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November 2024

• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

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Boston: Life, Love & Hope

AOR/Melodic Rock

4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Records
by Craig Hartranft,  11.29.2013

This is not your father's Boston. Or, in my case, this is not the Boston I group up with, particularly their seminal self-titled debut that astonished the rock and roll world. No, this is the older, wiser, and more mellow Tom Scholz evolving Boston into more AOR melodic rock Life, Love & Hope.

Boston:: Tom Scholz with Gary Phil.

Is that a bad thing? Certainly not, if you're fan. With little doubt the trademark Boston sound is there, you can hear it the guitar riffs and solos, that touch of piano and organ, and the meticulous and lush Scholz production. You'll catch it the start with Heaven On Earth, and latter with Sail Away, a bit heavier, Didn't Mean to Fall in Love, and the title track. The rest, however, is more tame passive melodic rock, but no less Boston.

Scholz uses several different vocalist across the album including Brad Delp, bass player Kimberley Dahme, David Victor, and Tommy DeCarlo. He takes a turn at the microphone on Love Got Away and Someday. Of course, he manages to play most every instrument on the album himself, with a few exceptions. The album also includes new versions, called "2.0", of two songs from Corporate America: You Gave Up on Love and Someone. I never heard that album, so I can't comment on the differences, but the do sound really good, solid AOR melodic rock.

I suppose, in my case, the musical heart wants what the musical heart wants: Boston to sound more like their first album. I didn't really care for the rushed Don't Look Back or the long awaited, but disappointing, Third Stage, neither connected with me. Meanwhile, as usual, Tom Scholz is cutting his own path, still creating and evolving Boston. As I said at the start, that's a very good thing for the band and their fans. And I think those long time fans will enjoy this album as well. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Life, Love & Hope, Boston returns with the long anticipated fifth album, and delivers a record of "Boston sounding" AOR melodic rock.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]