TREMENDOUS – Relentless (2020)

It takes some balls for a band to not only call itself ‘TREMENDOUS‘, but also use all caps in their name. Fortunately, the Birmingham, England-based trio deliver the goods with their colorful and exuberant style of Glam Hard Rock that’s heavily influenced by such legendary and diverse artists as Cheap Trick, Slade, Def Leppard, Mott The Hoople, Journey, New York Dolls, The Babys, David Bowie, and Aerosmith.
On their fresh debut album “Relentless” the swagger and confidence of this band is infectious. They have all the down n’ dirty catchiness of the aforementioned acts at their best, the showmanship and vocal power of Steve Tyler, and a sense of fun not often seen amongst young and emerging bands.

TREMENDOUS are Mark Dudzinski (Guitar/Vocals), Ryan Jee (Bass) and David Lee (Drums). In early 2018, they released their first single “Like Dreamers Do”. Now they’ve dropped their debut album ‘Relentless’, released via the Horrendous Records label containing 10 tracks.
Kicking off is “Don’t Leave Our Love (Open For Closing)“, a wonderful track that makes for a great introduction to TREMENDOUS. It’s a melodically beautiful and hard-hitting song with terrific guitars, driving bass and aggressive percussion. Mark’s emotive and colorful vocals register in the higher octaves, occasionally venturing into a soaring falsetto that raises the adrenaline.

One of my favorite tracks is their first single “Like Dreamers Do“, a lovely romantic ballad that shows the band’s softer side. The chiming guitars and warm piano keys are highlights for me, and Mark’s wailing guitar solo in the bridge is superb, as are his impassioned, heartfelt vocals.
The guys get down to their glam rock roots with the rousing tune “Rock’n’Roll Satellite“, delivering a fusillade of fuzz-coated riffs, throbbing bass and lively drumbeats.

On the intense and bluesy “Bag of Nails“, the vocals are quite different, while the guitar work is fantastic, with Ryan and David laying down flawless bass and drum rhythms, respectively.
Another favorite is “Daniela“, with it’s frantic melody and gnarly, hard-driving riffs. It’s exhilarating balls to the wall rock’n’roll at its finest.
“Take a Good Look at My Good” is a slower anthemic ballad with lyrics asking a loved one to show some compassion and mercy: “Letting go of my pride to hold on to your tide.” I like the languid beat, and Mark’s fuzz-coated jangly riffs are great.

The guys ramp up the rock’n’roll vibes in a big way with “Heart Sinker“. Mark furiously shreds his guitar as he emphatically wails “You give love heart disease. You’re just another heart sinker. But you make my heart a little bit pinker.”
They keep the hard-hitting rock’n’roll grooves coming on strong with “Fightin’ to Lose“, a frenetic little tune with and distorted guitars. “Hell is Only a Blessing Away” has a varying melody that goes from relative calm to frenzied and back again. The guys deliver more of their signature gnarly riffs and driving rhythms that keep the adrenaline flowing.

The album closes on a high note with the frenetic “Copycat Killer“, a raucous, guitar-driven orgy of glam rock goodness. The music then shifts up through the gears of ascending power chords before settling into the verses with chugging riffs, buzzing bass and smashing drumbeats. It’s rather interesting how the song ends very abruptly.

‘Relentless’ is a pretty apt title for this record, as it’s chock-full of non-stop glam rock goodness from start to finish. The three guys who make up TREMENDOUS are all skilled musicians, adept at delivering exceptional rock’n’roll that never lets up. Furthermore, band frontman Mark Dudzinski is a fine singer, with a powerful, wide-ranging vocal style that’s perfectly suited to their exuberant sound.
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Don’t Leave Our Love (Open for Closing)
02 – Like Dreamers Do
03 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Satellite
04 – Bag of Nails
05 – Daniela
06 – Take a Good Look at My Good
07 – Heart Sinker
08 – Fightin’ to Lose
09 – Hell Is Only a Blessing Away
10 – Copycat Killer

Mark Dudzinski – lead vocals and guitar
Ryan Jee – bass
David Lee – drums

 

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www.amazon.co.uk/Relentless-Tremendous/dp/B087RS4KM1