• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

May 2025

• The Flower Kings: Love
• Maestrick : Espresso Della Vita: Lunare

March 2025

• W.E.T.: Apex
• Alliance: Before Our Eyes
• Ginevra: Beyond Tomorrow
• Phil X & The Drills:
  Pow! Right In The Kisser
• IQ: Dominion
• Heart Line: Falling Heaven
• Gotthard: Stereo Crush
• Defender: Dying To Live
• Streetlight: Night Vision

February 2025

• Robin McAuley: Soulbound
• Perfect Plan: Heart Of A Lion
• Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
• Mantric Momentum: Alienized
• Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
• Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
• Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
• Dream Theater: Parasomnia
• Tyran: Tyran's Oath
• Saber: Lost In Flames

January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
• The Ferrymen: Iron Will
• Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
• Bonfire: Higher Ground
• The Big Deal: Electrified
• Landfall: Wide Open Sky

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

[ More Music Reviews ]

High Spirits: Motivator

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal

4.0/5.0

Facebook
High Roller Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 07.09.2016

What began in 2009 as a bunch of demos tossed into a vinyl package has morphed into a seven year stretch of success for High Spirit. Two more albums followed with touring in both North America and Europe. Now the quintet returns with their fourth long-player, Motivator, once more on the High Roller Records label.

High Spirits

It's no mere slogan or promotional pitch when the Chicago based describes their music as "high energy rock." Motivator from start to finish is a brisk workout. Still blurring the line between classic rock and traditional metal, the songs move with bounce, speed, and groove. Twin guitars flail and flair being pushed along by an ambitious, nearly relentless, rhythm section. From that rhythm section the bass line swarms rattling fury. Blistering guitar solos also fly like a barrage of electric string bottle rockets. If there's any song that dials back on High Spirits power-popping melodic metal it's only Haunted By Love, yet still brimming with riffage, leads, and that slapping bass line. All this is to say, that if you're familiar with the band, High Spirits is certainly in their groove, on their A-game. Even more, the production on Motivator is significantly better than any of their previous albums. Mostly sounding a bit muted in the past, this album sounds crisp and lively, even sounding like a live performance with a fresh enthusiasm. Fundamentally, if you've liked everything High Spirits has done in the past, you will want Motivator. It's probably their best recording to date. Recommended.

High Spirits - Take Me Home

Share This Review with Your Friends

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

If you've liked everything High Spirits has done in the past, you will want Motivator, more of their brisk high energy rock. It's probably their best recording to date. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]