Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Kent Hilli, Mammoth WVH, Withering Scorn, Robledo, & Streetlight

Index

I was a huge fan of Kent Hilli's solo album 'The Rumble'. Being a big fan of Perfect Plan, I felt like Kent didn't miss a beat with his solo stuff. Similar in style and lots of great material. With this new solo album, I think he took it to an even higher level. His guest list on this album is quite impressive. I am a huge fan of One Desire and Jimmy Westerlund brings his sound to this record which was excellent. Take one listen to the title track 'Nothing Left To Lose' and you'll see what I mean. Sounds like a Perfect Plan and One Desire mix. I find it amazing that Kent got started in professional music later in life than most, but man has he had a huge impact and that voice is so crisp. I think there is no doubt that this album will make a lot of best of lists for 2023. It's next level stuff. Very 80's sounding in it's approach with a very rich sound. Very highly recommended!

Release Date: August 4, 2023

There's been a lot of reflection in the past few years after the death of guitarist Ed Van Halen. His son Wolfgang has inherited his father's talent being able to play many different instruments and compose as well. What Wolf has done though is paved his own way. Sure, he writes very good songs, but they have a definite different feel from Van Halen. You are going to get familiar flashes that shows his father's influence, but this is more modern rock and roll and I think Ed would be proud as he always was. If you haven't watched any of the band's videos, you really should make your way over to YouTube and do just that. They are all put together in an old school way in my opinion. Plenty of humor and lot's of Wolf in these videos. It will also give you a feel of how Mammoth WVH sounds if you are not familiar with the first record. Good genuine sounding stuff!

Release Date: August 4, 2023

Those fans of Megadeth who may have wondered what happened to Glen and Shawn Drover, look no further. Withering scorn is their new band that also features ex Fates Warning bassist Joe DiBiase and Metalium frontman Henning Basse. With this lineup, I'm sure expectations were quite high. I can say with confidence that expectations were not only met, but exceeded. Withering Scorn is an excellent power metal act that feels tight in every way. The chemistry and songwriting are very good and everyone involved brings their 'A' game. The album contains of 8 heavy tracks and clocks in around 40 minutes in length. The album really goes for the throat. You get a little melody in the final track, but even at that, the song is heavy overall. This is a real banger of an album and it's good to see all involved offering up a great record that heavy metal fans should love!

Release Date: July 7, 2023

If you are familiar with Sinner's Blood, a band that Frontiers Records released a bit back, you will probably be familiar with both James Robledo and Nasson. Both have released solo material that is quite good and take part in this new solo effort from the frontman. There are some really talented musicians coming out of Chile these days and it's a cool thing to see. The band have a bit of a modern feel mixed with more traditional elements. Plenty of melodic moments, but the band doesn't shy away from going to the next level with some great energy. I think fans that like heavier music will equally dig this record as much as more melodic oriented fans. Tracks like 'Fire' and 'Run and Hide' offer up some good atmosphere. Good tone and depth without dropping too much of the energy. A very good second release from Robledo. Definite recomend!

Release Date: July 14, 2023

This was a great signing by Frontiers Records. The Swedish melodic hard rockers have released a gem of an album. Fans of mid 80's melodic rock will find a lot to like here. The band have brought that tone and feel to the music that graces this album. If you look back through history in music, there are many great debut albums. The band typically has the time to write without deadlines and that kind of pressure and the music tends to benefit as a result. This is one of those great debut albums. I don't know anything about the whole process the band used, but this album has a very strong tracklist. Most of the songs are fairly melodic with a few of them taking it up a notch in terms of intensity. All of the music is instantly accessible in my opinion. It's a good bet that if you like this style of melodic rock, you are going to roll your ears in this album. Excellent!

Release Date: August 11, 2023