Hailing from Belfast, UK, but taking inspiration from all things LA ’80s glam metal, WILD HEAT are releasing their new album titled “Hustle“. The recording of this album began way back in May 2019 with the first single swiftly following the following month. However, as the band headed back to the studio to continue recording in early 2020, that pesky pandemic hit and the world stopped. Now 2022 finally saw the completion of ”Hustle”.
As in the good ‘ole times, the album is 10 tracks that span approximately 38 minutes and for the full time, you will be toe tapping, singing and having a lot of fun.
Since opener ‘Red Lights’ the heavily 80s-influenced hard rock begins and you can feel that there is so much flat-out rocking fun that is on the way. The guitar riff and solos give you that warm feeling inside. The tracks are full of high-octane brilliance we all associate with a time gone by, when music didn’t have to be overly complicated, it was down to the quality and sound.
What Wild Heat have captured is that aspect of making music that make people feel good, In fact I would go as far as saying Hustle makes you feel a lot better than good. I didn’t stop having a massive smile on my face from as soon as I pressed play.
‘That Night’ is a steamy grower in which vocalist Tommy Bell has more than a passing nod to Feargal Sharkey in delivery — which only adds more quality to the song, alongside first of many fine guitar breaks from Carlos Goggin. The full tilt boogie belter ‘Dynamite’ is simply pleading to be a single; before giving way to the seedy and insistent ‘Shame On You’ and the hard driving ‘Long Gone’ which is certain to be a crowd pleaser at every one of their gigs.
‘Filthy Love’ whips up a slightly Mötley Crüe feel that wouldn’t have been out of place on the underrated New Tattoo album and stands out here too. The adrenalin fuelled ‘Hypnotised’ is another strong contender for a single with yet another excellent solo break from Goggin. The street tough swagger of title track ‘Hustle’ leads into the funk infused ‘Crazy’, before we’re back to solid rock for album closer ‘Let Go’.
Production is crisp and the band members are definitely firing on all cylinders — the rhythm section of Neal Fowler on bass and Konstatin G on drums are consistently solidly spot on, and guitarist Dave Zane ably assists Goggin’s aforementioned quality work. Vocalist Tommy Bell is in fine form throughout a very strong collection of songs that don’t muck about and never outstay their welcome.
The basic fundamental fact of the matter is that this is a flat out, ballsy rocker of an album, chock full of no frills, quality driving hard rock with an ’80s smell.
Our only criticism is that they should have named the album after track three — ‘Dynamite’ — because that’s what it is!
1.Red Lights 03:04
2.That Night 04:28
3.Dynamite 04:18
4.Shame on You 03:21
5.Long Gone 04:05
6.Filthy Love 03:05
7.Hypnotised 04:35
8.Hustle 03:46
9.Cray 04:19
10.Let Go 03:17
Wild Heat – Hustle – 2022, MP3+FLAC
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