Retribution: Made in Hell
The title and title-track set the tone. This is death metal with melodic elements and a touch of industrial. Gruff vocals combine with distant melodic vocals backed with heaviness for quite a nice combination. The title track has key changes to make things more interesting, varying the pace of the song to add some variation on the normal metal straight-ahead template. This is a band that is trying to do something different which is always nice to hear. A good take on modern metal that pays head to what has come before as well. Having never heard of this lot, I was quite pleased by the quality on offer. Clearly a band that deserve good things and are worthy of your attention.
Dantesco: Pegano
Imagine Jose Carreras, the Spanish opera singer, fronting a metal band. The lead vocalist can be heard ranging between an operatic style and that of Graham Bonnet of Alcatrazz and Rainbow fame. These days we are used to hearing operatic women fronting power metal bands, but a man is quite unique. It all works rather nicely and is in Spanish to boot. This is great metal with a difference. My kind of "world music," it has to be said. There are elements of Queensryche, Iron Maiden, Rainbow, and even Judas Priest in the mix.
Throw in a few Spanish guitars for good measure and it really bloody works. It's so nice to hear a band keeping their roots with them as they play metal. This lot must be brilliant live. A release for those who have a bit of curiosity about them. Yes, I quite enjoyed this.
Montgomery Gentry: Back When I knew All
Liked this lot since I heard "Lonely & Gone" when it was a hit (even use it to warm up my own voice). This new album is their typical type of sub-Southern rock new country. A bit Charlie Daniels and a bit 38 Special with a serious dose of tongue-in-cheek lyrics. It's hard not to have a good time listening to them. For me it's a great antidote to some of the gloomy misery-guts that I listen to doing this gig.
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