U.D.O-Decadent   ©2015 AFM Records
​You would be hard pressed to find anyone more consistent than U.D.O. when it comes to carrying the torch for traditional Metal. There is no slowing down this band. Releases come at regular intervals. The consistency is always there. This album is no different. It blows right out of the gates with 'Speeder' and never really looks back. Fans of traditional metal know who this guy and his band are and what to expect. The music is heavy with great chugging rhythms. That most familiar voice is up to par as well. It's always an easy recommend for me. Been listening to U.D.O. for a long time and this is why!
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The Dreaming-Rise Again   ©2015 Metropolis Records 
Born out of the ashes of Stabbing Westward some years back is The Dreaming. This is the bands third album and in most ways the band still has that Stabbing Westward sound. Vocally, I love this record. It really stands out in my opinion. I also like the dark tone of it. Just an overall cool vibe comes out of this. For some reason, I missed the previous two releases, but the band is on my radar now. I was a fan of Stabbing Westward and was disappointed to hear of their break up. Good things come out of situations like that. 'Rise Again' is an absolutely cool sounding album in my opinion. Recommended!
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Revolution Saints-Revolution Saints  ©2015 Frontiers Records
​Here is a supergroup for you. Doug Aldrich, Jack Blades, and Deen Castronovo deliver an about as flawless of a release as you are going to hear. What amazed me was Castronovo's vocal work. He's very good, all while pounding the skins. He's no stranger to this obviously, but he really gets to shine on this release. You have a lot of big rockers and some very memorable melodic tracks here. The choruses are memorable as one would expect. This is top notch stuff folks. It leans fairly traditional in its rock sound and if it were released years ago would have spawned some chart toppers. Essential!
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Reach-Reach Out To Rock   ©2015 Sun Hill Productions/Cargo Records
​This Swedish melodic hard rock is off to a good start. The debut album 'Reach Out to Rock' is about to street and contains some good melodic rock tracks. As the album moves along it seems to catch fire as the songs get better as the album plays out. The band embrace a fairly traditional sound similar to bands like H.E.A.T.  or even more classic hard rockers from the 80's. To me, it's always welcome to hear this sound in the scene of today. I spent a lot of time listening to this very style of music and it's very comfortable to me. Good debut from a good young bad. Check this one out!
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Eclipse-Armageddonize   ©2015 Frontiers Records
​Have become a big fan of Eclipse in recent years. Fans of this band know that not only can that put out very high quality rockers and anthems, but can offer up great melodic music as well. This album which is usually the case contains both once again. What really focused my attention on Eclipse was Erik Martensson and his work with W.E.T. Being a huge fan of that band, I dove right into Eclipse and have now become a big fan of their work as well. This album has a pretty even feel overall with some of the melodic stuff showing up and offering a good balance. Very solid release from this great band!
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