Melodic hard rock band out of Manchester UK, GONE SAVAGE, formed in 1990 by bassist Ian Salpekar (formerly of SWEET SIN), guitarist Andy J (formerly of SWEET SIN), vocalist Will Glover (formerly of SAM THUNDER) and drummer James Ross (formerly of Darren Wharton’s DARE). As the band evolved they would go on to have a long history with several other contributors, including DARE’s Vinny Burns.
GONE SAVAGE went on a hiatus until 2013 when all original members tried to pick-up the pieces, however Salpekar and singer Glover are the only still in the band. Since 2022, the band have been releasing an album every year, all featured here, all enjoyable.
Non 2024 it’s time for new effort “Retrograde“, an album faithful to GONE SAVAGE’s late ’80s pedigree but with a production modern enough to fit in today’s market. I think we’ve got Alice Cooper (glam metal era), Icon and XYZ in there as possible influences. Yeah, this band hails from UK, but they sound very American. And they have some darn good tunes.
First of all, we love the cover art. We appreciate when artists take care of visuals too.
Getting stuck right in ‘Ram Me Down’, the opener sports a great riff and keys and has a real early ’80s classic hard rock vibe, it’s melodic enough whilst still rocking and has a great vocal from Glover. ‘Shameless’ that follows starts with an atmospheric wail of guitars before settling into a groove, it’s a midtempo grower with a fine solo that already hints at the variety to come.
It’s ‘Money Power Love’ though which picks up the pace, that makes a great opening salvo of three assured rockers. It’s a great track kinda like early Icon meets early Ratt.
Next up ‘Here Comes the Shade’ takes us back to that slower moodier side with strummed guitar and a slow build to the vocal. It’s a longer number with plenty going on and whilst there’s no huge peaks or punchy chorus, it’s one that sticks and gets better with each listen.
‘Soul Sister’ opens similarly with strummed guitar before exploding midway into full electric life. It kinda reminds me of bands like Sweet F.A. and has huge potential – It could well be my favourite here and as Power Ballads go this is a little gem.
‘Adrenaline Junkie’ has an opening that you feel Metallica would love as it slowly launches into the song with gentle acoustics and spoken words. It’s a heavier song that’s a nice reminder that before we got obsessed with genres there was just Rock. It’s another winner.
‘World Gone Crazy’ opens with spoken words but in rides a riff that is 100% early 80s L.A. It struts and swaggers in all the right ways and for us is another sure-fire winner. ‘In 2 Ya’ opens with another spoken intro which is a bit of a theme here that makes it stand apart, this one though is slower, groovier, and bubbles on the electronic beat before slipping into a smooth chorus that is more Dan Reed or King Of The Kill than Eighties hard rock. It shows a certain conviction to back yourselves with songs like this and that’s certainly one of the reasons this release stands out.
‘Sunshine and Flowers’ takes that thought and edges in a different direction again, smoldering with dirtier guitars underlining it, and a smooth verse and almost hypnotic chorus. It feels a decade away from anything that precedes it. We place it high in our list of highlights even though in a way it feels like a stand-alone single sonically.
‘D.R.O.W.N.I.N.G.’ that closes, is another song that feels like it is floating in its own sea, it’s another slower number, which is something that we keep coming back to (not a bad thing, the variety of those numbers are the saving grace), though it holds its own and has elements of everything from the ’90s to the languid ballads of bands like Vain. You could argue that it’s a song that opens another door or that it confuses things as to the direction we’re headed. It’s a great song – don’t get us wrong – but one a feel laced at the end makes more of a statement than it perhaps is.
Salpekar on the bass really compliments the drumming. The rhythm section is strong and also right in the pocket. This gives the various guitarists room to do their thing. The guitars are also powerful and crunchy with some great solos throughout. This musical bedrock allows Glover to sit right on top of the mountain and blast out his cracking voice.
Very much an album that gets to the basics, with a vibe of the early days of the Sunset Strip when bands were more concerned about writing great songs than create a hit to get signed.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. Ram Me Down (4:021)
02. Shameless (4:26)
03. Money Power Love (4:26)
04. Here Comes The Shade (6:39)
05. Soul Sister (5:11)
06. Adrenaline Junkie (5:36)
07. World Gone Crazy (3:58)
08. IN2Ya (5:03)
09. Sunshine And Flowers (5:29)
10. D.R.O.W.N.I.N.G (3:50)
Gone Savage – Retrograde (2024)
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