Better Yet has all the hallmarks of a great melodic rock album: vocals by former Vandenberg singer Bert Heerink, lyrics by such legends as Harry Hess, Bob Daisley, Russ Ballard and Tony Martin and production by Michael Voss.

As most fans know this is Heerink's first solo rock album in about 20 years having spent much of the past two decades working at home in the Netherlands on various Dutch projects, so this is a return to the genre he abandoned after the failure of Vandenberg's third album Alibi in 1985.

It's a delightful slice of contemporary AOR that sounds fresh and modern yet like the AOR of old too. The key ingredient is Heerink's wonderful voice; it's filled with passion and soul and he proves that despite the passing of the years he remains one of the genre's finest vocalists. Truly inspirational.

The production is interesting with some modern digital effects on songs like 'Significance.' The riffs are not exactly mind-blowing yet the quality of the melodies and choruses are what makes this album tick. Better Yet is a worthy addition to any fans collection of melodic rock/AOR.

****

Review by Neil Daniels

www.neildaniels.co.uk