This album is proof positive that great art can come out of tragedy. It’s a concept album inspired by the suicide of singer London Wilde’s brother Gary, also a musician. The band manages to take this grim subject and fashion something powerful and uplifting from it. It’s the third WildeStarr album and without question the best one yet.

The core of the band is unique in that it is a husband and wife combination. Guitar player Dave Starr, who played many years with power metal masters Vicious Rumors, is husband to bombastic blonde vocal powerhouse London Wilde, who is as good a female metal singer as you are likely to hear. Drummer Josh Foster rounds out the band and lends power of his own. Together, this unit creates heavy metal that draws on influences like Judas Priest, Queensryche, Vicious Rumors and Metal Church to come up with a timeless sound. The tunes on Beyond The Rain flow smoothly into each other, and the album seems to fly by in a flash.

If you aren’t familiar with this great traditional metal band, this is a fantastic place to start.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2018  Volume 1 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.