REACH – Reach Out To Rock (2015)

It’s time to say welcome to the next Swedish Melodic Hard Rock act ready for big success: REACH, and “Reach Out To Rock” is their debut album (to be released on March 27th) that comes to shake things for good.
The band’s cover of Avicii’s pop super hit ‘Wake me up’ in August 2013 achieved to become a huge success and about one year later the video has over 1.000.000 views and still counting.

Then Reach presented in early 2014 the single ‘Black Lady’ to show their song writing abilities and proved that they were not just a cover band.
Their music can be described as classic Melodic Hard Rock with strong emphasis on big melodies, hooky riffs and catchy choruses, all wrapped by a late ’80s feeling. Singer Alex Waghorn has a rough and, at the same time, very smooth voice that fits perfectly with Reach’s sound.

Last December, came the deal with Swedish label Sun Hill Production (Talisman) and they released the first single, “You Called My Name”, also the opening track in “Reach Out To Rock”.
With influences from the Scandinavian, British and American ’80s Melodic Hard Rock scenes, this track pretty much sums up Reach’s style: a contagious rocker that has borrowed some from Ratt’s Round And Round riff (also a bit of White Lion) complete with an addictive Scandi melody, and the whole thing screams the ‘hit’ word a long way.

“Fortune And Fame” follows the same path, a solid AOR rocker with a huge radio potential where the chorus is a nasty earworm.
And they just keep them coming, “Tell Me” – catchy as hell with some mind-blowing hooks, “We Are” – brilliant melodic hard rock with a refrain that sticks like glue, “Someone Like You” – a glistening melodic rocker with a big Treat influence, and “The Beast” – a groovy melodic hard rocker with metal influenced riffs and a groove that will rock anybody’s socks off live.
After six tracks, all of them smouldering with a stupendous aplomb, I have to pause and catch my breath. But with play pushed again, Reach show no signs of taking any prisoners.

“Make Me Believe” is midtempo melodic rocker with a great beat and an amazing chorus, another single to be.
“Reach Out” lays all of the necessary attributes for an AOR smash on the line and makes surrender inevitable – the hooks are massive. One of my favorite tracks on the CD.
“Looking For Love” is a pretty standard ‘Americanized’ melodic rocker, but in a good way. It might sound like we have heard it before, but the song is so catchy it hurts and I’m thinking single once again.
But it seems they have left the best for last, “Coming Home” floored me right away. The layers of guitar are all over, the melody infectious and the rhythm section (including cool percussion) is truly original. This might just be how Saigon Kick could sound if they went into AOR territories. A highlight.

Another top notch Melodic Hard Rock act has arrived from Sweden: Reach.
“Reach Out To Rock” really rocks through 10 really well written melodic tracks produced with a crisp sound by unknowns Erik Modin & Johannes Hennoks, two guys who has a trial by fire with this album but I’m sure will need to make room in their calendars now. Mix is faultless too, at charge of renowned Pontus Norgren (The Poodles, Talisman, Humanimal, Great King Rat).
Reach still needs to burnish some things however. The band’s lack of experience shows at times on some arrangements, and singer Waghorn sometimes sounds a bit strained, thin and almost out of tune on a couple of occasions. Kudos to them for not recurring to auto-tune or other studio trickery.

Anyway, those issues do not hold the rating back. There’s nothing that really annoys you and these are things that will be solved as the rehearsals, gigs and records go by. Because I would be very surprised – and disappointed – if this band dissolves any time soon.
With this kicking and biting Melodic Hard Rock / AOR debut album under their belt, I have no doubts what so ever that this band will make it big if they play their cards right. Catch them now supporting Eclipse in a UK tour!
As for “Reach Out To Rock”, every fan of the genre should give it a proper listen. Reach out to Reach, folks!
Highly Recommended

01 – You Called My Name
02 – Fortune And Fame
03 – Tell Me
04 – We Are
05 – Someone Like You
06 – The Beast
07 – Make Me Believe
08 – Reach Out
09 – Looking For Love
10 – Coming Home

Alex Waghorn – Lead Vocals
Ludde Törner – Guitars, Keyboards
David Jones – Bass
Marcus Johansson – Drums, Percussion

PRE-ORDER:
www.amazon.de/Reach-Out-Rock/dp/B00T4V4Y44
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