Raise Your Fist To Metal

Quickly becoming one of my fave cds to listen to on my way to work. Love the 1st single, "Stay".

Solid.

And there is nothing wrong with that.This album is full of solid riffing, solid songs and quality guest musicians. A veritable smorgasbord or players and vocalists help out and everyones current and former bands are mentioned on the fold out sleeve which is a nice touch.One thing to remember with this album - Jack Frost really means it. After so long with musos who couldn't really play infesting so much of the hard music genres (and they didn't care if you noticed or not) and after what feels like ages where actual talent and attempting to do something seriously was looked down upon Jack deserves some credit. He really tries hard and he wants to be good and he loves metal and is happy to share the limelight on his discs with others, not just have his guitar way over and above everyone elses in the mix. And the guy can churn out a meaty riff at the drop of a guitar pick.But that doesn't mean it's all good news.The problems here are the multiple singers. In some ways this is a cool thing, but at times some listeners might find it annoying. The tunes themselves seem to always be missing that 'X factor' - as Maiden might say. Personally I'd recommend something from Seven Witches for the newcomer to listen to if your interesting in exploring some Jack Frost product.Having said that, there is a sense of fun in this project which is no mean feat given the various players involved. And add to this an interesting cover of Kansas' Fight Fire with Fire and it's clear Jack is happy to show some of his influences. And 'The Man I Am' is a nice, mellow tune and a nice break for the listener.Ultimately another solid outing for Jack Frost. This would probably suit fans of Seven Witches, perhaps also Savatage and Kamelot fans.

What's good about it?"Stay" starts off with a commanding opening riff. The vocals are rough, raw, and reminiscent of Dee Snider during his Widowmaker days. There are a few nu-metal elements thrown in as well. Quick driving rhythms and a hollow drumbeat (think Metallica's latest) are featured on "The Chase." Jack Frost proves that he's not just a shredder, but a blues enthusiast as well. There's some eighties throwback riffing on "Brotherhood of Lies." You're sure to make comparison to early Savatage and Ronnie James Dio. The strongest track, "The Man I Am" is stripped down to a more acoustic vibe. The vocals are more melodic and compliment the track well. In case you forget, Frost is an ax-man, he reminds you on "Nippin' at Your Ear." The gang does a bang-up job on the Kansas classic, "Fight Fire with Fire." It's heavier, yet still tuneful.Anything bad?They don't really make it clear who's doing what (at least on the promo disc). Disc is 36-minutes long. Vocals could be stronger. Their cover of Ratt's "Lack of Communication" is a disaster. When everyone in the studio chimes in on the repetitive 'lack of...communication...lack of,' it really kills it. The version just goes to show you how unique a vocalist Stephen Pearcy is.Bottom LineI'm really torn with this one. Jack has some great riffs, licks, and solos, plus the rhythms are really catchy. However, the vocals could be a little smoother (and on key in some instances). It still rocks if that's not important to you.