May had three posts on the new releases.

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here.

Part 3 is here.

So by May, the albums from Trivium, Red, Harem Scarem, Storm Force and The Night Flight Orchestra kept getting spins, along with some of the Jorn and H.E.A.T songs.

The single song releases from Machine Head – “Circle The Drain”, Royal Bliss – “Feeling Whitney”, Spoken – “Awaken Me” and Free Spirits Rising – “I Would Love To Rock The World” and “Moon Of Forever” kept getting some of my time.

“Prove Me Wrong” from Dee Snider got my attention. After 40 years in the business, Snider is still proving people wrong.

His recent releases are varied. “We Are The Ones” takes a stab at modern pop rock and he takes on modern groove metal with “For The Love Of Metal” which in turn returned him to the throne of the black sheep’s, the SMF’s, the “King Of The Fools”.

And “Prove Me Wrong” has a foot stomping metal riff that could make it on a Metallica album with Dee at his metal best.

“Atlas Falls” from Shinedown also hit the streaming services. This track is a left over from the “Amaryllis” album released in 2012 and I was hooked, because this is the Shinedown I like.

And the album that reigned supreme for me in May is “2020” from Vandenberg.

The whole album is stellar.

It gives me this feeling of when I listened to Bad Company, Rainbow (Dio fronted), Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, Deep Purple (Coverdale/Hughes version), Whitesnake and Black Sabbath (Dio fronted).

“Ride Like The Wind” reminds me of “Gates Of Babylon” from Rainbow.

“Hell and High Water” reminds me of Bad Company.

And “Light Up The Sky” sounds similar to a riff in “Bad Boys”.

“Shout” reminds me of “Slow And Easy” on steroids, with a driving beat. Especially that section after the solo, when it’s just drums, and Romero is singing, “Get Up And Shout”. “I Love It Loud” also comes to mind.

There is the “Fool For Your Loving” inspired “Shitstorm” with a David Coverdale like vocal that has been my go to track.

Or the Richie Blackmore inspired “Shadows Of The Night”.

“Let It Rain” reminds of Bonfire.

And my favourite track “Skyfall” closes the album.

Apart from the excellent riffage and song construction, the lead breaks are superb, song within song moments.

Check it out.