STYX ~ The Mission

 

I listened to this album & had some questions buzzing through my head. Why does Tommy Shaw not do much singing. He DOES sing, but, Tommy being the front man for the band only sings on a few of the tracks on this album. That being said, even without Tommy singing on most of the album (background vocals not included), This is the best STYX album since “Paradise Theater”. The rest of the STYX albums, following “Paradise Theater” were all very good, just not as good as “The Mission”. Great keyboards, great guitars, & vocals from at least 3 different vocalists. Going back to the great sound that STYX had back in the 1970’s. This seems like a concept album, which I thought, was one of the reasons that they got rid of Dennis DeYoung. Just a mystery to me, but again, a great album for sure. That was one of the other questions buzzing through my head. This album is their first studio album in 14 years. It’s glad to have you back with new music. This gets 5 out of 5 Music Guru Stars. I highly recommend this album.

Gentle Knife ~ Clock Unwound

 

This album, by Norwegian Progressive Rock guys (& gals), with 11 members, is chock full of changes. CLOCK UNWOUND starts off real slow with an intro with piano & horns (trumpet?) then jumps right into a big progressive song titled “The Clock Unwound”. The music doesn’t remind me of Yes’ “Close To The Edge” with it’s slow beginning & then jumping into it’s full fury. This is what these 2 songs remind me of. Sometimes the vocals are off for me, but, none of them are bad. The female vocals definately stand out more than the male vocals, for me. This is another great album from Gentle Knife. Bringing back some 1970’s sounds while bringing in a new fresh vibe. This album will be available to buy on June 15th. This album gets 4 out of 5 Music Guru Stars. It may get more with repeated listens.

Nad Sylvan ~ The Bride Said No

 

You may know Nad Sylvan from the Steve Hackett Band. If not, you’re missing out on great musicians doing some great progressive rock. This album, is a Prog Rock Opera of sorts, continuing the story from his previous release, “Courting The Widow”. This album features some great musicians such as STEVE HACKETT, ROINE STOLT, TONY LEVIN, NICK D’VIRGILIO, JONAS REINGOLD & more. As you listen, you can hear that it’s a conceptual album, as everything falls into place just perfectly. With so many great artists on this album, how could you expect a bad album? You can’t. The album is that good. Perfect? No, but, almost. This gets 4 out of 5 Music Guru Stars.

Troubled Horse ~ Revolution On Repeat

 

Troubled Horse is another Heavy Rock band, this time, out of Sweden. A bunch of great music, similar to Striker, but, a bit different. Troubled Horse has a classic feel to it, but with the same energy as Striker (See below). The vocals weren’t as strong for me, but, it did fit the band. Songs to listen to would be the first 3 tracks, “Hurricane”, “The Filthy Ones”, “Which Way To The Mob”, & track 9, “Let Bastards Know”. I give this 3.5 out of 5 Music Guru Stars.

Striker ~ Striker

This album from the very start is an ongoing engine with it’s throttle open. The songs are fast paced with that great flowing sound that comes from a band who loves what they do. This is the 5th release from this band from Canada, & just like Bachman Turner Overdrive 2, each song has it’s own personality. The only bad part that I can say about this album is when the (Background singers?) chant instead of sing. This doesn’t work for me. Add some melody guys. Otherwise, everything else is good. I really like it. Give it a listen, I think you will too. I give this 4 out of 5 Music Guru Stars.

Freddie Nelson ~ Shake The Cage

 

This album by Freddie Nelson, titled “Shake The Cage” is really a very good album. I wasn’t aware of what to expect, but, what I heard was really good. The first song didn’t really make me feel anything, but, what followed, certainly changed my mind. Different blends of Rock & Roll flow throughout this album. Good musicianship, good singing & good songwriting. What more needs to be said. I’d give this 4 out of 5 Music Guru Stars. It may be higher with repeated listens.

Ghost Against Ghost ~ Still Love

Multi Instrumentalist along with Thomas Pridgen (drummer from Mars Volta) bring you a new album titled “Still Love”. This album reminds me of a movie soundtrack. Not a lot of singing, but, more like humming or chanting from what I heard. If you’re a fan of soundtracks with a lot of instrumentation, this is the album for you. Me, I give it 3.5 Music Guru stars.