After returning from a four year break, Hardline managed to hit upon a rich vein of melodic hard rock with their 2016 album ‘Human Nature’. Although the band’s sound had toughened up a little since their early days, in Johnny Gioeli – at this point the only original member – they still possessed a first rate vocalist – and the record demonstrated a very consistent approach to song writing. 2018’s follow-up ‘Life’ offered more of the same – even a little tougher in places – and was well received by the fans, and even though it wasn’t quite as enjoyable as its predecessor – or Gioeli’s side project with Deen Castronovo – there was plenty to suggest more musical mileage in Hardline yet.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
Check out the new video from Ha Ha Ha
Blending power pop with gentle satire, Irish band Ha Ha Ha pay a backhanded tribute to The Queen on their current single ‘The Betty Windsor Show’ and couple their whimsical thoughts with a fun new video clip.
BANG BANG FIRECRACKER – See Evil EP
Bang Bang Firecracker find themselves thinking much bigger in terms of both sound and concept for their follow up to their 2019 release ‘Welcome To The Slaughterhouse’. Although that album did a fine job in introducing the Stoke On Trent hard rockers as strong players, it featured the kind of drum sound and occasionally trebly edge that gave away its DIY origins (also, the least said about its horribly dated, David Coverdale channelling artwork, the better). Their next batch of material takes the form of not one but three separate EP releases which, combined, are designed to form a strong full length release. At a time where a lot of independent rock is issued digitally and so many younger listeners are seemingly incapable of committing to a full forty minutes, the EP format seems like a smart move. More importantly, the short and sharp approach also serves to make BBF’s riffs seem even more forceful. Also, a staggered release, in theory, also helps to keep the band in people’s minds a little bit longer.
TOBY HITCHCOCK – Changes
A much-loved figure on the AOR/melodic rock scene, Toby Hitchcock has previously applied his talents to some very theatrical releases by Pride of Lions, where he is a huge vocal foil to Jim Peterik’s overwhelming desire to be rock’s answer to a hybrid of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Greg Wells. The relentless bombast of those albums can be an acquired taste, but the critical responses to their work has often been positive. Toby’s first solo album (2011’s ‘Mercury’s Down’) carried a similarly huge love it or hate it sound but, thankfully, by the time of 2019’s ‘Reckoning’, his on/off solo career had found itself in a more melodic place. By pulling back some of the vocal histrionics and focusing on more of an AOR-centric sound, Hitchcock had finally released an album that could appeal to a broader cross section of a rock loving audience.
TRUMBITEN – Emotions EP
When Trumbiten made their first appearances on streaming services during the global pandemic of 2020, their first recordings almost seemed to set up the musical project as a bit of fun; something of a necessary distraction for the musicians involved. A cover of Ghost (BC)’s ‘Rats’ and a heavy reworking of Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ both suggested the Swedish father/son duo had some strong musical chops, but as with a lot of covers – especially when played fairly straight, heavied up or otherwise – they didn’t really suggest a band thinking in the long term.