Simply by hearing the lineup of this band, many friends of the melodic sound will pin their ears back and probably order “A Point Of Destiny” at once. The name of Tony Mills can give the chills to those who loved the British band Shy during the 80’s (whose insuperable “Excess All Areas” is considered as a pure, everlasting melodic Hard Rock diamond), while musicians Robby Bobel, Hutch Bauer and  Rami Ali have also won laurels with bands such as Frontline and Evidence One.

The name of the band is not coincidental at all, since it concurs with the huge ‘debut’ CD of Germans Frontline, and the sound of “A Point Of Destiny” is not far from what an experienced ‘ear’ would expect to hear. “Shy’s British AOR mixes with Frontline’s massive melodic Rock” is the basis of State of Rock’s first album and the result is very encouraging. For the record, the idea of this project belongs to Robby Bobel (mainman of Germans Frontline), while the intervention of Metal Heaven’s president brought Mills as the singer – a very accurate move.

Back to the music: the CD is very enjoyable and it has some truly impressive moments, with some great lead parts like “Black & Blue” or “Freedom” and with Tony Mills’s trademark crystal clear and unconquerable vocals (who strangely sings out of tune in one or two points!), that blow the listener away especially in “Heartless Dreamer”, “Hanging In The Balance” and “Count Me Out”. The majority of the songs flirt with mid tempo and this will definitely satisfy the friends of the milder sound, however the absence of one or two faster or speedy songs is more than obvious. In some way, the tracks “Freedom” and “Friction” are fast, but you can only tell that if you listen to the CD over and over.

The Press Release emphasizes on the fact that State of Rock is not yet another project but a real, permanent band. Having heard such huge statements in the past, we’d better retain, but in any case “A Point Of Destiny” is a really interesting album itself, where Shy and Frontline fans can invest without a doubt, taking into consideration the almost 4-year absence of the Germans from the genre as well as Tony Mills’s disappointingly mediocre moments with TNT. I honestly hope that this debut CD sells good and that it becomes popular, as the chemistry between Mills and Bobel is more than obvious.

P.S.: The production is clear but it could be slightly more ‘filled’. Probably the final CD sounds better than the promo CD.