Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best rock band around!!!, August 26, 2006
Pick up this album if you're any sort of fan of rock. Let it heal the wounds you've sustained from years of Nickelback and Matchbox 20. Make sure you see them live, it's worth it.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic, August 24, 2006
Classic, that is the best word I can thing of to describe how monumental this album is. For me, listening to this album is like the first time I heard Zeppelin 1, Appetite for destruction, or are you experienced, it sent shockwaves through my body. Now I'm not saying it is as good as those albums, those albums are some of the most brilliant displays of muisicianship ever witnessed, but this album is a wonderful work at a time when great music is lacking. This album just leads me to believe what I have believed along about this boulder power trio, they are going to have one hell of a career.
The band itself is comprised of Jake Sproul, Daniel Sproul, and Nate Barnes, who all have an undeniable chemistry. Jake Sproul is the singer and bassist, he keeps the rythym going extremely well and is one of the most exciting and primal singers I have heard since the likes of axl rose or layne staley. Then comes Daniel Sproul who brings the words guitar god back to a new generation. Although he can rip with the best of them(trust me I've seen them live and the cd only hints at his capabilities.)he makes sure not to come off as to flashy and makes sure his soloing has substance and heart, something that has been missing from the radio lately.Then comes Nate Barnes who's powerful hammer of the gods drumming reminds me much of the late great John Bonham.
Now I am going to go over the tracks that comprise this masterpiece:
1.Showdown-this is easily one of my favorite songs on the album, the guitar riff just jumps right out at you. the tune is relentless and unmerciful, in my opinion one of the best rock tunes of the year, a great way to open the album.10/10
2.Cold Enough-One of the weaker tunes on the album in my opinion but still a worthy rocker. I think maybe instead of this they should have put on the intruder and turned this into a b-side, but none the less it is here and still worth a listen 8/10
3.Cool Cody-One of their big live staples, cool cody is a sure fire classic, their masterpiece of songwriting, and although I enjoy the live at fox theatre version more they still do a good job of inviting new and exciting elements into the song. You have to check out the solo for one of the emotional releases I have everheard bonechilling and the background singing over the solo is brilliant.11/10
4.The Guru- a brutal rock song with chugging rythyms and a screaming solo and a very memorable chorus. One of their more popular live songs, it's been around for awhile but it sounds fresh every time I hear it.9.5/10
5.In the beginning-very similar to Zeppelin acoustic good lead into brain novacaine.9/10
6.Brain Novacaine- brilliant acoustic track very happy sounding and extremely different from their other material, it also suprisingly catchy and clever.10/10
7.Decleration of Independence...-My favorite acoustic track a very delicate sounding song with a beatlesque sound, I think it was a brave move for the band to show their emotional side but they pull it off with out sounding like some cheesy hair band.10/10
8.It's Simple-The weakest of the acoustic tracks but still worth a listen kind of hippy-dippy and insiteful.8/10
9.Raise your Hands-Back to the hard rockin' with a song bound to become a live stape it has somewhat of an epic feel to it.9.5/10
10.Man On Fire-brilliant riff rocker with enfectious melodies and brutal muisicianship, one of the best songs on the album and should be made a single. This song will get stuck in your heard many a time.10/10
11.reptillian blues-this one grows on you and is probably the most experimental track on the album. The lyrics and dynamic muisicianship take you on a trip through a brilliantly colored sonic landscape. It was previously called mexico, and the song just keeps building and building until an unforgetable end.10/10
12.Cross the Line-probably the weakest track on the album it has a good groove but would have been left better as a b-side. They should have ended with one of their powerhouse songs such as off to the games or city.8/10
This album is brilliant, If you like music at all you owe to yourself to pick it up and it give it some time to grow on you. this album will pick you up and bring you on one hell of a rollercoaster ride.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rose Hill Drive Review from JamBase.com, September 25, 2006
An elongated, rumbling clatter prefaces Daniel Sproul's searing guitar intro to "Showdown," the opening track on Rose Hill Drive's eponymous debut album. The upbeat, fiery rocker gives way to the blue-collar beat of "Cold Enough," which sounds as though it could have been penned thirty years ago. Indeed, many critical comparisons of the band are made with the groups that pioneered rock music. Parallels are certainly more easily drawn with a debut album that was produced by the band and Nick DiDia (Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam) that was deliberately "under-produced" - no auto-tuning or other studio tricks, but rather, a certain "plug in and play" attitude that retains the raw edge of many of the tracks.
Perhaps the first great track of the disc is "Cool Cody," which arrives with a snarling swagger. Jake Sproul is able to display his storytelling abilities, stretching his high-toned, brooding vocals over his brother's convincing outro on guitar that builds up and establishes critical mass as drummer Nate Barnes delivers a cascading effect which wraps up the tune nicely.
"The Guru" is next and offers a good idea of the range of the Colorado trio. Truth be told, the band (unwittingly?) rips off Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" at the three-minute mark for about ten seconds, but in the blink of an eye they launch the song into double-time and Daniel Sproul pulls off the type of incendiary solo that induces involuntary reactions ranging from one's mouth hanging open to outright laughs of disbelief while shaking one's head. There are times that these kids just bowl you over with pure talent.
RHD then cools things down with a medley of acoustic numbers that separate the first and last four fist-pumping rockers. Jake Sproul adapts his vocals to fit the situation, eschewing his over-the-top screeching for a more natural-sounding approach that complements the song appropriately. "Brain Novocaine" harkens back to the pop sounds of the '60s and '70s in an oddly attractive fashion, simultaneously conjuring up thoughts of The Beatles and The Clash. The song placement could not have been much better as they seem to recognize the listener's ears may become accustomed to the high-energy thrashing of the other songs. And it is this versatility that gives the album a certain feeling of depth that you wouldn't expect from many straight-up hard rock albums.
By passing one of the more reliable tests of quality, it is surprising just how much better Rose Hill Drive's debut effort sounds after several listens than after the first. While it may not top the charts or even critics' lists for "Album of the Year," the band drives one to the inescapable conclusion that they are legit. Although it may take a live performance to truly convert someone, their debut certainly gives good cause for any doubters to pay closer attention to one of the most frighteningly-talented groups playing music today. -Nathan Rodriguez
www.JamBase.com | Go See Live Music!
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