Devilstrip-Rise  ©2015 Devilstrip
​Pretty cool debut release from these Ohio hard rock band. Musically the band leans a bit modern, but does have definite traditional sounding elements to their sound as well. I've had some time to spend with this album and found it to be more enjoyable with each subsequent listen. Good even listen from start to finish with plenty of memorable moments. Seems that this band may fit well with fans of bands like Black Stone Cherry. There was a groove here and there that even took my back to the sounds of Animal Bag from many years ago. Good band with a good debut album!
​Rating:
Colour of Noise-Colour of Noise    ©2015 Colour Of Noise/Townsend Music 
​Was a big fan of Little Angels back in the day. Bruce John Dickinson shows up on this release and I was immediately interested. Matt Mitchell of Furyon also appears on the record. The music has a more of a classic rock feel to it. Well crafted songs written the old school way. The band took the old school approach right down to the recording process with pretty good results. The album is chock full of classic rockers. No ballads to be found here. I really liked the influence that was  obvious in the music from bands of old such as Bad Company or Free. Very good old school stuff here.
Rating:
Find Me-Dark Angel  ©2015 Frontiers Records
​This is an amazing record! I actually wasn't familiar with this release, but took the time to Youtube the track 'Midnight Memories' and wow, was I hooked. Very memorable and infectious melodic hard rock that features Blanc Faces vocalist Robbie LaBlanc as well as Mind's Eye's Daniel Flores. 2015 has been a great year for this genre of rock and this album in particular really ends the year in great fashion. After listening to this album throughout I found this to be an easy recommend to anyone who loves this style. Definitely a latecomer, but one of my favorites of this year!
Rating:
Rhapsody of Fire-Into the Legend ©2016 AFM Records
​It's been quite awhile since we talked about this band. For those not familiar, this band always has a very complex epic feel to their records. Symphonic metal that will definitely please as always fans of that genre. This album is no exception. For fans of more mainstream sounds, this may not be for you. For those of us who like huge amounts of depth and sophistication, this one is a treat. It could be the bands most ambitious effort to date as well. This is coming early 2016 and is a good bet to start the year off in epic fashion. Decent effort for those who love complexity in their music!
Rating:
Blood Red Saints-Speedway ©2015 Frontiers Records
​Fans of the recent In Faith release will more than likely be familiar with Blood Red Saints. Pete Godfrey put together Blood Red Saints as a band to further his ambitions. The results are very good. The music is melodic in nature once again and will once again have fans making comparisons to bands such as Harem Scarem. I went back to In Faith to be able to compare the two records. I feel the In Faith is slightly stronger, but 'Speedway' is definitely a very notable release. The year is winding down and it's closing with some great melodic records. Keep an eye on this band as they are writing great music.
Rating:
.