Gregg Cromack, Vocals
Stephan Bayerlein, Drums
Joerg Wartmann guitar
Thomas Bauer, Bass
First of all, thanks for the kind words from some of you for me and my new baby, who arrived in December. But I’ve missed the reviewing and the chat with my fellow team members, so spotting this debut from a commercial rock band had me grab it from the intray. Then there was the problem of finding a reasonably quiet time to get the headphones on and have a listen. So, hush! Baby sleeping, my partner in charge and I’m ready for some classy rock n’roll!
First things first, here is some background:
My press box tells me the long-standing warriors from Frontline are back in action! With some new members and a fresh name, these cult hard rockers have evolved into the German-British joint venture RAY OF LIGHT. In particular, guitarist and producer Jörg Wartmann, who is not entirely unknown in the scene, and the highly dynamic English vocal muscle Gregg Cromack are a great match for the grounded melodic hard rock and its occasional forays into AOR!
They radiate a refreshing positivity that breaks through in a drive as exuberant as it is powerful – Salute extends way past the friendly greeting that gives the album its name. It is a glimmer of hope, a soundtrack to a new beginning, which was fueled not least by the arrival of the incredibly talented British rock voice Gregg Cromack as lead singer.
And yet there is so much more to the creation of this piece: a new foundation full of verve on the one hand, but also a heavy blow of fate and loss for the band on the other, when co-founder, guitarist, songwriter and long-time friend Robby Boebel fell seriously ill in the middle of the album preparations in 2022 and died far too soon afterwards.
It would take until the fall of 2023 for “Ray of Light” to begin working with exceptional guitarist and producer Jörg “Warthy” Wartmann and complete the work in memory of the late friend. The collaboration between drummer/founder Stephan Bayerlein, bassist Thomas Hutch, singer Gregg and the highly versatile guitarist proved to be so beneficial and, at the same time, so creatively fruitful that the newly added “Warthy” also took over the mixing of the album, joining the band right away as a permanent member.
Now the important bit: the album was released on February 14 and it runs to just over 41 minutes.
My Review:
“Falling to Pieces” opens with a heavy drum sound and a decent riff before it moves to an uplifting chorus style of rock. It quickly reminded me of Whitesnake with some rock n’ blues style guitar playing and it slips briefly into a power ballad feel. A decent opener for sure.
“Ray of Light”—the roar of the car and the song launches. It is instantly likeable, very rock radio and feel and is a solid piece of melodic hard rock. This is definitely one to have a listen to and it takes me back to the heady days of rock when it was hitting the charts. Worth the price of admission for this one.
“Alive” has a heavy bass/drum sound with this lighter melodic Europe feel layered on top. It is a terrific song for driving! If I wasn’t a bit stuck atm, I’d be in the car to play this as I hit the highway! I did, however, push the volume up on my trusty laptop and gave the headphones some fun.
“City of Angels” keeps up the melody and the punch. The production of the whole album is very well done; the sound is crystal and the harmony is back singing here, making for another classy outing.
“Stand Up” is a slight change of direction. I enjoyed the heavier rumbling drum sound that led into this ballad. Specifically, the delivery here shows the vocal range Gregg Cromack can deploy. It’s another very good track.
“Best of Me” employs an infectious riff; you can’t sit still and listen to this one. It is another track that would be perfect for any rock radio station, another track to drive on an open road to with the music blasting. Great guitar work!
“Fallin from Grace” employs these nice drum rolls and some David Coverdale-style vocals again. They write a solid riff, these guys!
“Frontline” has a smooth rock feel to it, a layered harmony and a banging chorus. I enjoyed it! It blasts the cobwebs from your mind.
“Last Day” was the only track that came and went a bit for me. It is a decent song and fine for the album, but it lacked the high points the other tracks had.
“How Long” returns to form and signs the album out in style with a slick rock groove and a fine vocal performance. It’s another great day in the studio from Stephan Bayerlein on the drums as well.
In summary, one of the best commercial melodic rock albums for quite a while. These guys have been in previous bands and absolutely have the musical chops to deliver a slick modern package of breezy melodic rock. I definitely liked it and I want to go out in the car and hit the highway with this one playing loud on the open road. It’s really worth a listen!
Standout Tracks: “Alive,” “Best of Me” and “Frontline”
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Band Website is here
You can stream music by Ray of Light here
By Stevie Ritson
