DESPERATION BLVD
“DESPERATION BLVD”
E.P. Review by Syl Pdll

10/10

Desperation Blvd a project that was born in Italy by Alex ‘Crown’ Corona, drummer Elvis ‘Hell’ Ortolan and bassist Matteo ‘Matt’ Marinelli. Their debut album brings together the essence of hard rock from the 80’s supported by different guests such as David Reece (Accept), Fabio D’Amore (Serenity) and Alessia Scolletti (Temperance) just to name a few. Produced by Michele Guaitoli (Visions of Atlantis), this EP will be published on December 6^th.

When we hear the name “November Pain”, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic Guns N ‘Roses song, and while it’s one of the influences that helped them to define the sound of Desperation Blvd, this song in particular refers to satiety we feel because of the pandemic. With the participation of Mattia Martin (Bad As) in the voices, his style fits perfectly with the musical proposal of the band. Musically, it is a song that has that essence of hard rock from the 80’s with musical chords that will hook you from the first seconds, catchy choruses and that sense of fun that characterized the bands of that time.

Herma (Sick ‘n’ Beautiful) makes an appearance on “Queen Of Heartache”, whose sound shows some glam metal accents very much in the style of Motley Crüe. The rhythmic part is well defined by the chords of the guitar and the drums. The chorus serves its purpose of entertaining the listener with a catchy melody and backing vocals that make you feel at a concert. Alex Corona performs a spectacular solo using the guitar.

“Henhouse Tales” has the collaboration of Claudio Coassin (Raintime/Fake Idols) whose vocal performance evokes in my mind the memory of Kevin DuBrow (who is undoubtedly one of his musical influences) adding variety to this album in terms of vocals. Musically, it is a song that rescues the essence of Sleaze N ‘Roll through the guitar (whose solo part releases some melodic elements) in addition to the power thrown by the drums and the contrasts of the bass.

“North-East Boulevard” has the influence of Teutonic metal with the presence of David Reece (Accept, Bangalore Choir) who shows his wide vocal range adapting to the musical style of this Italian trio. This song stands out for the aggressiveness in the drumming and percussion courtesy of Elvis Ortolan followed by the strumming of the guitar. The guitar solo is performed by Thomas Silver (Hardcore Superstar).

The presence of electronic elements introduces us to “Hold Back The Rain”, a song interpreted by Fabio D’Amore (Serenity) who has a really beautiful voice giving a melodic air to this song. The chorus is characterized using choirs that invite us to sing in unison. I love the contrast of sounds between the guitar and the bass, the latter played by Matteo ‘Matt’ Marinelli. As a curious fact, that song is a Duran Duran cover.

“Sorry (I Don’t Want You)” is a song that wastes energy from the first seconds thanks to the power and aggressiveness in the execution of the drums and guitar. The surprise factor is the presence of Alessia Scolletti, as she teaches us how versatile her voice can be when interpreting a musical genre that we are not used to with Temperance and that evokes great hard rock exponents such as Lita Ford or Suzi Quatro. The final part of this song is simply spectacular, the guitar solo will blow your mind.

The creative capacity of these Italians is admirable! Desperation Blvd brings the sound of old school hard rock with a fresh, modern twist. Their debut album is entertaining and fun, catchy choruses and rhythmic melodies are the main ingredients of this musical proposal. If you consider yourself lovers of hard rock in its different variations, you will love this album.

TRACKLIST

November Pain
Queen Of Heartache
Henhouse Tales
North-East Boulevard
Hold Back The Rain
Sorry (I Don’t Want You)

http://www.facebook.com/desperationblvd

This review is the property of Syl Pdll and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

---