• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

October 2024

• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive (Tommy Denander): Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

May 2024

• Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
• Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
• Perseus: Into The Silence
• Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

[ More Music Reviews ]

House of Lords: Big Money

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.0/5.0

Frontiers Records
Website Facebook MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  09.12.2011

If you have a good thing going, why stop? James Christian and House of Lords return once more with Big Money, their eighth studio album, and another platter of AOR-grounded melodic hard rock. Regarding consistency, the HoL crew remains the same, but with return of bassist Chris McCarvill, which recorded 2008's Come to My Kingdom.

While Big Money starts with HoL showing their hard rock chops, it's not necessarily an indicator of what lies within. Yes, some prime, but rudimentary, melodic hard rock returns on Searchin' and Living in a Dream World. These are not the fines cuts on Big Money. That AOR vein offers some spry smoothness to Someday When and Run for Your Life, both hook-laden numbers with high melody and slick guitar solos. The Next Time I Hold You offers a quintessential rock ballad, straight out of the late Eighties. Later, Hologram and Blood revisits that average harder AOR melodic rock, although latter can be edgier. The weight returns on Seven, after the opener the closest thing to hard rock. Then Once Twice, a speedy song with a great groove and catchy refrain has arena rock potential.

Fundamentally, when House of Lords sticks to groove laden melodic hard rock with AOR accessibility, as they do on Big Money, they are in their best form. Plain and simple: that's what you get here, and there's no need to look for much more. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

When House of Lords sticks to groove laden melodic hard rock with AOR accessibility, as they do on Big Money, they are in their best form. That's what you get here, and there's no need to look for much more.

Alphabetical Index

By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]