NIGHTBREAK – King Of The Rumble

The fourth album from American Hard Rock band Nightbreak is for “old school” Metal fans who appreciate back to basic quality musicianship. The listener notes similarities to Traditional Hard Rock and Metal artists Kiss, Mötley Crüe and Skid Row as well as some 90s influences. While the song quality is generally good, the lack of strong vocals is difficult to overlook.

The first three songs have quality riff and lyric hooks delivering hard-edged, straight forward rock. Delightfully gritty guitar tone and purpose-filled riffs greet the listener on “In It To Win”, unfortunately the vocals are not on par. The vocalist does not stay in key and cannot deliver extended notes. It sounds as if he is recovering from illness and just can’t get enough breath support. “Out Of Time” picks up the tempo but the guitar is noticeably tame. Also disappointing is fine melodic guitar work buried in the mix in favor of vocals. “Cheap Wine” is the last of the highlight tracks. It’s written in a minimalist style, with thick, gritty riffs, and a nice balance of music and vocals. The restrained guitar enhances lyric delivery and gives the song depth.

The last half of the album nosedives beginning with “All My Life”, a power ballad laying bare the vocalist’s limitations. “Business With Pleasure” gets buried under the weight of too much lyrical content. “Code Of Silence” is a song searching for an identity. It has an odd voice over intro and outro, channels the intermittent riffs of Meantime Helmet and is cobbled together with melodic bridges. “Fallen” forsakes melody for a fuzzed out and direct bludgeoning. “Keep The Dream Alive” is a dissociative break. A rap vocalist speaks over dreamy beats and keyboard bleeps and the vocalist interjects a painfully underpowered chorus.

Nightbreak’s King Of The Rumble starts off in impressive fashion featuring solid riffs and catchy lyrics sure to please Hard Rock fans. Unfortunately, the vocals are below average and the album ultimately derails due to a lack of direction and consistent quality.

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TRACKLIST (Highlights: 1,2,3)

1. In It To Win
2. Out Of Time
3. Cheap Wine
4. All My Life
5. Business With Pleasure
6. Code Of Silence
7. Fallen
8. Keep The Dream Alive

LINEUP

Todd Verni – vocals, guitars

Session studio musicians:

Dean Verni – bass
Tommie McGuckin – percussion