Artist: Rob Rock 
   Title: The Voice Of Melodic Metal
   Label: AFM Records

Having made his name both as a solo artist as well as with such legendary bands as Impellitteri, Driver, Axel Rudi Pell, M.A.R.S, Vice and Joshua, Rock has also made various guest appearance vocals on several albums.  September last year saw Rock make an appearance at the Prog Power Festival USA,  a performance that was actually recorded for a joint CD/DVD to be released, tentatively entitled 'The Voice Of Melodic Metal'.

Rock was joined on stage by the "Rob Rock band" featuring CJ Grimmark (Narnia) on guitar, Andreas Passmark (Divinefire, Narnia) on bass, Peter Halgren on guitar and Tracy Shell on drums.  The album covers Rock's expansive career as a solo artist, right from his debut solo album 'Rage Of Creation' up to his latest album 'Garden Of Chaos'.

The album opens up with the title track from Rock's latest album 'Garden Of Chaos', a track that shows that he hasn’t lost any of the power that has made him such a sought after vocalist in the whole Melodic Metal genre.  A truly powerful start to the album as Rock just screams his lungs out on this one and show's there is still fire in his belly and metal in his soul for this style of music.

Then it's time to turn back the clocks to 2005 for something from the 'Holy Hell' album, ‘First Winds Of The End Of Time’, where again Rock's vocals soar like an eagle above the Atlanta crowd.

The show continues with the electrically charged Metal of ‘Rock The Earth’, a track taken from the ‘Eyes Of Eternity’ opus, with another massive vocal from Rock, as you would expect, as the band powers on through, especially Shell on drums, who just explodes from the off.

Things go even further back in Rock's career to his first solo album in 2000 ‘Rage Of Creation’ for ‘In The Night’.  A track that's very reminiscent of the era where this more Melodic Hard rocker still stands the test of time some nine years later, as Rock power and vocal majesty continues to excel on this one.

But one of Rocks best tracks has to be the massive ‘Slayer Of Souls’ from the ‘Holy Hell’ album, which is just superb on album and live it's just as good if not better.  A great Metal track that Rock's big vocal styling perfectly.

We return once again to the 'Rage Of Creation' album for the fantastic ‘Judgement Day’ which is a thumping slice of Melodic Metal from the band as Rock’s vocals tower over the pulsating bass and double kick lines.  This power is continued on through into the epic ‘Only A Matter Of Time’, where CJ Grimmark and Peter Halgren really make their mark on the album with some outstanding guitar work.

‘This Time Is The Last Time’ edges toward that old school heavy metal vibe, but with Rock’s vocals adding that little extra to proceedings and thus making old school refreshing.

Rock brings out the big guns for the final three songs of his live set and they don’t get any more massive than ‘Saviours Call’, the new song and rip snorting ‘Metal Breed’, before rounding things off in typical Rock style with 'I’m A Warrior’.  With a set of lungs like that who are we to argue?

This new album will be released as a double CD/DVD package and I for one can't wait for the DVD because the CD captures the essence of the show perfectly, although for a true taste of any live show you really have to watch the band's performance on DVD, making this package a must for all Rock fans.

 

Tracklisting:

1. Garden Of Chaos
2. First Winds Of The End Of Time
3. Rock The Earth
4. In The Night
5. Slayer Of Souls
6. Judgment Day
7. Only A Matter Of Time
8. This Time Is The Last Time
9. Savior's Call
10. Metal Breed
11. I'm A Warrior

                   

 

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