16 November sees the release of a long awaited AOR classic - the self-titled album from Australian AOR heroes DE-ARROW, compiled from a collection of high quality demos put together by keyboardist Noel Hart and guitarist Dragan Stanic. Revered in the 80's by such highly influential melodic rock journos and industry personnel as Derek Oliver, Kelv Hellrazer and Kim Fowley (who also managed the band), amongst others, DE-ARROW was a tour de force on the melodic rock scene garnering rave demo reviews across the globe and live reviews around Australia.
Upon the band's demise, guitarist Dragan Stanic and one time frontman Juno Roxas would go on to form the gold selling band, Roxus, including two songs from this very compilation on their own debut album, 'Nightstreets.
De-Arrow was an Australian 5-piece melodic rock band that existed from 1983 to 1989.
The original line-up consisted of Lou Yarevski (vocals), Dragan Stanic (guitars), Noel Hart (keyboards), Paul (Jackie) Gleeson (bass), and Mick Djokic (drums).
Later incarnations included Mick Kat (bass), Steve Kara (drums), with session vocals expertly handled by well-known Australian singers Adrian Campbell and Juno Roxas.
Though it was the 1980s and big hair was de rigueur for hard rock bands, including De-Arrow, for these guys it was always more about the music rather than the image.
Catchy hooks, chunky guitars with awesome solos, layered contemporary keyboards, huge drums, with a rock-God vocal line over the top. Along with radio-ready anthems, De-Arrow also presented longer AOR epics with more complex arrangements. Some musical depth for those delving deeper.
Ensconced in the underground cassette tape-trading circuit that was so prevalent during the 1980s, De-Arrow caught the attention of press and radio across the planet.
Highlights of the Melbourne-based band’s career included international management and publishing deals with Kim Fowley and Peer Southern Music, being named in the top 10 unsigned bands in Australia, two tracks later placed on the gold-selling Roxus album Nightstreet, and a series of highly-acclaimed De-Arrow gigs throughout the 1980s.
