LeBROCK – Real Thing + Action & Romance [2-in-1 CD Remastered] (2020) *EXCLUSIVE*

Synthwave / melodic rock / 80s power pop greats LeBROCK brought a fresh sound to the genre with their first two EPs, 2016’s ‘Action & Romance’ and 2018’s ‘Real Thing’. Alongside their dream-like ’80s synths these guys add to their sound heartfelt vocal performances and robust guitar chords & solos.
Now, these beloved recordings are being combined and released on CD for the very first time, fully remastered. This special 2020 “Real Thing + Action & Romance [2-in-1 CD Remastered]” edition includes both hit EPs on a single CD, packaged together for maximum listening enjoyment, with a new artwork merging both original covers.
Additionally, LeBROCK have been releasing stand alone singles as well, and we have ’em all here (5 new songs).

LeBrock put themselves into the new synthwave retro ’80s movement, but they are much more a ‘band’ with ‘real instruments’ than the typical projects of this ilk. First of all, LeBrock isn’t created by a synth / keyboard fan like most the projects from the synthwave scene.
This is a band put together by two musicians with academic formation; guitarist and keyboard player Michael Meadows and vocalist Shaun Phillips. LeBrock’s music of course, is inspired by all the ’80s culture from movies to sci-fi to mainstream music (just check the album cover).

However, their blend of synthwave includes electric guitars, real bass and vocals performed and arranged in a true Melodic Rock manner.
Seriously, just check Shaun’s performance on “Dangerous Dreams”… this guy easily could be the next Vega lead vocalist!

From the first EP ‘Action & Romance’, “Galactic Smasher” takes you in a non-stop flight straight to 1984 to movies like Robocop, or Miami Vice TV show. “Dangerous Dreams” starts with keyboards galore in the best 1986 AOR tradition, an electric guitar riff appears and Shaun Phillips rocks you with his over the top vocals. I would call this AOR / Melodic Rock meets synthwave especially designed foe an action movie of the era.
WoW, this is good, awesome indeed.

Then we have “One Night” and things instantly change; poppy melody but with a FM radio-ready / light AOR feel, and smooth, very smooth elegant vocals. Love this.
LeBrock switch again to rocking synthwave for “Call Me”, again with a strong real electric guitar presence. The track pumps over a synth ryhthm section, and rock more than many ‘real’ rock bands. LeBrock has ‘pulse’, nerve, and that’s whay they are so different… and good. The guitar solo kills, performed by a guest named Chris Geden. “Takedown” returns to the ‘soundtrack’ style, and reminds me Airwolf television series and John Carpenter movie soundtracks.

The songs from Ep ‘Real Thing’ shows a more mature LeBrock. While the synths are still the core of the sound, now as whole the music feels more organic, like a ‘full band’.
Opener, title track ‘Real Thing’ is a midtempo punchy melodic rocker with a sound that if you don’t know this a ‘synthwave band’, you would guess the song is taken from a lost ’80s album. There’s a great melodious guitar solo, and call me nuts, but I find in this song a certain STRANGEWAYS feel.

‘Please Don’t Cry’ is a fantastic AOR tune bringing to mind Canadian bands from the genre circa 1987, and also ‘action movie’ sountrack. This amazing tune wouldn’t be out of place in the Top Gun OST. Meadows’ instrumentation and arrangements are superb, and Shaun shines at the microphone.

With a title ‘Runaway’ you can only expect a pure ’80s AOR song, and LeBrock delivers. Lots of keyboards and jumpin’ vocals, plus a fantastic guitar solo. Love It!!!.
‘Only The Brave’ is some kind of a poppy melodic rock song with elegant atmospheres (DOMINOE would be proud of it), and for the end the guys offer the more ‘synthwave’ track of all, ‘Juice’, which, however, explodes in the chorus with a pulsating vocal work. In the middle section there’s a climatic passage, and then we have a monster guitar solo (kills, reminiscent of Steve Vai) performed by guest Ultraboss.

What can I say about LeBrock… I’m sold.
This is one of the most exciting acts I’ve discovered in the last 10 years or so… the blend like-no other 80s culture / sound with a timeless AOR / Melodic rock approach.
Simply these guys can’t write a bad song, all are pure gold.
A MUST

Only at 0dayrox

Real Thing + Action & Romance [2-in-1 CD Remastered] (2020)
01 – Real Thing
02 – Please Don’t Cry
03 – Runaway
04 – Only the Brave
05 – Juice (feat Ultraboss)
06 – Galactic Smasher
07 – Dangerous Dreams
08 – One Night
09 – Call Me
10 – Takedown

2020 / 2019 Singles
01 – Takes All Night (Dance With The Dead Remix 2020)
02 – Hollow (2020)
03 – Interstellar (2020)
04 – Bright Lights (2019)
05 – Takes All Night (2019)

Shaun Phillips – Vocals
Michael Meadows – Guitars, Synths, Bass, Programming
Guitar Solo on ‘Call Me’ performed by Chris Geden
Guitar Solo on ‘Juice’ performed by Ultraboss
Produced by LeBrock with Justin Paul Hill & Nigel Geden

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