SHAYNE MALONE – Rocket (2018)

“Rocket” is new album by SHAYNE MALONE, a New Zealand based artist which once more confirms that you don’t need a big recording label behind to create a very good, complete music album.
Shayne love the ’80s, anthem Melodic Hard Rock bands like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Whitesnake – all mentioned in his Bio as influences – and you van hear these and more in his delicious 11-track new album.

Shayne started to play guitar at his 9-year old and since has been part of various bands. He become professional at his 14 however opted for other job when got married after his twenties. But Shane never abandoned music.
Over the years he keep composing and playing, and last year decided to record these songs with his band, all managed by himself (recording / production).
The result was ‘One’, his debut album.

On his own words: “I am a dad now, have 2 children and a wife, and I am a lawyer by trade and as a result, I have had NO time to tour or really promote myself.
I am not interested in fame, I am not interested in signing a record deal… I just want to share my songs with you and do this alongside you, not stand on a mountain looking down on you like celebrities do”.

Fortunately, this second album “Rocket”, via Facebbok and other social networks, the art of Shane Malone reached more people. And glad we did it as well.
“Rocket” is plenty of well composed / arranged Melodic Hard Rock tunes with the ’80s in mind, both in sound & style.

Opener ‘Better’ is pretty much Def Leppard-ized with its hooky rhythm, the sprinkling keys of ‘Who’s Your Hero’ brings to mind Italians Wheels Of Fire, while the guitar driven ‘Crazy’, Australian Dion Bayman, perhaps due to Shane’s similar vocal color, really melodious.

There’s an anthemic ‘Broken Land’ with some early Crazy Lixx on it, ‘The Lady’ recalls Arti Tisi catchiness, then ‘Cowboy Rides’ is a lovely ballad with an ’80s Bon Jovi feeling.
I found ‘Speed of Light’ similar to the great German band Stun Leer melodic rock formula, and with ‘When You Love’ we have another ballad, this time with a more 21st century touch, very well performed by Shane.

Reaching the album’s end, we have to highlights.
‘Carnival of Souls’ is that kind of melodic rocker with essence, with atmospheric midtempo verses which explodes into an arena ready chorus, whilst closer ‘Blood on the Wall’ has a meaty guitar work all over, cool retro keys and a bouncy rhythm section.

Shane Malone is one of the surprises early this year, sure to please Melodic Hard Rockers of all ages. Overall, the album is mostly ‘melodic rock’ with AOR touches, however there’s a couple of tracks with energetic guitars qualifying as ‘melodic hard’.

Very well recorded & produced with the necessary punch – the mastering at DNA Mastering, California, helps a lot – ‘Rocket’ is an uncompromising ’80s Melodic Rock album from an artist who make the music he loves.
Welcome Shane, you Rock!
Highly Recommended

01 – Better
02 – Who’s Your Hero
03 – Crazy
04 – Broken Land
05 – Breakdown
06 – Cowboy Rides
07 – Speed of Light
08 – When You Love
09 – The Lady
10 – Carnival of Souls
11 – Blood on the Wall

Shayne Malone – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Frazer Jones – Bass
Vinnie McParland – Drums

BUY IT !
shaynemalone.com/product/rocket-physical-cd/
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