DAXX & ROXANE – Ticket To Rock (2017)

“Ticket To Rock“, the debut album by DAXX & ROXANE, sounds like if it was recorded around 1987 by a L.A. act but neither one nor the other: these songs were taped 2017 and this 4-piece hard rockin’ band hails from Switzerland.
However, Daxx & Roxane is based in London, and the disc recorded at Grange Farm Studios produced by David Donley (Adam Ant) and mastered by John Davis (Led Zeppelin, U2) at Metropolis.
And yeah, “Ticket To Rock” is pretty fan-damn-tastic.

Growing up in the ’80s gave you access to some brilliant music and whilst it’s doubtful that this young quartet heard it first time around, there’s little doubt that growing up in Switzerland (in Montreux no less, where there is smoke on the water, or something) they were more than familiar with the back catalogue of bands like Cinderella, Def Leppard, Great White, Skid Row and Bon Jovi.
What’s on offer here is 10 tracks of high octane, sleazy induced rock ‘n’ roll madness with a true ’80s sound and what would appear to be a cracking attitude… a hard rocking, riff-driven album plenty of melody as well.

Title track “Ticket To Rock” kicks this album into action with screaming guitars, heavy drums and catchy vocals. This is an adrenaline-filled party tune which was released on single in early December 2016 and has been played regularly on Planet Rock Radio ever since – not surprising really, as this is a killer tune. But wait… it even isn’t the best track on the album.

‘Girl Next Door’ feels like Ratt covering Bad Company with sleazy riffs Sunset Strip approved. And rocks greatly.
Semi-ballad ‘Leaving For Tomorrow’ begins with a harmonica lick and builds its way into the best thing on any Bon Jovi album since These Days. In a bygone age it would have sold millions and made them rich young men.

Not that Daxx & Roxane are bitter that it isn’t 30 years ago. Far from it. Instead, they just gleefully go with what they love from the get go. The point here is that nothing about it is groundbreaking and its all the better for it. Daxx & Roxane couldn’t give two hoots for being achingly hip.
Instead lead guitarist Cal Wymann would rather knock out a dirty riff and have Cedric Pfister wrap his voice around it and call it ‘House Of Nothing’, musically like Cinderella on steroids.

In fact, there’s an element of defiance about everything the quartet do. ‘Lust And Love’ definitely isn’t going to respect you in the morning, a blues heavy, testosterone filled track with some Great White on it. Laced with harmonica and clever guitar fills this is undoubtedly one of the album highlights, the strength of vocals towards the abrupt end are particularly provocative.
‘Leaving for Tomorrow’ is the melodic rock song on the album, a midtempo with slightly Tyketto feel, and one of my favorites.

Like champs, they deliver consistently beefy, guitar-heavy, shout-alongs like ‘Wrong Side’, the best song Warrant never wrote, and ‘Good Vibes’ has more than a touch of early Van Halen about it, which is just fine.
‘What Was’ on the other hand positively swaggers with some kind of Y&T vibe circa 1984, and frankly, if you have a song called ‘Wild Child’ and it doesn’t sound like this, then you’re wrong. I hear a bit of Fastway in the overall rockin’ roller-coaster sound on this one.
They aren’t even finished there. At least not until ‘Hard Rockin’ Man’ has done its business and cheerfully reprised everything that has been cool about rock ‘n roll in less than four minutes.

Daxx & Roxane’s debut results an unexpected surprise. And a great one.
What you get here is loud ‘n’ proud, honest classic rock ‘n’ roll… this is full-on party ’80s hard rock with the band’s own spin that keep it fresh. It sounds incredible, absolutely huge.
The band reckon if you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the raffle. Daxx & Roxane aren’t remotely concerned. They’ve got the only ticket they’ll ever need: the “Ticket To Rock”.
An album which is clear evidence that this classic genre is still very much alive and very much misbehaving.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Ticket To Rock
02 – Girl Next Door
03 – House Of Nothing
04 – Lust & Love
05 – Leaving For Tomorrow
06 – Wrong Side
07 – Good Vibes
08 – What Was
09 – Wild Child
10 – Hard Rockin’ Man

Cedric Pfister – Vocals, Bass
Cal Wymann – Lead Guitar
Simon Golaz – Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica
Luca Senaldi – Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Ticket-To-Rock/dp/B06XDL2VS9
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