Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Paradox, Austin John, Perish Lane, Another Lost Year, & Amboaje

Index

Fair amount of history behind metallers Paradox. The band are celebrating 30 years with the release of their 7th album 'Pangea'. This record is a great old school sounding metal record. Very intense and very confident are two attributes that come to mind. Musically, it's very consistent. Adding to the cool factor is the addition of the original lineup to the album to do backing vocals. The band have really done it up right as an appreciation to the fans that have made them able to keep going for a very long time now. This is a very good thrash metal album with flash in all of the right places. Always great to see a band do an album on this level!

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After his departure from Hinder back in 2013, there has been some anticipation for some new music from the former frontman. 'Love Sick Radio' is a 6 track ep that shows a very different side to Winkler's writing. The music is varied and in most ways ends up being much more pop oriented. Taken for what it is, it is pretty decent. Just be sure not to go into this looking for Hinder tunes as the closest you are gonna get is the familiar vocals. Guesting on the album is Sophie Summers and Jessie James Decker. I'm sure some will be quite surprised with what is offered here, but if you go in with the right mindset, you could come away enjoying it

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Straight outta my neck of the woods is Salt Lake City based metal band Perish Lane. In a day and age of ep's being a very common thing, Perish Lane adds a 4 track ep of their own. The band have made a decent mark on the scene, specifically KBER's The Salt Lake Soundcheck. The band embrace a fairly traditional heavy riffing sound with more modernized vocal work. More aggressive vocals if that makes more sense. All 4 tracks are pretty even and consistent. If you lean a bit more towards the heavier side of metal without going completely over the top, Perish Lane will be for you. Keep an eye on this band in the future!

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Hadn't checked this band out before. After listening to the band's upcoming release 'Alien Architecture', I was glad that I took the time. They have their chops down and write infectious and memorable rock songs in a modern mold. In a lot of ways the band seem to be a blue collar musical outfit. Really working the trenches and giving it their all. You would walk away with this opinion after reading up on their short history. With what they have put together on this album and the right pairing of a national tour, I would expect this band to do great things. The music is there as is the ambition. Now the word just needs to get out. Solid!

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Every now and then I run across something musically that is just fun. Good music that is just there to entertain. Amboaje is a great example of this. It's not the heaviest record out there and honestly would probably present quite a bit of appeal to fans of Daughtry. Good songs abound this record. Catchy stuff with memorable choruses. We tend to be exposed to quite a spectrum of music and listening to things at both ends make this much more enjoyable and interesting. Not a lot to dislike here. A few more rock oriented numbers along with some more melodic moments make this a pretty enjoyable listen. Give it a shot if you love it melodic!

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