Hailing from the great white north THUNDERBIRD has a refreshing sound that harkens back to the glory days of hard rock music with a spirit out of the 70’s and 80’s. They have the a rhythmic feel that would make any AC/DC fan happy. But amazingly they pair it with vocals that are very comparable to the legendary PAUL STANLEY of KISS. Originally formed in 2003 the band consists of Marc Lafrance (Vocals), Rod Coogan (Guitar), Kelly Stodola (Drums) also Tim Rath and Rob Becker (Bass). The group disbanded after their 2006 release “What’s The Word?”. A decade later the rockers are back with vengeance supporting their all new 2016 release “Heavyweight”.
The album opener “Run For The Border” sets a quick tone for the album allowing you to quickly get an excellent feel for what the album has in store. But when the second track “Dog” kicks in that is when you realize that you need to buckle your seat belt. “Dog” is an up-tempo rocker with a solid melodic hook. By track three “Earth” the album is really in full swing. Still delivering solid rhythms and vocal melodies that remind me of late 80’s KISS, picture “Hot In The Shade” era. The next couple tracks are the albums namesake “Heavyweight”, “Grudge City”, “The Set-Up” and “Leave It Alone”. They offer more of the same authentic Rock-N-Roll that makes THUNDERBIRD who they are. Track eight is called “Big Stick” and that is exactly what it is. It delivers a thick heavy groove with a choppy melody that makes for odd timing. The track really keeps you on your toes. The next track “Today” has a really pretty melodic tone and a slow Tempo. I couldn’t help but picture ALICE COOPER’S “Welcome To My Nightmare”. This track is totally THUNDERBIRD’S “Only Women Bleed”. With the next set of tracks the CD picks steam back up with “Prowl”, “Baton Rouge”, “Sweet As” and “Okay” supplying enough groove to keep any hard rocker happy. Up next is the energetic instrumental “Go”. This track provides the perfect pick-me-up at the right time. Impossible to listen to without nodding your head. No vocals necessary. The album winds down with another classic ALICE COOPER sounding track titled “This Sea” before closing with the heavy “Bloody Mary” with an outro that sounds like GLENN HUGHES meets EDDIE VAN HALEN you will not be disappointed for staying the course for the entire album. “Heavyweight” is available on all major digital platforms such as Itunes, Amazon and Spotify.
Lost are the days of “bigger than life” rock bands. But not lost is the spirit of “bigger than life” rock bands. THUNDERBIRD is a solid unit that are helping to keep the torch burning for fans that still crave that classic rock sound that will never die. Hopefully before long more bands like THUNDERBIRD will surface and help put classic hard rock back where it belongs on top of the music scene.
Like THUNDERBIRD on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/thunderbirdtheband
Visit them on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/ucanomfbyjut5gaq5dmk00yw
