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Ralf Scheepers, Judas Priest wannabe, ex-Gamma Ray, current Primal Fear singer is now out with a solo album. However, one wonders how it is a solo album if Mat Sinner just wrote most of these songs anyways. Along with Sinner, other familiar faces appear such as Magnus Karlsson, Tim Ripper Owens, Kai Hansen, and Victor Smolski. Read the full review here. |
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It seems that Timo Tolkki is putting out albums faster than I can listen to them, not long ago I reviewed his last project under the name “Revolution Renaissance” and now he’s back with a brand new band, one that contains more notable names than RR. The new band – named Symfonia – features Andre Matos (ex-Angra) on vocals, and Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween) on drums. With a super group on his hand, can Timo actually go wrong? Read the full review here. |
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With Timo Tolkki out of Stratovarius the fan base got divided and all hell broke loose. Timo went on to start the unsuccessful Revolution Renaissance project, while the rest of the band continued on recording under the same name. Unfortunately, the once headlining group dropped into mostly a support act. The band released Polaris in 2009 which was a pretty decent album but lacked something to make the album a hit. Now, Stratovarius is back with a brand new album Elysium.
The album is catchy, melodic, and to the point. It’s Stratovarius at its finest. It’s what we know, and expect. Check it out if you’re a fan of melodic or power metal. You won’t be disappointed. Read the full review here. |
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I fell in love with Bob Catley’s voice after hearing him on Avantasia and Ayreon. While I love his solo album and his guest work, Magnum was never a huge hit with me. This year the band released The Visitation as a follow up to the 2009’s Into the Valley of the Moon King.
There isn’t much in terms of lasting appeal for this album. A lot of the songs don’t feature anything memorable, and the ones that do aren’t that great. There is some great talent on this album, but it feels that a lot of it is lost. Read the full review here. |
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What If… releases 20 years after their smash record “Lean Into It” and it brings many changes to the table. One of which is a much more agressive sound and dark sound. It’s hard to believe that these guys still have so much engergy left after all these years.
While fans of classic Mr. Big might be a little discouraged, don’t worry. The change is for the better. The production value is some of the best I’ve heard, and it really helps give the album sound much more dynamic as opposed to the stale sound of the older albums. Read the full review here. |
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I’ve always been a fan of Dream Theater and James LaBrie, unlike some fans; I have no problem with his vocals. LaBrie did a great job on his guest work on one of my favourite albums of all time: Ayreon – The Human Equation. However Dream Theater is undergoing a huge change now that the much beloved drummer – Mike Portnoy – has left the band. But in the mean time we have the second solo album of James LaBrie entitled Static Impulse.
It’s not a horrible album, but it lacks that hook that keeps me from coming back to it. Read the full review here. |
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Ah! It’s Helloween! The fathers of power metal are back with a brand new album after their rehashed album earlier in the year. After tons of outrage after Unarmed, Helloween promised the fans that they were going to make their heaviest album yet.
Yes, Helloween’s return is definitely a positive one. The album is loud and heavy with tons of great rhythmic sections and riffs that could destroy walls. Read the full review here. |
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Angra was one of the bands that brought me into the whole power metal scene but recently they completely slipped off my radar. Maybe I was starting to get bored of them, or maybe it’s because they haven’t released anything in 4 years. Aqua was never a anticipated release for myself so I didn’t really keep track of it at all. But back in August the album was released and I picked it up. Here I am in December, and I’m finally listening to it.
To be completely honest I’d stay away from this album. Angra have done better before, both with Andre Matos and without. Read the full review here. |
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Ever since I first heard the shrieks of David DeFeis on the first Avantasia albums I was hooked. Virgin Steele felt like a nice hidden gem that I discovered, at times it felt like the songs were written just for me. And now Virgin Steele is back with a new one.
If you’re looking for a metal album, don’t look here. The Black Light Bacchanalia is not a metal album; instead it’s a metal adventure. Read the full review here. |
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Timo Tolkki has had a shaky career recently. After leaving Stratovarius he went on to form a band called Revolution Renaissance. Now in his third straight year Tolkki is releasing the last album under Revolution Renaissance, entitled “Trinity.”
Trinity is by no means a bad album; it’s just not a good album. It is plagued by recycled or familiar riffs which make the album sound generic. Read the full review here. |