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November 2024

• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
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• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
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October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
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• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
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• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
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September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
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• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
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• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

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The New Black: II Better in Black

(Melodic) Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

3.75/5.0

AFM Records
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by Craig Hartranft,  04.04.2011

Germany's The New Black scored some major kudos and recognition with their 2009 debut. After countless festivals and an immense amount of touring, TNB has found time to record their second album II Better in Black. This album solidifies their major mix of melodic hard rock and heavy metal with modern nuances (think a more sophisticated and innovative Hinder or Nickelback).

The New Black delivers a deep rock and roll groove accented by some metal edge and heaviness and surrounded by intense melody. TNB charms with hooks and melody on The King I Was and catchy Batteries and Rust. Downgrade, with its crisp pace, can sound like power metal, but it's more like heavy melodic rock. TNB can rock with geniune accessibility as on the southern tinged pary rocker Altar Boys, the quirky and clever pop sound on Happy Zombies, and arena styled rocker My Favorite. Later, metal heaviness blends with crackin' hooks on Last Chance to Throw Dirt.

The modern accents are obvious, if not deliberate, and maybe redundant as on Into Modesty, Better in Black, or When It All Ends. Thankfully, this is not acquiensce to current trends but, rather, real creativity on The New Black's part.

Honestly, there's not a bad song on Better in Black. But some songs are better than others: by example, the closer Sun Cries Moon, while interesting, is rather unpersuasive. Nevertheless, The New Black's Better in Black finds the band in their groove: solid melodic hard rock with an intense groove and enough metal edge to be dangerous. 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 New Black's Better in Black finds the band in their groove: solid melodic hard rock with an intense groove and enough metal edge to be dangerous. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]