STATION is a fresh melodic hard rock band from USA and their eponymous debut is a great collection of catchy songs wrapped nicely with an 80s vibe but with updated sound. For too long, Sweden and the Scandinavian invasion has dominate the scene but with the latest releases from TRIXTER, MAXX EXPLOSION, and this one, the competition for the top albums of 2015 will be tighter than last year.

DEF LEPPARD is clearly one of their biggest influences but I believe the strong vocal and some killer guitarworks are derived from the likes of GUNS N' ROSES or JUDAS PRIEST. 'I Don't Want To Know Your Name' is a decent opener but the next two tracks might trap you into thinking that this is gonna be another average rock band but in fact, when you're exposed to the infectious 'Are You Sleeping Alone' and the monstrous 'True Believer', you know that it's gonna be a killer record.

'With Me Tonight' is a bit poppish ballad, a candle-lighter and probably will win them lots of female audience. 'Bitter With The Better' and 'No Way Out' shows a high level of musicianship and those two songs are my personal faves too. With 15 tracks, band sometimes may struggle to produce a balance quality of songwriting and it's depicted on 'Never Say Never', 'Wildest Dreams', or 'Shot of Life' which are slightly inferior.

I admire the big and huge production here and the promising talent shown on the previously released EP, 'Wired' is proven here and hopefully they can continue perform well and deliver another high quality album in the future!

‘Pit Stop’ is a massive comeback from Swedish oldschool melodic rock act, DALTON. I love their previous output, ‘Injection’, and even though this album is exactly 25 years apart, it feels like yesterday because the sound and vibe is very 80s yet they’re able to sound so fresh.

The variety of songs here is excellent. The first two songs make an excellent opener. ‘Ready or Not’ is slightly better than ‘Hey You’ but both songs managed to build the momentum before ‘Don’t Tell Me Lies’ slam tight with its perfect arrangement wrapped in a beautiful mid-paced tempo. ‘Follow Your Dreams’ is an awesome ballad and definitely radio material. If this was played in a concert, you can see ocean of lighters in the audience.

‘Up & Down’ has patchy verse but saved with a good chorus. The rocky second half was fixed with a monstrous track, ‘One Voice’. This is the harder side of DALTON, along with ‘Something For The Pain’ which I think the best tune here. Although I can live without ‘50/50’, the last song, ‘TGIF’ is incredibly good, especially the bridge part.

Fans of 80s hard rock and melodic rock should embrace this album because with only couple of not-so-great tracks, ‘Pit Stop’ is beyond satisfying and DALTON should be proud with this creation. If you can get your hands on the Japanese version, the two bonus tracks also worth every penny. Let’s hope this reunion will be permanent and there’ll be fourth album and so because I think they’re too talented to fade away too quickly.

DANGER is a new glam act from Sweden that borrows the image and sound from the height of Los Angeles 80s scene. Like their fellow Scandinavian friends, WIG WAM, RECKLESS LOVE, or CRAZY LIXX, the essence of their playing relies heavily on the melodic riffs, thumping bass, and soaring vocal which is the portrait of the classic bands like MOTLEY CRUE or RATT.

The first track, 'D.C.A. Hollywood', is a kickin' ass opener. Lush with beautiful melodies, this song was packed with an intense sing-along chorus and killer solos. What an amazing song and the next two tracks are huge, too. 'Body To Body' pushed forward with a fantastic rhythm and 'Down With The Devil' is like a lost RATT hit.

After 'California Red', the mid-album cools down a bit and DANGER slowed down the tempo, playing a safe passage until 'Rockstar' pumped the adrenaline high again. Frankly, I prefer them to keep maintaining the fast-paced tracks like 'Hollywood' or 'Devil' and no need to play ballad even though it doesn't hurt to create song like 'Never Say Goodbye' once in a while.

'On The Edge' kicked back again with a classic RATT feel and 'The Hollow Core' brought out their best and I think this is the best track on the second half. Production wise, this album is good while I still see rooms for improvement on the rhythm section and vocal part.

All in all, DANGER's debut is a nice addition to the glam collectors and I have confidence they're able to push their boundaries on the second release.

What keeps me amazed is how creative this Chicago legend can be. One album almost every year and each album consisted of 20 tracks, not the usual 12 or 14 tracks, and almost no fillers at all, that should count for something, don't you think ?

Still combining the typical modern melodic rock, bridging between the 80s hard rock and some poppish element making 7TH HEAVEN accessible to any generation. 'Spectrum' is a very strong continuation project and probably on par with the great 'USA - UK' album of 2008.

My fave here and I bet the crowd's fave too are 'Stoplight', 'It's You', 'Once In A Lifetime', 'We Live Life Young' which I think is the best cut of this album, and 'Heads or Tails'. The twenty tracks are constructed with a good variety, you'll get everything from the uptempo, catchy mid-paced, the heartfelt ballads, and even some dancey track like 'Magic' or reggae-fused 'Join The Party'.

Production-wise is also quite good and with Keith Semple back on board, that’s a very neat thing because his voice really fits the band’s style. All I can say is that 7TH HEAVEN is a consistent band with a consistently great album. I hope the next one will be as strong as 'Spectrum' because making great album like this one sure not an easy task. Good job!

The front cover almost suggests that the band plays a pure thrash metal style, but actually DIAMOND LANE stands between hard rock and heavy metal. This second album brings the heaviness one step higher, almost thrashy in some part, especially the drums section. The classic American sound is there but DIAMOND LANE adapted with the necessary modern touch here and there. The very first track, 'The Enemy', is a perfect opener, packed with a thunderous riffs and a tense chorus. 'Favorite Kind of Victim' is okay but pale if compared to the likes of 'Cheating Death' or 'New Model'.

'Life To Lose' and 'Kiss The Ring' are another great tracks on the second half, but honestly I have a little trouble in enjoying the slow paced 'Hopeless Romantic'. Usually, a good ballad makes a nice interlude but in this case, I personally think DIAMOND LANE should just focus on the heavier tracks.

The production is big and bold and musicianship is top notch. The debut won slightly if viewed through songwriting consistency perspective, but these two albums proved that DIAMOND LANE is a strong contender to the major league and I truly hope they gained more followers soon with 'Terrorizer'. A great kickin' ass album for fans of hard rock and heavy metal!