Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-The Treatment, Hardline, Black Dawn, Grenouer, and Alan Parsons

Index

When looking at who these guys sounded like to me, the obvious first choice was AC/DC. You could also make the case for other bands such as Rhino Bucket or even Gotthard at times.. The music has that straight forward vibe to it with good amounts of flash and melody infused into the mix. 'Power Crazy' is the bands fourth album and the first to feature new vocalist Tom Rampton. Quite a few bands have embraced this type of hard rock sound. Not all were good at it. The Treatment is pretty damn good at this type of hard rock sound with a good chunk of this album being fairly memorable right out of the gates. It's a basic formula that seems to work well when done right. It provides a decent even feel with each song. Songs are all punchy and mid tempo in terms of intensity. Best idea if you are unfamiliar is to check out some videos. Decent sounding stuff!

Release Date: March 22, 2019

After a few minutes with this album I had thoughts of back when I got into their debut so heavily. To me their are some similarities between the two albums. While being a fan of most of what I hear this band do, this album definitely sticks out and is probably my second favorite of their catalog at this point. Hardline usually writes very infectious memorable stuff. Not only is this album memorable, but as mentioned has familiar attributes dating back to the earlier stuff. Take for example 'Hold On To Right'. The riffs reminded me of 'Taking Me Down' a bit. Just small similarities here and there that make this particular album a fun listen. The melodic stuff on this album is really good as well. Be sure to check out the cover of 'Who Wants To Live Forever'. This is an absolutely solid album and my second favorite of theirs!

Release Date: April 26, 2019

Apparently Black Dawn have been playing for a little over two decades to this point. They are new to us and for fans of heavier music in a more modern vein, this one will be right up your alley. Initially I felt this band reminded me of earlier Godsmack. Some of that is from the vocal style and some from the heavy pounding sound. You can probably make the case for other bands as well, but Godsmack comparisons are sure to be drawn. 'On Blackened Wings' is a five track offering of heavy music that stays within a certain framework. If you like one track, you'll probably like all five. You can tell this band is pretty tight as a unit. What they need is some good exposure to be able to take it to the next level. The music is there and fits well into today's music scene. Even though it's on the short side, this album feels fulfilling!

Release Date: May 3, 2019

Always good to hear new music from St. Petersburg, Russia based band Grenouer. It had actually been a while since we had. The latest album leans modern as the last few have and would fall into a classification of melodic metal. The album is very smooth in its delivery and has a lot of bang for the buck with 15 tracks. I went back and listened to some of the music from the previous couple of albums and this album fits in well with that sound. The band feel confident in this style and the direction they are heading musically. Keep in mind, this band didn't always play this style. Early on they offered a much more extreme death metal sound. I obviously prefer the current sound as I am not much of a fan of death metal. This album has a more definite mainstream feel to it which will appeal to a much wider audience. There is a lot to like here in my opinion. I tend to stick with Grenouer's music and this album will be no exception. Another great sounding record!

Release Date: May 10, 2019

Alan Parsons and more specifically the Alan Parsons Project were one of those acts that became quite important in my early love of music. I always knew that Alan Parsons music although having similar attributes, was also a bit different than the Project. This album holds true to that notion. You could make the argument that their are sounds reminiscent from the earlier era of the Project, but this solo album is its own thing. The album has many great guests that fans of more mainstream acts will be able to identify. The music is quite a bit more laid back than I even expected. It's good stuff, but a bit more easy going. Parsons has always been a master at composition and this record is no exception. Enjoy the journey that you will get with this listen. You will hear things that will remind you of other songs. It's a fun ride and it's great to have Parsons back for another album!

Release Date: April 26, 2019