News January-June 2003
June-21-2003
- Danish active rockers KICK THE KANGAROO has been picked up by Atenzia Records so please check out the new album "Bits & Pieces"!
- The always busy man TOMMY DENANDER is heavily involved with the Swedish hi-tech AOR band SWEETWATER and their debut album. Expect a release that matches bands like MR. MISTER, GIANT and SAVAGE GARDEN - more news as I get them.
- Generation Records/Al!ve had to delay the release date of the upcoming
concept-album by German guitarist HUBI MEISEL called "EmOcean“ to July! But I am allowed to offer you a little “appetizer”: The whole opener „Lost in the Waters of
Sargasso“ is now available as FREE ONLINE-SINGLE through his Web-site.
June-11-2003
- The American Steve Perry fanclub Almost Steve Perry recommend that the 36 year old vocalist from Milan, Italy called GUIDO PRIORI will have his Journey Tribute "Sequential" released - if you think that too, make your opinion visible at one of the websites.
- Frontiers Records are ready to release the debut of a new band called PRIDE OF LIONS - featuring the one and only JIM PETERIK and debut vocalist TOBY HITCHCOCK - I already have high hopes.
- It seems that the long lost demo with FATE called "Hardcore Romance" is available somewhere - more news soon, hopefully!
May-23-2003
- Please check out the new album and website on Swedish AOR/melodic rock band COASTLAND RIDE. Samples can be heard at Rocktracks.de in the soundbytes section.
- Former PUSH vocalist and main-man MARTIE PETERS has a new web-site up and running. His first solo effort with tehe working title "Riot on the 5th floor" will hopefully be available in the fall 2003!
- Due to political reasons STEVE OVERLAND, PETE JUPP and BOB SKEAT decided not to use the name FM, they will be using the name THE LADDER and the title of the album will be "Future Miracles"released through Escape Music. At the moment they are finishing their new album with producer extraordinaire Steve Morris, with mixing by Pete "PeeWee" Coleman. There will also be several special guest appearances
May-07-2003
- JACK CRACKER is a new Danish Glam/Sleaze band with a hard hitting new album out on Sweden Rock Records called "Platinum Paranoia". The album has guest appearences by MICHAEL DENNER & HANK SHERMAN and the band's manager is the legendary KEN ANTHONY!
- Drummer LOUIS WEAVER has parted ways with PETRA after 20 years with the band. PETRA is in the studio now with producer PETER FURIER to work on a new album supposed to be out in August.
According to their website it will be a return to the classic sound - very promising.
- The Swedish top vocalist GÖRAN EDMAN from GLORY, RADIOACTIVE, STREET TALK etc. etc. finally has a website of his own.
April-28-2003
- ENZIGN featuring JOHN HALLIWELL of TEN will release their debut
album "Cast The First Stone" officially today - April 28th !!
The album is also available at Z
Records on-line store.
- More stores on the Web... the Swedish/American band TALISMAN has launched a Web-shop. Here you can buy the band's back catalogue in new re-mastered formats!
- Danish prog-rockers ROYAL HUNT will top the bill at the Frontiers records Artist Showcase together with acts like GLENN HUGHES and TALISMAN.
The event will take place in Rome, May 27th 2003 at the Black Out Rock Club.
April-12-2003
- I guess almost every move in the AOR/melodic rock genre of Scandinavian today takes place in Sweden - but here is one from Denmark: Former FATE mates BJARNE HOLM & HANK SHERMAN has joined forces with IRON FIRE vocalist MARTIN STEENE, ex-MERCYFUL FATE guitarist MICHAEL DENNER and former =Y= bassist HAL PATINO. The project with the name FORCE OF EVIL will play hard rock with a clear 80's feel..!
- ... and now back to the Swedish news: The new melodic hope from Sweden is supposed to be CRYSTAL BLUE - their third album - but their first on MTM will be out on May 26th and will be called "Detour".
- FATAL SMILE will be featured on the forthcoming Perris Records compilation called "Hollywood Hairspray II" alongside bands like ENUFF'Z'NUFF, JETBOY and PRETTY BOY FLOYD.
March-21-2003
- Former EUROPE an DOKKEN guitar player JOHN NORUM is about to join UFO - but if it is NORUM joining UFO or the other way around only the future will tell because of some legal problems with the UFO-moniker after MICHAEL SCHENKERS departure!!
- NOW AND THEN announces the addition of Escape Music recording artists GRAND ILLUSION to the line-up of The Gods
2003. The Swedish act will make their debut UK live performance on
Saturday May 24th promoting their excellent 2002 release, "View From
The Top" and introducing new guitar player OLA af TRAMPE. Special guest star will be HEARTLAND singer, CHRIS OUSEY, who will join
the band for a huge climax to the set.
- Swedish newcommers COASTLINE signs with Vinny Records. They are currently finishing some details of their forthcoming album in their homeland. Their sound has some influences of bands like Survivor, Heart or Witness. You can hear some samples here - it seems to me that every Scandinavian melodic act these days comes from Sweden.
March-01-2003
- Former EASY ACTION and EUROPE guitar slinger KEE MARCELLO has a new project called K2 and recorded a whole album with the title "Melon Demon Divine" - but hasn't got a contract! Guest musicians on the album are SNOWY SHAW on drums and the mysterious KLATUU on bass.
- PAUL HODSON ex-HARD RAIN keyboard-wizz - now with TEN has a new album out and a new website up and running. Along with his new album he also took some time off to play on the forthcoming album with BOB CATLEY.
- The excellent web-zine Rock Of Norway has released an interview with vocalist TONY HARNELL. He talks of the TNT reunion as well as the new EP "Taste".
February-20-2003
- Former FATE vocalist Per Henriksen (now Johansson) has a new power pop project called UREAS ready to be launched. The first single "Barrels of Fun" is out now - and is featuring his wife HEIDI on vocals and former FATE-mate BJARNE HOLM on drums!
- Canadian prog-rockers SAGA will play a gig in Amager Bio in Copenhagen on 3rd of April as a support to their new album "Marathon" - tickets available on Billetnet.
- Two Danish top acts are now working on new releases. ROYAL HUNT has plans for a new album with the working title "Eye witness" - new drummer is former JANE DOE skins man ALLAN TSHICAJA... and MIKE TRAMP has finished recordings of "More to Life than this" in the Sweet Silence studios under supervision of FLEMMING RASMUSSEN featuring KASPER FOSS on drums, NICHOLAS FINDSEN from PARADOX on bass, KASPER DAMGAARD and OLIVER STEFFENSEN on guitars - and STEVE LUKATHER on two tracks - and finally DAN HEMMER on organ.
February-01-2003
- Sweden Rock Festival from 6-8 of June 2003 in Sölvesborg has now published the two headliners: TWISTED SISTER and WHITESNAKE. On the bill there are several big acts like YES, QUEENSRYCHE, JETHRO TULL, URIAH HEEP, Y&T, KROKUS and TWINBALL feat. ROBIN GEORGE.
- ... and speaking of WHITESNAKE. Mr. DAVID COVERDALE has recently announced the line-up for the bands tour in 2003. There is a photo here of the new line-up featuring TOMMY ALDRIDGE, TIMOTHY DRURY, REB BEACH, DOUG ALDRICH and MARCO MENDOZA.
- If you want to enter a competition to win the excellent debut "Different Ways" with the Swedish melodic prog/rock band XINEMA check out their website - winners will be found every month!
January-18-2003
- From Norway there are good news from good old Scandinavian melodic rock band STAGE DOLLS - they are currently number 2 in the Top 40 in Norway with their album "Good Times".
- English smooth rockers FM - nowadays also called SO! has announced their new guitarist and it is no other than - VINNY BURNS! Espect a new release soon through Escape Music.
- TOMMY DENANDER is working hard with his RADIOACTIVE project at the moment. On the new MTM compilation "Rock Ballads vol. 4" there are a track called "Don't give up" - and the project now involves vocalists MATS ALFONZETTI, FERGIE FREDERIKSEN, MIKAEL ERLANDSSON, KIMMO BLOM and GEIR RONING.
January-09-2003
- STYX are ready to release their new album - called "Cyclorama". As a little appetizer they have put a MP3 version of two tracks on their website. Check out the rockier "These are the Times" with James Young on lead vocals and the more FM friendly semi acustic "Waiting for our Time".
- On the recently released compilation "Rock the Bones" from Frontiers there is a MONSTER track with the danish project MYSTERELL - featuring the amazing guitar player TORBEN LYSHOLM from melodic rock band PANGEA. Even if "Don't ever stop" is a rough mix I can hear influences from Def Leppard and Giant! While we wait for the album - there are some "tasters" from the never-yet-released 3rd album from PANGEA here.
- PRETTY MAIDS will soon release a new live CD called "Alive at Least" - this spring! According to their website (under re-construction at the moment) the band will work on a DVD as well.
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