Sao Paulo native Mauro Cordeiro is the man behind Leatherjacks, the ‘one man does it all’ hard rock project.
Written by: DaveT
ARTIST: Leatherjacks
ALBUM: Extremely Dangerous
LABEL: MauCor Music. Self-released.
SERIAL: Digital release.
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Brazil
LINEUP: Mauro Cordeiro – vocals, all instruments
TRACK LISTING: 01 Dejacked * 02 I Hate To Fall In Love * 03 Songs For The Strangest Ones * 04 Extremely Dangerous * 05 Persona Non Grata * 06 Taured * 07 The Payback Bay * 08 Spells And Zombies Through The Night * 09 A.O.R. Boulevard
RATING: 80/100
Background
In this 2020, we’ve got pleasant examples of one-man bands such as Rob Richardson’s brainchild Rich Kid Express and Chris Rosander. Add to that list the Leatherjacks name, Brazilian Mauro Cordeiro’s Metal/Hard Rock project.
A first album called ‘The Lost Arks Of Rock And Roll’ had been released in 2017 and exactly three years after, the sophomore ‘Extremely Dangerous’ saw the light of day in April 2020. Sao Paulo native Cordeiro is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist that once again played all instruments, composed and sang the songs as he did for the debut.
With the album ready for mastering in 2019, a hard drive failure resulted in all the data being lost. Consequently, Cordeiro single-handedly re-recorded everything.
The Songs
The songwriting and the guitars are the highlights of the album while the production is worthy for an independent release, with a special mention to the satisfying mix. Cordeiro’s vocals are melodic with a certain edge to them.
‘Dejacked’ opens with a flavor of the most vivacious, early Skid Row, good hard rock that is, including a nice guitar solo. ‘I Hate To Fall In Love’ has those distinctive bright power chords in the middle-to-high strings mixed with clean arpeggios, which is reminiscent of The Scorpions or Ratt. And what an addictive chorus it possess.
‘Songs For The Strangest Ones’ takes the listener to the headbanging lands of Motorhead with its slightly Punk edge. The title track rocks hard for the intro and refrain but also features clever guitar arpeggios and an almost Glam Rock piano during some bars. Notice how the chorus is played in full voice and in a subtler way as well to add variety.
‘Persona Non-Grata’ is overtly catchy but played with a gritty and proud attitude and noticeable basslines to stress its lyrical content. ‘Taured’ includes prominent keys and would easily fit into modern AOR territory with its pop sensibilities. ‘The Payback Bay’ is classic 1980’s Hard Rock.
‘Spells And Zombies Through The Night’ ventures into a Surf Rock guitar intro also used for the chorus, and once again, the melody is highly addictive while the energy is still present. ‘A.O.R. Boulevard’ reminded me of Hanoi Rocks with its basslines laying the foundation for the guitars, keys and vocal lines to build a highly melodic wall of sound.
In Summary
This collection took me by surprise several months after its April 2020 release. With only a few listens, it grabbed me by way of melodies, energy and a right production. Several high points ensure a pleasant listen for the Melodic Rock and Hard Rock fan.
Video
Persona Non Grata (early version, not album version)
