Hell or Highwater An Early Contender For 2013′s Best Rock Record List

Courtesy: Pavement Entertainment, Inc.

The debut album from Orange County, California’s own Hell or Highwater is a solid slab of All-American made rock and roll.  The new project from Atreyu front man Brandon Saller boasts a sound that is obviously different from what Atreyu put out.  But it is still a good solid record that true hardcore fans will enjoy and appreciate.  It will be just as appreciated and enjoyed by fans of the likes of Black Stone Cherry and others of that ilk.  Saller and his band mates make quite the first impression with this debut in the album’s opener, ‘Gimme Love.’  The way this song is written, it comes across as a musical love letter to a woman.  Rather than being another one of those songs that goes on about the difficulties of life on the road, Saller sings that he knows it’s tough loving a musician.  But at the same time, the figure in the song has every intention of being with said love interest.  He makes this clear in the song’s opening verse singing, “It’s hard/Living loving a music man/I’m not a saint/And I make mistakes/But I’m just doing the best I can/These lonely days/Are coming to an end my dear/Future’s on fire/It’s burning brighter than ever before.  He goes on to sing his declaration of love for his woman even though he knows he’s not perfect, “Baby I swear this love is true/Darling I do this all for you.”  The poppy-up tempo music backing these heartfelt yet not too sappy lyrics make for a solid opening for the band’s first full length effort.  The enjoyment doesn’t end here.  From here, audiences are offered a whole baker’s dozen count of songs from which to choose their favorites.  Just one other example of what audiences have to look forward to in that mass of songs is ‘When The Morning Comes.’

‘When The Morning Comes’ succeeds for the same reason as the album’s opener.  Both musically and lyrically, it’s one of those uplifting songs that will leave any listener feeling good.  Saller sings of feeling emotions and thinking thoughts that we’ve all thought before, but despite all of it, having the strength to push on.  He sings that he’ll be better “when the morning comes” and to “forget yesterday/Today’s mine!”  It’s a not so metaphorical way of saying, “I’ll make it through the night.  No matter how bad things get, I’ve got my family and my friends and they give me strength.”  The song’s music helps to illustrate that positive vibe, too.  Its up-tempo guitar riffs and major chords combine with the optimistic lyrical side to make for a song that will easily become a fan favorite both on the album and on the road if it isn’t already a live favorite.  The band keeps that same positive vibe from here as it transitions into ‘Crash & Burn.’

‘Crash & Burn’ is just as impressive as ‘When The Morning Comes’ as it carries that same sense of knowing how tough life is but it’s not too tough to handle.  Saller makes that clear as he sings, “Live for the chase/Survive by the thrill/If you want me to take this step/I will/No longer afraid/No longer at bay/Longing to face my fears but still/A promise is made/To change who I am/No looking back/We’ll fight to the end/A promise in vain/Is a promise to break/Your life is only yours to make.  Again, there is that openly positive vibe that so much of today’s rock music needs, in place of the constant shoe-gazer, “oh poor me” mentality that is thrown out by so many bands.  Add in equally uplifting musical backing by the band and this song becomes just one more of so many highlights from this album.  It clocks in at just over three minutes long.  In that three minutes plus, it shows that it’s possible to be positive and still rock out.  And combined with the album’s other material it helps to make this album an early contender to be one of the year’s best general rock records.

Begin Again will be available in stores and online beginning February 5^th.  As everybody counts down the days to the release of the band’s debut, the band is touring in support of it.  The band will be performing tonight, January 8^th, in Mobile, Alabama.  It follows up tonight’s show with a pair of performance in Florida Thursday and Friday respectively.  There are even more dates planned after these shows.  To get a full listing of tour dates, fans can go online to the band’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/HellorHighwaterofficial .  Fans can also get the band’s tour dates, full album lyrics and even more on the band’s official website, http://www.HellorHighwaterofficial.com.  And for all the latest news from the band, fans can follow its members on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HellOrHighwater.

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Charm City Devils’ “Sins” anything but deadly

It’s about who you know, not what you know.  Who hasn’t heard that old adage?  Well, when a name the likes of Nikki Sixx personally gives his seal of approval, and even asks a band out on tour, odds are that band is not going to say no.  Thus, one of maisntream rock’s next big acts began its career in 2009.  The act in question is Baltimore, MD based Charm City Devils.  The band’s sophomore record, “Sin” will be on store shelves tomorrow.  And it goes without saying that this new record is anything but deadly.  However, it’s a record that’s a perfect fit for mainstream rock radio.

“Sin” opens with a full throttle, no nonsense adrenaline pumper in ‘Spite.’  The band keeps the adrenaline flowing at max speed with the defiant, fist pumper, ‘Unstoppable’ right after that.  ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ is quite the interesting cover.  It takes the hit song from George Clooney’s hit movie, and gives it a decidedly new vibe.  The band kicks things right back into gear after that cover, with another high adrenaline track in ‘Still Alive.’  ‘Devil is a Woman’ is one of those standard testosterone-fueled rock tracks that no true hard rock record is complete without.  So many audiences can relate to this one.  The vibe from here on out is little different, as the band keeps the energy at its highest until gently depositing listeners on another shore at the album’s end in the ballad, ‘All You’ll Ever Need.’  It’s just enough to leave audiences with a sense of total fulfillment as they catch their breaths.

‘Sins’ is a great record.  Even had Charm City Devils not gotten the nod from Nikki Sixx, ”Sins” shows that the band would still have been able to make a name for itself on its own.  But it never hurts to have the backing of such a big name.  Now, with the right support from fans and mainstream rock radio, audiences nationwide may very well be hearing a lot more from this band in the near future.  It’s a great record for fans of bands such as:  Buckcherry, Black Stone Cherry, Brand New Sin, and others of that ilk.  Fans who want to check out the band live will get their chance as the band will be heading out on tour, beginning next Thursday, April 19th in Roanoke, VA.  From there, the band heads to Maryland, before charting a course through the midwest.  The band’s lone west coast date will be May 1st in Spokane, WA.  No dates in North Carolina as of yet.  But fans can keep up to date with all the band’s dates on its facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/charmcitydevils.  Fans can also follow the band on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CharmCityDevils.  The band is currently working on a new official website.  Fans can keep an eye on the progress of that website at http://www.charmcitydevils.