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The rogues gallery of ‘usual culprits’ cast in Sons Of Apollo invites two iron‑clad certainties: guaranteed virtuoso musicianship and a healthy dose of cynicism.

Uniting members past and present of Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, Mr Big and Journey, Sons Of Apollo succeed in the proficiency stakes but, unusually, they’ve crafted an exceptional debut to shoot down all suggestions of fiscal opportunism, convenience or, God forbid, lethargy or laziness.

Former DT alumni Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian bring the inevitable prog element, with Billy Sheehan and Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal administering a hummable hard‑rock twist, but the bridge linking those two styles, the factor that brings everything to life, is Jeff Scott Soto. JSS was the wrong singer for Journey but he sounds magnificent here.

Fuck the term ‘supergroup’: that’s not what this is about. Sons Of Apollo are simply a group that are super.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.