Simon RushworthThe Defiants – The Defiants (Frontiers)
Genre: Hard Rock/Hair Metal
Danger Danger might never have reaped the commercial rewards their superior, polished hard rock deserved (the band made their grand entrance just as grunge was preparing its fatal assault on a genre in freefall).
But that hasn’t deterred various members of the band’s past and present from making a record that stands alongside anything Bon Jovi, Def Leppard or Poison delivered back in the day.
Put simply The Defiants’ sensational debut is a cut above the dangerously formulaic retro 80s rock that’s threatening to curtail hair metal’s welcome revival even before it’s truly begun. Every song here screams class, chorus-driven glory and a firm belief in good old fashioned rock and roll.
When The Lights Go Down fuses classic Jovi with Bad English and a touch of ’87-era Whitesnake while Waiting On A Heartbreak is a power ballad that comfortably puts the mighty Winger in the shade. And there’s much, much more to like about The Defiants’ wonderfully retro debut.
Paul Laine’s vocals dovetail to perfection with Rob Marcello’s luscious lead guitar and Bruno Ravel’s pin-sharp production leaves nothing to chance. The piano-led Runaway boasts the best mix of all: The Defiants sound so clean you could eat your dinner off this deliciously conceived track.
Scando contenders Reckless Love, Santa Cruz and Houston have all pinned their colours to the hair metal mast in recent years but none have done so quite as convincingly as The Defiants. This is a band built to last. Let’s hope they do.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 10/10 Defiantly 80s