MelodicRock.com Reviews



SHAKRA
POWER RIDE
AOR Heaven / Point Music
Produced by: Thom Blunier
Released: OUT / Website
Closest Relative: Gotthard
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 85%

  1. Power Ride (Intro)
  2. Why Don't You Call Me
  3. Watching You
  4. The Sun Will Shine
  5. Out In The Rain
  6. In Your Eyes
  7. Get It All Out
  8. A Dollar Too Much
  9. She's My Pride
  10. Tell Me
  11. The Way Back Home
  12. Too Close
  13. Take My Hand

You gotta love this one! The short building intro bursts into a hard riffing, hard rocking selection of songs that will well and truly out these guys on the world rock n roll map.
This is Swiss hard rockers Shakra's third studio album and easily eclipses their well received debut.
This is harder, heavier, better produced and played and features a collection of stronger songs.
To me, these guys sound like a younger, hungrier version of Gotthard in their early days, mixed with a little early Scorpions and the like.
Their band's sound and style is well and truly European, especially with the vocal pronunciation, but if that doesn't worry you, or you are a fan of the Euro style, then I find it hard to imagine that anyone will not happy with this album. At times the album is fast and heavy (The Sun Will Shine, Why Don't You Call Me) and at other times it's just powerful (Watching You, Get It All Out).
A special mention for the production quality. It's a simple, uncomplex mix, but it sounds great and all instruments are clearly audible and together it really just does sound right in your face.
The guys slow down a little in a couple of places. The mid-tempo Out In The Rain and Take My Hand retain their power, but mix it up with backing from some acoustic guitars and a mellower approach.
BOTTOM LINE: As far a straight up, no frills, good old fashioned European hard rock, these guys are it. They have nailed it on this album. They aren't yet a big name band, but given time and more albums like this, they will be.
More of the same would be welcomed at any stage. Good fist pumping, hard driving guitar driven rock n roll.
PRODUCTION: 90% SONGS: 85% VIBE: 80%ATTITUDE: 85%
ESSENTIAL FOR: All fans of great European style no frills, guitar driven hard rock.
DISCOGRAPHY:Shakra . Moving Force . Live Side . Power Ride



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