CD Review: Cole Hermer & The Ravens' 'Quoth The Raven'

Cole Hermer & The Ravens
Quoth The Raven
Self-Release

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Cole Hermer & The Ravens resurrect vocals and melodies of good 'ol rock music from the 1980s and 90s with all original material, a guitar, a voice, and a dream. Cole's vocals fall somewhere between Axl Rose and Fuel. The five-track release contains rock/metal-infused tunes with "California Breakdown," "Exploitable," and "Teenage Creed." These tunes contain big guitars, punchy rhythms, great vocals, and great licks with spectacular electric guitar solos. For a lighter side, Cole's ballad creations take the stage on "Friends" and "Maybe." The vocals are still great, as well as the instrumental arrangements. These latter songs represent a more intimate picture to the musical mix. Quoth The Raven has everything from hot licks to hot vocals that leave an impression. Fans of good rock music will love it. Everyone else will love it, too! ~ Matthew Forss  

CD Review: Ana Gazzola's 'Musicas E Palavras Dos Bee Gees'

Ana Gazzola
Musicas E Palavras Dos Bee Gees
Fuel

Brazilian-born and LA-based, Ana Gazzola, brings us reinterpreted songs of the famous group, Bee Gees. However, the songs are not disco here. Instead, there is a strong Brazilian pop prevalence that is smooth, jazzy, and groovy. The smooth tracks are also sung in Portuguese. These are some of the hits of the Bee Gees. Some of the tracks include, "Charade," "Emotion," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Words," and seven other songs. The original melodies are still here, but the Brazilian bossa-nova tones are overpowering, but not in a negative manner. Ana is the vocalist, but also the percussionist and sax player. Mike Clinco joins her on electric/acoustic/rhythm guitars, Antonio Sant'Anna joins in on bass guitar, Pablo Medina is on keyboards, and Ze Bruno Eisenberg is on drums. The vocals are more mature than Ceu, but equally-endearing. Anyone with an interest in Brazilian or Portuguese music will love this one. Plus, Bee Gee fans will like it, too. ~ Matthew Forss