar or synth riff. As a guitar player I like progressive bands like Rush, Dream Theater and Queensryche. But many of us in the band really likes Giant, Journey, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Revolution Saints to mention some. We all have our music background in the 80´s. BM: How long have you been working on the album? FF: We started 2014 doing some demotapes and we all thought it would be fun make a record, so we started record “All Rise” in
march 2016, and we mixed it in January 2017. RN: The funny thing is that a record deal wasn´t on our mind when we started out. We just wanted to record the songs that we created and liked… you´ll never know what the future has in mind. BM: Did you have a full demo album before you were picked up by Frontiers or did the full album come later? FF: The record was finished and in April 2017, I was playing a gig with a temporary coverband and the singer was Robin Eriksson from the band Degreed and he had some connections with Frontiers so he gave the full demo album to them. That was the start of this journey. BM: I find the album grabs you from opener ‘Bad City Woman’, but which tracks in particular are you particularly proud of and why? FF: We think it´s a strong album and it´s hard to pick some favorites, but “Never Surrender” is a song we all like a lot, because it has all the AOR elements. RN: Our first single “In and out of love” is kind of special the way it was written. The song was came about during a rehearsal and it almost wrote itself, it was a moment of great inspiration and all in the band contributed. BM: What is it about the Scandinavian bands
that seem embrace this style of rock and make it sound very relevant, but at same time keeping that classic feel? RN: It´s hard to say. When you write songs you always try to come up with something that give`s goosebumps. It´s not easy to be unique, so all the influences you have kind of melt together and you try to make your own touch. In Sweden we have great bands like Europe and Treat which I believe have been very influential and important. But when we in Perfect Plan went into the studio we just tried to make it sound the way we like. We had a lot of help from Ronnie Bjornstrom who recorded and mixed the album to get it the way we wanted it. BM: Personally I think the band has a hell of future ahead of them, but where would you like to see the band in five years time? RN: Oh that´s not easy to say, at this point we all in the band have full time jobs and families. We are really happy so far about all the kind and positive comments about our first two singles. Hopefully the album All rise will do well. So we take it from there. Much of the things that happens now is just a bonus for us and we´re quite thrilled about what will happen next. But of course, it would be great if we could make a living out of it because we all love AOR music and being in this band.
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Bruce Atkinson: Each of you are definite ‘musical journeymen’…what with the many other bands that you are involved in! Obviously greatly inspired and highly creative…what drives the members of W.E.T.? Jeff Scott Soto: Great songs and we enjoy making these albums together! Thanks to Serafino at Frontiers Records who created this project for us, we have been able to make some great music together! BA: With this, your third effort…have you approached “Earthrage” any differently then the first two albums? JSS: Not really, the intention was always to have great songs. We don't have the egos or emotions of feeling left out when we’re not writing every song together, its more important that the songs are killer regardless of who writes them. BA: Again, bringing to light your Work in your other groups, how do you separate your creative ideas from “Work Of Art”, “Eclipse” and Jeff…your solo offerings and your involvement with “Sons Of Apollo”, plus where do you find the bloody time? JSS: This is my day job like many others who clock in daily from 9-5, I equate my job to anyone who also has a 2-4 week break every
year for holidays, the rest of the time you work and give a lot of your life to work… the same goes for me, I don't need to only work for a month or 2 per year in creating albums, there is nothing wrong with continued creativity and carving out more music for you all. BA: Would you go through some of the songs on “Earthrage”? Possibly those that mean something special to you all… JSS: That's very difficult to choose because people connect to different songs for different reasons. When I see so many opinions on what is someone else’s favourite song compared to my own, I feel its best to keep it that way, sometimes my biased opinion may not be shared with someone else’s subjective selection. BA: Erik, you also took the production helm…any challenges in this area or factors that were unexpected? Erik Martensson: Not really. The recording of this album was very easy and was done very fast. When there are great songs it’s very easy to record and produce. If you’re struggling it’s usually because the songs are not good enough and you try to save them with production but that was not needed at all on Earthrage. And also, this band only have fantastic musicians and that helps a lot too!
BA: W.E.T. is a project…now some may look negative on this, however that would be a mistake and the farthest thing from the truth…as a music project can and does give a chance for each member to grow, to create in areas that maybe one wouldn’t otherwise go towards…so, the question is…has W.E.T. provided the above for you? JSS: No, in history there have been some incredible albums created by those who never took it on the road. Great music and songs will always be this even without the touring factor set in. We do enjoy playing together and perhaps in the future we can work in more live dates but until now, its actually quite fun building fans and interest in WET which will make it even that much more special later if we indeed get it on the road some day. BA: “Earthrage” is a fantastic creative Work…congratulations to each of you, and for your generosity in bringing us this music…in this forum and each of the other groups we hear and see you in! JSS: Thank you, its an honour and privilege to make this music for you, I hope we have many more albums to come!