Bad Rain - 2023 - Room to Breathe

(19:38; Fastball Music)

Track list:
1. Room to Breathe 3:58
2. Kingdom 3:56
3. Your Chains 3:57
4. Afterlife 3:28
5. Twisted Love 4:19

Line-up:
Dan Byrne - vocals
Veit Schlembach - drums
Dani Davies - guitars
Christian Buchberger - bass
with:
Michael Wagner - guitars
Vinnie Colla - bass
Jona Raischl - keyboards


German band Bad Rain have been around for a few years by now, formed after the members past bands disbanded sometime around 2018 if I have understood matters correctly. This year they have readied themselves for the recording part of their career, and following a couple of initial singles they are now out with the EP "Room to Breathe", which was released through German label Fastball Music.

And this is quite the vitamin pill of a production. While the band describe their music as hard rock, I am one of those slightly older guys that can recall when music of this kind was still referred to as heavy metal. The truth of the matter, at least as far as I'm concerned, is that this is a band that skips back and forth between early 80s hard rock and traditional, melodic heavy metal. Using the best elements from both of these traditions to create compelling, uplifting and captivating songs.

The uplifting characteristics from the hard rock tradition are very much in place here, complete with a driving bass guitar, tight and playful guitar riffs for the harder edged sections and with space and room for wah wah effects as well as some gentler bluesy details in the more careful passages. From the metal side we get meatier guitar riffs and more majestic arrangements, and powerful, melodic vocals with a little bit of a rasp and quite a lot of character.

This blend is explored in tight rocking affairs, a token power ballad and also songs that ebb and flow between more careful landscapes and more powerful and majestic surges. The hooks are present, the guitar solo runs compelling, the careful keyboard presence is tasteful and efficient when present and the guitar riffs and occasional gentler guitar details are striking and captivating. While this isn't a band that breaks any new ground, they are traversing these landscapes with the firm sense of security of someone that know where they are heading and the landscapes they travel in very well indeed, and use that knowledge to find the most efficient manner in which to get to their destination. Allegorically speaking, obviously.

This is a fun, captivating and enthralling EP, and a production that should have a high appeal among fans of 80s hard rock and traditional heavy metal alike. And in particular those who tend to enjoy the artists from both of these traditions that got on heavy rotation on the radio as well as on MTV back in the day. In my book this is an EP of the kind that would have deserved a spot on the top 10 charts of the best selling releases, and I note it down as a must listen for everyone who love and treasure 80s hard rock and traditional heavy metal of the kind that has a strong commercial appeal.

A small note to those who buy the physical version of the EP to make note of is that, at least for the version sent to me, the printed track listing is a bit out of order. With the songs 'Kingdom' and 'Afterlife' placed differently on the CD than on the printed track list.

Olav M. Björnsen, November 2023

Links:
https://badrainband.com/
http://www.fastball-music.de/