Eternal Champion- "Raving iron"

 

 

Texan US power metalers return with a new album full of sorcery,swords and musical magic. For those who are familiar, the band is stepping forward to a more mature sound. Exploring the power metal/epic metal genre with their influences all over their music, OMEN, MANILLA ROAD, MANOWAR, STEEL VENGEANCE but with the element that makes some bands better than others, their song craft. They know how to write a tune. How to escalate the feeling of the waiting before the battle, the fear, the passion, the bloodshed and afterwards the lament and the triumph depending on the side you've chosen. ETERNAL CHAMPION created an album full of lyricism and sheer power, that could be alongside LIEGE LORD, OMEN in the early 90s but hails the new decade with swords held high. All hail to the metal warriors.

 

 

7,5

 Pride of lions- "Lion heart"

The new work of Jim Peterik and Toby Hitchcock is full of what I didn’t expect from an AOR band, contemporary lyrics and a political approach to today’s problem. The “Lion heart” is a song worth listening to the whole album, only because of it. But let's be fair. The POL have never really let us down and don’t do it and this time. Pomp rock, great hooks, strong melodies and the divine voice of the mature Hitchcock give us a great example on how someone can be pompous, FM friendly and never get cheesy. A great work form the US showing to Scandinavians that US FM rock won’t give up its crown of melodic rock so easily.

8

 

Stan Bush- "Dare to dream"

US melodic rock mastermind Stan Bush returns with his fourteen studio album. A greatly underrated artist in his own genre, comes as no surprise for those who know him, with some high tech meloci/AOR tunes. An FM oriented artist has all the 80s keyboards, the hooks and the giant choruses. Songs like "Heat of attack" and the same title are fine examples of the prime time AOR of the 80s. Bands like early BonJovi, Surgin, House of Lords, Survivor echo in this talented artist's sound. The main issue is that Stan Bush is one of them, so there is no retro , replication issue.The main issue is to get the recognition he deserves. Stan keeps producing albums of high quality AOR and he deserves to be well known, while most of the young rock fans keep their eyes at ECLIPSE, NFO. His sound is far more original touching the 80s spirit and the "light" weight , keyboard sound,that could really make the difference and the change of heart to the listener

 

 

 

8

 

BRKN LOVE- "Brkn love"

Debut album from these Canadian rockers and a real surprise for my tired ears. A modern mix of metal, alternative, arena rock, and most of all songs to listen to. BREAKIN LOVE takes the best of both worlds from ALTER BRIDGE and  SOUNDGARDEN on the one hand, their dark 90s sound, which basically is 70s sonically refurbished and the techno/prog/pop of MUSE with their essential feeling of melody. The result is a beautiful album and songs like "Paper cuts' , "Oxygen", "I can't lie', "I see red"and "River" Singer/guitarist Jason Benlolo has really re imagined and sonically updated his band sound to a modern rock beast.These guys just need to keep on writing great songs and put more videos on Youtube till the people will get in touch with their music. Success is then a sure thing. Addictive and sweet as chocolate will make you crave for more...

 

 

 

8

 2020 Η λίστα των επιτυχιών, (γιατί μας άγγιξαν)

Ακόμη μια χρονιά, δύσκολη, φεύγει και μαζεύοντας το χρόνο από παιδιά, συντρόφους, γονείς και φίλους, σας προσφέρουμε μια στήλη με επιλογές που αν θέλετε μπορείτε να εξερευνήσετε. Μουσικές και συγγραφείς που η δουλειά τους μας άγγιξε και μας συντρόφεψε...δεν θα δείτε πολλά περιέργα, αφήνουμε τον ελιτισμό στους ειδικούς....Οι λίστες μουσικής και βιβλίων είναι χωρίς αξιολογική σειρά, κάτι τέτοιο θα ήταν δύσκολο, άδικο και άτοπο, αριστεία στην τέχνη δεν υπάρχει.

 

ACDC- Power Up

BOC- The symbol remains

Armored saint- Punching the sky

BADD KHARMA- On fire

Brother firetribe- Feel the burn

City kids- Things that never were

Chris Stapleton- Starting over

Cory Marks- Who i am

Bruce Springsteen- Letter to you

Eternal Champion- Raving iron

Sons of Apollo- MMXX

Ozzy- Ordinary man

Stan Bush - Dare to dream

Small town titans- The ride

Massive wagons- House of noise

Robert Jon& the wreck- Last light on highway

Atomic Bitchwax- Scorpio

Pain of Salvation- Panther

Ulver- Flowers of evil

Billy the kid& the regulators- It is what it is

Ishahn- Manhattan skyline

Tennessee Champagne- S/T

Captain Black beard- Sonic forces

When river meets- We fly free

White buffalo- On the widows walk

JSS- Wide awake (in my dreamland)

Allman-Betts band- Bless your heart

Deep purple- Whoosh

Night- High tides-distant skies

Lynn Jackaman- One shot

Biffy clyro- A celebration of endings

Outlaws-Dixie Highway

Kansas- Absence of presence

Alcatrazz- Born innocent

Night Flight Orchestra- Aeromantic

Crippled Back Phoenix- Ellengaest

All them witches- Nothing as the ideal

Judicator- Let there be nothing

Code Noir- Jack of all spades

Βιβλιοεπιλογές

Βαγγέλης Γεωργάκης-Κωσταντίνος Ραμπατζής- "Μικρος Αρχηγός τόμος 1 και 2" (Oasis)

Σεμπάστιαν Μπάρι- « Χίλια φεγγάρια» (Ίκαρος)

Τζορτζ Πελεκάνος- « Ο άντρας που επέστρεψε» (Πατάκης)

Παναγιώτης Γ. Παπαϊωάννου –«Dead rockers Society» (Δίαυλος)

Εντουάρντ Λουί- «Ποιός σκότωσε τον πατέρα μου» (Αντίποδες)

Bernie Marsden- “Where’s my guitar n Inside Story of British Rock and Roll”

Φερνάντο Αραμπούρου -"Πατρίδα" (Πατακης)

Τζόναθαν Κόου- "Mr Wilder & me" (Πόλις)

Τζούλιαν Μπαρνς- "Ανδρας με τον κόκκινο μανδύα" (Μεταίχμιο)

Jack Fairweather- "Ο εθελοντής" (Γκούτενμπεργκ)

Μαρία Παπαστεφανάκη- "Ζωή από χαρτί" (Ηριδανός)

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SJLxYFHh7x4qS9yUrhYQg 

 

Καλή χρονιά με Υγεία, Καθαρή Κριτική σκέψη και Δημιουργικότητα

 

Στέλιος Μπασμπαγιάννης

 

 

Jesper Binzer- "Save your soul"

 

The voice behind Danish D.A.D comes with his new second solo album and brings a ray of sun in 2020. Modern Hard rock, with punchy guitars and some nice placed keyboards that gives a more contemporary sound to songs like |"Life is moving". Binzer has talent in bringing serious issues upfront, dressed in sometimes even pop melodies (BEATLES  are all around the album) and getting rock credibility without the need of Amplifier walls. So once more he gives us an album that is contemporary, hard enough to remind of his rock roots and yet not a D.A.D clone. A bit more diverse and sometimes laidback, like the piano driven "Move a mountain" or the tongue in cheek "Don't let them make you choose sides". An album where as usual sarcasm and melancholy meets groovy rhythms and distorted guitars.Overall a great album to change our mood.

 

 

7

 

Scott H Biram- 'Fever dreams"

 

Sometimes an old battered acoustic guitar, a grave voice and some songs coming out of the heart are enough to bring the world to its knees. Scott H Biram has returned with another guitar driven album, acoustically (mostly) driven but distorted by the man's obsessions, passions and demons. From the opener "Fever dreams' to the more straightforward "Hobo jungle" moving to "Drunk like me" and the loneliness of "Highway kind"(Townes Van Zandt), originals or covers, the American dream is decomposed and drawn in the mud of  alcohol and personal failure, social discomfort. No shiny Neon lights, no golden boys and left wing activists with NGOs spending the funds to support charities for the rich, to sleep calm in the night. Rock n roll, gospel, country, blues, minimal orchestration, electrified when needed and a man who comes from our own personal dark pages to resurrect bad times and the light at the end of the tunnel. Along with WHITE BUFFALO and BROTHER DEGE  the most underrated songwriter of the lost generation of the 00s. More rock than the rockers, more country than the country singers, more human and down to earth than most of us. An album to drink and smoke and cry listening to it.

 

 

7,5