Groundbreaker – Groundbreaker Review

If this album isn’t at the top or at least in many Top 5 of the year lists I will be shocked. In a year of some standout releases,...

Released by: Frontiers Records

Release Date: September 14th, 2018

Genre: AOR/Melodic Rock

Links:  https://www.facebook.com/Groundbreakerband/

 

Line Up:

Steve Overland – Vocals
Robert Sall – Guitars 
Nalley Pahlsson – Bass
Herman Furin – Drums
With Alessandro Del Vecchio – Keyboards

 

Tracklist:

1.Over My Shoulder
2.Will It Make You Love Me
3.Eighteen ‘Til I Die
4.Only Time Will Tell
5.Tonight
6.Standing Up For Love
7.Something Worth Fighting For
8.The Sound Of A Broken Heart
9.The First Time
10.  The Days Of Our Life
11.  The Way It Goes

 

Like I’ve said before, I tend not to look at the bio stuff until after I’ve listened to an album a few times and am about to sit down and actually bang it out. I just don’t want to be biased about a new band, just in case, there are people involved that I am already a fan of. Clearly, this can’t help when it is an artist or band I am already familiar with. When my ears were treated to a new Frontiers release by a band called Groundbreaker I kept getting this sense that 1. I know that voice, and 2. How is a new band so fully formed musically and so damn good? Well, the answer to the first question was yes, I do know that voice. It’s Steve Overland of FM, and it’s so spot on musically because the bulk of the songs were written by Work of Art/W.E.T. guitarist Robert Sall, who also is the guitarist for this project. Of course Steve and producer/keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio added some of their own material as well.

The s/t debut is a stunning collection of some of the best melodic rock to come out in a while. More in the vein of Giant and Honeymoon Suite, not necessarily hard rocking, but 100% nestled into the AOR sweet spot. Full of catchy tracks like “Eighteen ‘Til I Die,” “The Sound of A Broken Heart,” “Over My Shoulder,” and “Standing Up For Love” Groundbreaker isn’t really attempting to break new ground, but there is such a passion and vitality to these songs and performances it takes this genre to a new level. I was struck by my first listen to just how memorable these songs were. I found myself by the second chorus singing along, that’s just not something I tend to do towards any new release. This is the perfect melding of two tremendous talents of this type of music, creating a stunning debut.

If this album isn’t at the top or at least in many Top 5 of the year lists I will be shocked. In a year of some standout releases, Groundbreaker with their s/t debut is pulling no punches and hopefully giving the fans of melodic rock not just another one off project, but another band to look forward to in the future. Yet if this is it, wow, what an incredible album. I’ve been kind of holding back some in the rating area of my reviews because I feel like in the past I was giving out too many 10 for 10’s than I later felt like I should’ve. This one is a no-brainer though.

 

Written by: Chris Martin

Ratings: 10/10

 

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Categories
Album Reviews
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EXTREME’S UNMATCHED MUSICAL MASTERY AND ELECTRIFYING STAGE PRESENCE: A DEFINING FORCE IN ROCK HISTORY LIVE AT MARS MUSIC HALL, HUNTSVILLE, AL

EXTREME’S UNMATCHED MUSICAL MASTERY AND ELECTRIFYING STAGE PRESENCE: A DEFINING FORCE IN ROCK HISTORY LIVE AT MARS MUSIC HALL, HUNTSVILLE, AL

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