RECKLESS LOVE – Turborider (2022) HQ

Finnish melodic rockers RECKLESS LOVE return with their fifth studio album, ”Turborider”, to be released next week. Following a 4-year hiatus and just recently receiving gold awards for their first three albums in Finland, singer Olli Herman and his band are now gearing up for their next move: ‘Turborider’.
RECKLESS LOVE’s first 3 albums are pure 80s infused melodic hard rock with sleaze and we love all of them. But the band needed to explore other sounds, and while in 4th album ‘Invader’ the experimented with dispar results, kudos to the band for trying something different.
For ”Turborider” RECKLESS LOVE took the time to hone a new sound and polish everything, this time mixing classic melodic hard rock with a high-energy, synthwave-infused punch and an undeniable ’80s feel. An we love every tune on it.’Turborider’ will make you forget the world around you and it’s infectious hooks will make you sing along all day.

Now that sounds just the thing we need in these troubled times. At the center of the sounds into ”Turborider” are ’80s themes and the modern dark-speaking world of synthwave. The band dived deep into to the game world and the movie moods of the genre and era.
Amid the way synths and electronic drum kit are used, the guitar playing is fantastic with gorgeous tone, and the balance of the three is done exceptionally well, not losing bite. Olli Herman hasn’t lost any of his vocal range and feels like fish in the water with the band’s new musical direction.

The songs flow really well with each other from start to finish. Opening with the title track ‘Turborider’ which begin with synths that are quickly dispatched by cutting metallic guitar, we’re delivered the perfect storm of hard edged rock, cruel beats and uplifting choruses that just sweep you up. It’s high energy, retro, shot through with computerized voices and has a sizzling solo.
There’s no doubt about it Reckless Love is back and they look like they’re lost none of their fire and not lost a beat.

‘Eyes of a Maniac’ that follows is underlined with a bubbling synth and understated verse before a lush melodic chorus washes in on the back of a guitar, it’s one of the poppiest songs here and an immediate contrast that might come as a surprise to newer listeners, whilst it may be different there is however a sumptuous solo to guide it along.
‘Kids of the Arcade’ is where all those retro flavors come together with a bang. First it adds a tight verse before the melody kick in a pre-chorus before the refrain rocks you gently in a Neon Glow. It’s a midtempo number that almost eschews hard rock until the solo kicks in. It’s one of those songs that if you’ve seen the band live you can imagine will take on a whole new life cranked up a notch or two.

The biggest surprise and riskiest move though is the next track ‘Bark at the Moon’ – yes it is THAT ‘Bark at the Moon’ but here its re-imagined with hi hat prominent as well as a shuffling synth. It will be really interesting how this one will go down with Pepe nailing the iconic Jake E Lee guitar work and Olli of course far surpassing Ozzy vocally.
If you look at it from the band’s point of view its a great reference point that lays out what the band is trying to achieve her on ‘Turborider’ – that amalgam of the old and the new. Honestly we think it’s a mostly faithful rendition that does it justice. It stays true enough to the original with Reckless Love twists for this new album: synths and big reverb drums.

‘Prelude (Flight Of The Cobra)’ is up next – it’s essentially a noodling guitar intro to ‘Like A Cobra’ a synth led midtempo melodic rocker, followed by the feel-good vibe to ‘For The Love Of Good Times’ one of the catchiest songs here and one that will certainly test that dance floor, like a modern day AOR outing is strangely addictive.
One of my favorites leads the runs out – ”89 Sparkle’ has a real touch of vintage Reckless Love even if it does push the pop dial a little further than the guys have gone before; it’s a party song made for hot summer nights and ‘Future Lover Boy’ that follows keeps that thought and ups the beat, it’s another hot summer dance-along.

The final word goes to ‘Prodigal Sons’. It’s harder and edgier than anything else here and does make you wonder what the rest of the album would have sounded like with a spoon of this attitude. Certainly an anthemic closer.

We love Reckless Love move with ‘Turborider’. While there was hit and miss on the previous album, ‘Turborider’ ticks all the right boxes: the band isn’t repeating themselves, there’s something for everyone who loves ’80s culture, and on some tracks the band demonstrates that hasn’t lost an inch of their sleaze hard rock attack.
They are just doing something different – and works wonderfully – however the hard rockin’ band is still there.
HIGHLY Recommended

01. Turborider
02. Eyes of A Maniac
03. Outrun
04. Kids of The Arcade
05. Bark At The Moon [Ozzy cover]
06. Prelude (Flight of The Cobra)
07. Like A Cobra
08. For The Love of Good Time
09. ’89 Sparkle
10. Future Lover Boy
11. Prodigal Son

Olli Herman – vocals
Pepe Reckless – guitar
Jalle Verne – bass
Hessu Maxx – drums

Pre order:
www.amazon.de/-/en/Reckless-Love/dp/B09M57Y8CB