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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
• 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
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October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
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• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
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September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
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• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
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• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
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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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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.

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 ]