Melodic Rock of extraordinary quality.

Conceived around mastermind Vince O'Regan (Legion), the O'Regan project follows the same formula as Frédéric Slama's AOR, Voices of Rock etc. And it seems, we're still not tired of this type of scheme – especially, if the recordings result in a portion of high quality Melodic Rock! The project's album 'Temptation' (which was released in July) features Legion's axe man teaming up with the likes of Bob Catley (Magnum), Paul Sabu (Only Child, Kidd Glove) and regular cohort Phil Vincent (Legion), with Legion's 'V'-era line-up responsible for the instrumental background.

The album starts with 'Temptation', a slightly heavier Rock track sung by the impeccable Bob Catley. Next up are 'Something To Believe In', which features a vocal contribution from Paul Sabu, and the keyboard-driven 'Woman' with Simon Abbotts (Pulse) behind the microphone. And although there's nothing bad about these tracks, it gets even better the further you progress. What 'Restless Heart' brings to mind is mostly ballad-esque Foreigner in their 1980s prime. Sung again by Catley, it's a perfectly crafted power ballad, reaching a wonderful climax with the brilliant guitar solo. With the Pomp Rock gem 'Crash And Burn' (featuring vocals from Vega's Nick Workman, O'Regan's former Eden colleague), this time machine takes the listener back thirty years yet keeps going full throttle.

A bit feistier, yet still ultra-melodic, is 'Slave To The System', with Legion's Phil Vincent taking over the microphone. Sabu's excellent performance in the bombastic 'Heroes In The Night' reminds me of some of the singer's best work. Next is 'Neon Lights' with it's the eerie and lengthy intro; a slightly heavier song with distinct Progressive flavours but also gravitating towards a contemporary Rock sound. Workman also provides vocals on this one and, however fantastic it is on its own, it sounds a bit odd when compared with the previous tracks. O'Regan returns to Melodic Rock simplicity with the guitar-laden 'Time Stands Still', once again sung by Vincent. The majestic 'Fire In The Sky' is a genuine grand finale to the album, as Rick Chase (ex-Alibi) delivers some emotionally laden vocals against a sombre, ballad-esque musical background.

Apart from the star-studded line-up, probably the biggest asset to 'Temptation' is that this release follows the "no fillers, all killers" rule – but not at the cost of versatility. It's simply Melodic Rock of extraordinary quality, and even though 2014 has been very gracious to aficionados of the genre so far, this album will probably remain amongst this year's best.

Alexandra Mrozowska