By DJ Monk
To succeed in any aspect of life, you need a passion for what you are doing. In this case, former Night By Night vocalist Daniel Rossall – or Lion Ravarez as he now prefers to be known – certainly displays his prominently on the sleeve of his tassled leather jacket, both in terms of the name of his latest project but also in his commitment to recreating the heady days when hair metal dominated our airwaves and TV shows at every turn and twist.
This particular project traces its roots back to 2017, when Rossall collaborated on a song with some of his other former bandmates, which he felt was an amalgamation of ‘80s AOR and ‘90s classic hard rock. This kindled his enthusiasm to keep pursuing this musical direction, with the result that the initial demos of more material earned him a contract with Frontiers – meaning, of course, that he then had to bring the whole darn thing to life…
Wind the clock forward to 2020 (or back to 1990 if you prefer) and here we have this self-titled debut album, which is rammed to the gills with homages and references to the golden age of radio- and MTV-friendly AOR/glam/hair metal in the mien of Danger Danger/Keel/Ratt/White Lion and their like. Each and every one of the songs herein could have emerged from the back-alley studios of the Strip and onto playlists with the ease of Lewis Hamilton switching gears as he sees the final bend in sight and his opponents trailing in his wake.
Of course, there is nothing particularly new in what the ten tracks on ‘Passion’ offer forth. What they do offer is a collection of well-crafted songs, with plenty of big harmonies and hooks, melodies galore and earworm choruses that definitely linger longer than the first listen. If there is a criticism, it is perhaps that the production, with a few exceptions (all towards the end of the album) is too clean, clinical even: I like my rock ‘n’ roll with a bit of dirt under its fingers, but this opus has spent just a bit too long under the manicurist’s lamp. Tracks such as lead single ‘Trespass On Love’, ‘Lost In The Dark’ and the Leppard-infused ‘We Do What We Want’ could definitely have done with some time down on the farm digging up the potato crop, as unfortunately the extra layer of polish just detracts, ever so slightly, from the final impact.
Nevertheless, this is a decent debut and, like any doting parent, Rossall/Ravarez should be proud of his baby.
‘Passion’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
www.facebook.com/passionbanduk
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.