Peter H. Nilsson - Little American Dream (album review redux)

Peter H. Nilsson is not known to American audiences even though he released his debut album, Little American Dream almost 2 years ago. His follow up album is on the way, and I'll definitely be reviewing it here. In fact, Peter's new track, "Can't Come Down" is now streaming alongside the other 9 tracks on Little American Dream. The new song carries a thoughtful metaphor about being in a risky place on a high wire. Nilsson is the guitarist and co-writer of this excellent material along with Nashville singer Chris Biano. Chris has a smooth, soulful delivery. The music itself echoes bands like Breathe, Foreigner, Go West and Icehouse. This is a heavier west coast groove. It's not hard rock, but there is enough going on to make fans of a harder sound take notice.  Other session musicians include Patrick Adiels on bass guitar and drummer Jason Meekins. This music sounds incredibly familiar, even though you've never heard it before. No, these aren't recycled riffs and hooks, but new music that is accessible to the ears. The vocals and guitars create the soundtrack for late night driving.  Nilsson and Biano have created their own sound. The record's title track intros with a catchy synth riff that allows Biano a nice launching pad for his sincere warnings about chasing the American dream too hard. The moody undercurrent sets the stage for one of the most consistent rock albums in years.

"Me and You" is a lengthy hypnotic rocker, with an instantly singable chorus and the clever use of the word "hey" as part of the vocal call and answer parts. One of the lyrics is jealous of something new, me and you. "Timeless" is another spellbinding arrangement with romantic lyrics. There is a heavy dose of class inside these grooves. These men are thoughtful arrangers and writers. The choruses all pack a memorable punch. Honestly any of these songs could be radio singles. Each track has an above average, longer than normal guitar solo. Peter is able to stretch out on guitar and Chris Biano's vocal phrasing mirrors the rumble of the guitar. "Love Is Worth Fighting For"is one of the lengthier tracks on the album, and it contains some very satisfying hooks along with more sonic beauty with Biano and Nilsson mounting a two pronged attack. Peter's work on guitar is not flashy, but it is very satisfying. You might compare it to David Gilmour or Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music).

"Haunted" is a perfect song for the moodiness of this record. It's metaphorical ghost is an ex-lover who can't be forgotten. And the music matches the subject matter perfectly. "Am I Dreaming", "Magic" and "Rumours" lean a little harder toward pop, but still manage to be full fledged mid-tempo rock songs featuring ear-friendly guitar tones from Nilsson and Biano's ethereal vocals. These songs would be singles on other albums where there wasn't this much consistently good material. On this album every song is it's own independent island of greatness. This is also a record you won't tire of. It's polished, but arranged in such a way that allows you to find new things the more you listen.

Peter H. Nilsson has created a modern melodic rock masterpiece with the support of other high caliber musicians. This work goes largely under the radar in many parts of the world. But this is the one time the internet helps a musician receive deserved exposure. This was my favorite album of 2019 and with a new song added to the playlist, it's even more of a treat now.

Album rating 9.9

Michael Mills Band - Stand Up (Album Review)

Honest, roots driven rock and roll with every single American music flavoring. That is how one might describe the Michael Mills Band. Their first full length album comes out March 20th via Sony/Orchard Music. This is the kind of music that was once prominently played on American mainstream rock stations before the grunge apocalypse and the free music downloads era. Technology has dulled the senses of music fans across genres and has made music like Stand Up seem nostalgic and at the same time revolutionary. I mean, here is a band who can play their instruments proficiently. Thankfully there is a radio underground of sorts that occupies frequencies on the lower end of the FM dial near your local NPR affiliate.

The album comes out of the gate with the title track, "Stand Up". Led by a driving acoustic guitar and an affirmative refrain and chorus, the track is an instant singable, dance floor romp  infused with simple, honest rock and roll sensibilities. Band leader Michael Mills is the lead vocalist who also plays guitar along with band mate Jesse Godoy who handles lead guitar and helps write the songs. Mark Weiss plays the Hammond B3, Scot Campbell mans the bass and Ron Ravicchio keeps the beat behind the drum kit. Track two, "Feel It" oozes with soul, a beautiful slower melody adorned with soothing harmony vocals. "Real Good Thing" is a traditional blues number which showcases some amazing guitar work from Godoy. It's bluesy acoustic slide playing at it's finest. "One More Alone" shifts again to a cool opening back beat coupled with an infectious guitar lick. Mills commands the microphone with his seasoned, confident delivery.

"I'm Not Sorry" is a slow blues burner that again features Godoy, who drains all kinds of emotion from his guitar. Again Mills delivers a show stopping lead vocal. "My New Woman" combines all of the aforementioned elements into a hybrid swampy blues meets southern soul tune that is one of the album's high points. There's even an amazing harmonica break that intermingles with the acoustic slide. "My Baby Drives" continues the perfect run of Americana soaked in slide guitars and harps with Mills singing his butt off even when the instruments go silent.  The blues are clearly the biggest influence on this music but there are pop and rock sensibilities that make these tracks far more listenable than your average mundane blues outing.

"Big Black Car"  reminds me of the classic blues track "Shaky Ground". It has a huge guitar hook, and some soulful vocals and a wonderful saxophone solo. "Love Is Ahead of Me" slows things down. A graceful, soulful track featuring mostly unplugged instruments along with a sunny blend of vocals that seem to rain down from all directions. This album truly has something for everyone. The blues get cranked up again on " I Know", with it's blistering, yet sophisticated clean guitar introduction. The song then settles into a groove where Mills is singing alongside horns and lead guitar fills. Definitely another highlight on this record.

"You Can't Hide" takes a left turn away from a traditional blues sound to a more straight ahead rocker. Kinda like Secret Agent Man finds his blues mojo. "Chasing These Blues" is track number 12 and the band finishes on a rockin' note with guitars blazing. A stubborn guitar riff that eventually breaks into a very creative and complimentary solo. This is jam band terrain for live shows. In fact the whole album is the kind of music that can be recreated for a live audience, the kind of folks who appreciate real music played to near perfection. The Michael Mills Band have recorded some excellent blues based rock and roll for the new decade. Lets hope and pray this the beginning of a revival that inspires others to follow in their footsteps.

Album rating 9.6

Harem Scarem - Change The World (Album Review)

It's really hard to not heap loads of praise onto this Canadian band. They've been at this for over 30 years. And they continue to define the melodic rock genre. There are few bands that continue to evolve without either losing their creative mojo, or exiting the genre altogether. Harem Scarem is almost all by themselves in that designation. Their new album Change The World continues their lonely journey of obscure greatness. The tragedy that more people don't know about this band should be headline news. The creativity between band leaders Harry Hess (Vocals, backing vocals and keyboards) and lead guitarist Peter Lesperance reaches new levels on this new album.

The opening hooks on the record's title track set the stage for what can only be described as a glorious outing brimming with creativity and confidence. Aftershock follows with it's instant groove and Hess's layered vocals, borrowing pages from Def Leppard and Journey, while at the same time devising something new. You can feel the rhythm section throughout this project which is manned by Mike Vassos on bass and Creighton Doane on drums. Some bands would cherish to have a few of these tracks on one album, whereas HS has an entire album filled with them. Pick a song, and it's likely a radio friendly single.

Such is the case on Searching For Meaning. This outfit shuns the melodic rock by numbers approach. Instead, there are gentle shades of pop and modern rock. A great example of this would be on The Death of Me, with it's cranium occupying chorus and it's slightly darker musical refrains. Hess's desperately urgent vocal delivery adds an element of drama without being droning or cliche. Mother of Invention comes closer to a melodic rock power ballad with it's ginormous hook and Hess's soul stirring lyrics. Peter Lesperance adds a perfect guitar solo. No Man's Land departs some from the larger wall of sound for a slightly sparse rocker that fills in off and on with large guitar lines. This music dances on the edge of progressive rock while retaining it's fluent melodic prowess.

In The Unknown just feels like an accessible hit record from any other time period. It's intro set's up a song you can instantly sing and feel. Upon hearing this you might experience a heavy heart as you remember a time when music like this had a home on rock radio. Riot In My Head contains some distinctively progressive guitar leads which buoy a song that sounds like nothing else you've ever heard. Hess typically wrecks the chorus (in a good way) on almost every song which further implants this music into your subconscious. The guitar solo is another delicious add-on. No Me Without You is a Harem Scarem style power ballad. A tune with more air and less guitar but haunting and completely in line with the material on this record. Fire-Gasoline relies on some very creative guitar riffs to get it's point across while its melody takes a hard progressive turn with bursts of drama, but still skirting the dreaded doom rock format. Harry Hess's voice is it's own unique instrument and on it's own it elevates the originality of this music. Swallowed By The Machine concludes this collection of near perfect rock music as a possible warning regarding technology or political ideology or even war.

Harem Scarem started their career at the beginning of the grunge apocalypse and suffered greatly because of it. After 30 years this level of creativity has only been maintained by a handful of bands. Their passion for writing note combinations that have yet to be heard, coupled with lyrical themes that are provocative and complimentary, is nearly unprecedented. It's hard not to love what this band represents. They are not some melodic rock Johnny come lately. They are the encyclopedia Britannica of perfectly executed melodic rock with many challenging twists and turns. And after 30 years this band still deserves a hearing, no matter what the music industry says.

Album rating 9.9

Change The World gets released on March 6th, courtesy of Frontiers Music.

AOR - Heavenly Demos (album review)

French musician Frederic Slama is not a household name here in the United States. But he has a worldwide audience. His passion for adult oriented rock (AOR, in the old days it was called album oriented rock) has resulted in some stunning collaborations over the years. Many of these have gone under the radar but are being brought back to life. Perris Records recently unearthed "Heavenly Demos", a collection of Slama tunes featuring an all star cast of musicians from the golden age of AOR. Fourteen tracks featuring singers like Paul Sabu (Only Child), Jeff Scott Soto (W.E.T., Journey, Sons of Appollo), Sarah and Melissa Fontaine (Chasing Violets), Chris Antblad (Spin Gallery), Phillip Bardowell (Unruly Child) and Goran Edman from Street Talk. 

To go through the history behind this music would take too long. In fact it might be more interesting to come at this as something new and fresh. Think of Slama as a great arranger, writer and assembler of musical talent. Think of AOR as the ultimate project band. And then listen with all your senses. Rather than delve into each track, I will highlight the ones that make this disc worth owning.

Sensation has an instant 80's groove as if it were meant for a movie soundtrack from the era. Great guitar solo and some funky guitar licks featuring vocals from Goran Edman. Journey and Toto fans will really dig The Smartest Girl In LA, sung in part by the amazing Jeff Scott Soto. Soto handles the chorus, the rest of the track is just jamming. Hence this is why the album is called Heavenly Demos. Brittany is another arena rocker with some tasty guitar licks featuring the vocals of Phillip Bardowell. The tune smooths out into an edgy west coast rocker. One Foot In Heaven features the great Tommy Denander on guitar and the vocals of Kevin Chalfant. Again, the demo here just contains the chorus which allows the listener to really dig into the instrumental part of the song.

The Price To Pay features two top notch European vocalists, Hank Erix from the band Houston and Goran Edman from Street Talk. Guitars from Michael Landau. Pure melodic rock bliss. Singer Steve Overland (FM) sounds awesome on Waiting In The Darkness, another singable gem with excellent instrumentation and harmony vocals, likely double tracked from Overland. Vocalist Michael Kisur stars on Last Days In San Francisco, a surprising acoustic/folk tune featuring Frederic Slama on all instruments. Kisur returns for the overtly political Just Forget The American Dream. Provocative lyrics and Slama doing the entire arrangement. It's part west coast and part melodic rock. Smooth west coast vibes are found on The Reflection of My Heart sung by David Chamberland.

This is one of those projects that covers a lot of ground. The demo style production is a nice throwback to the days where the mix was less cluttered and ear friendly. The guest musicians coupled with Frederic Slama's AOR vision of excellence comes through loud and clear. A very solid collection of melodic rock nostalgia for those who cherish the past while living in the present.

Album rating 8.8

Khymera's Master of Illusions (Album Review)

Khymera is another fantastic project band from the Frontiers Record label. The concept has evolved over the years. But the constant force driving the music in recent years is a gentleman by the name of Dennis Ward. Ward has worked with both Pink Cream 69 and the mighty Magnum. Prior to Khymera, Dennis was more of a background vocalist. He's evolved into a formidable singer with a passionate delivery who also handles the bass guitar. The band is ready to release their 5th album and their first effort in nearly 5 years.

The comparisons are easy to make. Def Leppard, Journey, Signal, 707. These are reference points to this music but it doesn't tell the whole story. This is certainly today's modern melodic rock. There are driving guitars, relentless drumming and Ward's potent vocals. Guitarist Michael Klein provides a certain crunchy, locomotive presence that propels these songs to a higher place. Also of note is veteran keyboardist Eric Ragno. He repeatedly demonstrates good taste in where he decorates these songs with varying degrees of classic and modern keyboard sounds. Drums are handled by Pete Newdeck who keeps perfect time with the aforementioned keys and guitars. This is a strong, seamless tandem of professional musicians making memorable and unique melodic rock.

"Walk Away" is the lead off track and first single and it is a fairly upbeat rocker with a smattering of lush vocal touches and Ragno's modern keyboard flourishes.  "The First Time" is firmly rooted in the 80's rock tradition with a slow introduction followed by a more mid-tempo pace. The chorus is peppered with "whoa-o's" that are all well placed. Klein's guitar solo is melodic and fits perfectly. The more Dennis Ward sings, the more you might think Joe Elliott or someone like Joe is lurking in these grooves. The album's title song is infused with some progressive keyboard flourishes and a somewhat airier musical landscape. Khymera clearly has it's own sound. There are other recognizable touch points, but the production straddles a line between pop and progressive.

Another example of this is on the next track, "The Sun Goes Down". Same M.O. but with some new-wave influences. Much of it has to do with the way the guitars and keyboards co-mingle. "Paradise" is a track that opens some doors both musically and lyrically. The lyrics paint a picture of a false paradise where we are ruled by our own limitations. The music starts soft but grows into a rush of guitars and drums layered over some comfortable twists and turns. "The Rhythm of My Life" explores a few more introspective ideas and delivers on the chorus "gotta get back". A flood of Mutt Lange-ish vocals rain down from the musical heavens.

"Follow The Sun" is more straight forward and hard rocking without being muddled or too heavy. It also contains a rather large chorus and some great drumming courtesy of Pete Newdeck. "Father To Son" is a heart wrenching story set over a lush array of acoustic and electric guitars. This is the big slow one on the record. It eventually fills in with bigger guitars and string sounding keyboards. "After All This Time" combines modern keys and a heavy-pop rock melody. More big chorus-y vocals and a tasty guitar solo from Klein. "Victim of Your Love" continues a nearly flawless set of catchy, memorable melodic rock music. Last but not least is the guitar driven "Just Let It Happen" combining harder rock elements with pop arrangements.

Two things about this album. First, these songs will grow on you quickly. Secondly, the arrangements are well thought out musically and don't mirror a specific band to the point of plagiarism. This is the kind of music that should be on the radio, with any one of these songs being isolated to be played next to anything classic in the rock genre. Too many times in the last 20 years, people have been overly dismissive of worthy attempts like this. When in fact they ought to be listening to a band like this along with their old staples. This is another excellent record in the now fairly long Khymera tradition.

Album rating 9.5

Master of Illusions comes out via Frontiers Music on March 6th

The Outlaws Return With Surprisingly Good New Single

Southern Rock Will Never Die is a brand new song by legendary southern rockers, The Outlaws. With just two original members, Lead Vocalist Henry Paul and drummer Monte Yoho, the band is a different animal compared to their Florida guitar army days with the late great Hughie Thomasson at the helm. The history of this band runs right alongside the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special. The Outlaws have managed to rehab the brand name since Hughie went off to be with the Ghost Riders In The Sky.

A few years back the band put out "Legacy Live", a very impressive, high quality recording of the band doing what it has been doing for the last 45 years or so. I ended up purchasing a copy of it and was blown away by the musicianship and the overall sound quality of these classic live recordings. The band has picked up where they left off with their new song which might be their best material since the very under appreciated Diablo Canyon album. In fact this new song is a modern day southern rock anthem featuring a fired up Henry Paul and the twin guitar attack of both Dale Oliver and Steve Grisham.

The band's record label is a German based outfit who value high production value. They also just released the new Molly Hatchet double live CD. It appears that fans in that part of the world value southern rock a tad more than Americans these days. In any event, this is how you keep a brand alive. You do it with great performances and quality recordings. Fans of southern rock can look forward to a new album "Dixie Highway" dropping on February 28th.

Rating 8.7

Treatment - Power Crazy (Album Review)

When I first heard the Treatment I thought someone was playing a practical joke on me. These punky looking dudes from The UK, cranking out power chords like their older brethren from Australia. As I dug deeper I realized it was for real. I had found some truly amazing next-gen power chord perfection. So I am here to testify of the wonder of The Treatment!

Power Crazy is the band's third full length album courtesy of Frontiers Music. There are 12 rather immaculate rock and roll tracks that tap into the primordial ooze that got Angus and Malcolm a record deal 40 something years ago. And if you are thinking there is a downside to this, well I can't think of one. The album title and cover will immediately make you think of Powerage by their Australian proteges, but okay, so what? Wait 'til you hear this stuff.

"Let's Get Dirty" gets the party starting with a rebellious call to the dirty "way of the world" living. Why this isn't all over rock radio everywhere is a criminal offense. "Rising Power" continues the high voltage tirade but the tempo is even faster. There is a touch of vintage punk rock rebellion here. "On The Money" is slightly bluesier and a bit more contained but still rocks. Guitars are managed by both Tagore and Tao Grey, which also reminds me of that other band who used to do it this way before poor Malcolm left this mortal coil.

The rhythm section is manned by Dhani Mansworth (drums) and Rick Newman (bass). These two guys keep the train running at full steam. The Treatment designs every riff to be rock and roll friendly. "Bite Back" is another radio ready call to controlled chaos. Lead Vocalist Tom Rampton is a slightly more polite version of Bon Scott. He handles his role like Rocky Balboa's replacement. "Luck of The Draw" and "Waiting For The Call" are both more slower burning blues-rock anthems align a bit more with the British rock tradition. Whereas "Hang Them High" and "Scar With Her Name" are crisp hard rockers that mix AC/DC and a small dose of Cheap Trick and Aerosmith.

"King of The City" almost needs the chorus of "Oy!" at the beginning. Once the song leaves the station it's a freight train. "Lay It Down" has a rock, then pause intro that hints at "Whole Lotta Rosie". And even though there is a ton of AC/DC in this music, there is also a modest funky, punky undercurrent to all of it. "The Fighting Song" sounds like another radio gem. A great intro, followed by some tasty power chords and great vocals by Tom and crew. "Falling Down" is song 12 and it is far less derivative than the others. I can hear the Beatles and Cheap Trick in a few of the hook lines but with a harder rocking style. Again, no down side to see or hear here!

The crazy thing about Power Crazy is that few people have ever heard it. It was here in 2019 and then it retreated back to the internet for music junkies like myself to unearth. If you enjoy no frills hard rock with a serious nod to AC/DC, this is your ticket to ride.

Album rating 9.8