Groundbreaker CD Review

 
























September the 14th sees the release on Frontiers Records Srl of a new project Groundbreaker who I was lucky enough to hear about in my chat earlier this year with The Voice of FM and now Groundbreaker Steve Overland.

A collaboration with Robert Sall of Work Of Art who provides guitars with Steve helping ouit on the solo's and the band rounded out by Nalley Pahlsson on bass,Herman Furin on drums and Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards and production duties. 

Steve could sing my shopping list and I would buy it and this a melodic rock fan's dream with plenty of guitars and keyboard flourishes and vocal melodies and hooks to land any catch of the day.

Alessandro gets a bit of flack in the melodic rock community for his replica production and writing technique that can be a touch repetitive.I am very pleased to say on this occasion he he let's the vocal talents of Steve and the performances breath and this is a great relief to me.

The brief was to make an 80's retro melodic rock record which they have done with magnificent result's.It doesn't sound dated and it brings melodic rock bang up to date and makes us realise it is all about the song's and the melodies contained within. 

Over My Shoulder is a great opener with it's uptempo guitar riff led track and Steve exemplary form with plenty of held notes like only he can and the melodies in the chorus are superb.Robert's mid song guitar solo is great and fit's the tempo of the song just so.

Will It Make You Love Me has an heavier groove guitar riff that dips in and out with keys filling the gaps in and a wonderful chorus with Steve taking a slight drop in pace and again plenty of held notes from a man who gets better and better with age.

Eighteen Til' I Die fits the template of 80's rock with keys prevalent and although the guitar riff takes over for the main verse.Keys then underpin the chorus with Steve soaring.

Only Time Will Tell is a bouncy keys and guitar entwined rocker with Steve going up an octave or 2 in the chorus really stretching himself to new heights.

Tonight drops the pace with the band underpinning a wonderful Steve vocal in the verse with backing vocals in the chorus being Steve's double and an slower held note guitar solo too.

Standing Up For Love is a upbeat rocker that has a woah woah's in the pre chorus and a Europesque keyboard break as the main mid song solo.

Something Worth Fighting For is the album's big ballad with Steve showing his world class talent to it's full potential.Held notes and such emotion and soul as he pours every ounce of life he can into a performance as good as anything he has produced in his career.Breath taking.

The Sound Of A Broken Heart ups the pace again with a keys and guitar riff led rocker with some light and shade in the verse as the guitar's dip out. Backing vocal's back up Steve in the chorus with the main guiatr riff back for the second verse.

First Time starts on a picked guitar intro that explodes in the chorus with a big guitar riff that I wasn't expecting and another great chorus that you will be singing for days.

The Days Of Our Life and The Way It Goes are both melodic rock heaven with soaring melodies and guitar solo's to match.

Groundbreaker is as good a melodic rock record I have heard this year and will make many top 10 list's come the end of the year.

Here's hoping for some live shows in support of the album.