Firmo - 'Rehab' Review

Firmo – Rehab

After the critical and fans' acclaim received with the release of Room Experience in 2015 (fronted by PC69 vocalist David Readman), Gianluca was invited by the Street Symphonies' label team to express himself also as singer in a dedicated solo release, in order to show another side of his musical personality. With a finalized line-up of skilled and talented musicians, recruited specifically for backing Gianluca in this solo adventure The result is shown in twelve melodic rock songs, where Gianluca finally had the chance to share his personal singing style coached by the skills and experience of vocal producer Davide "Dave Rox" Barbieri (Raintimes, Room Experience, Wheels Of Fire, Charming Grace). 

Gianluca says: "Beside the fact that it allows me to sing my own songs, this record for me is both a test and an achievement. A test because It’s the first time that I’m in charge for everything concerning the production of a record. And it is an achievement because I had the chance to work shoulder to shoulder in the studio with some amazing musicians, but also the luck to find a label that allowed me (and supported me) to work with no artistic boundaries and even make some unusual choices to follow my different musical influences and tastes. I feel the result is very personal and though it’s far from being perfect, it sure is my perfect rehab from being put in any frame. And as today I couldn’t be happier than this". 

‘Place For My Judgement Day’ is very Eurovision in its melody, and is a decent opener. Having never heard Firmo sing anything other than BVs, I didn’t know what to expect. Last time I heard a keyboardist do vocals, it was Jonathan Cain, and lets just say there's a reason he plays the piano! Gianluca's vocals are a bit raw and rough around the edges, but I have to give the guy a lot of credit as it takes some balls stepping up and putting yourself out there with vocals, writing, etc. So, well done so far. ‘Heart Of Stone’ is an acoustic and mellow offering with a good chorus and is a good slow burn and deserves repeated listens. Shadows and Lights’ again falls on the side of ballad, and has leanings toward Bon Jovi and surely that is not a bad comparison to make! Nothing is jumping out at me so far, but I have to stop expecting a ‘melodic rock’ album. With ‘Maybe Forever’ its definitely a song (and an album) for all occasions. You find yourself happily tapping away to the beat. 

‘No Prisoners’ is the first time we get the mid-paced rocker. Built around Firmo’s keyboard riff, it proves to don’t need a heavy guitar riff to make an entrance. ‘Didn’t Wanna Care’ has a warm presence and is Marx like (Richard, not Karl!). ‘Unbreakable’ is another up-tempo number that pings along nicely. I really like ‘Cowboys Once, Cowboys Forever’ a ballad anthem by any other name, and the guitar solo makes it shine the brightest so far. ‘Rehab’ has a positive, happy vibe and I like all the whoa-ohs that are thrown in. It’s a good choice for the first single. If the album had more of a country twang to its sound it would sound even better, but that’s just my personal preference.

After the first listen, I admit I felt a bit ‘meh’, but once you settle in, it’s a good ride. It doesn’t settle for a specific genre, it’s a mix up of sounds and styles that Firmo has aimed for in having no boundaries and it makes for a good 50 minutes spent in Gianluc Firmo's presence. It’s a little too ballad-y for my liking, but it will be well received if you like the softer and personal side. Its an album I clearly did not expect, but its been a very good surprise. He can expect endorsements from Zippo lighters any time soon!

In fact, I'm full of admiration for Firmo. He does not have the best vocals you’ll hear this side of Lou Gramm, but he knows fully well what he can hit and works within his range. Less have made more out of their skill-set. I look forward to hearing how he develops away from Room Experience.

Think of him as the go to housewives choice for Italian singer songwriters! Well done mate.

Score 8/10

A Place For Judgement Day

Heart Of Stone

Shadows And Lights

Maybe Forever

No Prisoners

Didn’t WannaCare

Unbreakable

Don’t Dare To Call It Love

Cowboys Once, Cowboys Forever

Rehab

Until Forever Comes

Everything

Newman - 'Decade II' Album Review

WOW AND WOW!! Newman are definitely a band worth spending a few shekels on.

2018 is the 20th anniversary of Newman. Steve Newman (leader singer guitarist and songwriter) decided to celebrate this with "Decade II" following the same format as the first Decade release. A 2 CD 34 track album covering the bands history from 2007 to the present. Disc 1 features 17 songs from the 2007 album “Primitive Soul” through “The Art Of Balance”, “Under Southern Skies”, “Siren”, and finally the 2015 album “The Elegance Machine”. Disc 2 features another 17 songs, some that were written and even recorded, but not included

I was asked by the bold Chesy (Paul Chesworth) to review the Newman release. He told me “I think is this the kind of stuff that’s right up your street”. He wasn’t wrong. What he never told me was that there was 34 tracks on the Decades album(s). Let’s just say that whilst I’ve seen the band live I was probably not 100% engaged as I talked to mates as they did their thing at Firefest. This album highlighted to me how ignorant I was and whilst I’ve always enjoyed them I never fully appreciated how good the music is……until now.

Obviously if you’re a Newman fan you know the first 17 tracks but fuck it, I’ll review it as if you’re a Newman virgin. Newman are simply superb, there are heavy rock tracks, they have ballads, blues and a whole lot in-between. I won’t insult you by reviewing every song, I will share my favourites, this is difficult because there are so many songs that leave a real imprint. Give it a chance, I will guarantee you’ll find at least a couple of dozen tracks you’ll like.

Reviewing an album is a challenge, reviewing 34 tracks is mental. To be honest I don’t know any band who has recorded 34 perfect tracks. AC/DC did 'Back in Black', 'Powerage', 'Highway To Hell' but that isn’t 34 or perfect.The CD kicks off on a high tempo right away with 'Hero To Zero', 'Heading For Your Heart' and 'Ghost In The Night' (which is a melodic rock master piece). Possibly my favourite tracks are 'Feel Her Again' and 'Stay With Me', the latter similar in sound and feel to the Hardline track “Stay” which I think is awesome. The slow build up and a chorus that had me bouncing around the kitchen. Stunningly good. FFS, the chorus is magnificent and the song just flies away with a superb solo. It must be melodic magnificence as my wife (who is a boy band junkie) asked me to play it again.

“The Elegance Machine” is a wonderful mix of guitars and vocals and then we get “Killing Machine” which is so Magnum-like I’m tempted to send this to Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin for verification it’s not them. The keyboards and layered vocals are just sublime. 'Primitive Soul' is so Van Halen with the opening riff of Panama I nearly spat my Guinness over the keyboard (other stouts are available). The song is superb, that’s why Newman are so good, they take and re-use the best and make it their own.

'Fire With Fire' has a touch of Whitesnake when Coverdale could sing and the snake played real blues. It highlights the diversity of Newman perfectly.The first CD really is awesome. If it was a set list then I’d bite your hand off for a ticket, I would say front row but I’d need a beer and pee and lose my spot.

“She Walks In Silence” is a song with a massively powerful message: “ She walks in silence, it’s all that she can do and he turns to violence”. Bloody hell, what a well written song that highlights that domestic abuse happens all the time, It reminds me of “Never Again” by Nickelback or “Punch and Judy” by Fish. Personally I think any man who raises his hand to a woman is no real man. “Had Enough” is another proper melodic rock tune with an underlying frustration eloquently described. Newman are one decent band, they play songs that remind me of Dio, Hardline, Journey, especially “World Keeps Turning”..

“Crossed My Heart” is an emotional filled classic, simple structure and a tear jerker, a song about bereavement. “When you crossed my heart, I hoped I’d die with you, we lived on borrowed time, you were gone too soon”. It reminded me of my Dad who passed away 20 years ago and it hit a real nerve, I’m not ashamed to admit this song made me have some dust in my eye. (I will also admit I didn’t expect to die with him even though his driving was hair raising at times!). “Does It Feel The Same” is a superb ballad, the Newman voice is haunting and stunning with poignant lyrics as does “A Witness To Loves Decline”. This band have great songs coming out of their ears. “Never Becomes Again” is yet another proper rock track, it has the riffs and vocals that makes me realise why I love melodic rock so much.

34 tracks to cover 10 years? Keep going for another 10 years because the music is timeless.

To be given the chance to listen to these 34 tracks and offer an opinion is a humbling experience.

A solid 8/10

 Review by Lawrie

Track list:

Cd 1:

01 Hero To Zero,

02 Heading For Your Heart,

03 Ghost In The Night,

04 Feel Her Again,

05 Stay With Me,

06 The Elegance Machine,

07 Killing Me,

08 Primitive Soul,

09 Endless,

10 Fire With Fire,

11 Scar Of Love,

12 15 Minute Revolution,

13 She Walks In Silence,

14 Under Southern Skies,

15 Had Enough,

16 Tumble Down,

17 For The Man I Am

Cd 2:

01 Breaking The Barrier,

02 Girl Found Love,

03 Liar,

04 One More Night With You,

05 Fight No More,

06 She's The Woman,

07 Nightmare,

08 Angel,

09 World Keeps Turning,

10 In Too Deep,

11 The More I Love,

12 Crossed My Heart,

13 A Witness To Love's Decline,

14 Does It Feel The Same?,

15 Race Of A Lifetime,

16 Never Becomes Again,

17 My Fantasy

Dream Child - 'Until Death Do We Meet Again' Album Review

Dream Child – Until Death Do We Meet Again

Dream Child is a band comprising of some 80s heavyweights in Craig Goldy (ex-Dio, Guiffria), Simon Wright (ex AC/DC, Dio, Operation:Mindcrime) and Rudy Sarzo ex-Quiet Riot, Ozzy, Whitesnake and Dio). Along for the ride are Wayne Findlay (ex-MSG) and Diego Valdez (Helker). As you can see these guys all have form. 

Craig Goldy says, "the band Dream Child was conceived during a brainstorming session with Serafino (President of Frontiers) and I one day while discussing other matters. I had been listening to my favorite bands a lot recently, Deep Purple and Rainbow's “Rising" album, among others in that style and had noticed that many people who also love those bands often have the very same comments as one another: "They don't make music like that anymore!" Even though I said that in passing, Serafino asked me a question that would forever shape my future. He simply asked, "Well, can you?" and I said.....”YES!!!"

During the very first public memorial for our most beloved Ronnie James Dio, I had mentioned that whenever I do start writing original material again that I would utilize everything that I had learned from working side by side with the Master for so many years in such a way that I would hope to make him proud....and here it is! The name is inspired by one of his lyrics on the "Dream Evil" album and the nickname he gave me at the time, Dream Child!

The video for opener ‘Under The Wire’ has been available for some weeks now, and it just hammers home the Dio legacy that they are aiming for. Spookily the opening tinkles are very close indeed to a part of Tubular Bells, or many may know it as the theme to The Exorcist. ‘You Cant Take Me Down’s’ opening draws on Dio’s Sabbath era and is very ‘Sign Of The Southern Cross’ before Valdez wails and channels his inner Ronnie. If you try to write an 80s classic sounding album in 2018 then the Dio references will come thick and fast due to him having three of the best albums of this period. I can even see Valdez in my minds eye spinning his mic stand as he bangs it out. The guy is a very decent Dio foil indeed. Goldy goes straight for the Strat and the solo is typical Rainbow! So far, so good by me. ‘Games Of Shadows’ does what it says on the tin, another Sabb-Di-bow construction. My ears prick up at the 2:15 point in ‘It Is What It Is’, and I’ll tell you what it is, it’s the exact same riff from Rough Cutt’s ‘Take Her’. Other bands have been sued for less!!! Its not even ‘tweaked’ to sound similar. ‘Playing With Fire’ is the first deviation where the vocals are at a higher register, and with its decent riff and drumming make it different from the norm. The title track ‘Until Death Do We Meet Again’ is Dio by any other name, its like a mix of the ‘big number’ that Ronnie had on all of his albums – Last In Line, Sunset Superman, All The Fools Sailed Away and is the meat in this sandwich and is huge in sound, scale and length. 

The next three songs leave me a bit perplexed – ‘Washed Upon The Shore’ has a lengthy into but doesn’t lag for it, but when the vocals do kick in, it’s the one song where they don’t match the high standard of the riff.  It’s a song that doesn’t quite know if it wants to be an epic length instrumental (which it should have been) or a song. I could have done without it. ‘In A World So Cold’ and its standard fare for them now, but is nothing special. ‘Weird World’ is a bit of a, well, ‘weird’ song compared to the rest of what’s on offer here. Then finally we are onto another lengthy 9 minuter, in ‘One Step Beyond The Grave’ where they redeem themselves from the last few songs. Its got Sarzo’s pounding bass, atmospheric keyboards, and a punchy riff similar to ‘Egypt (The Chains Are On)’. It climaxes with Craig Goldy wringing every last note out of his guitar to the fade out

As an album there’s nothing new here for you, but as a sound harking back to the great days of the 80s, it nails it smack in the middle, and I think that’s what Goldy wanted to do. It transported me to the early 80s. Ronnie would be proud at Goldy’s sentiments, as aside from them doing a tribute album covering his songs, an album produced in a ‘classic rock sound’ doesn’t get much better than this. I could have done with 2-3 fewer tracks towards the end as I feel as if they wanted to fill every second available to them on a CD.

Fair dues to all the guys here as lets face it, they could have phoned in their bits from the old rockers care home in Hollywood. Thankfully they have all stepped up to the plate and made it one hell of an enjoyable album! I'd love to see this band live as the pedigree on offer is undeniable.

Score - 8/10

'More Dio than Dio!!!'

review by Paul Chesworth

Tracklisting –

Under The Wire

You Can’t Take Me Down

Games Of Shadows

It Is What It Is

Playing With Fire

Light Of The Dark

Midnight Song

Until Death Do We Meet Again

Washed Upon The Shore

In A World So Cold

Weird World

One Step Beyond The Grave

BAND MEMBERS: 

Craig Goldy – Lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards and bass

Rudy Sarzo – Bass 

Simon Wright – Drums

Wayne Findlay – Keyboards

Diego Valdez – Lead Vocals and background vocals

PRODUCED BY :  Alessandro Del Vecchio & Craig Goldy

Special honourable mention to Rudy Sarzo, Diego Valdez and Wayne Findlay who engineered the studio recordings of their own amazing performances captured on this album!

Simon Wright’s drum recorded at:

STUDIO: The Boom Room

RECORDED BY: Christian Hogan

MIXED BY: Alessandro Del Vecchio & Craig Goldy

MASTERED BY: Alessandro Del Vecchio

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/DreamChildRock/ 

Atlas - 'In Pursuit Of Memory' Album Review

Atlas – In Pursuit Of Memory

Last year Atlas produce a little gem of an EP that was well worth your hard earned readies. Fast forward 12 months and the lad have a new album out via AOR Heaven. Well done, I knew you had it in ya! If you don’t know about them then heres a brief lowdown….

Atlas are James Thorley (Keyboards, programming and percussion), John Moss (Lead Guitars), Howie Little (Lead Guitars), Chris Redfearn (Bass Guitar) and Craig Wells (Lead Vocals). Keyboard player Thorley founded the band in early 2017 with the intention to create a band that centered its roots around the AOR and Melodic Rock genre whilst delving into other areas of Hard Rock, Metal, Progressive and even Jazz. Five keyboard demos were produced by Thorley during the first few months of 2017. 

Sam Millar of UK rock band Bigfoot contributed to the backing vocals on this EP which got self-released through their band camp website in late August 2017. He also provided ‘guest vocals’ on the album as well; his vocal harmony contributions can be heard throughout most of the tracks and add a much desired AOR factor that the band often desire in their songs. Christoffer Borg (Taste, Art Nation) was chosen as the mixing and mastering engineer.

Opener, ‘Samsara’ is a bit hit and miss for my liking, mainly down to Wells’ vocals. He took me a while to get into the pitch level. That’s more my tinnitus than his vocal range! That said, the chorus makes up for any of my misgivings and all in all, it’s a very decent start to proceedings.

With songs like 'Bad Habit', you can immediately hear the Dream Theater influences, melding melodic rock with widdly guitar and keyboard frippery while maintaining that melodic keystone. Both ‘Breathe Me In’ and ‘Flesh and Blood’ are as close to AOR as you can get with their great melodies and are similar in vein to what the Scandinavians like WOA do ever so well. Only now it’s a UK band beating them at their own game. ‘As Time Goes By’ immediately grabs my attention. A combination of a decent riff, which reminds me a bit of Journey’s ‘Edge Of  The Moment’ and is a definite highlight. ‘In The Frame’ raises its head for the chorus, and there’s lots of little snippets in all these songs that will strike a chord with you – Journey, WOA, DT, and dare I say it, The Quest. ‘Lock and Key’ is very melodic in its sound, where the keys and guitar tale prominence, and their sound on ‘L&K’ reminds me in parts of a once great UK band called Balance Of Power. ‘Seasons Change’ is a decent paced up-tempo rocker, before Atlas unleash their probably contracted ballad in ‘Signal Of Hope’ and falls on the right side of the tracks and not being too schmaltzy and wimpy. For ‘Letting Go’ the latter section moves along without any complaint, and Atlas finish on a seven minuter in ‘Live and Forget’. Again its keyboard heavy, but changes track in the mid section with some nice guitar work, almost jazzy before heading back to the chorus, and the guitar work cuts through the rest of the song to make it stand out.

I have to give a huge shout out to James Thorley and Cristoffer Borg, as the album sounds great. It’s a big move up sonically from the EP.

I have a measuring stick where top marks are to be compared with albums like ‘Back In Black’, ‘Holy Diver’, ‘Hysteria’ ‘Everybody’s Crazy’ and ‘Night Of The Crime. I see lots of 10s being banded around for albums that are very good. So, if the recent Airrace is an excellent 9, ‘In Pursuit Of Memory’ gets a very solid 8/10.

8/10

Review by Paul Chesworth

James Thorley – Keyboards, programming & percussion

John Moss – Lead Guitars

Howie Little – Lead Guitars

Chris Redfearn – Bass

Craig Wells – Vocals

Tracklisting –

Samsara

Bad Habit

Breathe Me In

Flesh And Blood

As Time Goes By

In The Frame

Lock And Key

Seasons Change

Signal Of Hope

Letting Go

Supernova

Live And Forget

https://atlasmusicuk.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/atlasprojectuk/?ref=br_rs

Graham Bonnet Band, The Tivoli, Buckley 24.8.18

If you’re a fan of rock music (lets face it, why wouldn’t you be), then you would have to be under the age of 29 or been living in a cave for the last 40 yrs not to know the name Graham Bonnet. His star quickly shone when Ritchie Blackmore picked him from a pop quiz that Cozy Powell used to play intros to his record collection when Rainbow were down to a threesome after Dio, Daisley & Stone, and others had departed. The song, ‘Only One Woman’. ‘I want him’ stated Blackmore, and the rest they say, is history.

A very quick dalliance with MSG, but it spawned a belter of an album in Assault Attack, before forming his own band Alcatrazz. The guy has played alongside some great guitarists no doubt – Blackmore, Vai, Malmsteen, Impelliteri, Moody, Kulick, all of which is of no coincidence.

I last saw him about 15yrs ago in Crewe and he was blindingly good. 24.8.18 sees him at The Tivoli in Buckley and nudging 71. I have to state this as recently Steve Perry has popped his head up and announced a new album after a 25 yr absence. Perry is 69 and still sounds good. I’ll come back to this later.

Straight in with an Alcatrazz number ‘Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live’ Bonnet immediately

showed how good he was. A waif of a man, bit with the voice of a foghorn. If you doubted his age, or his stamina beforehand, don’t. It was laid to rest at the Tivoli. A 5 minute break ensued as Bonnet's drummer, Mark Benquechea decided he wanted a different drum kit. Bonnet swiftly whipped out a carrot, and not his wotsit unlike Sheffield and reminisced whilst the kit was rebuilt. ‘All Night Long’ followed and there were no worries regarding the notes, Bonnet is on form. With a guitarist like Kurt James, Bonnet has a foil who can play all the Malmsteen, Vai, Blackmore and Impelliteri parts with ease. Sure the solos were not identical, but the aforementioned never play the same solo twice anyway. The band were very tight but I’d like to have heard a bit more of the backing vocals on a couple of song and not just relying on a 70 yr old to pump out the vocals. Waldo was heard, but unless it was down to my positioning, Beth-Ami Heavenstone sounded like (or didn’t) like Lilly from Pitch Perfect. A reference for the kids there, methinks!

Highlights for me were ‘Night games’, the excellent ‘Desert Song’ (which is one of the best rock songs of all time), and the finale of ‘Lost In Hollywood’

I understand the need to drop in recently written songs, and a couple of fillers like ‘Goodnight and Goodbye’ and ‘Starcarr Lane’, AND, one of the crappiest guitar solos Ive ever witnessed! But when its at the expense of the likes of ‘Eyes Of The World’, ‘Samurai’, ‘Dancer’, ‘God Blessed Video’, ‘Sons and Lovers’, and ‘Hiroshima… ‘etc, then it could have gone from being a very good gig, to an exceptional gig, especially when some of these have been on the set list recently.

So, despite Perry being 69, I understand his album is ballad heavy. I even said myself recently, ‘you cant over expect anything from a bloke at this age’.  If that’s what Perry wants to do, then that’s great. But after seeing Bonnet sing full tilt (he cant do it any other way), for a solid 100 mins, then the ground rules have been re-set. You CAN hope/demand/expect some icons to be belting it out as they did 40 yrs ago.

If I were 70, I would be happy being able to stand up for 100 minutes, never mind belt out a set. Bonnet shows if you look after yourself, then you can beat the hands of time. Long may he continue, because these guys will not be around forever.

Pics courtesy of Jeff Price

 

Graham Bonnet Band -

Graham Bonnet – Vocals

Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards

Kurt James – Guitar

Beth-Ami Heavenstone – Bass

Mark Benquechea – Drums

Setlist

Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live

All Night Long

Night games

California Air

Island In The Sun

Jet To Jet

Rock You To The Ground

Stand In Line

Starcarr Lane

Goodnight and Goodbye

Desert Song

Into The Night

Long island Tea

Assault Attack

Mirror Lies

Since You Been Gone

Lost In Hollywood

Groundbreaker - 'S/T' Album review

Groundbreaker - 'S/T'

You can spend £300m on a footy team and not guarantee any success. Can you put two European Masters of melodic rock together and bring guaranteed success? Not necessarily. It has worked here, and this is what Frontiers Don, Serafino Perugino has done in bringing Steve Overland and Robert Säll together to make Groundbreaker. Lets face it, it wasn’t going to be difficult to put a project together when both parties have experience in such matters - Säll with W.E.T., and Overland with Shadowman. So it wasn’t ever going to be abject failure. You know what they say, ‘form is temporary, but class is permanent’. Both these fellas are undoubtedly a class act.

The album started with a conversation happened between Frontiers President Serafino Perugino and Overland, eager to start a collaboration with new and exciting musicians from the European melodic rock scene. The idea was immediately work involve Robert Säll of Work of Art in the picture and use Alessandro Del Vecchio’s production. Overland immediately loved the material that was submitted and consequently they started to work on songs.

"I’m the main composer for about half of the songs but Ale and Steve wrote a lot as well,” tells Robert Säll. “I had to write songs with Steve´s voice in mind and that was new and very inspiring to me. But for any fan of FM or Work of Art, I think they will be very familiar with the sound of this record!"

With Säll writing 50% himself, then these songs have more than a Work Of Art and FM sound to them. One thing is for certain, these songs are as finely polished as the brass door knocker at Mr Sheene’s factory.

If you’re a fan of these guy already then it really is the biggest no brainer since you convinced yourself to buy legwarmers in the 80s. Its like settling down on the comfiest of sofas, or chatting with a best mate that you haven’t spoken with in years; you get my drift, right?

‘Over My Shoulder’ is pure melodic simplicity at its best, Overland is Overland, the Ronseal vocalist of his generation, singing with a soul and passion that few can match, and with Säll’s guitar its quickly realized that this is a match made in Heaven, well Italy. ‘Will It Make You Love Me’ sounds like it should be a ballad, but it’s a song with one of the hookiest choruses you’ll hear this year, and any other year. ‘Eighteen Till I Die’ and ‘Only Time Will Tell’ just pick up the batton and carry on the high quality, with the guitar, vocals and keyboard right up, front and centre. ‘Standing Up For Love’ has the parpy, moody opening, extends into a punchier and heavier track with some really nice harmonies; think Michael Bolton.  – not that one, the one before he became the housewives choice. Yes that one.

‘Tonight’ is the first (sort of) ballad on offer and it’s a good one, but not the best on here. The trophy goes to ‘Something Worth Fighting For’. If something like this attracts the attention of Mrs Chesworth on a first listen (who is by far the better reviewer out of the both of us) then I know it’s a good one, and the more I hear it, the more I like it. It’s like waterboarding, only in a fun way! It sounds familiar, like you’ve known it for years, and deserves to win an award, as its that good. Overland projects his vocal prowess, showing emotion and passion in his vocals, and in this one song alone, proves to the World why he is called ‘The Voice’.

This is one project that definitely has legs and could see the partnership blossoming and around for many years to come, and could outlive their current day jobs. In leaving the knob twiddling to Del Vecchio its enabled them to create one of the best melodic rock albums of the year, if not the best. I could imagine this in full Foreigner mode live, with a choir ramping it up to eleven! 

‘The Sound Of A Broken Heart’ highlights the assets of all here, its  everything coming together for the greater good. It’s the five guys working in harmony. ‘First Time’ comes with Overlands trademarked ‘whoa-ohhs’ and starts off as one song, and switches the chorus to a more powerful force and back again. It’s a nice  balance and very 80s. ‘The Days Of Our Life’ is an upbeat song and typical Summer song that would have dominated MTV. The album is over way too quickly with ‘The Way It Goes’ and I have pretty much run out of platitudes at this point.

Groundbreaker have come to the part with eleven songs all being of great quality, with not a duffer in sight, proving you don’t need to come armed with 17 songs and a running time of 75 mins. It’s the best 2635 seconds you will hear all year!

The keyboard sounds and overall production on this are just fab, and I have to give credit to Alessandro Del Vecchio.

Frontiers have been pumping out a lot of albums the last couple of years with many being average at best. There have been some nuggets from them along the way, but now’t comes close to this for the label.

Sod the young guns. Guys if you want to up your game then you need to be watching (and listening to) the older guard, as four of the best melodic rock albums this year have come from NHA, Airrace, Perfect Plan, and now Groundbreaker. They’ve upped their game, now up yours.

If you’re a fan of melodic rock, and you don’t like this, then you’re not listening hard enough.

Score – 9/10

Groundbreaker –

Robert Säll – Guitars

Steve Overland – Vocals

Nalley Pahlsson – Bass

Herman Furing – Drums

With Alessandro Del Vecchio – Keyboards

Produced by Alessandro Del Vecchio

Tracklisting –

Over My Shoulder

Will It Make You Love Me

Eighteen ‘Til I Die

Only Time Will Tell

Tonight

Standing Up For Love

Something Worth Fighting For

The Sound Of A Broken Heart

The First Time

The Days Of Our Life

The Way It Goes

https://www.facebook.com/Groundbreakerband/