RATED X: "Rated X"

Rating: RR
Label: Frontiers 2014
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

The JOLT is one of my fave vocalists when it comes to melodic classic rock. Add legendary drummer Carmine Appice and bass player Tony 'Fretless' Franklin to the line-up and the name/band dropping could go on forever. What looks like a brand new super-group and very good indeed on paper or in this case your PC screen, sadly just won't deliver in reality. Rated X and producer Alessandro Del Vecchio (co-song writer, keyboards) are coming up with second rate Rainbow material and not a single one of these tracks would end up on your best of Joe Lynn Turner compilation.

Turner sound pretty great vocally and the experienced musicians can do no wrong. However, the songs are so 'been there, done that' and there's simply not enough of hooks, sinkers, and bate to keep the fish happy and biting on your trip to Lake Dejavú. It might not be the best of JOLT, but what if you've never heard about the man and his music? Yeah. I guess this could work as background music if you're new to the game since it's all very professional done and executed. The production on the other hand could merely be described as muddy and demo-ish. It could already need the remastering and plenty of beef.

"Fire and Ice" is a nice tune and the same goes for "I Don't Cry No More". "Lhasa" (written by Kronqvist/Palmqvist/DelVecchio) will remind you of the Blue Murder track 'Valley Of The Kings' and the opening lines goes and I quote, "The quest for the gold took me here in the valley of the kings", end quote. Ouch. No shame at all apparently. It's a nice epic tune though, just like the Sykes one. Then again, Blue Murder borrowed a lot from Led Zeppelin in the first place so I guess it's the circle of life/music. Rated X? More like Rated RR.