On April 21st, the
mighty Ripple Music will unleash the debut album from supergroup Trading Aces: Rock ‘N’ Roll Homicide. Featuring
members of Warrior Soul, Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, and The City Kids, the group
comprises Frank Meyer on lead vocals/guitar, Dennis Post on guitar/vocals, Bjarne
Paamand Olsen on bass, and Iván Tambac on drums. Rock ‘N’ Roll Homicide is an album with an attitude that blends the
best elements of hard rock, punk, and old school metal. It reminds me a bit of
Slash’s Snakepit first outing, 1995’s underrated It’s Five O’clock Somewhere, which I have very fond memories of.
The LP opens with a bang with the
title track; it’s got an early Motley Crüe vibe which I really dig. “Destination
Insane” follows, a catchy tune with echoes of G ‘N’ R. “Ain’t It a Bitch”, the
first single, is a fun party tune, and you should check out its video on
YouTube. “Beautiful Sunday” has pop hooks for days, while “Hello Hangover” is a
killer track reminiscent of early Alice Cooper with a fiery guitar solo. “F.A.B.”
is garage rock at its finest, cowbell and all; a cool headbanging song. “California
Schemin’” is an earworm with its catchy melody and is one of my absolute fave
tracks. Next up, “Hey Geraldine, You Can’t Stop Me Now” is a solid tune from
top to bottom, and “Napalm Bombs”, which channels AC/DC, is a highlight of the
record, and possibly my favourite song. “Dirty Love” is a Frank Zappa cover
that I wasn’t familiar with, but it’s a terrific song. The penultimate track, “Social
Disease”, has got a Rolling Stones feel to it and I love it! The final track is
a superb rendition of a Van Halen deep cut from their 1980 Women and Children First album, “In a Simple Rhyme.” It’s important
to note that this song is responsible for getting the band together in the
first place, after Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020, to record a VH cover
song as a homage to raise money for the charity Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.
Rock
‘N’ Roll Homicide features 12 brilliant rock tunes chock-full of big
riffs, huge guitar solos, thumping basslines, and pulse-pounding drum patterns.
Trading Aces wear their influences on their sleeves and make no apologies for
it. It’s a slightly different offering from what we’re used to getting from
Ripple Music, and I think we should get more of this kind of old school rock ‘n’
roll/metal from them. It’s an eclectic record that will amply satisfy listeners
who long for the sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s rock. I for one, have nothing but
praise for it, and I can tell you that it’s gonna be a lock for my Top Albums
of the Year come December.
Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Trading Aces: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-homicide
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