X-Drive

Tue
26
Aug

X-DRIVE - Get Your Rock On (Review)

information persons: 
section name: 
SCORE
content: 

 

85%
Produced By: 
Andy John & Jeremy Brunner
Running Time: 
45
Release Date: 
2014
Released: 
Worldwide
Musical Style: 
Melodic Hard Rock
Label: 
Frontiers Records
Artist: 
Score: 
85
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Categories: 
Reviews
 
Newcomer X-Drive is the brainchild of guitarist Jeremy Brunner who put this band together with star vocalist Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Montrose). Together the pair wrote all the album’s songs and Jeremy co-produced with the legendary producer Andy Johns, who sadly passed away not long after completing this album.
Mixed by Wyn Davis and joined by James Lomenzo on bass, there has been a lot of money, time and effort put into this and it shows.
Keith St. John sounds a million bucks on this album – I prefer his vocals here over Burning Rain and his solo work. He’s just completely in the groove and speaks to my tastes perfectly.
 
There’s nothing overly complicated in the music itself, we’ve heard this kind of record before, but it is classic American hard rock done very very well. With so much great music coming out of Scandinavia, the Americans have been a little left behind. So it’s great to get a well written, well produced album in this vein.
 
Brunner’s riffs drive the album, delivering two solid hard rockers with Love’s A Bitch and Get Your Rock On to kick off the album.
But it’s the groove infused Steppin On The Rock that really gets my attention. The moody ballad Baby Bye Bye continues to grow the stature of this record, with the catchy California driving it over the top.
Lay Me Down is a moody, darker rocker that fits in beautifully. A great vocal here from Keith.
Fly Beyond The Angels is a very nice sentimental ballad and the mid-tempo groove of Just Can’t Stay is also solid.
Love Breaks The Fool is a enjoyable mid-tempo melodic rocker to finish.
 
The only thing that I could suggest might have made this even better is a couple of more uptempo tunes. The guys already sound in the right groove, so it would have been cool to see them really let go. The majority of the album is best described as mid-tempo, but there’s still enough variety here to please most folks and as stated earlier, the production, the performances and the songs are all of high quality.
Definitely worth checking out!
 
Tue
22
Jul

X-DRIVE Premiere Debut Video "California"

Artist: 
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Categories: 
News Feed
LA BASED HARD ROCKERS X-DRIVE VIDEO “CALIFORNIA” FROM FORTHCOMING DEBUT ALBUM “GET YOUR ROCK ON” HAS EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE
PREMIERE ON BLABBERMOUTH.COM
 
“Get Your Rock On” also available as instant grat track;
Debut album “Get Your Rock On” due out in August on FRONTIERS RECORDS !
 
Hard Rock fans should not miss the exclusive worldwide premiere on Blabbermouth.com of the video for “California” from X-DRIVE. You can watch the clip clicking on this link: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/x-drive-featuring-former-megadeth-montrose-members-california-video-premiere/.
 
The new video is taken from the forthcoming debut album “Get Your Rock On” coming out on Frontiers Records on August 22nd in Europe and August 26th in North America.  “California” is also available now – together with the title track “Get Your Rock On” - as instant gratification track for all those who preorder the album now via iTunes. The two songs can also be streamed via Spotify.
 
X-DRIVE is a new band centered around guitar player Jeremy Brunner, an Oregon transplant, who – on the heels of his songwriting skills managed to put together an impressive debut with an affinity for catchy riffs, insightful lyrics and huge choruses. Some of the best musicians in Los Angeles have joined the ranks of X-DRIVE, including bassist James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Black Label Society), singer Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Lynch Mob, Montrose) and to round out the project hard-hitting drummer Fred Fischer from Midline. Then legendary producer Andy Johns, former Led Zeppelin engineer, was able to finish the X-DRIVE tracks just before his tragic death in 2013.
 
“Get Your Rock On” was mixed by Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, Dokken), and it took more than a year in the studio to make things just the way Brunner wanted, as the guitarist is a bit of a mastermind perfectionist. But it was definitely worth the wait! The X-DRIVE debut album positively rocks from beginning to end.
 
For more information please visit:
 
Tue
10
Jun

X-DRIVE TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM GET YOUR ROCK ON

Artist: 
Friday, August 22, 2014
Categories: 
News Feed

IMPRESSIVE L.A. NEWCOMERS X-DRIVE TO RELEASE

DEBUT ALBUM "GET YOUR ROCK ON"

ON FRONTIERS IN AUGUST

 

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of X-DRIVE's debut album entitled “Get Your Rock On” on August 22nd in Europe and August 26th in North America.

X-DRIVE is a new band centered around guitar player Jeremy Brunner, an Oregon transplant, who – on the heels of his songwriting skills managed to put together an impressive debut with an affinity for catchy riffs, insightful lyrics and huge choruses.

Some of the best in Los Angeles have joined the ranks of X-DRIVE, including bassist James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Black Label Society), singer Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Lynch Mob, Montrose) and to round out the project hard-hitting drummer Fred Fischer from Midline. Then legendary producer Andy Johns, the former Led Zeppelin engineer, was able to finish the X-DRIVE tracks just before his tragic death in 2013.

“It was such a pleasure to contribute to Jeremy's effort! He has written and crafted an incredible homage to the style of 80's rock, a style that I cut my teeth on back in the day,” Lomenzo said. “His love for the era and style really comes through in a surprisingly satisfying way.”

“Writing with Brunner was an absolute pleasure,” St. John said. “On the whole, the vehicle for his musical canvasses has been a breath of fresh air in directness and simplicity. I found myself patently inspired to fashion my parts for this collection of songs that was Jeremy’s own refreshing take on the ‘80s."

“Get Your Rock On” was mixed by Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, Dokken), and it took more than a year in the studio to make things just the way Brunner wanted, as the guitarist is a bit of a mastermind perfectionist. But it was definitely worth the wait! The X-DRIVE debut positively rocks from beginning to end.

Check out the official EPK here: http://youtu.be/LGavI-erOeI

“Get Your Rock On” will include the following tracklisting: Love’s A Bitch; Get Your Rock On; Steppin’ On The Rock; Baby Bye Bye; California; Lay Me Down; Turn The Noize Down; Beyond the Angels; Rattlesnake Eyes; Just Can’t Stay; Change of Heart; Love Breaks the Fool.

 
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