There are so many hot new releases in August, I fear some of the better new bands will get lost in the shuffle. One of the more interesting bands that I have heard in a while is Stuttgart, Germany’s Downspirit.

Downspirit is a new band that was formed in 2009 by SYMPHORCE/Ex-FREEDOM CALL guitarist Cédric "Cede” Dupont. Dupont wanted to fulfill his dream to form a band dedicated to the combination of blues and metal music. With Point of Origin, Downspirit has somehow managed to blend 80′s hard rock, modern metal and blues to create a sound that is familiar, and yet refreshingly different from so many of the bands on the scene today.

Singer Steffan Lauth’s voice oscillates between a cool melodic and metal sound that helps to keep the songs interesting on this disc. I didn’t really know what to expect with the opening tracks "Point of Origin Part I, and II”. My first thought was, oh great, another band with down tuned guitars. Luckily, this CD gets more interesting quickly. "Love Song” opens up with some killer blues harp, and delivers a good mix of melodic rock & metal. This song gets better every time I listen to it.

"Good Times” is a kick ass stadium anthem that is going to get a ton of play by me. This is easily my favorite on Point of Origin.

After listening to "Arisen” I would guess that Cédric "Cede” Dupont is influenced by George Lynch. There are some moments that remind me of Lynch Mob in this song.

"The End” is this extremely cool deep-toned number that ought to be a hit for Downspirit. This song has a ton of radio potential.

Downspirit has turned in a surprisingly good debut. Overall, I am very pleased with Point of Origin. This is a CD that I will be playing a ton this summer. If you want to check out a new band that rocks, don’t overlook Downspirit’s Point of Origin. I think you will enjoy it.

The first 1000 copies will be in digipak format and contain one bonus track "Rockstar Blues”! It is available for purchase here! For more information on Downspirit, please visit the band’s myspace page!