Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Quiet Riot, Black Bambi, Accept, The Nights, and Circus Maximus

Index

When you look at the history of frontmen since the untimely death of infamous lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow, there has been quite a revolving door. With the bands latest release you can add American Idol alumni James Durbin to the list. What's different this time? Well, the music although we may not see a lot of input from Durbin until the next go around. Take this album the same way you took the self titled 'QR' album that featured Paul Shortino. The albums are not the same vibe as the first 3 albums. I went into this album with a completely open mind and you know what? I am happy with it. It's an album you need to stick with, but if you do you will feel the potential here. It's a new era for the band and it's obvious there is still much to be said musically. I think choosing Durbin will end up being a decent decision and am looking forward to more!

Release Date: August 4, 2017

I am the kind of guy that prides myself of knowing so many different bands through the years. Somehow I missed this band. Apparently everything was lining up for these guys to be a huge hit and then everything fell apart. It's too bad. Thinking back to 1990, this would have fit well with the scene and would have been a particularly strong album. It holds up very well today and after 27 or so years of being shelved, it finally gets to the fans. The physical copies will be a bit limited, so do not waste time grabbing this. You can get it from the labels web store. The label website for now will be linked as the official website. Black Bambi had a bit of a unique vibe to them. Everything here is very accessible. Good grooves, excellent vocal work, and overall, just great songs. I am really happy to have this in my collection and recommend it very highly! A must have!

Release Date: July 21, 2017

Another solid outing from the veteran metal band. The band once again retain the trademark sound that have made them a necessary staple of the metal community for many decades now. Songwriting is once again good and exactly what fans will expect. Accept has a core sound that is always intact with each release. They know what they are good at and they deliver that each time including 'The Rise of Chaos'. This album to me is one of the best they have done since Mark Tornillo joined the band. Everything here is firing on all cylinders. How much gas does this band still have in the tank one might ask? Plenty if this album is any indication. The creativity is alive and well. With Accept being one of the more iconic and important bands of the genre for so many years, it gives influence to many others to stick with what works and results will be worthwhile!

Release Date: August 4, 2017

Not sure how Frontiers Records keeps doing it, but they keep turning out really good bands with really great records. I had no idea who The Nights were, but upon first hearing the track 'Welcome to the Show', I was hooked. A decent mix of melody and hard driving riffs. The music has a bit of a modern feel mixed in as well. What I like about the songwriting with this band is how they integrate both elements into one song. It all tends to be catchy as a result and is not quite as predictable. With this being a debut from this Finnish band and as strong as the material is, I think good things lie ahead if they stay focused and write in the model of what is here. The self titled album is one of my very favorite releases of the year. As mentioned, it could be recognized in either category in the best of lists for 2017. Definitely keep these guys on your radar!

Release Date: August 4, 2017

Circus Maximus has been becoming one of my very favorite progressive leaning bands of recent years. I like what they bring to each album. Their music to me isn't a showcase in self indulgence which can become a problem in the progressive genre at times. This band keeps it simple where it needs to be and can also showcase complexity if the time is right. 'Havoc in Oslo' is a live package of which I purchased the Blu-ray version. The focus here is the video portion. The disc contains the concert footage which looks and sounds decent. There is also a documentary which is a fun watch with some interesting tidbits. There is a music video for the track 'Remember' as well as a making of for the same song. As much as I like this band, I am happy with this release and glad to have some video based material in the form of a Blu-ray. Nice package!

Release Date: August 4, 2017