Released by: AOR BLDV Records
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock
Links: http://aorboulevardrecords.weebly.com/
Line Up:
Mark Woerpel – vocals and guitar
Steve Daeger – guitar and backing vocals
Cary Kaylan – bass and backing vocals
Jim Winter – drums
Tracklist:
01. Rock ‘N’ Roll Party In The Streets
02. Something To Believe In
03. Fightin’ Boyz
04. Hearts Done Time
05. Let The Good Times Roll
06. Lay Me Down
07. Only Memories
08. Black Mamba
09. We Are Our Only Hope
10. Louie’s Demise
11. Fools Of Faith
12. Clostest Thing To Heaven (2011 version
Warp Drive is one of those bands that most people probably had never heard of. And this particular record wasn’t even released as CD pressing when it first came out in 2010 and only offered as a digital release, as the band’s main man guitar player and vocalist Mark Woerpel who was also in Hard Rock/Southern Rock band Blackfoot didn’t really feel the ever changing scene would welcome this record. I thought the same thing when I first got this promo from AOR BLVD Records (partially because of the grunge looking cover” it got buried in a sea of promos), but when I put this baby in the player I was surprise and regret not listening to it sooner. Let me explain here because for fans of Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses etc will probbaly rejoice when you hear this one, Warp Drive’s Something To Believe In was actually recorded back in the 90’s but was shelved because of the obvious grunge stink which caused so many of the 80’s Hard Rock sound to spiral into oblivion.
Lucky me I got an actually CD copy of this re-release, and it was an great idea too to dust off and polish this number by Mark Woerpel. Man I can honestly say while I had heard of these guys and their debut in 1989 “Gimme Gimme”, I had never really paid much attention to the band in it’s entirety, I regret that now. This album is full of classic Melodic Hard Rockers that deliver with a time warp of nostalgia if you’re an 80’s fan.
If you like a little oomph!!! in your music, then this record is just for you, form the very onset with the stronger much zastier cover of Axe’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Party In The Streets” to the kick ass rhythm and bass work on the track “Fightin’ Boyz”, there is enough tight groove to make you wear those old ripped blue jeans…..okay maybe reconsider that last fashion statement. Another tasty feat comes via the wails and hails of the fret on the classic hard rock staple of “Lay me Down”, where Woerpel does his best Ted Poley impersonation and succeeds. The album closes with 2 new bonus tracks recorded in 2011.
Regardless of era and music style changes, it’s always fun to listen to music like this that was intended to come out in it’s appropriate time. The atmosphere, the vocalization, the fun elements in the lyrics and the tight production is something that often goes missing now a days with new era bands in the Hard Rock genre.
It is mind blowing to believe that it took over 20 years for this piece of music to be available on CD for the first time, what a treat and worthwhile wait it was though. The obvious demise of the Warp Drive was the ever changing times of the 90’s like so many other bands trying to cross over from the 80’s, WD became a casualty of the scene, what a shame too because these guys had major talent, so much that Rickey Medlocke then in the band Black Foot helped produced the record with Woerpel. What you have here is an archival gem that thanks to AOR BLVD Records sees the light of day for the masses to enjoy. If you consider yourself a Hard Rock fan, you need to have this in your collection!!!! NOW!!!
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 8/10
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