Released by Vinyl Sky Music – 2010
Review Added February 28, 2010
Released By: Vinyl Sky Music January 9th, 2010
Run Time: 30:00
Style: Hard Rock
Links: http://www.myspace.com/stwrocks
Tracklist
1. Firewater
2. Enemy
3. The Burning**
4. Dirty
5. Strangeman
6. Chem A Kill
7. Blue**
8. Rainmaker**
9. Suicide Love Machine
10. Butterfly**
Hot Tracks**
Vocals: Bert Lepore
Guitar: Joe Fortino
Bass: Joe Mass
Drums and Backing Vocals: Steve Tabilio
Guitar and Backing Vocals: Tommy Greco
The streets of South Philadelphia welcome newcomers Stop The World unto the hard rock scene, blending a nice mash up of hard rock grittiness and toughness to the much needed US hard rock avenue. The grunge groovy kick back style that the band presents here on their debut record “Feeding on the Empty” is a breath of fresh air with a genre crowded with weak links and lackluster bands. Leading on vocals is main man Bert Lapore, lending a hand on guitar is the talented duo of Joe Fortino and newly member Tommy Greco. Together these guys want to prove that Philly is not just the city of brotherly love. The distinctive sound can be borrowed from bands you will surely know, it is in no way un original, in fact the music here stands out on it’s own and proudly opens your eyes to what well performed and inspired rock can give birth to.
Grinding up the wheels of rock is the bulldozer opener “Firewater”, singer and leading front man Bert Lapore screams and growls the album into a strong opener. The ghostly voice overs in the introduction of “Enemy” brings back grunge memories of Alice in Chains. New ground is broken in the track “The Burning”, with it’s creeping melody allowing the tempo to build nice leading to a nice guitar solo on the back end. Groovy heavy bottom tracks like “Strangeman” add a special flavor of power and crunch to the overall feel of the album. A top notch rocker comes via “Blue” incorporating some swift shred work, with the mean street vocals of Lapore adding a constant newer hard rock byte with every hook. Many bands come to the fold here, as I hear musical jukebox with a mix of some Down, with Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains all coming together in a post era grunge period, meeting to form one huge super group with a mean attitude.
Is so good to hear some real hard rock with a nasty sting to them. Stop the World may not be a household name, but anybody who can appreciate good old hard rock with a punch should check them out. The guys manage to create a nice blend of newer sounding archaic and punishing groovy rhythm for all to rock their skulls to. How can you not appreciate the tough local mean and gritty rock bands who gain a nurturing reputation for playing local clubs and kicking ass? You could probably fit these guys into that category, with their sound just managing to stray away from the garbage of mainstream and disoriented rock out there nowadays. Like to wake up and smell the roses? go get Feeding on the Empty and support the band, this one should not disappoint any fans Hard Rock.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 8/10