L.A. Suspicion is a 2022 studio album by the AOR project AOR, released through Perris Records, bringing together a modern celebration of classic melodic rock, arena rock, and polished hard rock songwriting. The album features a wide lineup of respected vocalists from the international melodic rock scene, each contributing their own distinctive voice to individual tracks. This collaborative structure gives the record a varied yet cohesive identity, rooted in the traditions of 1980s-inspired AOR while maintaining a contemporary production edge. The music is driven by strong guitar work, melodic hooks, powerful choruses, and emotional lyrical themes centered on love, struggle, resilience, and reflection. Songs like “A Smile In My Heart,” “Strong Than Desire,” and “Arrow Thru' My Heart” highlight the album’s emphasis on melodic accessibility and stadium-sized energy, while tracks such as “Street Of Illusions” and “Lost In Cold Heaven” introduce darker, more dramatic tones. With its polished production and strong vocal performances, L.A. Suspicion stands as a modern tribute to classic AOR and melodic hard rock traditions.

1991 The Gun Hits is a diverse various artists compilation released by Festival Records, capturing the energetic and constantly evolving sound of popular music during the transition from the late 1980s into the early 1990s. The album combines major international hits with alternative rock, synth-pop, soul, punk-influenced rock, and emotional ballads, offering a strong snapshot of radio and chart favorites from the era. Featuring well-known artists such as Faith No More, Duran Duran, Icehouse, Bananarama, Vanilla Ice, and Jimmy Barnes, the compilation balances mainstream pop appeal with edgier rock performances and memorable crossover singles. Tracks like “Ice Ice Baby,” “King Of Wishful Thinking,” and “Falling To Pieces” reflect the broad musical landscape of the time, while classic inclusions such as “Unchained Melody” add a timeless touch to the collection. With its mixture of energetic rock tracks, melodic pop songs, and soulful ballads, 1991 The Gun Hits serves as both a nostalgic retrospective and an entertaining compilation for fans of late 80s and early 90s music culture.

Among his many achievements, Cooper’s 2011 release Welcome 2 My Nightmare stands out as a gripping sequel to his iconic 1975 concept album Welcome to My Nightmare. Revisiting the twisted world of Steven, the album blends nostalgia with modern flair. Originally intended as a sequel to Along Came a Spider, it features an all-star lineup including legendary songwriter Desmond Child and pop sensation Ke$ha, along with original Alice Cooper band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith to capture that authentic ’70s vibe. The vinyl edition also includes 7 additional bonus tracks - among them powerful live versions of “Poison” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” recorded at the Download Festival.

Tales From The Crypt Presents: Bordello Of Blood (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a compilation-style soundtrack that captures the energetic and irreverent tone of the 1996 horror-comedy film. The album assembles a selection of hard rock, heavy metal, and classic rock tracks that emphasize both attitude and mainstream accessibility, reflecting the film’s blend of humor, violence, and supernatural themes. Featuring well-known acts such as Anthrax, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Sweet, and Humble Pie, alongside alternative and glam-influenced artists, the soundtrack delivers a broad cross-section of rock styles spanning multiple decades. The inclusion of iconic songs like “All Right Now,” “Still Loving You,” and “Ballroom Blitz” reinforces the compilation’s focus on recognizable anthems with strong guitar-driven energy. The result is a dynamic and varied listening experience that mirrors the film’s chaotic and tongue-in-cheek narrative style, while also functioning as a standalone rock compilation representative of both classic and modern rock influences of its time.

Following the extremely warm reception given his self-named band's well-deserving debut album, Holy Diver, Ronnie James Dio figured there was no point in messing with a winning formula, and decided to play it safe with 1984's sophomore effort, The Last in Line - with distinctly mixed results. Although technically cut from the same cloth as those first album nuggets, fist-pumping new songs like "We Rock," and "I Speed at Night" curiously went from good to tiresome after just a few spins (a sign that the songwriting clichés were starting to pile up…read on); and the otherwise awesome, seven-minute epic, "Egypt (The Chains Are On)," inexplicably lost it's strikingly sinister main riff halfway through, in what sounds like a mastering snafu of some kind. On the upside, more dramatic, mid-paced numbers such as the title track, "One Night in the City," and "Eat Your Heart Out" - as well as the driving "Evil Eyes" - delivered enough compelling riffs and melodies…

Feed The Kitty/Tails Out is a compilation-style release by Shy Tiger that brings together melodic hard rock material rooted in the late 1980s and early 1990s American glam and arena rock tradition. The album combines polished guitar-driven hooks, melodic choruses, and emotionally charged vocal performances with the energetic spirit associated with the classic hard rock scene. Throughout the record, the band balances radio-friendly songwriting with heavier guitar textures and rhythmic drive, reflecting the transitional period between glam metal and mainstream melodic hard rock. Themes of romance, nightlife, heartbreak, and youthful rebellion dominate the lyrical atmosphere, while the production emphasizes layered guitars and accessible melodies. The collection preserves the nostalgic character of the era while offering fans a broad overview of the band’s melodic and hook-oriented style. Feed The Kitty/Tails Out stands as a strong archival release for listeners interested in underground melodic hard rock and AOR-inspired metal from the period.

A record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup - as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player - next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French - a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio - each with a nicely different flavor as a result.

Anthology 1966-1969 is a 1994 compilation by Andromeda, released on Kissing Spell, collecting material associated with the band’s late-1960s psychedelic and early progressive rock period. The set showcases a raw and experimental sound that reflects the transition from British blues-based rock into more ambitious, exploratory forms of composition. Characterized by distorted guitar work, heavy rhythm sections, and introspective or surreal lyrical themes, the album captures the spirit of underground rock during a transformative era. Tracks like Ocean Song, Darkness Of Her Room, and Turns To Dust demonstrate the band’s shift toward longer, more progressive structures, while shorter pieces maintain a direct hard rock and psychedelic edge. The inclusion of Experimenting With L.S.D. In Studio emphasizes the experimental mindset of the period. Overall, this anthology provides a historical snapshot of late-60s British rock evolution, bridging psychedelic experimentation with early progressive ambition.

Have A Nice Day is a 2005 studio album by Bon Jovi, marking a confident return to the band’s signature arena rock sound with a modern edge. The album blends anthemic rock energy with melodic songwriting, delivering a mix of uplifting choruses and reflective lyrical themes. Built around strong guitar-driven arrangements and polished production, the record captures Bon Jovi’s ability to balance radio-friendly accessibility with stadium-ready intensity. Tracks like the title song Have A Nice Day and Who Says You Can't Go Home highlight the band’s knack for crafting catchy hooks and emotionally resonant lyrics, while deeper cuts explore themes of resilience, identity, and personal freedom. The album also incorporates subtle country and pop influences, broadening its appeal without losing its core rock identity. Overall, Have A Nice Day stands as a solid entry in the band’s catalog, showcasing their enduring relevance and consistent songwriting strength.

By the release of 1986's A Kind of Magic, Queen's stature as a prominent rock band in the U.S. had slipped considerably, while in all other parts of the world (especially Europe), they remained superstar hitmakers. A Kind of Magic was their biggest album yet in England, where it reached number one, remained on the charts for 63 weeks, and spawned several hit singles - the epic title track, the tuneful pop/rocker "Friends Will Be Friends," and one of their most haunting ballads, "Who Wants to Live Forever" (also included was the Live Aid-inspired hit anthem "One Vision," which was originally released as a single in 1985). Most of the songs were written for the movie Highlander - "Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)," "Princes of the Universe," the aforementioned "Who Wants to Live Forever," etc. - but instead of issuing just a movie soundtrack, the band added a few non-movie tracks and made an official Queen release out of it…

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, Mr Big's fourth studio album, Hey Man, finally made its long-awaited debut on vinyl for Record Store Day UK and Japan 2026, and is now followed by a new remaster on Hybrid Multi-channel SACD and Double MQA-CD. A landmark release for the band, the album famously dominated the Japan Oricon chart for 16 weeks and remains a fan favourite for its blend of technical prowess and soulful songwriting.

There have been dozens and dozens of Motörhead compilations released over the decades, but the first one remains definitive, even if it's not perfect. Released in 1984 as a gap-filler - for Motörhead were regrouping in the wake of the bandmember shuffling that followed the odd Another Perfect Day album - No Remorse compiled two-dozen songs across two discs (latter-day editions adding a good serving of bonus tracks, too). Many of the band's best songs to date are here, like "Ace of Spades," "Stay Clean," "Overkill," "Bomber," and "Iron Fist." There are also four new recordings that were cut exclusively for No Remorse: "Killed by Death," "Snaggletooth," "Steal Your Face," and "Locomotive." These four songs were cut by the newly instated four-piece lineup that would go on to record Orgasmatron (1986): guitarists Michael Burston and Phil Campbell, drummer Peter Gill, and of course, bassist/vocalist Lemmy…

The mighty Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore's post-Purple juggernaut, receives its full flowers on this star-studded tribute album! Performances by no fewer than six Rainbow alumni - Bob Daisley, Graham Bonnet, Don Airey, Joe Lynn Turner, Doogie White, and Ronnie Romero!
Also includes epic contributions from rock/metal luminaries Sebastian Bach, Steve Morse, glam heroes Angel, White Lion's Mike Tramp, Rick Wakeman and more plus a very special appearance from Blackmore's Night vocalist Candice Night!
Full liner notes written by Jason Myers of classic metal revivalists Icarus Witch!