Silent Force guitarist Alex Beyrodt has assembled quite the line-up for his first ever solo project entitled Alex Beyrodt's Voodoo Circle. Enlisting the services of Primal Fear bassist Matt Sinner as well as current Pink Cream 69 vocalist David Readman, this extremely talented guitarist offers up the sort of high energy neo-classical power metal album that Yngwie Malmsteen quite frankly isn't capable of releasing anymore. Produced by Alex himself and mixed by veteran Dennis Ward, Alex Beyrodt's Voodoo Circle eclipses anything the famous Swedish shreddder has done in at least the last 20 years. This album is a virtual clinic of just how to properly blend melodic heavy metal, neo-classical elements, lots of shredding melodic leads and most importantly, very high quality song writing.

Sounding like a lot like the Joe Lynn Turner era of Rainbow with touches of the 80's Yngwie albums and a little of Axel Rudy Pell, Alex Beyrodt's Voodoo Circle is easily the best melodic neo-classical metal album I've heard in a very long time. Tracks like Spewing Lies and Kingdom Of The Blind are just several of the many tracks bearing the classic Yngwie Trilogy album sound. We'll Never Learn and Enter My World Of Darkness both have that slow and plodding Dark Ages feel with Angels Will Cry offering up a speedier Magic Mirror like sound. Man and Machine has a similar arrangement and feel to Rainbow's Death Alley Driver with tracks like Heaven Can Wait offering up a more mid tempo Scorpions flair. White Lady Requiem is Alex's chance to shine with an almost 7 minute instrumental that is a showcase for his enormous talent. Being able to shred with the best of them, his classic Stratocaster sound also bleeds emotion and feel with his playing style striking the perfect balance between both styles. Overall, the riffs are solid and the powerful and sometimes David Coverdale like vocals of David Readman are the perfect fit for his songs.

I've been listening to this album quite a bit ever since getting it and there really aren't any flaws/fillers to be found anywhere. If you've ever thought that this style of heavy metal has gotten stale and had it heydays in the 80's, this album will convince you that there is still a very strong future for this type of metal. Alex Beyrodt has mastered the neo-classical metal genre to the point of releasing very, very strong material and worthy of standing up against some of the best ever released.