RAZZMATTAZZ – Diggin’ for Gold

Razzmattazz is a pretty wicked hard rock ensemble from Germany who specializes in dishing out kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll loaded with great hooks, memorable riffs, and anthemic choruses. There is plenty of groove to be found on "Diggin’ for Gold", that is for damn sure.

Musically and stylistically, you can tell that these fuckers are inspired by bands such as AC/DC, Saxon, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, early Aerosmith, and the likes. While there is nothing original or innovative to what Razzmattazz does, I cannot help but feel entertained and in good company whenever I spin this 12-track record. A few rather modern tendencies do creep in from time to time, most notably in the moody "Back to You" and the bluesy closing track "That’s All I Want", which kind of brings the album up to date while simultaneously looking to the rock of the past. Like I said, the riffs are memorable and the melodies are easy on the ear and immediately stick when you listen to it the first time around, but not to the point where one tires of the damn thing following two spins. As to the vocals, you can tell that Tom Schaupp knows the AC/DC catalogue inside out, but he adds a twist of his own to the material. There is grit and passion to his voice and it is slightly rough around the edges, just as it ought to be for this type of no-frills, energetic rock ‘n’ roll. On top of that, the guitar leads and licks are quite awesome and you can pretty much hum along to them. Unfortunately, the drums lack a bit of punch and power, which has nothing to do with the playing, but with the production. Luckily, the bass is audible and lays down a thick groove while the guitars do their thing on top of that.

"Diggin’ for Gold" is a great addition to any classic hard rock collection out there. It does contain a couple of tunes that are less interesting, which entails that it loses momentum in a few places, but that does not change the fact that the album is well worth checking out and digging into if hard rock gets your rocks up in the air!

https://www.facebook.com/Razzmattazz.Rockband/