Rogue Angels is the second album from Canada's Starlight Ritual and the second album from them that just doesn't excite me all that much. The guitar tone is definitely killer; I have to hand that to them. The riffs, however, are fine but not particularly memorable and the lead work might be good, but it is far back in the mix and that robs them of any flash they might have. The vocals are another sticking point for me. The singer isn't bad, but he still sounds like he's fighting to handle his lines, though not as much as on the debut. The songwriting is solid, and I don't dislike Rogue Angels while it is on, but I'd be hard pressed to remember any one track despite listening to it several times. These guys remind me of Grim Reaper, another band I can't really get into, and I am probably on an island in both regards. Rogue Angels is a good record of middle-of-the-road trad heavy metal.
