UFOR 2007
United Forces Of Rock festival in Ludwigsburg, Germany

Sven Horlemann for Melodicrock.com

This years festival was the third to be held. The billing suggested some surprises, and they happened, though different then I was expecting it.
Human Zoo (German newcomer), Last Autumn's Dream (Scandinavian all star super group), Soul Doctor (featuring singer Tommy Heart from Fair Warning), White Wolf (melodic metal from Canada that released two classic records mid-eighties), Danger Danger (reunited with original singer Ted Poley), Stan Bush (classic melodic rock songwriter) and headliner Joe Lynn Turner.

Human Zoo
If you can't get enough from good, although not highly original hard rock, German rockers Human Zoo might be your choice. Thomas Seeburger (vocals), Ingolf Engler (guitar) and Zarko Mestrovic (keys) founded Human Zoo in 2004, finding themselves additional support from Markus Ratheiser (bass) and, look out, Boris Matakovic on saxophone!
Labelled “newcomer 2006” from Germans Rock It magazine, they played a solid show without surprises. Check out the second album (their debut was called Precious Time, produced by Dennis Ward) to be released in autumn 2007.

Last Autumn's Dream
Last Autumn's Dream supported their latest release Saturn Skyline, opening with For The Young And The Wild and After Tomorrow's Gone.
Led by Mikael Erlandssons powerful lead vocals his band mates Andy Malecek (ex-Fair Warning), Marcel Jacob, Jamie Borger (both Talisman) delivered melodic rock of the finest quality. Well, they are kind of a super group, aren't they?
As always Jamie Borger was fun to watch, something you could only partly say off guitar wizard Andy Malecek. This guy rocks on his guitar, but somebody should tell him it is not wrong to show a bit of fun in doing a set of songs that are really great. I mean it is not a rehearsal, it is a show!
Marcel Jacob seemed to be not so much motivated, even had to be shown how to play one of the songs they had to stop playing before starting again. Uuh.
Song wise it was a mix of old and new stuff, with Pages and Rock'n'Roll Is Saving My Soul another set of new songs was delivered. In between the familiar Heat Of Emotion (Fair Warning) was a well received gem.
Last Autumn's Dream have a good stage presence, at least with Erlandsson and Borger there was action and fun on stage. Marcel Jacob and Andy Malecek didn't present themselves how they could have, one being disinterested in the gig itself, the other with a need to work on his entertainment qualities.

Soul Doctor
Tommy Heart's Soul Doctor doubled their guitar power with a 2nd guitar player, something that surprised me in regard of Chris Lynes Les Paul / Mesa Boogie sound and stage presence. Now that's how a rock'n'roll guitar should sound on stage!
Compared to Fair Warning, Soul Doctor is a more down-to-earth hard rock band with lesser catchy melodies. Of course Tommy Heart does an excellent job delivering his vocals. Still, trying to remember some of the melodies after the gig might give you a hard time. Also, even though the first songs are highly enjoyable, after a few songs you get tired of hearing the same king of riffs. The songwriting is not strong enough and so the set tends to get boring song wise. On the good side Soul Doctor is a band that works the audience with good in-your-face rock'n'roll stage presence. Some Of the tracks played were Blood Runs Cold, Under Your Skin, Good Time Slipping Away, Temptation, See You In Heaven, Laugh In The Face Of Danger and Goodbye.

White Wolf
Canadian classic metal act White Wolf made my day. Original members Don Wolf (vocals) and Cam MacLeod (lead guitar) were happy to play in Germany the first time ever, and they were glad to show it.
Easily the heaviest band on the billing, White Wolf were expected to play a best-of-set with songs from Standing Alone (1984) and Endangered Species (1986), plus several new songs from their reunion record Victim Of The Spotlight.
Victim Of The Spotlight and The Wolf kicked of a great show, then the classic tracks Shadow Of The Night, Headlines rocked the house. Goose bumps!
Another new one, Eyes Of The World, then Standing Alone and the epic What The War Will Bring. The show closed with three excellent new songs: Price Of One, Dreams Are Forever and the mighty Out Of Control.
Surprisingly the songs concentrated on the first and last record. As they are having very good songs on all their releases this didn't matter. Don Wolf still has a great and unique voice. The band was tight and hot. Great, great show!

Danger Danger
Ok, I have to admit, Danger Danger are not my favourite band and never will. I just don't understand how these songs got hits.... silly me?
Maybe that is why to me they were the biggest surprise on the billing. Danger Danger got the biggest crowd attention. After starting a bit slow they got better and better during their set, firing on all guns.
Under The Gun, Beat The Bullet, Don't Walk Away, When She's Good, She's Good, When She's Bad, She's Bad until Naughty Naughty were some of the tracks played. New guitar shredder Rob Marcello impressed in the first songs, but his permanent arpeggio overkill got boring during the show. In the end, I found it a PITA to listen to his technical perfection. Just give me one single note played with soul... sorry.
Ted Poley started weak, became great (doesn't he warm up before the show?) and 2nd original member Bruno Ravel was mister professional all the way.
Easily the biggest party on this festival!

Stan Bush
This must have been the heaviest set Stan Bush ever had played. With a group of hard rocking band members and Stan also on rhythm guitar, the twin Gibson Les Paul attack made it hard for him to cut through with his voice.
A very nice guy on stage, Stan Bush is lacking the entertainment qualities one might expect. Don't get me wrong. Stan Bush is one of the best melodic rock songwriters. Still, I didn't like the interpretation of Love Don't Lie and Criminal Lover presented at the UFOR. And these are two of the best rock songs ever written. These are priceless gems! Maybe my expectations were too high? It might also be that the Danger Danger set (kind of the highlight of the festival) put Stan Bush into the worst spot on the festival billing.

Joe Lynn Turner
This is another tough review to write. I love Joe Lynn Turners voice. I love his Rainbow records, the Deep Purple record (Slaves & Masters), some of his solo stuff (past and present) as well as his collaboration with Glenn Hughes & Yngwie Malmsteen.
His voice is in great shape. His stage acting and presence is ok. Maybe it is the lack of a great band that was bothering me through the set, beginning with the guitar player. I don't even know what his name is. Of course, these are good, professional musicians. But ... they just don't fit into the shoes they try to fill. And these are big shoes!
So welcome to a Rainbow set plus three solo songs: Death Alley Driver, I Surrender, Power, Street Of Dreams, Power Of Love (solo, from Unusual Suspects), Can't Let You Go, Jealous Lover (super surprise), In Your Lonely Eyes (solo, from new cd Second Hand Life), Blood Red Sky (solo, from Second Hand Life), Stone Cold, Can't Happen Here and Spotlight Kid.
I was looking forward to listen to a more balanced set list from Joe's past records. Instead the encores were Deep Purples Highway Star and Burn. Excellent played, but no original Joe Lynn Turner songs. I'll never understand this.
Joe, get yourself a great band and stick to it. The quality level of a rented band will never be as high as an unique outfit. Ronnie James Dio might be an example on how to present his legacy if you look at his solo band.

All in all the United Forces Of Rock is a super event for melodic rock fans in Europe Easy to reach by 7, 8 European countries, with a always great mix of melodic rock / melodic metal bands, the UFOR develops into the most important festival for melodic rock. Be there next time!

Copyright 2007 by Sven Horlemann for MelodicRock.com