AlphaMale

I liked their last disc but this one is pure garbage.

awesome!!!

Updated: 1. NIGHT BY NIGHT 97% 2. CONFESS 95% 3. H.E.A.T. 92% 4. PRETTY MAIDS 90% 5. DIRTY SKIRTY 89% 6. PRIMAL FEAR 88% 7. SUNSTRIKE 87% 8. STEEL PANTHER 85% 9. EDGUY 85% 10. MACH22 85% 11. LANEY'S LEGION 84% 12. BROTHER FIRETRIBE 83% 13. FREE SPIRIT 82% 14. ALIEN 82% 15. FREE SPIRIT 82% 16. DYNAZTY 82% 17. STATES OF PANIC 80% 18. ELECTRIC BOYS 80% 19. ASTRA 80% 20. THREE LIONS 79% 21. GUS G 78% 22. GOTTHARD 77% 23. AMMOTRACK 76% 24. HOUSE OF LORDS 76% 25. MIRACLE MASTER 75% 26. PRETTY WILD 75% 27. GUNNER 75% 28. SEBASTIAN BACH 74% 29. BABYLON AD 74% 30. JOHNNY LIMA 74% 31. RAIN OR SHINE 73% 32. SUPERCHARGER 73% 33. THE TREATMENT 72% 34. WINGER 72% 35. MAGNUM 72% 36. INCURA 70% 37. THE SKY 69% 38. RED DRAGON CARTEL 68% 39. LRS 65% 40. JULIAN ANGEL 58% 41. FATAL SMILE 55% new entries in BOLD

Haha!! I like that track a lot! Awesome!!

DIRTY SKIRTY - Rebel BROTHER FIRETRIBE - Diamond In The Firepit ELECTRIC BOYS - Starflight United CONFESS - Jail MACH22 - Sweet Talk Intervention

Dokken "Back For The Attack". Found only on their Japan Greatest Hits disc or the single of "Dream Warriors"

found this interesting: Rat Race: Kip Winger: We've rarely done songs this fast. It was fun to knock it out. This one is right up Reb's alley, I like the fast paced heaviness and the lyric written by Donnie Purnell really fun to sing. With the harmony guitar solo and the Deep purple vibe, it makes a nice addition to our catalogue.

I found this interesting: Kip Winger commenting on tracks from Winger's new disc "Better Days Comin'": Rat Race: We've rarely done songs this fast. It was fun to knock it out. This one is right up Reb's alley, I like the fast paced heaviness and the lyric written by Donnie Purnell really fun to sing. With the harmony guitar solo and the Deep purple vibe, it makes a nice addition to our catalogue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- thought it was pretty interesting to see ex-Kix Donnie Purnell wrote the lyrics to this song. Wonder if this is a new lyric, or something old.

Not thinking they are the same Astra. This Astra mixes prog/metal/hard rock. Not a bad disc.

Great points Geoff.

Fair enough. Didn't think of it that way.

SunStrike - Rock Your World Brother Firetribe - Diamond In The Firepit Alien - Eternity

Mach22 - Go Ahead

Yeah.... reminds of the dreadful Boston disc. Just poor poor tin can sounding drums.

Hell..... I don't even like some of the bands I post threads about!!

Me too Jarred!! LOL

I always try to post a sample or youtube clip.

That's just it. I think 100% of the people here would agree that they'd rather have someone reply and say they don't like a band/song, then have the thread completely ignored. I think this was discussed before. I don't slag on anyone who doesn't like a band I post. It's all about finding someone who might like it. I slag a few bands that other people post that I don't like but at least I reply to said thread. When threads gets many views but no replies, it's almost insulting.

Just a little fyi, fyi; 1 . Blessed By A Broken Heart - Feel The Power - 94 ; band is broken up 7 . Destine - Illuminate - 90 ; looks like band is in hiatus, with no plans to record again at the moment 13 . Safetysuit - These Times - 90 ; still active, and supposedly a new album due soon 14 . Namesake - Borders And Fences - 88 ; the band ended, BUT, as far as I can tell just changed their name to SEPARATIONS, have just released a pretty killer single, and will supposedly release an album this year. The new band is heavier, but the new song still has a good chorus hook. 17 . Star City Meltdown - Music=War - 86 ; as far as I can tell these guys broke up too 19 . Hit The Lights - Invicta - 85 ; not sure what's going on with these guys. If Thief Club went on to record a new album I'd be okay with nothing new from HTL for now, but yeah, not sure what's going on here, but it sure doesn't look like there will be any new HTL music anytime soon. 24 . The Seeking - Yours Forever - 85 ; broken up. Why must you bring me down, Geoffrey? You're brought down? I looked these up last night and just about wept. I've been wondering where all my favourite bands are at recently. The answer... they've basically all broken up. As for Namesake, I don't know how many of you creeps actually checked out the excellent 'Borders and Fences' album, but here's the new song I was talking about, from their new band name called Separations. It's a hell of a lot heavier, with heaps more screaming (sadly, as I don't think there was any screaming on the Namesake disc) but there's still a good very typical Namesake-style chorus on offer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RollJG7KQ Soon as the screaming started, it had to go. Dreadful.

LOL

5 brand new threads and not a single reply in any of them. fozzy thread in videos: 26 views/0 replies bormann thread in aor: 35 views/0 replies astra thread in metal: 15 views/0 replies farmikos thread in aor: 22 views/0 replies weapon thread in aor: 25 views/0 replies And you guys wonder why it is dead around here. When you do try to spread the word about new bands somebody on here might like, it goes totally ignored. Disappointing to say the least. And something that never used to happen at all. That's all.

http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2014/04/michael-bormann-love-is-magic-cd-review/ by Alexandra Mrozowska - Columnist – “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue …” How accurate this couplet is in reference to the “best of” or catalog albums, being released in dozens each year with some previously unreleased tracks or the other bonuses? Most certainly, the rhyme is nothing far-fetched when it comes to the new release of Michael Bormann, one of the best voices in Teutonic hard rock, known from performing solo as well as fronting such acts as Jaded Heart or Rain. A rundown on last eighteen years of his thirty-three-year long musical career is titled Love Is Magic (Best of Ballads) and, consequently, focuses on more mellow part of his works. And as in the couplet, there is “something old and new” indeed, and “something borrowed” too – 15 songs in total, two of which were never released before, and two cover versions. There are also some re-recordings/modifications to another few tracks, all these flavors to be picked up by the skilled ear of Mr. Bormann’s avid fan. The album starts with the piano-based power-ballad “I Wanna Hear Your Voice” (taken from 2008 Captured Moment, Bormann’s third solo album). Next is “Singing For You.” The song’s title should ring a bell if you cast your mind back to the 2007 release by Mark Sweeney (ex-Crystal Ball), to which Bormann essentially contributed as a producer, songwriter and an instrumentalist. In comparison with Sweeney’s mellow original, Bormann’s rich-sounding acoustic rendition of the song is slightly country-ish genre-wise and less polished. And while you have to be Bormann’s fan to recognize the origin of the third track – it’s “Can’t Stop Missing You” from the singer’s 2002 self-titled solo album, enriched with wailing guitar sounds – with the fourth “Help” you don’t need any knowledge in melodic rock specifically. And yet, you’ll still find yourself amazed at how different a well-known Beatles classic can actually sound, with Bormann’s very emotional vocal performance and his breathy but warm voice falling into place with this re-arranged, slow version of the evergreen (similar to cover versions of “Help” delivered by Bon Jovi during their early-‘90s gigs). A love song “Two Of A Kind” comes from 2006 Conspiracy album, the second in Bormann’s solo discography. This track features him sharing the microphone with a female singer relatively unknown at the time of its release (now Anette Olzon, known also as Anette Blyckert, is a well-recognized name because of her involvement with Nightwish). It’s followed up by the new track “Somebody Like You”, the sixth on the album – and although both are drastically different in terms of lyrics, music-wise it comes close to Poison’s 1988 hit single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. “The Best Is Yet To Come” is again the 2002 self-titled record revisited – a slow, bluesy track and a real showcase to Bormann’s vocal abilities. The expected throwback to Bormann’s days in Jaded Heart (and their brilliant albums Trust and IV, respectively) comes with “Love Is Magic” and a dramatic, soaring power ballad “Way Back Home.” Towards the end of the record, there’s also a couple of tracks from Michael’s last solo effort D-i-f-f-e-r-e-n-t (2010) – “Was Mir Fehlt” (a male/female duo, sung entirely in German), the acoustic “Think Twice” and “Don’t You Tell Me,” an independence manifesto and an excellent soft rock track music-wise. And more – an atmospheric, sensual ballad “I’d Die For You”, initially released on 2006 Stronger album by Bormann-fronted act Rain and soppy “Go Goin’ Gone,” again from the singer’s 2008 solo album. And as for the grand finale, Michael delivers “Überleben” in his native German language. It’s another previously unreleased track, and in spite of obvious language differences and certain “roughness” of German phonetics, the song’s mellow and melodic enough to fit the rest of the predominantly English-language material. Apart from being one of the best German rock vocalists, Michael Bormann’s also one of the busiest; hence, it’s difficult to name Love Is Magic (Best of Ballads) a “definitive” representation to his vast discography. It’s more or less representative to his solo career, with a few musical treats for his fans in between. Nevertheless, the compilation can sugar the pill in the case of listeners waiting for a brand new material, and what they’ll surely appreciate is Bormann’s fresh approach to his catalog as well as the potential of the new tracks and covers included. It’s a good soundtrack to spending a romantic evening by the fireplace with your loved one or unveiling your inner hopeless romantic, but most of all – it’s a very pleasant listening altogether, much recommended for every hard rock fan. Genre: Hard Rock Band: Michael Bormann Track List: 1) I Wanna Hear Your Voice 2) Singing For You 3) Can’t Stop Missing You 4) Help 5) Two Of A Kind 6) Somebody Like You 7) The Best Is Yet To Come 8) Love Is Magic 9) Way Back Home 10) Was Mir Fehlt 11) Think Twice 12) I’d Die For You 13) Don’t You Tell Me 14) Go Goin’ Gone 15) Überleben Label: RMB Records Website: http://www.michaelbormannpage.de/ Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

http://blackwindmetal.com/astra-broken-balance/ February 27, 2014 in Reviews by Arno Callens April 15th Astra - Broken Balance (2014) Reviewed by Arno Callens I never think of Italy as having a vast progressive metal market. A quick search (and lots of scrolling) on the Metal Archives tells me differently, but still I’m largely unconvinced. Of the few bands that are exported – Odd Dimension is another – Astra has always been my favorite. After humble beginnings in About Me: Through Life And Beyond, the band released an underrated scorcher in From Within and it seemed the story had just begun. Catching them at another passage through Belgium at PPM Fest (which is quite fond of them) in 2013, I left with a richer experience of the band, and a promise that Astra would be back this year. It is, and since the map of Italian prog is relatively small in my eyes, Broken Balance should put Astra firmly in the center. What makes Astra as astral as its name suggests is an exemplary talent for making prog metal rock. The genre usually gets its goods from mileage, but Astra takes flight on the first song and never touches ground again. Of course there is a growing curve for some of the songs, yet you wouldn’t be able to tell from “Over The Hills” on From Within or the first four tracks present here. “Losing My Ego” is a sprawling, powerized prog assault delivering punch after punch, catchy chorus included. No shortage of any of that either on the dreamy “Hole In The Silence”, dreamier “From Sunrise To Sunset”, and kick-ass “Too Late” (“Too Late! Too Late!”). Progging it up a notch is the somber title track and thumping “Faithless” before the band goes into full Dream Theater mode with “Mirror Of Your Soul”, as singer Andrea Casali gives his best James LaBrie-impression. “Risk And Dare” rips the throttle open to full once more, and from there the album thunders onward until the strangely-not-a-ballad-closer “You Make Me Better”. At twelve tracks, the band risks and dares to lose track of what’s what. This is nothing, however, that can’t be helped with second and third spins. What’s to say about the musicianship besides that these guys can play ball with the best? Casali’s voice may be slightly too effeminate for some, but he’s far from syrupy, even on the softer songs. He has the pipes to fill stadiums, and that, along with the crispy guitar sound, lends the band its rock ‘n’ roll quality. Prog can be slow to reveal itself, in all the best and worst ways possible. Astra is not alone in this regard, but proves it can be both direct and deep at the same time. I can sit down with an Anubis Gate album any day of the week and lovingly dissect it, but on another day of the same week I just crave a prog record that makes me headbang and think, and think about headbanging. Broken Balance serves its purpose as a thinking man’s adrenaline shot extremely well. Now it’s up to the world to take notice. 4.0 // 5 1. Losing My Ego 04:27 2. Hole in the Silence 04:25 3. Sunrise to Sunset 06:03 4. Too Late 05:23 5. Broken Balance 05:07 6. Faithless 04:24 7. Mirror of Your Soul 04:40 8. Risk and Dare 04:34 9. Break Me Down 04:32 10. Understand 04:11 11. Ending Season 04:27 12. You Make Me Better 04:02 Band: Titta Tani Vocals Silvio D'onorio De Meo Guitars Emanuele Casali Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals Andrea Casali Vocals, Bass Filippo Berlini Drums http://youtu.be/3UlpwytAHQ0 http://youtu.be/IceI5khiNO0

RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy has released the following statement: "After 30 years creating the band RATT and losing a real brother, Robbin [Crosby, late RATT guitarist], it's time that I personally part ways with the band. "I am officially done with having anything to do with them due to the constant turmoil, unresolved business, personal attacks/threats in the public forum, and most of all, the disrespect to the fans. "I'm very content and proud of the legacy and the music I’ve created. This music will live well beyond any of our lifetimes. "I owe no one anything but a huge heartfelt thank you for coming to the party for the last 30 years. "With much respect, life goes on and the music I created will continue to be heard for years to come despite the dark clouds that have lingered for far too long. "I will personally continue to make music and perform live shows." "See you out there." RATT recently canceled its appearance on the Monsters Of Rock cruise due to the death of Stephen Pearcy's sister. RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer was slated to sit out the band's appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise because he had not yet fully recovered from the neck surgery he underwent last October. Filling in for him once again was supposed to be Jimmy DeGrasso, who has previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others. Blotzer previously missed three RATT shows in January. All three dates were played with DeGrasso behind the kit. RATT's first studio record in 11 years, "Infestation", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 30 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was issued on April 20, 2010 via Loud & Proud. Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/singer-stephen-pearcy-quits-ratt/#GQGzUjey4tVBpcso.99