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[ More Music Reviews ]

House of Lords: Big Money

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.0/5.0

Frontiers Records
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by Craig Hartranft,  09.12.2011

If you have a good thing going, why stop? James Christian and House of Lords return once more with Big Money, their eighth studio album, and another platter of AOR-grounded melodic hard rock. Regarding consistency, the HoL crew remains the same, but with return of bassist Chris McCarvill, which recorded 2008's Come to My Kingdom.

While Big Money starts with HoL showing their hard rock chops, it's not necessarily an indicator of what lies within. Yes, some prime, but rudimentary, melodic hard rock returns on Searchin' and Living in a Dream World. These are not the fines cuts on Big Money. That AOR vein offers some spry smoothness to Someday When and Run for Your Life, both hook-laden numbers with high melody and slick guitar solos. The Next Time I Hold You offers a quintessential rock ballad, straight out of the late Eighties. Later, Hologram and Blood revisits that average harder AOR melodic rock, although latter can be edgier. The weight returns on Seven, after the opener the closest thing to hard rock. Then Once Twice, a speedy song with a great groove and catchy refrain has arena rock potential.

Fundamentally, when House of Lords sticks to groove laden melodic hard rock with AOR accessibility, as they do on Big Money, they are in their best form. Plain and simple: that's what you get here, and there's no need to look for much more. 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.

When House of Lords sticks to groove laden melodic hard rock with AOR accessibility, as they do on Big Money, they are in their best form. That's what you get here, and there's no need to look for much more.

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Three decades on and still going strong is the iconic progressive rock band, The Flower Kings, founded by veteran multi-instrumentalist and composer Roine Stolt. Since 1994, The Flower Kings have been known ... [ Read More ]