Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Burning Rain, 9Electric, SAUL, The End Machine, and TNT

Index

This is a great record. It helps that Doug Aldrich is one of my favorite guitar players. That aside, everything about this is very cool. The guitar sound is gritty with Doug's usual flash added. Vocals are soulful and fit well and the the low end brings it all together. I have a rule for myself when it comes to reviewing. Never review without a two listen minimum. This album was great on the first and got even better on the second. Even though it is definitely Burning Rain and their sound, I was hearing other bands influences such as Aerosmith and bands in that flavor. One track even reminded me of The Scream if you remember that band. The music is raw and blues infused stuff. I was able to meet Doug years ago and see this band at the Ultrasound convention. This album has the energy I remember from that show. Easy recommend!

Release Date: March, 22, 2019

I guess these guys have been around for a few years now. I missed them, but finally caught up with their music with the new album 'Megalith'. Their sound is a more modern rock sound that has a mainstream feel to it. It is pretty catchy stuff. As the album opened up, it reminded me a lot of Collective Soul, but kind of develops into it's own sound after that. I'm hoping to see some video stuff of of this album up on Youtube eventually. As of right now I just see the track 'The Light' in audio format, but it will give you a taste of the sound of the new record. It is never overly heavy, just kind of hits a groove that I think a lot of fans will probably like. That doesn't mean it is a lighter record either, there is a definite edge to the band's music. This is a really good modern record with no filler tracks in my opinion. Definitely worth your time!

Release Date: March 29, 2019

'Aeons' is a five track e.p. from this modern heavy band. If you are a listener to SiriusXM Octane. you might already be hearing this band. They are gaining a lot of traction and for good reason. The first single 'Brother' has deep meaning to it and is a very good lead off for the album. The e.p. for the most part is heavy. I really liked the way the band closed it with the title track. Even though the song has the edge the rest of them have, I liked the rich atmospheric tones. It really adds increased depth. As I listened to this album I felt that this band would probably pair well out on tour with another band I like a lot, Nothing More. It's a good bet that if you like Nothing More or similar acts, you will probably dig this band as well. The five tracks wet your appetite for more. Hopefully there will be a full length album in the not so distant future!

Release Date: March 1, 2019

This really turned out to be a great release. There has been a lot of anticipation for this record since it was announced due to the lineup. The band features three out of the four classic Dokken members. Fronting the band is Robert Mason who fronted Lynch Mob on my favorite record of theirs. This release is somewhere in between the two bands musically. It's definitely a traditional hard rock record, but due to Mason's vocals which are great, this may have fans thinking more towards the sound of Lynch Mob. The band are in top form here. There is an awful lot to like, and the album lives up to the hype in my opinion. Good rockers and here and there you get a more melodic sound. I think this album really is a no brainer for fans of either band. It is a great collection of songs and it's good to see the chemistry these guys obtained. Definitely recommended!

Release Date: March 22, 2019

This is a really easy title to review. Fans of the band, specifically the Tony Harnell era will have a hard time not picking this up. Harnell is no longer fronting the band, but this documents a more recent era with a great track selection of the bands hits through the years. I picked up the Blu-Ray of this title as I find it more fun to digest live material when it is visualized. The Blu-Ray contains the featured concert along with track selection. Quality is pretty good on this. The hi-def versions are always preferred to me and I'm glad this one made it to the higher resolution. There was a lot of energy from the band at this show. Everyone was in great form and the concert was a lot of fun to watch. I have met Tony, but never got the chance to see them live. This was a good opportunity to do so. The CD offers up the show so you can enjoy it that way as well. Great set!

Release Date: March 22, 2019