Fraze Gang
Fraze Gang (CD,FG-01)
This album was lying in my mail-box the other day.
From the look of it I honestly didn’t know what to think,
but it sure sounds better than the cover-design. And as I listened to
it, it really couldn’t have showed up
at a better time. Outside the wind and rain were letting everybody know
that the fall is upon us,
but inside this album really warmed me up.
According to their web-site they bring back the
“party-hearty feel of the 80’s with the kick ass attitude of 2006”.
Personally I think it sounds like whatever they mixed the 80’s with,
they still ended up sounding like 1992.
That is the time when all the “girlie-metal”-bands (the Bon Jovi-side of
hair-metal) had their era.
Fraze Gang sounds so much like all those bands that I can’t figure out
who they are most alike.
They got the acoustic guitar-sound straight out of any Scorpions-ballad,
and the call and response
edgy guitar-riffs from Whitesnake. This combined with the melodies of
Boston and flat rhythm of Def Leppard
should give you a good picture of this band. It also should be mentioned
that the singer/guitarist Greg Fraser
and his sidekick Stevie Skreebs on bass, both were part of the original
Canadian hair-scene
with their old band BRIGHTON ROCK.
But hair-metal aside; this is not a boring album.
Besides the opening track “Blow Me Away”,
the closing track “Hot Rod” with it’s ZZ Top’ishness, and a couple of
others, this is a album of ballads.
They all live their own little lives with good, melodies and, warm
tenderness. The choruses are catchy, but still humble
enough for you to be open for the next song. I don’t really know if that
is a quality or not, but I sure didn’t mind.
The leader of the pack, Greg Fraser, knows his way
around the guitar, but he never outplays the songs.
Even though there are at least three or four guitar-tracks on each song,
they’re always right according to
the genre and song. If I should pick one song that really stands out, I
would pick “Roll With the Punches”.
This is, I think, one of the tenderest songs I’ve heard for a long time.
If they’ve still made those
“Power Ballad”-collections, this really ought to be on one of those. The
way the guitars, the melody and the lyrics
are all put together makes this a highlight on the album.
As mentioned, this is totally an album to put on
when it’s rainy and cold, and you’re tucked in under a warm blanket
with your hot coco or coffee. It’s also worth a shot on a late
after-party. This kind of music sure worked good
making out to in the early 90’s, and who knows; this time it might even
get you laid.
It’s definitely worth to check out Fraze Gang on the web, if you’re into
power ballads and making out under blankets.
Haha. Have a nice one!
7. september, 2006
**Billy McBarbie**