Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-U.D.O., Billy Idol, Edge Of Paradise, Gus G., and Takida

Index

It really is hard to believe that U.D.O. has his 17th album coming out soon. A lot of fans will obviously connect him with Accept and for good reason. He has a huge catalog outside of that band at this point and quite honestly, it's a very consistent catalog. When it comes to U.D.O. and his albums, they are traditional metal albums similar to what he did so many years ago in Accept. 'Game Over' is once again a great album that sticks to his writing formula. To me, the single 'Kids And Guns' is probably the oddball on the album. It has an AC/DC vibe to it while the rest of the album is more of that power metal sound we are accustomed to. The version I am reviewing has a few bonus tracks that are once again similar in style to the rest of the album. Another very uniform metal record from a metal legend. Hopefully it is not game over after this!

Release Date: October 22, 2021

As time goes on, the music has been released a bit slower for Billy Idol. It's all been very high quality, but you have to typically wait to get it. The latest EP is a 4 track mini album. Each song has its own personality which I thought was cool. Ranging from very upbeat to smooth, these tracks are a lot of fun. The only issue is that it is only 4 tracks. Before you know it, the EP comes to a close. I am hoping there is more music coming soon. You get some great guitar playing from Steve Stevens as well. The laser gun sound even makes a quick appearance in the solo for 'Rita Hayworth'. 'Bitter Taste' is one of the tracks I label as smooth. There is a video for this one via YouTube that most fans have probably already checked out. Billy Idol has become a huge icon in the music scene. It's good to see the great quality he is still capable of and that he is still offering his style of music!

Release Date: September 17, 2021

'The Unknown' is the second album that we have been able to review for the band and the fourth overall. For new fans that may not be familiar with the band, they are female fronted and play a metal style that leans slightly more modern. The band is also from the States and Los Angeles specifically. The band do exhibit a fair amount of flash in various areas of the music. Between the two albums I have listened to at this point, I feel they band have written an ever better album this time. The previous album 'Universe' was really good and I feel that this album is a good next step for the band. I also feel that Margarita Monet is a fairly unique sounding vocalist not to mention she has an excellent set of pipes. She really belts this album out start to finish. For those that like female fronted metal, this one is very good!

Release Date: September 17, 2021

I went through a phase years ago where I was indulging in a lot of instrumental albums. Honestly, I kind of burned out on them and lost a lot of interest. There are a few artists that I always take notice of when they release new material of instrumental nature. Gus G. is one of those artists. This album fully shows why. Not only does he make the music work from the guitar solos, but the rhythm work is always equally impressive. You add those two elements with great songwriting and the album becomes a very good listen. This album has some live material added to it as well. It was recorded in Budapest and features some very good material including the Dire Straits cover of 'Money For Nothing' and the more recent single 'Force Majeure'. Once again, Gus G. impresses with great songs, flashy musicianship and good overall delivery!

Release Date: October 8, 2021

Takida may still not be familiar to some on our side of the pond, but they should be. The band have a more modern rock style with a fair amount of melody. The band have a sound and style to them that doesn't show them experiment much, but they are really good at what they do and each album shows a lot of consistency in both songwriting and style. While most of these tracks on the new album are fairly midtempo and radio friendly, there are a couple of songs that put a bit more edge to them. 'We Will Never Be' is the first of the two and has some good chunky guitar rhythms. 'Morning Sun' is the other and has some cool depth and a great transition just over halfway through. The rest of the album is typical Takida fare which is good. The album closer 'What You Never Knew' is very melodic and lets the vocals drive it. Another outstanding release!

Release Date: August 27, 2021