Song of the week Wham! - Last Christmas (ROCK COVER by Sershen&Zaritskaya)

Song of the week

Wham! - Last Christmas (ROCK COVER by Sershen&Zaritskaya)

 

Kent Hill-'The rumble"

Good melodic, hard rock is a joy for the ears and when such a magnificent voice such as Kent Hill (PERFECT PLAN,GIANT) decides to make a solo album, (his first one) it is a double pleasure to listen more from him. You won't find anything more or less, than a singer who moves between Steve Perry and David Coverdale with a deep, melodic ,high pitching when needed voice in some more than adequate melodic rock songs. 

 

Although Frontiers has major issues with the plastic sound of the last decade, as a result of using the same people to compose, record,produce, in cases like Hill, his voice takes the reins and leads the songs most of the time above the average. An album of melodic rock in the vein of WHITESNAKE, HOUSE OF LORDS, SHOUT, TREAT, EUROPE that you won't regret listening to. An album perfect to drive, dance, laugh and enjoy music listening to.

 

8

 PEARLz-"Feel fine"

Female fronted German quartet with a modern hard rock sound that owns a lot to the LA scene and also to bands like GUANO APES with their new metal riff o rama. Straight in your face, dirty, down to earth, no bullshit heavy rock anthems with screaming guitars and great vocal delivery from Sandy. The songs are tight, aggressive with enough melody to keep them at the hard rock territory but with enough swagger and edge to make them contemporary. The more commercial side is equally attractive as you can find out on your own at the popish ,melodic "Empty cask" with the CRANBERRIES influences all over the song, but only influences.

 

 

Stand out tracks "Crystalline soul", "While we 're dynamite" where the band exceeds the expectations and combine catchy choruses with heavy riffs. I have also to mention , a stripped down metallic version of "Layla" that is anxious and full of aggressiveness making the original sounding like a nursery school lullaby. A debut that promises a lot.

6,5

TRAGIK- "Ultima radio" (Rock Company)

Modern hard rock with a dark twist. Imagine the early years BON JOVI with some low tuned guitars in the vein of ALTER BRIDGE and CREED at some points but with the sense and essence of melody deep in the bands DNA. Songs like "One last time " have the world airplay written all over them, while 'Seeds of the sky" and 'Piece by piece" have a more heavy metal direction. As metal as ACCEPT were on 'Eat the heat". Far more melodic and anthemic kinda SCORPIONS or shall I say BONFIRE try to modernize their sound. The guitar work is as usual top notch and the songwriting a bit confusing sometimes, as it is always diverse from the ballad "All i have left" to more left wing melodic pieces like "Requiem" where BEATLES meet TROUBLE over some ULTRAVOX melodic lines. 

 

TRAGIK consists of Damian D’Ercole (Guitars, Percussion), Dirk Phillips (Drums, Keyboards) and Phil Vincent (Vocals, Bass, Keyboards)assisted on lead guitars by Vince O Regan and William Roux. . This power trio can pretty much play anything and everything from keyboard loaded AOR to more modern hard rock. It is a matter of prioritization and targeting where they want to be and how, if they want, to be categorized. For all of you who like their rock, catchy, modern and bit sugar coated at some points, TRAGIK have the package.

 

7

 

The Temperance movement- "Covers and Rarities"

Once a big hope for British retro rock, today a vivid, mature hard rock scheme, seasoned on stages and with a new singer, TM releasing an album full of covers and rarities. A release to prove to any misled infidel, that they have the influences and the guts to honor them. LED ZEPPELIN, David Bowie, DEEP PURPLE (with the participation of Ian Paice) along with some Brit pop, BLUR (Tender), OASIS (Up in the sky) along with some of their own songs and the truth is bare naked laid in front of us. 

 

 

 From the DP cover where the band gives its own funk tempo, to the heartbreaking "Mothers eyes" the retro scene as it was defined by BLACK CROWES and QUIREBOYS is here, present and loud. TM have their own identity, bit ROLLING STONES,  bit FACES,  bit HUMBLE PIE, they deliver their rock brassed, smoked and with passion. Down to earth , they play the best, as music pours out of their hearts like the fountain of truth. Not overindulging they prefer to put the effort in being realistic and sensitive. 

 

They won't rediscover America with such an album, but they'll reinstate the faith of their followers, that the true belief and love for music, is still in their hearts burning like a never ending fire.

 

7

 

 

Black label society- "Doom crew inc"

 

 

Zak Wylde picked his guitar and along with new and old members of his crew gave us another BLS album. Differences with the past , minors but important.Less distorted,yet heavy, is a fine mix between Ozzy of the “No more tears '' period and the Vol4 Black sabbath with some Allman brothers overtones. Zakk has studied his,lesson well and in songs like "End of days", "Set you free" is melodic yet heavy and wah wah fuzz oriented with a sense of melody that has direct references to BEATLES and the 60s. Wylde has put less elements to surprise the listener this time. The album has few , quiet moments , as he said himself these are some mid tempo ballads that work fine with his voice. But it is at the heavyweight ones that draw our attention. 

 

 

Guitar wise the album is as always beyond expectations, especially as the guitar dwells, pay off well. Songs like 'Gather my sins' and "Gospel Of lies" are fine examples of the high standard of musicianship, guitar playing presented in this album. BLS are with a less distorted, yet heavy album where the more quiet moments are songs  like the touching "Farewell ballad" where ZW shows the years of maturity as musician and as human being. If you follow them, BLS have for the last decade moved from the fuzz infused rebels to a bit more melodic, yet heavy form, that suits their frontman, without getting in forms and limitations. 

 

A true BLS album, uncompromising, heavy and yet diverse and above all heavy metal without any chance to doubt it.

8

Matti Alfonzetti- "Shake my blood"

Modern melodic Hard rock by one of the most underrated voices, Mark Alfonzetti. For those of you who are unaware of his musical past, he has his tenures as led singer in bands such as BAM BAM BOYS, JAGGED EDGE , SKINTRADE, ROAD TO RUIN. With a raw, yet melodic voice,that brings him to the category of singers like Andi Derris, David Reece he releases this solo work, where furious melodic hard rock  like "Shake my blood"trades places with soulful mid tempo songs like "Say Goodbye". Alfonzetti is a genuine Swedish melodicHard rock singer with his heavier moments, his fondness for the modern rock sound but a soft spot for the 80s AOR scene. The tenure in JAGGED EDGE left his mark in songs like the funky, groovy 'Who do you think you are". Bluesy and melodic, in the vein of MR BIG, late years EUROPE , Alfonzetti, brings the musical dreams to life in songs like 'Sanctified" where the groove meets the melody at a song that screams for airplay. This time Alfonzetti, who has gone back to his roots and together with Mikael Hujanen, Peter Forss, Johan Norgren, Henrik Bergqvist, Joel Sahlin and his son Dante created an album full of bluesy , yet FM oriented Hard rock. 'Digging in the dirt' with its melodic bridge and its heavy blues chorus is a fine example of the album's orientation. 

 

 

If you are into bands like COLD CHISEL you may understand my point of view.A melodic, yet bluesy,deep voice that has the versatility to serve both the FM as the more down to earth blues rock directions,allow Alfonzetti move in to various musical directions keeping the groove and the fire alive, without been utterly traditional or over the top contemporary. But it's the covers where he shows his own unique interpretation on songs we all know and love like at 'Don't believe a word" by THIN LIZZY ,where he transforms the song to a piano led, heartbreaking ballad, stripped down to the bones, leaving him and a piano."Kill my blues" could be easily at any of the post reunion EUROPE albums and been among the best songs they have written. In the same vein of hard rock with a bluesy touch, comes "Evil woman", muscular and anthemic.To put it simple EUROPE,SHOUT, MR BIG, WHITESNAKE, JAGGED EDGE, you like any of the aforementioned bands ,then you are obliged to buy "Shake my soul" period.

 

7,5