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VARIOUS ARTISTS | Ballads | (MTM Music, 1998)

 Bad Habit / Harlan Cage / Dare / Steelhouse Lane / Danger Danger / Think Out Loud / CITA / Axe / Ransom / Velocity / Fiore / Von Groove / Sunshine Jive / Return To Zero / Public Domain / Heavens Edge

A compilation that I think is only meant to be a German release, but you can probably pick it up at a reasonable price from any AOR mail-order specialist if you're interested.
As the title reveals this is an album with exclusively ballads from this label. The album features 15 previously released songs + a remake of Kevin Chalfant's "Love Changes Everything" delivered by veterans Axe. A decent song.
I must admit that they have been very successful in picking out beautiful ballads. Almost everything from this label in that field is included.
Harlan Cage's soaring "As You Are", Dare's Thin Lizzy cover "Still In Love With You", the magnificent "Captain Bring Down" from the reborn Danger Danger, Public Domain's "Child In My Heart" and Sunshine Jive's "Under Summer Skies" are five songs that should appeal to a really big audience.
Other great features are "Janine" by Velocity, Bad Habit and their majestic, almost overwhelming duet "Forever" and Think Out Loud's acoustic "Invisible Man".
Other artists featured are Steelhouse Lane, CITA (now Guild Of Ages), Ransom, Fiore, Von Groove, RTZ and Heavens Edge.

Review by: Stefan

SOUNDTRACK | Armageddon - The Album | (Columbia / Sony Music, 1998)

Aerosmith / Journey / Aerosmith / ZZ Top / Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band / Shawn Colvin / Aerosmith / Jon Bon Jovi / Aerosmith / Patty Smyth / Our Lady Peace / Chantal Kreviazuk / Theme From Armageddon / Animal Crackers

Soundtracks are often quite varied, style- and quality wise. Most of my favourite soundtracks originate from the mid-eighties, like "Rocky IV" and "St. Elmos Fire".
Where do I place this? Well, it's not really the same thing as the old ones, but it's actually pretty decent. "The Album" offer new songs as well as a few older tunes. Nobody could have missed the beautiful Diane Warren-written ballad "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", which veterans Aerosmith have given a real nice treatment.
The new Journey track "Remember Me" are also of high quality. It is the first with new vocalist Steve Augeri (formerly with Tall Stories and Tyketto), who performs very well on this up-tempo track. The only negative thing about his performance would be that it sounds as he has been a bit forced in the direction to sound as much Steve Perry as possible.
Aerosmith proofs to be even more vital in the new rocker "What Kind Of Love Are You On"
Jon Bon Jovi has also a dirty sound in "Mister Big Time" (co-written with Aldo Nova).
Of the more pop-oriented material Patty Smyth-McEnore's "Wish I Were You" (co-written with Glen Burtnik) stands out.
The general impression is really nice.

Review by: Stefan

VARIOUS ARTISTS | MTM Volume 2 | (MTM Music, 1998)

 Dare / Danger Danger / Axe / Loverboy / Tower City / Sahara Snow / Robert Tepper / Baton Rouge / Ransom / Von Groove / Ten / Mark Spiro / Storyteller / Beggars & Thieves / Steelhouse Lane / StunLeer / Fiore / Harlan Cage / CITA

Wow man! The first sampler was really okay, but I have to say this is a lot "cooler".
The mix of released-, unreleased- and to be released songs is just superb.
Loverboy's "Domino" would definitely been a top 3 on their latest, if it would have been featured!
"Love Receiver" with Sahara Snow (Rick Springfield) is picked from the Japanese release of their album. Corny & weird of course. I'm totally down.
Another unreleased track is "Hurricane Town" with Robert Tepper. Not that special unfortunately.
Of the forthcoming stuff I would like to pick out 2 acts as very promising, Tower City and Billy Trudel's Storyteller.
Tower City shows with "Hot Water" that they seem to have more top-fuel AOR just like on the debut. Storyteller's (now Public Domain) "We All Go Marching On" is a lovely mid-tempo song that has a sentimental feeling one can't resist.
Other artists represented with songs from their latest records are among others Danger Danger, Von Groove, Harlan Cage, Mark Spiro & Fiore.

Review by: Stefan

VARIOUS ARTISTS | MTM Volume 3 | (MTM Music, 1998)

Axe / Harlan Cage / Guild Of Ages / Sunshine Jive / RTZ / Big Bad Wolf / Velocity / Ransom / Mark Spiro / Heavens Edge / Restless / Garbo Talks / Mystic Healer / Jimmy Lawrence / Arti Tisi / Unruly Child

Ever since the official start for this label the summer of 1996 they have been in the forefront for melodic hardrock/AOR.
As previous compilations this one also features released, unreleased and forthcoming stuff. If you yet have to discover some of the artists featured on this disc it could be a worthwhile investment.
Hard hitters as "You Don't Amaze Me Anymore" by Velocity, "Cutting Edge" by Big Bad Wolf and the totally magnificent "Fools Parade" by Sunshine Jive are 3 examples which could convince you enough to buy their releases.
RTZ are featured with the best track, "When You Love Someone", off of their record "Lost". Great mid-tempo AOR. Jimmy Lawrence's pop flavoured "Rose Tatoo" is one the finest moments from his album "The World Is Round".
Harlan Cage are featured with "No Turnin' Back", which was a bonustrack on the Japanese release of their superb "Double Medication Tuesday". This song is however nothing to pay attention to. Ransom is also featured with a bonustrack from their Japanese release. "I Can't Stay Away" follows the same mainstream formula as on their album. Nice tune. Mark Spiro's "If Love Was On Your Mind" were originally meant to be a b-side feature on a single release that never became reality. It may not be spectacular, but it is okay.
Of the forthcoming stuff most have been released already. Yet to come are Axe and Arti Tisi. Both sounds quite boring and average with Arti Tisi sounding as painfully bad as Garbo Talks. Which is melodic hardrock 1989-era.
A compilation that may have the answers to some of your questions.

Review by: Stefan

VARIOUS ARTISTS | MTM Volume 4 | (MTM Music, 1999)

Steelhouse Lane - If Love Should Go / Dare - Run To Me / Danger Danger - I Do / Jaded Heart - Live And Let Die / Storyteller - What She Want's / Harlan Cage - Beggars & Thieves - Gypsy / Reingold - Killer On The Loose / Guild Of Ages - Let It Go / Metropolis - Never Look Back / Axe - Let The Music Come Back / Michael Morales - That's The Way / A.C.T. - Abandoned World / Brett Walker - Rain In My Heart / Joe Lynn Turner - No Room For Love / Brian McDonald - Wind It Up

One of the more profilic labels within AOR & melodic rock the past 3 years has been MTM Music. Here is their 4th sampler that just like previous volumes collects unreleased- released- and forthcoming material.
Both Dare and Steelhouse Lane had their latest albums ("Calm Before The Storm" and "Slaves Of The New World" respectively) released in Japan with a bonustrack each. Dare's "Run To Me" is a ballad, a beautiful ballad I might add. Much in the vein of Thin Lizzy's "Still Loving You" that Dare made a version of on "Calm Before The Storm". Steelhouse Lane's remake of the song "If Love Should Go", that Streets (which featured Steelhouse Lane's Mike Slamer) did in the ´80's, is a pure joy. Radio rock at its best!
Beggars & Thieves' latest album "The Grey Album" is without a doubt one of the strongest releases on this label. Sparkling, raw, energic, modern and melodic pop/rock. "Gypsy" is an unreleased song that follows that formula and it totally knocks me out! This is magic and I would buy this piece of plastic for this track alone!
If you still haven't heard anything with Harlan Cage I strongly suggest you to take a listen to "Can't Tame The Raven". A song picked from their newly Released 3rd album "Forbidden Colors". Strong, powerful and pompous AOR. Metropolis (Stan Meissner/Peter Fredette) is represented with "Never Look Back". A superb "cliche" that has been pushed to all limits! They are walking on a thin line, but that's the way the pro's do it.
Of the forthcoming stuff there's some quite interesting stuff. Danger Danger's upcoming album "The Return Of The Great Gilderslaves" is a killer of an album - believe me! "I Do" showcases one side of the band, the more AORish one. "What She Want's" with Storyteller sounds like it could have been recorded 10 years ago, which wouldn't surprise me at all. Big backing vocals, gigantic keyboards etc, it's completely okay.
The so talented Brett Walker, who released the fantastic debut "Nevertheless" 5 years ago, returns after almost 4 years silence. "Rain In My Heart" sounds stylewise as a crossover between his debut and the album he did witgh the Railbirds. Lots of acoustic guitars but more uptempo as on the debut, even if not to the full. Nonetheless a really good song.
I think MTM Music have had Brian McDonald's comeback album scheduled for release ever since they started back in 1996. As the years have passed one wondered if it was just a myth. It seems not to be. If "Wind It Up" rperesents what to come it will be a HUGE album. A great uptempo melodic rock song with a superb production, very Beau Hill/"Mutt" Lange inspired for sure with all layers of backing vocals.
Even if not all material is to my liking this is how a sampler should be build: unreleased- released- and forthcoming material.

Review by: Stefan

VARIOUS ARTISTS | Union Volume 2 | (Frontiers Records, 1999)

 Bob Catley - The Pain / Emerald Rain - No Saviours / Shotgun Symphony - Sea of Desire / Hugo - I Will Be Waiting / Vinny Burns - Falling / Phoenix Down - Walk With You / Millenium - Until the End of Time / John Elefante - The Truth, The Life / Jamie Kyle - Bombs Away / Stuart Smith - Don't Keep Me Waiting / Terra Nova - Eye to Eye / The Promise - Kiss & Kill Me / Johnny Lima / Dante Fox - Firing My Heart / Pangea - Time Runs Out

I must say right off the bat, I'm very impressed with a lot of the bands that are featured on this compilation. They do have some incredible talent that I wasn't aware of, sure there are songs/bands that don't appeal to me here, but that's to be expected. For the most part though, it's an incredible representation of what the labels have to offer to the melodic rock market.

Things start off with a Bob Catley song and I must say vocally, Bob sounds very much like Eric Martin of Mr. Big. Emerald Rain is up next and I'm VERY impressed with this song and can't wait to hear the full cd. The comparison to Harem Scarem (Mood Swings era) is inevitable, even the guitar work reminds me of Pete's signature sound. Shotgun Symphony are a keyboard oriented melodic rock band and I would say the song that is featured here is the best off their new release "Sea Of Desire". Hugo has a decent song on here still reminding me very much of Journey. Vinny Burns is up next and I was quite impressed with this track, it was one of the big surprises on this release - excellent guitar work at the beginning of this rocker. Then it's time for the AWESOME balled from Phoenix Down that will please all the AOR fans. Other outstanding tracks are: Stuart Smith's blues number with Kelly Hansen on vocals, Johnny Lima (incredible summertime Bon Jovi style Rock N' Roll), Pangea (who sound very much like Extreme with a touch of Van Halen) and the final big surprise for me was the Terra Nova song "Eye to Eye". When I heard the samples of this release I didn't like anything on it - but hearing this whole track left a good impression on me.

This release is very solid and recommended if you are interested in hearing what these bands have to offer. I'm sure there will be something on here you'll enjoy!

Review by: Rob