We were pleasantly surprised by CORY MARKS’ ‘Sorry For Nothing’ album back in December last year, and an absolute banger it was too! Basically the record was the perfect mix of Heavy, Modern Hard Rock, Southern Rock and Country and we’re delighted to inform you that ”Sorry For Nothing Vol. 2” picks up right where it left off.
‘Hangman’ opens proceedings with a multi-megaton nuclear blast of molten Modern Hard Rock that is heavy on the power and the melody. Thunderous guitars come roaring from the speakers with a sound right out of the Black Stone Cherry school of tones. Crushingly powerful, they provide the perfect bedrock for Cory’s visceral vocal tones in a kick-ass opener that takes no prisoners.
This theme continues with the equally seismic with ‘Are You With Me’ before ‘Change the Game’ offers a subtle shift in dynamic. Opening with the sort of guitar riff and sound you’d be familiar with from ZZ Top’s 80s output it then explodes into a huge chorus that comes straight from the Nickelback songbook – highly melodic and catchy. This track has the sort of relentless driving groove that made Eliminator and Afterburner such colossal hits for ZZ Top back in the day, but all wrapped up in a brilliant contemporary production and with Corys’ personal stamp on proceedings.
The Modern Country vibe finally surfaces on ‘The Heart Breaks When It Wants To’, which is an absolutely fabulous slice of mightily rocked up Modern Country. We absolutely love the way Marks combines typical Americana songwriting with massive Rock guitars and drums. It’s a marriage made in heaven and even though we’ve heard the chord sequence from that chorus a gazillion times, it still forces you to reach for the volume control and push it into the stratosphere while singing along with the irresistible hooks. Brilliant stuff.
There’s an irresistible twangy vibe on ‘Wild Ride’ which has a far more traditional, yet still contemporary Country vibe, but still one that manages to rock despite the twanging Telecasters, chicken-pickin’ acoustics and steel guitars weeping along in the mix. Uptempo, hooky as hell and with a hugely fun vibe, this is the sort of track tailor made for a parking lot party and far too many cans of beer.
‘Someone I Hate’ is up next with swampy Dobros and slide guitars heralding in another great tune. Chunky, powerful guitar chords eviscerate and annihilate while Marks delivers the mightily impassioned vocal. This is the stuff! It sounds monumentally huge and utterly anthemic.
‘Whiskey River’ rolls back the years with some very traditional banjos, acoustic guitars and Southern guitars dominate a track that sounds like it could have been recorded decades ago and has a truly delightful authenticity about it, yet doesn’t sound out of place amongst all that has gone before it.
‘Empty Bottles’ is slightly slower in tempo than the tracks that have gone before and its place in the running order is perfect to take the foot off the pace a bit. Another absolutely strong song and no mistake.
After that rather delightful little interlude, ‘Pick Up The Phone’ brings the Hard Rock back, although in a rather more atmospheric and subtle way. When it finally hits, the chorus is big and bombastic but that has nothing on the short middle-8 breakdown, with tons of electronica effects adding to the heaviosity.
The 90s commercial country vibe of ‘Different Kind of Year’ is chirpy, cheeky and it swings along beautifully – a classic sound and style and absolutely nailed here.
The album closes with an acoustic version of ‘Sorry For Nothing’ the full version of which was on the previous volume and it works phenomenally well in this format.
If you loved Volume 1, or if you’re a Hard Rocker who loves a bit of Country or Southern Rock, you just HAVE to give this a whirl. It’s every bit as good as ‘Sorry for Nothing’ and covers all the Rock and Heavy Country bases with considerable aplomb and authenticity.
Cory Marks is certainly extremely adept at genre-blending and, on the strength of Sorry for Nothing and Sorry for Nothing Vol 2, his music will appeal all rock n’ roll fans out there.
Highly Recommended
1. Hangman
2. Are You With Me?
3. Change the Game
4. The Heart Breaks When It Wants To
5. Wild Ride
6. Someone I Hate
7. Whiskey River
8. Empty Bottles
9. Pick Up The Phone
10. A Different Kind of Year
11. Sorry For Nothing (Acoustic)
Cory Marks – Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2 (2025), MP3+FLAC
 |
