HEAVEN & EARTH
LA based Heaven & Earth consist of vocalist Joe Retta, British born guitarist and Ritchie Blackmore protégé Stuart Smith, bassist Lynn Sorenson, drummer Kenny Aronoff, who has played with Bob Seger, John Mellencamp and the Rolling Stones, and Ty Baillie on keys. ‘Hard To Kill’ is the band's fourth release, containing 11 tracks and 47 minutes of music. Not surprisingly, given Smith's connection to Blackmore, the opening and title track has a very Rainbow-esque feel to it, with the intro reminiscent of 'Kill the King'.
Indeed, the album as a whole, can quite easily be pigeon-holed as 'classic rock', with elements of the aforementioned Rainbow, the commercial edge of Kiss (this is particularly evident on 'Anthem', with its massed chanting) and on some tracks, such as 'Till It's Over', 'The Game Is Over', 'LA Blues' and 'Hellfire', the bluesy feel of the latter incarnations of Deep Purple, infused with Retta's harmonica.
Pretty much every track is up tempo, with the closest to a ballad being 'Bleed Me Dry'. The best of the bunch are probably the title track, 'Monster', with its decent riff, and 'Bad Man' which has an epic feel and a guitar solo where Smith gives his mentor, Blackmore, a run for his money.
A mention has to be given to the packaging of this release. The CD comes with a DVD of all 11 tracks performed by the band in a studio setting, which adds an extra dimension to the listening experience and gives an insight into the band's 'on stage' chemistry. In addition, there's a download card which gives access to a digital version of the album and extra video footage. It's nice to see a band giving their fans value for money.
So, in essence, this is a pretty good release. While there is nothing particularly new or innovative here, it is well produced and each member of the band puts in a respectable performance. If you like '70s style rock, brought up to date with a modern sheen, this record is well worth a listen.
Indeed, the album as a whole, can quite easily be pigeon-holed as 'classic rock', with elements of the aforementioned Rainbow, the commercial edge of Kiss (this is particularly evident on 'Anthem', with its massed chanting) and on some tracks, such as 'Till It's Over', 'The Game Is Over', 'LA Blues' and 'Hellfire', the bluesy feel of the latter incarnations of Deep Purple, infused with Retta's harmonica.
Pretty much every track is up tempo, with the closest to a ballad being 'Bleed Me Dry'. The best of the bunch are probably the title track, 'Monster', with its decent riff, and 'Bad Man' which has an epic feel and a guitar solo where Smith gives his mentor, Blackmore, a run for his money.
A mention has to be given to the packaging of this release. The CD comes with a DVD of all 11 tracks performed by the band in a studio setting, which adds an extra dimension to the listening experience and gives an insight into the band's 'on stage' chemistry. In addition, there's a download card which gives access to a digital version of the album and extra video footage. It's nice to see a band giving their fans value for money.
So, in essence, this is a pretty good release. While there is nothing particularly new or innovative here, it is well produced and each member of the band puts in a respectable performance. If you like '70s style rock, brought up to date with a modern sheen, this record is well worth a listen.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Quarto Valley Records
CD+DVD
HARD TO KILL
Review by Dave Uphill
RUNNING TIME:
46:43
RELEASE DATE:
23rd March 2018
TRACK LISTING
1) Hard to Kill
2) Walk Away
3) Till It's Over
4) Bleed Me Dry
5) The Game Has Changed
6) Anthem
7) Monster
8) L.A. Blues
9) Hellfire
10) Beautiful Monsters
11) Bad Man
2) Walk Away
3) Till It's Over
4) Bleed Me Dry
5) The Game Has Changed
6) Anthem
7) Monster
8) L.A. Blues
9) Hellfire
10) Beautiful Monsters
11) Bad Man
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"If you like '70s style rock, brought up to date with a modern sheen, this record is well worth a listen."
