New Releases - July 2025!

Once again, time and the summer heat have nearly gotten the best of me, but I've been able to squeeze in time for some modern releases!  I've got a bit of everything this time, as I'm trying to catch up with what's come out this year (I'm so far behind!).  In any case, here's what I've been jamming out to lately!

Robin McAuley - Soulbound

This guy certainly has something going with Frontiers Records, this being his third album in five years.  (And that doesn't include all the other projects he's doing, like Black Swan!)  I enjoyed the first one a lot, but was underwhelmed with the second album, and this new one seems to fall in between.

The album starts off pretty rough, as the first few tracks feel oddly stiff.  There's some interesting riffs, but nothing feels particularly alive.  Then, in the middle, there's suddenly a shift and they pick up some Whitesnake-style energy with "Crazy," "Let It Go," and "Wonder of the World."  At that point, it's like the album loosens up, and they start having fun.  The rest of the tracks are some decent AOR, but not as strong as those songs in the middle.  "Wonder of the World" is easily the highlight of the album.  Still, it was an interesting journey, and maybe this album will grow on me with more listens, but overall, it's a bit off-kilter.  It's always hard to know how these label-driven projects can turn out after a couple of albums, but at least Robin has a place to really let his voice soar, as it's aging pretty dang well.

Brainstorm - Plague of Rats

After enjoying their last album so much that it squeezed into my Top 5 for that year, I figured I should keep my eye on them for what they do next after the solid Wall of Skulls.  While they do have a new bassist for this one, it's pretty much business as usual as they pound out another enjoyable slab of heavy/power metal.

Based on the album cover, one would expect songs based on the Hindu religion and its lore, and there are a few songs that do that, but this is not a concept album.  As things go on, the songs shift to other themes, like darkness, redemption, and memories.  Still, the handful of songs that do have that Indian theme are interesting, featuring some folky instruments and melodies.  Otherwise, the band sticks to what they do best, which is crunchy riffs from Milan Loncaric and Torsten Ihlenfeld, pounding rhythms from Dieter Bernert, and the gritty, soaring vocals of Andy B. Franck.  

Overall, it's another pretty solid album, though I do think the standout tracks are the faster ones, like "Beyond Enemy Lines," "False Memories," and "Masquerade Conspiracy."  The Indian themes provide a bit of an interesting twist, but it feels underused, as the band gets back to business as usual as the album progresses.  I don't know if this is quite as good as Wall of Skulls, but the consistent quality of Plague of Rats might help it squeeze into my Top 5 once again.  We'll see when I get to that at the end of the year.

IQ - Dominion

After enjoying a handful of their albums, I figured I should check out their latest in melancholic prog.  With the same lineup they've had for the past 14 years, IQ have provided another introspective suite of synth-heavy rock with tons of spacey ambience.

Things start off big with a 22-minute epic titled "The Unknown Door."  It starts off rather somber, with some symphonic elements that add a cinematic tone to things.  However, once the song reaches Part 2, the band really gets going with some interesting transitions between the somber and upbeat sections.  After that, the rest of the album generally maintains the synth-driven sound.  "One of Us" is really the only track without any dynamics, probably because it's so short (relatively speaking).  It's a nice piece of folky introspection before the rest of the album carries the listener on a journey.  While I don't think this is a concept album, the lyrics generally focus on abstract concepts, like dreams, fate, ambition, companionship, choices, and consequences.  I admit the lyrics were a little harder to follow on this one, but they never felt out of place with the music, which the band plays with confidence.

This one is going to take a few listens before I can decide how I really feel about it.  There isn't as much rock as I've heard on previous albums, focusing instead on a lot of synthy atmosphere, and such albums need time to really soak into them.  While I like most of what I heard, with "Far From Here" being the standout, I did wonder if the synths dominated the mix a little too much, giving the songs a bit of a post-rock vibe.  Still, it's definitely more IQ, and their iconic introspective sound continues to drift between low and high energy with ease, perhaps with a softer touch this time around.

Last Played - May 2023!

Does anyone else get bad allergies this time of year?  I feel like they've been rocking my sinuses this spring, more so than usual.  Still, I've been able to power through and get some new albums listened and reviewed.  Between the rock and metal, both fast and slow, here's what I've been listening to lately!

Journey - Departure

Journey is another one of their bands where I've loved the radio singles but haven't done much with their albums.  I have listened to their early jazz-fusion stuff, and I reviewed Evolution a few years ago, but otherwise I haven't checked out any of their 80s albums, even for the anniversary articles.  However, after doing so much metal last month, I was in the mood for some classic melodic rock, and figured reviewing this would be a nice change of pace.  Right off, we have "Any Way You Want It" as the opener, and this is classic arena rock.  Starting from that iconic beginning with the vocal harmonies, the song goes straight into huge melodies and chords, and has ingrained itself in the minds of rock fans for decades since.

However, the album starts to go a bit sideways from there.  "Walks Like a Lady" is this strange, chilled blues song that never gets beyond setting a little groove for Neal Schon to solo over.  Then it goes into some very curious songs that get a little proggy.  I actually thought of 80s Rush when I heard them, but I wonder if that has more to do with the production than the songwriting.  Still, they're very curious pieces, with "Precious Time" being the strongest, as it has some interesting dynamics, ultimately ending on a decent little jam.  After that, the album becomes rather inconsistent.  "Where Were You" and "Line of Fire" are cute little rockers, but between them is a few ballads that don't feel very complete.  "Good Morning Girl" and "Stay Awhile" in particular feel like halves of songs missing more development.  Then the album ends with a very Led Zeppelin inspired rocker, with a decent riff and some solid grooves.

So, despite such a promising start, the album is a bit of a wash.  It's a shame, too, as there are some good performances.  While Steve Perry's lower register can be a bit of a mixed bag, when he needs to hit the high notes, he's great.  Neal Schon also puts in some solid soloing, and finds plenty of gaps to throw in a lick or two.  And while this would be the last studio album with keyboardist Gregg Rolie, his keys and hammonds do give the band a massive sound (along with some orchestrations). Unfortunately, it's the songwriting that really holds this album back from being as great as it could be, leaving most of the songs (outside the big hit) as a novelty at best.

Robin McAuley - Alive

Going from one rock legend to another, Robin McAuley and Frontiers Records have put together another solo album full of 80s-style rockers.  While I enjoyed the first album quite a bit, this one does make a shift into darker, grittier territory, but the shift makes Alive feel pretty tedious, overall.

Don't get me wrong; it's still a solid collection of anthemic rock songs.  As is the case with AOR these days, the production is spot on, the guitar leads and solos are melodic, and Robin sounds good.  However, I do think the guitars got some extra crunch to them, and the riffs get a little chuggier here.  While on its own, that's not really a bad thing, somehow, it makes this album feel a little monotonous.  It's nice while it's on, but most of this stuff just passes in one ear and out the other.  The only real standouts are the title track, which is a decent anthemic opener, and "The Endless Mile," which has some nice noodling on the chorus.  Maybe I'm just nit-picking, but the first album stood on its own better, and felt more majestic, while this one settles into some pretty average melodic rock that isn't as alive as its title would imply.

Candlemass - Ancient Dreams

It might seem weird going from anthemic rock to epic doom, but I really don't give doom metal enough time on this blog, as I really do like it, and Candlemass is one of the best at it.  This time, I've checked out their third album Ancient Dreams, which carries over most of the same lineup from Nightfall, which I reviewed three years ago.  Once again, they've provided a thick, heavy album full of grimness and despair.

The album starts of well with "Mirror Mirror," featuring some double-kicking bass drums, noodly doom riffing, and Messiah Marcolin soaring over everything.  The epicness is at max level, and it carries through the next few songs.  "A Cry from the Crypt" has a nice 6/8 gallop, "Darkness in Paradise" features a solid chorus and very interesting shift into a chuggy section in the second half, and "Incarnation of Evil" just has great atmosphere.  Unfortunately, the second half isn't as strong.  Sure, the doom carries on, but the songwriting gets a little underwhelming.  The lyrics on "Bearer of Pain" are a little clunky, the title track just drones on this melody and doesn't seem to go anywhere, and "The Bells of Acheron" is an interesting idea, but the groovy riff doesn't feel like Candlemass.  Their cover of Carl Michael Bellman's "Epistle 81" is also rather drab.  Maybe it's meaningful to these Swedes, but it doesn't do much for me.  At least the album ends with a decent medley of Black Sabbath classics.

Still, as I'm going through these early albums, I can hear them getting closer and closer to the amazing sound that's on Tales of Creation.  I don't know if I'll review that one for the blog, as I've heard it many times, but it's pretty much the pinnacle of classic epic doom metal.  As for Ancient Dreams, there's some solid stuff here, and I'm sure I'll come back to those first four songs, but your mileage may vary on the rest.

Kamelot - The Awakening

Finally!  After catching up on all the Karevik albums, we reach the latest opus that Kamelto has to provide.  Once again, the mainstays have returned, but with new drummer, Alex Landenburg, they seem to have brought back even more of the classic power metal sound that I've been missing.  If I thought The Shadow Theory was a comeback, this one is even more so!

Once again, they seem to be channeling sound that mixes The Black Halo and Ghost Opera.  After the symphonic intro track, the band just jumps right in with "The Great Divide"!  Full of epicness and double-kicking bass drum energy, it's a solid start to a solid album.  Much of this power metal energy comes back for "Opus of the Night" (a sequel to the track "Ghost Opera"), "Bloodmoon," "Nightsky," and "The Looking Glass."  Even the chunky, symphonic tracks keep the energy high, as "One More Flag in the Ground" and "My Pantheon" are pretty epic.  Of course, there's a few ballad's for Tommy to croon through, but the lush orchestrations give them a great theatrical feel.  It really does feel like they've successfully blended their classic power metal style with the newer symphonic metal style they've had for the past handful of albums.

However, it's not quite perfect.  "Eventide" is a little underwhelming, "Nightsky" and "Looking Glass" sound a little too similar, and "New Babylon" tries to go for this Rhapsody of Fire level of bombast, but the song structure is a little disorganized, despite the epic choir singing.  Also, while they are nice, the symphonic intro and outro do feel a little pointless.  Still, these are not major flaws for what is probably the best album of the Karevik era.  I was hoping this would be an excellent album of symphonic power metal, and I'm glad to say my anticipation has been rewarded here.  Between this, Twilight Force and Lovebites, figuring out my Top 5 for this year is going to be difficult!

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While I'm glad to have finally caught up with Kamelot (and discovered they still had some chops), looking ahead, I feel like things are going to get very busy for me!  There's already quite a stack of new releases I need to check out, and I'm also learning that my Anniversary Articles might be leaner than I was expecting!  Plus, there's another surprise that I've been slowly working on.  I had hoped that I'd get it out sooner, but it hasn't come together quite yet.  In any case, there's a lot to look forward to, if I can just get to it all!  Until then, rock on! \m/

Last Played - June 2021!

Well, the heat only seems to have gotten worse.  I feel like this will be a long summer.  A good time to be indoors and listening to some new rock and metal.  Here's what I've been checking out lately!

Nickelback - Curb

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I do think Nickelback have become over-hated.  They’ve always had a pretty solid, crunchy hard rock sound, in my opinion, and I decided to give their very first album a listen.  While it’s not bad, it’s very much a product of its 1996 release date.

Some things are pretty familiar, such as the thick guitar tones and Chad Kroeger yarling through it all (which I've never minded), but their sound and songwriting haven’t quite developed into their own style yet, certainly leaning into the now-classic Seattle Sound.  Pearl Jam is probably the largest influence, though there are a few moments that make me think of early Foo Fighters as well, and a few tracks lean more into punk rock.  It’s certainly a blend of alternative rock styles from the mid-90s.

There are some good riffs and interesting moments here and there, but not much really stood out.  Some of it is dark and moody, other times it’s more jumpy and energetic, so it's a bit of a messy album, but at least it’s not the same ideas over and over.  It's was fun to hear how the band started early on, with their influences shining through, but as an album, it’s just kinda okay.

Robin McAuley - Standing on the Edge

Robin McAuley is one of those journeymen who wandered through many bands in the 80s, making a name for himself, but never really settling with a single band, and he’s continued that pattern in recent years.  After reconnecting with Michael Schenker for a few albums, then joining Black Swan, he has followed up with his first solo album in more than 20 years.

Unsurprisingly, it’s largely mid-tempo rock songs reminiscent of his time as part of the McAuley-Schenker group in the late 80s.  The riffs are actually pretty chunky, and the synths and organs add some nice layers, all of which work to provide the ideal backdrop for McAuley’s vocals.  Honestly, he sounds great here, his voice giving authority to what might be some pretty standard lyrics.  None of it is awful, just kinda pedestrian, but when they’re sung by someone this good, it’s hard to complain.  It’s almost like he hasn’t aged at all!

The album is pretty by-the-numbers, but that’s to be expected with something like this.  The tracks that stood out to me were the ones I’ve featured before on the New Vidoes articles on this blog: “Thy Will Be Done” (which is a solid opener), “Standing on the Edge,” “Say Goodbye,” and “Wanna Take a Ride” remain good rockers, with “Chosen Few” being rather punchy, kinda like AC/DC, and "Running Out of Time" being a nice, uptempo closer.  A little heavier than most AOR, but as an album, it flows pretty well, and proves that Robin still has it, making for a pretty good listen.

Paladine - Finding Solace

When I came across this band earlier in the year, I figured, as they only have two albums, I'd start with their first one.  It's a bit of a rough listen, as the production has some quirks, but otherwise, it's a solid, if clunky, collection of power metal.

These guys really like their DragonLance lore, as all their songs are drawn from that D&D universe.  I'm only a bit familiar with it, having read the Chronicles trilogy when I was in high school, but it works as a sufficient core to build epic songs around, even if the lyrics don't don't always gel.  Sonically, they sound very much in the heavy/power realm, much like early Dream Evil, Metalium, or Warrior Path, with a dash of Iron Maiden for good measure.  However, it does have some first album drawbacks.  The songs are probably too long for what they are, and the drums sound a bit too forward in the mix and very clicky.

Still, these are minor problems.  Nick Protonotarios is a good vocalist, mostly going for a gritty epicness, not unlike Herbie Langhans or Henning Basse, and there is plenty of solid guitar work and solos.  They also have a folky acoustic ballad or two to mix things up a little.  However, the only tracks that stood out were "Master of Present & Past," and "Metalizer," which has a strong Firepower-era Judas Priest vibe.  Still, they show plenty of promise, and I'll be sure to listen to their second album later this year!

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I don't really have much to add this time around.  I pretty much intend to just keep going, doing my semi-regular articles, listening to more music, and not let the heat of summer get the best of me.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

New Videos - May 2021 Part Two!

I admit I'm not a fan of summer, and as the weather starts to warm up, I'm dreading the inevitable heat.  Perhaps some rock and metal will distract me from it!  Here, we have a good mix of genres as well as classic bands and some new ones I've never heard of.  Turn it up!

It's always nice to see good bands still going, and Night Ranger is one of them.  There's nothing particularly new here, as it's classic, 80s-style pop metal with synths to add some extra layers, but it's energetic and well done, with the modern production adding some nice heft to the guitars.

I'm definitely excited for Helloween's next album, and this video really amplifies that.  Nice use of dynamics, between the acoustic guitars, the noodly solos, the double-kicking bass drums, and the great harmonies on the chorus, this is some charged-up power metal from the band that invented the genre!

I guess these guys have been kicking around Norway for a while, but this is the first I've heard of them.  New singer Jørgen Bergersen has got some good vocals, augmented by some solid, mid-tempo rocking.  This has an interesting mix of pop metal with some prog-style layering, making them sound like Winger or Europe.

Yup, some more from Robin.  This one is a little heavier and crunchier, but with the dramatic keyboards and McAuley's vocals, it makes for an anthemic rocker.  I think I've shared every single from this album now.  I should probably give the rest of the album a listen!

It amazes me how many new power metal bands are starting up.  Vandor is a new one for me from Sweden, and they seem to have a good mix of Gamma Ray and Sonata Arctica.  Uptempo stuff that doesn't just rely on guitars, but keeps things rich with keys and other layering.  I will definitely be keeping an eye on this one!

I actually like thrash metal quite a bit, but most of it is outside the scope of this blog.  As for this band, I've known about them, but haven't listened to much.  Here, though, we have a great piece of melodic thrash.  The vocals are huge and the riffs are catchy, making this feel more like traditional metal, and it really works well!

New Videos - May 2021!

There are times where I begin to wonder if I will ever see the bottom of my "to listen to later" pile of stuff.  Classic bands and artists keep right on going, while new ones crop up all the time!  And a lot of it is really good!  A good problem to have I suppose, but I should stop complaining and let you check out what I've found lately, as it's quite a mix of things.

Yes, more Sabaton!  This time, it's actually an English cover of a song originally in Russian by a band they've worked with before named Radio Topek.  Still, it has Sabaton's iconic, stompy style of power metal, so they've definitely given it their own spin, whatever the original may have sounded like.

Now here's a bolt out of the blue.  Tommy Clufetos has been drumming for various classic rock bands (most notably the end of Black Sabbath's last reunion), but now has his own outfit.  The song feels like a high-energy mishmash of all kinds of 70s rock and metal.  I feel like I'm hearing Sabbath, Motorhead, and Molly Hatchet all at once!  A lot of fun!

Back to the power metal!  Actually, this one is different the last Sonic Haven track, as it's more of a mid-tempo track with some symphonic touches to up the epicness.  Pretty catchy, with a nice melodic solo.

This is definitely on the softer side of things, but I can't deny that Robin's vocals really make this work.  I think I've posted every single from this album, so I guess I better find time to listen to the whole thing.  Nice, anthemic soft rock that still has some good energy to it.

Another throwback to the 70s, this band, coming from Sweden, sounds like a southern-fried Fleetwood Mac, with a dash of Thin Lizzy.  It's not intense, but more easy-going, but still has a lot of groove and melody.  Rather unique, I think.

A new single from Styx!!  This is the title track for their upcoming album, and despite being under 4 minutes, it really goes all over the place!  Hammond solos, layered vocals, shifts in tone.  The last section gives me big Queen vibes, actually.  Makes me curious about the rest of this album, so I suppose the single did its job!

New Videos - April 2021!

I'm starting to catch up on newer releases again, and it's definitely thanks in part to these video articles.  I love finding out new bands or classic bands putting out new material.  This one is a little heavy on the power metal, but I found some great stuff and had to share it!

Let's start with something nice and crunchy!!  Warrior Path straddle the line between traditional heavy metal and power metal, making for something that's epic, but still very grounded.  This song also features a lot of catchy little riffs, kinda making me think of early HammerFall or Dream Evil.

I'll admit my feelings about Greta Van Fleet are complicated (in fact, I'm working on an article dedicated to my thoughts on their music), but I want to wait to the new album first before publish that.  In the meantime, while other singles have left me lukewarm, this one builds quite nicely, actually.  Here's hoping their new album has more solid material like this.

More epic power metal, again like old Dream Evil or Edguy.  However, the fact that all their songs are based on the D&D setting of Dragonlance is what stood out to me, as I remember enjoying those books when I was in high school.  Melodic and crunchy, with great vocals from Nick "The Metalizer" Protonotarios.

Another single from this upcoming Robin McAuley solo album.  This one is more at ease, going for a middling tempo, but still has a decent crunch on top of the acoustic guitars.  It's pretty standard AOR, but Robin's vocals really kick it up a notch, I think.

This just kinda popped up on my YouTube subscriptions, and I didn't know what to expect at first.  However, as I put it on, I was surprised to hear power metal in the vein of classic HammerFall.  Chunky, with a foot in traditional metal, and gang vocals on the chorus, this is some epic stuff!  Hammerschlag indeed!

After touring with their 3 vocalists/3 guitarists lineup for a few years, we finally get to hear some of the new stuff they've been cooking up, and it's pretty classic Helloween.  A bit odd to have a 7 minute "single edit" of a 12 minute epic, but it's fun and a bit proggy, with the calmer, "Space Oddity" moments between all the blast beats.  I'm definitely excited for this album, and this song only makes the wait harder!

New Videos - March 2021!

Well, now that we have our new look, let's get into some more videos!  Got a nice mix of rock and metal again, all of which have me pretty excited to hear all these new albums.  Rock and metal definitely don't slow down!

I mostly know Myles Kennedy from his work in Alter Bridge, but it sounds like his solo stuff is just as solid.  A rather bluesy hard rock song, it's got a lot of kick and crunch to it that I like.  Also, I enjoyed the fun, paper-craft visuals.  Neat video!

No visuals on this other than cover art, but it's their next single in anticipation for their new album.  Much more poppy and mid-tempo, it's not as dense as their other songs, but that may make it a nice breather on the album.  In the meantime, it works as a nice piece of anthemic metal.

Third single, third time I've shared them here!  I have to say, these guys really do have some great prog metal chops.  Percussive riffs with epic melodic sections.  This one feels particularly like Symphony X, but that's a compliment as far as I'm concerned.  I need to get to this album soon!

The Dust Coda are back with another one, and again, I can't deny their hard rocking groove!  I don't know how they do it, but each song they've put out in the last few months has been solid stuff, with catchy riffs and great vocals.  These guys are doing hard rock right!

After doing stuff with Michael Schenker again, and doing Black Swans last year, it sounds like he's bringing his iconic vocals to a new solo album!  Honestly, it's classic 80s rock with an anthemic vibe, buoyed by McAuley's pipes, which really ring out on this one.  

After recording one of the best albums last year, Lovebites is back with a quick EP (and an anime opening).  While we still get the epic, sweeping power metal, this one really has some strong symphonic elements, which they featured on a few songs on Electric Pentagram.  Still, it makes for some great stuff, so it goes on the list!

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!!