Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Spirits Of Fire, Overkill, Delain, Find Me, and Queensrÿche

Index

Frontiers Records gives us a lot of melodic hard rock, and then you get a more metal oriented release. This is one of those. Spirits Of Fire features some familiar names Tim Owens, Chris Caffery, Mark Zonder, and Steve DiGiorgio. The album is a power metal album that fans would compare to the likes of Judas Priest or any other band of the genre. While I wouldn't say they totally sound like any particular band, they fit the genre very well and you do get things that make it easy to compare. With the backgrounds of the guys in the band and where they have been, you can tell they have brought those influences in and it mixes nicely. The music on this album is very guitar driven stuff and is quite consistent. You get some melodic infusion here and there. 'Alone In The Darkness' is a good example. It does retain an edge but does a good job of closing the album out. Solid!

Release Date: February 22, 2019

Being a big fan of the band, I usually like what is offered up each time. The consistency always helps with that. The band rarely veers off of the path that they have taken through now 19 releases. This album is a real burner. If you like your thrash old school and aggressive, this album will fit the bill perfectly. The music is gritty, fast and at times, you get a dose of punk infusion. It amazes me how this band never takes the easy way out with their albums. Their is no complacency with these guys. They push the limits and really always have. I managed to catch these guys on the 'Taking Over' tour so many years ago and remember the adrenaline and energy. This album brought me back to that feeling. This is another album to raise the bar for those to follow this year. If this is any indication of how the heavier side of the genre will treat us in 2019, I'm ready!

Release Date: February 22, 2019

A combination of new studio and live music from the band's recent tour. The new music is pretty much what the Delain crowd would expect. It's on par with what the band have been doing recently. The live stuff is equally good and features the band with guests Marco Hietala and George Oosthoek. Hietala guests on a good portion of the live stuff. The album comes with a Blu-ray which I appreciate due to the better clarity and quality overall that it brings over DVD. This is a nice package to have and quality on the video portion is quite good. Apparently the sound of the four new studio tracks will represent the sound of the new record that the band hopes to release this year. Overall this is a good in between studio releases type of album. It gives fans a chance to witness the recent tour and give them a taste of things to come. Good bang for the buck!

Release Date: February 22, 2019

Here you have one heck of a melodic hard rock album. The band's third album to date and it could possibly be my favorite of theirs. This collaboration of Robbie LaBlanc and Daniel Flores is a good one. Vocally, LaBlanc is top notch as always. Songs are very likable and memorable. There is some punchy stuff and also some very good laid back melodic songs such as 'One Last Kiss'. The sound on this record is familiar to me as I used to listen to quite a bit of these types of records back in the 80's. This record reminds me of that era in many ways. I tend to like both ends of the spectrum when it comes to rock music. I like it really heavy, but at other times I just want to chill. This band is perfect for that mood. Very smooth delivery and the songs all fit the same winning formula for this style. I hope these guys keep writing and releasing. I dig them alot!

Release Date: February 22, 2019

Third album featuring Todd LaTorre on vocals, but also drums this time as far as studio work. Not sure of the status of Rockenfield at this point, but on to the music. This is a bit heavier record. There are points if you listen closely that you will hear moments of classic sounds. Think back to the early era and the heavier stuff and you'll catch what I am talking about. This is a pretty solid record that for some may take a few listens to totally digest. The band have always been a bit deeper, aside from the few albums pre-LaTorre. I think the last few albums have brought the band back to a decent sound. This is a record that could have been a follow up to 'Promised Land', but definitely differs from 'Hear In The Now Frontier'. As mentioned there is a good hard edge, but also some moments where more depth wins out. Be sure to give this a few spins. Good record!

Release Date: March 1, 2019