Four albums for release, four albums to crank this week! I have been playing some of these albums non-stop for the last week knowing they would be hitting shelves shortly. Some of the tunes are a little harder to find such as Lonley Robot. However, if I had a physical copy of the new Sons of Texas album, it would have already been worn out. I'm not putting these guys on a pedestal by any means, but when those Phil Anselmo style vocals kick in, it makes it a very convincing album to rock along to. Same goes for Lonely Robot and Like A Storm as well. Since I am a hard rock guy (an increasingly loving prog music) this was a goldmine of tunes to check out. Not to leave it out but I was 50/50 on the Rhoads tribute album. The lineups are phenomenal, but some songs are just "meh". Not knocking it, but not praising it either.
So do your own judgement. Go pick up the album at your local record store and form your own opinion (and give us feedback if you are inclined). If not, then an online retailer or a trusted digital source. Cheers!
(Lonely Robot - Please Come Home)
(Like A Storm - Awaken The Fire)
The one thing about Awaken The Fire, which is also preventing me from giving this anything higher than a 4, is the actual flow of the material. Maybe Chaos Theory Pt. I spoiled me in the perfection of how the songs rolled into one another, or perhaps I’m just picky. But there was something about the actual song arrangements that didn’t sit right. It didn’t sound seamless to my ears, it was almost choppy to me. This and the whole issue of me being nitpicky about wanting more new material had dropped this down to a 3. However, the total revamp of “Enemy”/”Become the Enemy” and the inclusion of “Ordinary” saved this portfolio-esque piece, and popped it up to a 4. -Bloody Disgusting
(Sons of Texas - Baptized In That Rio Grande)
As a performer, Morales hits the proverbial nail on the head with his ability to grab the listener and make damn sure they feel what he does. Of course though, a great vocalist is nothing without a great band…and thankfully, they pull through on both fronts. The rest of Sons of Texas made sure that their music packs the same punch as Morales’ gripping vocals do. Guitarists, Jon Olivarez and Jes De Hoyos, come out swinging with some of the heaviest riffs, a thick, buttery, tone, the ability to know what each track on this album needs, and how to fill that sonic space without diluting it. Some of the guitar leads, in fact, take me back to a place in rock history where solos were meaningful, and not just for show…much like how a Pantera song would be incomplete without the offerings of the late, great, Dimebag Darrell. -New Transcendce
Metal singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Judas Priest) is featured on eight of the 11 songs while bassist Rudy Sarzo, who played with Rhoads in both bands, is on all 11, lending a certain consistency to the album. As for the long list of guitarists, there's a balance between those who veer off the rails a bit and those who do their best to stay true to Rhoads' original licks. -Creative Loafing
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