Iron Savior-Titancraft ©2016 AFM Records
Pretty solid album once again from Iron Savior. The thing most fans will already know about this band is they are very consistent in terms of the way they write their music, their tempo, and the fact that you pretty much know what you are going to get each time. 'Titancraft' has great melody throughout and as usual, has those power metal tempos favored by other band such as Primal Fear and bands of that nature. Overall, this is a good record and will have decent appeal to fans of the band and of the genre in particular. Always love the themes and artwork, and this one is no exception!
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Soto-Divak ©2015 Edel Germany
Jeff Scott Soto has been one of my favorite singers for a very long time, so I tend to keep track of what he is up to. His latest release under the name Soto continues the trend of the previous record offering up some catchy melodic music with a driving edge to it as well. The tone of the album is a mix of modern and your more mainstream hard rock. The music sticks with you on such tracks as the catchy 'Freakshow' or the more melodic and soulful 'In My Darkest Hour'. The album overall is an easy recommend to melodic rock fans and definitely fans of Jeff Scott Soto. Very smooth listen!
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Mob Rules-Tales From Beyond ©2016 Steamhammer Records
Upon spinning the latest from Mob Rules for the first time, I was almost mistaken that it was Iron Maiden. Very similar in the tone and sound of the opener. The album steers to the bands sound from here on and provides some solid power metal. What I have always liked about Mob Rules is their ability to keep it fresh. I have always felt that Mob Rules was underrated and this album just reinforces this observation. The music has a very confident and veteran feel to it as showcased by the three part title track. Good bonus track 'Outer Space' is offered on versions of the album. Good job once again!
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Filter-Crazy Eyes ©2016 Wind-Up Records
I didn't even realize that this was coming until it was about a week out. Filter has been writing and delivering their music in a certain way for the last few albums. This album changes that up a bit. In ways it reminds me of the earlier part of their career, the first album in particular. It isn't a pure return to that sound but seems to be more oriented to a much less mainstream approach. It works well this go around. You get a bit of what the band has been doing recently, but it's mixed into that more moody sound. I found the record quite entertaining and in a lot of ways very refreshing!
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Green Death-Manufacturing Evil ©2016 EMP Label Group
Very cool old school oriented Thrash record here. Great songs abound and delivery is very good start to finish. What sets this band apart from other more current bands is the vocal work. Overall the band adopts a more old school sound vocally with only minor growls here and there. To me this band would fit well somewhere between Testament and Slayer. Maybe to a point you could make a case toward Evile. Definitely a bangin' record that offers a great listen. I'm hoping that the band garner much more attention as these guys need to be on a much bigger radar. Don't miss this one!
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