Roadfever-Wolf Pack

Avenue Of Allies
2013

Call it a "Whoa!" man's intuition or call it a (rock and roll) religious awakening, but there was just something about the art-work for "Wolf Pack" that told me that I would love this Swiss four-piece from the word go! . Whatever it was that tugged at my inner (vibe) strings sure proved to be spot-on right. Still, that is of no real help to you, our faithful reader and fellow fan of all things rock and roll/heavy metal, so let's stay on focus and discuss where a band like Roadfever fits in the grand scheme of things. Or at least as far as the rock and metal community is concerned. Before we go all the way there (and sink our teeth into the meat of the matter as it pertains to "Wolf Pack") I do need to make one statement ladies and gents. As I sat down and listened to this 11-track album, which is actually Roadfever's sophomore output, a thought popped into my head like one of those big light-bulbs that you see appear over the heads of cartoon characters when they get a "bright" idea. I could pretty much guarantee that had the female-fronted Roadfever, and their guitar-driven, Southern Rock/Classic Rock-leaning, heavy and hard power rock approach to life music, been around in the mid to late eighties (and maybe even the early part of the nineties) they would have been the real deal and quite likely have become a wildly popular and famous act! From the lead vocals of Stevie "Manou" Pike (Sharper, State of Mind, Manou and the Moneymakers) to the drumming of Pascal Bavaud (Rash Panzer, State of Mind, The Persuaders and the Red Eyed Farmers) everything here of "Wolf Pack" just about lives and breathes in the afterglow of all things eighties! Although let's be perfectly fair here. Even if these rockers have an eighties buzz about them it's not as if "Wolf Pack" is just an excuse to get all nostalgic about the "good old days". Instead we find Roadfever threading the needle between the past (Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Kiss, Blackfoot and even Van Halen appear as influences here) and the present with a style that is neither old nor expressly new. If anything the band, which also includes guitarist David Patriat and bassist Jessie Be, comes across as just Roadfever, meaning of course that the four are on to something new and that ain't easy! When it comes to Roadfever both the body and spirit are willing and everything about "Wolf Pack" speaks volumes about not only their professionalism and skill as actual musicians, but also there ability to infuse the material on album number two with actual emotion! And yes, there is a difference boys and girls. Having so far shared the stage with the likes of Blackfoot, Scorpions, Trust, Uli John Roth, Pretty Maids, Rhino Bucket, Eric Singer Project and Little Caesar, which is interesting as quite a few of those acts serve as influences to these Swiss rockers, this is one band that deserves a wider audience and should click with the American market. With one other full-length album and a DVD release to their name ( "Wheels On Fire" and "Live in Geneva" respectively) the band seems poised to take that next (much-heralded) step into the main-stage spotlight. Can a band that hails from Switzerland really conquer the American market with a style of hard rock that is Southern-styled and custom-fitted with 80's influences? How about one that has a lead singer who is equal parts Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin and Taylor Dayne while also one of a kind original? Sure, why not!! After all rock and roll is a universal groove as is good, straight-up hard rock. So a band like this can and should make a splash on the worldwide stage.