There are many bands working this genre in recent times, but Maverick are able to keep things short and sweet for the most part, with their songs operating in the three and four minute range.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Maverick
ALBUM: Big Red
LABEL: Metalapolis Records
SERIAL: MPR0028
YEAR: 2016
CD INFO: Discogs Info List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Northern Ireland
LINEUP: David Balfour – vocals * Ryan Balfour – guitars * Terry McHugh – guitars * Richie Diver – bass * Mike Ross – drums
Additional Musicians:Jakob Samuelsson – vocals ‘Asylum’ * Kane Roberts – lead guitar ‘Asylum’
TRACK LISTING: 01 All For One * 02 Free * 03 The One * 04 Mademoiselle * 05 Forever * 06 In The Night * 07 Whiskey Lover * 08 Renegade * 09 Beyond The Gates * 10 Asylum * 11 Fly Away
RATING: 85/100
WEBLINKS: Maverick FB Page
Background
Apparently these Northern Irishmen have been around for about five years, but this is my first exposure to them. In mid 2016, they have been all over the Interwebs and gathered momentum and good opinion wherever they went, so it is only reasonable for Glory Daze to have a listen to these guys, courtesy of their third and latest CD ‘Big Red’.
These blokes hail from Belfast, and bring the 80’s back in a big and resounding way. There’s no subtlety about Maverick, with big vocals and even bigger guitars to the fore. Let’s have a listen.
The Songs
Maverick are let loose from the outset as we soon discover with ‘All For One’. The riffs are kinda timeless, that is if you come from the 80’s school of rock where the comparisons are too numerous to name here, but you’ll get the picture soon enough.
Our boys ramp it for ‘The One’, an energetic workout equipped for an aerobics gym class! ‘Forever’ comes complete with prowling riffs and growling vocal back-handers, while Dokken is used as a reference point for ‘In The Night’.
Maverick provide a fun-time romp courtesy of ‘Whiskey Lover’, which I’m sure (despite the title) is not an ode to an alcoholic! The band go for broke with ‘Renegade’, a speedy affair, and on ‘Asylum’, we get guest appearances from Jakob Samuelsson of The Poodles and Kane Roberts, formerly of Alice Cooper‘s band back in the 80’s.
In Summary
No surprises then with the inclusion of the two guests. Maverick supported The Poodles during 2015, while the band will be Kane Roberts support band later on in 2016 when Kane is on the road.
There are many bands working this genre in recent times. I’m thinking of Inglorious, The Treatment, and The Order, but Maverick are able to keep things short and sweet for the most part, with their songs operating in the three and four minute range.
It’s not an overly long album, a touch over 41 minutes, so you should be able to get in and out without doing too much damage to your ears. Give them a go. Good consumable hard rock for 2016!
Video
The One
Asylum
