Rock Blog #29: Welcome Summer 2024!

Apologies for the lack of updates. All sorts of things have taken up my time, but I hope I can write these blog entries a bit more often from now on. We’ll see. 

Retro flashback! As I write this, I’m listening to the MTM Classix version of the first RPM album, which I found today from a second hand shop (or ”fleet market”, to be exact.) A mint, unopened copy for a few euros - a good deal, especially since I didn’t have this album before. It features the well-known songsmith Robert White Johnson on lead vocals, and few of these songs have been covered by other artists such as Van Zant (”2+2”) and Blackfoot (”A Legend Never Dies”). This re-issue comes with 5 bonus tracks. Good early eighties AOR! RRRR.

Then, let's move to the newer stuff:

NIGHTBLAZE is the latest project from Italian guitarist Dario Grillo. With vocalist Damiano Libianchi (Perfect View), bassist Federica Raschellà and drummer Alex Grillo he has created a fine melodic rock album. There’s a certain melancholic feeling in these songs that appeals to me a lot, and while Nightblaze isn’t re-inventing anything, their songs have a touch of originality. RRRR.

IAN WILDE is from Portugal, and he’s the singer in an alternative metal band Wild Freedom. On his first solo album ”Dream Hunter” he’s presenting us a more melodic side of himself though. Vocally he’s a dead ringer of young Michael Voss, and indeed, musically these songs sound like the could have been taken from the cult classic Mad Max album ”Night Of Passion” or Casanova’s debut. Okay, maybe those albums are on a different level, but if they’re among your favourites, you should check out ”Dream Hunter”. Wilde injects some retrowave synth sounds to some of the songs too, ”Born To Shine” is a good example of that. RRRr.

”Defiance” is the latest album from veteran rockers PRAYING MANTIS. They’ve released solid material since the early eighties, but I haven’t ever really gotten into them. This album won’t make a difference I’m afraid. It’s pleasant, mostly mid tempo melodic hard rock and if you’ve liked their previous albums, I’m sure you’ll like this one too. Something just doesn’t click for me though, and Russ Ballard’s ”I Surrender” stands out easily as the best song. RRR.

I loved the ART OF ILLUSION album released a couple of years ago. Now the guys behind it, Anders Rydholm and Lars Säfsund have released a new album, but quite righftfully under the monicker of RYDHOLM SÄFSUND, as it is a very different beast to the Art Of Illusion one. ”Kaleidoscope” is the name of the album, and it’s highly polished, at times even jazzy one. Think Toto, Chicago at their jazziest, with lots of horns and brass instruments and funky rhythms… A few very good choruses doesn’t save this from going way too deep into the yacht rock waters, so it’s only RRR from me. Immaculately executed and sung of course, but I sure hope the duo will return to the Art Of Illusion style one day.

Can’t say that SEBASTIAN BACH is BACK even if I wanted to, because he really hasn’t been away. There’s always an online fight between him and someone else going on, but he also raised his profile in more positive way (I think?) by appearing in Masked Singer. Anyway, the latest chapter in his solo career goes by the name of ”Child Within The Man”, and… it’s not too bad. The album doesn’t really offer any standout tracks, but it’s decent hard rock / metal with a contemporary sound, somewhat lacking in the hook department though. Actually, didn’t I say something similar about the last album of the band he used to be a part of? Favourite song: the ballad "To Live Again". RRR