Steve Dawson

As one of the most influential bass players in heavy metal, it should come as no surprise that Iron Maiden's Steve Harris' instantly recognizable galloping eighth notes ride high in the mix on his first ever solo outing. British Lion, which was originally the name of the band that Harris and some non-Maiden mates formed in the early '90s to tear through some sword and sorcery-less, dive bar-ready hard rock in the vein of UFO, Deep Purple, and the Scorpions, sounds exactly like its influences would suggest. Toss in a little Rainbow, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, and a tiny smattering of his meal-ticket band and you've got a serviceable slab of unpretentious yet utterly forgettable '80s retro-metal that adheres to every cliché in the book – which is forgivable, as it was brought into this world by one of that book's authors.

Saxon are an English heavy metal band formed in 1977, in South Yorkshire. As one of the leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal, they had eight UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums…

Ndidi Onukwulu integrates jazz, rhythm and blues, world, folk, and bluegrass - to name a few genres - into a sound that is silky and soulful, whimsical and relevant"- Critics At Large