Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-38 Special, Dayseeker, Treat, Heavy Pettin, & CoreLeoni

Index

The latest from southern rockers 38 Special is titled 'Milestone' and what a milestone it is. I was recently able to catch the band live for the first time and this was their 50 year celebration. New album and tour. I thought the band sounded really tight and was definitely interested in what the band had to offer at such an important point in their history. The album lived up to expectations. Mostly southern tinged mid tempo rockers, but also, some very good lighter stuff such as the single 'All I Haven't Said' which ended up flying up the classic rock charts. 'The Look' was another great melodic moment and a great way to close the album. There was some good involvement once again from Jim Peterik. Overall, the album has a decent uniform feel to it with the melodic tunes offering some balance from that side of the spectrum. A great way to celebrate such a great career!

Release Date: September 19, 2025

Been branching my taste out in the last 12 months. My son has been giving me tips on newer bands, some leaning more metalcore. This is one of them. Overall, I find this band to have a relatively thick but rich sound to their music. There are some very melodic moments throughout this record and for fans of a more metalcore sound, they may be disappointed in ways. I think there is a lot to like here personally. Songs tend to be catchy, but have some good depth to them. Music is obviously modern in terms of sound, but to me, it feels fresh and I do think would have quite a bit of appeal to a variety of different audiences. I have looked at rock and metal through the years the same way. There is always a form of evolution while there can still be pieces that bridge the eras. I find this to be a very enjoyable listen and for fans looking for something new and different!

Release Date: October 24, 2025

I am such a big fan of this band. Been a fan for a while and always know that when a record comes out, it's going to be of the highest quality. 'The Wild Card' hits the high mark once again. The band have offered up 13 new tracks which is cool in itself. You see a lot of 10-11 song albums these days. Plenty of bang for your buck with this one. On top of that point, everything here is of high quality musicianship and songwriting. There is absolutely no mistaking this band when you hear them. Unique vocal work, and even though the band can step up into a heavier tempo, they still mix in so much melody. There are some melodic metal moments mixed with your typical Treat rock anthems. They never shy away from the even more melodic songs like 'Your Majesty'. My favorite track would be 'Hand On Heart'. Pure fire. Another essential must have album!

Release Date: November 21, 2025

Been a fan of Heavy Pettin for a very long time now. There were one of my earliest finds with the self titled album in 1983 that was released in other markets as 'Lettin Loose'. The band has only released a few full length records through the years, but as far as I am concerned, all have been very good quality overall. The band returned in 2020 after a pretty long absence with '4 Play' and set the wheels in motion for what would become their first full length album since 'Big Bang' in 1989'. The results, very good. Hamie still sounds great and has that familiar unique vocal style fans will remember. The music is solid. Good hard rock anthems that are structured in an old school style, but still have a fresh feel. I have always felt that Heavy Pettin records each have their own personality. This one is no different. It's Heavy Pettin, there's no doubt, and it's great to hear!

Release Date: October 24, 2025

Just about to hit the market is the latest live album from rockers CoreLeoni. For those unaware, this band features members of the Swiss band Gotthard and does offer up some of the Gotthard favorites either through studio or live material. This is a great live album. It has a very uniform feel mixing those Gotthard classics with some of the CoreLeoni original songs and the feel is quite similar with both. It's like a big groove from start to finish with the setlist. The production sounds really good and you sense the energy that was at the show with the crowd and band alike. The show was recorded on July 3, 2025 and the band was supporting Judas Priest. This definitely would have been quite a show all the way around. As a long time Gotthard fan, I am always supportive of finding ways to keep that earlier Gotthard material alive. The CoreLeoni originals are great too!

Release Date: December 12, 2025