Joe Stump's Reign Of Terror

"Conquer And Divide"
(Leviathan Records )

This is the second release from Joe Stump's Reign Of Terror, the band headed by guitar hero Joe Stump, who has released several solo albums. Joe is a neoclassical guitar player, very influenced by Richie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen, and ROT sounds a great deal like Rainbow and Rising Force, the respective bands of these guitarist greats. Reign's vocalist, in fact, is none other than Mike Vescera, who once flexed his pipes for Yngwie's band (and also for Obsession and Loudness), and he is also the album's producer. The Reign (whose lineup is completed by bassist Jay Rigney, drummer Matt Scurfield, and guest keyboardist Mats Olausson) have turned out quite a good album here. Joe is an excellent guitarist who can fly across the fret board, and is very technically skilled (although he does borrow heavily from Malmsteen and Blackmore) and all the songs, well written and crafted, are galloping, full force rockers in the classic metal/hard rock vein. The Rainbow influence gives them a 70's feel (in particular, Mats' keyboard playing, in which he uses, among other things, a Hammond organ, very similar to the Rainbow/Deep Purple style) and the guitar playing is superb. Mike's voice is strong and clear, and the rest of the band also plays very well. One song, "No Limits", even reminded me of the Rainbow classic, "Kill The King". Other songs that stood out for me were "Bite The Bullet", "No Forgiving", "Sign Of The Cross", "Mark Of The Devil", and the title track, rocking tunes all. There is also an instrumental called "Seance", where Joe shows off his guitar skills all the way through, and a ballad called "The Meaning", which closes the album. This is a very good album, featuring some talented and skilled musicians that any fan of classic metal or neoclassical guitar playing should have no trouble getting into. My only complaint is that Joe and his cronies borrow liberally from their aforementioned influences. If Rainbow and Rising Force got together and made an album, it would probably sound something like this. Not that that's a bad thing by any means, but a more original direction wouldn't hurt the band either. Aside from that, a fine piece of work has been made here. http://www.leviathanrecords.com

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