JOANovARC – Ride Of Your Life (2016)

Released today Nov.11, this British fiery female foursome known as JOANovARC thunder into the rock arena with their debut album “The Ride Of Your Life“. Listening to it you’d think this troupe had been recording music a lot longer, maybe that’s because this album has a bit of an old school feel about it.
The current line-up has been playing together since 2009 when singer Laura Ozholl joined sisters Sam & Shelley Walker and drummer Deborah Wildish.

Since then, the band has been touring the UK and Europe extensively, sharing the stage with notable peers like Adam Ant, Bad Company, Bonnie Tyler, Girlschool, Marillion, Toto, Last In Line, Ratt, to name a mere few.
As you see, such diverse artists, but all playing classic rock variants, as JOANovARC does.
They play classic rock, with many melodic hard rock blends here and there, nothing too complicated but catchy as Hell. These girls are here to rock; pure and simple.

JOANovARC sound is very guitar forward with twin guitar harmony and killer solos. Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson has been quoted as saying “These girls can shred!” And he’s dead bang on target. Guitar solos make classic rock, and Shelley Walker is worthy of the guitar hero label.
The arrangements are packed with the necessary and purposeful elements of all classic rock: harmony, melody and groove, then complimented by a melodic accessibility and spiced with a poppy touch.

JOANovArc has a natural, even uncanny, gift for clean and melodic vocal harmonies. If the guitar lines don’t sell this album, the vocal arrangements will. And the choruses, darn catchy choruses all over 3-minute songs. Do you like lengthy song? You don’t need it, rock n’ roll is all about 3-min songs.
It is impossible not to make comparisons with Girlschool and The Runaways, but also add some Joan Jett and a pinch of Crucified Barbara’s attitude.

Straight up blistering rockers come with title track ‘Ride Of Your Life’, ‘Going Down’, ‘Seeds Of Summer’ and the punchy ‘Dragon In The Sky’. You get more of that Melodic Rock accessibility with catchy tunes like ‘White Trash’, which uses both the refrain and chord structure to hook you, and the racy groove machine ‘Live Rock N Roll’, again with a dynamic chorus.
‘Running Away’ is a prime example of that aforementioned pleasant vocal harmony. And JOANovARC can dial back to a hard rock anthem with the smooth ‘Peace Of Mind’, again with amazing rich vocal harmonies.

Do not be prejudiced by the ‘girlie’ nature of JOANovARC. They rock serious in “The Ride Of Your Life”, delivering a bunch of instant, catchy classic rock / melodic rock / hard rock tunes for the new Century.
Songs that will stand the test of time, because this type of music will never die.
Highly Recommended

01 – Ride of Your Life
02 – Dragon in the Sky
03 – White Trash
04 – Seeds of Summer
05 – Live Rock ‘n’ Roll
06 – Going Down
07 – Five Years
08 – Running Away
09 – Work
10 – Sisters
11 – Peace of Mind

Laura Ozholl (rhythm guitar, bass, vocals)
Sam Walker (lead vocals, bass, guitar)
Shelley Walker (lead guitar, backing vocals)
Deborah Wildish (drums)

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/RIDE-YOUR-LIFE-Joanovarc/dp/B01JKOK402
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