7 MILES TO PITTSBURGH – 7 Miles To Pittsburgh (2017)
7 MILES TO PITTSBURGH is a new band that should be Dutch’s best kept secret, but after listening to their self-titled debut CD “7 Miles To Pittsburgh” this is destined to change soon, as this terrific album needs to be played at all radio stations world wide.
Well, at least classic rock radio, and if this doesn’t happens, we are here to promote this type of silently released great albums.
At first glance, before listening to a single bit of music, I thought about a modern rock act from America, perhaps due the band’s name or maybe the album artwork.
Wrong.
“7 Miles To Pittsburgh” is a killer classic rock / melodic hard record with many influences under its sleeve, but with a unique sound and fabulous musicianship.
Of course, when I read the line up of 7 Miles To Pittsburgh, things started to take another color.
On vocals and guitar is Andrew Elt who was the frontman for classic ’80s melodic hard rock band Sleeze Beez. He also played guitar for that great band and since then has been continuously involved with many bands such as The Moon.
Then there’s Martin Helmantel, a veteran of the Dutch rock scene, on bass for 17 years with prog-rock band Elegy. Drummer Joris Lindner has been part of progsters Komatsu, but the guy also play guitars on the album, most of the guitars, and he’s damn good at it as well!
Then I played the first track ‘Same Size Soul’ and got instantly hooked with this band.
Groovy guitars, punchy bass, dynamic drumming and Andrew Elt’s typical raspy pitched voice blends for a killer opener.
But wait, follower ‘Pittsburgh’ is even better. What a killer pumpy song reminiscent of late ’80s and certainly early ’90s songwriting. The verses are great on guitars, there’s dashes of classic keyboards (akin Hammond) while the chorus is vocal driven, melodious and darn catchy. Lindner’s guitar solo is simply awesome.
Then ‘Lost And Found’ is another highlight. It starts slow with some acoustics, a rounded bass and vocals that somehow reminds me of ’90s Queensryche, but then at about the 1:40 mark, big time guitar distortion and screeching vocals kicks in for a bit, before falling back to its acoustic beginnings. Following the second chorus, the song does build into something heavier and even more interesting, plenty of nuances.
Three songs and I am already sold.
There’s a meaningful variation in tracks to come, some with a more modern approach, but 7 Miles To Pittsburgh it’s very classic at their core.
At times King’s X comes to mind, then some groovy melodic hard rock, other moments I hear Bad Company shining through. Classic Rock elements are deeply rooted in the band’s background, as we might know from Elt’s collaborations and constant touring with tribute bands alongside his management duties for Walter Trout.
It’s obvious they all take along a piece of their own history, which makes it all more interesting.
Coming out of nowhere, “7 Miles To Pittsburgh” is one of the surprises of the year.
Combining the best elements from the ’80s, ’90s and the good stuff from the 2000’s, 7 Miles To Pittsburgh is one of the more interesting and awesome bands I recently heard.
Varied and cleverly composed songs, top notch musicianship and great production makes “7 Miles To Pittsburgh” one of the best debuts of the year.
Add to that Andrew Elt’s terrific vocals – why this guy isn’t fronting a major Melodic Hard Rock band is beyond me.
But don’t worry, he’s fronting 7 Miles To Pittsburgh, and that’s even better, as here alongside his talented band mates, the vocalist has total control to create the music he wants.
And what a superb piece of work it is.
Very, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
01 – Same Size Soul
02 – Pittsburgh
03 – Lost and Found
04 – Earth Dance
05 – Jambalaya
06 – Damn
07 – Imaginary Friend
08 – Above the Fold
09 – 21 Grams
10 – If All Else Fails
Andrew Elt – Vocals and some Guitars
Martin Helmantel – Bass, Keyboards and some Guitars
Joris Lindner – Drums and most Guitars
BUY IT !
suburban.nl/en/product/7-miles-to-pittsburgh/
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