WORK OF ART: Framework
- Thread starter KingsGene
- Start date
Hey, actordude!
I'm sorry I took so long to respond. I'm actually in the busiest time of the year at my job, so I really haven't had time to post on the forum. Here's a quick recap of the bands that I enjoyed at the Melodic Rock Fest this year. Keep in mind that I arrived rather late for the first day of the fest, as I had to work that day. However, I did catch every band on Saturday.
AdrianGale-- I walked in on the last three songs of this band's set on the first day of the show. The songs had a cool, hard-edged sound for AOR. Fellow forum member Paul LaPlaca played bass with them for the show, and he was absolutely solid. I meant to say hello to him over the weekend, but every time I saw him, he was already chatting it up with other folks, so I didn't want to interrupt. The vocalist sounded like he was having a slight case of hoarseness, but he soldiered on and sounded pretty good despite any flaws.
Stan Bush--This guy's music completely defines the genre: vocal hooks galore, guitar leads with which you can sing along, and an overall feeling of cheesy pleasantry. I found myself having some good laughs throughout the set, but it was only because I was having quite a nostalgic trip thinking of the stuff from my childhood that this music evoked. Of course, there was the animated Transformers movie, but I also just kept thinking back to stuff like "Full House," "Baywatch," and other TV shows that have that classic T.V. theme song thing going on. Stan's voice was in rather fine shape, and I couldn't help but think to myself, "I wonder if Eric Martin cites him as an influence." There was a background singer who sounded great harmonizing with him, and the band (especially the drummer) was pretty spot-on despite the fact that they weren't the guys who have recorded any of the material. The lead guitarist could have been a little cleaner with his playing, but that's the only complaint.
Talon--This was the first band of the second day of the fest, and I was surprised to find that all but one member of this band were the same guys who played with Stan Bush just 14 or 15 hours earlier. For that reason alone, these guys won points with me. However, they would have won me over with their melodic hard rock sound anyway. The only differences in the lineup were that the bassist from Stan Bush's band was playing mostly rhythm guitar in this band, the background vocalist from the previous night was now the lead vocalist, and this band had a bassist that didn't perform in the set from the previous night. I only noticed a few minor flaws with the singer, which is pretty impressive considering that he didn't get a whole lot of sleep and apparently had a rather "long night," if you get my drift.
House of Shakira--Like Work of Art, these guys were another impressive Swedish band. However, these guys had a harder-edged sound to them than the first night's Swedes. The most impressive thing about these guys was their three-and-four-part harmonies. I wish I had known their material before going into the show, because it would have been fun to sing along.
Tango Down--I would say that these guys made up the "metal" contingency of the lineup. It was nice to finally hear David Reece, as I've known of him for years, but I had never checked out any of his work. I think it was even better that the first impression I was getting of him was from a live perspective, as he's a fantastic front man. He had the perfect combination of a killer voice, rocker attitude, and a great sense of humor. The guitarist in this band was easily the best player of the weekend. His riffs were just mean, his tone was crystal clear, and his solos were perfect. I hope these guys can hop onto a good U.S. tour in the not-too-distant future.
Heaven's Edge--These guys have the live show down. Their stage presence is the stuff of arena bands. I was getting quite the old-school Warrant vibe from these guys. Unfortunately, I discovered that they've essentially been playing material from only two albums for years now. They really should try to work on some new material, because I think they still have it in them to produce some high-quality music.
That does it for me. I hope this fest can continue, and I really hope that it can find a bigger audience. I'm very glad that I went.
Stay metal. Never rust.
Albert
I'm sorry I took so long to respond. I'm actually in the busiest time of the year at my job, so I really haven't had time to post on the forum. Here's a quick recap of the bands that I enjoyed at the Melodic Rock Fest this year. Keep in mind that I arrived rather late for the first day of the fest, as I had to work that day. However, I did catch every band on Saturday.
AdrianGale-- I walked in on the last three songs of this band's set on the first day of the show. The songs had a cool, hard-edged sound for AOR. Fellow forum member Paul LaPlaca played bass with them for the show, and he was absolutely solid. I meant to say hello to him over the weekend, but every time I saw him, he was already chatting it up with other folks, so I didn't want to interrupt. The vocalist sounded like he was having a slight case of hoarseness, but he soldiered on and sounded pretty good despite any flaws.
Stan Bush--This guy's music completely defines the genre: vocal hooks galore, guitar leads with which you can sing along, and an overall feeling of cheesy pleasantry. I found myself having some good laughs throughout the set, but it was only because I was having quite a nostalgic trip thinking of the stuff from my childhood that this music evoked. Of course, there was the animated Transformers movie, but I also just kept thinking back to stuff like "Full House," "Baywatch," and other TV shows that have that classic T.V. theme song thing going on. Stan's voice was in rather fine shape, and I couldn't help but think to myself, "I wonder if Eric Martin cites him as an influence." There was a background singer who sounded great harmonizing with him, and the band (especially the drummer) was pretty spot-on despite the fact that they weren't the guys who have recorded any of the material. The lead guitarist could have been a little cleaner with his playing, but that's the only complaint.
Talon--This was the first band of the second day of the fest, and I was surprised to find that all but one member of this band were the same guys who played with Stan Bush just 14 or 15 hours earlier. For that reason alone, these guys won points with me. However, they would have won me over with their melodic hard rock sound anyway. The only differences in the lineup were that the bassist from Stan Bush's band was playing mostly rhythm guitar in this band, the background vocalist from the previous night was now the lead vocalist, and this band had a bassist that didn't perform in the set from the previous night. I only noticed a few minor flaws with the singer, which is pretty impressive considering that he didn't get a whole lot of sleep and apparently had a rather "long night," if you get my drift.
House of Shakira--Like Work of Art, these guys were another impressive Swedish band. However, these guys had a harder-edged sound to them than the first night's Swedes. The most impressive thing about these guys was their three-and-four-part harmonies. I wish I had known their material before going into the show, because it would have been fun to sing along.
Tango Down--I would say that these guys made up the "metal" contingency of the lineup. It was nice to finally hear David Reece, as I've known of him for years, but I had never checked out any of his work. I think it was even better that the first impression I was getting of him was from a live perspective, as he's a fantastic front man. He had the perfect combination of a killer voice, rocker attitude, and a great sense of humor. The guitarist in this band was easily the best player of the weekend. His riffs were just mean, his tone was crystal clear, and his solos were perfect. I hope these guys can hop onto a good U.S. tour in the not-too-distant future.
Heaven's Edge--These guys have the live show down. Their stage presence is the stuff of arena bands. I was getting quite the old-school Warrant vibe from these guys. Unfortunately, I discovered that they've essentially been playing material from only two albums for years now. They really should try to work on some new material, because I think they still have it in them to produce some high-quality music.
That does it for me. I hope this fest can continue, and I really hope that it can find a bigger audience. I'm very glad that I went.
Stay metal. Never rust.
Albert
Random Axe
Common Sense Man!
I'd like to thank the thread author, Scott for turning me onto these guys. Prior to this thread I had never heard of them and now I can't understand how that's possible. I'm not an AOR guy, but the melodies, songwriting and production on this is completely flawless and hits in all the right melodic spots. This is just superb and will end up very high on my year's end list.
MeTuLHeD
A Member To Remember
Great band. Very deserving of any and all success which comes their way.
These guys were one of those great 80's metal bands that just never got their shot at the limelight. It's a cryin' shame too, as they were/are a better band than many of those who did make it big. Yeah Poison...I'm lookin' at you suckahz!
MeTuLHeD
A Member To Remember
Similar threads
