![[Album Recommendation] Age of Reflection – In The Heat Of The Night (AOR)](https://myrockmixtapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dsoouvkuwaaglyh.jpg?w=825&h=510&crop=1)
(by Velina of “My Rock Mixtapes”)
You know I am always on the hunt for melodic rock treasures since this is the type of rock music I am mostly fond of. Some people still believe that the era of AOR is long gone and that this used to be a big thing in the ‘80s, however I gotta say, those people don’t even have a slightest clue of how the genre have evolved and spread in the past few years. So many outstanding young artists are responsible for the AOR boom in recent years and great pioneers of AOR are launching spectacular comebacks so it’s safe to say, we are entering a new AOR era!
Discovering bands that bring back the faith in me and make me feel alive again is basically what I live for. Sometime ago, through the power of social media, the amazing guys from the Swedish AOR band, Age of Reflection (love what they did with the name), reached out to me and introduced me to their music. I didn’t need much convincing or extra effort to understand that this band will most certainly fall under the category of “great new AOR bands you must hear now”. I am already familiar with the magic of Swedish rock musicians, so it was not such a big surprise for me to discover yet another Swedish treasure that deserves all the praises. Anyways, we are here today to talk about Age of Reflection and their “In the Heat of the Night” album which I firmly believe needs to reach out to as many fans out there as possible. I want to introduce their music and hopefully bring to the table something new to people who are hungry for something fresh and of high quality.
First of all, let me provoke you and restore that faith in you, guys with this song…
With me, as you know, when it comes to music is all about discovering more in a song than just a bunch of well-written lines, melodies and good riffs. With me, it’s about the emotions, substance, the soul of the music and its ability to quickly deliver it to your senses. That’s not all I am looking for in a melodic rock album. I am deeply connected to the ‘80s rock music values and when I see bands these days that are not just incorporating them in their music but are adding something more, that’s when I know I have a real gem in front of my eyes. All this and more I found in Age of Reflection and their “In the Heat of the Night” album.
I want to present my sincere adoration for the great vocals by Lars Nygren who is certainly one of the most vocally-attractive musicians on the current revived Swedish melodic rock scene. “Blame it on My Heart”, “Borderline” and “The Mirror Never Lies” for instance (which happen to be three of my favorite songs on the release) probably wouldn’t have had the same effect on me if it wasn’t for the captivating vocals. Speaking of songs, I should probably mention that “Dying for Your Love” brought out a certain fire in my heart which doesn’t happen as often as you might think. Watch out for it – it’s unforgettable. It’s time to give the high fives also to Carl Berglund, who is not just the main reason for the existence of this band in the first place, but is also one of the masters of the guitar and keyboards. He, along with the bassist Jan Skärming, gave birth to an exciting project which you didn’t know you need in your life, till you hear it!
“In The Heat of the Night” came out last year and it’s a little bit of a shame that I just discovered it but better late than never. I want to heavily emphasize to my readers that this is a band with a musical significance and their songs carry a meaning and strength which, at least to me, is the most essential component on the road to success. Spread the love and enjoy! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I hope I brought something great to you with my humble publication.
Cheers to more!
Here is me, happily holding a great new addition to my beloved collection. I can’t wait to see what’s next for those talented guys.
“The Mirror Never Lies”
“Dying for Your Love”
BAND MEMBERS:
Lars Nygren – lead vocals
Carl Berglund – guitar, backing vocals
Jonas Nordqvist – guitar, backing vocals
Jens Rüttgeroth – keyboards, backing vocals
Jan Skärming – bass, backing vocals
Peppe Vikman – drums, backing vocals
Links:
Official Website: https://www.ageofreflection.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AGEOFREFLECTION/
Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/ageofreflection/
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/AgeOfReflection
Let’s go back to Dirty Looks and focus on their intoxicating second major-label studio album, “Turn of The Screw”. What you need to know about the band in case that’s the first time they are crossing your path is that their major-label debut was in 1988 with what is often regarded to as one of the best hard rock debuts of all time – “Cool From the Wire”.
We are here to also talk about their self-titled debut album – “Dextress” which is certainly an album worth discovering. The release presents a well-thought of playlist that basically consist of one solid punch after another. The moment you start absorbing the album, you are bound to fall for vocalist Jackson Taylor’s distinctive vocal delivery which just can’t but sharpen your ears. At first listen, I got that Mark Slaughter vibe here and there which further boosted my interest in the album. Guitarist Mark Janz is completing the picture in a stylish manner with stunning guitar solos, making him perfectly capable of standing on his own two feet against some of the bigger names who debuted at his age back in the day. I still cannot believe that so much thought and passion hides inside such young minds. 
I won’t go into details about the album because for a first time in a while I’ve been left speechless. “God of the Sun” is one of my favorite openers this year; the 11-minute tornado of a song is a clear highlight and how can it not be with that speed, intensity and lyrics (another Greek-inspired theme). “Sings of the Times” is my ultimate number 1 song from this release – that intro knocked my socks off (it’s my new ringtone by the way). You can’t have an album like this one without an instrumental now can you? But then again, “Opus Maximus” is not your ordinary instrumental. Good luck stopping it once you hit the play! “Alive” and “Lost in Oblivion” are pure madness! I am absolutely in love with the way the playlist was crafted – it’s all very well thought of and every song has its own place, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the album. I mean, you can just consider it as one song, actually; it’s indeed a progressive metal album but there’s just so much more to it than that – it’s progressive, it’s classic, it’s hard, it’s loud! What a punch in the face! Guitars are stunning too – Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is the king of the explosive riff and guitar culminations on this one! 
My Fair Warning journey began with their self-titled debut album which without doubt is one of the most brilliant coming out parties of all time. The German rockers didn’t achieve the success they deserved with that first release but on a positive note, they became pretty popular in Asian countries, particularly in Japan. I talked about the album on my 
“Go!” is Fair Warning‘s fourth album, released in the late ’90s. Not the best time for a hard rock band to make a comeback but who the hell cares, right? The album is strictly following Fair Warning‘s beautiful, well-established sophisticated melodic rock sound, since the very first album. The unmatched talent of Tommy Heart – who by the way is one of the greatest vocalists of all time (at least in my book) shines brighter than the sun on this album. 
Already mentioned that this is the one and only album of Saints & Sinners and it was released in 1992. Anything else you need to know? Well, if you love glam metal, if you love catchy riffs and solid rocking melodies, colored by magnificent vocals, you will LOVE this album. The atmosphere is very energetic and it just makes you play it all over again once you reach the last track. Needless to say, this melodic but loud self-titled debut is highly underrated. But hey, discovering hidden gems is what I live for! In terms of songs, I would definitely point “Wheels of Fire” and “Walk the Walk” as my two favorite tracks from it. Those two songs (now when I think about, most of the album actually…) reminds me of Hardline’s “Double Eclipse” and XYZ’s self-titled album – both great and dearly beloved albums. That’s all good, though! “We Belong” is another track to check out and that’s not just me and my power ballad adoration speaking. The ending track is epic so watch out for it! “Slippin Into Darkness” wrapped up the album and ironically, wrapped up their career which slipped into darkness…
We are here for this album after all, so let’s get down to it! It’s all about the music at the end of the day now isn’t it? I already mentioned that “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride” is Electric Boys‘ debut album, released in 1989 but what you really need to remember are the electrifying songs and I’m sure you will because they are THAT good. Let’s start with the obvious mega hit, “All Hips N’ Lips” – a playful, sexy and absolutely hypnotizing piece of music which just begs you to crank it up and dance your ass off to it! This was the first song of theirs I heard and since I had no idea who was performing it, I had to write down the lyrics and search for it later on. Imagine what happened when I found it – listened to it for days without stopping. This seductive catchy rocker makes you wanna dance in the middle of the street without a single care in the world. Who cares whether this song is cheesy or doesn’t shine with that much lyrical or musical depth? I don’t. I absolutely adore vocalist Conny Bloom and we need tracks like this one in our lives every now and then. The album is so much more than this song, though. “Psychedelic Eyes” is equally appealing with its perfect mixture of raw energy and pleasant melodies. “If I Had a Cigar” is the song that finally explains why this album’s title says “Funk-O-Metal”. The groovy, alluring tune is one of the highlights of the album. I love the choruses. Moving on to another satisfying tune – “Rags to Riches”. Where do I even begin? There’s just something a bit aggressive in their approach to music and I simply love how they combined it with the desired melodic rock sound to create universal appeal…with a twist! What I miss is a gentle rock ballad – the ones I’m always looking for in an album but actually Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride gives me way too much energy to even think about why they didn’t include a solid tear-jerker. The whole album is one huge invitation to dance, party and basically a way to lift your spirits up! There’s no way you can resist it. Funky, heavy, melodic – what else can you ask for! Listen to the songs, I dare you!
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 