NOT OVER YET
“AXIOMS OF LIFE”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

7/10

Not Over Yet are an American/Italian hard rock band formed in 2014 by siblings Giulia Cerardi and Luca Cerardi. The band released their debut album in 2017, featuring a number of guest musicians: guitarists Luca Princiotta (Doro Pesch Band), and Chris Poland (OHM/Megadeth) with singers Blaze Bayley (Blaze/Iron Maiden/Wolfsbane), Zak Stevens (TSO/Savatage/Circle II Circle), Dylan Rose (Archer Nation), Charlie Huhn (Foghat/Gary Moore/Ted Nugent/Victory) and Greg Izor.

Nine songs featuring five different singers makes for a slightly confusing, but interesting, listen. Trying to determine which musical direction a band are moving in when each song has a different vocal delivery is quite confusing and sometimes it’s not worth determining, and instead, just enjoy the music. The singers are from a heavy metal and hard rock background, with the exception of one (more about that later), so that is a good thing. ‘Will Power’ opens the album with a huge heavy rock influence and is quickly into its stride with a galloping rhythm and a foot tappingly addictive groove. Catchy and infectious, ‘Will Power’ bristles with energy. The album takes a more AOR direction with ‘Crazy Tide’ rocking its way across the airways. Head nodding is the order of the day here as ‘Crazy Tide’ ambles on its way. Mixing things up a little and bringing a touch of the Southern rock swagger to proceedings, ‘Boomshake’ is a pace changing, hustle and bustle romp of chugging grooves.

Time to raise those lighters high in the air and sway from side to side as the ballad ‘You And I’ floats in gently and follows a mellow path. Featuring a soulful vocal performance, ‘You And I’ is an emotionally charged and passionately sung song, Featuring the distinctive voice of Blaze Bayley, ‘Back To Square One’ is, not by coincidence, a favourite song of mine off the album. Heavy metal is where my heart lies and in the shape of ‘Back To Square One’, the album takes on the hard hitting, head bangingly addictive heavy metal that I adore. A much heavier feel, buzzing guitars and a heavy rhythm shows that Not Over Yet are much more than just an AOR/hard rock band. Adding a touch of the blues, ‘Some Blues’ twangs its way on, with a perfectly suited vocal performance by Greg Izor, a singer heavily influenced by early jazz and R&B. I mentioned earlier that this was an interesting listen and across three songs the album has swung from rock ballad to heavy metal to the blues . . .

Picking up the intensity, ‘No Compromise’ is up tempo and much more in your face than anything that has gone before. Featuring a thundering rhythm and a feel of the good old days of the sleaze/glam rock genres of the eighties and nineties, ‘No Compromise’ performs exactly as it is titled. The album takes a sudden turn towards the rock genre when ‘Breathe’ kicks in and rambles on, with a sound that follows a similar path to that set by Irish rock band U2. ‘Breathe’ is sharp edged and addictive and will have you nodding your head in appreciation. Bringing the album to a close is another Greg Izor fronted number, ‘Let’s Stay Together’, which could quite easily pass for an Elvis Presley tribute song. Elvis is the iconic rock and roll singer, who changed the face of rock music forever during the fifties, sixties and seventies, and ‘Let’s Stay Together’ has the same feel and vibe as the sound that Elvis delivered. If you’re looking for a hard rock/heavy metal album from start to finish, this is not gonna be for you. This is an album of experimentation, different singers and various genres.

Overall, an interesting listen, an intriguing journey, ‘Axioms Of Life’ features a number of different singers from the rock, metal and blues genres.

TRACKLIST

Will Power
Crazy Tide
Boomshake
You And I
Back To Square One
Some Blues
No Compromise
Breathe
Let’s Stay Together

http://www.notoveryetband.com/
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