Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Seventh Crystal, Pop Evil, Robin McAuley, Flotsam And Jetsam, and Sunbomb

Index

Sweden really is a hotbed for metal and hard rock and has been for some time now. The band Perpetual Etude and member Kristian Fyhr specifically is who brings us Seventh Crystal. This was originally intended to be more of a solo record, but things change and it now showcases more great talent along with Fyhr. The music is very melodic with a good edge to it. There is a more modern feel to their songs and the listen is pretty uniform. One of the band's mentioned as having a similar feel is One Desire. Being a been fan of that band, I was all in with this band. While there are differences, you could make the case that both bands would pair together on a show quite well. Good depth and atmosphere are evident in each track on this album. I have access to many promos and lot's of music. I get physical copies of the ones I love the most. This is one that I grabbed a physical album of. It's a great melodic journey of modern rock with plenty of hit potential!

Release Date: May 14, 2021

After feeling that the last self titled album was a bit uneven, I was still all in on this latest offering. I checked out the single 'Breathe Again' and was pretty hyped. The song in terms of style reminded me of Nothing More. It's highly energetic and blends in sounds we've heard from Pop Evil in the past, but with a fresh feel. The album opener 'Let The Chaos Reign' is definitely my favorite and is the heaviest track on the album. I could take a whole platter of that. The album progresses and eventually drops off a bit in terms of intensity going for a bit more mood and groove. The songs are all good however and although this listen is once again a bit uneven, I felt it was a really good listen start to finish. The album does pick up a bit again towards the end in terms of intensity. This will definitely be another favorite of mine by Pop Evil. Solid modern hard rock!

Release Date: May 21, 2021

Robin McAuley is one of my favorite singers. Going back to the days of Grand Prix and definitely his tenure in McAuley Schenker Group or MSG if you like. His vocal work just has a melodic nature to it no matter the intensity of the music he is involved with at the time. This solo record has some stuff with bite to it, but in my opinion, melody rules the day here. His vocal work sounds so good and as powerful as his days in MSG. It was great being able to see him in Black Swan last year and it's equally as good to see a new record with some great melodic tracks offered in 2021. There are quite a few more atmospheric tracks on this record such as 'Late December', 'Run Away' and the infectious 'Wanna Take A Ride'. The music on this album displays exactly what I expect and love most about McAuley's talent and voice in general. An excellent experience for sure!

Release Date: May 7, 2021

I never could figure out why this band wasn't mentioned as one of the more elite acts through their career. I always felt they were one of the better thrash acts going way back to their earliest work. It's kind of like the chip on your shoulder thing. This band is really bringing it, especially with the last few albums. Once again, this new album is a real burner. There is a very heavy feel to this record and the familiar elements to each song that have made this band so good for a long time now are evident here once again. Eric AK's vocals are excellent as always and proves that he is one of the finer singers of the genre. What you can expect from this album is a intense experience formed with the quality that Flotsam And Jetsam always brings. Some bands get a bit more laid back with time, this band turns it up even hotter. Top notch thrash record once again!

Release Date: June 4, 2021

You know, being a fan of both Tracii Guns and Michael Sweet, I truly had no idea what to expect from this record. It is an interesting pairing for sure. Sweet with his strong vocal work in Stryper and Guns with his solid guitar work with L.A. Guns through the years. Well, pair 'em up and this stuff is heavy, Quite a friggin surprise to be honest as I would not have expected this. There are quite a few things going on here. By the time you get to 'Take Me Away' you are feeling a very strong Black Sabbath vibe. Even in the structure. As I listened, I was guessing what would come next. Basically what would Sabbath do? And they did it. 'No Tomorrows' to me had a bit of a NWOBHM vibe to it. The record really does have a lot going on. It's all pretty heavy and in ways familiar. Definitely an interesting record with some cool tracks!

Release Date: May 14, 2021