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Various Artists: The New Wave Of Classic Rock Volume 1

If you listen to some of those who have already made their fortune and left their best albums long behind them, rock music is dead. In all honesty, what doom talking demons like Gene Simmons really mean is that there’s only so much more money that they can milk from the scene and that the opportunity to shift physical product by the barrowload is a thing of the past. If you’re talking about actual rock music and asking whether it’s alive and kicking, and if it has a future, then the answer is presented here by the The New Wave Of Classic Rock Volume 1. This two CD opus being a compilation that cleverly transcends musical sub-genres and individual record labels to present 42 different young rock acts at their finest.

Compiled by a dedicated group of like minded folks from within the music industry the NWOCR is a rapidly growing movement looking to spread the word of the new and ever growing rock scene and as their reach has grown, so the list of bands that they’ve managed to get on board is ever more impressive. In all honesty, I probably can’t highlight all 42 acts here (and keep you reading until the end) but let’s dip in as much as we can to discover the gems that nearly blind you at every turn.

So, from those I was already aware of prior to this tremendous opportunity to delve into the best new music around, come Massive Wagons, who hang walloping big hooks around thumping drums and choruses to die for as they berate the current mood towards rock music in the mainstream with the catchy as hell “Tokyo”. Mason Hill then take the modern rock colours of Shinedown and add the bluesy swagger of Black Stone Cherry to hit like masters of their own destiny through “DNA”. From there Hollowstar use a blues-based hard rock platform to explode in all manner of directions - and leave you thoroughly satisfied as they do via “All I Gotta Say”. Whereas Anchor Lane prove more memorable in this guise than they did when I heard their debut release, the trashy, careening “Fame Shame” a raucous ramshackle riot.

If you’re looking for a more contemporary slice of razor sharp rock then Scarlett Rebels are desperate to admit that there’s “No One Else To Blame”, and truth be told, if I sounded this good, I’d own up immediately too! Personally I might not have chosen “Whiskey Disaster” as the track to represent the thoroughly convincing The New Roses but even though they have even better material out there, it’s still a rip-snorting mid-paced strike to the guts, whereas Revival Black couldn’t be better served by the up and at ‘em attack of “So Alive”. I could go on - and we’re still on disc one here… so I will!

If you’ve been avoiding Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons in the belief that they’ll be a second rate Motorhead rip off, then look no further than “Son Of A Gun” to discover something just a little more refined but no less lethal as Phil and his boys open disc two in quite mighty fashion. From there SKAM and Bad Touch (two of the best young live bands on the UK circuit) prove just as adept in the studio, with the former’s “Iron Cross” packed with melody, attitude and a real sense of purpose, whereas “I Get High” finds the latter reviving the tradition of strutting commercial rock that’s packed with 60s smarts, 70s attitude and an 80s cocksure accessibility - who could ask for more?

Go and read my Heat Wave album review and you’ll discover that I love a bit of Thundermother and “Driving In Style” is a great representation of their AC/DC meets Joan Jett stomp-along style. South Of Salem on the other hand are adding a Gothic touch to an 80s rock good time with their “Dead Hearts Don’t Break”, before Haxan weld a killer chorus to some buzzsaw riffs on “Killing Time”. Add in the confident hard rock/bluesy holler of “Cut Me Down” from Ryders Creek and gritty, but catchy as hell “Soul Revolutionaries” from the already impressive Blackwater Conspiracy and if ever I needed one, this compilation is a reminder of all the phenomenal new music I’ve been fortunate enough to experience in recent times.

And even with that, what an education the bands I haven’t experienced prove to be - a mental note made to dig deeper into the work of the Heart meets Roxette via 69 Eyes of Bastette, the swagger and strut of Ashen Reach, and also the Alice In Chains churn of King Creature and their bourbon soaked stumble “Still Doing Time”.

And I really should stop there but with guitar work to die for from the bold and bolshy Shape Of Water, the hammer smash riffs, electronics and soaring vocals from Tomorrow Is Lost and the sassy, authentic blues courtesy of Elles Bailey, there’s just too much utterly brilliant rock music in all it’s shapes and forms here to miss out - and that’s not to suggest that those bands that I haven’t managed to squeeze a mention in for aren’t superb as well, because they are.

So, in short, if anyone ever tells you that rock is dead, take out both of these CDs, press play and prepare to prove them wrong before shoving the empty case up their ass! Great rock music has always been out there to discover but with the New Wave Of Classic Rock busy doing that discovering for you, there’s now absolutely no excuse not to know exactly how strong the current music scene is.

Rock n’ Roll will never die and with bands like the 42 presented here ready to carry the flame, it’s actually in ruder health right now than it’s been for a long, long time. Get out there and support it!


Track Listing
CD 1
1. Massive Wagons - Tokyo
2. Mason Hill - Dna
3. Hollowstar - All I Gotta Say
4. These Wicked Rivers - Shine On
5. Anchor Lane - Fame Shame
6. Empyre - New Republic
7. Daxx & Roxane - Without You
8. Sons Of Liberty - Fire And Gasoline
9. The Hot Damn! - Dance Around
10. Massive - Rise
11. Everyday Heroes - Find My Way
12. Elles Bailey - Woman Like Me
13. Scarlet Rebels - No One Else To Blame
14. Wolf Jaw - I Ain't Ready
15. Tomorrow Is Lost - Hideaway
16. Dead Man’s Whiskey - War Machine
17. Dig Lazarus - Tell Me Why¬
18. The New Roses - Whiskey Nightmare
19. Shape Of Water - The World Is Calling Me
20. Revival Black - So Alive
21. Gin Annie - Devil In Me

CD2
1. Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons - Son Of A Gun
2. The Dust Coda - When The Tide Comes In
3. Skam - Iron Cross
4. Collateral - Merry Go Round
5. Bad Touch - I Get High
6. Gorilla Riot - Still Doing Time
7. Thundermother - Driving In Style
8. King Creature - Captives
9. Rews - Today We're Warriors
10. Twister - Call To Arms
11. South Of Salem - The Hate In Me
12. Jack J Hutchinson - World On Fire
13. Bootyard Bandits - Hoedown Showdown
14. Haxan - Killing Time
15. Doomsday Outlaw - Turn Me Loose
16. Ashen Reach - Fighting For My Life
17. Bastette - Talk About It
18. Ryders Creed - Money
19. Takeaway Thieves - This Is Rock N Roll
20. Ward XVI - Broken Toys
21. Blackwater Conspiracy - Soul Revolutionaries

Added: July 24th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: NWOCR online
Hits: 724
Language: english

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