Friday, October 18, 2013

Reviews for: THE QUIREBOYS, BONAFIDE, TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS and THE GODDAMN ELECTRIC

BEAUTIFUL CURSE by The Quireboys
(Off Yer Rocka Recordings)



I have waited a long time for, 'Beautiful Curse' the highly anticipated release from The Quireboys and if you ask me, it was well worth the wait! While it may not be as great as their debut outing, but after all the years this is a damn good effort. Spike sounds as good and raspy as ever, and the music is bluesy and catchy, with more than a nod to The Faces. The album opens with the lead off single, "Too Much Of A Good Thing", you know that feeling you get when you hear from a good friend that you haven't heard from in ages? That feeling of, damn it's good to hear from you again! It was great hearing Spike singing rocking again. The Quireboys to me have always been about attitude and rock star bravado. "Chain Smokin'" is a great example of that. From there on it's classic Quireboys doing what they do best, two words for you. ROCK and ROLL. With numbers like mid tempo, "Talk Of The Town", the mind blowing bluesy, "Mother Mary", "King Of Fools" and the down right nasty swagger of , "Homewreckers And Heartbreakers". Twelve tracks total all worth their weight in gold. The Quireboys are a band that you place a safe bet with when you buy an album by them. You never have to worry about the fact that you haven't heard one single track off of the album before you buy it, because they always deliver the goods. They play rock n' roll in a classic rock tradition that few bands do anymore. With 'Beautiful Curse', they take their sound a step further. They always sound like The Quireboys, but they've also stretched themselves a bit. They've failed to disappoint me after 14 years of being a fan. I hope more people get turned on to them, because everyone I've ever played them for has loved them. You owe it to yourself to check them out, because there are very few places that you will find good old fashioned real rock n' roll like this. If you like Rock and Roll how it should be played, then this is the album for you. This is a superb return to form and just goes to show you don't have to conform to any latest trends to produce a stunning 'no frills' album that you will play again and again. - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

ULTIMATE REBEL by Bonafide
(Rootsy 057)



The latest release from Swedish rockers, Bonafide comes to us in the form of, 'Ultimate Rebel'. Bonafide are not reinventing the wheel here, but if melodic hard rock is what you're looking for then, 'Ultimate Rebel' is just what the doctor ordered. While they are influenced by AC/DC, make no mistake, Bonafide is not a tribute band. They are an amazing rock band with a sound that is uniquely their own. Powered by Pontus Snibb on vocals & guitar, Mikael Fässberg on guitar, Martin Ekelund on bass and Niklas Matsson on drums. As soon as you press play the band explodes out of speakers with one intention and that is, YOU GET YOUR ROCKS OFF! "Make My Own Rules" sets off this powder keg big time. Next up, the lead off single, "The Mess" a balls to the wall rocker that pulls no punches. This is real rock music folks! Played and sung with conviction. That power in that conviction can be heard and felt on numbers like, "Too Fired Up", "Blue Skies Red" and the nasty hi swagger of, "Rag And Bone Man". Ten tracks in all and all are certified slabs of rock! Each song has a unique, memorable sound with riffs and rhythms that will draw you in. While many of today's metal/rock bands usually do alternative rock or metal with some kind of gimmick. There is definitely no gimmicks here. Bonafide bring back that powerful 70' classic rock of AC/DC and infuse it with the attitude and bravado of Motorhead, and the raw power of The Who. I'm here to let you know that Bonafide have the goods to challenge the legends of rock at their own game. if you haven't heard of Bonafide before give your ears a treat and get some high voltage rock plugged into your brain. These boys are simply BADASS! - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

TONY HARNELL & THE WILDFLOWERS by Tony Harnell & The Wallflowers featuring Bumblefoot
(Dovetone Music)




Tony Harnell, best known as the powerhouse vocalist behind the hard rock band TNT, unleashes his latest project, The Wildflowers. The band's self titled debut is an intoxicating mix of Classic Rock combined with haunting ballads. Perfectly put together to give you one memorable listening experience. Tony Harnell could sing the alphabet and make it sound like the second coming of, "Stairway To Heaven". His band The Wildflowers feature, Jason Hagen on guitar, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal on guitar and backing vocals, Cassandra Soros on acoustic & 7 string electric violin and Amy Harnell on vocals. As expected I was blown away once I pressed play. Subtle melodies and backing vocals give an atmospheric feel. Listen to this recording with head phones on or if are you are sitting at the bar with a cigarette in hand relaxing with a beer and enjoying the music. Its great to hear such a crisp guitar that is mellow and floats around Tony' s vocals supported by harmonies that only go further to enhance your listening experience. This can be heard and felt on tracks like "Paralyzed", "Devil Of A Healer" and mesmerizing "Burning Daylight" highlighted by some tasty guitar work courtesy of Bumblefoot. Also featured is a stunning take on the Queen classic, "Somebody To Love". A live version on "Child's Play", recorded at The Cutting Room, closes the album. This music may very well be the best of Tony's illustrious career. Tony Harnell should be proud of this album and I am eagerly looking forward to hearing what he comes up with next. Cheers to Tony Harnell and The Wildflowers for an outstanding job! - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser





SNAKEBITE by The Goddamn Electric
(Independent Release)

UK Rockers, The Goddamn Electric come out like a battering ram with the release of their debut, 'Snakebite'. For those who think music can't be simultaneously heavy, catchy, and intelligent, The Goddamn Electric should serve as a thudding refutation. When it comes to this band, you can basically just take everything you know about heavy music and throw it out the window, because they bend genres more easily than Superman could bend a fork. Is it metal? Hard rock? Jam Rock? Stoner Rock? More like "E," all of the above.
The band themselves are all gifted musicians, Tommy on vocals,  Al, on lead guitar, Justin on bass and Gavin on drums. The Goddamn Electric are an astonishingly enjoyable band to listen to and the sort of band whose music is meant to be played as loud as possible and to make sure you get your rocks off! Stand out tracks include the absolutely rocking "Loyal To The Sinner",  which is powerful and rousing, as well as the engaging. The gut busting groover, "Morning Injection", "Jealous Contradiction", "Revive and Survive" and the balls out rocker, "Too Dirty". Overall, 'Snakebite' is an album that no hard rock fan should be without. The band is really tight, and the band can throw down with the best of them. The Goddamn Electric are the REAL DEAL. They are a straight forward, in your face, hard rockin' band. Fans of Kyuss, Earthride, Goatsnake should enjoy this. Great band, Love 'em. - Highly Recommended
Tony aka The Atomic Chaser @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

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