Author: Jernej Vene
Artist: Driver
Label: Metal Heaven
Release: 2008
The story of this band has that twist you’ve never heard before: once upon a time there were some guys who loved playing heavy music, then they split up, and twenty years later they found each other again… The truth usually adds that the lineup has changed along the way, which often doesn’t bother listeners one bit. Back in the late eighties, Driver were a fairly well-regarded local American band, and they put out a demo tape with five songs. They were actually planning an album too, but those plans went straight down the drain…
The name Driver should definitely ring a bell for melodic metal fans: Project: Driver, recorded in 1986 with an all-star crew, was one of the shining gems of the genre. Driver are built on much the same caliber of players as most of the lineup from twenty-two years ago. Singer Rob Rock is the real deal. He can charm you in the high register, where he sings effortlessly (sure, these days you can doctor anything in the studio, but I trust what I hear), and he delivers the normal range in a hugely powerful way too. That suits this style down to the ground, of course. The crew is rounded out by keyboardist Ed Roth (who has worked with Glenn Hughes, Chris Impellitteri, Ronnie Montrose, …), bassist Aaron Samson (George Lynch), drummer Reynold “Butch” Carlson (Tribe After Tribe, Kollarbone) and guitarist Roy Z. The latter is known, among other things, as a collaborator of Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford and Sebastian Bach. The crew shows plenty of promise, and the record is technically flawless. The songs swing from brutally fast to mellow power-pop blossoms that caress more delicate ears. It opens with the cosmic instrumental Titans Of Speed, which flows into the bombastic I’m A Warrior. I can’t shake the feeling that Yngwie Malmsteen could have written and performed this one for Rising Force or Odyssey. The tightly wound rock foundation and technically superb guitar lines take your breath away, while the spacey keyboards add the final mystical touch. The sound is surprisingly close to the aforementioned Swedish maestro. The lyrics fit the last label in the previous sentence too. In a few songs there may honestly be too many notes crammed into one spot, but Roy Z just doesn’t “hold back”. On that front the record will go down well with guitarists, though I can’t say the band isn’t tight. Quite the opposite, they breathe with each other, but a bigger dose of self-criticism would have been in order, especially when picking the songs back in pre-production, because a few times they fall completely needlessly into clichés we’ve heard a million times.
Truth be told, today’s music scene is huge and you have to bring the best you’ve got to get noticed. Every style is already so saturated with ideas that it’s not easy for new songs to break through. And the genre Driver play has the bad luck of not being at the center of attention, since it sits on the fringes of the music business. Which is exactly why the members of this dedicated outfit deserve sincere congratulations for their perseverance.
Lineup
Rob Rock – vocals
Roy Z – guitar
Edward Roth – keyboards
Aaron Samson – bass
Reynold “Butch†Carlson – drums
Tracklist
1.Titans of speed
2.I am a warrior
3.Fly away
4.Hearts on fire
5.Sons of thunder
6.Never give up
7.Change of heart
8.Dark world
9.Winds of march
10.Only love can save me now
11.Tears that I cry
12.I believe in love
