HELL IN THE CLUB – Devil on My Shoulder
- Posted on 12-11-2014
Today musicians feel it’s more important than ever to get all of your creative ideas out into the public eye – even if it means forming side projects or bands to run concurrently against your main bread and butter offering. Italy’s Hell in the Club are a four piece hard rock/ heavy metal act that contains musicians in other fairly known bands – the rhythm section of bassist Andrea Buratto and drummer Federico Pennazzato are from the progressive/power act Secret Sphere, vocalist Davide Moras also sings for Elvenking, while guitarist Andrea Piccardi is the relative unknown (but still very capable and skilled).
"Devil on My Shoulder" is their second studio record, another 13 track platter that is a mix of the 80’s hard rock scene and classic heavy metal, focusing on the party, good time lifestyle lyrically and very engaging on a hook/ harmony front. Occasionally veering into 50’s boogie rock ‘n’ roll and slide guitar on a number like "Beware of the Candyman", you’ll also get fairly straightforward fare in line with The Poodles on opener "Bare Hands" or rhythmically swinging and energetic as the ode to strip clubs "Pole Dancer" gives off. Andrea has charm and grace throughout his licks and lead spotlights, as if he’s studied the best in axe history like Whitesnake to Van Halen, Poison to the current Scandinavian melodic hard rock breed.
Favorites include the raucous bluesy send up "Toxic Love", very commercially catchy "No More Goodbyes" that would have easily been a rock radio staple in the 1980’s and the acoustic/ electric to rhythm interplay for "Proud". There’s so many excellent qualities about this four-piece – giving them the infectious melodies that Davide has no trouble delivering is like the best icing on top of a savory dessert that you can’t stop consuming day after day. Musically the band have a little bit more muscle and grit to their riffs and tempos – probably a natural reflection of their other work in the heavy metal scene – but I can see Hell in the Club express deep reverence for uplifting, party-oriented rock ‘n’ roll.
Fans of Skid Row and the Scandinavian glam/sleaze metal movement, "Devil on My Shoulder" will sit very well in your collection.