Review | BlackRain – Hot Rock Time Machine

Independent Release

Screaming fiercely at you in bright and vibrant colors, the artwork of ‘Hot Rock Time Machine’ joins the band’s past and present. Due to their first records ‘Lethal Dose’ (2011) and ‘It Begins’ (2013) still unavailable on all major streaming platforms, nor as physical product, the French sleaze rockers BlackRain decided to re-record 5 tracks of every release making the live crackers available by popular demand. Added their musical maturation and the productional guidance of Kissin’ Dynamite’s Hannes Braun, and you get presented 10 anthemic rock anthems boosting the band’s confidence.

NEWLY RECORDED VERSIONS

Confidence emits from these new recordings. The band’s towering sleaze rock burgeoning with pride and force is handled well on the newly recorded versions. Standing tall a decade since, the tracks almost immediately click with its listener. The raw and raucous tendencies captured well, they combust with hair metal massacre and sleaze dripping off the tracks, perfectly displayed on the roaring ,,Overloaded”. Packed with heavy parading guitars, Swan Hellion brings gigantic momentum to the front. Rip-roaring are the raunchy riffs, well melted to the explicit badmouthing of Swan. While the addition of Franky Constanza on drums still proves the band’s tight fit for heaviness. Thankfully the mix is open and transparent, so we also get bass player Matthieu de la Roche presented as driving force. He is a force that drives the music with powerful bass plucking and droning lows.

MUSICAL GROWTH

The raw and rocking accolades are brought forward on the ravishing ,,She’s in Love” and the riff driven thumper ,,Dancing on Fire”. While ,,Shining Down on You” gains from its musical growth revealing Hanoi Rocks’ divine melodic spirit. Etching different rawness, they tap into the classic Mötley vein to unload heavier strut and swagger, with scorching guitars. Swirling guitar themes and keys press on the end of the nesting chorus.

SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Even more melodic BlackRain brings forward their acclaimed crowd pleasers ,,Baby Shot Me Down” with Swan squalling in Fleischmann register. Gritty and raw the spaghetti western enters when BlackRain opens the wonderful ,,Revolution”, its chorus memorable and sticky. The song is one of the better moments with its rousing chants and subtle musical additions. (banjo?)

Cliché laden the band roars with pride on the predictable stop ‘n hold driven ,,Wild, Wild, Wild”. Or the melodic live rouser ,,Young Blood” with its warming guitar melodies and low end bass ploughs opening to the guitar swagger, furrowing the dynamic drum groove. The latter is radiant and dynamic, with Constanza leaning on progressive interplay switching fills. Hellion’s guitar solo is raw and dirty, spitting gravel while piercing high amidst its bluesy fretboard acceleration.

BLACKRAIN HAIR METAL HEYDAYS

Showing Swan and the band’s maturation they rerecorded the semi-ballad ,,Nobody but You”, that reaches wonderful momentum. Gripping the hair metal heydays the song wells with great melodies and sterling hooks that would have landed them a hit single in those arena rock days. Swans moaning and pitches makes for excellence. The siren opened his virile rawness is subdued in effeminate clean wails and weeps.

‘Hot Rock Time Machine’ will be released on vinyl and cd, making available these tracks to fans. The re-recordings are a pleasant endeavor bridging the gap towards the band’s upcoming new release. And it is a great collection of songs to embark onto festival season.

It is Hot!

It is Rock!

And you can consider this a ‘time machine’.

Release date: 12 April 2024