Metal Underground.com

With "Full Circle," the Quill proves that the recipe for hard rock success is the same as it was when Led Zeppelin first took flight. Take one hot-shit guitarist with a repertoire of heavy riffs and the ability to bust loose a solo that could shatter glass a mile away. To that, you add a singer with powerful pipes and attitude to match, a hard-hitting drummer and a bassist who knows when to charge ahead and when to add a little wiggle to the heaviness. Mix it up right and you've got everyone from the Black Crowes to Guns N' Roses.

This is the Quill's sixth full-length record, but, as the title indicates, it's a new beginning for the band. Gone is former singer Magnus Ekwall, in is Magnus Arnar, a wailer with a voice and vocal style that calls to mind early Sammy Hagar and Chris Cornell. From his first notes on the opening track, "Sleeping With Your Enemy," Arnar knocks it out of the park. He's at his best on rockers like the sludgy "Full Circle" and "White Flag." That said, quieter material like "River Of Moonchild" and the Temple of the Dog-like "No Easy Way Out" give him a welcome chance to show off his lower register vocals.

Guitarist Christian Carlsson's riffs are heavy, with just enough bluesy bluster to get your hips shaking on tracks like "Running" and "Pace That Kills." His solos recall the pre-Van Halen era, when melody was of equal importance to string-shredding speed.

Other than one over-produced track, "24/7 Groove," featuring some tired megaphone-style vocals, there's not a lot to criticize here.

With "Full Circle," the Quill has come back with a new singer and a winning sound. If you like your hard rock full of powerful vocals a la Sammy Hagar and thick, Jimmy Page-style riffs, this album's a must for you.