New Music Downloads: 80s Rock/Metal, AOR, Hard Rock, Etc...

I posted this on the metalreviews.com forum, but I figured some here may dig it. These aren't really "reviews," but I do kind of discuss bands in a review kind of style, albeit very curtly. If anyone wants to move this, though, feel free. (Disregard the forum-specific comment about Trixie.)

So, a thread dedicated to my favorite style of music—ROCK!—is in store. No other genre has provided more chills and emotional connections than the rock genre. So, here are some newer bands—and some older bands, if they release something good—I've come across that are still playing this old school style of music. Here goes...

I just got Back In Business by a German band called Cannon. It was released in the US last year (2005 in Europe), but this band has been around since the mid-80s. This band is like U.D.O. with a vocalist that sounds like Udo Dirkschneider (Accept, U.D.O) meets Lemmy (Motorhead). More importantly, they're awesome! At least on this album. Their older albums sound excellent, too (see their website), but I don't have them. So, check out these tracks from Back In Business:

HELLFIRE

Website: http://www.cannon-the-band.com

Another new band I totally dig is Miss Crazy. I firmly believe frontman "Markus Allen Kristopher" is really Ronnie Borchert from Trixie, but "Markus" wears longsleeves (covering tattoos) and facepaint, so it remains a mystery; though I don't feel like it's very hard to figure out since both singers look and sound very similar. Either way, it doesn't matter, because both are excellent. "Markus" sounds like Ronnie Borchert meets Tom Keifer (Cinderella). The music is a little bit heavier and groovier than Trixie, but they're just as good. They've released one self-titled album and three digital-only tracks. This is a great band. Here are some tracks:

SO LONG
HIDE ISLAND
MY WAY (cheesy video) *

* Hot bassist! Though you can't really tell.

Website: http://www.misscrazymusic.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/misscrazyband

I've already mentioned Trixie in other threads on this forum, plus I reviewed their latest album, Shelter, so I won't mention them again here. But the man behind Trixie, Ronnie Borchert, just released his first solo album, titled Change. Stylistically, this is very similar to Trixie; though there are some more modern rock influences on a few tracks, like the melodic "My Malena," and especially "Something In My Head," which was co-written and features guest vocals by Chris Brown of Trapt. Still, it doesn't stray far from that late 80s Def Leppard style—hook-laden rock jams with big, bombastic choruses. I only got this CD yesterday, but so far I think I may like it more than Trixie's Shelter—which I rated a 90/100. Check out these tunes (more streaming samples under Discography on his website):

MY MALENA

And since that's a ballad, here are some Trixie songs to give you an idea of what the heavier songs on Change sound like:

WASTED (outstanding Def Leppard cover)
ESCAPE
HELL YEAH

Website: http://www.ronnieborchert.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trixiemusic

And that's all for now. I'll keep adding stuff as I come across it.