REVIEW: Graffiti Thrill - Graffiti Thrill

A fan of classic rock, Mark Pfau wanted to put together an album of classic rock riff driven songs and with the release of Graffiti Thrill’s self-titled album, I’d say he succeeded. Teaming up with Justin Brown, Tony Salvatore, Zach Eldridge and Chris Bonner, Pfau has simultaneously recreated the sounds of the great classic rock bands while mixing in a little modern influence and giving the album as a whole an original flare.

Sarah starts out with electric guitar and brings to mind the stylings of Bruce Springsteen with a little Foo Fighters thrown in. Leaving Home starts off with a hard-hitting riff and has a Blue Oyster Cult feel. Words has the feel of The Who, but despite the familiar sound of the song is completely new and original. Tonight has the energy of Van Halen and at the same time, the mellow vibes of Chris Isaac. Syracuse stands out from the rest as far as songwriting is concerned. This song is beautifully written and performed. Syracuse brings to mind a young Elton John - minus the piano. Fever is an extremely contagious track. One thing I love about this CD is the familiar sound, I feel like I’ve been into Graffiti Thrill for years and haven’t known it! Kaleidoscope has a Led Zeppelin vibe mixed with a little Lynyrd Skynyrd mixed in. Majestic sounds like a Doors tune when it starts off and then morphs into a more Alice in Chains sound. Girl is a light classic rock ballad full of heartfelt emotion and awesome lyrics. Euphoria closes out the album with a bang! With Van Halen style guitar harmonies, verses with Springsteen-style progressive guitars and and Alice Cooper-style chorus, this song is a great send-off for the listener.

All the fans of classic rock out there have been awaiting this release from Graffiti Thrill for years without even knowing it. Mark Pfau has done an excellent job in proving just how classic rock doesn’t have to be so ‘classic’ anymore.

4 out of 5 stars

You can learn more about Graffiti Thrill at www.myspace.com/graffitithrill

REVIEW: Flowers for Lily - A Name Will Come

Australian band Flowers for Lily has created a dark, psychedelic melancholy with their album A Name Will Come. With pockets full of emotion, these troubadours of dark rock have brought to life a powerhouse collection of great songs.

Starting off with Cemetery Forest, the listener really gets a taste dynamically for what Flowers for Lily is all about. This track starts of with a great guitar intro and then switches into full gear.

Brand New Blinded has more of the dark sound of A Perfect Circle with epic overtones not unlike The Who - much darker, of course.

The third track, Cupid, is where this album switches gears. With a more mainstream rock feel, this song seems to have a little Weezer influence thrown into the mix.

Hill of Skulls surprisingly, despite its title, takes the ‘dark’ out of dark rock. This track really shows the diversity that Flowers for Lily has in their music.

Breaking Bread is an epic song that will simply take your breath away. The dynamics in this song especially stand out as they play a key role in building up the energy for the awesome guitar solo towards the end.

Awkwardly, Prelude is the last track on A Name Will Come. This song makes an excellent ending track. It is a calm, acoustic style track to bring you back down to earth.

Flowers for Lily has done a wonderful job with A Name Will Come. It is a well rounded album with a lot to offer musically and lyrically.

4 out of 5 stars

You can learn more about Flowers for Lily at www.myspace.com/flowers4lily