Shout is out! The commercial metal/ slick hard rock project from Shout is an impressive debut. Far from your usual dose of metal, this album ranges from airplayish, hard-drivin' commercial metal numbers, to hard-edged radio pop. In other words, every cut on here is the kind of stuff you'd hear on the radio. Shout has studied the successful pop field and given us a wide sampling of its spectrum: From a Van Halen-style ("Winners or Losers") pop song, to a hook-laden Foreigner song ("Dancin' Around the World," and "Timeless Love"), to a Rick Cua rocker or Kiss anthem ("It Won't Be Long," "Shout," and "Find a Way") to a Prophet-style progressive pop rocker ("Showdown"). The Shout sound is very American. Remember groups like Trooper and Head East? Shout reminds me a little of those bands. This sound is sure to get a concert crowd goin' (We'll see...at Cornerstone). Ken Tamplin has done a successful job of producing a sleek, competent and timely sound. I'll be surprised if Shout doesn't rise to the top of the Christian rock radio charts. I'm curious to see how far Frontline penetrates this record into the mainstream market. It's got all the ingredients for success: polished vocals and tight, harmonized background vocals to please the pop fans; and enough flashy guitar sounds to appease the rockers. Chuck King, who gave Idle Cure their guitar sound, adds his clean rhythms here. Ken Tamplin, Sammy Hagar's cousin, plays lead and rhythm guitar, as well as handling all the lead vocals. His voice is strong, adding a bit of grit with lots of polish. Dennis Holt, who drummed for the now-defunct AD, adds his drum sound here. (He's also toured recently with Idle Cure in Europe and Steve Taylor in the U.S.) Lanny Cordola of Guffria did a guitar solo in the track "Shout." The album cover displays a "look" that should market itself. It's not the best photo, but it definitely gets your attention and defines the band as hard-rockin'. This album's gonna be popular. If you're open to pop-metal, buy the record and see why.