My Top Ten Melodic Rock Albums of 2018

At Number 10 is Peter H. Nilsson's Little American Dream. This Swedish guitarist recruited a vocalist from Nashville and the marriage is one made in AOR heaven! The songs are haunting and fresh. It's on the lighter side of things but has some intricate guitar work throughout. A real surprise of an album!

At Number 9 is Sunstorm's The Road To Hell Featuring Joe Lynn Turner. The album rocks from start to finish and Joe is in fine form. These songs are all well crafted and expertly sung and produced. There are many fine twists and turns that will entice Rainbow fans as well as fans of Swedish melodic rock. Note - this is my favorite album cover of 2018.

At Number 8 is Perfect View's Timeless. The Italian band's third effort is their most complete work showing better songwriting and clean production. There is a bit of an 80's feel to these songs but an element of progressive hard rock too. The vocals of Marco Ciancio are a thing to behold.

At Number 7 is Palace's Binary Music. This record has a certain swing vibe to it melding hard rock with 80's pomp for a big, bold and beautiful sound. The material is a mix of influences ranging from Wang Chung to Asia. This is the kind of music which should find a home on the radio.

At Number 6 is Tony Lewis's Out of The Darkness. An unbelievable comeback album that contains huge hooks, great guitar lines and the time travel vocals of this former Outfield lead singer. It's a mystery how radio has largely ignored this record.

At Number 5 is Perfect Plan's All Rise. A stunning mix of melodic rock and progressive elements. Vocalist Kent Hilli is a star and has a bright future. The band has a grasp on how to make music that is American sounding while not compromising on the great melodic scene of their home country, Sweden.

At Number 4 is Creye's debut full length album. This

is well crafted melodic rock steeped in the Swedish tradition with a real 80's feel. The songwriting is stellar. The guitar solos are all executed perfectly. Big keyboard riffs. Expectations were met on this first attempt.

At Number 3 is The Dukes of The Orient's eponymous debut album. This music wins on so many levels. The material, the playing, the recording process. It takes the Asia legacy and moves it forward. John Payne is the worthy heir apparent to this music's legacy. One of the most anticipated releases of the year and it did not disappoint.

At Number 2 is Jerome Mazza's Outlaw Son. An album produced and written with the help of guitar slinger Tommy Denander. A great mix of classic rock and progressive melodic rock. There are no bad tracks and the production is clean and bright and Mazza proves he is a singer for the current melodic rock age.

At Number 1 is State of Salazar's Superhero. The lead vocals are absolutely passionate and gritty. The songs are all stellar with no filler. The production will take you back to a time when organic instrumentation was the norm. The nods to Toto and Work of Art are indeed there but this band takes this sound to a whole new level. A rockier west coast flavor and the best record in this genre for sure and my number one album for 2018!