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Reds'Cool Press Hard

Melodic Hard Rock

4.0/5.0

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EOne Entertainment
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.08.2015

If the only thing you remember about Russian rock bands is Gorky Park, from the Eighties, you might want to check out Reds'Cool from St. Petersburg. Their third album, Press Hard is my second turn with the band and, like their previous album, demonstrates their command of classic melodic hard rock.

Reds'Cool

Basically, in a sentence, when it comes to that classic sound, Reds'Cool can rock with their American and European kin with ease. They're not reinventing the wheel nor trying to copy a certain band's classic sound. No. This is straight up hard rock, maybe even harder than previous material, with some obvious personal, yet inherent, interpretations upon the same. For instance, listening to the guitar riffs, Reds'Cool favors more a more brisk and raw approach. Yet they still remain harmonious and the leads sizzle and soar. Actually, I might suggest that this is a guitar driven album. That, and the drums underneath are notable. Check out the start of No More.

Some of that raw sharpness, intentional or not, matches vocalist Slava Spark's raspy, Jim Beam soaked, voice. Yeah, he's melodic, maybe even bluesy, but definitely comes across grizzly at times. The peculiar thing is that he reminds me of David Coverdale. Only a David Coverdale who has lungs of leather and a throat of sandpaper. For another observation, for all the edge and roughness, Reds'Cool wraps up their songs in these melodic catchy arrangement that reminds you AOR, album-oriented rock, a genre bent towards radio-friendly, pedestrian, accessibility.

By way of conclusion, and simply, Reds'Cool's Press Hard is solid, consistent, and entertaining melodic hard rock. They've stayed true to their musical path and produced a mature, well-composed, album. Recommended. Favorite cuts: No More, Call Me, My Way, and The Way I Am. Sorry, no video for you.

Simply, Reds'Cool's Press Hard is solid, consistent, and entertaining melodic hard rock. They've stayed true to their musical path and produced a mature, well-composed, album. Recommended.

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Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]