Alien – Alien
product: Alien – Alienrelease date: 19.06.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world Genre: AOR/ Melodic Rock Remark: ltd. to 500 CD’s, remastered by Ritchie Borg, new booklet with liner notes, Pride & Joy Music Classixx Vol. 25, officially licensed from Warner Music Liner Notes by Martin Stark: Swedish melodic rock icons Alien are some kind of a blueprint for Scandinavian melodic rock music and AOR of the eighties. Gitarrist Tony Borg formed a new band in 1986 after having worked in various constellations for some time. “I was working as a session musician in really good studios in Gothenburg and in Stockholm, too, and it was easy money as everything was fine but after a while I felt I needed to start my own band. I had to go for a different, more personal aim“, Borg reflects on the very birth of Alien. Having had all the contacts and a couple of original songs already in the pipeline, the guitarist gathered some of the best players around him. Borg and Tarrach even go back to 1985 working on some kind of project which then was to became Alien. The original line-up of the band with mainman Borg, drummer Toby Tarrach, keyboarder Jimmy Wandroph and bassist Ken Sandin has been complete when frontman Jim Jidhed joined the ranks. “I was extremely happy with having Jim on board because his voice is simply incredible“, remembers Borg. At first there were talks of recording eight or nine demo tracks only but soon the band, as it is was, has been finalized once the debut album took shape. “I remember being in a studio in Gothenburg and as studio time was very expensive back in the day, we recorded days in a row and there was that particular night when I basically sang all night“, Jidhed recalls proudly. The band already had two singles out in Sweden, “I’ll Survive“ and “Headstrong“, that unfortunately didn’t end up on the album. “We went to the studio and recorded some more tracks when we got the deal with Virgin in 1987 and probably due to the running time of the album, we had to skip a couple of tracks“, says Jidhed not being fully clear about it decades later. But the whole thing picked up pace when outside producers and songwriters came in, resulting in recording a handful of tracks in America. Plus, the single “Only One Woman“, a Marbles cover originally written by The Bee Gees, was to become quite a chart success in Sweden opening many doors for them internationally, too. It went to number one for six weeks straight in their home-country. “We were really taken by surprise, to be honest“, recalls Jidhed. “Our label manager with Virgin Records came up with the idea of recording this particular song. He probably had my voice in mind from the beginning and all I can say is that we weren’t sure whether this was a good idea in the first place or not but then Tony and I arranged the track and made it an Alien song in not more than one day, as far as I remember.“ Nevertheless, especially the frontman was not too convinced of the song at the time. “We were in the States when news reached out to us that “Only One Woman“ got remarkable amount of airplay on Swedish radio. Funnily enough actually, it took several attempts to finally make it take off commercially“, the frontman recalls. But it did. Big time. It went gold in Sweden and has more than six million streams on Spotify by now. There are basically two “fractions“ in the band with Tony and Toby on the one hand being more or less seventies-rooted whereas the others, including Jim, on the other hand openly favored the softer, more polished side of the band which resulted in tracks like “Go Easy“ and, of course,“Tears Don’t Put Out The Fire“ with huge keyboards which became AOR anthems right away. The band went on tour in Sweden successfully with their debut only and with their biggest live production to date. The twelve tracks of the iconic self-titled album, apart from the ballad “Only One Woman“, include the other two singles “Tears Don’t Put Out The Fire“ and “Brave New Love“, which are nothing but typical eighties AOR anthems. “Still when we play ’Tears’ to this day, it literally brings tears to many in the audience“, Jidhed proudly states. The sound, tone and soul of the album is represented by this song very much. “Brave New Love“, though, ended up in the American cult movie “The Blob“, also leaving an important milestone in the band’s illustrious history. Borg’s memories concerning “Tears Don’t Put Out The Fire“ are kind of mixed as the creation and the arrangements of the track are pretty unusual for the band. “That song that the fans love so much sees me playing the guitar solo very much in the vein of Gary Moore, who brought this slow way of playing to pure perfection. Usually, I don’t play that way.“ The writing chemistry and the soundscape that is created especially between Borg and Jidhed today is essential to Alien, whereas the given 1988 debut album was written by all five in the band and Pam Barlow and Janet Minto. “Having a vocalist like Jim on board is a true blessing as he gives these songs what they need. He is magic and the fun fact is, he is not musically educated in any university like I am on guitar, but his natural talent as a singer is simply amazing“. There can’t be more praise and pride than in that statement by the guitarist. “When I write a Deep Purple riff and Jim sings on it, it most likely sounds a bit like Journey.“ But vice versa, Jidhed acknowledges his band mate for many years as an exceptional songwriter and band leader, too. “Tony is absolutely passionate about his guitar and works very hard in all respects.“ Navigating a
Sahara – Sahara
product: Sahara – Sahararelease date: 29.05.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world Remark: ltd. to 500 CD’s, numbered, remastered by Harry Hess, Pride & Joy Music Classixx Vol. 24 Originally released 2001 via Point Music/ AOR Heaven, the self-titled debut album by Swedish AOR group SAHARA belongs to the 2000’s classics of the genre. The album is currently one of the most sought-after CD‘s in the genre and will be released on May 29, 2026, remastered by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), numbered, and limited to 500 CDs as re-issue Vol. 24 via Pride & Joy Music Classixx, and digitally via Pride & Joy Music. Like all other CDs in the series, this CD will only be available at shop.prideandjoy.de while stock will last. SAHARA was led by guitarist and producer Peter Lidström and singer Ulrick Lönnqvist, who is still active in the scene today as a sought-after songwriter for several high-class bands. Line-up: Ulrick Lönnqvist (Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), Peter Lidström (Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitars), Fredrik Winero (Drums), Kaspar Dahlqvist (Keyboards), Magnus Eliasson & Hazze Wazzén (Bass) Track list:1. Stranger2. Time Is A Healer3. Over And Over4. Dreams5. The Fire6. Never Say Never7. Silent Rain8. Dream Of You9. Deep Inside10. What Is Love11. The Night
Acacia Avenue – Chapter V
product: Acacia Avenue – Chapter Vrelease date: 29.05.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world The idea for Acacia Avenue began back in 2008. Founding member, Torben Enevoldsen (Fate, Fatal Force, Section A), spent most of that year writing new material. Some of this new material came to be very melodic hard rock/AOR, and the idea of doing a full album in this style quickly emerged. In order to spice things up however, Enevoldsen decided to ask a few good friends of his to participate, both as singers, but also as co-writers. The debut album featured Tony Mills (Ex-TNT, Shy), Geir Rönning (Radioactive), Torben Lysholm (Pangea, Mysterell) and Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art) on vocals. Torben played bass, keyboards and guitars, as well as both lead and backing vocals on a few songs and Thomas Heintzelmann (Decoy) did the drums. The self-entitled debut album was released on Lion Music back in January 2010. In January 2011, Torben joined the Danish hard rock band Fate, and although being busy with them, he continued working on various other projects, as well as releasing four albums in total so far with Acacia Avenue. After the release of ”Worlds Apart” (2018), Torben was busy working on his instrumental solo stuff, as well as writing and recording for Rob Moratti, Pinnacle Point, Decoy and Fate. In between these sessions however, Enevoldsen found the time to write new music for a fifth Acacia Avenue album. As usual, he asked a few good friends along for the ride, so this new album features Peer Johansson (Now Or Never, Fate), Peter Sundell (C.O.P., Decoy), Dagfinn Joensen (Bloody Dice), as well as the late, great Tony Mills (Shy, TNT) on vocals. Pete Steincke (Fate) split the bass duties with Enevoldsen, who also played the keyboards and guitars himself, as well as doing lead- and background vocals on a few songs. Dennis Hansen (Fatal Force) once again did the drums. The majority of the recordings, including the mix and mastering, took place at Torben’s ”Funny Farm Studios” in Denmark. Enevoldsen mixed and mastered „Chapter V“ himself and he also produced the album. Line-up: Peer Johansson – Vocals; Peter Sundell – Vocals; Dagfinn Joensen – Vocals; Tony Mills – Vocals; Torben Enevoldsen, Guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals; Pete Steincke – Bass; Dennis Hansen – Drums Track list:1. No Use Running2. The Longest Time3. Stand Your Ground4. Lies Of A Hundred Years5. Wait No More 2.06. Nothing Else To Do07. Rainbow Child8. Stand Up.9. Gypsy Train10. Standing On The Outside11. All Of The Time www.facebook.com/tenevoldsen www.instagram.com/t.enevoldsen www.facebook.com/acaciaavenuetheband
BLUE TEARS – Live In The UK
product: BLUE TEARS – Live In The UKrelease date: 15.05.2026format: digital & CD (ltd. to 300 copies)territory: world Fans of quality Melodic Hard Rock will have no problem remembering the 1990 debut from Blue Tears. With its loving mix of Bon Jovi meets Def Leppard hard-hitting riffs and melodies, this was one band that really should have scaled the heights. Back in 2005, the band were invited to play the second ever edition of the Firefest Festival. Gregg and the boys put on one hell of a show for their one and only ever full-electric set in Europe. Also included were two Attraction 65 songs from Gregg’s solo project, the rarest cut being the Japanese bonus only track ‘One Step Over The Line’, which makes this an absolute must for fans and collectors. Sure, it was raw and wild, but the adoring fans loved every minute. Now that fateful night is presented here, in all its untouched/no overdubs glory. Of course, main man Greg Fulkerson died tragically in April 2009. “Live In The UK” represents a chance to see him and the boys honouring their legacy, up close, raw and personal. “Live At The UK” will be released digital and as a ltd. edition CD (300 copies only) which will be exclusively sold via shop.prideandjoy.de and wholesale. THE BANDGregg Fulkerson (Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards)Bryan Hall (Guitar, vocals)Michael Spears (Bass, vocals)Charlie Lauderdale (Drums) Tracklist: 1. Rock You To Heaven (4:02)2. Rise Above (Attraction 65 song) (3:20)3. Take This Heart (4:12)4. Thunder In the Night (4:38)5. Let It Rain (3:05)6. Blue Tears (4:31)7. Rockin’ With The Radio (3:55)8. One Step Over The Live (3:25)9. Live It Up (3:35)
KAASIN – The Underworld
product: KAASIN – The Underworldrelease date: 24.04.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world KAASIN return in 2026 with their new studio album „The Underworld“, released by Pride & Joy Music on April 24, 2026. The album marks a new chapter for the Norwegian hard rock band, presenting a darker and more atmospheric sound while remaining firmly rooted in classic hard rock traditions built on strong melodies and solid musicianship. KAASIN was founded in 2020 by guitarist Jo Henning Kaasin, formerly of Come Taste the Band. Kaasin is widely respected for his collaborations with internationally renowned artists such as Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow). Together with bassist Ståle Kaasin (Humbucker, 2020Vision), the foundation of KAASIN was laid with a clear ambition: to create contemporary hard rock with a classic spirit and a strong sense of identity. The band is fronted by vocalist Jan Thore Grefstad (Saint Deamon and TNT), whose powerful and expressive voice quickly became a defining element of KAASIN’s sound. In October 2021, drummer Per-Morten Bergseth (Jorn, Wig Wam, Course of Fate, Holter) joined the band, followed in 2022 by keyboard player Erling Henanger (Magic Pie, Holter), who contributes both live and in the studio. After the release of an advance single, the debut album „Fired Up“, released on November 19th, 2021, established KAASIN on the European hard rock scene. The album received excellent reviews and was voted Album of the Year 2021 by the readers of Norway’s leading rock magazine Rockman. To date, KAASIN has generated more than 1.3 million streams on Spotify, reflecting a steadily growing international audience. Line-up: Jo Henning Kaasin – guitar, Ståle Kaasin – bass, Jan Thore Grefstad – vocals, Per-Morten Bergseth – drums, Erling Henanger – keyboards Produced by Halvor Halvorsen, Jo Henning Kaasin and Ståle Kaasin Recorded by Halvor Halvorsen and KAASIN Mixed by Halvor Halvorsen Cover Artwork by Stan W. DeckerAdditional Artwork by Ingo Ertl Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaasinmusic Track list:1. The Real World2. Two Hearts3. We Speed At Night4. Iron Horse5. Invisible6. Over The Mountain7. Arabian Night8. The Descent Of Souls9. The Underworld10. Dead Man’s Hand (CD bonus track)
Alicate – Too Bad To Be Good
product: Alicate – Too Bad To Be Goodrelease date: 24.04.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world Alicate was formed in the late 80‘s by lead vocalist/guitarist Jonas Erixon and bass player Fredrik Ekberg. They put together a band that toured in Sweden and Finland and also supported Ian Gillan on his „Toolbox Tour“ in 1992. After a hiatus in the 90‘s Alicate reformed and fast forward to 2009, when their first full length album called “World Of Anger” was released. The same year they did a successful appearance at Sweden Rock festival and with the new found popularity the album “Free Falling” was released in 2013. Their third full release, “Unforgiven To Be Forgiven”, followed in 2018 together with a live EP called “Live At Forum”. During Covid pandemic, Jonas Erixon composed songs and collaborated with some high profile artists with songs for Giant, Skills (with Billy Sheehan and Brad Gillis) and Sweet Oblivion (Geoff Tate). During the Pandemic, Erixon wrote new material for Alicate. The album „Butterfly“ was released 2022 via Pride & Joy Music. The Swedish quartet quickly started recording their next release in the same vein. The result was the long player „Heaven Tonight“ (2024, Pride & Joy Music). At the end of 2025, a line-up change happened when the new keyboardist in the band, Marcus Zerath, came on board – injecting new energy to the band! The new release „Too Bad to Be Good“ continues in the Melodic Rock vein with some very strong hooks. The band‘s joint collaboration on the 10 new songs gives a solid foundation for Jonas strong voice. Also, Pete Alpenborg, was invited to co-write some songs like the single “Save Our Love”. Alicate chose Svein Jensen at Grand Recordings to mix the album with a fresh perspective on the music. The mastering was handled by Philip Granqvist. Line-up: Jonas Erixon (vox/git)Marcus Zerath (Keyboards)Fredrik Ekberg (Bass)Jesper Persson (Drums) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063466240047 Track list:1. Changes2. Too Bad To Be Good3. One Shot4. Save Our Love5. Right Here Right Now6. Mysterious7. For Now8. High On Livin’9. Don’t Turn Around10. Run
Alien – Live At Sweden Rock Festival
product: Alien – Live At Sweden Rock Festivalrelease date: 24.04.2026format: CDterritory: world Alien is a Swedish rock band that has been a cornerstone of the hard rock scene since 1986, known for their melodic hooks, powerful guitar riffs, and the unmistakable voice of Jim Jidhed. Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, the band quickly gained recognition both domestically and internationally, building a legacy of powerful albums and unforgettable live shows. Alien’s self-titled debut album, released in 1988, introduced their melodic hard rock style to the world establishing Alien as one of the standout bands of the late 80s hard rock scene. „Only One Woman,“ one of Alien’s most iconic songs which currently has almost 6 million streams on Spotify alone, became a massive hit and achieved gold certification in Sweden and dominated Swedish radio charts. The song also performed well internationally, receiving heavy rotation on radio stations in Europe, the US and Japan pushing the band higher into the global spotlight. Since then, the band has released several albums, the most recent one, ”When Yesterday Comes Around” via Pride & Joy Music. This album has charted in the top 20 of the Swedish album charts in Spring 2025. After 15 years, on June 4th, 2025, Alien returned to the legendary Sweden Rock Festival and immediately captivated the crowd with a rousing concert. The band comments: “And there they were: a big crowd already waiting, growing fast from the very first song. It was our turn. Our moment – together with an absolutely incredible audience. We savored every note, every smiling face in the crowd. People sang along, and honestly… we had the time of our lives.” The set consisted of a balanced selection of classics such as “Tears Put Out The Fire,” “Go Easy,” and “Only One Woman,” as well as newer highlights such as “In The End We Fall” and “If Love Is War.” Pride & Joy Music now releases this live album on CD & digital on April 24th, 2026. Line-up: Jim Jidhed – Vocals, Tony Borg – Guitars, Toby Tarrach – Drums Additional musicians: Fredrik Karnell – Bass, Mikael Bäck – Keyboards, Jonathan Jaarnek Norén – Backing Vocals, Kajsa Borg – Backing Vocals Recorded by Christoffer Pinnen Malmqvist (Sweden Rock Festival) Mix & Mastering: Ritchie Borg https://www.facebook.com/Alien.Sweden Track list:1. Introduction2. In The End We Fall3. If Love Is War4. Go Easy5. Brave New Love6. Only One Woman7. Guitar Solo8. Night Of Fire9. I Belong To The Rain10. Tears Put Out The Fire11. Diving By The Golden Rules12. Touch My Fire
Dark Heart – Evolution
product: Dark Heart – Evolutionrelease date: 27.03.2026format: CD & digitalterritory: world DARK HEART were formed during the early eighties, releasing the debut album ‘’Shadows of the Night’’ on the Roadrunner label in 1984. After a number of successful live shows, the fast approaching end of NWOBHM era meant the band decided to go their separate ways, never quite fulfilling their potential or producing a follow up second album. Over the years the band has developed a cult following, gaining many new fans to their music. Founding member of the Band Alan Clark went on to form Change Of Heart moving from guitar to Vocals and as the main song writer, the band have very much established themselves as one of the best British AOR/Rock bands, with 4 albums released to date…… Fast forward to 2024 when DARK HEART returned after a number of years being asked to make a new album. The style, although still routed in classic metal/Hard Rock has very much moved away from NWOBHM, to not only bring the sound up to date, but also reflect the maturity in their song writing craft. Alan as the only original member of the band, has been working with Nick Catterick (Guitar) for a number of years on various projects, the pair have developed an intuitive and special understanding when writing, and working together, so it was a natural and easy choice to bring Nick on board. Nick who started playing guitar in his early teens has always been inspired by fiery and inventive players, drawing influences from the great players such as Moore, Sykes, Campbell, Norum with a touch of Lynch/Rhoads, and is set to be recognised for not only his playing ability, but also for one of the best guitar tones in the business. „Evolution“ now marks the group’s first release on Pride & Joy Music. The album was produced by Pete Newdeck and mastered by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem). DARK HEART are: Alan Clark – Vocals, Backing Vocals and Keys, Nick Catterick – Guitars, Keys, Backing Vocals Extra Special Guests: Pete Newdeck – Drums, Backing Vocals; Josh ‘Tabbie’ Williams – Bass Guitar Track list:1. Light The Flame2. Cold Winter3. End Of Tomorrow4. Hands Of Fate5. Spread Your Wings6. Ride The Highway7. You And I8. Life To Crucify9. Eyes Of Light10. Mortality11. Burned
Dan Lucas – Age Is Just A Number
product: Dan Lucas – Age Is Just A Numberrelease date: 27.03.2024format: CD & digitalterritory: world The new album by Dan Lucas – rocking, melodic, full of energy, with life-affirming but also critical lyrics – straight from real life! Age Is Just A Number contains 11 rock songs that are musically captivating and prove that Dan Lucas is still able to captivate his listeners with his expressive voice. All songs were written by Dan, with the help of composer and musician Markus Pfeffer (Barnabas Sky, Lazarus Dream) on four tracks. The album was recorded and mixed at Empire Studio in Bensheim by Rolf Munkes (Crematory). Singer, guitarist, songwriter, and musical performer DAN LUCAS became known to a wide television audience when he won the first season of the casting show “The Voice of Germany – Senior,” enchanting the jury with a fantastic version of the Journey classic “Don’t Stop Believin’” and John Farnham’s “You’re The Voice.” But DAN LUCAS has been around for much longer. Every rock fan fondly remembers 1988, when the Berlin band KARO released their debut album “Heavy Birthday.” At the time, hardly anyone suspected that just three years earlier, the singer had escaped the strict grip of the GDR regime as a refugee. After moving to Munich, DAN LUCAS joined Marlboro Music as a soloist and released his solo album “Canada,” whose single “Heart of America” was used in McDonald’s commercials on all channels. For his follow-up album “2000!”, which was recorded and produced in Burbank, California, he was able to enlist numerous guest musicians such as Robin Beck, Lisa Dalbello, Kane Roberts, Ron Dante, Michael Landau, and many others. He also co-wrote the song “Close Your Eyes And Say Goodbye” with Desmond Child. Following the release of the albums “News” (ARCADE 1996) and “The Long Road” (PRIDE & JOY MUSIC 2021), Dan has also been working as a musical performer since 2022. At the Theater Hof / Saale, he played the role of Sergeant Hanks in Frank Nimsgern’s musical “Jack The Ripper.” He also played the role of Rick Stone several times in the musical “Ein bisschen Frieden – Summer Of Love,” which was performed at the Theater am Marientor Duisburg, the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein in Füssen, and the Deutsches Theater Munich. In June 2025, he appeared as “Carl” in the rock opera HERILO at the Arena Kaufbeuren, which is expected to continue next year. danlucas.de Line-up: Dan Lucas (vocals, keyboards), Rolf Munkes (guitars), Markus Pfeffer (guitars, keyboards), Martin Motnik (bass), Liam Cross (drums) Track list:1. An Angel2. Age Is Just A Number3. Losing Myself4. I Wanna Say Goodbye5. JP’s Bar6. The World Is Broken7. For A Smoke8. Lost In The Shadows9. What About Tomorrow10. True Love11. Life Is Kind Of Rock ‘n Roll
Rozario – Northern Crusaders
product: Rozario – Northern Crusadersrelease date: 20.02.2026format: CD, LP & digitalterritory: world After receiving ecstatic reviews from all over the world for their 2023 debut „To The Gods We Swear“, Norwegian heavy metal warriors ROZARIO return with a vengeance. Their new album, „Northern Crusaders, is not just a follow-up — it’s a statement of intent. This is a band on their own Northern Crusades“, carrying the flag for classic, melodic heavy metal into a new era. The new album is an explosive collection of 12 powerful tracks that blend soaring, epic melodies with hard-hitting rockers — all packed with massive sing-along choruses, fierce conviction, and unstoppable energy. Behind the wall of sound lies an impressively crafted production, driven by massive drums, thunderous bass, blazing guitars and a powerful, commanding vocal performance. Every riff hits hard, every chorus soars high, and every note bleeds passion and conviction. ROZARIO have added fresh firepower to the lineup with the incredible young guitarist Taran Lister, whose talent brings an extra edge and intensity to the band’s signature sound. „Northern Crusaders“ was recorded at Holter Studio, once again with the amazing Trond Holter (Jorn, Wig Wam) at the helm — the band’s trusted producer and unofficial sixth member — ensuring a sound that’s as grand and powerful as the band’s vision itself. Get ready — the crusade has begun. Line-up: David Rosario (vocals), Stein Hjertholm (guitar), Taran Lister (guitar), Anders Halsan Engum (bass), Per Helge Bruvoll (drums) Track list:1. Fire And Ice2. We Are One3. Down Low4. Free…Forever5. Crusader6. Coming Home7. Die Like Warriors8. Until The Gods Are Calling9. Sleepless10. The Warning11. Haunted By The Past12. Betrayed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rozarioband