Highway Dream-Wonderful Race

Street Symphonies Records
2014

It's a overused phrase, but all the same I've just got to throw it out there folks. Don't judge this one by it's cover. Frankly-speaking (and I'll be Frankie if you'll be Annette!*),"Wonderful Race" is a hundred thousand times better than it's artwork suggest. As is the Italian four-piece responsible for it's creation. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Oscar Burato at Atomic Stuff Studios (Isorella, Brescia, Italy), the recently-released "Wonderful Race" is the first full-length album from this six year old band from Cremona, Italy. It's also a cracker jack find for fans of female-fronted hard rock! Lead vocals come courtesy of Isabella "Isa" Gorni (a firecracker of a singer whose suggestive voice meshes well with Roberto "Roby" Zoppi sleazy guitar playing!) and as a follow-up to the band's 2009 EP, "Born To Bee...", this 10-track album shines a bright spotlight on this band's raw ability! Musically-speaking it's all about the eighties and early nineties for this Italian band and as they play dress up with the likes of Kiss, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, AC/DC, Skid Row, Europe, Warrant and White Lion and despite how iffy that might sound on paper it ends up being a game that everyone will want to be a part of! Once the aptly-titled and instantly accessible "Unbelievable" opens the floodgate it's on for Highway Dream and simply going by how well these four are able to re-work and re-imagine all the best parts of (80s/early 90s) rock, hard rock and heavy metal scene this Italian band could be in it to win it long-term! Even if the music in question sounds vaguely American rest assured that this is Italian hard rock through and through. And thanks to the vastness that is Highway Dreams' inspirational sources (listen in and hear influences that range from L.A. Guns to Loverboy and even Montrose to Mötley Crüe!) this band has what it takes to be a long-distance runner! Here's hoping "Wonderful Race" is just the start of a long and happy voyage for Highway Dream and that they get the chance to show fans what they are fully capable of in the long run!  

 www.highwaydream.it

.www.facebook.com/highwaydream

* I cannot be 100% positive, but I'm fairly certain that this is the first time that I've worked a Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello reference into a review!