Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Crashdiet, House Of Shakira, Hell In The Club, Hardcore Superstar, and Shark Island

Index

This band has had its share of adversity through the years, but has continued to move along, growing and evolving. 'Automaton' is a great platter of hard rockin' tunes that will appeal to the sleaze crowd as well as the regular rock fans. The album has some polish to it and some great songwriting. Lots of anthems here and the usual flash they are known for. I personally dig this record as I did 'Rust' from 2019. The band have their usual edge to their music offering some intensity, but songs never lose their catchy nature. I liked 'Rust' quite a bit and think the band have an even better record this time around. Some personal favorites include the track 'Dead Crusade', 'Shine', and 'I Can't Move On (Without You) as the great ballad of the album. Overall, I dig the album as a whole and feel this album is very confident and consistent. Excellent!

Release Date: April 29, 2022

Anyone familiar with House Of Shakira will be very aware of this album already. We have even reviewed it long ago. The focus of this review is more of a look into what this package offers. Is there a need for an upgrade? I say that is an easy yes for a couple of reasons mainly. First the album has been remastered to more of today's standards. The recordings sound dynamic and it was good to revisit this. Second reason, the addition of the original album recorded with the original singer Mikael "Zifa" Eriksson whom left the band before the album was released. It was re-recorded with vocals from Andreas Eklund and then released as the band's debut album. This remastered version really is the go to version, but the historical aspect of the bonus album is very cool to finally have. Very nice package and great idea!

Release Date: March 11, 2022

Here is a fun, albeit short mini album with some interesting things going on. What caught my attention was the addition of two cover tracks with Alice Cooper's 'He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask) and W.A.S.P.'s 'Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue). I was a big fan of both bands and these songs years ago and feel the band did an excellent job at covering both of them. You also get a couple of new songs with 'Kamikaze' and '10 Years In The Slums'. Both songs are great sounding rockers. Plenty of catchiness with these. The final track, 'In Your Eyes' is a reworked version of a Japanese bonus track from the band's debut album 'Let The Games Begin' which celebrates its 10th anniversary. This final track is more melodic than the other four songs and is a nice addition to the album. It may be short, but it's long on substance. Great stuff!

Release Date: March 18, 2022

It's been a few years since the release of the band's previous album 'You Can't Kill My Rock 'n Roll' in 2018. The band have been realizing success and gains and have now offered up another great record full of energetic rockers. There is some familiarity here in terms of the sound of the band and who they remind me of. You can mention a variety of mid to late 80's sleaze style bands and you would get a good picture. 'Influencer' with the way it started off had me thinking early 80's Scorpions, especially in the guitar work and sound. Another tune I really liked was 'Weep When You Die'. There is a catchy nature to that one that sticks with you long after. With all of the rockers on the album, I thought ending the album with 'Fighter' was a nice touch. You get a more melodic side of the band with this tune. Another great record that should continue to find the band success!

Release Date: March 25, 2022

I know that Shard Island has been a bit more active for a bit now and I really need to spend more time with them. I was a huge fan of the album 'Law Of The Order' back when it was released. I remember having a bit of a time finding it as times were different and things weren't always as accessible as they are today. I did end up getting it and became a big fan of the band at the time. Apparently 'S'Cool Bus' is the band's debut album that was never released in an official format until now along with a remaster. The songs are a bit different than 'Law Of The Order'. There is some interesting stuff here like 'New York, New York' originally recorded by Frank Sinatra. Done quite well, but definitely an oddity on the album. The album overall isn't quite up to the standards music-wise as 'Law Of The Order', but there is some definite nostalgia at play here.

Release Date: February 25, 2022