Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Electric Boys, Herman Frank, Icon Of Sin, Mark Spiro, and Tommy's Rocktrip

Index

Looking back, I was kind of surprised that we had never looked a this band's stuff in the past. I was a huge fan of the first three records, especially the debut as it was one of my most anticipated albums back in the day as I waited for its release. The band have released 'Upside Down' which is their 7th album to date and is pretty good. Songs are fairly straight forward in nature and maybe not quite as 'funked' up as I would have thought after listening to previous albums. There are definitely funk oriented tracks here, but the band has also been known for their versatility which is what this album shows off a bit. Some of it has a bit of a classic rock feel, there is also some blues influence here as well. The music here is quite fun overall and it is great to see the band still putting music out all of these years later. Good rock record with some classic feel!

Release Date: April 30, 2021

Back with a new power metal record is metal veteran Herman Frank. Fans will remember his earlier work with Accept and Victory and a few solo records more recently. This genre is where he gives us his excellent craft. The record overall is pretty uniform in terms of tempo and style. It's another hard driving album that fits in the mold with a lot of the previous material Frank has been involved with. Fans of bands like Accept, Primal Fear and other acts like them will probably find a lot to like with this one.The first single 'Tuetonic Order' is the subject of a video via YouTube and will be linked below if for some reason you are not familiar with the sound Frank offers. The German metal scene has been consistent for a long time now. They have their sound and Herman Frank has been there for decades and helped develop it. Good traditional power metal!

Release Date: May 21, 2021

About a year or so ago, I stumbled upon this guy on YouTube who was making videos that sounded like Bruce Dickinson singing other band's hits like Dio or Van Halen. That guy was Raphael Mendes and he was able to release a metal album via Frontiers Records and showcase his talents. The first things new listeners will be curious about is if this is a clone or maybe even just a novelty due to how remarkably close his vocals are to Dickinson's. I can tell you, that this record stands on it's own merits. The music is metal but not necessarily Maiden cloned stuff. There are moments you could make the case, but I think overall this is an Icon Of Sin record. The songs are heavy and have a good vibe with good drive in the guitar work. I was personally glad, and honestly, not surprised Mendes got this shot. Now, let's see where it goes from here. Good record!

Release Date: April 16, 2021

I was really looking forward to this record. I absolutely enjoyed the previous hits record from Spiro and knew this was going to have more great listening potential. Mark is an excellent songwriter and has quite the resume when it comes to the music industry in general. This latest record has 15 tracks of which most are more melodic in nature. This is a good album to put in when you go for a cruise or just want to relax a bit. Quite a bit of this reminds me of a R&B and rock mixture with huge doses of melody. The one track that does have some teeth to it is 'VanderPump'. Very cool vibe with this one and offers a bit of a different feel from most of what is offered here. I listen to a lot of heavy stuff, but honestly after 4 decades of 'banging my head', I need stuff to just chill with. This will be a go to album for me for a long time to come. Excellent music!

Release Date: May 7, 2021

Tommy Clufetos needs no introduction. As a drummer who has drummed for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne and more recently The Dead Daisies, this guy is a beast on the kit. I checked out the video for 'Got To Play Some Rock n' Roll' a few weeks back and was hooked. That brought anticipation to me for this record. With this new solo venture for Clufetos, you can feel his creativity and what inspired him as a musician through the years in terms of style and sound. It's a tight record with good delivery. The rhythm section really brings the boom on this record. Honestly, even though the focus is obviously drums, there is some excellent musicianship at play here. That is not to say this is an instrumental record either. You have Eric Dover from Jellyfish fronting the band. This was a great trip. Hoping there may be more down the road eventually!

Release Date: May 7, 2021