Act Of Defiance - Birth and the Burial (2015)

Genre - Heavy Metal / Thrash / Extreme Metal / Metalcore

Label - Metal Blade Records

 

Track listing:

01 - Throwback

02 - Legion Of Lies

03 - Thy Lord Belial

04 - Refrain and Re-fracture

05 - Dead Stare

06 - Disastrophe (A New Reality)

07 - Poison Dream

08 - Obey The Fallen

09 - Crimson Psalm

10 - Birth and the Burial

Birth and the Burial is the debut studio album by American heavy metal super group Act of Defiance. It was released on August 21, 2015 through Metal Blade Records.
Act of Defiance is an American extreme metal super group from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2014 by former Megadeth members Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover, former Scar the Martyr front man Henry Derek and Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand.
With such  pedigree within its ranks you would expect the debut album from Act of Defiance to be something a little special, and that it is!
Opener 'Throwback' really sets the scene, pounding riffs and Derek's vocals set to tear your face off, a great start. 'Legion of Lies' follows, and is more of the same, although I have to be honest I could really see the legendary King Diamond providing a great vocal line for this song, but to be fair Derek does and bloody magnificent job himself!
'Refrain and Re-fracture' provides a little contrast to the proceedings with its acoustic intro before launching into a great Megadeth type of riff. Mustaine will  be jealous of this one, I'm certain.
'Dead Stare' is out and out thrash at its finest!
'Disastrophe' continues in the same vein as its predecessors whilst 'Poison Dream' opens up with a piano and Cello intro adding more texture to the song and album. 'Obey The Fallen' is probably the most commercially accessible track on offer here and is till a bloody fine piece of metal! 'Crimson Psalm' is another fine piece of metal that grinds along its groove whilst the albums closer, and title track, 'Birth and the Burial' is just brilliant.

In short, with Birth and the Burial, Act Of Defiance have produced the album that the four heavy weights of the thrash genre, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax wish they were (and hope they are) still capable of!

Very Highly recommended

Rating - 10/10

 

BLACK STAR RIDERS - The Killer Instinct [Deluxe Edition] (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label - Nuclear Blast

 

Track listing:

01. The Killer Instinct
02. Bullet Blues
03. Finest Hour
04. Soldierstown
05. Charlie I Gotta Go
06. Blindsided
07. Through The Motions
08. Sex, Guns & Gasoline
09. Turn In Your Arms
10. You Little Liar

Bonus CD:
01. Gabrielle
02. The Reckoning Day
03. The Killer Instinct (Acoustic)
04. Blindsided (Acoustic)
05. Charlie I Gotta Go (Acoustic)
06. Finest Hour (Acoustic)

By God does this guy ever stop! Not only has Black Star Riders frontman, Ricky Warwick, written recorded and released (via Pledge music) two brand spanking new solo album over the past few months, he has over seen the re-issue the his first bands, The Almighty, first two albums and managed to find the time to write and record a brand new album with Black Star Riders. Damn this guy likes to keep busy, and thank god he does!
After their critically-acclaimed Top 30 debut album, Black Star Riders return with the long-awaited follow-up, "The Killer Instinct". The band formed around the last of incarnation of Thin Lizzy and featuring guitar legend Scott Gorham (ex- 21 Guns), Damon Johnson (guitar, ex- Alice Cooper), Jimmy DeGrasso (drums, ex- Megadeth), Robbie Crane (bass, ex- Ratt, Vince Neil) and fronted by Belfast-born, ex-The Almighty vocalist Ricky Warwick, are back with vengeance.
All Black Star Riders members reportedly sat in debate over whether or not to make "The Killer Instinct" a Thin Lizzy influenced album. The end result is part Thin Lizzy and part something original as the band reaches for its own kick. Pooled together, this album is a winner.
The title track brings to mind Lizzy, straight down to Ricky Warwick's replication of Phil Lynott's choky swoons and slides, only an octave lower. The guitar solo is crisp and the riffs are tight and sweaty, giving the necessary verve behind the edict 'you have to die a little to survive'.
"Bullet Blues" afterwards is a tougher, slightly heavier, though no less melodic rocker with chucked-down bridges and dirty, blistering tag guitar solos.
The stunning "Finest Hour" just drew me in straight away, a simple melodic gem that’s knee deep in classic American rock. The first real sniff of Lizzy comes with "Soldierstown", where the trademark Celtic guitar licks are as resolute as always. If ever there was a song that announced Ricky Warwick as the singer in Black Star Riders, and not the guy that sings Thin Lizzy songs, "Charlie I Gotta Go" is it. Vocally, Warwick always delivers, but lyrically he tells his story with gritty poetic honesty.
Acoustic is not a word that was ever associated with Thin Lizzy, but BSR are continuing to grow their own identity, and with the sumptuous "Blindsided", they take their versatility to a new level. But like it or lump it, the Lizzy association is still the fulcrum of the band, and "Through The Motions" incorporates a lot of that classic sound.
"Sex, Guns & Gasoline" is a belter. A dirty, greasy rocker that’s drenched in sin. The band are firing on all cylinders here, especially the mean rhythm section. Drum assaulter Jimmy DeGrasso has without doubt filled the massive void left by the legendary Brian Downey. And new guy, former Ratt bassist Robbie Crane, seems to have slotted in effortlessly following the departure of Marco Mendoza.
Once again the Gorham/Johnson partnership is five star on the swaggering "Turn In Your Arms", with a Native American tale, Warwick once again displays his A level lyrical intelligence. "You Little Liar" closes the album with an epic thump. The songs climaxes with an apocalyptic guitar solo that hasn’t served it’s purpose if your ears aren’t ringing.
This "The Killer Instinct" Limited Edition 2CD Digibook Version is a must, as the bonus CD is fantastic. Features two great extra tracks in the sweet "Gabrielle", and a melting melodic rocker on "The Reckoning Day", plus earthy acoustic versions from the main album best songs.
Overall, this is an terrific blend of melodic rock anthems combined with classic rock sounds like Thin Lizzy used to make. It’s not hard to imagine this band being four of the five former members of Lizzy, yet Black Star Riders have done an awesome job of modernizing their sound to what melodic hard rock and classy metal fans want to hear in 2015.

AWESOME.
Rating - 10/10

 

The players:

Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) - Vocals
Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) - Guitars
Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper) - Guitars
Robbie Crane (Ratt, Lynch Mob) - Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso (Megadeth, Y&T) - Drums

SWEET & LYNCH - Only To Rise (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock

Label - Frontiers Music

 

Track listing:

01 - The Wish
02 - Dying Rose
03 - Love Stays
04 - Time Will Tell
05 - Rescue Me
06 - Me Without You
07 - Recover
08 - Divine
09 - September
10 - Strength In Numbers
11 - Hero-Zero
12 - Only To Rise
 

"Only To Rise" is the debut album title, and SWEET & LYNCH is the name of the newest super-group to come together to make some old fashion, ass kickin’ classic US Hard Rock.
This pairing only seems awkward upon first glance, but there's a perfect logic to these guys hooking up.
Michael Sweet himself has stated on record he'd considered Lynch a 'bucket list' musician to work with and, straight outta the Eighties, SWEET & LYNCH was born.
Bringing along with them awesome skin basher Brian Tichy (Foreigner, Whitesnake, Billy Idol) on drums and James LoMenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Lynch Mob) on bass, the unit's debut "Only to Rise", is, well, pretty durned cool.
"The Wish" rings precisely like you might expect, an amalgam between Stryper and Dokken with a hair more toughening up. As a mid-tempo power jam, Michael Sweet pounces upon the straight-laced lines and for the most part soars overtop George Lynch's steady riffs.
The song is written in the classic verse-chorus hard rock format, hitting Lynch's solo precisely where expected and the tune wraps up nice 'n' tidy as "Like a Dying Rose" struts out from it.
This track carries more Lynch Mob influence as Lynch chucks some bluesy plugs amidst the bobbing bass and floating keyboards. Sweet sounds relaxed as he molds his pitch to fit the lowdown groove of the cut.
The same can be said of the dirtier blues rawker "Rescue Me".
"Love Stays" could've been a predictable power ballad, but there's a heavier swing to this track even as it tails at a leisurely pace. This song is louder and chocked full of George Lynch's peals and rips where he can get away with them, but otherwise, it has far more oomph than meets the eye.
"Me Without You", features a gorgeous intro and threading melody by Lynch to compliment Sweet's harmonious croons. Sounding a bit like the Scorpions as the would-be ballad winds along, "Me Without You"'s biggest strength is the stellar vocal harmonizing aside from George Lynch's stress-free solo.
"Time Will Tell" changes the pace as Lynch and James LoMenzo ride hard upon Brian Tichy's crashing march. Reverberating chords and a determined bass channel thickens up this stout tune that carries an '80s action film verve about it. Accordingly, Michael Sweet reserves his best octaves for this one and the song blazes. The backing vocals are particularly great, one of the most uplifting songs Lynch or Sweet has ever put his name behind.
As much as this album stays in a low-rolling tempo, "Recover" finally steps on the gas with James LoMenzo's bass driving what becomes a Stryper-based rocker with more of a blues base to it. Sweet lets his falsettos fly free with "Recover"'s banging groove and lofting choruses. Appropriately, George Lynch, who delivers mostly tempered solos on the preceding tracks, cuts loose on this one.
Dipping back to mid-tempo, the band jams like beasts on the crawling "Divine". Only on the appositely sugary choruses does this song ease up, and Michael Sweet seizes those opportunities to remind his listeners to avoid letting the sins of the world swamp their lives.
There's classic choruses on "September", hot riffs in "Strength in Numbers" and "Hero-Zero" gimp more than move, but all that's come before them is enough to compensate, and the title track closing the album has enough sweat and hump (including a quick, bitchin' drum solo by Brian Tichy) to call it a good day in this camp.
Whether you get the soundness of this union or come to it with a glaring question mark, Michael Sweet and George Lynch answer their own call and "Only to Rise" is a killer Hard Rock record.

Well worth checking out!

Rating - 9/10

The Players:

 

Michael Sweet (Stryper) – Vocals, Guitar
George Lynch (Lynch Mob) – Guitar
James Lomenzo (ex White Lion, Megadeth) – Bass
Brian Tichy (ex Whitesnake) – Drums

Megadeth - Super Collider (2013)

Genre - Heavy Metal / Hard Rock / Thrash Label - Tradecraft Imprint

Track listing,

01 - Kingmaker
02 - Super Collider
03 - Burn!
04 - Built For War
05 - Off The Edge
06 - Dance In The Rain
07 - Beginning Of Sorrow
08 - The Blackest Crow
09 - Forget To Remember
10 - Don't Turn Your Back...
11 - Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy cover)

12 - All I Want (Deluxe Edition Bonus Track)
13 - A House Divided (Deluxe Edition Bonus Track)


Megadeth return with their latest offering in the form of Super Collider, the follow up to 2009's Endgame and 2011's Th1rt3en., but something has changed.
Dave Mustaine seems to have abandoned the high speed complexity of these two previous albums and opted to issue a more melodic, dare I say commercial sounding album. Its not the first time he has walked this path, but how does Super Collider fair?

The album opens with Kingmaker, a fast tempo-ed track that wouldn't be out of place on any of the bands previous albums. Next up is the title track, Super Collider, a mid paced straightforward rocker. Burn! continues in a similar vein, yes it picks up the pace a little and Mustaine snarls out the lyrics but that's about it.
Built For War drips with attitude, a great song, should be fun live.
Off The Edge is next, another mid tempo-ed rocker, there is nothing wrong with it, it just seems to lack something for me, despite its great guitar harmonies this is one I'll probably be skipping alot.
Dance In The Rain slows the pace down even further. This track is a corker, it has a feel that would fit comfortably on either Count Down To Extinction, Youthanasia or Risk!. As I said its a great song.
Beginning Of Sorrow is slow moody burner of a track, whilst The Blackest Crow brings a little southern flavour into the mix.
Forget To remember follows and has a real radio friendly vibe to it. Not a bad song, with some great lyrics refering to alzheimers.
Next up is Don't Turn Your Back... begins with some great bluesy guitar work outs before bursting into a great up tempo rocker, love this one.
Closing out the standard edition of the album is a great reworking of the Thin Lizzy track, Cold Sweat. Its also worth noting that this is the first time Since Peace Sells... that a cover song has featured on the main albums track listing.

The deluxe edition comes with two additional bonus tracks, All I Want and A House Divided. First up is All I Want, a great little fun uptempo rocker.
A House Divided is a track with a more familar Megadeth vibe to it. A good song that should have made the album proper in my opinion.

On a whole Super Collider is a great melodic album which will find more favour with fans of Megadeth's previous more melodic albums such as Countdown To Extinction, Youthanasia, Risk, Cryptic Writings etc, but as long as fans keep an open mind there is plenty here to enjoy!



Worth checking out

Rating - 9/10

Megadeth – Th1rt3en

Genre - Thrash / Metal / Hard Rock
Label - Roadrunner

Track listing -

01 – Sudden Death
02 – Public Enemy No. 1
03 – Whose Life (Is It Anyways)
04 – We The People
05 – Guns, Drugs, & Money
06 – Never Dead
07 – New World Order
08 – Fast Lane
09 – Black Swan
10 – Wrecker
11 – Millennium Of The Blind
12 – Deadly Nightshade
13 – 13

Dave Mustaine returns with his latest incarnation of the mighty Megadeth, a lineup that includes, 
Dave Mustaine (Guitars, Vocals), the returning David Ellefson (Bass), Shawn Drover (Drums) and Chris Broderick (Guitars), and by God these guys have rediscovered their form. Thirteen is the Megadeths thirteenth album and quite honestly probably their strongest since Youthanasia! Yes you read that right, dave and the crew have managed to tap into that rich vein that they plundered so well with the Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia.

""TH1RT3EN" has several levels of meaning, which Dave Mustaine, who first picked up an axe at the age of 13, reveals, saying, "I was born on September 13th; this is my thirteenth record. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do to call it "TH1RT3EN". Mustaine is incredibly proud of the music put forth on the new recording, "This record is the culmination of my work over the 13 records I recorded. There are moments on "TH1RT3EN" that capture my every emotion, and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew existed! My proudest moments of my musical career are captured on "TH1RT3EN"."

In TH1RT3EN Megadeth have produced the strongest album to come from any member of the "Big Four" in years, and yes that included Anthrax's stunning comeback album Worship music!

Stand out tracks for have to include, Sudden Death, We The People, Guns Drugs & Money and the title track 13.

A stunning return to form from one of the best metal bands out there!

Rating - 10/10

Megadeth - Endgame Review

Ever since Megadeth's return after Dave's nerve injury fans have been waiting for a true return to form, well this is probably about as close as they're ever gonna get, Endgame really does come across an inter breeding of Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction.

"This Day We Fight!"-Old-school Megadeth through and through. Very thrashy and extremely fast. You can feel some of Dave's old aggression in this song, a real return to form!
44 Minutes" is a simple but catchy main riff with some great vocals on Dave's part. The song hints at its thrash roots but the chorus is purely melodic rock at its best. There's some great soloing too! This is one of my early fav on the album!

Other highlights include the epic "The Hardest Part of Letting Go…Sealed With A Kiss", the fast, brutal, and thrashy "Headcrusher" and the excellent "How The Story Ends".

Endgame really is a return to form for Dave and the boys, ladies and gentlemen, Megadeth have finally returned!

rating 9/10