Kivel Records has had a pretty good output of melodic rock in the past year and a half, we've had some stellar releases from Attraction, Stone Angel and Tour De Force. Now with Adrian Gale, the company is going for a more straight-ahead, less "gimmicky" approach to melodic rock.
Not strictly "glam" or "AOR" or "sleaze", Adrian Gale is a band that combines the best elements of Van Halen, Harem Scarem and Tesla into a nice mix of straight ahead, American hard rock. (see Andrew's review on more detail for comparisons) They are fronted by former Guardian singer Jamie Rowe who has a nice Jeff Keith kind of voice. I don't know why this guy was up for the Ratt job a while back, he sounds nothing like Stephen Pearcy thank god.
The songs are tight and catchy. Reminding me a lot of Tesla's The Great Radio Controversy. For a good example, check out a Tesla song like "Heaven's Trail" or "Party's Over". There's no Love Song type of ballad on this album. The ballads are more along the lines of "Paradise" off of Controversy.
Anyway, most of the songs rock with cocky, almost Danger Danger-ish (Paul Laine) kind of flair. Highlights include "Save Our Love" and "Giving It Up". The main ballad "Just Let Me Love You" has a very nice chorus and I really enjoyed the one "metal" song on the album "Mission Man" Think Lynch Mob meets Danger Danger on that last one. Good screams. The production is top notch. My only complete is that some of the Whoa-Ohs on the tracks seem a little hollow, also the gang vocal "are you readys" on "Feel The Fire" should be amped up a little more for the proper effect.
All in all, a solid release and my favorite Kivel release since Attraction. This is pure hard rock with some awesome guitar work. For fans of Tesla, Harem Scarem's first album and some Danger Danger fans.
Cool cover of Ratt's Walkin' The Dog too for those of you who are curious to hear what a Jamie Rowe fronted Ratt would sound like.
Adriangale/Feel The Fire - 95%
Grand old fashion by design. We are of course talking about Adriangale, with ex Guardian vocalist Jamie Rowe at the wheel, a brilliant debut to the scene. Here it's shown you don't need a big record deal or a big hot shot label at your back to go out and write some of the best songs with the best riffs to make the public's hearts believe once again in the music that they have been crying out for, for so long. Big vocal performance and great guitar work in the name of classic Melodic Hard Rock! Why is it that there are so many bands out there convincing themselves that they are playing this music, when all they do is turn in a badly produced record, with not one catchy lyric or riff? Well, for once a band has made it to the top and are showing the rest the right way to go when playing Melodic hard rock. So there is a lesson for us all here, this is all about what our beloved music means to us, remember that. NOW BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY, BUY BUY.
FEEL THE FIRE
KIVEL RECORDS
Produced by: John Kivel / Adriangale
Closest Relative: Harem Scarem, Tesla
GENRE: AOR
OVERALL: 88%
Adriangale is the latest release from Kivel Records and will undoubtedly become the flagship release of the company. With this record and a new album planned to be started on by February, things are looking up for classic melodic hard rock fans.
Why? Because this is a gem of a release. Just when a void for an album like this had been created, thankfully Adriangale is here to fill it. This album is full of the classic melodic sounds of early Harem Scarem and Tesla. The band blend style of both, with the hard edged guitar and hook lines matching that of Harem Scarem's much loved Mood Swings, plus the voice of Tesla's Jeff Keith and Scarem's Harry Hess. That voice is former Guardian vocalist Jamie Rowe, who puts in his best performance on record to date. This guy, and this band, will quickly become a favorite in melodic rock circles. Being a debut album, there is obviously a few points where they could improve on. The production is great in most places, especially given the short time frame this was recorded in. The only small point I would like to raise is given that these guys are clearly going for the much loved anthem chorus feel - a few of those choruses could have been a little bigger or benefited from additional production. That will no doubt only get better though.
Feel The Fire and Save Our Love are classic hard rockers. Both are great mid tempo guitar driven rock anthems in the vein of Harem Scarem. Feel The Fire packed the punch, but could have used a chorus with a little more impact, but the more melodic Save Our Love is just about perfect. Reap What You Sow is classic Psychotic Supper era Tesla. Rocking, fast and it grows on you with each listen. The ballad If The Sun is strangely enough, reminiscent of late 70's/early 80's Rick Springfield. Very cool indeed with a somewhat retro pop feel to it.
Giving It Up is a classic 80's style anthem rocker. It harks back to the good old days and does a good job of it. Plus it has a catchy sing a long chorus!
Easy Come Easy Go still carries the guitar punch of the previous tracks, but slows things down a little and could have easily fitted onto any Tesla record.
Just Let Me Love You is the big rock ballad of the record. For comparison's sake, it's got that big Def Leppard / Harem Scarem production and anthem quality. Jamie Rowe moves easily between the harder edged tracks on the album and the more passionate tracks like this.
Harem Scarem comparisons are again abound with Mission Man. But it's not what you would think! This track shows another side of the band - a more modern aggressive sound that compares to the harem Scarem found on Voice Of Reason or Big Bang Theory.
Honey Child is a fun track. A Robert Plant style vocal over a Zeppelin-esque acoustic blues rock number. yet another side of vocalist Rowe. Walkin' The Dog has all the rock n roll attitude needed and more. A great version of the track covered by Ratt on their debut EP. Killer track to end the album on.
BOTTOM LINE: Damn, this album really came as a welcomed surprise. It's not that I wasn't expecting something good, I just didn't think it would be this good! For fans of classic melodic rock that complain of Harem Scarem selling out or the general lack of releases in this commercial US AOR / melodic rock style - fear no longer, there is a new band in town and one can only hope they are here to stay. Things should only get better. Adriangale is well worthy of your time and your investment.
PRODUCTION: 85% SONGS: 88% VIBE: 90% ATTITUDE: 90%ESSENTIAL FOR: Fans of classic Harem Scarem and power AOR and some Tesla fans.
www.melodicrock.com
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ADRIANGALE Feel The Fire Kivel Records Anyone out there in cyberspace who's followed the Christian rock scene over the years will no doubt have crossed swords with US quartet Guardian at some point. Whilst their later efforts (from 95's 'Buzz' onwards basically) tended to lean more towards a modern, perhaps some might say overtly grunge oriented approach (who knows, maybe they followed Harem Scarem's lead ?), prior to that they were an excellent hard rock act in the mould of Tesla - indeed, if you ever see copies of either 'Fire And Love' or 'Miracle Mile' kicking around I'd advise you snapped 'em up pronto because they're both undiscovered gems.. Signed to the up and coming Kivel Records (the same outfit who brought you Radar's 'RPM' and the Tour De Force 'Unreleased' albums), AdrianGale sees the return of former Guardian vocalist (and Jeff Keith sound alike) Jamie Rowe ... and do you know what, this is actually a rather good effort. Of all the Kivel releases so far, 'Feel The Fire' stands head and shoulders above the crowd, and that's not meant as a slight on the rest of their roster, it's just that this screams quality of a consistency most of them aren't yet ready to match. If you can imagine extracting the pure essence of both Dokken and Tesla back in the mid 80's (whilst they were at their respective creative peaks), mix that with some of Guardian's finer moments, add a dash or two of something with slightly more of an AOR bent, then you should start to get a feel for where 'Feel The Fire' is coming from. This is American arena rock from a time when the term was still meant as a compliment - loads of big guitars, overblown harmonies, and hooks big enough to get all the chicks dancing in the aisles. Sure the production ain't quite in the Ron Nevison league, but it's a least on a par with most of the competition. As soon as the riff to opener 'Feel The Fire' kicks in I swear you'll do a double take - unrelenting boogie a la AC/DC/early Guardian with a great steaming solo from Vic Rivera, and an insistent, yet catchy, chorus. 'Save Our Love' continues with the punchy, riff driven anthems, yet is a softer, more accessible cut with a great hook laden chorus (catchier than a dose in Bangkok !) - fifteen years ago and this would surely have been an MTV indorsed hit - as does the equally seductive 'Reap What You Sow'. Next up is the swaying, heartfelt ballad 'If The Sun', highly reminiscent of Firehouse at times, this sees AdrianGale slip further into AOR territory with pleasing results. There's a good time, party rock vibe which permeates the very soul of this album, and even when you catch the band in a more reflective mood, that infectious, hedonistic mood is never too far away. Both 'Giving It Up' and 'Easy Come Easy Go' (not a Tesla cover) fall into this category, the former an upbeat workout, the latter more anthemic and streetwise with a great melodic solo from Rivera. The big ballad is the Def Leppardesque 'Just Let Me Love You', a powerful and moving song with a huge, crescendo filled chorus. Elsewhere, Kivel supremo John Kivel gets a writing credit on the moody, Tesla influenced groove of 'Mission Man', the very Zeppelin influenced 'Honey Child' stands out (if only for the fact that it's completely at odds with the rest of the album), and things are brought to a close with a great cover of the Rufus Thomas track 'Walkin' The Dog' (previously done by the likes of Aerosmith and Ratt). AdrianGale aren't gonna change the world, but with an album of the calibre of 'Feel The Fire' they sure as hell make it a nicer place. 8/10 Dave Cockett (www.hardroxx.com) |
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ADRIANGALE are the brand new band around former GUARDIAN singer Jamie Rowe, but their music is classic and traditional Melodic Hard Rock. Imagine a mixture of DANGER DANGER. s . Four The Hard Way. and HAREM SCAREM. s . Mood Swing. album and add a shot of FIREHOUSE, TYKETTO and GUARDIAN. s legendary . Fire And Love. CD. Most positive fact in the music of ADRIANGALE are the sharp and energetic guitars, which make the band sound different too many other acts of the AOR/Melodic Rock genre. And with Jamie Rowe they have a singer in their lines whose powerful and expressive voice has no problems to hold it. s own in this sound. Melodic Rock killers ala . Feel The Fire. ; . Reap What You Sow. ; . Giving It Up. ; . Mission Man. or . Walkin. The Dog. are pure ear candy and convince me, that this band could become one of the leading acts of the scene. And there. s no doubt about it, that 15 years ago their ballads . If The Sun. (remembers me a little of WARRANT. s . Sometimes She Cries. ) and . Just Let Me Love You. (FIREHOUSE fans will be blown away) would have been US top hits. Another cool song is the fun rocker . Honey Child. , that is driven by acoustic guitars and shows some parallels to GUARDIAN. s . Miracle Mile. material. Only . Save Our Love. and . Easy Come Easy Go. sound a little weaker, but that doesn. t disguise the fact, that ADRIANGALE. s . Feel The Fire. is a great album! | ||||||||||||||
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ADRIAN GALEFeel the Fire |
91% |
1.Feel The Fire 2.Save Our Love 3.Reap what You saw 4.If the sun 5.Giving it up 6.Easy come easy go 7.Just let me love you 8.Mission Man 9. Honey child 10.Walkin the dog ( KIVEL RECORDS / 2000 ) | ||
| Ready or Not ..Can You Feel The Fire ?
Well...You better be ready cuz this CD is hotter than hell
ADRIAN GALE is the latest fashion from the other side of
the pond (that would be the US of A) as the "newish" label "KIVEL
RECORDS" now takes the step from being A New Kid on the block to a
real force to be reckon with in the lovely Melodic Hardrock /AOR
scene.
ADRIAN GALE is a new Project with the great "JAMIE ROWE" on Vocals, known from the band GUARDIAN and for the fact that he said "No Thanks" to the frontman position with RATT. He also recorded one great album with TEMPEST in the 80īs and he has now recorded another fun CD, together with VIC RIVERA (Guitars),TODD GOLDIE (Bass) & EDDIE CAMPBELL (Guitars). "Feel The Fire" is a album that fans of Party/Melodic Hardrock a-la FIREHOUSE, DANGER DANGER,DOKKEN & JAMIE ROWE (of course) will really enjoy as RIVERA is not only a great guitarist,but also a good Songwriter that knows how to write a Catchy Hook(s).The trick is to keep it simple and to write a Chorus that You can shout-a-long to at once and I must say that the Boys done good.Songs like the title track "Feel the Fire, Save Our Love, Reap What You Saw, Giving it Up & Easy Come Easy Go" are all fine examples of how Guitar rock should be written.Add that "Just let me Love You" is THE ballad of the year !!! A fantastic song with a chorus that goes straight to the heart. Hey ! Even the label owner JOHN KIVEL gets a song credit for co-writing "Mission Man" a nice rocker about Bill Clinton ? On the other hand "Honey Child" is a pretty boring LED ZEPPELIN ? inspired song that I could have done without, but the rest pretty much rocks and this is a CD that I would recommend to all fans of above mentioned bands. | ||
ADRIANGALE 'Feel The Fire' (KIVEL RECORDS)
Attention fans of pure American melodic
rock, this album is a MUST to add to your collection. Adriangale is the
new band put together by former Guardian frontman Jaime Rowe which also
features Vic Rivera - guitars/drums, Todd Goldie - bass and Eddie Campbell
- guitars.
The albums packaging features a cute 'Gulliver sized'
blonde setting fire to a bunch of suits with a magnifying glass hence the
title 'Feel The Fire' Adriangale are an excellent band, there are ten self
produced songs on 'Feel The Fire', each song is memorable and played very
well making for a hugely satisfying record for melodic rock lovers
everywhere.
The first song 'Feel The Fire' shocked me, the minute I
heard the opening riffs I was hooked, 'Feel The Fire' is a great start,
the song reminds of '5150' circa Van Halen meets Hair Of The Dog and Harem
Scarem the song is simply a killer summer hard rock song and my favourite
track.
'Save Our Love' is also a very catchy melodic rocker, I know
what your gonna think, your thinking how many times have we heard a song
like this before that hasn't lived up to the expectations right? well I
can tell you this track is excellent and features ridiculously catchy
hooks that you will be singing along to for months to come, the song
reminds me of Dokken, Harem Scarem and Emerald Rain, if it sounds familiar
to you it's because this song is pure eighties melodic rock, and is just
brilliant - my second favourite track.
The Dokken melodies and
vocal harmonies come into light on the next track 'Reap What You Sow',
this song could have been lifted off 'Under Lock And Key', you have to
hand it to Jaime, his voice is just what the doctor ordered, he puts in a
great performance on this song which is a very catchy and very melodic
rocker that I know you will all enjoy.
We get to hear the albums
first ballad next, it's called 'If The Sun' a gorgeous power ballad with
wonderful lyrics and chorus that is so damn memorable, the best song that
White Lion never wrote, listen to Jaime's voice on this one which is
filled with heartfelt emotion.
The band rock out again on 'Giving
It Up' a chunky guitar layered song again oozing with Dokken inspired
melodies, next up is 'Easy Come Easy Go' any song with a title such as
this in the year 2000 is just waiting to be ripped apart by the press, but
I'm not going to as this song is great, this is another highlight with a
great chorus similar to Tesla, very catchy song that even hints towards
Jorn Lande and Millenium a little bit.
'Just Let Me Love You' is
very melodic and dreamy with nice musical changes, the next song 'Mission
Man' is a straight ahead rocker, catchy chrous grinding guitars etc.etc..
whilst 'Honey Child' changes the albums mood, this song is a fun acoustic
ditty that reminds me of Extreme's 'Hole Hearted' and doesn't alltogether
work so well against the rest of the material. The last song however
simply kills, this song is a ball crunching hard rocker called 'Walkin'
The Dog', the riffs and vocal harmonies make me think of Dokken and XYZ ,
'Walkin' The Dog' is another of my favourite tracks from the album and
finishes the album off as it started with a bang.
Make sure you buy
Adriangale,apart from 'Honey Child', 'Feel The Fire' is a cracking album.
Recommended.
Rating: 9,5/10 (Review by Nicky Baldrian)
Since the first time I got in contact with John Kivel (somewhere last year) he. s surprised me with every new album he has released through his label. With every release the quality has been taken to another level and AdrianGale. s Feel The Fire, his latest, is no exception.
For this project he managed to get Jamie Rowe (of Guardian fame) behind the microphone and that. s one of the best things he could do.
When I first heard the album I immediately felt it was a melodic masterpiece. But I. ve been waiting to review it deliberately to find out if it would last. Well, after playing it for at least two or three times a day over the last three or four weeks I can tell you it does. It. s always hard to compare albums as everyone has different tastes, but when I say the quality of the album is similar to that of Danger Danger. s first one or Trixter. s Hear (two albums I hold in very high regard) there should ring a bell& Feel The Fire just has everything that made me fall in love with the genre. From kick ass rockers like the title track and Mission Man (co-written by the label boss himself) to the more emotional sounding stuff like Reap What You Sow (best song on the album, in my opinion) and exquisite ballads like If The Sun and Just Let Me Love You& everything. s just right! Funny thing is they. ve put Walking The Dog (best known from Ratt. s debut) to the album. I really love the first two Ratt albums but I must say this version blows the Ratt version from the face of the earth! Pity for them Jamie didn't join them... Add the great production - with mastering credits for Alex Salz (him again!) - and the cool artwork to all this and we. ve got a clear winner here. Feel The Fire is Kivel. s first full score in Majestic Magazine and here. s hoping for more.
MMMMM (Reviewed By Fred Monster)