Out in the Cold

No other musical style has been the subject of more tribute albums than heavy metal. Name an indie metal tribute album, and there's a fair chance that six-string shredder Jack Frost has appeared on it, as he's popped up on countless tributes over the years (Judas Priest, Scorpions, Twisted Sister, etc.). But Frost spends most of his time as a member of Seven Witches, while also issuing his own solo albums. 2006 saw the release of his sophomore solo outing, Out in the Cold, which certainly has an '80s metal feel to it (in an Iron Maiden, Helloween, Accept sorta way). While there are indeed vocals throughout the 11-track release, it's undoubtedly Frost's guitar work that leads the charge here, as evidenced by the turbo charged album opener "Wasting Your Luv." And of course, there's the expected reflective acoustic ballad "Passage to the Classical Side." And as a tip of the cap to his tribute album work, Frost includes a total of three covers here -- Foreigner's "Cold as Ice," .38 Special's "Hold on Loosely," and April Wine's "Sign of the Gypsy Queen." While there's no doubting Frost's technical proficiency on his instrument, it appears as though Out in the Cold would have probably fit better in the musical climate of 1989. ~ Greg Prato