HARDLINE is hitting it hard and back with a vengeance with their 2021 album "Heart, Mind and Soul".   Their last album "Life" was released in 2019 and the hard rock act has been diligently at work and at the grindstone during the pandemic to give a wonderful piece of themselves to help their loyal fanbase and provide inspiration in these strange times.

The album kicks things off with some rockin' and driving beats and rhythms with "Fuel to the Fire".  Johnny Gioeli's vocals are spectacular and the harmonies from the other members make the lyrics really shine with powerful authority.  The song does well to capture the essence of the rock attitude of taking no prisoners and not dealing with the negative and put down attitudes of those who may be jealous of one's personal dreams and endeavors.  The guitars by Mario Percudani are also amazing.  In standard 80's fashion the riffs are catchy and memorable with soaring and tasteful leads.  It's a very energetic song and definitely is a crowd favorite I'm sure.

A stand out track is "Waiting for Your Fall".  It starts out with a very spacey and trippy keyboard intro by Alessandro Del Vecchio.  Then the rocking guitars come in with some jamming riffage before pulling back a bit into the verse where they turn into clean guitar tones with a subtle arpeggio providing the backdrop for more amazing vocals.  The chorus really brings everything home for me and is the highpoint of the song in my opinion.  The vocal harmonies again provide a sweet cherry on top of the already majestic waves of sound. The guitar solo is just as epic as well with some artful harmonies thrown in as well.  Overall it's a very good song with powerful emotions behind it.

One of my favorite tracks is "If I Could I Would".  It's more of a rock ballad song and the keys are really brought to the forefront and do well to push the melodies and chord progressions of the other instruments.  All the different pieces of the band blend so well together and complement each other perfectly.  The heartfelt sentiment within the lyrics really touches the soul of the listener and evokes a sense of sacrifice and willingness from within.

"Heart, Mind and Soul"  is really a blast from the past and keeps the rocking spirit alive with it's beautiful vocals and composition.  For fans of this genre it is a breath of fresh air and it's good to know that there are still dedicated musicians who keep this feeling alive and well within the annals of rock and metal.