It's always great when one of these so called 'super groups' do indeed work out, as seems to be the case with the power trio known as The Winery Dogs. Hot Steak follows their successful self-titled debut from 2013, and it's even more of a cohesive collection of songs not only highlighting the bands immense instrumental talents, but their songwriting skills. Ritchie Kotzen (guitar, lead vocals, keyboards), Billy Sheehan (bass, vocals), and Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals) have delivered 13 catchy, hard rocking songs on their sophomore platter that are instantly memorable but also contain plenty of amazing chops to mesmerize their fans. It's their ability to combine these characteristics so well that sets them apart from all the other all-star ensembles out there.
You just know that you are going to be in for a wild ride when a band kicks off an album with a killer 1-2-3 punch like "Oblivion", "Captain Love" and "Hot Streak", three hook filled, groove laden, raunchy hard rockers just dripping with acrobatic interplay from the three musicians. The title track is especially addicting, with its funky grooves and incredible guitar & bass licks, which segues right into the equally funky "How Long", as Sheehan's rumbling bass propels wah-wah guitar riffs and Portnoy's acrobatic drumming. Kotzen is one of the most underrated talents in rock, and his work here on Hot Streak cannot be ignored, from his silky smooth vocal delivery & nasty slide licks on "Empire", gorgeous acoustic picking throughout "Fire", the textured riffing of "The Bridge", to the intoxicating wah-wah strains of "Spiral", the guitarist is able to mix up his attack brilliantly throughout this album. "Devil You Know" might just be the most appealing song in this set, a raucous hard rocker with nasty riffs, driving rhythms, powerful vocals, and a killer chorus to go along with some jaw dropping interplay between Kotzen & Sheehan. The synergy between the trio is even more apparent on this album, and it's scary to think of what they might have in store for us on future releases. They even deliver stunning R&B/soul on the heart tugging "Think It Over", as Kotzen's bluesy vocal, wah-wah guitar, and jazzy electric piano literally steals the show.
Hot Streak has a little something for everyone, whether you like ballsy hard rock, catchy pop, melodic ballads, blues, or jaw dropping musical virtuosity. The Winery Dogs are doing their best to convince the world that they are the best 'super group' going, and let's hope they continue to deliver strong music like this for years to come.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01. Oblivion
02. Captain Love
03. Hot Streak
04. How Long
05. Empire
06. Fire
07. Ghost Town
08. The Bridge
09. War Machine
10. Spiral
11. Devil You Know
12. Think It Over
13. The Lamb
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
