From their record label’s website, “Developed as a tribute to the classic heavy metal of the 80’s, SUNBOMB melds influences of classic metal bands such as BLACK SABBATH, OZZY, DIO, and JUDAS PRIEST. The music here is once again very heavy and firmly planted in the Metal category, with a wink to a traditional approach to the genre. While Tracii Guns wrote the music for the album, the fact that Michael Sweet has been writing in an increasingly heavier style on latter-era STRYPER albums made him a perfect vocalist for the album.” I always cringe just a bit when I hear about seasoned rock stars trying to revive the classic sounds of the 80’s, because it’s actually quite difficult, and Frontiers Music has a penchant for these kinds of revival acts, at times, to their own detriment. But, I am keeping an open mind…

From the opening notes of “Unbreakable,” my initial trepidations are true, unfortunately. The guitar sound is low and sort of raw, and you can hear the unmistakable Tracii Guns written all over it. Michael Sweet still has a strong voice, though he is straining somewhat, and it just doesn’t fit the music. “In Grace We’ll Find Our Name” has another dark riff that butts up hard against the vocals of Sweet. There is a vague DIO sound here, especially with the slower tempo, but even for as good as a singer that he is, it is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. “Rewind” has a bit of a swinging kick in the riff, but another slow song doesn’t do much for the energy on the album or the variation, or lack thereof.

“Scream Out Loud” is really the first song with more energy in it, but again, Michael’s voice just isn’t made for this kind of music. He has a powerful voice, but he is straining once again, and it seems better suited for ballads in my opinion. “Beyond the Odds” has a familiar 80’s riff that sounds like the beginning of “Over the Mountain” from Ozzy. The guitar solo is pretty cool, but that’s one of the only bright spots on the album. “Where We Belong” is that ballad I was waiting for, and this time, Sweet’s voice is perfect for the music. The vocal harmonies are tender, gentle, and emotional. “Setting the Sail” closes the album, and it’s another rousing riff paired hard with Sweet’s vocals. From there, it’s just a forgettable sound unfortunately.

As someone who grew up with LA GUNS and STRYPER in the 80’s, I don’t have any need to keep listening to them, or any future iterations of them. Don’t get me wrong, they were both excellent bands, that forged the movement back in the day, and I listened to the shit out of them. This seemed like an odd pairing from the start however, and the music supported that for me.