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April 2024

• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
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February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

[ More Music Reviews ]

The Ragged Saints: Sonic Playground Revisited

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

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AOR Heaven Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.01.2020 | Released: 31.01.2020

Here's a band from the Where Have They Been? file. Sweden's The Ragged Saints. Better than six years ago, the group dropped they're debut album, The Sound Of Breaking Free, a better than average album with few flaws. I liked it for its classy album art. Now, six years in the making the quintet delivers their long awaited second album, Sonic Playground Revisited.

The Ragged Saints

Not unlike their first album, The Ragged Saints return to play their style of Eighties melodic hard rock, with a little metal bite, but always served in an AOR wrapper. Being formed by two guitarist the only additional addendum to this description is, quite guitar-driven. Expect to hear fine twin guitar harmony and abundance of thrilling solos.

For some song samples, you'll find some strong melodic rockers with Like A Spinning Wheel, Pretending Diamond, and the radio-friendly Never Let You Down. The Ragged Saints bump up the tempo for the fast paced rocker, Secret In Our Hearts. Some songs turn more upon AOR accessibility and groove like Take Me With You or Always Forever. Songs like Absence Of light or Pretending Diamond reveal The Ragged Saints guitar-forward rock with sharp riffs and big solos. You can't have classic Eighties rock without a ballad, and you get a fine one with Just Believe, with the necessary guitar solo crescendo. While it's been a long wait, Sonic Playground Revisited finds The Ragged Saints in fine form, delivering another entertaining album of AOR influenced classic melodic hard rock. Easily recommended.

Passion: Passion

Melodic Heavy Metal Rock

4.5/5.0

In one sense, Passion is something of a solo project from Night By Night vocalist Lion Ravarez. The UK based musician played most of the instruments and handled production ... [ Read More ]

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

While it's been a long wait, Sonic Playground Revisited finds The Ragged Saints in fine form, delivering another entertaining album of AOR influenced classic melodic hard rock. Easily recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]