With so many new releases, it’s hard to keep up.  In The Six Pack, we take a brief look at six albums that may have slipped through the cracks.

Quiet Riot – Hollywood Cowboys (2019)

I wanted to like this album, I really did, but it’s not an easy listen.  The music is easy to vibe with, but James Durbins vocals are grating and very hard to engage with (possibly why he’s already out of the band?)

I hate to nit-pick, but even the artwork is laughable.  Hopefully this isn’t the bands swansong, because I know they have better in them.

5/10

Michael Schenker Fest – Revelation (2019)

With a great selection of guest musicians, and of course, Schenker himself, it’s surprising and disappointing how underwhelming Revelation is.  In saying that, this does come across as a timeless album – it’s a 2019 sound, by way of the 70’s simplicity.

I did start to appreciate the album more and more with each listen.  There is some marvellous fret board wizardry at play, and the closing

number, Still in the Fight, featuring Graham Bonnet is fantastic.

7/10

Project Renegade – Order of the Minus (2019)

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Project Renegade have released their debut album, Order of the Minus.  Theirs is a sound informed by industrial metal, Nu Metal and traditional elements alike.  Marianna’s vocals are fantastic, offering contrast to the musical back ground of pounding rhythms and muscular guitar riffs.

If you’re a fan of bands like Evenesence and Within Temptation, then Project Renegade will be right up your alley.

7/10

Santa Cruz – Katharsis (2019)

For their fourth full length album, the Finnish hard rockers, Santa Cruz, have been re-energised by a new line up.  Singer, Archie, has confronted, and beaten his demons, and came out better for it.  With this new beginning, comes a somewhat new sound as well.

This is not your run of the mill rock record.  A track like Into the War is full of melodies that have been, until now, uncommon in the Santa Cruz sound.  This is a very mature album, to say the least.

8/10

Down ‘n’ Outz – This is How We Roll (2019)

Unlike Down ‘n’ Outz previous output, this record is made up of all new material, with only one cover track – The Tubes Classic, White Punks on Dope.  Joe Elliot sounds phenomenal on this record.  I love Def Leppard, but Elliot sounds totally youthful and energised here.

This is a killer rock record, full of old school hooks, melody and vocal harmonies.  There are 12 tracks on offer, and each one is worth it’s weight in gold, but the absolute highlight for mine, is the touching tribute to David Bowie, Goodnight Mr. Jones – it should be heard by all.

9/10

The Elephant – Self Titled (2019)

Fitting snuggly into the “stoner” sub category of the metal genre, The Elephant have released an absolutely killer album of the highest quality.  The songs have an epic nature to them, regardless of length, and the musicianship is understated, yet fantastic.

The bands second album is leaps and bounds ahead of their last offering, and will surely please fans of Kyuss and all of its offshoots.

8.5/10

-Shayne McGowan.