Album review: RESTLESS SPIRITS – Second To None

Frontiers [Release date: 12.08.22]

Restless Spirits’ guitarist Tony (Lords Of Black) Hernando’s melodic rock project gains some momentum here, with 4 outstanding singers. 3 of them, Chez Kane, Kent Hilli and Renan Zonta are on the verge of wider recognition. The fourth, Johnny Gioeli, is already well known for fronting Neal (Journey) Schon’s Hardline and Axel Rudi Pell’s band. All 4 contribute 2 or 3 songs each.

Second To None is the ensemble’s second album. Emphatically, it shows the writer’s grasp of melody, his sense of time and place, and his ability to craft a song around it.

Kent Hilli again proves to be something of a find. Having displayed real style and vocal panache on recent solo and Giant albums, he stretches his nearly-as-soulful-as Lou Gramm vocals almost to breaking point on the powerful opener, ‘Need A Li’l White Lie’.

It’s confirmation, if any were needed, that the heart of Hernando’s music on STN takes its beat from the eighties.

The artist with her finger truly on that pulse here is Chez Kane.

‘Hey You’ is the first track to raise its head above the parapet. Kane sings her heart out on this feisty little chunk of poprock, reflecting a range of vocal influences, from the throaty hysterics of Fiona and Vixen, to the controlled power of Ann Wilson.

‘Until The End Of Time’ ups the stakes. If a song is a slice of emotion expressed with words and a good tune, then this song pushes that notion to the limit, echoing the bloodrush of intensity that inhabited so much pop/ rock/ metal in the eighties. In other hands you would conclude it’s way beyond its sell by date, yet a commanding performance from Kane turns it into a triumph of passion over pastiche.

In complete contrast, Zonta’s material goes for an update, trading OTT intensity for a faster, sturdier, more contemporary melodic rock sound, with occasional jazzy undercurrents, embracing just enough aural hooks to capture the past in the present.

You could say that too of the Gioeli material, though his tendency to over emote squeezes the life out of much of his material. Only ‘Too Many’s neat upward gearshift into a tough, swaggering chorus gets us there.

Hernando’s highly polished production moves the music along with an athletes speed and grace, and the finishing line comes all too soon. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

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 1 December 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 3 December 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 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)