Album review : 21OCTAYNE – Into The Open

AFM Records [Release date 23.05.14]

This is a little different from AFM’s usual output of Teutonic metal and the change is refreshing to these ears.

21Octayne has been put together by current Axxis guitarist Marco Wriedt to create a band that can straddle the traditional boundaries in rock/metal. Marco got together with drummer Alex Landenburg (Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody) and bassist Andrew Lauer for their first jam session in August 2010. The Joe Perry Project vocalist Hagen Grohe was the final piece of the jigsaw to be put into place and the fit was perfect according to Marco.

One band springs to mind throughout “Into The Open” and that band is the mighty Alter Bridge. The song structures, the riffs, the vocalisation all bring Myles Kennedy and crew to mind…but that is not a bad thing at all.

Opener She’s Killing Me throws a little commercial Pink Cream 69 into the blender, whilst big ballad Turn The World adds a sprinkle of Night Ranger’s recent sound.

Dear Friend is one of the future classic songs on here…the verses alternating Hagen Grohe’s faultless vocals with some mighty heavy riffs giving the song an epic feel.

Your Life has a modern US alternative rock band , such as Hurt or 10 Years, feel to the verse but then veers off into Bon Jovi territory for the chorus. Hagen Grohe’s vocals are again pushed to the front on the acoustic ballad I Will Always Be Right There where he accompanied by a lone piano.

The quality of the musicianship and song writing on display cannot really be faulted. Hagen Grohe’s vocals sound ten times better than those on Joe Perry “Have Guitar, Will Travel” album from a few years back. Special mention should be made to “The Bullet’s” fancy bass runs scattered around and Don’t Turn Away even starts with a bass solo…

“Into The Open” is a highly enjoyable slice of modern rock with a few twists thrown in to distinguish it from others of this ilk. Repeat plays are guaranteed! ****

Review by Phil Berisford

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)