Alright. Time to get back into it! After a quiet-ish January, I'm ready to start checking out some new stuff again. I've got a good mix of rock and metal this time, so turn them up!
So Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood, and Jay Schellen of the current Yes lineup decided to start their own side project during all the lockdown, grabbing Jimmy Haun (who has done studio guitar work on previous Yes albums) and keyboardist Dave Kerzner, best known for Sound of Contact and In Continuum, resulting in a curious mix of prog and AOR. Their first single was rather mediocre, but this is stronger material. I can also hear Billy's iconic production on things, so I'm quite optimistic for this.
And Evergrey is back with their emotionally driven prog metal. I like the little touches on this one, like the symphonic keys in the background. Also a solid solo. One of these days, I'll get into this band more, but until then, here's their latest single.
I can't believe I still haven't gotten around to these guys. They're having a bit of a shake-up in their lineup, but if they keep making consistent power metal, I'll still be interested. I'll admit this song might be a bit on the generic side, but it works as a foundation for Giada's great vocals, which is definitely the star for this piece.
Hey, another one from these guys! This one might be better than the last one of theirs I shared. It seems to have all the 80s metal cliches, from anthemic parts to chunky riffs to gritty thrashing, and everything in between. Just gritty enough to make you think it's 1982 again, and I wasn't even alive back then!
Another returning artists! Simulacrum really do have my attention. Soaring vocals over some very technical riffing and drumming. Like DGM and Symphony X, but about 20% more complex and chunky. I'm definitely looking forward to their new album.
Let's end on some epic, cheesy power metal. Bloodbound is probably a band that runs under the radar a little, compared to the bigger names in the genre, but they do have a solid grasp on the fundamentals and let them ring. Anthemic choruses, melodic riffs, soaring vocals, they have it down and this track is just another example of their expertise.
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