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

September 2023

• Rockett Love: Galactic Circus
• Kerrigan: Bloodmoon
• Taz: Shipwrecked, Vol 2
• Taz: Wake Up & Sweat, Vol 1
• Ronnie Romero: Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
• The Flower Kings: Look At You Now
• Vega: Battlelines
• Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
• Primal Fear: Code Red
• Eclipse: Megalomanium
• Seventh Wonder: Mercy Falls (Reissue 2008/2023)
• Seventh Wonder: The Great Escape (Reissue 2010/2023)

August 2023

• Hurricane: Reconnected
• U.D.O.: Touchdown
• Streetlight: Ignition
• Sarayasign: The Lion's Road
• Neal Morse: The Dreamer - Joseph - Part One
• Rian: Wings
• Icon Of Sin: Legends
• Lancer: Tempest
• King Kobra: We Are Warriors
• Dark Sky: Signs Of The Time
• Hell In The Club: F.U.B.A.R.
• Kent Hilli: Nothing Left To Lose

July 2023

• Turkish Delight: Volume Two
• Winterstorm: Everfrost
• Scream Maker: Land Of Fire
• James Robledo: Broken Soul
• Houston: Relaunch III
• All For Metal: Legends
• Withering Scorn: Prophets Of Demise
• Bloodbound: Tales From The North
• Kikimora: For A Broken Dime
• Degreed: Public Address

June 2023

• Night Legion: Fight Or Fall
• Midnite City: In At The Deep End
• Pyramaze: Bloodlines
• Shakra: Invincible
• Vypera: Race Of Time
• Stardust: Kingdom Of Illusion
• Pride Of Lions: Dream Higher
• Joel Hoekstra's 13: Crash Of Life
• The Defiants: Drive
• Ray Alder: II
• Art Nation: Inception
• False Memories: Hybrid Ego System

[ More Music Reviews ]

Alliance: Fire And Grace

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter
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 ]

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

Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]