Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-The Treatment, FM, The End Machine, Sweet Oblivion feat. Geoff Tate, and Temple Balls

Index

Another superb release from this British hard rock band. This is the second release that we have checked out and it is along the same lines as 'Power Crazy' from a couple of years ago. What stood out to me with this new album is how upbeat it sounds. Tempo and sound remind me of a mix of AC/DC and earlier Gotthard. As with the previous album, the music is very memorable after just a single listen and if this was a different day here in the States, this band would be much more well known with quite a few of the tracks having hit potential. It's all about the songs with The Treatment. They stick to the same formula of structuring their material and it works pretty well. Each song flows well from track to track and the overall feeling after listening to the entire album is definite satisfaction. A great basic hard rock record that has appeal to many different types of fans!

Release Date: April 9, 2021

My first exposure to FM was the 'Tough It Out' album back when it was released. I followed the band off and on through the years, but that is the one album that always comes to me when FM is mentioned. The band took the opportunity to play the album in its entirety for a 30th anniversary of the albums release back in 2019. The show was recorded and here is the album that features a great performance. The album features 23 tracks and plenty of other great material outside of that showcased album. The band always puts on a great show and although I haven't been able to see them personally, there is some great live material out there that can be checked out including this new live package. Always smooth and soulful and full of melody, FM is one of the treasures out there in the melodic rock scene. Definitely a really nice package!

Release Date: April 9, 2021

Second release that now features Steve Brown after the retirement of his brother Mick on drums. As I was going through this album a few times I ended up taking in a listen of the Lynch Mob self titled release from 1992. There are definite similarities especially with Lynch's guitar tone and the vocal work of Robert Mason. The album to me has a really smooth delivery. You can feel the confidence in play with this album as these guys are really good at what they do and have been big names in the genre for decades at this point. The sophistication in Lynch's guitar work is evident once again. You really can't mention the great guitarists through the years without mentioning Lynch. His work once again is stunning and the songs as a whole are a tribute to themselves. This will be without a doubt one of my favorite albums of 2021!

Release Date: April 9, 2021

Here we have the second release from Sweet Oblivion that once again features former Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate. Out of the stuff that Tate has been doing in recent years, this band is my favorite. In some ways you might think Queensrÿche, not only due to Tate's vocal work, but the structure and sound of the songs. It's not all the way that way however. The songs are well crafted and have some good depth. Tate sounds really good on this release and things seemed to gel really well. I went through this album and then went to the earlier catalog of Queensrÿche right after. If we can't have that original chemistry from all of those years ago, this band is definitely a great place for Tate to front. The music and his voice are an excellent mix. If you haven't checked out Sweet Oblivion and are a fan of the older Queensrÿche stuff, you might want to at this point!

Release Date: April 9, 2021

There must be something in the water in Finland. One of the hotbeds for excellent hard rock and metal music and have been for some time. Temple Balls plays a hard rock sound and were produced by Jona Tee who fans of the genre will know from H.E.A.T. The band in some ways can be compared to H.E.A.T. in terms of style and a bit of sound. 'Pyromide' is the band's third release to date and shows off lot's of energy and plenty of melody. The band have had some good success in prior years with both radio play and albums. They really have something special here and could be poised to take off if the word continues to get out. You can feel through this album how much energy a live show could bring, so maybe, just maybe that will happen soon and fans will be able to partake of their great melodic hard rock sound soon. Great record!

Release Date: April 16, 2021