MAVERICK – Silver Tongue (2024) *HQ*
”Silver Tongue” is already the fifth full-length album released by the Belfast, Northern Ireland-based Classic Hard Rock band MAVERICK but it’s a special one for the band. It’s the album recorded in multiple countries, the first album written remotely, the first album recorded with a complete line-up and the first album after the band re-formed with the original 2014 Quid Pro Quo line-up since drummer Mike Ross returned in 2021.
The diverse recording environments allowed MAVERICK to uncover multiple new influences, styles, tones, and techniques, forming the album’s rich and unique Hard Rock sound. The first sign of life was the cover version of the STEELHEART / STEEL DRAGON hit “We All Die Young” which was released in 2023. The song became famous through the blockbuster movie Rock Star and is included as a bonus track on the CD.
Upon first exposure to tracks such as “Halfway to Heaven” and “Sweet Surrender” there’s this professional grace to the musical hooks and soaring vocal melodies that positions the choruses into dream team arena roars from the crowd territory.
The axe duo of Ryan Balfour and Ric Cardwell adequately fill the songs in the spirit of classic 80s-oriented hard rock with metal inflections brilliantly – even laying back in some of the verses of “Evenfall” to allow bassist Richie Diver prominence through his hefty low-end lines as drummer Mike Ross comfortably hits that steady snare/kick groove.
Occasionally the mood veers into slightly darker or emotional stirring angles, where the band can expand horizons into heavier chord progressions or cleaner ambiance to accentuate the killer pipes from vocalist David Balfour – his charisma beyond the obvious bird call highs taking “Time” into one of the highlights of this record.
You wouldn’t know this album was recorded over multiple continents thanks to the wonder of home studio/modern technology, containing the larger-than-life gang choruses or sweet musical progressions that align with the current crop of melodic metal / hard rock acts parading their wares across the globe.
And for those that love the Rock Star movie, that signature song “We All Die Young” from the film closes the record, David reaching back for those metallic falsetto notes that never fail to impress as the fluid clean to aggressive guitar lines beg listeners to bow at the call of the genre.
”Silver Tongue” illustrates Maverick as a steady, confident group of musicians that write addictive songs ready to raise the energy level no matter how small or large the audience is.
Highly Recommended
01 – Puppet Show
02 – Sweet Surrender
03 – Daywalker
04 – Lorelei
05 – Halfway to Heaven
06 – Evenfall
07 – Bloody Mary
08 – Time
09 – Hideaway
10 – Do or Die
11 – Cheyenne
12 – We All Die Young (Bonus Track)
David Balfour (vocals, guitar)
Ryan Sebastian Balfour (guitar)
Ric Cardwell (guitar)
Richie Diver (bass)
Mike Ross (drums)
Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Silver-Tongue-Maverick/dp/B0D2ZK8XGP
