Album Review: Revlin Project – Rising Hope

Pride & Joy Music – November 13^th, 2026

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Peru might not be the first country that springs to mind when discussing the international AOR scene, but keyboardist, songwriter and producer Nilver Pérez has been doing his level best to change that perception with Revlin Project.

‘Rising Hope‘ is offered up as the project’s fourth complete studio album, following ‘Dimension‘ (2017), ‘Trascender‘ (2021) and ‘Beyond The Dreams‘ (2023), and once again finds Pérez assembling an impressive international cast of musicians to indulge his considerable affection for classic melodic rock.

German vocalist Thorsten Bertermann, familiar to genre enthusiasts through Lioncage, takes centre stage, while Swedish drummer Christian Sundell provides the rhythmic backbone. The result is an album steeped in the glorious traditions of eighties and early nineties AOR, albeit with a slightly more muscular contemporary edge.

Opening number ‘Phoenix‘ establishes the mood with its uplifting sentiment, commanding vocals and expansive keyboards. It’s familiar territory, certainly, but then nobody approaches an album like this expecting a radical reinvention of the musical wheel.

‘Everlasting Love‘ continues the melodic assault before the six-minute ‘The Answer‘ offers something altogether more substantial. Here the arrangements have room to develop, the guitars and keyboards complement one another beautifully, and Bertermann demonstrates why his expressive, slightly rough-edged delivery is such an asset.

‘Just Let It Go‘ and ‘Night To The End‘ maintain the album’s romantic and occasionally melancholic atmosphere, while ‘Mad Drive‘ injects some much-needed urgency. The latter is particularly effective, combining energetic guitar work with an infectious chorus and a welcome sense of forward momentum.

‘She Knows Tomorrow‘ and ‘Take My Heart‘ are accomplished enough, although the latter’s repeated refrain does begin to outstay its welcome. Thankfully, the more reflective ‘Where You Are‘ restores the balance, allowing the melodies to breathe rather than simply throwing everything into the mix.

The closing ‘In My Dreams‘ is another highlight, its gradual development and emotive vocal performance providing a satisfying conclusion to the main album. Two remixed bonus tracks, ‘Libre‘ featuring Ian Wilde and ‘Secretos del Corazón‘, add further value.

My principal reservation concerns the production. While Pérez clearly knows how to construct an effective melodic rock arrangement, the sound occasionally feels rather congested, with keyboards, guitars and vocals competing for space when a little additional breathing room would have worked wonders.

Nevertheless, ‘Rising Hope‘ is a heartfelt, accomplished collection that wears its influences proudly. It doesn’t break new ground, but strong melodies, excellent vocals and some genuinely memorable songwriting ensure that it has plenty to offer. In a musical world increasingly obsessed with reinventing itself, there’s something rather comforting about an album that simply sets out to deliver good old-fashioned AOR — and largely succeeds.

Track List:

1. Phoenix
2. Everlasting Love
3. The Answer
4. Just Let It Go
5. Night To The End
6. Mad Drive
7. She Knows Tomorrow
8. Take My Heart
9. Where Are You?
10. In My Dreams
11. Libre (bonus track)
12. ‘Secretos del Corazón’ (bonus track)

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