Review | The Big Deal – Electrified

Frontiers Records Srl

Bordering cliché Serbian, The Big Deal released their action-packed melodic album `First Bite’ 2 years ago, immediately landing with fans of the classic eighties female front AOR bands. Close harmonies stacked in layers, and exquisite melodic tracks build upon recognizable and easy nesting melodies and hooks, the band around producer and guitarist Srdjan Brankovic and his sister Nevena (keys, vocals) made waves immediately. Proving their impressive skills in close harmony, the band’s performance at Spain’s Rock Imperium festival stood as a testament of their perfected prowess. `Electrified’ is the second effort and lies close to the debut, yet also explores wider territory especially with their writing collaboration with H.E.A.T.’s Jona Tee and Anders Wikstrom of Treat fame.

Let’s see if this Heat Treatment makes a Big Deal on `Electrified’.

MORE TO IT THAN JUST PRETTY FACES

Aside the looks and tone of Nevena, The Big Deal is also blessed with the radiant beauty of Ana Nikolic on vocals. The blond and brunette are dominantly featured on the tacky artwork of the new album and their looks are smartly exploited in the band’s music videos. Opposites attract and beauty easily channels into the heart of hard rock and metal fans, establishing fame of many in the past.

But with The Big Deal there is a lot more to it than just ‘pretty faces’. Nevena has proven her impressive range on the recent festival performances and adds serious weight in the musical balance. Her versatile voice is powerful and clear, hitting the highs and lows easily and perfectly harmonizes with Nevena’s vocals. Adding a little reverb, the close harmonies are in range of Swedish masterminds ABBA, while the male vocals are merely supporting in the lower range. Just check out their cover version of ABBA’s ,,Gimme Gimme Gimme” for reference on their vocal performance, it is amazing.

A SIGNATURE ENGAGING SOUND

Musically, the album stays true to the sound of their debut, but with a more powerful and dense production that enhances the impact of each song. Memorable hooks and melodies anchor the tracks, and the preceding video for ,,Like a Fire” makes it clear that fans are in for a treat (pun intended). Opening with a captivating keyboard theme, ,,Survivor” bursts in with thunderous riffs and a striking hook. High-tech keyboard flourishes rain down before (especially) Ana and Nevena ignite the song with their impressive close-harmony chorus. The track quickly becomes infectious, showcasing the band’s signature engaging sound. Both the guitar and keytar solos are equally impressive yet concise.

The album features technically intricate song structures built on layers of keyboards and an abundance of guitars. The foundation laid by Marko Milojevic’s drums and Nikola Mijic’s rolling bass creates a sizzling groove full of swing and swagger. This groove is layered with keys, allowing the vocalists to deliver their powerful performances over a rich tapestry of rock and metal.

A COLLECTION OF STANDOUT TRACKS

As the album progresses from ,,Like a Fire”, the band presents a collection of standout tracks. ,,Fairy of White” features aligned keyboard and guitar licks alongside ponderous drums, while the heavy-hitting ,,Broken Wings” showcases a commanding drumbeat and striking steel riffs. Ana contributes triplet rhythms during the slick bridge and chorus, all atop stomping drums and intricate time changes. The pace picks up with the energetic ,,Burning Up”, followed by the progressive-heavy ,,Break Down the Walls”, which boasts memorable epic vocal interactions. The melodic ,,More than a Man” shines with bold vocal pitches and dynamic interactions between vocals and keys in the choruses.

,,Better than Hell” gradually builds momentum with captivating guitar licks and a throbbing bassline, complemented by Ana’s sultry, clean vocals that lean towards pop sensibilities. Jabbing keys dominate more transparent tracks like ,,Don’t Talk About Love” and the clinical-sounding ,,They Defied.” Meanwhile, ,,Coming Along” showcases Srdjan’s creative skills, blending guitar riffs and drumbeats while allowing moments of silence to permeate through the dense production.

Closing on a high note, ,,Dare to Dream” begins with a beautiful piano introduction characterized by bold, jagged riffs and pulsating keys, with piano strokes subtly woven into the mix. The vocal prowess displayed here is impressive, reaching ABBA-like heights with its close harmonies. I hope you find this version more fluent and engaging!

THE BIG DEAL – THE CONCLUSION

`Electrified’ by The Big Deal is an album for lovers of classic AOR and melodic rock and metal with intense close harmony vocals and female sultry moments atop. It all gels extremely well, and for some certainly too well. Well-constructed and slick melodic, the songs progress around the wonderful melodic interplay and vocal harmonies and it is noteworthy how easily the songs nest without coming across bland. Stacked with cliches however it is a treat for fans of the genre rather than breaking ground for a variety of other fans from bordering genres.

Release date: 17 January 2025