2017
Rockstar Frame is a female-fronted heavy rock/hard & heavy band from Italy. The skilled group was formed back in 2012 by drummer Max Klein and lead vocals come courtesy of the amazing Faith Blurry! Two months ago I wrote about their choice cover of "Dark Necessities"* (Red Hot Chili Peppers), but in all honesty I have been a HUGE fan of Faith Blurry and company for a very long time. First introduced by way of the cool single "She's Hot", Rockstar Frame's 2015 debut album, "Rock 'n' Roll Mafia" is absolutely killer! Two years has passed since that gem was uncovered and yet I can still feel it's electrifying effect on my rock and roll loving soul!! If you would have told me then that the band would be even better now...well, I wouldn't have called you crazy, but I would have been a bit skeptical. With that said, Rockstar Frame's new album will drop at the end of the month and it gets solid marks in my book! Recorded and produced at Temple Of Rock Studios by band founder Max Klein, "Bullet For Birthday" opens up with the great "I Want More" and from the very start Faith's voice is exceptionally strong and powerful! In that regard nothing has changed for these Italian rockers, "Bullet For Birthday" simply reaffirms Faith Blurry's status as the group's primary focal point. On the band's sophomore she pairs up nicely with Morris Steel's aggressive guitar playing and the thick bass lines of Andy Di Bella. Keyboardist Ace Wave rounds things out for this hot-blooded hard rock band and his work is every-bit as welcoming as the flashy guitar licks, thundering bass lines, and the rock-steady drumming of Max Klein! As far as follow-up albums go, Rockstar Frame's four male members pick right up where they left off in 2015. These talented musicians surround Faith Blurry with style and (real) substance. As they put the ROCK into Rockstar Frame, Faith Blurry takes hold of the mic and blows everyone away with her set of pipes! When this band gets up and starts really going for it then it is easy to understand how they got the tag "New Guns N Roses with killer female vocals"! That all fine and dandy, but what really impresses me is how Faith flawlessly handles the softer moments of "Here I Am"**. With guest Alessio Langella on acoustic guitar, "Here I Am" offers a sneak peak at Faith Blurry's vulnerable side and it makes you truly appreciate just how versatile this up-and-coming band really! Equally adapt at heavy rockers and semi-ballads, Rockstar Frame moves you with the likes "Goodbye Tonight" & "Healing Song" and then turns around and gives the song "Running Away" a power rock edge with some serious kick! "Secret", which is a cover of a song by Stevie Anders and And Pontremoli, is another cut that ups the ante and gives the listener something solid to chew on. It falls somewhere in-between Guns N' Roses and The Runaways with (pre-"Take My Breath Away") Berlin serving as the short bridge that divides the gap! While I wish this album had more moments like that, "Bullet For Birthday" gives you a little bit of everything. It's heavy rock and heavy metal. There's power rock and then you have solid numbers where pop rock is stretched to it's breaking point. In a scene where there is more fluff than fury, rock albums like this are a welcome sight to these old eyes. Frankly speaking, "Bullet For Birthday" is enjoyable and comes recommend. If I'm forced by the edge of a sharp sword to offer up some kind of point system for the band's latest release, "Bullet For Birthday" gets an A. That's as good a place as any to wrap this post up...
*It appears on this album and I actually like Rockstar Frame's version of the song more than the original!
**"The "Clair de Lune" by Debussy serves as the inspiration to this song. It is played and reinterpreted by band member Ace Wave (keyboards)
No comments:
Post a Comment