Iron Maiden-Book of Souls  ©2015 Iron Maiden LLP
​I was very pleased when the announcement for 'Book of Souls' was made. After Dickinson's battle with illness and the uncertainty that it brought, it was good to hear the band was ready to move forward once again. The version I am referring to in this review is the hardback book. This was very well done. Musically, it's good, but did take me a few listens to fully digest, especially the second disc. At the core, this is Iron Maiden. It sounds a bit more progressive to me and may not appeal to some, but overall I think fans will be happy with this album. Seems to be selling really well as well.
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The Unravelling-Tear a Hole in the Collective Vision   ©2015 Unravelling Music 
​So The Unravelling have a lot to say. After a hiatus and Steve Moore's battle with cancer, the band return for their second album 'Tear a Hole in the Collective Vision'. I am a bit of an old school rocker and have listened to plenty of Industrial music through the years. This album in sound reminded me of a mix of early Warrior Soul mixed with maybe Filter or Nine Inch Nails. It's definitely a very atmospheric and in many ways dark sounding album. It works pretty well overall and will definitely appeal to fans of the Industrial genre. If you don't mind it a bit dark sounding, this one is decent!
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Vermillion Road-Palaces  ©2015 Vermillion Road
​Good record from this Denver based band. Musically it feels modern, but does have a bit of old school fused in. The melodic nature of the music makes it appealing and overall very catchy and memorable. Good songs worked in years past and they work equally well today. This band excels in writing good songs. You could pick out any number of songs from this album and take then to radio. Some of the songs have a bit more punch, but the band never really loses that melodic core that makes this record work so well. I hear they are very good live as well. Definitely check them out.
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Black Tide-Chasing Shadows   ©2015 Pavement Music
​I caught this bands first album on a new artist rack years ago. For their age, they sounded really good. 'Chasing Shadows' shows very good growth. The album sounds confident and the songs are good. In some ways I would think the Avenged Sevenfold crowd would be pretty comfortable with Black Tide's music. There are definite similarities as the band seems to grab influences from more modern sounds, but at the same time has some old school in there as well. The music overall packs a good punch and is easy to get into. If you haven't checked this band out, you may want to. 
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Innfight-Boulevard of Pain   ©2015 Innfight Music/Cargo Records
​Been liking bands that write the way Innfight does increasingly more. Really thick crunchy guitar riffs mixed with a nice atmospheric element. It all mixes well together and becomes memorable fairly quick. It was interesting to see Rolf Munkes involvement in mixing and producing. We have covered Munkes in the past. The results overall are very good. I had never heard of this band and had no idea what to expect. Came away pretty happy after just one listen, and there will be more for sure. If you like a good quality more modern sounding metal band, these guys are really good. Recommended!
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