Shy 2011

"The latest effort by British hard rock veterans Shy - simply entitled "Shy" - is one massive effort and an instant melodic metal classic. With emphasis on melody and AOR sensibility, the album is incredibly catchy and will definitely have mass appeal within and outside of the metal community because of its combination of melodic rock and heavy metal. In addition to the super catchy choruses and vocal lines in general, most tunes are built on chucking metal riffs, and the guitar sound is quite heavy in general. Speaking of guitars, guitarist Steve Harris (nope, it's another Steve Harris) does an amazing job in terms of both rhythm and lead guitar. The rhythm guitars are rock solid and precise, while the blazing guitar solos are both characterized by feel and technical proficiency. As the first track, 'Land of A thousand Lines' with its massive sound and Eastern influences indicates, this album takes hard rock to a new level in terms of big an epic sounds (as the keyboards do have a central role on the album), but still the hard rock identity remains central. The opening track is probably my favorite, but it is closely followed by tracks like "Pray", "Sanctuary", and "Union of Souls". Even an über-cheesy ballad like "Breathe" is actually very enjoyable to my ears. This release is a brilliant, epic hard rock release, which combined metal heaviness and AOR mass appeal. Recommended to fans of melodic metal and hard rocking AOR! (review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)"