HAREM SCAREM / BIG BANG THEORY WARNER CANADA 2 24208 OVERALL: 84% Produced by: Harry Hess & Pete Lesperance

This is the Canadian version of Harem's last studio record and it makes we wonder if the Japanese do actually get it right all the time. To me this album sounds like it is heavier, more melodic and certainly flows better than the Jap release. Change it to open with the two great tracks - Turn Around and Waste Time, add that last track and What I Do and cull the slightly boring Seas Of Dissension and Never Had It All and this album gets my vote above the other and a few extra points to match. Great.

MONARCH / MONARCH Now & Then/Frontiers FR CD 011 OVERALL: 73% Produced by: Ralph Santolla

Monarch is the pet project for Ralph Santolla of Eyewitness. Similar to that band, here you get 11 tracks of solid hard rock with plenty of guitars and good vocals from Jim Dorian. Backing vocals are provided throughout by Eyewitness vocalist Todd Plant. The tracks here are solid and heavy, but have a stack of melody and plenty of guitar solo's and riff's. The style traditional melodic hard rock like any Yngwie, Scorpions or Dokken album. The songs can tend to get a little same-ish towards the end, but it's pretty solid nevertheless.

AEROSMITH / A LITTLE SOUTH OF SANITY GEFFEN GEFD2-25221 OVERALL: 75% Produced by: Kevin Shirley

This is a pretty standard release. Packed with 2 CDs of Aerosmith classics and hit after hit after hit, it is a great listen and a grea collection of the bands' best tracks. The last few albums are represented heavily, with a token offering og the 70's classics. The only fault is maybe the whole thing is a little stale. The songs are run thru with ease and some sense of routine and there is little to surprise. A very tight and polished performance, maybe a little too polished?!! Would have been better had it been recorded 100% live and raw in a small club somewhere!

RICK SANTERS / REVITALIZE DANDELION RECORDS DSD-19604 OVERALL: 80% Produced by: Jorge Jarzabek

This album has been out a while now and I should have got to it earlier. It is a somewhat more mature and mellowed Rick Santers than the one that lead his own band Santers and helped out in Triumph after Rik Emmet's departure. But it's a good solid album of mainly semi-acoustic driven rock songs and some good vocals. There are plenty of melodies and thankfully a really good production. Although mellower, the album still has that touch of classic Santers, just a few years down the track. If softer acoustic rock is your thing, check this out as it delivers on what it offers. I look forward to more.

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN / LIVE PONY CANYON PCCY-01278 OVERALL: 78% Produced by: Yngwie Malmsteen

Rightfully so, this is a double CD set of Yngwie's last tour and probably last hard rock tour for several months. So if you like Yngwie, this is essential stuff. I haven't got the CD slick in front of me right now, but I think the vocalist is Leif Sundin and a good job he does too. Not quite a strong as the previous live Yngwie album which featured Joe Lynn Turner, but the collection of songs makes up for that. I particularly liked Leif's version of Rising Force. Good to see this a double and plenty of songs on offer. Yngwie fans will love, but others looking for an introduction to him would best collect his last studio album Facing The Animal. Good stuff indeed! Tracks featured: My Resurrection, Facing The Animal, Rising Force, Bedroom Eyes, Far Beyond The Sun, Like An Angel, Braveheart, Seventh Sign, Guitar Solo, Gates Of Babylon, Alone In Paradise, Pictures Of Home, Never Die, Black Star, I'll See The Light Tonight

TAKARA / BEST OF ZERO / AOR HEAVEN OVERALL: 72% Produced by: Various

This best of features a bunch of good tracks, especially good value for money, as I feel that most of Takara's albums have had a few fillers on them. Not so here, as this collection of tracks prooves they had some good material. The tracks featured include: Two Hearts Together, Restless Heart, Fallen Angel, Colors Fade, When Darkness Falls, Days Of Dawn, Your Love, December, Last Mistake, Lonely Shade of Blue, Take U Down, Your Love 2night, Don't Wanna Be Alone, Blind In Paradise, Say U'll Stay, Restless Heart - Acoustic, Your Love - Acoustic The Japanese best of is set for release via AOR Heaven shortly.

JEKYLL & HYDE / FALLEN ANGEL Z RECORDS ZR1997009 OVERALL: 63% Produced by: Produced by: Niklas Sjoberg & Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde are a pretty decent band. Their debut was a solid collection of modern yet classically melodic hard rock tunes. The vocals of Jakob a highlight. This release is a mini album of sorts with 2 tracks taken from Japanese bonus tracks and five other new (ish) tracks. This album won't make you a did hard on it's own - you would be better served picking up the debut for a listen - after all these tracks weren't on it for a reason. having said that, if you liked the debut or even loved it, likewise will result from owning this release. The band continue their knack for strong 90's style melodic hard rock. Featuring the tracks: Private Hell, Slave, Captain Honesty, I'll Find My Way, Best Of Me, When My Ship Goes Down, You're The One and Justify