REVIEW : SWEET & LYNCH, Heart & Sacrifice (Frontiers Music s.r.l. Release: 19 May 2023)

Sweet & Lynch, the musical alliance of the two legendary musicians Michael Sweet (Stryper, Iconic) and George 'Mr. Scary' Lynch (Lynch Mob, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), have announced the long-awaited release of their third album, "Heart & Sacrifice".

Their debut, "Only To Rise" in 2015, achieved to climb up the Billboard Top 200 and came in at #6 on the Top Hard Rock Albums, #17 on Independent Albums, #18 on Top Rock Albums, and #4 on Christian Albums charts. Not bad at all! The second step entitled "Unified" followed in 2017 landed at #53 Top Current Albums, #13 Top Current Rock Albums, and #8 Record Label Independent Current Albums on the Billboard charts. 

Nowadays, the time has come for album number three entitled "Heart & Sacrifice" and again it will be released through the Italian label Frontiers Music this May. 

The two musicians along with Alessandro Del Vecchio (he is also co-produced the album) on bass and Jelly Cardarelli (Lalu) on drums continue to deliver tasteful melodic metal with attitude and class. The guitars of Lynch are once again top class (as always) and Sweet's voice is powerful and sounds like it haven't lost any of its range and power through the years. 

I have the feeling and after a couple of spins of "Heart & Sacrifice" that this new opus is slightly better compared with the two previous. And don't get me wrong; I liked both of this project's earlier recordings. 

The new opus kicks-off furious and heavy with "Heart Sacrifice" to continue with the groovier "Where I Have To Go", the more melodic "Leaving It All Behind" (one of the album's highlights), the Dokken-esque "You'll Never Be Alone" and the late 80's tune of "Give Up The Night". The darker and heavier "Will It Ever Change" is very interesting while in "Every Day" we have an amazing up-tempo hard rock song with an out of this world solo by Lynch!!! 

Bottom line is that the duo of Lynch and Sweet along with Del Vecchio and Cardarelli on their side achieve to create and release a monstrous melodic heavy record, their best to-date so far, that will make the fans of bands such as Stryper, Lynch Mob and Dokken very very happy!! Highly recommended! 

Songwritting : 8

Production : 9

Songs : 8

Musicianship : 10

Overall Rating : 8,75 / 10 

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