Mad Haven - 'Sound Of The Music' EP Review

Mad Haven – ‘Sound Of The Music’ EP

So far in 2017, my reviewing ears have been subjected to some tripe to say the least.  I was hoping for some relief, and thankfully I have found it

I’d heard on the local jungle drums that there was a (very) young North Wales band that’s been growing in reputation and getting some serious attention. So when a mate of mine posted a FB Live video of theirs over the Christmas period I was hooked like a salmon.

The band in question is a three piece called Mad Haven hailing from Penrhyn Bay and Trefiw. Not yet known for being a hotbed of metal, but I predict it soon will be. Mad Haven consist of brothers Tom Rogowski – 15 (Guitar & lead Vocals), Alex Rogowski - 17 (Drums & Backing Vocals), and Joe Fisher – 16 (Bass & Backing Vocals). They are that young, their combined aged is just 48, and that’s still younger than this reviewer! This proves that you’re never too young (or old) to kick ass and rock. Mad Haven have been around since 2011, so just let that sink in a minute.….I have gig tee-shirts older than these lads.

Their EP ‘Sound Of The Music’ is an impressive one for such young musicians, which can only bode well as they develop further. Not only that, its their 5^th EP which puts them in BCC territory! Straight off the bat, the intro leaves you in no doubt as to who they want to emulate – its kick-ass riffs straight out of the Aussie school of rock like AC/DC and Airbourne. ‘Running Far’ sees Tom channel his inner Lemmy for some throaty JD soaked vocals. God only knows what he will sound like when he is finally allowed to drink! The chorus immediately sinks in and requires no additional listen. The playing is as tight as a nut and if you closed your eyes the age does not come into his playing, as its mature, hits the spot and all down excellent. The rhythm section of Tom and Alex combine to make it one excellent intro into the world of Mad Haven.

Title track ‘Sound Of The Music’ leads you in a few directions before settling in. Its certainly straight out of the heavy metal songbook….’rock and roll is the sound of the music’. It leads itself to a 15 minute rocking live version I imagine as it allows the guys to go off in all directions. For me the best is kept until last. ‘Watcha’ Gonna’’ includes a line ‘all you think you want for tea tonight’. The song is lifted by a refrain/bridge/chorus that experienced professional bands would love to write. Its all about the melody and Mad Haven have this in abundance.

So, despite my ‘young’ remarks, MH are as professional as they come. DO NOT dismiss this band as they are going places. If you like your metal to be tight, rock hard, balls to the wall, and tinged with the Aussie influence then look no further than Mad Haven.

Mad Haven have an EP launch party at The Marine Hotel, Old Colwyn, Sat, 11^th Feb. £5 entry and you get a copy of the CD!!

Score 8/10

Mad Haven –

Tom Rogowski – Guitar & Lead Vocals

Joe Fisher – Bass Guitar & Backing Vocals

Alex Rogowski – Drums & Backing Vocals

Tracklisting –

Intro

Runnin’ Far

Sound Of The Music

Watcha’ Gonna’

Lionville - 'A World Of Fools' Album Review

Lionville – A World Of Fools

Its surprising how fast time passes. It’s been five years since Lionville II was released. In a time where peoples musical tastes change quickly, and more and more bands come into the scene, five years is a lifetime. Good things come to those who wait……

There’s been a bit of tinkering in the lineup since ‘II’, but thankfully the sound behind Lionville remains constant with Stefano Lionetti and Lars Såfsund the two key components. Bringing up the rest of Lionville is Michele Cusato – Guitars, Giulio Dagnino – Bass, and Martino Malacrida – Drums

If I had to describe Lionville’s sound, it would be in two simple words….’silky smooth’.  Most of that is down to Såfsund’s vocals. Since he came on the scene with Work Of Art, his vocals prove to be one of the finest in this genre. If anything, the quality of songs are what makes or breaks a band, and this is the finest Lionville album yet. Its 80s AOR with a Westcoast vibe that will have fans of Toto and the like in raptures. Its aor-candy for the 21^st Century!

‘A World Of Fools’ is consistently good, with a few songs that rise above the parapet into excellent. Their stall is well and truly set out with the pacey and riff heavy opener ‘I Will Wait’. ‘Show Me The Love’ is European pop/rock AOR at its best. ‘Bring Me Back Our Love’ ticks all the melodic rock boxes in abundance, polished sound, hugely melodic chorus, and strong riffage! ‘One More Night’ is one song that is to be played at maximum volume just to show off the infectious chorus and rip roaring solo. ‘Heaven Is Right Here’ follows the same musical path. There’s a lot of positivity in this album, very uplifting any a joy to listen to, as ‘All I Want’ proves. With a song like ‘Livin’ On The Edge’ I expected a rip-snorter of a track, whereas it’s the complete opposite. Its not bad, but its not the best on the album by a long shot. ‘Our Good Goodbye’ is so Toto-esque, I half expect to hear WIllaims/Lukather and Paich to be playing on it! ‘Paradise’ is another of those anthemic arena songs that Lionville seem able to write without and issue. Its like shelling peas for them.

I’ve enjoyed the Lionville journey so far. Their debut came out of the blue for me initially, and ‘II’ was also a joy. I think with ‘A World Of Fools’ they have surpassed themselves.  Existing fans…it’s a no-brainer. If you have not listened before, what are you waiting for. Its silky smooth, highly polished Westcoast AOR. Its exactly the type of band Toto should take on the road with them.

February is proving to be a strong month for Frontiers…

Score 85/100

Tracklisting

I Will Wait

Show Me The Love

Bring Back Our Love

Heaven Is Right Here

A World Of Fools

One More Night

All I Want

Livin’ On The Edge

Our Good Goodbye

Paradise

Image Of Your Soul

Lionville are

Stefano Lionetti – Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards

Lars Såfsund – Lead & Backing Vocals

Michele Cusato – Guitars

Giulio Dagnino – Bass

Martino Malacrida – Drums

Tokyo Motor Fist - 'ST' Album Review

Tokyo Motor Fist – TMF

Now, either Tokyo Motor Fist has come from a random name generator, or its an inspired band name. I can just imagine the conversation….Ted ‘Guys c’mon! The albums almost finished and we don’t have a band name for that Italian dude that’s given us the money to make this thing’. Chuck ‘I know, lets come up with a name something like your porn name – you know your first pet and the street where you live!’ Ted, ‘Awesome dude! Put the following things in the hat….1. Your favourite place….2. A part of a car…..3. a body part’

So out of the hat comes ‘Tokyo Motor Fist’. Its a good job they didn’t go with the second random generated name….’Paris Gearbox Elbow’.

Based on this line up I am expecting great things ,as these guys should know what they are doing and what fans expect. After all, it is Ted Poley (D2), Steve Brown (Trixter), Greg Smith (Rainbow, Ted Nugent) and Chuck Burgi (Rainbow, JLT, BOC). As per The Defiants debut last year, I want this to be every bit as good.  Best way I can describe the whole experience like the summer feel-good sound of Y&Ts Summertime Girls crossed with D2s Naughty Naughty and a slice of Van Halen thrown in for good measure. There’s not a single duff track on this album, and its one of the most feel good, uplifting, unashamed slices of 80s classic rock AOR. They’ve gone through the elements of the 80s that made their original bands great – huge riffs…check. Even bigger harmonies….check. Widdly solos….double check!

Ted Poley sounds great. Basically, he album just flies by. The first six songs just kick you in the nuts and doesn’t back off for a single second. Its hard to pick any faves as its so consistent. If I had to pick one, it would be the all guns blazing ‘Shameless’ its in a similar vein to DFPs ‘Gimme Your Good Lovin’. The album only draws breath for the ballad-ish ‘Don’t Let Me Go’, before that 80s influenced (and future classic I swear to God) ‘Put Me To Shame’. In fact its one of the best songs I heard in the last few years. It’s that good, I asked the mother in law to knit me a new set of legwarmers! ‘Done To Me’ is as if Poley was fronting Def Leppard. ‘Get You Off My Mind’ borders on arena rock with its instantly memorable chorus. Its all over waaay too quickly with the brisk and pulsating ‘Fallin’ Apart’.

Signore Perugino certainly has a knack when he is putting projects together. I’m hoping (like The Defiants) that Tokyo Motor Fist tour our shores or at the bear minimum plat a festival over the coming 12 months. TNF is one of the best debuts I’ve heard since The Defiants, and Blood Red Saints & Angels Or Kings in recent years. Its not just the Poley Show, in fact Steve Browns guitar work is simple awesome, and when its all backed up by the gruesome twosome of Burgi and Smith, it all makes for a superb album and listening experience!

If this isn’t at the sharp end of my (and your) top 5 albums of 2016 I’ll be very surprised.

 Score - 95/100

Tokyo Motor Fist are

Ted Poley – Vocals

Steve Brown – Guitars

Greg Smith – Bass

Chuck Burgi – Drums

Tracklisting –

Picking Up The Pieces

Love Me Insane

Shameless

Love

Black And Blue

You’re My Revolution

Don’t Let Me go

Put Me To Shame

Done To Me

Get You Off My Mind

Fallin’ apart

Unruly Child - 'Can't Go Home' Album Review

Unruly Child – Can't Go Home

Grunge well and truly fucked up my music. All the bands I'd loved had packed it in. Some would say a new movement was needed as the hair metal bands of the time were getting out of hand and writing copious amounts of tripe. It wasn’t until I found a magazine called Hard Roxx in 1997 that this world opened up for me again. Not only that, there were a whole host of bands that had still been releasing albums that were so underground, it was if Jules Verne had a record label. Between 89-97 I only really listened to bands that has just about managed to survive grunge and were still releasing music.

Cracking melodic rock bands passed me by – Red Dawn, Signal, Ten, Talisman, etc., the list is huge. One voice really stood out for me once I started delving back into this world, and it was a familiar voice…..the voice of one Mark Free. The first King Kobra  album was probably one of my top 5 hair metal albums of the 80s, so much so, I re-recorded the bugger at least 3 times on cassette. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had still been releasing music as a part of Signal, Unruly Child, and at that current time was a solo artiste.

The original members of the legendary melodic hard rock quintet Unruly Child have reunited to release a brand new album with Frontiers Music Srl entitled “Can’t Go Home”.

Marcie Michelle Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist – Stone Fury, World Trade), and Guy Allison (keyboardist – Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) together with the original band members from the first record, drummer - Jay Schellen (Hurricane, World Trade, Asia), and bassist - Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise), comprise the line-up for this recording.

Well, Marcie still has the voice to melt the hardest of rock hearts. 'The Only One' is upbeat, just screams Summer and a top down in your convertible. If you don’t have one, just wind the windows down and stick it on full blast. ‘Four Eleven’ has this choppy riff that just is a bit different and completely infectious. At this point, I don’t know if it’s the quality of production, or the fact that I’m streaming the album, as it sounds a bit weak and thin in the ‘oomph’ stakes. 'Driving Into The Future' isn’t a song about Marty McFly, Initially it’s a tad music by numbers but picks up with the guitar solo and the message so far is one of a feel good album. ‘Get On Top’ is full of layered harmonies. It’s a bit of a plodder, but the vocals save the day. ‘See if She Floats’ is drowning in its own averagness. Its not really inspiring a track. ‘She Can’t Go Home’ is the closet offering we get so far to a ballad., with Free’s voice being one of the best instruments and its probably the best of the bunch so far. Transgender aside Marcie still sounds like Mark of years ago and that isn’t a bad place to be as its easy to get lost and swept away in the vocals. Point Of View is again a powerful uplifting track, one that harks back to the debut album. ‘Ice Cold Sunshine’ and ‘When Love Is Here’ sees UC stepping up the harmonies and are both examples of Allison’s great keyboard playing. The latter is another that takes influence from the debit. In my eyes, you can never have enough harmonies. ABBA taught me that from an early age!

‘Sunlit Sky’ is a proggy and 70s hippyish sounding song that again features Allison’s keyboard skills. The last track ‘Someday Somehow’ is bookended by a fake audience, and is an average way to bow out

In the light of recent times and the now abundance of melodic rock festivals, the time is right surely for a UK appearance. It’s just a case of which one gets lucky (and pays the airfare) and becomes the one to showcase the excellent Unruly Child.

As a final comment ‘Cant Go Home’ is good, but not as good as the debut.

Score 75/100

Unruly Child –

Marcie Michelle free – Vocals

Bruce Gowdy – Guitar

Guy Allison – Keyboards

Jay Schellen – Drums

Larry Antonino – Bass

Trackslisting

The Only One

Four Eleven

Driving Into The Future

Get On Top

See If She Floats

She Can’t Go Home

Point Of View

Ice Cold Sunshine

When Love Is Here

Sunlit Sky

Someday Somehow