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

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