Artist: 8-is 
   Title: Frame Of Us
   Label: Heataproduction

Yes we can all remember those heaven sent days of the 80's when Melodic and Hard Rock ruled the airwaves, and big hair and even bigger shoulder pads ruled and that wasn’t just Dallas,  the bands did their fair share of bouffanting too!

Those days might not come back, (God I hope the fashion doesn’t!) but musically there are still some bands keeping the home fires burning for the genre and one band to add to that list are Italian rockers 8-is (originally Frame). The band were put together by vocalist Marcello ‘Marcoum’ Catalano and drummer Franco Casini just a few years ago in 2009.  The band set about bringing that 80’s sound into the now and have in my opinion done as great job of just that with their debut album ‘Frame Of Us’.

The album is pure Melodic Rock from beginning to end, right from the up-tempo Hard Rock of the opener ‘Everlasting Love’ to the gentle keyboard based ballad of closer ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’.

So what about those tracks in-between you ask?  Well after the rockin’ start of the opener it's MR all the way as we're launched straight into power ballad mode for ‘I’ll Be There’, the radio friendly rock of ‘Lady’ and the slow builder that is ‘The Final Curtain’.

The great tunes just keep coming with the riff spewn ‘Fallin’ In Your Eyes’ where guitarist Red Milone really shines.

There is more than a touch of the modern Melodic Rock about ‘On and On’, a real soaring vocal from Catalano makes this one for me.

It's 80's all the way with ‘If You Turn Around’ before rocking things up a little with ‘In My Life’, with Catalano doing a damned fine Richard Marx style vocal on this one.

Just before the closer things get a little funky with the groove filled ‘Back To You’.  Again very much in the 80’s scheme of things, which will keep a lot of the die hard fans of the genre very happy.  This is an album that would have made big stars of the band 30 years ago, but nowadays the scene is more underground, although I have to say, the fans have to be some of the most loyal around and they will certainly take this band and their album to their hearts and relive those by gone days that we all remember so fondly.

Tracklisting:

1. Everlasting Love
2. I'll Be There
3. Lady
4. The Final Curtain
5. Fallin' In Your Eyes
6. On And On
7. If You Turn Around
8. In My Life
9. Back To You
10. Tomorrow Comes Tonite

                   

 

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