Alexander, Billy: Rock & Roll Diary

The opening “Hammer of the Gods� takes some tasty, complicated licks and mixes them with a melodic catchy chorus for a good first impression. I get a Rush vibe from the music and verses, and you can add a little Queen influence in the backing vocals. Alexander handles all writing, instruments and vocals, except various drummers contributing and one song has a guest bassist. “Holding on to Love� is in the same vein, good hard rocking tune with a hooky chorus that sticks with you. As I read Billy’s bio, I discovered he is co-founder of the Progressive Hard Rock/Rush band YYNOT, so my ears have not deceived me. Alexander’s talents have led him to work with John Waite, and Ron Blair (Tom Petty) among others.

Alexander has an ear for melody; the songs are rooted in hard rock and are extremely catchy. He’s got a nice guitar tone and chops. You want a hit tune; check out “Follow the River�, a mellow track that is an absolute ear worm. “All Your Life� shows Billy’s chops at work, guitarists will definitely get a kick from his playing. “King of Nothing� is one of my favorite tracks, I really like the guitar parts, and it’s one of the heavier songs, and as you might expect by now, a chorus that plants itself in your brain. “Alpha Rhythm� is another sneaky one, heavy guitar tones, the bass work stands out in this one, and glad he decided to throw an instrumental into the mix, good way to break things up. Do I hear a Boston influence in “Whenever I am Falling�, well, I believe I do! Especially during the solo section that starts around 2:16 in. I just love that guitar solo; it’s dripping of Tom Scholz, another track that will turn your ear. I don’t care what anyone says, “Firefly� is absolutely gorgeous, that piano intro evolves into a great tune, why isn’t this on the radio?

Track List:
1. Hammer of the Golds
2. Holding on to Love
3. Water to Wine
4. Follow the River
5. I Need More Rock and Roll
6. All Your Life
7. King of Nothing
8. You and Me Paradise
9. Alpha Rhythm
10. Real Pain Real Love
11. Whenever I am Falling
12. Firefly

Added: September 29th 2024
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 850
Language: english

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