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Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
Blackbird Angels - Solsorte Album Art

Blackbird Angels: Solsorte

Melodic Heavy Rock
4.0/5.0

Blackbird Angels is a new project and band created by the collaboration of guitarist Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) and vocalist Todd Kerns (Slash, Toque, Heroes and Monsters). The two musicians have admired and appreciated the talents of each other over the years, and have wanted to cut an album together. Some ten years in the making, the duo will drop their debut album Solsorte, assisted on drums by multi-instrumentalist and producer, Adam Hamilton.

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Blackbird Angels: Kerns & Guns center

The seeds of the album come from Guns wanting to write and record a record that was inspired by his musical heroes as a teen: Led Zeppelin, Peter Frampton, Bad Company, late '70s Journey, and others. With a spin or three, I would characterize the general musical theme as melodic heavy rock with a definite heavy bottom end and perhaps some blues influence. Guns delivers some tough riffs and spry guitar solos, while Kerns has equally assertive vocal style.


With something like that description in mind, you'll find Unbroken, Better Than This, Mine (All Mine), and Shut Up (You Know I Love You). Alternatively, some songs pick up the pace, having a quicker groove, like Only Everything and the rumbling Coming In Hot. Then there's the slow moving groove of The Last Song which finds Guns and Kerns binding together by voice and guitar. Similar is On And On/Over And Over which burns slow like a thick altar candle in a Catholic church, yet with vibe that twists between blues and psychedelic rock. Whether Guns accomplished his goal, only he can say about Solsorte. However, for some creative melodic heavy rock with some fine variety, Blackbird Angel's Solsorte is a fine work from Tracii Guns and Todd Kerns, two complimentary and accomplished musicians. Recommended.

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The Take Away

For some creative melodic heavy rock with some fine variety, Blackbird Angel's Solsorte is a fine work from Tracii Guns and Todd Kerns, two complimentary and accomplished musicians. Recommended.

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