Hard Rock Reviews
As much as I like to call myself and this site Kevy Metal, my journey into music actually began with hard rock. Seventies and nineties hardrock – plus contemporary bands inspired by these styles – are still a significant part of what I listen to, and therefore, Album of the Week reviews on hard rock bands are published frequently. You can find all of them right here. Overlaps with my heavy metal reviews inevitably exist.
Looking for something specific, but can’t find it by browsing the reviews? Searching by artist name or release title using the search bar might bring up some Album of the Week reviews I have written before I started tagging my reviews properly.
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Album of the Week 20-2015: The Organization – The Organization
After Death Angel released their masterpiece ‘Act III’, quite a lot of things happened in a short time. Drummer Andy Galeon got badly injured in a tour bus accident, Geffen Records dropped the band and singer Mark Osegueda moved to New York. The four remaining members formed The Organization and,…
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Album of the Week 19-2015: Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group
Say what you want about his alcohol problems, crippling stage fright or tendency to walk out on bands unexpectedly, but Michael Schenker is an extraordinary talent when it comes to playing the guitar. And while he is most certainly a virtuoso on his instrument, he never forgets that playing well…
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Album of the Week 18-2015: Merry – Nonsense Market
While there may be bands I enjoy listening to slightly more, Merry is by far the most interesting Japanese band I have come across so far. They have a very strong concept focusing on the Japanese avant-garde of the first half of the twentieth century and it’s exactly that multiple…
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Album of the Week 16-2015: W.A.S.P. – Dominator
Blackie Lawless’ attitude has gotten W.A.S.P. a lot of hatred through the years – often understandably – and their live performances have been hit-and-miss for quite a long time, but his songwriting has been consistently good ever since he took a more serious route with ‘The Headless Children’. While nothing…
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Album of the Week 13-2015: Mother’s Finest – Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts
Damn, it’s been a while since Mother’s Finest released a studio album. As a fan of their combination of Funky R’n’B grooves and heavy Rock guitars, the announcement of the release of ‘Goody 2 Shoes & The Filthy Beasts’ was amazing news to yours truly. Especially after hearing it; where…
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Album of the Week 10-2015: Europe – War Of Kings
With the days of ‘The Final Countdown’ far behind them, Europe these days focuses on surprisingly strong contemporary Classic Rock. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s exactly what they do. Their sound is closer to their original influences of Deep Purple, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, UFO and especially Led Zeppelin…
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Album of the Week 09-2015: Soto – Inside The Vertigo
Some singers could sing the phone book over a busy tone and still move me. Jeff Scott Soto is one of those singers. His powerful voice possesses a rich dose of melody, but also an almost soulful raw edge that makes him a perfect fit for the AOR records he…
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Album of the Week 08-2015: Thunder – Wonder Days
Shortly after the release of Thunder’s second farewell record ‘Bang’, yours truly interviewed drummer Gary ‘Harry’ James for the now defunct Fury! webzine. At the time, James assured me that this time, their split would be definitive. Fast forward to 2015, when I’m holding ‘Wonder Days’ in my hands. I…
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Album of the Week 06-2015: Hyde – Faith
Many J-Rock albums, no matter how good they are, tend to be collections of singles rather than actual albums. Even those that are presented as concept records often have their tracks only very loosely connected. ‘Faith’, the third solo album by L’Arc-en-Ciel and Vamps frontman Hyde, is an exception to…
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