Album review: RONNIE ROMERO – Raised On Heavy Radio

February 3rd, 2023 by brianmc

Frontiers Records [Release date: 27.01.23]

Second “Raised On…” album from Ronnie (Rainbow, Lords Of Black, The Ferry Men) Romero.

Recording cover versions of your favourite songs must be a temptation that’s impossible to resist. Many singers/bands have done it. Few have done it successfully.

Romero’s first bite, Raised on Radio (2020), made an obvious reference to Journey’s 1986 album, the one that saw Steve Perry attempting to write a new musical narrative for the band. That aside, what made that bunch of covers interesting was the sound of a died in the wool heavy metal vocalist covering AOR giants, Foreigner, Survivor, Bad Company and so on.

Choosing lesser known album tracks was they key. A new spin on songs that aren’t ingrained in the public consciousness can work, and in most cases it did.

“Heavy Radio” is a different beast. A metal singer singing metal songs. Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Rainbow, Helloween, Accept and so on… all the fairly predictable suspects.

And if you can’t improve on the originals, what’s the point? But maybe, like Dylan, all Romero’s beliefs come out of those “old songs”.

This bunch of musicians, Chris Caffery, Roland Grapow, Nozumo Wakai, Gus G and others truly nail it down. A studio full of carefully picked musicians whose skill is unquestionable, but whose feel for the music is even more important.

And so you think… on second thoughts, perhaps there is no point in comparisons. ‘The Battle Rages On’, ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ and ‘No More Tears’ might be emblematic of a genre, but what you can hear, very clearly, is Romero and friends having a truly great time, and it’s infectious.

Say no more. ***

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

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Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

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14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)