AORzones top 10 albums of 2015

10. Room Experience
Italian Gianluca Firmo and friends are trying to Eclipse (pun intended) Sweden and become the new hub of melodic rock. Its full of tinkly, parpy keyboards and more parmeggiano reggiano than Italy can muster. Its AOR at its purest and an absolute delight

9. Stryper - Fallen
Stryper continue their rich vein of form and their heavier direction thankfully. Mushy ballads have all but disappeared, and in comes power, strength, positivity and most of all, heaviness!

8. Gronholm - Relativity Code For Love

Another surprise for me in 2015. Id never heard of them until this, and boy, is it a cracking album. Lee Small has NEVER sounded better than this.

7. Revolution Saints - ST

I know, lets get 3 giants of rock (ok one is a real short arse) to come together for an album, and lets make the not regarded as as a singer the singer! Castronovo IS one hell of a singer. This was the album that the current Journey should be striving to make

6. Newman - The Elegance Machine

I am a late arrival to the Newman party, and I'm ashamed to admit it. The last 2 albums Ive had to review have been an absolute pleasure. Its more on the heavier side of melodic, but who gives a shit. This bloke is one of Britain's finest exponents of melodic rock, long may he continue

=4. Age Sten Nilsen's Ammunition - Shanghaied

Age does a 'Dio', and ditched Wig Wam for a new life. He basically forms Eclipse MKII for one of the BEST melodic rock albums of 2015. Massive choruses, not a dud on the album, it could easily be my No.1. From here on in the results are that close.

=4. FM - Heroes and Villains

I am a tad biased when it comes to my beloved FM, but they wouldn't be in here if it wasn't any good (my proof - the disappointing Overland Ousey album). FM are in a very rich vein of form and this is one of their best pieces of work and sits close behind Indiscreet and Tough It Out, its that good!

3. Romeos Daughter - Spin

OK its not exactly an AOR album as such, its a defining album for Romeos Daughter. They could have given up the ghost since reforming , but like their friends FM, they choose to plough through the field and make new music that is probably their most consistent and best work to date. They should be the darlings of Radio 2, but for some reason are overlooked, and that is a huge travesty.

=1. Blood Red Saints - Speedway

Its a contrast to the joint winner of my 2015 list, but BRS are more 'classic' 80s AOR than anyone else on this list and they are a brand new band. Thanks to the dulcet tones of Pete Godfrey, and the superb songs (no fillers here folks) they deserve to be No.1 on their own

=1. Eclipse - Armageddonize

Erik Martensson's Eclipse are at the other end of the melodic rock spectrum to Blood Red Saints. More raw power and edge to their music, they are the 2015 Oxford Dictionary meaning of 'anthemic rock'. Not a shit song on the album, its slayed me from the off. My best album of 2015 despite the aggro it took to get me the album on vinyl. A HUGE album!