Neon Rider are an AOR/Melodic Rock group from Argentina. They began in the second half of 2020 when two guitarists and band mates Hernan Cattaneo and Marcos Nievea Green decided to put together a new project that has the more classic sound ,that is based on their Hard Rock & AOR roots. So they started composing, laying down demos when they realized that had more to give, more to show and decided to form an actual band. They went on to release a single and EP which were released independently, with a few line up changes Neon Rider was completed by Bruno Sangari on vocals, Daniel Bravo on bass and Pablo Ureta on drums. ”Destination Unknown” the debut album is here.

“Destination Unknown” starts with an intro which is also the title track a guitar solo which clocks in at just under a minute long which then launches into “Neon Rider” an eighties sounding melodic rock number, the chorus is catchy but like “Feel The Magic” a more AOR track they are just average sounding nothing that blows me away.”Unleash The Fire” is a more fast paced track almost like it has a power metal influence, followed by “I Love My Life For Rock N Roll” both are heavier tracks some nice guitar solos but the production for me is below par. The vocals seem to get lost in the mix, drowned out by the guitars but in some parts vice versa. ”Compass Rose” is an improvement on the previous tracks ,a more rock anthem style chorus which stands out, there's more of a melodic melody to the structure of the arrangements with a soaring guitar solo thrown in. ”Surreal” and “My Time To Say Goodbye” are the highlights on this album some nice examples of Melodic Rock soaring choruses ,vocals with great melodies. ”Standing By The Edge” has `the potential to be a great song but is let down by the muddy production unfortunately. ”One And Only” a ballad is the first track I can hear Bruno Sangaris vocals with some clarity, with he sings this song with some conviction chorus which builds, nice melodic guitar solo, with the acoustic guitar a nice touch at the beginning and end of the track. ”One night In The Big City” is another poor track ,possibly the weakest on the album. ”Riders Of The Night” picks up the pace to bring the album to a conclusion which includes a children's choir and the band members sons and daughters.

Neon Rider “Destination Unknown” left me feeling disappointed. There are some good tracks on the album played by some good musicians. I just feel that the album was let down by the structure of some of the tracks and production. Plus there are a lot more bands in this genre with better songs with better hooks, melodies and with better production. If the production had been more better, the sound more polished and defined this would have been a far better album.