BRIAN DURBIN – Only Jams (2023) *HQ*
BRIAN DURBIN is a delight. Clearly born several decades too late, he’s everything that was awesome about 80s hair metal, yet he’s only in his thirties. Usually to be found in super-successful rock tribute band Hairbangers Ball, when he hasn’t been touring all over the USA Brian has put together an album full of his own work, ”Only Jams”.
For ”Only Jams” (a joke to ‘Only Fans’) the Chicago based musician put together into a full lenght album the eleven singles that have been released over the last two years. Brian has performed entirely solo (vocals, guitar, bass and programming) on all the songs bar ‘Don’t Let Go’ which features an additional bassist and drummer. He has the look, too, all explosive blonde mullet and glam metal image. Impressive.
There are nine tracks and two listed as bonus tracks (just for fun), all of them future 80s-style melodic hard rock classics, packed with sleazy, high- pitched vocals, squealing guitar solos, and memorable hooks and riffs galore, straight out of the era of girls with huge hair crawling over car bonnets amid clouds of dry ice.
It’s good to hear new songs from this genre instead of re-hashed originals. Brain obviously has a real passion for this kind of ’80s music, and he performs it to its best.
Most notable are Brian’s guitar skills – there really are some killer solos on this album. I’m loving the more electronic direction of ‘Down In My Soul’, and the addition of a live drummer and a bass player give ‘Don’t Let Go’a fuller flavor.
The token ballad comes in at track seven, intriguingly titled ‘Dick’ but not what I thought it might be about… Durbin also has a lot of humor, not only with album’s title but on songs like ‘J. Lo of Chicago’.
This album is one hundred percent hair metal melodic glammy rock and roll and if this record had come out 1986 would have ruled MTV.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Shake This City
02 – Give Me Your Love Tonight
03 – Something New
04 – Make A Scene
05 – Revenge Is A Long Game
06 – J. Lo of Chicago
07 – Dick
08 – I Love It When You Get Loud
09 – Down In My Soul
10 – Don’t Let Go (bonus track)
11 – Feelin’ Myself (bonus track)
Brian Durbin – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synths
BUY
www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ4X46QB
eonianrecords.com/new-products-d-f/brian-durbin-only-jams
