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Colorstone

Steam

Review by Gary Hill

These guys do such a great job of combining old school hard rock, power pop and metallic sounds and merging them into a modern and accessible sound. It would really be hard not to like these guys. While nothing here is overtly original, it never feels derivative. This also never feels redundant or trite. This is just a great modern rock album that feels classic.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014  Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Never Too Late

This hard rocking number is classic in sound. It’s just such a great number, seeming to merge power pop, modern metal and classic hard rock. It’s a real powerhouse  The guitar solo is quite meaty.

Gotto Groove
This riff driven rocker is really quite metallic. Yet there are waves of symphonic elements over the top. When it drops to the verse section it’s got an almost industrial rock vibe to it.
Like a Whisper
Coming in mellower, this is more of a bluesy rocker that’s more melodic. It’s far from a ballad, but it’s definitely more sedate than the two openers. This does work out to quite a hard rocking piece later, but it never gets anywhere near metallic territory as the first two songs did.
Breakdown
The riff driving this is a killer. It’s a catchy pop rocker based on the old school riff driven hard rock of the 1970s. Still, it’s mostly modern.
September Rain
Classic rock merges with modern hard edged pop rock on this great tune.
Fighting for a Cause
This stomper is metallic and anthemic. Still, there’s a real power pop kind of verse to the tune.
Don't Just Dream about It
Starting mellower and more melodic, this rocks out, but not as heavily as some of the other stuff here. Still, the hooks are among the catchiest of the whole disc and the groove it top notch.
Stone Temple
Acoustic guitar opens this and the vocal harmonies that come over the top are classic and classy. This is a balladic number that makes me think of Crosby Stills and Nash in terms of those harmonies at times. It’s more of a modern hard rocking number than that, though.
Best of Me

Melodic rock is the idea on the opening. Then it powers out towards a modern version of power pop from there. It’s another great song on a disc that has no weak material.

When I'm Gone

There’s a cool little sound effects type of introduction here with some music that feels like it’s on the radio. That gives way to a smoking riff driven jam. This is another great song that combines great vocal arrangements, catchy hooks and meaty music to deliver pure class. On this one you really can’t forget the guitar soloing, either. It really stands out.

 
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