Coney Hatch-Friction (1985)

This Canadian band made rock for discerning tastes. Coney Hatch emerged in the early eighties within the burgeoning melodic rock scene of the time, and with their self-titled debut album (1982), they quickly made a name for themselves thanks to tracks like "Devil's Deck", "Hey Operator", and "Monkey Bars". They were characterized by their multiple riffs, immersive keyboards, catchy melodies, and the distinctive voice of their singer, Carl Dixon. In 1985 came their third and ultimately final album, "Friction", a collection of superb melodic rock tracks, beginning with the sublime ballad "Fantasy". However, it's the opening track, "This Ain't Love", a hard rock blast, that kicks off the album, followed by other gems like "Wrong Side of Town" and "State Line", alongside superb AOR tracks such as "She's Gone", "Girl From Last Night's Dream", and the powerful "He's a Champion". As has so often happened, quality doesn't guarantee success, and they soon faded into complete obscurity, until 2013 when they returned with the album "Four", which finally restored them to the recognition they had been denied in those years.