Rock of Ages, Vol. 2

This German import features two discs of, as it says, "AOR and melodic hard rock." That's about right, with Europe's "Start from the Dark" kicking things off and the set progressing over two discs through Gypsy Rose ("Queen of the Night"), Prayer ("Running Wild in the Night"), Metal Majesty ("Aurelia's Night"), and Nightvision, who contribute the proudly monosyllabic "Fight." Most of these bands are from Sweden or Germany, and suggest rock groups of the mid-'80s like Whitesnake and Cinderella, who themselves were riffing on the same old Led Zeppelin, Queen, and David Bowie records. Devotees of the groups on Rock of Ages, Vol. 2 might be excited about this collection, but most rock fans have moved on from these sagging sounds.