September 24
Melbourne five piece hard rock outfit Wicked Smile may not be a familiar band yet, but if the metal Gods are taking notice their debut album Wait For The Night will change that.
And quickly.
Album opener Date With The Devil starts with a cool bass line intro that soon gives way to an electrifying guitar solo that is bettered only by Danny Cecati’s punchy and raw, rock drenched vocals. This song has it all. Guitar solos, timing changes, and, did I mention, guitar solos? If this track is meant as a statement of intent, it has certainly hit the mark!
Wait For The Night doesn’t let up, with an extended guitar fuelled intro that announces emphatically the party has most certainly started and you have a VIP pass for all of the sweat drenched debauchery to follow.
A mixture of roughly three decades of rock genre offshoots from probably the mid 80s to the present, Wicked Smile have already put just that on my face and we are only two tracks deep!
We Fall brings things down a notch with a rumbling intro that threatens to turn into a ballad but guitarists Steve Janevski and Dave Graham are having none of that, ripping more solos to launch proceedings into another rock cracker that sees Cecati fully releasing his vocal prowess with soaring notes and harmonic interludes that add to the flavour.
Yep, I had to mention the B word, didn’t I?
Sign Of Times fills that void, but is not a ballad in the sense of the word.
It is more a power ballad that again accentuates Cecati’s vocal range and reach, very Def Leppard ish swagger there but with more balls.
Daze Of Delirium, with its swirling guitar intro that leads into an instant return of the fast-paced vibe, sets things back on track nicely. Harmonies abound, and you are tempted to reach for the lighter on more than one occasion. This track in particular has that stadium feel and will no doubt be a staple song in the live set – whenever that happens again.
Killer At Large – another guitar driven track, but who’s complaining? – is one of the standouts for me, neatly wrapping everything you love about rock music in one overflowing package that puts the rock back in roll. Guitar solos abound but, as with every track so far, aren’t merely a posey interlude for both axemen to show off, but add to the musical layers and tenacity of the music without being overpowering.
Last Goodbye – although sounding like it should be a ballad – ramps things up AGAIN, with a meaty guitar intro that gives way to Cecati’s gravel rock tinged vocals that also pull back with harmonies that keep the tracks at a flowing pace and level long enough for more guitar solos. That’s a good thing.
Love’s Go A Hold Of You almost had me reaching for the skip button, by virtue alone of the title, but luckily I couldn’t find it in the dark because it’s actually another banger of a rock tune that sounds vaguely familiar but has enough zest to rise above that notion and become just a great track in its own right.
Sorry guys, but I found the skip button and used it for Don’t Wait For Me, which might be a cool ballad, but it’s getting late, and I need loud music to keep me awake!
Album closer Stronger finishes things off in just that style, kicking back into gear and delivering the horsepower in a fitting conclusion to a flat out, ball tearing, gut punching hard rock album from Wicked Smile that guarantees to keep you smiling long after the alum finishes.
