Glen

Nice lists guys - reading through these leads me to 2 albums I forgot to mention in my list - both disappointments I'm afraid - Hardcore Superstar - what a mammoth disappointment this was. From a band who imo had hardly put a foot wrong in the last 5 albums they go and get all 'we have to go back to (shitty) roots'. Lets hope they see the error of their ways and their next album is back on track and ready to challenge the likes of 'dreamin in a Casket' and 'Split Your Lip' Winery Dogs - I really liked the debut. there was cracking musicianship (what you would expect from these guys), but also some really catchy hooks. This second album just didn't grab me and although I tried real hard hardly any of the songs gelled - possible 3 or 4 keepers but that's about it. Shame.

excellent song and easily the best on the album.

Are they all female vocalists? Like you, I wouldn't be able to tell they were two different vocalists so if the album maintains that kind of unrecognizable difference, that's fine with me. Both very good songs - especially love the first one. I think it's 7 songs & 3 instrumentals (which are tasteful rather than shredding).........4 vocalists - 2 male / 2 female The difference here though is that ABO apparently wrote the music and the individual singers added their own lyrics so the songs were kind of theirs.....and personal to them. Might make a refreshing difference and make this album is bit more 'real'

boo

Great write up. God was Op Mindcrime really that bad lol. I never heard it...and never will prob. Still astounds me you listen to all those albums in one year. Took me some going absorb 30.

I honestly didn't realise that those 2 songs above are 2 different singers. Reading reviews there are 10 tracks and he uses a few vocalists with one instrumental track. That's kinda put me off, as I usually don't enjoy albums with multiple singers but I'll give it a go as I do really like those 2 songs above.

Im only interested in the new song - hopefully that will be a studio bonus track and not live/acoustic

Yeah its good...probably their best yet. I think it will appeal to you. On the subject of missing albums....I don't think 30 albums really covers it, so whatever you post will be a million miles more comprehensive than my modest list ;-)

Love both tracks. That ballad is super smooth, classy as hell and she sounds a million bucks. Me like.

Not doin much for me :-(

Considering all those other albums are pieces of shit, aside from Sic Vikki's debut, you're not far off the mark this time. Sic Vikki's debut and Signal's 'Loud on clear' are about on par and the rest is crap. The Sick Six Crush album is okay glam... but it's pretty poor overall. Edit - sorry, missed Side Kixx. Not a bad band at all - one of the better produced albums on Retrospect overall. Love the 2nd song and it's an okay album... but hardly a world beater. Nice sound/style. ha ha, yeah I love that Sic Vikki album too. great stuff. Signal ranked No3 for me in 1989 so that says it all.

Not managed to buy/listen to half as many albums this year (2015) for a variety of reasons that I won't bore you with but if anyone's interested here's how my year panned out. I decided to go with a 'Dan style' report this year....slightly tweaked as I do not know what 'also ran' means ;-) 1. Degreed - Dead But Not Forgotten The guys have come of age - the last 2 albums were v good, but they really cracked it with album 3. Melodic bliss throughout which is some achievement over 14 songs 2. Eclipse - Armageddonise One the earliest releases of the year stood the test of time. Erik does it again with an album full of driving melodic hard rock. One or 2 songs don't sit well but there are enough killers on here which sit among my favourite songs of the year 3. Art Nation - Revolution A real surprise for me this one. Million times better than his last band and competes fairly with HEAT which is all the recommendation you need 4. Destine - Forevermore It is a crying shame that these guys have called it a day. Almost perfect pop/rock throughout 5. Khymera - The Grand Design Just a fantastic melodic sound on this disc - great songs, great choruses and some serious musicianship - this is melodic but also kicks some arse in places too. Honourable mentions (in no order) Toto - XIV (really enjoyable album with some diverse stuff...muddy production in places just lets it down a tad) Halestorm - Into The Wild Life (this album got some bad press but I love it. Hale sounds awesome as ever and the material is diverse, intelligent and rocking) Revolution Saints - s/t (great collaboration album....Frontiers project but some songs here are killer. Bit ballad heavy detracted slightly) Tremonti - Cauterise (the guy goes from strength to strength. Hard rocking riffage assault but always maintains its sense of melody. Just missed my top 5. Includes my favourite song of the year : 'Sympathy') Find Me - Dark Angel (good melodic release. Not as exciting as the debut and slightly cheesy feel in places detracted slightly) Smash Into Pieces - Apocalypse DJ (great modern release. Better than Nickelback and with some great choruses/solos) 7th Heaven - Next (they never disappoint do they. Another set of classy, hooky songs) Care of Night - Connected (really consistent release although not a fan at all of the closing ballad. Great live act too. Expect album 2 to set the world on fire....or at least the melodic rock genre) Station - s/t (half great half good. Again expect album no 2 to be a killer) Coldrain - Vena - this won't be for everyone, but this time around there is hardly any screaming. Oh and did I mention brilliant songs??! Just missed top 5 Night Flight Orchestra - Skyline Whispers - Not as good as the debut. There I said it. But, enough moments of greatness for an honourable mention. Still lovin what sound these guys are trying to achieve and really hoping to catch them live in 2016 Trixter - Human Era - best album ive heard from these guys. Just good honest melodic rock throughout with a few killer tracks at the end. Solid releases (in no order) WASP - Golgotha (loved this on first listen but my love has waned just a tad....solid effort but does sound a bit samey and 2 of the epic tracks are almost identical) Def Leppard - s/t (4 absolute killer tracks prevent this from being a disappointment......not higher than 70% though) Soto - s/t (I too miss his more melodic side, but still enjoyed quite a few tracks on this hard hitting release) Stryper - Fallen (not as good as the previous album.....a few silly lyrics....but Strper are always solid as hell musically and this rocks in places) Disappointments Cats in Space (really wanted to like this but outside of one or 2 songs it was just not my style) Europe (they continue down the grungy path.....not my thing) Bonfire (just doesn't sound right with Reece and was mostly just average hard rock tracks) House of Lords (another average release) Ozone (Ousey with Slamer should have been awesome.....just average im afraid) Nelson (almost demo like - unlistenable imo) Iron Maiden (Zzzzzzz) Hinder (RIP) ISSA (nothing wrong with the songs at all, but wasted on a very average singer) Probably missed quite a few but those were the albums I listened to throughout a very enjoyable musical 2015.

On a side note I see that Street Talk on the main site has an average rating of 84% over 18 ratings which is closer to the truth and a credible score imo.

Agree. I love the album personally - and the reissue with bonus tracks is even better Absolutely no bonus tracks needed. Bar a couple of tracks (5,10) The album was/ is perfect in every way. 'Go Away', 'Oh Sherrie', 'She's mine' 'Go Away', You Should Be Happy', ' Captured By The Moment', 'Foolish Heart' and 'Running Alone'.. all absolutely fantastic, well written songs songs, your taste or not. Oh i agree, but there were some cracking bonus tracks....loved hearing those as are v early journey in style. If I'd added the bonus tracks into my score of the album it would have been 48%. Seriously, to each their own. I'm glad people can enjoy the album... just find it annoying to see a statement that an album which would obviously not be for everyone and is very arguably even good at all... for such an album to be called better than all of Shy Tiger and Shylock's albums put together... just find it to be an annoying statement. Whether you like Shy Tiger and Shylock or not, they have good, solid consistent and reliable hard rock albums. I feel that outside of Journey diehards, the Perry album probably has a very, very limited appeal. Anyway, today's sounds; Sic Vikki - Kiss Me In French Sic Vikki - Streetside Picasso Sick Six Crush - Sick Six Crush Sick Trigger - The Stand Side Kixx - Talk Of The Town Signal - Loud & Clear Silence - Sound Of Rain Haha mate, you do get wound up v easily........it was just an expression to state that I like that album a lot, not to be taken literally. Just to wind you up today - Signal > all those other albums combined ;-)

yeah was a bit of shock this morning this one - he must have kept the illness very quiet. An iconic figure in the music industry. RIP

Just heard Hypocracy.... Bloody marvellous Like a cross of WET and Pretty Maids

Agree. I love the album personally - and the reissue with bonus tracks is even better Absolutely no bonus tracks needed. Bar a couple of tracks (5,10) The album was/ is perfect in every way. 'Go Away', 'Oh Sherrie', 'She's mine' 'Go Away', You Should Be Happy', ' Captured By The Moment', 'Foolish Heart' and 'Running Alone'.. all absolutely fantastic, well written songs songs, your taste or not. Oh i agree, but there were some cracking bonus tracks....loved hearing those as are v early journey in style.

I reckon it fots yr requirements perfectly. Driven but laid back.

Agree. I love the album personally - and the reissue with bonus tracks is even better

Ditto

Alfonzetti - Heartbreaker

Pretty Maids - sad to see you suffer Degreed - Follow Her Home Degreed - Love me love me not Jeff Scott Soto - Die just a little Night flight orchestra - glowing city madness Place vendome - i will be waiting

HEAT - downtown

3 classics :-)

Avengers : Age of Ultron OK, but a big step backwards from the previous films.