Name: Arco van Akkeren

Date of birth: 24-01-1966

Marial status: Living together

Hobbies: Music, motorbikes and reading a book if I have some time left

Daytime job: Has a lot to do with safety

Style: Hardrock/A.O.R

Other styles: Prog/Sympho metal, Heavy/Power metal and Bluesrock

Also listens to: Luka Bloom, Nek, Zucchero, Anouk and KinkAardschok.nl

Populair bands: KISS, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Picture, Saxon, Scorpions, Winger, Tyketto, Bon Jovi, Sleeze Beez, Dream Theater, Axel Rudi Pell, Symphony X, Vengeance, Edguy, W.A.S.P., Iced Earth, Ayreon, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, Ratt, Y & T, Dokken, Highway Chile, Dio, Firewind, BLS, Chickenfoot (..and I undoubtedly I haven't meant some..)

Favorite record: That varies but unnecessary to say that the KISS 'Alive' records are very special, see below.

Background: When I was a twelve year old boy I was staying at a school friend's house and when I saw this giant KISS poster I was astonished. I was rather impressed by the four wild dressed and painted guys on high heel boots - of which one was bleeding and had his tongue hanging out of his mouth - in the middle of a sea of fire! And when the older brother of this school friend played 'Alive' and 'Alive II' I was sold. Sometime later I heard 'I Want You To Want Me' by Cheap Trick (from the legendary Cheap Trick at Budokan) at a party and from that on I knew for sure; drums and guitars 'were there to stay'. In the meantime I was trying to do my best at school were I got to know bands like Van Halen, AC/DC, Scorpions en Y & T through classmates. In 1980 there was a KISS gig in Leiden (special guest Iron Maiden, with Paul di'Anno) and I had to go. It was the first live gig in a long series of concerts and festivals that I visited over the years. At the age of sixteen I learned to play the guitar and we tried to form a band with some friends. But soccer, nightlife and the girls that go with it won from making music and the guitar stood in the corner for a while before it was sold. Regrettably because my teacher said I was talented. In the 80's, 90's and the new millennium a lot of hard music came along but the preference of A.O.R / Hardrock was always the strongest. I do write for the online motor magazine www.motorfreaks.nl for some time now and like to do the same for ‘Lords of Metal’. I will do my best to bring the readers a solid review with some regularity.

This month, Arco proudly presents the following items:

reviews:

interviews:
- no interviews this month

Best 12 releases of 2009:

1. KISS – Sonic Boom
2. Chickenfoot – Chickenfoot
3. Place Vendome – Streets Of Fire
4. Coldspell – Infinite Stargaze
5. Evil Masquerade – Fade To Black
6. Outloud – Outloud
7. Lynch Mob – Smoke And Mirrors
8. House Of Lords – Cartesian Dreams
9. Oliver Weers – Get Ready
10. Stryper – Murder By Pride