4 out of 5 Stars!

After ten long years of complete silence, “supergroup” Ring Of Fire slammed back onto the scene with a brand new album in 2014.

Like the band’s previous four studio releases, Battle of Leningrad features music in the style of artists such as Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Artension, Royal Hunt, and other symphonic Neoclassical Metal, with top-notch performances by vocalist Mark Boals (Royal Hunt/Yngwie Malmsteen), guitarist Tony MacAlpine (Planet X), keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij (Artension), bassist Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), and drummer Jami Huovinen (Allen/Lande).

Overall, despite some thin production and “cheesier” and hackneyed ingredients that occasionally make me roll my eyes, the album is generally better than average for this genre. And with enough riff-filled and energetic tracks such as “Firewind,” “Rain,” “They’re Calling Your Name,” along with the title track and the grand and furious opener “Mother Russia” included, Battle of Leningrad ends up a rock-solid effort!

Get The Album Now!