Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Devin Townsend, Xentrix, Generation Landslide, 17 Crash, & U.D.O.

Index

There is nobody quite like Devin Townsend. It is always a treat to partake in his unique style of music and once again he has crafted a beauty. The limited edition of this new album also has a second album that he calls 'Nightwork'. The 'Lightwork' portion of this album is quite atmospheric and melodic. If you are familiar with Townsend's work especially in this particular sound, you'll have an idea of what this sounds like. The 'Nightwork' disc actually has some much heavier stuff, but also some cool groove oriented music as well. This musical journey is where Townsend put his focus through the lockdowns and pandemic and as usual, he hits it out of the park. Neither of these two albums is what I would call mainstream, rather a unique journey through amazing soundscapes done Devin's way. Absolutely love this and highly recommend!

Release Date: November 4, 2022

It had been some time since I had checked out what was going on in the Xentrix camp. Used to listen to these guys long ago, so my interest was definitely there for this new release. I'm happy to report that this is a great new album. Heavy stuff based in thrash with awesome riffing. For those who may not be as familiar with the band, I felt the sound was similar to earlier versions of Metallica and Testament. You'll hear some similarities to both bands in different areas of the music. I will also say that I think this is one of the better thrash records of 2022. I spent some good time with this album and enjoyed going back each time as I felt it continued to get better each time and it started off great to begin with. Thrash is still one of my favorite styles and I have certain albums I go back to from time to time. This will be one of those for sure.

Release Date: November 11, 2022

Straight out of Las Vegas with a great new album is the band Generation Landslide. The music has a solid somewhere around the 80's and 90's hard rock sound. This band was originally formed in the early 2000's in Phoenix, but now is part of the Vegas hard rock scene. The writing and putting the band back together happened through the pandemic. You notice this trend right? If there was one thing that came out of the pandemic, it was all of the good bands and music. Lots of productivity in the down time. This collection of tunes is quite consistent. Melodic rock with enough energy to be exciting. The band also have a very good groove in some of these songs like the track 'I'll Keep Movin' Along' or 'Standing In The Rain'. The melody really carries this album as well. Songs like 'Love And Pain' as well as 'Me In You' really have good atmosphere while showing the lighter side of the band. Keep an eye on this band, they are offering really good music!

Release Date: November 25, 2022

Fourth album by the Italian hard rock band 17 Crash that has influences from the glam rock scene. The album opener titled 'A Song For Ennio' was an awesome way to get it started, especially being from Italy. The album then takes the listener on an energetic journey through some very good hard rock music. I really felt that this album is tight, sounds fresh and was well written. I hadn't heard these guys before, but was instantly interested upon taking a quick breeze through the album. I love the upbeat feel of the music. With a world in turmoil, it helps to be able to lose yourself in something more positive and this record was just the thing to do it. Most of the music feels like it would be a great fit at radio. Memorable songs with great choruses and solid musicianship. 17 Crash is new to me, but I'm hooked. Very good record from start to finish!

Release Date: November 18, 2022

Here is a man that needs no introduction. The former Accept frontman and mainstay of German metal music has built quite a large catalog with his band U.D.O. That is the subject of this review. It really is hard to believe that Udo has done such a huge amount of quality work post Accept. The music he has released is metal to its core. Traditional stuff. You get the best of his catalog under U.D.O. with all albums being represented with at least a track. There are 33 tracks total with 4 of those being rare tracks that us as fans will be able to hear for the first time. Basically, there is a lot to chew on here. I thought track selection was very good. I do own the entire catalog of the U.D.O. band and this album makes it easy to pack around one album with the best of the best. Most of this will be familiar to fans so it is more of a convenience, but the added rare stuff is a definite plus!

Release Date: November 18, 2022