Artist: Marcello, Rob & Vestry, Frank
Label: NL Distribution
Release: 2008
Rating: 4.5/5
The solo album from Danger Danger guitarist Rob Marcello is one of those records you could sum up these days as: “Nothing new, but unbelievably catchy and uplifting”. Well, that’s how most melodic hard rock purists would put it. “Marcello-Vestry” got stuck in my CD player and flat-out refuses to come out!
For those of you who can’t be bothered with long-winded rambling, here’s the short version: fans of Danger Danger will love this album. That’s the first sensible reference point you can grab onto while listening. The record by “riff-master” Rob Marcello, teamed up with Frank Vestry, former singer of Devias and Last Temptation, has clearly shaped guitar phrases that burn at full blast in an energetic pulse. The production is huge, reminiscent of the crystal clarity of Def Leppard’s Adrenalize era. Yep. That big arena sound is all here, with a pronounced contrast between the voluminous voltage of the “snare” drums and the scorching embrace of Marcello’s erotic riffs. The bass foot is also clearly audible in the mix, adding extra depth and punch to the overall sound. Exactly what the melodic hard rock formula demands. And there’s that typical thin veil of “eighties synthesizers” that gently wraps around the songs and holds them together. Flawless! The flirting with classic eighties AOR touches is not negligible, and you’ll run into it especially in the soaring, poisonously melodic choruses that lodge in your ears in an instant and sink irreversibly under your skin.
Without Vestry’s excellent vocals, you’d surely never soak up all the musical virtues and quality content this duo of artists has on offer so intensely. Vestry is powerful and expressive in every register. It’s a voice born for hard rock, and it blends so beautifully with all the melody the “Marcello Vestry” album delivers. He can sing clean and he can sing big, and What You Mean is a first-rate ballad that also highlights the extremely subtle side of his singing. These two guys are seriously experienced and unbeatable on their turf. Want to feel the adrenaline rush in the middle of a crowd of thousands at a Bon Jovi gig in 1989? Welcome home. The choruses in Without You or Ready Or Not are the right ticket for that, and when you work your way to Live Life, a proper Def Leppard nostalgia will wake up in you too. The songs are equal in quality, there are no weak spots. It’s hard to pick the standouts. The opener Fireworks is bombastic, though Love Injection could easily take its place as the opener, a catchy slice of melodic perfection with one of the finest hard rock choruses around.
Marcello proves he’s the king of lightning-fast fingers along the guitar neck. His solos are short and well crafted, and the guy definitely makes sure he doesn’t get annoying by shredding a whole galaxy of notes (“Take notes, John Petrucci!”).
For fans of the late eighties legacy of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Europe, Danger Danger, even Bryan Adams’ “Waking Up The Neighbours” era! Don’t think twice. Sink your teeth into this album and take it to bed with you! With the “Marcello-Vestry” adrenaline potion, you’ll be able to drool together over all the boundless pleasures there! And don’t let up, just like this album doesn’t let up from its first minute to its last!
Line-up
Frank Vestry – vocals
Rob Marcello – guitar, keyboards
Mike Pont – backing vocals
Korg Young – additional guitar
Bruno Ravel – bass guitar
Lynn D Ruhms – drums
Production
Bruno Ravel & Rob Marcello
Track list
1. Fireworks
2. Ready Or Not
3. All I Wanna Do Is U
4. Gone
5. Without You
6. Live Life
7. What You Mean
8. Love Injection
9. Gangster Of Love
10. One More Night
Running time: 41.04
