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Pavement Entertainment
Words by Craig Hartranft, 09.04.2014
Created only a few years ago by siblings KT Paige (v) and Alex Vincent (g), Romantic Rebel has been tearing up the Chicagoland area with their brand of heavy metal. Now they're set to release their first album, appropriately self-titled, and with Ms. Paige gracing the cover.
While comparisons can be elusive, when I listen to Romantic Rebel they remind me of mash up of Halestorm and Hydrogyn, but much heavier, especially than the former. Paige's voice reminds at times of cross between early Joan Jett and Julie Westlake. It might even be necessary to call their metal 'modern' as Vincent's riffs can have a harsher edge than traditional (and melodic) heavy metal. But melody there is, along with some pure rock groove as with Moment and New Way to Sin. But mostly, this is hard charging stuff.
It reminds me, at times, of some the current European heavy power metal that has crossed my desk lately, which offers crushing riffage in a quick pace powered by equally crushing bass and drums. Unfortunately, when that's all you get throughout an album, there's collateral damage. One, it gets to the point of being either pervasive or redundant or both. Second, the vocals get crushed along the way. KT Paige does a good job, but at times it sounds like she's barely keeping her head above the sea of riffage.
Alternatively, these youngsters know metal; they're almost old school in their approach, just heaver and more intense. From the undercurrent of melody to the vocal harmony to Vincent's stinging leads (and there's lots of them), they get what's best in heavy metal, and that's a good thing. Other notable songs include Alive, Bad For Me, and Nothing Left to Say.
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Romantic Rebel delivers some hard charging heavy metal thanks to an edgy wall of riffage, thundering rhythm section, and blistering guitar solos. Oh yeah, they have a girl for the lead vocals.
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