Those of you who have seen WildHeart perform live will know that they deliver the full package. Dressed in spandex and bandanas you get a healthy shot of rock ‘n’ roll adrenaline. Back in the eighties this band probably would have gotten some decent radio play and maybe even a support spot on stadium-filled tours of some of the glam giants. Those good old days are gone, but we should be happy WildHeart brings back those fond memories. The good thing about them being active right now is that older rockers can relive these heydays again close to home and new blood gets interested in this exciting period of hard rock music. Good news for those of you who prefer not to leave the comfort of their home (seriously, get a life) or those who want to relive WildHeart at home: their self-titled debut album is out!
Throughout the 10 tracks (+ 2 instrumental fillers) you hear a lot of influences of Whitesnake (listen for example to the first lines of Save Me). But also more up tempo examples of Mötley Crüe, Poison, Van Halen and Ratt come to mind. I have seen many of these old bands still on the road, but I never saw a local band that could reach up to these guys. Honestly, I would not have expected that a band anno 2016 could sound so old school and fresh at the same time. There is no copy paste work here. These guys write genuinely good rock music.
You have some party tracks (e.g., WildHeart) and songs that lift your spirit up (e.g., Never Let Go, Get Up (Fight Back)). Singer Farty’s voice sounds a bit stressed at times, but you hear the potential if those vocal cords keep growing in a rougher, but more refined version. Juice and Foxx sound like a match made in heaven on the guitars. There is no domination of one player over the other and both of them share a love for melody and catchy riffs. What is even more rare is that they succeed in blending their lead guitar lines together effortlessly. And the picture would not have been complete if the guys in the spotlight could not fall back on the solid rhythm support of Stevie Dee on bass and Thunderberck on drums.
Glam metal does not only mean party music but instantly also bring up memories of some of the most known hard rock ballads. WildHeart does not seem to wait for the inevitable turmoil that life will throw at them, but already managed to write down a story of a broken heart in the a touching song, Beautiful Regret. Damn you Love, these guys are still so young! I’m pretty sure the guys will be okay, since the rest of the album is filled with tracks that praise the good sides of love and women. Here, personal favorites are Lovehunter and Stone Cold Fox.
We had to wait for it, but now WildHeart has finally poured their licks, riffs and solos on a 45-minute compact disc. If you ask me you better get your copy fast, because if these guys continue on their path of glam revival this gem might become a collector’s item in a few years’ time.
Release date: May 21th, 2016
Label: Independent
Tracklist:
1. Breaking
2. On The Run
3. Never Let Go
4. On My Way
5. Stone Cold Fox
6. Get Up (Fight Back)
7. Beautiful Regret
8. WildHeart
9. Save Me
10. First Glance
11.Lovehunter
12. Hang ‘em High
