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March 2025

• W.E.T.: Apex
• Alliance: Before Our Eyes
• Ginevra: Beyond Tomorrow
• Phil X & The Drills:
  Pow! Right In The Kisser
• IQ: Dominion
• Heart Line: Falling Heaven
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February 2025

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January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
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December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
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November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
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[ More Music Reviews ]

Alliance: Fire And Grace

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

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Escape Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 15.05.2019 | Released: 24.05.2019

While vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Robert Berry has been busy as of late, notably with 3.2 and All 41, we haven't heard from Alliance in some time. That some time dates back 11 years to 2008's Road To Heaven. Wow! Has it been that long? Yup. Now Berry reunites with band mates Gary Pihl (Boston, Sammy Hagar), David Lauser (Sammy Hagar) for the latest and fifth Alliance album, Fire And Grace, also once more uniting with UK label Escape Music.

Robert Berry

Once more we find the trio delivering a strong platter of classic AOR melodic hard rock. The Alliance sound is undeniable and infinitely accessible and entertaining. Song composition is at a premium: expansive songs built upon strong melodies and harmony, enthusiastic rhythm and groove, and then infused with Berry's strong melodic voice and Gary Pihl's soaring guitar solos.

As for the songs, you will not be disappointed in the least. However, my digital promo download did come up short. It was missing one song, namely track four, I'll Have Some Of That. It must be lost in the Cloud somewhere. Otherwise, you'll find some brisk rockers with Reason, Fast Forward, and the short and roaring Raise Your Glass, complete with some gang vocals. More AOR groove comes with Time, and the symphonic and stirring Uncertain. Tunes get strong and heavier with Don't Stop The Wheel Turning and Real Thing. Alliance mellows a bit with The Same where the acoustic guitar suggests a ballad, yet the song rises to some solid melodic rock. Honestly, Fire And Grace is a fine return to form for Alliance, another creative and entertaining album of classic AOR melodic rock from this talented trio. Easily recommended.

Black Horizon: Dark Light

Heavy/Power Metal

3.0/5.0

Hailing from France, Black Horizon has been active in their country's underground metal scene since 1998. But in nearly 20 years their musical output has been limited ... [ 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.

Fire And Grace is a fine return to form for Alliance, another creative and entertaining album of classic AOR melodic rock from this talented trio. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]