Recent Reviews

December 2024

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Lonerider: Attitude
Lonerider - Attitude Music Review

Lonerider: Attitude

Melodic Hard Rock
3.5/5.0

Website (Label)
Escape Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 17.04.2019 | Released: 26.04.2019

It's time for one more UK super group. Lonerider gathers together several long time veterans of classic rock: Steve Overland (FM, Shadowman), Steve Morris (Heartland, Shadowman), Chris Childs (Thunder) and legendary drummer Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company. You're never too old to rock n roll.

Lonerider Photo - Click For Larger Image

Lonerider

With such distinguished personnel, perhaps you would like to take a guess at Lonerider's sound? Classic rock is the broader category, but than add some Seventies heavy steadiness, a dash of blues and, with Overland behind the mic, some smooth soul feeling. Indeed, somewhere along years, these guys missed Eighties spandex metal, Nineties grunge and alt indie rock, and the 21st Century revisiting the same. Me? Seventies, deja vu all over again. Lonerider made feel like I was in high school again. A Summer friday night is upon me and I'm off to hear my favorite local band at the town fire hall. Am I suggesting Lonerider sounds old? Some listeners may think so.

Nevertheless, Lonerider still delivers solid classic melodic hard rock, abundant with strong riffs and killer leads, plenty of groove from the rhythm section, and then wrapped in accessible melodies, vocal harmony, and catchy refrains. But, honestly, I connected more with songs that were up beat in tempo and groove like My Imagination, Angel Without Wings, and One In A Million. After these, I enjoyed the blues-infused slide guitar Fast Train. There was some of the same in Rock N Roll Dreamer, but the song was mercilessly slow going. I had the same feeling with Wanted Man which, to me, was trying to revisit early Bad Company, but missed the mark. Alternatively, Yesterday Heroes turned more upon an accessible AOR groove thanks to the ambitious melody, guitar harmony, and fine vocal harmony, especially in the chorus. It's easily the best song here. So what to conclude then? Revisiting classic retro rock, akin to the 1970's, Lonerider's Attitude hits the mark, bringing the past to the present with skill and imagination. But will anybody under 40 get it? I wonder.


Another Dangerdog Review
Black Sites - Exile Music Review

Black Sites: Exile

Heavy/Progressive Metal
4.5/5.0

There's probably a good chance you never heard of Black Sites. Hailing from Chicago, a city perhaps best know for its rhythm and blues music, Black Sites has been ... [ Read More ]


CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

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

The Bottom Line

Revisiting classic retro rock, akin to the 1970's, Lonerider's Attitude hits the mark, bringing the past to the present with skill and imagination. But will anybody under 40 get it? I wonder.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Powell-Payne: Voilá Album Review

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]