• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

May 2025

• The Flower Kings: Love
• Maestrick : Espresso Della Vita: Lunare

March 2025

• W.E.T.: Apex
• Alliance: Before Our Eyes
• Ginevra: Beyond Tomorrow
• Phil X & The Drills:
  Pow! Right In The Kisser
• IQ: Dominion
• Heart Line: Falling Heaven
• Gotthard: Stereo Crush
• Defender: Dying To Live
• Streetlight: Night Vision

February 2025

• Robin McAuley: Soulbound
• Perfect Plan: Heart Of A Lion
• Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
• Mantric Momentum: Alienized
• Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
• Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
• Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
• Dream Theater: Parasomnia
• Tyran: Tyran's Oath
• Saber: Lost In Flames

January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
• The Ferrymen: Iron Will
• Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
• Bonfire: Higher Ground
• The Big Deal: Electrified
• Landfall: Wide Open Sky

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

[ More Music Reviews ]

Wheels of Fire: Hollywood Rocks

Melodic (Hard) Rock

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Avenue of Allies Records
www.myspace.com/wheelsoffireband
www.wheels-of-fire.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  06.14.2010

The principal behind Wheels of Fire is Davide 'Dave Rox' Barbieri, a student of Michelle Luippi (Vision Divine, Killing Touch). His vision for Wheels of Fire's debut release Hollywood Rocks is, from the title, the classic melodic hard rock from Eighties Hollywood, Sunset Strip, and Whiskey-a-Go-Go, et al. Does he nail it? Now, there's a loaded question.

Barbieri and Wheels of Fire can by heavy like that day as on The Reason and What I Want. However, the signature feature of the Hollywood rock was gritty, sneering, sleazy rock with a strong measure of rock n roll rebellion. I don't hear it here. Barbieri is an astounding vocalist, yet lacks the gutter, gritty, and sneering performance of the masters like Vince Neil or Brett Michaels. Wheels of Fire is less Motley Cure or Ratt and more Brother Firetribe, heavy but not so dangerous. Even when they rock, Wheels of Fire seems polite. Hey, I'm okay with it. Hollywood Rock is solid melodic rock, but it's no that whiskey soaked, near heroin overdose, music that made the Sunset Strip famous. Solid and imaginative melodic rock with a sometimes heavier edge, yes. Strict Eighties Hollywood rock, maybe. Worth your interest, positively.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Solid and imaginative melodic rock with a sometimes heavier edge, yes. Strict Eighties Hollywood rock, maybe. Worth your interest, positively.

Alphabetical Index

Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]