Blog Post
Durbin - “Screaming Steel”
Album Review by Allister Spence • 21 February 2024
Coming 4th on any of the talent shows screened in the UK would, at best, secure you a few years as lead in pantomime or, if you’re very lucky a lead in a West End Musical. In the US though it’s a different story. There’s a long list of stars who didn’t win the show they performed in. Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Lindsey Stirling, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert all failed to win the shows they appeared on. In 2011 Santa Cruz’s James Durbin finished 4th on the tenth season of American Idol behind winner Scott McCreery, Laura Alaina, and Haley Reinhart.
The show saw Durbin step out as a solo artist having been lead singer in Hollywood Scars. Following the show Durbin released the “Memories of a Beautiful Disaster” as James Durbin in 2011. The album reached number 36 on the Billboard 200. The follow up album “Celebrate” peaked at 83 in 2014, while “Riot on Sunset,” released in 2016, didn’t make the 200. In 2018 Durbin stepped away from his own work and became lead singer for Quiet Riot. He provided vocals on the 2018 album “Road Rage” and, the 2019 album “Hollywood Cowboys,” although he had left Quiet Riot by the time the album was released.
Having signed to Frontiers Records in 2020 Durbin released “The Beast Awakens” in 2021 as Durbin. The album saw Durbin returning to what he called pure heavy metal, Something he hadn’t played since his pre–American Idol band Hollywood Scars. Following an appearance on Alan Parson’s “From the New World” album James Durbin set to work on his next album for Frontiers Records.
Returning to the Durbin moniker that album is now with us, “Screaming Steel.”
There’s no mistaking what James Durbin considers to be “pure heavy metal” as soon as “Made of Metal” launches itself from the speakers. This is an album for people who loved peak Judas Priest, throw in a dash of Iron Maiden, a pinch of Black Sabbath (early Ozzy variety) and a splash of the vocal range of Dio and you have a good idea what Durbin sound like. “Screaming Steel” wastes no time coming in behind the opener and between them they provide a wild ride of guitars, bombastic drums, and Durbin’s impressive vocals on top.
James Durbin is ably supported by some excellent guitar work from Aldo Lonobile and Luca Birotto. Lonobile also produces. The album sounds crisp and engaging. The guitars buzz and ring through the tracks and the rhythm section will make your speakers bounce. It doesn’t out stay its welcome. The album clocks in at just over the forty-one-minute mark. Long enough to give your neck muscles a serious work out but short enough to make you want to play it all over again.
There’s real atmosphere and variety created on each track. The guitarists deliver excellent solos on “Tear Them Down,” and “Blazing High.” Theirs a palpable energy to these tracks and they fair gallop along. It’s not all played at breakneck pace though. “Hallows” is haunting nodding towards those slower paced Iron Maiden tracks and early Dio tracks like “Holy Diver.”
Tying all this musical talent together is James Durbin’s voice. He has the grit of Bruce Dickinson, the power of Rob Halford and the range of Ronnie James Dio. He showcases his ability to roar and scream as well as anybody on the metal circuit, but he can pull it all back in too and deliver more subtle and nuanced performances as well.
Fittingly the album closes with “Rebirth.” It could only be more fitting if perhaps it was a track called “Phoenix.” James Durbin has risen again with this record and delivered what could easily be one of the best metal albums you’ll hear this year.
There’s no hiding from the influences on this record, even Durbin’s on press releases trumpets them. This is much more than a imitation of those bands though. “Screaming Steel” delivers something that’s takes all those elements and blends them through the talents on the record to create something unique and different like the best fusion foods. It’s a big step up from “The Beast Awakens” and I look forward to seeing if it’s a trajectory that Durbin continues to follow.
“Screaming Steel” is available now from Frontiers Music s.r.l. and streaming services.
