NITRATE – Renegade (2021)
Awesome AOR / melodic rockers NITRATE are back with their third album ‘Renegade‘, to be released by AOR Heaven next Friday. Inspired by the late ’80s scene with bands such as Def Leppard, Europe, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi, Nitrate is the brainchild of songwriter Nick Hogg (bass guitar) from Nottingham England.
This time with the changed stellar line-up of Alexander Strandell (Art Nation) on lead vocals, Tom & James Martin (Vega) guitar & keyboards, Mikey Wilson on drums (Kimber), and the lead guitar of Dario Nikzad (Hell to Play), on ‘Renegade’ NITRATE delivers 11 hook-filled songs with great melodies, walls of keyboards and backing / harmony vocals.
Produced by the wonder Vega brothers, and evolving without losing their melodic identity, Nitrate creates a great album for all fans of the genre rejoice.
Opener ‘Danger Zone’ sets the tone for the album being a song that is steeped in an ’80s AOR fashion / sound and could easily have featured on a hit movie soundtrack back in the day. The Def Leppard sound comes through loud and clear on ‘You Think You’ve Got It’, especially on the guitar breaks and backing vocals.
More anthemic, Eighties-approved stuff comes with ‘Addicted’ and ‘Lay Down Your Arms’, the latter a full on 80s power ballad treat.
Alexander Strandell gives an emotive filled vocal performance on ‘Why Can’t You Feel My Love’, recalling the excellent ‘Love Amongst The Cannibals’ album by Starship. Whilst ‘Take Me Back’ is one of those good time tunes that recall past loves.
Any one of a number of songs on here that could grace daytime radio, if only in a parallel universe where rock was not restricted to specialist radio.
Nitrate keep on evolving, keeping their core melodic rock sound, however, on this album they have set the Def Leppard influence to ten – which in fact is pretty much Vega’s current sound.
Hopefully this line-up can work together again as Strandell suits the music to a tee and there is a strong songwriting partnership by adding in the Martin brothers and Mikey Wilson.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Dangerzone
02 – Renegade
03 – You Think You’ve Got It
04 – Big City Lights
05 – Why Can’t You Feel My Love
06 – Children of the Lost Brigade
07 – Addicted
08 – Alibi
09 – Lay Down Your Arms
10 – Edge of Surrender
11 – Take Me Back
Alexander Strandell (Art Nation) – vocals
Dario Nikzad (Hell to Play) – guitar
Tom Martin (Vega) – guitar, producer
Nick Hogg – bass
Mikey Wilson (Kimber) – drums, guitar, keyboards
James Martin (Vega) – keyboards, producer
Pre Order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Renegade-Nitrate/dp/B096CSH15Z
www.aorheaven.com/index.php/german_b/nitrate-renegade.html
