Website (Label)
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 15.02.2017
Tokyo Motor Fist. Who are they? What are they? Where do the come from? What kind of music do they play? Inquiring minds what to know. Most all these questions can be answered by telling you who formed the band. Tokyo Motor Fist was formed by Danger Danger vocalist Ted Poley with Trixter guitarist and producer Steve Brown. The band is rounded out with Greg Smith (Ted Nugent, Rainbow, Alice Cooper) on bass and Chuck Burgi (Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Lynn Turner) on drums. The clues are there.
Tokyo Motor Fist. But there's that band name. As usual, before listening to the album, I avoided learning any information about the band, so as not to be persuaded by premature expectations. My first thought was something heavy metal, like Motorhead heavy metal. Nope. I was totally wrong. Pure and simple, Tokyo Motor Fist plays classic rock, more the Eighties variety with a slight metal edge, and a definite AOR tone. Everything about the songs rock with harmony and melody, rhythm and groove, an abundance of catchy hooks whether by arrangement, refrains, or vocal harmonies, and oodles of soaring guitar solos from Brown. Poley is on fire, never sounding better with his smooth and strong, melodic and passionate, vocal style.
As for the songs, as often said, there's not a runt in the litter. Yeah, it's pretty much all killer with no filler. The album rocks out from the start with Love Me Insane, Love, Black And Blue, and You're My Revolution, blazing and catchy numbers. Just past the middle, you pause for smooth to soaring ballad with Don't Let Me Go. Similar in tone, Get You Off My Mind turns upon an arena ready melody and rich chorus, wrapped in a killer groove. But the rock n roll continues and roars with the riff ready Done To Me and the brisk and groovy Fallin' Apart.
Rarely does a band and debut album coalesce in such a consistent, elegant, and entertaining way. Poley, Brown, and Tokyo Motor Fist came out swinging and hit a home run out of the park with this one. Get it. Quite recommended.
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Rarely does a band and debut album coalesce in such a consistent, elegant, and entertaining way. Poley, Brown, and Tokyo Motor Fist came out swinging and hit a home run out of the park with this one. Get it. Quite recommended.
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