Released by: Independent
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Heavy Rock Influenced Pop
Links: http://www.dallas.la/
Line Up:
Bryan Dallas – Vox / guitar
Zac Curtis – Drums / Triggers
Matt Feifert – Keybass / Keys / Backup vox
WIll Hammack- Visual Media
Tracklist:
1. THIS LOVE
2. THE DEVIL IS ROCK’n’ ROLL
3. OPEN YOUR HEART
4. I CLOSE MY EYES
5. BRING THE LIGHT
When it’s done well, it sounds refreshing and exciting and you’re proud to be a fan of the 80s Hair Metal/Melodic Rock genre, but when it’s done badly it will only have a negative influence on our beloved genre. I have to admit I have received so many average efforts and attempts at being the 80s American Rocksound back to life, but when I put on the first EP of the band DALLAS from San Francisco I was impressed right from the start, because this is the way it should be done. ‘Over the edge’ sounds as massive as the big 1980s productions, yet it sounds very refreshing and each and every song gives you the feeling that life isn’t that bad. This is music which makes you look cool and nobody can ignore a smile on their face when hearing the tunes of DALLAS. The past 2 decades only in Europe and in particular Sweden new acceptable bands in this genre were active, with as most sensational ones H.E.A.T., FAIR WARNING, WORK OF ART, BROTHER FIRETRIBE and a couple more. However, the USA went through hard times during the 1990s and 2000s and despite some bands were still making the classic 80s Rocksound where melody and production were very important, DALLAS is one of the first bands that truly can be put next to the high quality bands in the genre. They do remind me of some of the MTM productions from the 1990s (which were actually 1980s re-issues), such as BIG BAD WOLF, LOUD AND CLEAR and RESTLESS, so basically what you have here is big-time Melodic Rock with the coolness from the 80s Glam/Melodic Hardrocksound and the catchiness of the AOR/Melodic Rock. FIREHOUSE meets DEF LEPPARD choruses with BON JOVI’s ‘Slippery when wet’ in mind is what this EP is all about! DALLAS is actually 1 man only, namely BRYAN DALLAS from Castro Valley, CA is a 26 years old multi-instrumentalist/vocalist who did almost everything on his own here.
The production took a lot of time and you can definitely hear that, because the EP sounds really huge. The only pity is that only 5 songs are included, because you want to hear more and more after you heard them. Forget about all the 80s wanna-be acts out there, because this is the real thing. Uptempo Melodic Rockers like “This love”, “Open your heart” and “Bring the light” are as catchy as you want them to be, so easily invite to sing-a-long and is basically 80s Melodic Rock at it’s best. Combine BON JOVI’s “Living on a prayer” with DEF LEPPARD’s “Animal”, add some of ALICE COOPER’s “Poison” and finish it off with FIREHOUSE’s “All she wrote”, then you exactly understand what they sound like. Of course the Power AOR Ballad is not forgotten in the shape of “I close my eyes”, which is very similar to DEF LEPPARD’s “Love bites” or any CRYSTAL ROXX ballad.
In the end, it feels like Summer has arrived finally and then I am not talking about the Weather in Europe, but about the arrival of this band called DALLAS and their wonderful EP ‘Over the edge’. Check them out at asap if you like any of the mentioned bands, because they might become the next big thing in Arena Rock!
Written by Gabor
Ratings Gabor 8/10
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