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Safe on the Other Side is the fifth full-length album from Chicago's High Spirits and if you've heard any of their prior releases, you already have a good idea of what you are in for. This band has always been on the hard rock end of the metal spectrum, somewhere between the NWoBHM and late '70s/early '80s US hard rock/heavy metal scenes. I can hear influences ranging from Blue Oyster Cult and Triumph to Dokken to Judas Priest, but what I really like about Safe on the Other Side is that the songwriting is more stripped down and direct than on some of the prior albums. It still sounds very much like its predecessors, which is a bit of a knock on High Spirits, but the songs feel more energetic even as they sound familiar. This is an album full of songs that I think will probably work even better in a live setting. If you like a little hard rock in your metal mix, Safe on the Other Side will do the trick.