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

April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

Creye: Creye

AOR Melodic Hard Rock

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook
Frontiers Music
Released: 12.10.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 04.10.2018

Hailing from Sweden, the premier home of Scandi melodic rock, comes Creye founded by guitarist Andreas Gullstrand (Grand Slam) in early 2015. His simple desire was to revisit Eighties AOR melodic hard rock and make it viable and entertaining for the present. With a band that boasts six musicians, Gullstrand and Creye drop their first, self-titled debut album for Frontiers Music.

Creye

Honestly, and also simply, Gullstrand has achieved his goal. The band and the tunes have the proper elements for AOR melodic rock: melodic and harmonious vocals and vocal arrangements; strong and equally harmonious twin guitar riffage; abundant rhythm and driving rock groove; stylish synths for texture and accent; and, of course, Gullstrand's soaring guitar solos. This is true AOR melodic rock ear candy.

As for the songs, and mentioning those synths, many songs both begin and swell with their presence such as Holding On, Different State Of Mind, Desperately Lovin', and the mandatory AOR chick song, Christina. With Miracle or All We Need Is Faith, you'll find more steady rockers with large vocal arrangements. A ballad comes with Love Will Never Die. Both gentle and rising, it has that quintessential AOR arena quality where you fire up your lighter. (Geez, does that make me sound old.) Alternatively, Creye can simply rock out with the quick rousing rock of Straight To The Top, City Lights, and the more assertive, yet quite catchy, Still Believe in You. As said earlier, with this debut album Creye achieves their intended goal, delivering AOR melodic hard rock ear candy in the best Eighties tradition. Easily recommended.

Atlas: In Pursuit Of Memory

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.0/5.0

Some 13 months from the release of their short four song EP World In Motion, Atlas returns with their debut long player, In Pursuit Of Memory. Surprisingly, the band ... [ Read More ]

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

With their debut album Creye achieves their intended goal, delivering AOR melodic hard rock ear candy in the best Eighties tradition. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]