Sebastian Bach - Child Within The Man (Reigning Phoenix Music)
STOP THE PRESSES! Sebastian Bach has released his first solo album in 10 years and shocker! It's bloody good! The former and possibly future frontman of Skid Row has always been a controversial figure, talented but controversial. In the PR that accompanies this new album he's described as a singer, songwriter, author, Broadway Star and actor, which may sound like a Garth Marenghi quote. But accuratley describes one of the most distinctive voices in rock music he's also starred in Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jesus Christ Superstar as well as Gilmore Girls, Trailer Park Boys and more recently The Masked Singer US. It's with this latter show that Bach again showed what a great singer he is.
The versatility of his voice is a point that doesn't need to be argued and on Child Within The Man he delivers eleven heavy rock bangers, co-written with the best and brightest in the catchy rock game. What Do I Got To Lose for instance sounds exactly like an Alter Bridge song, which as it was co-written by Myles Kennedy and long-time Alter Bridge producer/mixer Elvis Baskette, makes total sense. Baskette also produced this record so it's as modern as it can be, the big boomy, radio friendly production style suiting the anthemic heavy rock songs co-written by Kennedy, John 5, Steve Stevens and Orianthi all creating with Bach, the last three playing the solos on their individual tracks.
Playing on all of the songs are long term axe slinger Devin Bronson, Slash bassist Todd Kerns and Steve Vai's drummer Jeremy Colson, so with a band that are so solid and experienced it's no wonder that this album is so strong. It's a collaboration of great musicians/writers with a singer who can still suprise on the Queen-like To Live Again, while Everybody Bleeds is much more like it, snarling vocals and big rock riffs.
What Do I Got To Lose swaggers with some cowbell and blues, Hard Darkness dials up the heaviness, as Vendetta is defiant and About To Break has Bach layered, showing every part of his wide range, almost as if he's duetting with himself. So as I said at the beginning of the review, this a very good heavy rock album, one that uses current rock radio trends, a glut of high profile co-writers and of course the legacy of Sebastian Bach as a vocalist to impress. 8/10
Crownshift - Crownshift (Nuclear Blast)
Despite Sweden being credited with the birth of Melodic Death Metal due to the legendary Gothenburg Scene, many of their Scandinavian neighbours also formed bands that drew from thrash and death metal but merged it power/symphonic metal. From Finland the biggest proponents of melodeath are Children Of Bodom however this new band Crownshift, manage to bring influence from CoB but also the Swedish foundation such as In Flames. When it's done right it's one of the most impressive styles of metal and Crownshift have all the talent and history to do it right.
The members are Daniel Freyberg on guitar who served time in CoB, Jukka Koskinen who plays thick proggy five string bass for Nightwish and Wintersun, locking in with his Wintersun band mate, drummer Heikki Saari who also plays for Finntroll, while vocalist Tommy Tuovinen is the voice behind MyGrain. The trio of instrumentalists were a part of Norther, a underrated but influential melodeath band who spilt in 2012.
So this reuinon has been a few years in the making as Crownshift came to be in 2019, delayed by the pandemic their self titled debut is now here to make a statement. From the shredding guitars, furious rhythms and varied vocals that come on Stellar Halo I'd say it was statement made from the first moments, this is melodeath done properly, leaning on the neoclassical guitar playing with keyboard passages added to build the melodic side, the track builds up from the intro and unleashes a maelstrom of relentless riffs.
It's the veteran skill of these men that is instantly recognisable, with Freyberg's production and Rami Nymänen's mix/mastering, Crownshift sounds clean and bright. Everything is just at the right level so you can hear the nuance in the playing. It's needed as Crownshift don't contain themselves to following a blueprint, they are a melodeath band but there's the poppier sounds of an band such as Chyra on My Prison alongside the proggy textures of The Halo Effect on the closing epic To The Other Side.
They shift gears towards a short shot of groove on The Devil's Drug and even have a go at an atmospheric Maiden-like instrumental with Mirage as Rule The Show is very Hevy Devy as if you dare brings it all back to CoB. I could go on about this album for ages as it's so bloody good, using melodeath as a foundation and building on it with classic/power/prog/pop metal, Crownshift have smashed their way into my AOTY list for sure. 10/10
Riot (V) - Mean Streets (Atomic Fire Records)
Heavy metal, heavy metal is about rebellion, the leather, the chains, bikes and bodacious machismo. Not many scenes embody this more than the US metal scene in New York City.
One of the most cult bands to come out of that was Riot formed by guitarist Mark 'The Shark' Reale in 1975, they were contemporary's of Manowar, Virgin Steele and The Rods but it was Riot who were pipped to be the breakout stars. As with all of the metal world the 90's was tough but it was in 2012 with the passing of Reale that the surviving members formed Riot (V) to pay homage to their fallen leader and play some heavy damn metal.
They have moved with the times a little bringing some power metal into their street savvy classic heavy metal but they always write with Mark in mind so Riot (V) never strays from the founders vision. It just makes it more modern and on this 17th album, but their third without Reale, Riot (V) establish themselves as not just a legacy act but their own beast.
Keeping the same line up since 2012, it's Donnie Van Stavern who takes the leadership roll, his thundering bass the cornerstone of the record. Locking in with Frank Gilchrist behind the kit they plough straight into the speed metal assault of Hail To The Warriors, this is a very Priest-like track, singer Todd Michael Hall's vocals having always been similar to Tim 'Ripper' Owens', but he has more of range as anyone who has heard his solo album will attest to.
Shredding up a storm are guitarists Mike Flyntz and Nick Lee, on Higher where they peel off dual harmonies that bring the speed/power, they are living up to Reale here and with tracks such as the strutting Feel The Fire and Love Beyond The Grave. If you like your bikes loud, your metal muscular and your legacy's long lived you'll be right at home on these Mean Streets. 8/10
The Treatment - Wake Up The Neighbourhood (Frontiers Music Srl)
Armed with five previous albums of dirty rock riffs, The Treatment have build a rabid fanbase since their start in 2008 and their debut album in 2011 (though there are two versions but let's not get into that) blending the pub rock realness of AC/DC with the melodic rock of Def Leppard topped off with the attitude of punk they have gone through some line up changes but steering the ship from the beginning are guitars Tagore Grey and drummer Dhani Mansworth.
The most recent addition to the band is bassist Andy Millburn but he has already appeared on one album before this, 2021's Waiting For Good Luck, so it's an established line up that also features Tao Grey on guitar and Tom Rampton on vocals. With their sound set in stone is Wake Up The Neighbourhood won't give you any surprises, it the competent hard rock that has led them to six albums, from the opener Let's Wake Up This Town, the nostalgic Back To The 1970's which will resonate with their audience for sure, though most of band were probably young in the 90's.
Elsewhere I Can't Wait No Longer has a touch of glam about it as they preach acceptance with the AC/DC meets The Faces rocking of Don't Make No Difference, similarly on Free Yourself, Rampton makes himself known as the best vocalist the band have had. Why change the wheel when this rock n roll vehicle is still forging ahead with what their audience expect. Classy rock with bit of grit. 7/10
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