Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Jorn, Serenity Broken, A Life Divided, Revolution Saints, and Passion

Index

Part two of Jorn Lande's covers albums. Not only are the tracks selected here top notch, but what Jorn adds to them is equally as good. Each song is treated with great respect. These songs not only inspired Jorn, but many of us as heavy rock fans through the years. There have been a lot of cover type albums through the years and it is nice to see many different tracks here that give the album a fresh feel. What I mean by that is how a lot of songs through the years have graced many cover albums. It's nice to see other songs being respected as well by Jorn. I really enjoyed my time listening to this album and absolutely loved his cover of 'Mystery' by Dio. That was a song that had an impact on me when I was getting into metal. I always felt Jorn could pull of Dio's music extremely well and this is another example of how well he does it. Excellent covers album!

Release Date: January 24, 2020

I can see why this release was revisited. Originally released in 2017 and entered my inbox in late 2019. I checked out the video for the track 'Faint Slit' and knew I needed to check this one out more in depth. The first band that came to mind upon listening to this was Godsmack. Similar sound and intensity. I wouldn't say this band sounds like a clone as there are other sounds here as well. I would say it is a safe bet that if you like more modern sounding metal and Godsmack and their style in particular, you may want to give this one a shot. Probably my favorite element on this record is the guitar work. I wouldn't say that it is really flashy, but more of a thick heavy catchy style that will have you headbanging to it. It really feels like the core of the record, but every other element gels well with it to offer a really cohesive solid listen. Easy recommend!

Release Date: May 27, 2017

Here is a band that I knew nothing about until their last album 'Human'. I became a huge fan of their sound with that record and ended up going into their catalog wanted more of what they offer. I was pretty stoked to hear that 'Echoes' was on it's way with a January 2020 release. The album lives up to their standards in my opinion. It may have a slightly more melodic modern feel to it, but the songs are really good. Keep in mind that this band does have a heavy edge, but also incorporates some pop sounds into the music. There is a smoothness to the music on this album. The rich tones that the band has used in the past are evident once again. The band is not as widely known in the States, but for our music fans here, be sure to check out some videos on YouTube as there are quite a few. I just hope we don't have to wait four plus years for more!

Release Date: January 31, 2020

Revolution Saints have become one of my favorite bands from the Frontiers Records roster. Each album offers up some fairly traditional hard rock sounds with a decent heavy edge to them. 'Rise' shows the band sticking with the formula from the previous albums. Why change it up if it works so well, right? I am a big fan of all their albums and feel there is some strong material on this latest album. The songs are memorable and catchy sounding overall. I always liked Deen's vocals and feel the band as a unit have a great chemistry. The album starts off right with 'When The Heartache Has Gone' and progresses through a great listen that has the tempo staying fairly steady with some even more melodic songs scattered throughout. That is the element that rules the day with this album. Lot's of melody. Always an easy recommend for a really good band!

Release Date: January 24, 2020

Passion is new to the Frontiers label and offer up a pretty traditional 80's hard rock sound. Very obvious comparisons will be drawn to Danger Danger due to the vocals but in my opinion, this band has a bit more of an edge in certain songs. It's a pretty safe bet that if you like Danger Danger, you will most definitely want to check this band out. There are other influences here as well. You could refer to plenty of late 80's hard rock bands when describing this band. It's very cool to get records like this in the year 2020. The sound still lives! As far as the music in general, there is a lot of flash here. Good rhythm guitar work, solos, etc. At the core of the band's sound is the melody. Good memorable choruses make these songs instantly memorable as was the case of the 80's music so many years ago. 80's hard rock fans, this one is definitely for you!

Release Date: January 24, 2020