Heavy Metal Resource-Picks

This page was last updated on: May 29, 2023

Pick of the month for 5 - 2023

Metal Church-Congregation Of Annihilation

I have revamped the picks section into more of a buyers guide. I figured that I would give a little more exposure to albums that are must haves and are still available as far as I know. If you have questions beyond the descriptions given, email me. Thanks for checking this section out.

Review coming soon!

After the untimely passing of vocalist Mike Howe, you had to feel or at least wonder if the band would be back. I was pleased to hear that the band had hired Ross The Boss vocalist Marc Lopes and were ready to give it a shot. They did keep it fairly lowkey but apparently did have material written and ready to go. Marc handles vocals in a great way. He reminds me of a mix of both David Wayne and Mike Howe. I think he fits well. Musically, the band went for a sound similar to the early stuff, specifically the first 2 albums. I think they have achieved that. The structure of the songs are similar and you get more modern production. The album is a banger and has had me listened to a lot of the music from the band. I hope this goes well as I have always believed that Metal Church was an important cog in the metal community! Definitely don't miss any of the titles below as they all represent the genre very nicely!

Another great release from Smackbound. The band is female fronted and has some modern sounding elements in areas. The band shows great growth with them evolving with this new release. The familiarity from '20/20' is still there but there is some stuff that is a bit deeper. Really dig this band. Worthy of your time for sure!

For Fans of: Heavy Rock Website: Smackbound Official Website

Another excellent melodic rock release. Great songwriting with memorable melodies. Richard 'Moon' Calhoun does a tremendous job on vocals and brings a lot of inspiration with the adversity that he has been through recently. Always love the music by this band and this one lives up to expectations once again!

For Fans of: Melodic Rock Website: Michael Thompson Band Facebook

Probably don't need to say much here. Lot's of good word out there on the latest from Metallica. Thought it was solid and probably my favorite going back a ways. Great riffing and falls somewhere between '...And Justice' and the 'Load' albums although there's a touch of 'Kill Em All' as well. Great heavy record with some cool grooves!

For Fans of: Metal Website: Metallica Official Website

I was really looking forward to this modern hard rock release and it delivered nicely. The music is really uniform. The last album 'Versatile' was exactly that, versatile. I loved it however, but it did keep me guessing at how the band would evolve with this new record. This new record will probably go down as one of my favorites!

For Fans of: Modern Hard Rock Website: Pop Evil Official Website

What is supposed to be the band's final album is upon us. The band is suppose to stay together for touring, but will cease to release new music. Time will tell. The album is definitely Godsmack with a slightly different dynamic. Songs are fairly straightforward in style with a couple of lighter moments.

For Fans of: Metal Website: Godsmack Official Website

Third release by George Lynch and Michael Sweet. Once again, excellent hard rock music that really showcases the talents of everyone involved. Lynch really shreds and his guitar tones sound really good to me. Occasionally the sound reminded me of vintage Dokken. Sweet also proves he is more than capable of hitting the high notes!

For Fans of: Hard Rock Website: Sweet & Lynch Facebook

'Get It Right' is exactly what the band does with this new album. Been literally decades between albums if you consider the two studio albums. The debut album has always been a favorite of mine and a go to and now I have another great album to keep in rotation. Glad to see these guys back and hope they do much more!

For Fans of: Hard Rock Website: Heavens Edge Official Website

Revolution Saints has some lineup changes this time. Joel Hoekstra and Jeff Pilson are now a part with Deen and the music once again is on par with the band's other albums. Good hard rock songs with some melodic moments here and there. Songwriting is very good once again as are the performances by each member. Very good!

For Fans of: Rock Website: Revolution Saints Facebook

From the moment I heard the new singles, I knew this album was going to be good. It was a lot of fun to listen to and I have gone back time and time again. I also just caught the band on tour for the first time and they put on a great show! The lineup is intact and the music once again benefits from that great chemistry. Excellent!

For Fans of: Hard Rock Website: Winger Official Website