W.A.S.P.-Golgotha  ©2015 Napalm Records
​We don't get as much music from this band as we used to, but what we are getting is pretty good. 'Golgotha' may not take you back to the early era totally, but it does offer up some memorable atmospheric moments. The album is a mixture of rockers and more moody sounding melodic stuff. In sound, it feels like the more melodic stuff may lean a bit towards the sound of classic songs like 'Sleeping (in the Fire) more than maybe 'Forever Free'. Overall, I think there is still a decent amount of fans of the band out there and most should be pretty happy with the album.
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Wild Frontier-Alive 25    ©2015 Prime Entertainment 
​Time flies. It's amazing that the band celebrated their 25th anniversary with a great concert with a decent set list. In particular we are looking at the audio portion of the package although there is a DVD of the show available as well. The band for those who don't know plays melodic hard rock and bring good energy and confidence to the live show as displayed in this package. We have looked at previous studio albums from the band and some of their good tracks from those albums are included in the set. If you like live music, this is a pretty decent offering and celebration of their career.
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Children of Bodom-I Worship Chaos  ©2015 Nuclear Blast Records
​This band brings a ton of energy. As aggressive as they are, don't confuse them as a metalcore band or music like that. This band has their own vibe going which includes solid metal music mixed with fairly aggressive vocals. The band have been churning out decent albums for quite awhile now. There is always an element to the music that leans toward a more traditional power metal sound which to me is the differentiating factor. Some bonus covers here as well. Interesting choices I might add. 'Danger Zone' by Kenny Loggins, 'Mistress of Taboo' by The Plasmatics, and 'Dark Winter Day' by Amorphis.
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Sergeant Steel-Riders of the Worm   ©2015 Boyz Tyme Records
​When it comes to making melodic hard rock, Austria's Sergeant Steel. Get it. This band would fit right in with the late 80's bands. Great memorable sing a long style hard rock stuff with a huge amount of melody. With the current scene all over the globe and the number of different sounds out there and genres everyone is trying to fit into, it's a pleasant surprise to be able to pick something up that just feels like it belongs in that great era of hard rock. In my opinion, this band would have made a lot of noise in the domestic scene back in the day. Great album start to finish with very catchy hard rock sounds!
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Amorphis-Under the Red Cloud   ©2015 Nuclear Blast Records
​Had not checked into what Amorphis was doing recently, but sure as hell glad I did. I'll throw out that I'm not really a huge fan of growling as they call it. Every now and then something comes along that is so damn good and complete that I tend to not be as bothered by growling. This album is that kind of album. Could possibly be one of the best albums of the year. Musically and from a songwriting standpoint, this album is off the charts. The vocalist does sing as well as growl and his voice is quite good. 'Death of a King' could easily be my favorite track of the year. Absolutely with a doubt recommended!
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