Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Iron Savior, Saliva, Danko Jones, Vega, & Blackbird Angels

Index

Iron Savior is about to unleash their 14th studio album. That boggles my mind. I have been listening to the band from the first album forward and it is amazing that they have such a deep catalogue now. Time flies! One thing that you can definitely say about this band and their music are they are quite consistent. When you hear an Iron Savior album, you definitely know who it is. I feel this new album is very strong. You can tell the band put a lot of effort into it and the results are obvious. The creation process was rock solid and Piet even went back after it was supposedly done and created 2 more songs as well as modifying one. Lots of melodic power metal energy with this album. If you are familiar with the band and their sound, you'll know what this is going to sound like, but kick it up a notch in terms of quality from the usual which is always good. Excellent!

Release Date: October 6, 2023

Saliva are in an interesting position right now. There is no doubt that the band have really crafted some great albums in the post Josey Scott era. I think the music has been strong, but earlier this year, the bands last remaining original member Wayne Swinny passed away at 59. He was however involved in the process of creating this album, and what an album it is. I think the songs are quite strong and on par with the material released in the Bobby Amaru era of the band. Catchy stuff with a modern edge and plenty of attitude. Where will the current lineup go from here? They are out touring with Drowning Pool and Adelitas Way currently with Josh Kulack playing guitar. Josh is from 9th Planet based out of Minnesota. Overall, if this is a final record, I think it is a particularly strong one. Favorite song for me, 'How To Live'! Great stuff!

Release Date: September 8, 2023

All kinds of catchy stuff as usual with this new album. If you aren't familiar with Danko Jones, you really should be. Musically, he has a groove about him. The songs always have a fairly raw feel to them and is full of rock anthems. You can also feel a bit of a punk spirit through this album. That's fairly normal for the rock trio. Lots of grooves and enough flash to keep a variety of fans very interested. Even though the album seems a bit short in terms of length, there is a lot of substance here. No reason to skip anything as the flow of music will keep the listener interested from start to finish. Performances by the band are very good as usual. The band was formed around 1996 and I believe 'Electric Sounds' is their 11 studio album. The band will be embarking on a tour very soon with a few west coast dates before heading overseas. Definitely give this a listen!

Release Date: September 15, 2023

Another one of my favorite Frontiers artists. I have a bunch of bands that are physical media must haves, and Vega is one of them. I've always loved their sound. They represent the label well, but at the same time, I feel they are fairly unique. Songs are melodic and catchy, but have a slightly modern feel in places. They have a pretty heavy feel of traditional hard rock however, and you know what that creates, a varied fan base. I think the songs chosen as singles were good choices with 'Battlelines' and 'Heroes And Zeroes'. Good representations of the sound of the album, but I also love 'Embrace The Grey' with it's very cool low end feel. 'Run With Me' is another favorite with an instant memorable feel to it. This really is an album with 12 great tracks that show how good this band can be. I always go back for more and will continue to do so. Top notch!

Release Date: September 8, 2023

Here is an interesting release. This one features Tracii Guns from L.A. Guns and Todd Kerns who has worked with Slash. This isn't really out of the norm of what these guys do with their other bands, but at the same time there are some differences. I felt from a songwriting standpoint, this record has some vintage sounding moments. . Also, it feels raw and in your face., but has a bit of depth and atmosphere to it as well. The chemistry of the guys involved is quite good as you can hear their contributions in each song. Adam Hamilton who was also a member of L.A. Guns also lends his talents on the record as well, Apparently Guns and Kerns wanted to make a record together from about a decade ago and have finally realized this goal. Many fine moments on this record whether they are melodic or more rock intense. Very good energy here!

Release Date: September 8, 2023