HEADRUSH – Headrush

Guitarist Alex De Rosso is probably best known in some parts for his touring stint through the “revolving door” known as Dokken’s lead guitarist slot. Headrush not only features De Rosso, but also features Italian vocalist Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth). Together, with Castellani on bass and Fini on drums, this group has fashioned one hell of a Melodic Hard Rock “monsterpiece.”

De Rosso not only handles guitar duties, but also handles the twiddling of the knobs on the Production board. Surprisingly, the Production stands out as a major factor contributing to this CD’s success. Things start out innocently enough on the opening track “My World” with a few guitar chords, backed by a tight rhythm section, interlaced with programming that sounds like maracas. Suddenly … it hits! A face full of buzzsaw guitar that smacks harder than Godzilla® fueled on a full case of Jolt® Cola, trudging through downtown Tokyo! Guitar-Haters Anonymous take note … like a torrential brain freeze after downing a Super Size Slurpee®, this Headrush album is not for you! For guitar aficionados, however, you’ll find that Alex did himself proud by producing a sound, which positions all guitars, especially the rhythms, smack dab in the front of the mix. There’s no escaping this guitar sound!

Highlights abound a plenty as tracks like “Not Just Anyone” and “Fooling Myself Again”, with guitar jabs that add an almost “Nu-Metal” feel to the tracks, keep the adrenaline flowing. Tracks “Ordinary Man” and “All In A Crime” have a Dokken-fueled sound to them, but they eventually find their own niche with off-beats and catchy choruses.

While everpresent, De Rosso does a great job of steering clear of over indulgence, and keeps solos and any fills to a very tolerable length. De Rosso seems to put a lot of finesse into his rhythm playing, which keeps the album from becoming monotonous. Oh yeah, there are other performers on this album as well. Vocalist Tiranti delivers a confident performance throughout, comparable to a Don Dokken but more melodic. A favorite “Roberto moment” has to be the melodic chorus he delivers on the track “What’s Yours Is Mine … .” Bass and drums also sound constantly tight and clear, and help maintain the punch delivered by the guitar rhythms.

Bottom line, this release is probably the second best slab of Hard Melodic Rock to hit your CD platters this year (the first being JLT’s The Usual Suspects!) Both coming from the Frontiers Records label: Bravo Frontiers! A heavy sound, guitars aplenty, melodic vocals, catchy melodies, and nice artwork on the cover … what more can one ask for? Let’s just hope the band is planning a follow-up release even though this particular Headrush won’t wear off for quite some time!

Lineup

Roberto Tiranti: Vocals
Alessandro (Alex) De Rosso: Guitars, Keyboards & Programming
Mauro Catellani: Bass
Dave Fini: Drums
Alex De Rosso: Production