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 - February 2021!

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.

New Videos - December 2020!

I'm still trying to wrap up videos for this year, and I've got quite the variety here for you.  We're starting to see some previews of what next year will be like, and it seems as promising as ever, with plenty of rock and metal to look forward to.  

I clearly need to get on this album, as I think I've liked every video they've put out for it.  This is definitely the band on their proggier side, with shifts in tempo and mood throughout, with shades of their classic 70s sound.  Kansas has really turned into an interesting and curious band, recently.

W.E.T. is another one of those supergroups that Frontiers Records like to put together, this one being from multiple AOR groups.  I've featured them before, but now that they've got a new album coming, I'll have to check them out more fully.  This is an interesting track, with heavy riffs and a lighter chorus, but solid enough all around for my tastes.

As always, I'm a sucker for epic power metal, and this band has caught my attention.  Sitting somewhere between Gamma Ray's lighting speed riffing and Stratovarius' symphonic keyboards, this some excellent metal right here.  Another band to add to my ever-growing list of music to catch up on.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this, actually.  Technical melodic progressive metal with two lead vocalists and an aesthetic borrowing from 80s gritty sci-fi films.  Epic, yet visceral, with lots of jarring time-signature changes.  At the very least, they're on my radar now, and I'll have to check out more!

So here's a project centering around Joel Hoekstra, who has been a guitarist for Whitesnake and TSO (among others).  While the song is decent hard rock, it has quite the lineup, with Russell Allen on vocals, Vinny Appice on drums, Derek Sherinian on keys, and Tony Franklin on bass.  I'm definitely curious to see what else these guys have for 2021.

So they did another silly music video of them playing in their car.  I like their little flag.  As for the song, it's another one of those metal anthems, along the lines of Judas Priest or Saxon.  Still, Piet Sielck sings it with authority, and the riffs are solid, so I can't deny that it works.  Raise the flag, indeed!