LESSMANN / VOSS – Rock Is Our Religion (2022)
Vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Claus Lessmann and Michael Voss – who also produce acts such as Michael Schenker – is a combination that makes hard rock fans sit up immediately. Considering the two’s various collaborations – lately as members of PHANTOM V – spread over several decades, Their new project LESSMANN / VOSS and upcoming album “Rock Is Our Religion” is way more than a debut.
The album, which was recorded and produced by Voss at German Kidwood Studios Münstertal and Kidroom Studios Greven (only Vincent Golly’s drums were tracked by Mathi Brandstetter at Home Studios Hamburg, Germany), rather is a relevation, a bow down to genuine rock packed in 49 minutes of handmade music performed to the point.
Lessmann and Voss complement each other over these 12 tracks as if they hadn’t done anything else before: from mysteriously starting opener “Medicine Man” to lead single “Smoke Without A Fire”, the recording of “Take My Heart And Run”, circling back to one of their earlier songwriting cooperations in the ’90s, and the duo’s interpretation of AMERICA’s 1975 hit song “Sister Golden Hair”, this album impressively shows that it still doesn’t need many frills to create impactful hard rock music nowadays…
