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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
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The Defiants: The Defiants
The Defiants: The Defiants
Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
5.0/5.0
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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 01.04.2016
If you're a Danger Danger fan and miss them (they haven't done anything new since 2009), you're going to want to pay attention. The Defiants feature Danger Danger stalwarts Bruno Ravel (bass, production) and Rob Marcello (guitars) reuniting with mid-period (replacing Ted Poley) D2 vocalist Paul Laine. This is something that should have happened years ago. Their debut album is pretty fabulous.
The Defiants
Honestly, if I give scores for album art work alone, or otherwise, The Defiants would get 5.0/5.0, hands down. Some thought and creativity was put into the spaghetti western motif movie poster. Kudos to the designer. But on to the music.
Perhaps, the first thing to say is, as I did with the new Treat album, go buy this album. This is top notch AOR melodic hard rock of the finest order. Every song is terrific. I know it's well worn accolade, but "it's all killer and no filler." Every song here is packed harmony, melody, and groove, lots of catchy hooks in arrangement, lyrics, and refrains, and ripping and roaring guitar solos. Paul Laine has never sounded better: clear, strong, passionate. The vocal arrangements as a whole are quite harmonious throughout.
For a brief sampling of the songs. You get some nice straight up rockers with The Last Kiss, We All Fall Down, and Love And Bullets. The Defiants can also wrap their songs in an AOR wrapper, making for some arena ready tunes with When The Lights Go Down and Waiting On A Heartbreak. You get some true Eighties deja vu with Lil' Miss Rock n Roll, where they channel some Bryan Adams' Summer Of 69. Of course, there's a ballad or two with Save Me Tonight and That's When I'll Stop Loving You. The latter being quite moving and inspirational, with Laine at his passionate best. It might remind some of a Bon Jovi song.
Next to the new Treat album, The Defiants debut album is the best thing to come out from Frontiers Music this month, perhaps so far this year. Again, this is exceptional AOR melodic hard rock from some exceptionally talented veteran musicians. Get it. Quite recommended.
The Defiants - Waiting On A Heartbreak (Official Audio)
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In Short
The Defiants debut album is exceptional AOR melodic hard rock from some exceptionally talented veteran musicians. Get it. Quite recommended.
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