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April 2024

• War Grave: War Grave EP
• Six By Six: Beyond Shadowland
• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

January 2024

• Corvus: Immortals
• Caligula's Horse: Charcoal Grace
• Grand: Second To None
• Neal Morse: The Restoration - Joseph - Part Two
• The Rods: Rattle The Cage
• Gotus: Gotus
• Metalite: Expedition One
• Cobrakill: Serpent's Kiss
• Jack Russell & Tracii Guns: Medusa
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 1
• The Grandmaster: Black Sun

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Signal Red: Under The Radar

Melodic Metal

5.0/5.0

Website (Label)
Escape Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 21.02.2018

In the works since 2013, Signal Red is the partnership of Ten guitarist Steve Grocott and vocalist Lee Small (Shy, Phenomena, et al). Grocott had been a fan of the vocalist for sometime. When Grocott found himself between bands, he made contact with Small, who agreed to work with him. Grocott's duties with Ten pushed their collaboration to the side temporarily. But now their debut album, Under The Radar arrives on the Escape Music label.

Lee Small & Steve Grocott

It's safe to say, the album is an fine example of classic melodic metal infused with a hard rock groove. It also finds both Small and Grocott in fine form. We all know Small as an exceptional vocalist. He sings clean and melodic, yet with the combination of soulfulness and strength. And Small needs all that strength to keep up Grocott's melodic metal songs which are filled with roaring riffs and bristling with fiesty solos, and then wrapped in some brisk pacing. If you love bracing guitar work with ambitious guitar solos in the neo-classical tradition, you will dig this guitar-forward album.

Most every song here is as described above with a few interesting exceptions. For example, in its melody and harmony, the song Tell It To The Bees reminds me of an uncommon mixture of AOR and melodic metal. Goth The Girl is another metal hard rocker, yet with brief synth start and a light piano and vocal breakdown in the middle. But don't worry, it fires into one of Grocott's frisky solos. Then there's Emotions In Motion, a song which doesn't follow the melodic metal rocker mold. Rather the song is a true AOR melodic rock ballad which displays Grocott's versatile songwriting and Small's soulful voice.

Suffice to say, the musical partnership of Lee Small and Steve Grocott in Signal Red is both creative and exceptional. Under The Radar is an ambitious and enjoyable album of vocal savvy and guitar-forward melodic metal. Get it. Easily recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The musical partnership of Lee Small and Steve Grocott in Signal Red is both creative and exceptional. Under The Radar is an ambitious and enjoyable album of vocal savvy and guitar-forward melodic metal. Get it. Easily recommended.

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Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]