Album review: SPEKTRA – Overload
Frontiers [Release date 06.08.21]
Still mining Brazil’s rich seam of hard rock heroes, Frontiers latest South American hopefuls are Spektra, a melodic rock band built around the talents of the vocalist/ guitarist with no name, BJ.
And like his countryman, Alirio, BJ has paid his dues, with his own band Tempestt, as a longtime member of Jeff Scott Soto’s band and more recently with a reformed Talisman. Indeed, Soto (along with inhouse man, Alessandro Del Vecchio) has produced Overload. And considering that the studio band comprises influential drummer, Edu Cominato, rising star Leo Mancini on guitar and renowned Brazilian producer/bassman, Henrique Canale, we expect big things.
What we get is something of a mixed bag.
Several tracks are clearly emblematic of an era in which Foreigner, Winger, Boston and others helped shape the face of popular music culture. “Sounds like” isn’t good enough of course. Your songwriting has to be sharp, self contained. It has to display some sign of artistic ambition.
Retreads generally run out of road pretty quickly. Big, chest thumping ballad ‘Since I Found You’ and ‘Running Out Of Time’ are no more original than their titles suggest, despite BJ’s gut busting vocals and Mancini’s nicely pitched, atmospheric axework.
Del Vecchio’s fingerprints are all over ‘Forsaken’ and ‘Behind Closed Doors’. Overly familiar keyboard motifs and riffs strip all sense of freshness from the songs. You’d be hard pushed to pick these out in an identity parade.
All that said, the band are as tight as the proverbial drum. They transfer the urgent, declamatory nature of arena rock into present day pastiche very successfully on ‘Our Love’, ‘Just Because’, and ‘Breakaway’. These are deceptively simple songs that build fast and climax in a cascade of melody. Shows you just what they are capable of.
Clearly a band who can go on to better things. Sharper songwriting and a willingness to deviate from the beaten path might be all they need.***
review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
RIOGHAN Hands (Inverse Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections