James Durbin is a singer born in Santa Cruz California–and is no stranger to the public after competing on the US television program entitled AMERICAN IDOL. James Durbin sang with acclaimed bands QUIET RIOT, HOLLYWOOD SCARS and WHATEVER FITS.  Prior releases of James Durbin were "Memories of a Beautiful Disaster" from 2011; "Celebrate" from 2014; "Riot On Sunset" from 2016–with QUIET RIOT; "One Night In Milan"–a live album with QUIET RIOT from 2019, and "Holywood Cowboys"--with QUIET RIOT; and "Homeland" from 2018.

"The Prince Of Metal" - the first album track opens with standard nineteen eighties metal guitars (and melodic bass lines) that utilize the E melodic minor scale–this is extremely melodic; and the voice of James Durbin is a perfect continuation of the Bruce Dickinson/Rob Halford style of vocals. On December 10, 2020 Frontiers srl released the promotional following music video for "The Prince Of Metal" single. "Kings Before You" - the second album track on a moderate tempo with a short articulation of the root that moves to a subdivided tritone–facilitating that primal classic rebellion so prevalent in metal. A solo by guest lead guitarist Phil Demmel opens at about three minutes - and will not leave anyone with disappointment.  On December 3 2020 Frontiers srl released the promotional following music video for the "Kings Before You" single.

"Into The Flames" - the third album track opens with a slow tempo and descends the natural minor scale - utilizing the flat sixth that falls to the fifth (at the melodic interval of the fourth). "The Sacred Mountain" - the fourth album track moves with a similar natural minor progression; but at about three minutes, utilizes the accidental leading tone of the key structure. "The Beast Awakens" - the fifth album track is incredibly melodic and a vocal delight - with an extremely pleasant guitar riff (only present through development) that chromatically descends from the fifth scale degree - and the tritone is beautifully bend upward yet eerily descends to the fourth scale degree - this is both melodically pleasant and, ever so slightly, harrowingly vicious.

"Evil Eye" - the sixth album track opens slowly – with a new guitar riff that presents itself after the initial verse and chorus - quite like the MOZART style of Composition; the development progresses into the introduction to the guitar solo - again that will not disappoint. JAMES DURBIN seemingly has many friends to help with these matters. "Necromancer" - the seventh album track–although it opens with a slower tempo the beat is divided by eighth notes - so the listener feels that it's faster; this adds to the ferocity–and I'm excited. Though the ferocity abates, the melody - even of the chord progression, is wonderful &new–and uses a skillfully developed double neighbor tone around the dominant - this is approached slowly for a deliberate resolution of harmonically developed tension. The composition style is wonderfully enjoyable.

"Calling Out For Midnight" - the ninth album track begins with the initial rhythmic divisions played by Mike Vanderhule against bass subdivisions by Barry Sparks that, when guitars enter, accentuate the descent along the distorted guitar strings–beautiful innovation - a new way of presenting an old technique. I enjoy the subtle harmonics dis-played into the root note on the low e string. The song ends with a recapitulation of initial rhythmic divisions played by Mike Vanderhule first played against subdivided bass rhythms that, again, as guitars eter melodically descend along the distorted guitar strings. "Calling Out For Midnight"is my favorite tune on the album, and is also the heaviest.

"By The Horns" - the eleventh album track opens with a seemingly heavier presence of distorted guitars.  This "heavier presence" later  develops into the guitar solo–that is a delightful dance of rhythmic riffs along the lower strings, à la George Lynch; the solo develops into a more traditional metal solo - but I'll leave that for your listening pleasure.

"Rise To Valhalla" - the twelfth & final album track opens on the dominant - then when reaching the home root chord (via ascension) - the rhythmic guitar riff begins in a subdivided fury. The key structure utilizes a sixth chord tonicization before a subsequent modulation brings listeners back to the home key for a guitar solo.  This tonicization that precedes a subsequent modulation repeats (with variation) as the song progresses almost to an unexpected coda that occurs at about five minutes into the song–clean guitar strings arpeggiate while Barry Sparks has incredibly melodic flourishes on the bass before the tune finishes.