JETT BLAKK – Rock Revolution (2016)

“Rock Revolution” is the debut CD by JETT BLAKK (not to be confused with British hard rockers Jettblack), these guys are from Kansas City, USA, and what picked my interest apart from the cool artwork was that the great Mitch Malloy produced this baby and also contributed with backing vocals and additional instrumentation.

Jett Blakk’s core is comprised by guitarist Randy Blakk and vocalist Tommy Law Barton, both experienced musicians from the US Midwest music scene having played in several bands. The duo wanted their own project based in classic sounds from the ’80s with a millennium modernness but based on melody, hooks & feel-good vibe, something pretty absent in the current American rock.
For this goal, Mitch Malloy was the proper choice as the talented man now owns his own recording studio and is producing a lot of bands wanting to recapture the Eighties / early Nineties rock music sound.

With Barton’s vocal timbre very reminiscent of a young Bon Jovi and Randy Blakk’s swirling solos and sharp riffs, the band deliver here 11 hooky melodic songs plenty of charm.

Title track ‘Rock Revolution’ is the first single driven by panned guitar layers, clear lead vocals and a catchy chorus. But the best is yet to come.
Second cut ‘It’s Time’ is one of the finest on the CD, a groovy melodic hard rocker with a contagious chorus in the best, classic late ’80s tradition.

‘Let Love Win’ is another winner indeed, a much more bright song with all the feel-good Summer written over it. There’s lots of harmony vocals all over and you can hear Malloy’s touch here. Killer tune!
More quality stuff comes with the White Lion-esque ‘Holy Grail’ (great one), the extremely melodic ‘Caught Up In The Moment’, and the slightly AORish, Trixter-like ‘Pretend’.

‘Wild’ reminds me Slaughter most melodic moments (yet with tenor vocals), the bluesy ‘Bed Of Memories’ early Tesla, and ‘Life Goes On’ Mitch Malloy’s second solo album.
‘Cold’ is a terrific midtempo with a warm melodic groove plus great arrangements, and ‘It’s True’ is a stupendous power ballad crafted in a way few bands do nowadays.

Coming out from nowhere, Jett Blakk is an unexpected surprise and their “Rock Revolution” first album one of best debuts of the year.
Seriously, this stuff seems recorded in 1989 but this not a lost album, this is music made in the USA 2016. Not everything is lost in current American Rock scene guys! And Jett Blakk is a proof of it.
You can hear Malloy’s touch all over the record, but Jett Blakk has their own personality based on hooks galore, sharp riffs, extremely melodic lead vocals / harmony layers and some killer songs.
Very, Highly Recommended.

01 – Rock Revolution
02 – It’s Time
03 – Let Love Win
04 – Holy Grail
05 – It’s True
06 – Caught Up In The Moment
07 – Pretend
08 – Wild
09 – Bed of Memories
10 – Cold
11 – Life Goes On

Tommy Law Barton – Vocals
Randy Blakk – Guitars
Walt Chambers – Guitars
Mick Bradford – Keyboards
David Wood – Bass
Lee Kelley, Charles Simms – Drums
Mitch Malloy – add. Guitar, Backing Vocals, Production

BUY IT !
jettblakkmusic.com/merchandise
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