From the new album, “Death By Fire”, Swedish speed metal merchant Enforcer return with “Mesmerized By Fire”. If you get the chance to catch Enforcer live, you are in for a treat, especially if you are a fan of old school Raven, Agent Steel and Exciter.
The Pure Rock Shop returns bigger, brighter and bolder than ever! We will bring you CD reviews of the greatest hard rock and heavy metal bands on the planet! In addition, we will have feature interviews with rising artists and established legends! We have also added our classic CD reviews and interviews to the revamped website.
If you are looking for some exposure for your band and artists on your label, The Pure Rock Shop is a great place to get noticed! We average over 2,000 unique visitors per day from all parts of the world. Contact us for more information on getting your material reviewed!
John Macaluso takes over the drum duties for the neo-classical Italian metal band Mastercastle, featuring Giorgia Gueglio on vocals.
Here is the first track from the new Queensryche album to be released on June 11th on Century Media Records.
What is your opinion of Todd La Torre on vocals?
From Sweden, Amaranthe offers a hybrid pop metal style featuring the lovely vocals of Elize Ryd, vocals from Dream Evil vocalist Berg and cookie monster vocals from a third person.
This track from their forthcoming album will not please all metal fans across the board. Fans of bands such as In This Moment will be much more receptive to this material than say fans of Iron Maiden, although they may garner some crossover appeal.
Canada is the place to look these days for killer underground heavy metal bands.
Axxion is a 4-piece from Toronto, and their debut EP is one punishing slab of traditional heavy metal.
Now many bands claim to be followers of traditional heavy metal but play a style that is miles away. Axxion can claim influences from Tokyo Blade to Black Axe, whose song, “Highway Rider”, they cover on the vinyl version of the EP.
“The Rite” sounds like a track coming straight of 1983 with the high screams and gang background vocals.
You would swear “Stallion” was a long lost track from “Look Out For The Night” by Axtion. D.D. Kerr sounds like a dead ringer for Axtion’s Randy Amos.
Drummer Alison Thunderland, formerly of Skull Fist, is the highlight of “Savage Avenger” playing some very impressive and intricate patterns.
The closing track on the CD version, “Crazy Nights”, is a good time, Friday night party song.
If you are looking for deep lyrical meaning and metaphors, this isn’t the album for you. However, if you are tired of over-compressed albums and prefer your metal with major respect to the godfather’s of traditional metal, Axxion is well worth checking out.
Showing influences of Alice Cooper (and perhaps both Lizzy Borden’s!), A Sound Of Thunder strikes visual gold with the splatter piece Kill That Bitch from their Out Of The Darkness release. Keep an eye out for a new full-length release in 2013. As a teaser, they have an EP called Queen of Hell available on iTunes and at their shows.
After a triumphant Monsters of Rock Cruise appearance, Biff Byford and Saxon return with a powerful, hungry-sounding new track from their soon to be released album Sacrifice.
Sweden’s Sister Sin returns with another workout inspiring track from their latest release “Now and Then”. It is little surprise to find out lead vocalist Liv also works as a personal trainer in her native land. Obviously, she has quite a soundtrack to success in the gym!
1. Halestorm – The Strange Case Of…
2. Icarus Witch – Rise
3. Sister Sin – Now and Forever
4. Eclipse – Bleed & Scream
5. Striker – Armed To The Teeth
6. Manowar – The Lord Of Steel
7. Malice – New Breed Of Godz
8. Steelwing – Zone Of Alienation
9. A Sound Of Thunder – Out Of The Darkness
10. The Last Vegas – Bad Decisions
The very controversial Manowar release “The Lord Of Steel” (Hammer Edition) draws extreme praise and damnation from longtime fans.
The biggest complaint universally with respect to the album is the constant bass buzz courtesy of Joey DeMaio.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the album receives great phrase for having songs that recall the glory daze of Manowar.
“El Gringo” is probably to best Manowar individual track since “Wheels Of Fire”. The song oozes Manowar machismo and ego, which if you are a fan of the band, you come to expect.
“The Lord Of Steel”, “Manowarriors” and “Born In A Grave” are solid tracks and stick with you rather quickly.
Overall, “The Lord Of Steel” (Hammer Edition) is not going to convert skeptics into fans, and, mostly like will not draw in too many new fans with the peculiar mix.
“New Breed Of Godz” is the first release from Malice in over 20 years.
The remaining original members of the band have recruited James Rivera (Helstar, Destiny’s End, Seven Witches, Vigilante) to assume the lead vocal position.
Typically, albums that are full of recycled and re-recorded songs are pretty lame. However, Malice does a solid job of breathing fresh air into their classic tracks such as “Hell Rider”, “Sinister Double”, “Air Attack” and “Godz Of Thunder” without showing any disrespect to the original tracks.
The brand new title song “New Breed Of Godz” definitely has a definite Helstar feel to it.
Fans of James Rivera and the first three Malice releases should fine this release appealing as the band stays fairly faithful to the original compositions and Rivera still has that amazing voice after 30 years in the business.
