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November 2024

• 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
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October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
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• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
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• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
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September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
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• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
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• The Nail: The Nail
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• 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

[ More Music Reviews ]

Oxygen: Final Warning

AOR/Melodic Rock

4.0/5.0

Website (Label)
Escape Music
by Craig Hartranft,  06.04.2012

The history of Oxygen revolves around its principal and lead singer Tony Niva. His career dates to the late Eighties beginning as a metal singer. Over the years he's done work with some notable Scandi bands like Swedish Erotica, Lion's Share, and Axia, among others. His namesake band NIVA released an album No Capitulation in Japan in 1994. Now Niva has returned with his creation Oxygen, a turn to more AOR melodic rock.

This debut is oddly titled Final Warning, as if the end of Oxygen is near even before they get started. Let's hope not. Niva is a fine melodic rock singer: strong, balanced, with good range. The songs here typical AOR melodic rock fare, but by this I don't mean average. Niva and company offer arrangements of great melody, harmony and hooks from large choruses and guitar solos. Oxygen also works at efficiency, most songs come in around three minutes, perfect radio ready material. Bring Back the Joy and the very friendly Best Days of Our Lives are solid examples.

Of course, ballads are AOR staples, and I Remember and You are soaring stuff. That latter song has a ring of familiarity to it; you may find yourself pondering whether you've heard that sound before. Quizzical, however, is one tune: what exactly is a 'janitor of love' in the song of the same name.

To get Eighties AOR melodic rock takes some skill, and Oxygen, fronted by vocalist Tony Niva, gets it rights. Final Warning is a solid start and a good foundation for future material. Easily recommended.

To get Eighties AOR melodic rock takes some skill, and Oxygen, fronted by vocalist Tony Niva, gets it rights. Final Warning is a solid start and a good foundation for future material.

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 ]