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Artist: Jakks |
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'Fire'
is the new release from melodic hard rockers Jakks, an album that
reflects all that was and is good about the Melodic and Hard Rock
scenes, with touches of old school Bon Jovi (before they went too
commercial) and touch of White Lion thrown into the mix for good
measure. The
band are led by Alex Michels on vocals who along with Kkris Puebias on
guitar, Seba Arean on drums, Chris Motta on keyboards and last but not
least Akrue on bass guitar. Together they are Jakks. The
album gets off to a fine start with ‘Just An Obsession’, with a
keyboards of Motta getting this one underway. As they fade out
Puebias lets loose on the guitar, while Arean and Akrue bring the hard
rock rhythms that let Michels unleash that Jon Bon Jovi/Mike Tramp combo
vocal on this mid tempoed rocker. The melodic rocking continues
with one of my favourites off the album ‘Break Them’, featuring a
little more edgy guitar sound to this one. This is a track that
has all the elements that made this genre such a force in the 80’s but
still has enough of a modern edge to keep it in the now. The
hard rock in groove of ‘Nothing Else Tonight’ keeps the album moving
at a rockin pace, not all guns blazing but enough tempo to make you want
to put you dancing shoes on and strut your stuff. Then it's time
to bring the tempo down with the ballad ‘Come Back To Me’.
This is pure 80’s guilty pleasure stuff, before bringing it back up
again with ‘Everything’, a more guitar orientated mid tempoed
rocker, very much a Euro rocker, very much in the German hard rock
style. However
‘Endless Night’ is very universal melodic hard rocker. Great
chorus lines mixed with a big keyboard influence wrapped around a steady
but not over powering guitar lick. If you like a more meatier
guitar sound then ‘Making Me Burn’ is the one for you and is
actually my choice for track of the album. The chunky riffs and
more dynamic drum and bass tone really do it for me on this one and
Peubias really is let loose on the solo mid track. There
is an air of Pop Rock about the chorus of ‘For Your Love’ but it's
Peubias that really brings this one back to the more traditional hard
rock guitar sound and saves this one from the skip button. Then
it's back to the more gentler melodic rock with ‘Dreams’, the best
of the ballads on the album this is where Michels really comes into his
own. The
tempo and edge are picked up big style with the excellent ‘Don’t
Hold You Back’, which has a touch of Winger about it and is probably
the heaviest track on the album. Not overly heavy but heavy as
regards to the genre itself, again Peubias shows off some great guitar
licks on this one. The
album closes with a gentle reprise in ‘Angel Of My Dreams’ with a
touch of White Lion to it, all of which wraps up an album that will tick
all the right boxes in the Melodic Rock rule book. |
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Tracklisting: 1. Just An Obsession |
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