Reign

In most respects, The Reign is an unabashed sequel to When the Smoke Clears, the 2015 album where Hinder debuted their new lead singer, Marshal Dutton. Where that album had a sense of purpose -- Hinder had to prove they could survive the departure of their frontman -- The Reign is nothing more than a straightforward rock record, one that stays true to the Los Angeles hard rock traditions that have been the band's métier since the outset. What's striking about The Reign is how there are no frills -- and apart from "Making It Hard," one of the hookier tunes here, there are no dirty jokes, either. This is about as lean and professional as an old-fashioned rock record gets in 2017 and if it doesn't have a lot of flash, there is the occasional grace note -- such as "King of the Letdown," which has a nifty breakdown where the group chants like Def Leppard -- proving that Hinder Mach II are in many ways superior to the band's first incarnation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine