Heavy metal is alive and kickin' real hard

While metal has disappeared from prime time music television, the cyberspace has hundreds of unheard, rare, and new bands rocking real hard. Some of the new bands are pretty good playing a style that critics may say retro. But the songs of some of these new bands are good and much much better than the two-chord alternative stuff that channels bombard you with. The following bands and songs, a mix of new and old, are real gems. 

Talon's All I Ever Needed is a great straight-edged mid tempo/melodic song with good guitar solos and pure vocals from Chandler Mogul. The songs make me feel that I have missed this band. Talon rose from the ashes of Voxen, says Melodic Rock, and invites fans of Dokken (my favourite) and Hericane Alice to lend their ears. Both are very good bands.

Melodic death metal band Evergrey is another great find with powerful melodic songs with classic guitar solos.Click here to listen to A Touch of Blessing. The vocals at times resembled the good old MSG.

I am big fan of Crazy Lixx'z Blame it on Love from their album New Religion. This melodic song has a unique passion and the harmonies perfect like the classic acts that rocked the 80s. One of the best new bands with that hard rock/heavy metal sound that takes the listener 20 years back.

I cannot forget Michael Monroe’s 80s hit, Dead, Jail or Rock n' Roll, a superb butt-kicking metal song from their Not Fakin' It album. Wikipedia says that the song video featured GNR frontman Axl Rose. What a song and what a musician! I remember watching with friends the video featured in Headbangers Ball when VHS tapes ruled the roost and months before I had the luck to listen to Appetite for Destruction. Yes, we missed to spot Axl Rose.

Riot was the most underrated band and had some exceptional power metal and melodic metal songs and albums. Listen to Riot - Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart). What a great song and what a great band.

Finally two great power ballads from Y&T and Great White. Keep rockin'.