| Musical Style: Metal/Hard Rock | Produced By: Nick Layton |
| Record Label: Roxx Records | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: 44:54 |
Reign Of Glory July of 2025 sophomore album Slingshot isn’t radically different from the groups 2022 debut All Will Bow (both released via Roxx Records), but it does include several updates. It introduces a new lead vocalist, noting the departure of Robyn Kyle Basauri (Die Happy, Red Sea) and his replacement Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Joshua Perahia, Royal Hunt, Hearts On Fire), and new drummer, with Jeffrey McCormack (Les Carlsen) supplanting Jim Chaffin (The Crucified, Fasedown, Deliverance). Musically, Slingshot remains true to the groups eighties melodic metal and hard rock roots, although separating with an elevated blues and classic rock basis compared to All Will Bow.
Reign Of Glory otherwise remains the project of founding members bassist Roger Dale Martin (Vengeance Rising, Once Dead, Die Happy) and guitarist Nick Layton (Firewolf, Q5). When factoring such a star-studded roster, group rings true of an ‘all star’ project. Therein also lies the rub in light of not just the talent at hand but also the bar set so high with All Will Bow (90% Angelic Warlord review), Reign Of Glory potentially underachieves on Slingshot. When listened alongside, Slingshot in my opinion lacks the musical depth and consistency to All Will Bow, encompassing material mostly in the good to very good range not to mention a couple skip worthy tracks. Contrast this with All Will Bow, which comprises great song after great song and second half musically close to perfect as it gets.
In no way do I intend to denigrate Slingshot in that it is home to its share of choice material, particularly over its first half. Opener “Hold On” impresses in this regard, a high-strung hard rocker with a bluesy guitar slant and Boal’s immaculate gravelly but melodic vocals to go alongside hooks of a distinctive nature. Song proves upbeat, striking and assertive in ranking with albums finest. Lyric snippet:
So let the thunder roll, let the lightning strike
Keep on movin and you’ll make it thru the night
Just call His name, to conquer sin and shame
You will never be the same
There’s fire in your soul, it’s the truth you feel
The shadows in your mind are turning like a wheel
On “Higher Ground” Reign Of Glory reveals its bluesy side. What we have is another standout track, trudging with its grainy mid-paced essence as Martin’s persuasive bass urges the low end but also plainspoken as Layton’s out front rhythm guitar sets the forthcoming tone. There is bit of an Aerosmith meets Bride shuffling groove underpinning here.
“Unholy Prophet” further elevates heaviness. It proves barbed and obtrusive from the get go but with a swarthy traditional metal edge, darkened in terms of mountainous low end, lower register vocals and scalding guitar leads. The barbed mentality aligning with the scathing melody cannot be denied- Reign Of Glory is in perfect step on this one. Lyric snippet:
Making a cult of power to take control
All of his words are poison
To kill the soul
Once the veil is torn, the light revealed
Now in shame, looks like your fate is sealed
Unholy prophet, your time will come
Your kingdom of deception
Will be undone
Subsequent two Old Testament themed tracks might not rank among my favorites but are solid all the same. “Slingshot Of Faith” carries over the metal signatures, decelerating for its unbending verse sections only to gradually build force for the impertinent refrain. That said it also impresses as restrained in terms of the comparative hook department. Give kudos to Layton for the wonderful neo-classical soloing.
Likewise, “Shout”, detailing the fall of Jericho, is satisfactory as another brash hard rock meets metal cut. Song elevates coercion to high energy levels, elevated with fitting albeit borderline predictable backing vocals exclaiming ‘shout!’, but could also use of dose of magnetic hooks to go with the venturous verve. Passion rises to the surface as Boals exclaims ‘in the name of God Jericho will fall’. Lyric snippet:
Walls of stone so high, a fortress so strong
City of evil, full of wickedness for too long
Hear the wind that cries out pain and despair
Now the call of God is rising in the air
Seven times on the seventh day
Marching around Jericho, we-
Shout, can you hear the thunder
Shout, walls coming down
Slingshot struggles with consistency over its second half. I only take to two songs, with metal based cover to the classic hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” shining the brightest. Reign Of Glory pulls it off masterfully, with neo-classical open-air guitar to start imitating the songs recognizable melody, which gives way to Boal’s inspiring vocals (with several complementary falsettos) and graceful guitar harmonies of a borderline AOR essence. Note that Sacred Warrior also covered “Holy, Holy, Holy” on its 1989 sophomore effort Master’s Command.
I also embrace closer “Close To Midnight”, a much-needed stamina driven number with gusto to spare and out front hooks to go in hand. A bluesy rock ambience oozes forth in line with the groups eighties sensibilities- execution is such I am reminded of Letter 7 cut “Reign Comes Down” (off Salt Of The Earth from 2007). Album deserves to include a few more motivated moments along this line. Lyric snippet:
Evil tries to pull me under
Whispering in my ear
But my faith is stronger than my fear
Light is coming thru the darkness
It shines thru every crack
The storm’s about to break, He’s coming back!
Clock is ticking but just hold on tight
Precious grace will defeat the night
Three remaining Slingshot tracks in my opinion do not hold up to the same degree. “Unashamed” and “More Than A Memory”, a pair of mid-tempo commercial melodic hard rockers, and “Shattered Chains”, a heavier and faster melodic metal piece, might be adeptly performed but otherwise I find not to be memorable. The hooks and beguiling melody not to mention added dose of creativity that might allow the three to rank with albums better material is missing.
Slingshot impresses as a fundamentally solid eighties melodic metal and hard rock album that does not quite reach he heights one expects of the talent inherent to Reign Of Glory. No doubt, Boals is a brilliant addition and Martin, McCormack and Layton perform at an equally high level. It is songs, however, that while mostly in the medium to good range that prevents album from making a similar artistic statement as All Will Bow. I miss, for instance flawless All Will Bow anthems along lines of “Calling Down Thunder”, “The Edge Of The Night”, “1000 Years” and “Writing On The Wall”. I hate to be unnecessarily critical, but I also feel Reign Of Glory is capable of better from a songwriting standpoint- at least when listening to both albums consecutively. Still, if a fan of the debut or eighties metal and hard rock in their varying forms, I still encourage making Slingshot a necessary purchase.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Hold On” (3:42), “Higher Ground” (5:31), “Unholy Prophet” (4:00), “Slingshot Of Faith” (4:42), “Shout” (4:37), “More Than A Memory” (4:14), “Unashamed” (3:50), “Holy, Holy, Holy” (4:52), “Shattered Chains” (5:07), “Too Close To Midnight” (4:18)
Musicians
Mark Boals - Lead Vocals
Nick Layton - Guitars
Roger Dale Martin - Bass
Jeffrey McCormack - Drums
