STONE MACHINE – 10 Stones (2016)

STONE MACHINE‘s second album was featured here on the blog when released three years ago, but despite we highly praised the record few readers showed interest, so our staff decided to pass on the band’s following CD. A shame as this is a truly great band.
Then, we think their last offering “10 Stones” need to be here, and recommend this rocker to all.

Stone Machine is a band made up of US, West Virginia local musicians but rose to national prominence when their 1st album was featured on the syndicated radio morning program ‘Lex and Terry’. They received a very enthusiast thumbs up in the independent Classic Rock charts, selling good in Europe as well.
“10 Stones” is a compilation, some kind of ‘Best Of’ featuring ten smoking tracks from the band’s first three releases, plus 2 new songs.

Stone Machine play Hard Rocking Blues straight from Classic Rock book with British & American influences. With a sound ranging from Bad Company and Free to Cry Of Love, Badlands and even early Foreigner, the success of this disc resides on the talents of the band’s founders and stable members; guitarist Dirk Blevins and singer Jason Mays.
Dirk Blevins (formerly of Ten Years Gone) has warm and melodic yet moving guitar sound, playing the six-strings in the classic Montrose style, but also reminds you Richie Kotzen’s bluesy side, two influences to be heard as well on the entire disc.

Starting with new track ‘Use You Up’, a catchy song that easily could have been in Foreigner’s debut, Stone Machine show their class credentials.
I hear some Montrose on ‘Down South Mama’ (taken from Stone Machine first album), and a slight whiff of Southern fancy a la Lynyrd Skynyrd in ‘Better Days’, a song so well performed that would make Rival Sons run for their money.

‘Rock Ain’t Dead’ indeed rocks with a vintage fuzz guitar tone, while Blevins and Mays make a formidable combination through the Free-like blues of ‘Long Road’ and the slower flames-aloft heartstring-tugger ‘Mr. Blues’, as well on the atmospheric groove of ‘Queen Without A Crown’.
The band sounds excellent as a whole, but Stone Machine secret weapon is vocalist Jason Mays. He’s the frontman of modern rockers Split Nixon, but here he shows a true vocal versatility going from some Robert Plant / Paul Rodgers mood to part young Sammy Hagar, part Lou Gramm, and all force of nature.

“10 Stones” is a sort of ‘Best Of’ release from Stone Machine that bundles tracks from their first three albums alongside two new tracks, and for newcomers to the band, it’s a perfect starting point.
The album was released last year in Europe (to capture new fans) and now is being available in the USA. Don’t be fooled by the ‘metal-like’ artwork cover, this is high-energy, soulful and powerful hard rocking blues that will really get you up and shakin’ what you’ve got.
Classic Rock fans from the heart will eat this up. Exuberant music played with guts and shedloads of skill that captures perfectly the excitement and joy of the shared experience which is great Rock ‘n Roll.
Highly Recommended

01 – Use You Up
02 – Dirty Sweet
03 – Down South Mama
04 – Better Days
05 – Long Road
06 – Slow Down
07 – Rock Ain’t Dead
08 – Corn Bread
09 – Mr Blues
10 – Queen Without A Crown

Jason Mays (vocals)
Dirk Blevins (guitar)
Scott Ross (drums)
Matt Parkins (guitar)
Jamie Hall (bass, backing vocals)

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/10-Stones-STONE-MACHINE/dp/B016Y9QHK2
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