If there was ever anyone who could take Glenn Hughes' moniker of 'The Voice Of Rock' it's Ronnie Romero. He's literally everywhere fronting all the bands under the sun, if he's not singing for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, The Michael Schenker Group, Lords Of Black, The Ferrymen, Sunstorm, Elegant Weapons. Then he's making guest appearances like nobody's business and he's he's also releasing his own music with his solo band.
Backbone is his second album of own material, his first was Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters, which showcased his song writing as the two previous albums were full of covers; Raised On Radio dealt with AOR and classic rock and Raised On Heavy Radio which went metal. So this another set of tracks specifically suited to that incredible vocal, Ronnie up front and showing off while he's backed by a slick talented band and some high profile guests too.
Former Europe axe man Kee Marcello gives a solo to Hideaway, which was co-written and features backing vocals from legendary songwriter and Argent frontman Russ Ballad, who famously wrote Since You've Been Gone, I Surrender and God Gave Rock N Roll To You, so it's safe to say he knows his way around a song and Hideaway is exactly the sort of melodic hard rock pomp you'd want with these two involved.
Much of the record though is written by Romero and his guitarist Jose Rubio Jimenez, who mixes and mastered while Romero produced. With Romero on vocals and Rubio on guitar/bass, the album has plenty of organs from Alessandro Bertoni from the swaggering Backbone right through to Black Dog, which has some galloping double kick drums from Chris Allan.
So Backbone is another big heavy rock record from this hard working, world class singer. 8/10
Defecto - Echoes Of Isolation (Frontiers Music)
Danish metal band Defecto return with their new album Echoes Of Isolation, a concept album that deals with mental illness as vocalist Nicklas Sonne says “Each song inhabits a different psychological struggle - insomnia, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, paranoia, dissociation, trauma" so it's a darker, personal and more introspective record than perhaps their previous three before it.
Thankfully this darker route doesn't take anything away from the technically skilled yet melodic delivery of what Defecto do best. Still led by their founder members, Defecto features the passionate and gritty vocals of Sonne, he also plays guitar sitting in between the bass of Thomas Bartholin and guitar of Frederik Møller while Morten Gade Sørensen (who joined in 2018) plays drums.
They continue to create excellent music together, as the vocals soar above the heavy, progressive riffs and fluid virtuosity. Fans of cinematic bands such as Evergrey and Symphony X will love this record, as the huge choruses blend with the proggy technical metal. Echoes Of Isolation is another brilliant addition to Defecto's legacy. 9/10
Shiraz Lane - In Vertigo (Frontiers Music)
Finnish rockers Shiraz Lane return with their new album In Vertigo. Like their other records it's a modern rock record full of emotional lyrics and songs that take from the resurgent Scandi AOR scene, some Quincy Jones-like 80's pop (Dangerous) and plenty of sleazy and glam too. Co-written by the band and their longtime producer Per Aldeheim, his history with bands such as H.E.A.T and Def Leppard, shining through with The Ray Of Love.
It's not retro though as Shiraz Lane have taken a very modern route, nodding to bands such as Hinder, Adelita's Way and Shinedown on the orchestral backed, upbeat Live A Little More, with more pop coming on Babylon. Over the years they've adapted what they play, moving from the noted styles of Guns N Roses and Aerosmith on their debut album, through a few different guises, they seem to have settled on the modern melodic rock sound they have now.
With Sayonara Love they have a bonafide Eurovision entrant (it's even around 3 minutes long) and that's the overwhelming feel I got from In Vertigo, the shift towards pop and modernity still pays homage to their influences but with a razor sharp contemporary edge. 7/10
Leah-Martin Brown - Love & Other Crimes (Frontiers Music)
Love & Other Crimes is the debut album from singer songwriter Leah Martin-Brown. When I heard Mr X, I did think I'd perhaps picked up a pop album by mistake, maybe even a later period Shania Twain release when R U Chicken kicked in but then I looked at the track listing and I realised that this record was produced by Robert Mutt Lange and as such has all the musical hallmarks he has over the years, especially the huge backing vocals on R U Chicken which is pure Def Leppard fluff.
This is pop rock definitely with writing credits from Martin-Brown, Mutt Lange, guitarist Tommy Denander and keyboardist Tony Nilsson, it's a collaborative record that never really gets away from the sound that Lange has cultivated over the years, originally from Australia but having played in the USA, L.A and Stockholm, this is a record full of danceable pop rock, if Lady Gaga fronting Def Leppard sounds like a winner to you then check it out but for anyone expecting rock you may feel a little let down as this is a pop album. 6/10
Backbone is his second album of own material, his first was Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters, which showcased his song writing as the two previous albums were full of covers; Raised On Radio dealt with AOR and classic rock and Raised On Heavy Radio which went metal. So this another set of tracks specifically suited to that incredible vocal, Ronnie up front and showing off while he's backed by a slick talented band and some high profile guests too.
Former Europe axe man Kee Marcello gives a solo to Hideaway, which was co-written and features backing vocals from legendary songwriter and Argent frontman Russ Ballad, who famously wrote Since You've Been Gone, I Surrender and God Gave Rock N Roll To You, so it's safe to say he knows his way around a song and Hideaway is exactly the sort of melodic hard rock pomp you'd want with these two involved.
Much of the record though is written by Romero and his guitarist Jose Rubio Jimenez, who mixes and mastered while Romero produced. With Romero on vocals and Rubio on guitar/bass, the album has plenty of organs from Alessandro Bertoni from the swaggering Backbone right through to Black Dog, which has some galloping double kick drums from Chris Allan.
So Backbone is another big heavy rock record from this hard working, world class singer. 8/10
Defecto - Echoes Of Isolation (Frontiers Music)
Danish metal band Defecto return with their new album Echoes Of Isolation, a concept album that deals with mental illness as vocalist Nicklas Sonne says “Each song inhabits a different psychological struggle - insomnia, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, paranoia, dissociation, trauma" so it's a darker, personal and more introspective record than perhaps their previous three before it.
Thankfully this darker route doesn't take anything away from the technically skilled yet melodic delivery of what Defecto do best. Still led by their founder members, Defecto features the passionate and gritty vocals of Sonne, he also plays guitar sitting in between the bass of Thomas Bartholin and guitar of Frederik Møller while Morten Gade Sørensen (who joined in 2018) plays drums.
They continue to create excellent music together, as the vocals soar above the heavy, progressive riffs and fluid virtuosity. Fans of cinematic bands such as Evergrey and Symphony X will love this record, as the huge choruses blend with the proggy technical metal. Echoes Of Isolation is another brilliant addition to Defecto's legacy. 9/10
Shiraz Lane - In Vertigo (Frontiers Music)
Finnish rockers Shiraz Lane return with their new album In Vertigo. Like their other records it's a modern rock record full of emotional lyrics and songs that take from the resurgent Scandi AOR scene, some Quincy Jones-like 80's pop (Dangerous) and plenty of sleazy and glam too. Co-written by the band and their longtime producer Per Aldeheim, his history with bands such as H.E.A.T and Def Leppard, shining through with The Ray Of Love.
It's not retro though as Shiraz Lane have taken a very modern route, nodding to bands such as Hinder, Adelita's Way and Shinedown on the orchestral backed, upbeat Live A Little More, with more pop coming on Babylon. Over the years they've adapted what they play, moving from the noted styles of Guns N Roses and Aerosmith on their debut album, through a few different guises, they seem to have settled on the modern melodic rock sound they have now.
With Sayonara Love they have a bonafide Eurovision entrant (it's even around 3 minutes long) and that's the overwhelming feel I got from In Vertigo, the shift towards pop and modernity still pays homage to their influences but with a razor sharp contemporary edge. 7/10
Leah-Martin Brown - Love & Other Crimes (Frontiers Music)
Love & Other Crimes is the debut album from singer songwriter Leah Martin-Brown. When I heard Mr X, I did think I'd perhaps picked up a pop album by mistake, maybe even a later period Shania Twain release when R U Chicken kicked in but then I looked at the track listing and I realised that this record was produced by Robert Mutt Lange and as such has all the musical hallmarks he has over the years, especially the huge backing vocals on R U Chicken which is pure Def Leppard fluff.
This is pop rock definitely with writing credits from Martin-Brown, Mutt Lange, guitarist Tommy Denander and keyboardist Tony Nilsson, it's a collaborative record that never really gets away from the sound that Lange has cultivated over the years, originally from Australia but having played in the USA, L.A and Stockholm, this is a record full of danceable pop rock, if Lady Gaga fronting Def Leppard sounds like a winner to you then check it out but for anyone expecting rock you may feel a little let down as this is a pop album. 6/10
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