x-drive

(8/10) X-Drive is a new project with partly well known musicians. Funny enough it's only the founder of the band who is not known - yet. His name is Jeremy Brunner, a guitarist from Oregon, who found his way to California. Without knowing anybody in LA and just with a bunch of good songs in his backpack Brunner decided to go for the challenge to find his luck along the West Coast.

X-Drive is the result of this big step for the six stringer. The band is of course more than only him. His ideas convinced more known musicians from LA to join in. James Lorenzo is probabaly the most popular one. The bass player was an important factor in the rhythm section of the multi seller White Lion and also worked with guys like David Lee Roth and Ozzy Osbourne. Singer Keith St.John is well known from Monrose while drummer Fred Fischer played in Midline. They all together are responsible for 12 masterpieces of 80's hardrock which are on the debut of the band.  The name of the album? "Get your rock on". And that's what you get.

What I like with the tunes from X-Drive is the great sense for melodies combined with a really rocking sound. This package is rounded off by a strong production done by Andy Johns, the former Led Zeppelin engineer. Sidenote: It was the last album he was involved before his tragic death in 2013. 

To pick out certain songs would not be fair. They are all good and I couldn't identify a filler. They are all characterized by the great melodies, the rocking guitar, catchy riffs and the well performend vocals from Keith St.John. This guy can really sing and he has the blues in his veins; obvious in tracks like "Turn the noize down".  But also the grooving title track "Get your rock on" and slower "Just can't stay" sound pretty cool. Even the ballad "Baby bye bye", a weak spot on many records with this kind of music, sounds good too. Eventhough the lyrics are cliche the song is well crafted. And now I did it - I picked out a few songs. But again, all the tracks are worth to be listened to. 

X-Drive has brought back the 80's hardrock in a way that it's more than a pure copy. It's a re-vitalisation and partly modernized. Go for this album if you liked bands like White Lion, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row and Kiss in the 80's.  Thumbs up.
 

(8/10)

Tracklist:

1. Love's a bitch
2. Get your rock
3. Steppin' on the rock
4. Baby bye bye
5. California
6. Lay me down
7. Turn the noize down
8. Beyond the angels
9. Rattlesnake eyes
10. Just can't stay
11. Change of heart
12. Love breaks the fool

Label: Frontier Records
Genre: Hardrock