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

November 2024

• 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

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Rebellious Spirit: Gamble Shot

Melodic Hard Rock

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook YouTube
Steamhammer SPV
by Craig Hartranft,  06.13.2013

Perhaps Gamble Shot is not the risky maneuver it suggests for Germany's Rebellious Spirit. These youngsters, average age of 18, offer what can only be described as contemporary classic rock, and they're pretty darn good at it too.

Rebellious Spirit: so young.

The early context is clear: Eighties LA sleaze hard rock echoing Motley Crue, Poison, among others; the later context is the modern resurrection of the same from peers such as H.E.A.T., Hardcore Superstar, or Germany's own Reckless Love. One element necessary in either age was the bit of punk swagger that informed that classic rock style, and Rebellious Spirit gets that as well.

But mostly Gamble Shot is simply rock n roll, melodic, sometimes heavier nearing melodic metal as on Gone Wild, yet rock n roll all the same. Rebellious Spirit spares neither melody or catchy hooks, nor fistfuls of riffs and generous guitar solos. Vocalist Jannik Fischer has a melodic delivery, and enough hint of sneer to sound nasty at times. (Although there's a familiarity to his voice that makes him sound like everybody else doing this type of music.)

There's a good variety to the songs as well. Straight hard rock comes with Let's Bring Back, Rock It, Lights Out; other heavier, edgier, songs, like the aforementioned Gone Wild, include Lights Out and maybe Forever Young. Sweet Access Right comes with a glaze of sticky pop rock. Ballads include Don't Leave Me, You're Not the Only One, likely better called an anthem, and Change the World, perhaps the best of the bunch. Well the production and mix are solid, there seems to a softness to the songs, making you wonder if they aren't better heard live. Otherwise, Gamble Shot is a fine and entertaining, even mature, album of classic contemporary rock from such a young band. Recommended.

Rebellious Spirit - Lights Out (official video)

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

Rebellious Spirit's Gamble Shot is a fine and entertaining, even mature, album of classic contemporary melodic hard rock from such a young band. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]