Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Harem Scarem, Sandness, Sick N' Beautiful, Billy Idol, & H.E.A.T.

Index

When discussing melodic hard rock bands that have really had an impact for many years, Harem Scarem has to be mentioned. Each release showcases how good this band is and 'Chasing Euphoria' is another great album chock full of potential hit material. At the core, this album sounds like what they usually do, but as always, they add some interesting things to the mix. Take a listen to 'In A Bad Way' and you'll know what I am talking about. Some classic influences come to play and the song just works so well in many ways. Most of the record rocks out. Good choruses keep it memorable and the mid tempo intensity is great once again. 'World On Fire' is your more melodic tune on the record. Very laid back with great chorus work. I don't know what else you can say about this band. The quality is always there. It is always an insta buy for me. Another great album!

Release Date: April 25, 2025

The new Sandness album will be coming soon from Rockshots Records. The Italian rockers have another good batch of hard rock songs that fit into a more traditional sound. The typical vibe and flash that you would expect from bands who deliver their music in a 80's way with maybe some slight modern hard rock sound as well. If you are new to this band and wonder who they may sound like, think bands like D-A-D or The Darkness. Kind of a nasty hard rock sound with plenty of attitude. You could make the case of a bit of glam there as well. The band hail from Italy and in my opinion continue to grow with each new record. They were formed around 15 years ago and have 5 previous album as far as I can tell. Alessandro Del Vecchio handled the recording and production duties with this new record and the results are quite good as usual!

Release Date: May 16, 2025

Frontiers has been making some moves. Sick N' Beautiful are not necessarily new to the roster but are part of the new wing of the label BLKIIBLK Records. We took a listen to the previous album 'Starstruck' and the band have continued in that direction. More heavy modern stuff with an industrial feel at times. I had to look up the term Horror Vacui to understand the album title. It comes as a Latin phrase which means as much detail as possible leaving no emptiness. In ways the band deliver their music in that fashion. From the different sounds, intensity, and especially the visual image of both the band and music. In a nutshell, there is a lot going on here and it's pretty cool. Although heavy, some of this music on the new album has a catchy nature to it. It stuck with me after the initial listen. Overall, another solid record that will appeal to more modern audiences!

Release Date: April 18, 2025

Billy Idol is still bringing it. After a couple of EP's in the last few years, we get a full length studio album. It's slightly short at 9 tracks and the inclusion of the previously released single 'John Wayne' which is now a duet with Alison Mosshart. The album feels fairly uniform with things being a bit more polished this time around. I have seen some complaints on the mix sounding kind of muddy. I haven't noticed it as much but do typically listen thru Flac files and my Sennheiser open back headphones. The soundstage is a bit wider with those. Anyway, songs are decent and quite honestly, I was a bit surprised there was another full length studio album coming as things have slowed down in terms of output from Idol. I have been a fan since the Generation X days and will always welcome more output. Nice to see him and Stevens still getting after it!

Release Date: April 25, 2025

'Welcome To The Future' wastes no time letting you know how things are going to play out on this new record. 'Disaster' opens the album as a burner. Good heavy tempo and groove. There is also plenty of synth sound mixed into the songs. Most of the tracks lean towards a mid tempo rock sound with most having a cool groove to them. There really isn't a ballad here. The band went for a more rocking approach. Sure, the melody is still there. Great choruses all over the album. This album is here to rock you. If you are familiar with the band's previous releases, you'll know what to expect for the most part. One of my favorite tracks is 'Call My Name'. Absolutely love the chorus on this one. Very cool vibe to it. H.E.A.T. has become one of the more elite modern bands of the genre in today's market, and for good reason. The quality is always there!

Release Date: April 25, 2025