http://www.melodicrock.com/reviews/reviews.html

MTM Classix roll out their very first true classic with the long awaited debut
on CD of the much loved 707 album Mega Force.
Formed by guitarist Kevin Russell and Jim McClarty and featuring a varied
line-up throughout their career, 707 were another band that were building to
success before being cut down on the verge of greatness.
Mega Force found the band fronted by AOR legend Kevin Chalfant. Kevin stamps his
authorative vocals all over this record, which is a true 80's gem for fans of
pure early era AOR.
Time has been pretty kind to this album and despite sounding a little dated, the
1982 release still sounds fresh and bubbly.
Best of all, it contains some cracking keyboard driven AOR tunes that will have
owners of the LP running for the stores. Anyone not familiar with this
particular classic might get a good idea of it's sound and style by playing that
other classic Chalfant fronted album – The View (or VU as it was re-released).
The bonus tracks include a couple of different versions of the title track and
some unreleased demos that don't quite match the quality of the album, but make
for a tasty bonus.
One notable absence is any mention in the liner notes, or additional comments
from Kevin Chalfant. Clearly a sign of the tension between him and the band that
remains even today.
The Bottom Line
Lots of swirling keyboards, plenty of harmonies, sweet high pitched
Journey-esque vocals and hooks galore, all wrapped up in that early 80's style
makes this a great re-issue for fans of the classic era of AOR.
Fans of early 80's rock, Kevin Chalfant and American AOR should all be lining up
to grab this lost classic. A very worthy re-issue.

Hugo Fire In The Night

Hugo took some time out after the release of his last solo album Time On Earth
and then took his own time writing and recording this album, making sure it was
everything he wanted it to be. It was released just a week or so ago
independently.
Hugo has a lot of fans within the scene – those that love his Steve Perry style
vocals and his pure AOR delivery that many other artists have abandoned.
His past lies with Valentine and Open Skyz, but it's his solo albums that have
earnt him the most respect. His self-titled debut is an all time AOR classic –
not just with me, but with countless others. The follow-up, Time On Earth was
another great example of pure AOR, yet didn't quite have the impact or the power
of the debut.
Now Fire In The Night is upon us and I really believe most Hugo fans will be
delighted with the result.
It's another strong album of pure AOR bliss. Guitarist Eddie Jelley supplies the
Neal Schon factor and Gus Karras supplies the rhythm that binds it together.
I believe this album falls between the two previous albums. This is more guitar
driven than Time On Earth and the songs are definitely stronger and the album
feels as if it has a more defined purpose.
However, the classic debut remains untouched as far a power and production
value. This album was recorded entirely off Hugo's own dime and with that
considered, it really does sound good. But there are a few occasions on Fire In
The Night when the drum sound or the overall mix doesn't quite work as well as
it could.
That said, this album works better than Time On Earth on several levels.
Hugo's vocals are as usual, high class and flawless. What I really like about
this album is the harmony and backing vocals, which there are several layers of
throughout the entire record.
I also think the songs are some of his best. The quality of the vocals and the
mix of the harmonies is excellent and a step forward from Time On Earth.

The Bottom Line
Fire In The Night is a very enjoyable album of pure American AOR. There aren't
too many releases like it on the market and I expect most fans to lap this up.
It's not a major label production, but it holds up well and is are most instant
and enjoyable album than it's predecessor, but still falls short of matching the
new classic debut.
The overall package is very nice, with solid artwork, lyrics and track comments
from Hugo, which are always appreciated. A very pleasant and enjoyable album
featuring some fine performances by all.








regards,

RDB
owner -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CyberPink/ pink floyd discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MetalGodz/ general rock discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sandr/ general discussion