Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Unruly Child, Phil Lanzon, Beasto Blanco, Soto, and Ardours

Index

It's very cool to have Unruly Child releasing on a regular basis again. Being a big fan of the band's debut, I always kept this band on my radar. 'Big Blue World' is on par with the last few releases. The band embrace plenty of melodic sounds and have a gift for writing very memorable songs. This album stays on course with plenty to like especially for fans of the AOR genre. This record has a very smooth feel to it. You can feel just how confident these guys are in their ability to write great music. Having Marcie Free, Bruce Gowdy, and Guy Allison together brings that chemistry that made the debut so great. This is a very consistent sounding album as well. It never gets that heavy, but honestly, I never listened to them for heavy. I found myself going to the more melodic tunes. The more you listen, the more you like with this record. One of the best AOR bands!

Release Date: August 9, 2019

After one listen to this record, I was feeling how epic it was. For those who don't know, Phil Lanzon is Uriah Heep's keyboard player. He is also a very talented songwriter and musician. His solo works can be thought provoking and take the listener on a journey. The journey this time revolves around a few subjects such as the great 1906 earthquake of San Francisco among others. There are a variety of different sounds and tempos. Classic hard rockers are here, but also more folk oriented ballads such as 'Road to London'. I really liked the twists lyrically in this song. Lanzon has a gift when it comes to his songwriting. He keeps things interesting and offers plenty of variety. That is what makes this album great! I've always been a fan of Uriah Heep and can say I enjoy what he offers outside of the band. This is an amazing journey! Be sure to search this one out!

Release Date: August 2, 2019

You already know what you are going to get with this band. Loud music with a lot of attitude. This new release also offers a bit more with Calico Cooper adding more vocal work this time. It adds really cool contrast to the music with the two different vocal styles. The music has a cool groove and once again reminds me of White Zombie at times and maybe a touch of Motörhead, specifically the hard drive of 'Halcyon'. With this being the band's third studio release, you can feel the growth of the band. There is a confidence in this music that is conveyed to the listener with great songs and variety. It's been fun to follow this band as time goes on. I was already a fan of Chuck Garric, mostly due to his presence in Alice Cooper's band. Garric really gets to strut his own stuff with this band. This is another great release with a cool vibe and a ton of energy!

Release Date: May 24, 2019

Jeff Scott Soto is one of my favorite singers. I am always amazed at how much he has offered to the rock community through the years. Many, many projects, bands, etc. He has the ability to offer many different sides to his sound. Melodic rock is always at the core of his music and his band Soto is no exception. This band has a bit heavier side to them with a more modern sound, but it mixes so well that it should have appeal to fans of many different styles within the genre. I believe this to be the third album under the name Soto and fans of the previous two should find much to like here as well. The variety on this album in terms of the general vibe is my favorite part of this musical adventure. Tracks like 'Afterglow' and 'Detonate' have very cool grooves to them in different ways. The whole album is killer with no filler! A very easy recommend from me!

Release Date: May 31, 2019

Fans of Tristiana will recognize vocalist Mariangela Demurtas as the vocalist of this Frontiers released act. The music falls into the female fronted rock category, but does have Goth elements in it. That is what differs this band from other female fronted bands. The music is not overly flashy. Instead it goes for a more atmospheric moody feel. The sound is pretty thick and the melody is evident. This album to me is a grower. Upon an initial listen I was impressed enough to take more time with the album. I knew that if I did the music would continue to grow with each subsequent listen. It definitely has. I am a fan of this genre and feel the band represents it well. Multi instrumentalist Kris Laurent is also a part of this project and brings even more to the bands depth. I came away from this release liking the various elements the band delivered on. Solid alt rock record!

Release Date: August 9, 2019