Dragonforce-Maximun Overload ©2014 Metal Blade Records
Second release featuring vocalist Marc Hudson. To me this album may be the bands best to date and reminds me quite a bit more of the stylings of 'Inhuman Rampage'. Although some may say it all sounds the same, I tend to disagree. The tempo is obviously very frenzied, but there is a unique stamp on each track that sets them apart. It's amazing how a band can be so fast and heavy, yet retain their melodic core. This is a complete album in my opinion and offers the listener a great listen with no need to skip anything along the way. If you love melodic speed metal, this is for you! Recommended!
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Chainfist-Scarred ©2014 Mighty Music
Very good release from these metalheads out of Denmark. They have been compared to the big 4 and with very good reason. This is a heavy release with obvious thrash elements, but also has a sound more geared to modern times in areas. In the last couple of weeks, this has been the album I have revisited the most as this is one of my most favorite styles. I will say that I like the acoustic version of 'Black Rebel Noise' better than it's metal version. The acoustic version sounds like a completely different song. Really like this album a lot and it has become a favorite of mine from this year! Solid!
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Accept-Blind Rage ©2014 Nuclear Blast Records
One of the bands I cut my teeth on when I started liking metal. This is a pretty typical Accept record without any real surprises. Honestly, the fans really prefer this band to do what they do best musically and they rarely disappoint. It's a fairly traditional metal album in terms of sound. After seeing this band 'retire' some years back, I was glad to see them regroup with Mark Tornillo who I was also familiar with from his T.T. Quick days. This is this version of the band's latest chapter and it's top notch as usual. It is a no brainer to recommend this album especially to old school metal fans!
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Megasonic-Intense ©2014 Mausoleum Records
An interesting album from Belgium based rockers Megasonic. This album has quite a hybrid mix to it. It starts off sounding pretty progressive, but then changes from each track. There is a lot of variety here, but not to the point of that variety being a distraction to a good listen. The album took me a few spins, but the more I listened the more I liked. There was an obvious influence of old school, but with the different sounds. Oddly enough, this is the second metal album in a month that has offered a cover of an Abba song in 'Does Your Mother Know'. Done very well and backs up my point on variety!
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Ace Frehley-Space Invader ©2014 Entertainment 1 Music
I have been a fan of Ace Frehley's solo career since his work as Frehley's Comet in the 80's. This to me sounds a bit more classic Kiss than it does that band. Obviously there is a more modern sound, but with the structure of each song, it's going to draw comparisons to vintage Kiss by some. The album is catchy in areas and the cover of the Steve Miller classic 'The Joker' was definitely an interesting addition. It has a definite Frehley flair to it and brought a smile to my face when it played the first time. Overall, a decent album from the veteran rocker that shows there is still alot to offer from him!
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