Top 5 Albums of 2019!

Sorry that this took so much time to come out.  I wanted to spend some time relistening to some albums to really determine where they fit.  I admit I didn't listen to as many albums last year as I wanted to, but I figured I had enough to put together a decent Top 5.

Anyways, that's enough excuses!  Let's get started!

5. Crazy Lixx - Forever Wild

Call it a token entry for the retro style, but I can't deny that this really is pure 80s fun.  Taking what made bands like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue so big and giving it their own spin, this is an album full of anthemic rockers that have plenty of energy.

4. Darkwater - Human

Full of atmosphere and proggy chops, this one really stood out as being very different.  Henrik Båth gives his all to these songs in a way that really reminds me of Roy Khan, and the rest of the band supports him with a wall of sound that's just massive.  Solid, symphonic prog metal.

3. Iron Savior - Kill or Be Killed

No real surprise to see this here.  Classic power metal always get my attention, and Iron Savior have deliver a top-notch album with this one.  While it doesn't really do anything new, it does lay on the epicness thick and does it well.  Full of anthemic choruses and massive riffs, it's a blast from start to finish!

2. Paragon - Controlled Demolition

I'm actually rather surprised this one made it to the list.  While I liked the videos they released, and felt the album was solid after the first listen, I didn't expect this one to grow on me so much.  Just chock-full of great riffs and epic vocals, it's gritty, old-school heavy/power metal that really grabs the ear and doesn't let go!

1. Monkey3 - Sphere

And yet, despite all the metal, this is the album that really blew me away.  Monkey3's unique blend of psychedelic, stoner, and post-rock elements create a wall of sound that feels liberating and yet emotional, and full of moments where the band just gets to jam for a bit.  A complete album, solid from top to bottom, with all kinds of highs and lows, this was my favorite album I heard all year.

---

Now, this list is by no means final.  As I said, I didn't listen to everything I want to last year.  I'd recommend keeping an eye on my "Best of 2019" Spotify playlist, as I'll continue to add songs to it.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to another great year of rock and metal, and I've got some interesting ideas for articles coming soon!  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Videos - January 2020 Part Three!

So between catching up on videos and keeping an eye on the new stuff made filling out another article pretty dang easy!  But when there is so much good stuff to share, I can't hold back!  Check these ones out!

Well this is something!  George Lynch has teamed up with this singer named Dino Jelusick who seems to sound like a cross between Coverdale and Dio.  The song itself has a very 70s metal vibe, like Rainbow, the slow chugging giving Lynch plenty of time to get his licks in, Blackmore-style.

Human Fortress is a power metal band I had never heard of, but this certainly shows promise!  This song just thunders through, and the riffs have a heavier, grittier feel that keeps it grounded.  The solo is a little underwhelming, but otherwise a pretty fun song!

Pretty Maids is an old-school metal band that never really made it big in the US, but was influential in Europe.  Here, they're treading into AOR territory with a solid, romantic rock song.  Ronnie Atkins' voice remains powerful, so here's hoping he'll recover from his lung cancer so he can keep singing!

It's official: this Nightwish/Sonata Arctica hybrid is just blowing my mind!  I need to go back and listen to their albums, I guess, because this kind of epic power metal is checking all the boxes for me.  Loving it!

Zak Stevens of Circle II Circle and Savatage has come forward with a new project keen on carrying on his heritage of progressive/US power metal.  The song is big, but not heavy, keeping things light and free.  Definitely curious about where he'll go with this.

Wow, have some epic melodic rock!  I don't know if I've ever heard an AOR song sound this huge!  I admit I haven't heard of H.E.A.T. before, but I know they've hit the middle of my radar with this one!  Incredible track!!  (Also, I just realized that I have two songs in a row titled "Rise," but who cares!  They're both great!)

New Videos - January 2020 Part Two!

Going through some new videos, I found a bunch more I wanted to share, so this article came together quicker than I anticipated!!  A lot of retro stuff here, so kick back and get nostalgic!!

Robin McAuley is no stranger to good hard rock, and here we see him with a few other big rockers to give us a wall of sound like it's still the late-80s!  Robin really shines on this one, so if you're wondering where he's headed now, this isn't a bad direction to go!

Motorhead may be done as a band, but their influence is eternal, and Pain City are here to carry the torch.  While they may not be alone, it's still a fun style, and these guys rock it pretty well.

More AOR!  This one is huge, with great synths and massive guitar riffs.  With vocals from Dennis Ward, this is quality melodic rock with a solid crunch!

Serenity is a band I've stumbled across a number of times, but I really should spend more time with them.  Their symphonic power metal style has strong Kamelot vibes, and even the dash of harsh vocals only adds to the epicness on display here.

W.E.T. once again finds its way onto the blog, bringing another great hard rock banger!  Full of crunch and bolstered by Jeff Scott Soto's voice, this one is a definite must-listen track!!

Allen/Lande was a unique combination that resulting in some very solid metal.  Here, frontier records wants to make that same magic happen, this time teaming Russell Allen up with Anette Olzon, and they've succeeded!  Can't go wrong with epic metal featuring huge vocals!!

New Videos - January 2020!

Ever since I started doing these articles, I've been blown away by how much that gets released!  I'm still catching up on stuff from 2019 while keeping an eye on what's new.  Here's what I've come across lately!

Amberian Dawn has a long tradition of symphonic power metal, but with this track, it seems they've joined other bands in the synth metal wave.  It's pretty good, but I do wonder if maybe too many bands are trying to go in this direction now.

Meanwhile, Brothers of Metal keep chugging ahead with their Norse-drenched metal.  This one seems to venture closer to mid-tempo power metal, but it remains just as epic and cheesy as you would expect from a band like this.  Manowar would be proud!

So this is a team up of former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon and Jani Liimatainen, known for his work with Sonata Arctica and Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius, and frankly, those three bands some up what The Dark Element is up to: Symphonic Power Metal of the highest order, and it's great!

Queensryche keeps the videos coming with their brand of melodic prog metal.  Not a lot of surprises considering the band, but I think it's a pretty solid song.

Here's some more prog metal from the supergroup Sons of Apollo.  This one hits nice and heavy as a tribute to a lost friend, complete with an impressive, noodly synth solo!

Growing up in the US, Magnum isn't a band name that comes up, but I've since become aware Bob Catley due to his appearances on Avantasia albums.  However, this new album looks like a great way to get onboard, as this song is great hard rock!

Best of 2019 Spotify Playlist!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to share a quick post, sharing a Spotify playlist I had been working on throughout last year.  It's meant to be a compilation of all the songs that really stood out to me, either from videos or albums I listened to.

Of course, I didn't listen to everything, so I'll still be adding stuff to this list whenever I catch up on something, but I figured I'd share it.  It's a little all over the place, but it works as a nice recap of the last year, which has been quite fun.

Anyways, check it out and rock on!  \m/