HARDLEIN - review added 23rd October 2009
Album Review: Down To The Fire (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and Aussie rock
Louisville, Kentucky, band Hardlein (pronounced Hardline) are not to be confused with American act Hardline (pronounced Hardlein). They both play hard rock, have a male lead singer, a strong guitar sound and a debut album beginning with the letter 'D' featuring a circular theme to the artwork. Apart from that, they have little in common.
Actually, I'm being a little unfair here. Hardlein - Bobby Lee Stamper (lead vocals), Hayward (CHIEF) Embry Jr (guitar and vocals), Ado Kalajdzic (bass and vocals) and Danny Cord (drums) - really don't sound anything like their fellow countrymen. What they do sound like is AC/DC. Very, very like AC/DC.
Bobby's voice is hewn from the same block of granite as both the Australian rocker's front men. He's more Bon Scott than Brian Johnson but definitely of that ilk. The music is similar too. It's heavy(ish), rocking, bouncy, fun and a touch retro. It isn't a celebration in the technical intricacies of string plucking and drum smacking, but it's effective nonetheless.
For me, Down To The Fire doesn't have any massive standout moments. 'Lonely Town', 'Drivin'', 'Deceiver' and 'Can't Stop It' are about as close as it gets. It's all good if unexceptional and has a solid, consistent vibe from start to finish. There's certainly nothing bad on the album, but it's difficult to escape the AC/DC-ness however hard you try. Ultimately, that dominates the listening experience and makes looking at Hardlein's work from an unbiased perspective difficult.
When it comes down to it, if you like AC/DC you'll love this. It isn't quite as good as the real thing, but it's closer than you might imagine.
Check out... AC/DC too.
Track List:
1. Hsrd Livin'
2. Down To The Fire
3. Doin' Time
4. Lonely Town
5. Drivin'
6. Take It To The Truth
7. Deceiver
8. The Ride
9. Wicked You
10. Can't Stop It
Artist's website(s): MySpace
