Reviews roundup – Mad Max vs. Keeshea Pratt Band vs. The Grey Agents vs. Magical Heart vs. Gainstrive vs. Black Rose

Reviews roundup – Mad Max vs. Keeshea Pratt Band vs. The Grey Agents vs. Magical Heart vs. Gainstrive vs. Black Rose

 

MAD MAX
35
Steamhammer / SPV

As befits a thirty fifth anniversary album, “35” from German melodic metallers Mad Max have released an album that could quite easily have been released 35 years ago. Some people will complain about this but not, I suspect, the people who were buying “Mad Max”, “Rollin’ Thunder” and “Stormchild” all those years ago.

It was a bit of a shame for Mad Max as they were too early for the power metal boom and their son of Scorpions sound never quite took off the way it should have at the time.

But they keep returning sporadically with original members Michael Voss, Jürgen Breforth and Axel Kruse still around and five years on from the last Mad Max album this is an enjoyable listen.

Breforth is an excellent guitarist who keeps on coming up with some great melodic metal riffs and Michael Voss wouldn’t be in such demand if he couldn’t hold a tune. For sure, there is absolutely nothing here you wouldn’t have heard on any of ther previous 11 records but with some standout songs like ‘Running To Paradise’, ‘Beat Of The Heart’ and ‘Already Gone’ this is one that fans of eighties metal will thoroughly enjoy and who also appreciate the Dokken cover bonus track.

 

 

KEESHEA PRATT BAND
Believe
independent

Well you’ve got to be good to win the International Blues Challenge run by the Blues Foundation and that’s exactly what Keeshea Pratt did this year. So hopes were high for this record.

And those hopes were realised on an excellent release. Along with her band – Shawn Allen (Bass and Vocals), Brian Sowell (Lead Guitar & Vocals), Dan Carpenter (Saxophone), Misaki Nishidate (Trumpet), James Williams III (Trumpet) and Nick Fishman (Drums) – Ms Pratt has put together an excellent set of tunes, all of which were written or co-written by bass man Allen. Throw in some guests of the quality of Kid Andersen, Bob Welsh and Little Terry Rogers and you’re left with some quality soul tinged blues.

She has an excellent voice and it’s really that which brings the soul to songs like ‘Make It Good’, ‘Home To Mississippi’ and ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’. For me, there was probably one slow blues too many but there is no doubting that this is an act fully deserving of the praise that has come their way.

 

 
THE GREY AGENTS
Last Generation
independent

An odd cove, this one. Basically it’s modern American college rock. You know the sort of thing. REM meets Green On Red. Normally that would be enough to get me grabbing my hat and coat but The Grey Agents actually have something.

That something is all over the place as they take the basic college rock template, mix in some interesting arrangements and good songs, and end up with a bit of a surprise winner. They’ve got the heart of a roots rock band beating away underneath it all, so the appearance of mandolins, ukuleles and slide guitar lifts the songs into a better place. Not to mention replacing a departing lead guitarist with a lead saxophonist. Yes, really.

Even though this is only their second album the band members bring decades of experience to some memorable tunes with ‘She’s Everything to Me’, ‘Vicious’ and ‘Soon You’re Gonna See Things My Way’ bringing the accumulated knowledge of a life lived to a musical world I normally avoid. Well played, fellas.

 

 

 

MAGICAL HEART
Another Wonderland
Fastball

Well if Mad Max have any touring plans here’s a band that would fill the support slot quite easily.

Yes, Magical Heart are a melodic metal band from Germany. Although they put even more emphasis on the melodic part with some AOR influences tucked away in there.

They’ve got some good hooks, a few choruses that have you humming straight off the bat and numbers like ‘Dream No More’ and ‘Silence and Dreams’ have you reaching for the repeat button. If anything will hold them back it’s that they don’t seem 100% sure of who they are as there are a few ill advised nineties indie rock licks that jar.

But that aside, if they concentrate on doing what they do best, there is definitely a future of Magical Heart.

 

 

GAINSTRIVE
Anywhere But Here
independent

Back to the American colonies now for some modern alternative rock. Philadephia band Gainstrive are the band in question and once you get past the “meh” name there is certainly plenty here which will appeal to the young ‘uns who like their rock lite and their rhythms alt.

“Anywhere But Here is a five track mini-album / EP and there is nothing here that would frighten off a Foo Fighters fan. You know where you are. Nothing too hard rock and nothing too alternative. Just the way radio likes it. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing because being populist is a good thing in my book. For sure it’s not my cup of tea but I know a good tune when I hear it and ‘Begin Again’ has college radio play written all over it.

The next best tune, ‘My Design’, could find a similar home and there is plenty of promise here. James Blew (Keyboard, Guitar), Tyler Patchell (Rhythm Guitar), Kate Walk (Vocals), Kyle Maliszewski (Bass), Dave Fioravanti (Lead Guitar, songwriter) and Nick Fioravanti (Drums) have done their thing well and there is no reason to think that the right break will have them doing a Paramore.

 

 
BLACK ROSE
A Light In The Dark
Sliptrick

To Sweden and a right old blast from the past. I vaguely remember them from about 25 years back when their debut album made, if not waves, a few ripples. But like many bands from ye olde days they’ve decided to have another go. And with a few original members in their ranks here they go again.

It’s proper melodic metal they way I remember from my childhood, replete with Hammer Horror intro and some cracking tunes. They’got plenty of galloping riffs so plenty for Maiden fans to enjoy, there are some moments of pure metal mayhem (hello, ‘We Come Alive’) and an actual metal anthem in the shape of ‘Powerthrone’.

I’m not going to pretend that this is the best sounding album of all time because it isn’t. But there is energy and passion in there that more than makes up for it. Performance wise the band all put in a good shift and even if the vocals of newish boy Jakob “Jacke” Sandberg take some getting used to, it’s worth the effort. Original members Thomas Berg – Guitar, Peter Haga – Drums/Keyboards and Anders Haga – Bass can be proud of themselves.

 

 

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