WITH each new album a band has to take a decision - to go on as before, or to challenge themselves. With 'Cold Star Dancer' Maverick have taken the decision not to re-tread past glories, but to stretch themselves to new heights.
Make no mistake - this isn't a revolution, but an evolution: a band that is comfortable in their own skins to take their sound, know what works and what will bring existing fans with them, and attract newcomers to the Maverick party. And to rock out like bastards ready to take on the world
From their early days of playing á la 80s cock rock exuberance Maverick in 2018 are now a force of nature. Heavy enough to bring metalheads along for the neck aching journey, and imbued with melody to have hard rock fans palpitating.
Take, for example the title track 'Cold Star Dancer' All the elements of Maverick are present, but it has a presence - a sense of being in the moment - that sees the band rise up and stand proud.
Before any existing fan panic, don't! For all the evolutionary change Maverick can still produce tunes that etch themselves into your cerebral cortex as if 100 fisherman had hooks in your brain. 'Tonight' is such a track...the hook and melody work themselves deep into your psyche and won't let go.
But, what makes this so much better than anything that Maverick have done before is the confidence that oozes from every note. Would they have dared to take on a track such a 'Magellan Rise' before? No. But now they have taken the epic story of the Portuguese sailor who circumnavigated the world into an epic tale, and an epic song.
Equally, the warriors trained by Achilles, the 'Myrmidon' are celebrated in a song that prances and rolls with metal heart and a melody that snares you. Epic tales of ancient Greece - sign us up!
And, that rhythm section - fuck sake, it's on another level. Sure the Balfour brothers lead from the front, but the there is a sense of purpose that establishes a platform that takes the band to miles above the sea level depths plumbed by lesser beasts.
'Viper', for example will leave you gasping...When they perform this live we suggest you apply Factor 50 sunscreen because your face will be melted.
David Balfour's singing sees him stretch himself like never before. Some of the notes he reaches had all the dogs in the neighbourhood gathering around Metal Mansions in admiration.
As for the soloing - that careful balance between exuberance and matching the song is executed by Ryan.
What makes the entire album wok is that Maverick have the touchstones in their formative years; they doff their caps to that growing up, but no longer can you pick out a band fixated on their influences - now it is a band that stand loud and fucking proud in their own right.
As we chewed over each line of 'Devil's Night', analysed the arrangement, took on board their energy we realised that Maverick have created something special in the shape of 'Cold Star Dancer'.
If the world was a just place this album could propel Maverick into the major league - and we think that it might just do that.
Review by Jonathan Traynor
Cold Star Dancer will be launched on Friday, March 30th at Limeligh2 in Belfast
WITH violinists, stellar contributors and a concept, what the hell is going on with Acid Age?
Confused by the reports emerging from County Tyrone we seized Jude from the band, put him in a darkened room (well upon request he sent us an email…) and demanded answers.
First of all, who are these people who will pop up on this forthcoming release?
“We have an awesome list of special guests on our next release,” Jude explained. “It includes guys like Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth) Bones (Discharge) Mark Caro (Abbatoir) Adie Bailey (ex-English Dogs) Ross Oliver (Risen Prophecy) Ryan Sebastian Balfour (Maverick).
"We are waiting to hear from a few more so I can't say too much right now on that. We just contacted them through Facebook.
“They've all expressed that they genuinely enjoy what we are doing so it kind of makes sense just to have a bunch of cool names on our new album. We have done straight ahead balls out thrash metal albums before, typical Razor worship. Songs about guns and sharks and stuff like that so we decided to try something different this time.”
As for silly titles the last Acid Age album had the wonderful title of ‘Like A Combine Harvester In A Field Of Crippled Rabbits’. Not exactly catchy but certainly memorable.
“It's no secret that we always have ridiculous, zany titles for our releases, the last album was no exception,” said Jude. “The whole combine harvester thing was partially a joke about how the band was from Cookstown and thus ‘culchies’ but it was just a title we all liked.
“It's a bit long-winded but it's original.”
For a band known for producing full on-thrashers it was attention grabbing when it emerged that Acid Age were working on a concept album.
“We knew we wanted to do a full concept album with a fluent theme and we had talked about it before so in order to make this work in thrash metal it has to be epic sounding.
“It's very interesting, kind of like writing a score for a film. It has to be dramatic and have peaks and valleys, fast bits, slow bits and even some more mellow stuff than we are used to.
“That being said it's our most technically ferocious material to date so we knew we needed a second guitarist and that's why we asked Matty who is a good friend and an excellent player.”
As if this wasn’t enough to cope with the band have also added a violinist to their ranks…
“The violinist thing started out as a joke originally because me and Jake like jazz violinists like Jean Luc Ponty and Stephan Grapelli and we like bands that expand their sound within the genre without radically altering their core sound.
“Eddie (our vocalist) mentioned that he had a friend who was a grade 8 classical violinist called Anna so we asked her for the craic.
“Next thing is we are practicing with her and she's running her violin through a distortion pedal and playing insane thrash riffs.
“It's kind of like having three guitarists in the band, you have to arrange each instrument in sections rather than just blazing through songs in a typical verse/chorus fashion.”
With work progressing on the album it is only fitting that they produce a stage set to reflect its ambition.
“We plan to tour this new concept album in its entirety with a super-pretentious stage show to go along with it,” said Jude. “We're trying to keep ourselves interested more so than being original or fresh or whatever.
“In two years the album will have been out and we hope we will have a string of tour dates under our belts.
“Even if it never leaves the island at the very least we will have something insane for all our friends to see.”
Whether they ever take the planned extravagant show to wider audiences is a moot point for Jude.
“It's hard to secure cross-water gigs because the stage show is much more extravagant than the typical lights and smoke machine and as a result it costs more to transport but those who see it will understand why.
“It's not like some dodgy rock opera but it is thematic and because of the size of the stage show and the fact that there are now six members in the band we need bigger stages to play on, which adds to the problem on a financial scale but it's going to be fun.
With such ambition one would expect Acid Age to be aiming for the stars, but the band remain very grounded.
“Magazines such as Metal Hammer and Terrorizer and the people that follow those types of magazines probably aren't our kind of crowd and that's fine with us,” said Jude
“That being said you'd be surprised at some of the people that have expressed their interest in the band over the years.
“Truth be told we do want a larger audience but that's just because it's becoming harder to do this, some of us have kids and jobs and houses and shit like everyone else so to take time off and do a tour it costs money, rent needs paid, kids need fed etc...
“Getting T-shirts and merch is expensive and there's no point if no one is coming to the gigs and to get people to come to the gigs you have to expand on the sound and add more to your live show with each release.
“It's the same either way, if you make a really nasty sounding album with shitty production the mainstream audience hate it, then if you make a really glossy and precise sounding album the underground accuses you of "selling-out" when ultimately it's just a case of taste being subjective.
“The underground has real value in a sense that it's incredibly loyal... Until you start making a wage.”
We can only hope that Acid Age's ambitious recording plans means that they will indeed start earning more than the minimum thrasher wage.
MAVERICK sing about it being "In Our Blood" and for those that make the pilgrimage to the Diamond Rock Club from far and wide, rockin' out in Ahoghill really is in our blood.
The venue sees many an act from across the world grace its stage, but it is a spiritual home for many, many Northern Ireland based acts, where they seem to relax, push themselves and allow themselves to enliven the spirits of every rock 'n' roll soul.
When Maverick played on Saturday (15th October) those souls once again soared in delight.
Before the Maverick lads soaked our blood once again in hard rock Selene took the audience by the scruff of the neck with an accomplished set of symphonic metal.
Shonagh has always had a superb voice, but the live experience over the past year has seen her stage presence grow and she now commands the front.
John's playing has an underlying and sophisticated melody hiding in the riffing and smooth solos, with Thomas complex bass runs complimenting Cameron's smooth drum fills.
Overall Selene are on the cusp of greater things and should attract attention from labels soon.
Maverick have earned a deserved reputation as a mighty force live, and they approach every gig with the same attitude; something all bands should do, approaching each set as if playing Wembley Arena or Madison Square Gardens.
It does not matter whether playing to a few dozen or a
few thousand or headlining Download, bands play not for the crowd, but for each individual in that crowd no matter what. And, Maverick deliver that attitude in bucketloads.
This was a high energy set of songs, drawn from their début and 'Big Red'. As always David leads from the front, a ball of energy, interacting with band mates and the Diamond crowd. By the time third song 'Beyond The Gates' lands he and his four amigos have the assembled in the palm of their hands.
Terry now seems such an integral part of the band that even though he is isolated at the side of the relatively cramped stage he trades licks and is the perfect foil to allow Ryan to solo as if his life depended on it.
Too many times reviewers fall into the trap of calling a set "crowd-pleasing" as shorthand for saying that a band played just what was expected, but Maverick always mix things up, and throwing in a Tyketto cover shows that they are never complacent.
Recently released single 'Whiskey Lover' is greeted like an old friend and by the time the set concludes with the tongue in cheek 'Top Heavy' the band and crowd have poured sweat from every pore.
With the ecstasy still high there came a shock announcement. Drummer, Mike, is leaving the band, as he is moving on to foreign shores. Given his integral relationship with the band, and in particular with Ritchie on bass he will be a tough act to follow.
But Saturday night was not a wake, it was a celebration, a toast raised for all that is good in rock, what a weekend is for, why we move heaven and earth to attend hard rock and metal shows.
Maverick's ever improving shows conjure some of the best shows possible.
A few years back they could (unfairly) be labelled as aping the 80s, but that has never been the case for Maverick. Their influences have always been there, but it has always been about hard rock and classic metal in the 21st Century, and yet again they showed that they are capable of. With so many acts from history peddling their greatest hits on tours that resemble sets to earn a pension Maverick are a breath of fresh air...well, beer-soaked, sweaty air; which is exactly what good rock should be!
Review by Jonathan Traynor Photos by Lizzie Torbitt Reproduction by written permission only
NORTHERN Ireland is a crucible of incredible talent at present, whether it be death metal, hard rock, punk, classic metal - and proper old school 80s cock rock.
And, there are no better proponents of that 1980s pure rock sound than Maverick. And, goddamit, but they have exceeded, surpassed and gone way beyond their début outing, 'Quid Pro Quo' on their new platter 'Big Red'.
Why the radio stations across the globe aren't beating these guys doors down and major labels throwing cheques and deals at them is a mystery.
But that's not to say they are without suitors, after signing with German label Metalapolis Records. And boy that label must be dancing around their offices having Maverick on their roster.
Let's be very, very clear, this isn't just a good release. This is a great release - more hooks than a salmon poacher on ampehtamines, more licks than Gene Simmons in the Playboy Mansion and more of just about everything that made the 80s such fun.
However, let's be clear that Maverick aren't just about re-treading the past, revelling in the glories of their heroes. They have produced a contemporary, polished album that has depth to the music as well as lyrical class. Sure, there are love songs, songs about love lost and angst, but there are also tunes that explore darker territory ('Beyond The Gates').
What the band have done on 'Big Red' is - and you'll excuse the oxymoron - a nuanced, thoughtful version of what class hard rock can do in the right hands. That's not to say they don't know how to write 'catchy'
When they released 'Quid Pro Quo' in our review we said the track 'Got It Bad' was catchier than ebola, but on Big Red they have upped the stakes with 'Forever. The riff will have you humming and by the time you listen to it in full you'll be a like a crystal meth addict wanting more and more fixes 'Forever'.
David Balfour's vocals are as a strong as ever, and no doubt their tour with The Poodles across Europe has paid off. And, speaking of The Poodles, their vocalist Jakob Samuelsson, guests on 'Asylum'. Oh, and no less than ex-Alice Cooper six-stringer Kane Roberts pops up with some solo excellence.
In an era when the pale shadows of the 1980s have scrubbed off their make-up and hope to earn a crust with the name and playing their past hits, Maverick are fresh; almost a more febrile interpretation of their idols - and whisper it quietly, exceeding some of them.
They are a band that perform live as a unit, and while 'Quid Pro Quo' showcased a large part of that, this time out the recording really captures that unitary feel, a band tight as possible, in song writing and recording.
Ryan's lead work has reached a new level, more balanced as well as showing off his obvious skills, while Richie and Mike are rock steady as a rhythm unit with enough flourishes to keep listeners' attention. There's even a brief bass solo from Richie!
There are no weak tracks on this. 'In The Night' is compelling, while 'Whiskey Lover' is perfectly set up as a live track that will have everyone joining in a great chorus. The opening of 'The One' should have the satellite stations across the US very excited when this is added to their play lists.
The addition of the multi-talented Terry McHugh to the line-up on guitar will add further to the live interpretation of these songs.
To be honest when going into review/listen this album we had a certain sense of trepidation. Had Maverick reached their high water mark with 'Quid Pro Quo' and like many a band from Northern Ireland done one big tour and that would be it?
Well, not only have they exceeded the last release, they have reached further, extended themselves and put them in the position to go beyond even their own expectations.
The tender closer 'Fly Away' is the perfect example of a song that can transcend both the rock listener and any fan of a well-crafted tune; a delicate ballad that is some god-forsaken boy band recorded it Radio One would go into collective meltdown.
Re-reading what the opinions above might seem like hyperbole until you listen to 'Big Red'. Even our death metal correspondent was humming along and for the first time in months grinning...
'Big Red' is the next step for Maverick, and we can't wait to see how high they will climb on the ladder.
THEY say that longevity is the key to success, but in the cold, hard world of the music business too often the business men and bean counters want to see instant results.
But, despite once being the 80s flavour of the day for the MTV generation Y&T have proved that hard rock can have endurance, and with that endurance comes success, as they celebrate, on the road, 40 years of the band's catchy rock and hard riffing, on Wednesday in Belfast date (November 12th)
Before the cake could be cut - yes there was a cake from local fans who had travelled to many of the UK shows - hot prospects Maverick showed that the spirit of 1980s rock and metal is still alive and kicking.
With just over two weeks until they release their début album, 'Quid Pro Quo', the Maverick men played their biggest venue to date and played with a gusto many a band envies.
Given that lead singer David Balfour has often attested the band's love of Y&T's output it would have been easy for them to be over-whelmed by the occasion, but despite the nerves they ripped into the set like over-sized aand over-excited puppies giving and getting love from the quickly filling Limelight1.
Playing a selection of older songs and a smattering from the forthcoming album it is clear that two plus years of gigging has earned them a loyal local fanbase who know most of the lyrics.
'Snakeskin Sinner's' strut kicked off the set from a band that are not only well rehearsed, but clearly enjoying the time on stage. 'Paint By Numbers' is the band's lead video off the album, and was greeted with passion, as was the catchy 'Got It Bad'. Rounding the set off with the older track 'Top Heavy' this was a performance that earned Maverick many new friends and fans.
Limelight1 was almost sold-out and there was a roar of approval from the audience as the ageing rockers in Y&T came on stage to show that hard rock isn't just a young man's game.
Let's face it the Oakland rockers have nothing to prove any more. Yet, 40 years since they first took to the road Dave Meniketti and co are still out there playing with real vigour; energetic, tight and passionate.
In a set that spanned the years there were rarely aired tracks, fan favourites and hits. By the time they reached the fifth song - the anthemic 'Mean Streak' - there was no doubt that the seasoned rockers had energy to spare.
Meniketti's voice and playing have not deteriorated at all, rather have matured and is used wisely. His playing has a silky smooth pace and power; his solos delivered with a loose precision.
'LA Rocks' and 'Dirty Girl' were the early stand-outs, but by the time 'Midnight in Tokyo' and 'Cold Day In Hell' bridged the opening half of the main set it was recognisable song after recognisable song.
John Nyman's playing perfectly synched with Meniketti and Brad Lang's bass, while Mike Vanderhule couldn't stop grinning behind his kit.
Singalongs were the order of the day from many gathered, as 'Rescue Me', 'Summertime Girls' and a monstrous rendition of 'I Believe In You' ended the main set.
Despite the vast quantities of beer imbibed by many in the audience [Editor's Note: Reviewer was among those contributing to the venue's profits] the crowd were gagging for more when the encore ripped through the place.
Closing with 'Forever' the force that is Y&T is clearly demonstrated. The fact that this is from 1982 and Meniketti doesn't fit into the spandex he wore when débuting the song at Reading in that year (you can find it on Youtudew) matters not a bit.
Four decades have worn well for the band. They are an invigorating band to watch. A well delivered and a well received show that showcased the new and the old.
FUCK the system! Fuck the music business, and fuck the people that say hard rock and metal is dead. There is a vital, pounding pulse coming out of Northern Ireland, a 10-legged monster of rock and metal that is about to crush all in its path. It's Maverick, and it is coming your way.
With a proven live track record, always giving their all, the question is can that energy translate on to recorded output. Can that beautiful rock and metal alchemy Maverick delivers on stage be captured in the studio.
Of course it can! Aided by a superb production and mix from Neal Calderwood this is high octane hard rock.
As the scene setter 'Event Horizon' merges into 'Snakeskin Sinner' the intent is clear. Powerful riffing, shouted backing vocals and David Balfour sneering at the archetypal poseur.
Ryan Sebastian Balfour's solo, and Ric Cardwell's rhythm work meld together adding a powerful dynamic to the sound; laying out all the tricks of double guitar interplay that area apparent throughout.
Already familiar thanks to the video release 'Paint By Numbers' is a fist in the face of hipsters, scenesters, fashionistas and the two-legged lemmings of the world. Perhaps the biggest blow to the bake is in the songs construction; its a juggernaut of big sounds, fist pumping delight.
'Got It Bad' is where listener has to make up their mind, and where some may shy away from Maverick. It is a great song, and had it been released in the mid-80s it would have been on constant rotation on AM radio in the US.
The listener has to decide at this point to commit to the ethos of Maverick. Leave aside their hard work, their outstanding live presence, do we need another band who sonically re-treads the sound of Ratt, Crue, MTV-era Whitesnake, Love/Hate, Y&T etc?
Is this repeat, rewind, repeat living in the past? Some will write Maverick off in this manner. Their mistake. The band glory in their influences, wearing their love for that 'big' sound that Bob Rock brought to Motley Crue and Black album Metallica. Calderwood has captured that and the five strong Maverick men pump their chests out, wear their influences on their sleeve and get on with having a good time with great songs.
Damn it, but 'Got It Bad' is as catchy as Ebola in Sierra Leone; a super performance in all ways.
But the heart of the matter of homage is dealt with on 'In Our Blood' as David declares he would "put all my CDs on and have a concert in my room'; and that when the music is playing "I feel alive".
This is the song that captures all the dreams of every rock and metal fan - air guitar, singing along, pulling all the poses. Maverick are now living that dream. They are on the cusp of something great.
After that declaration the track 'One More Day (Quid Pro Quo)' deals with more serious matters
in a narration of the real personal toll the conflict in Northern Ireland takes. Musically and lyrically this is an empathetic song, which chooses to talk about murder in the name of a cause the killers don't understand from the point of view of the victim.
This song is the fulcrum, the point in the album when it is clear that this is a band with more depth than just 80's re-treads; it is the song where Maverick prove that they can construct songs that pull together talents of David and Ryan Sebastian Balfour, Rick Cardwell, Riche Diver (bass) and Mike Ross's drums into a cohesive, solid manner.
From that point they return to the theme of love and lust, with the joyously daft cock strut of 'Electric'. Already a live favourite, early Tesla comes to mind with a distinctive Northern Ireland tongue in cheek smirk.
Similarly 'Rock 'n' Roll Lady' tackles love yearnings. Kicking off with Ross's drum line, before the guitars build into a riff that wannabes in the late 80s and early 90s would kill for and backing vocals that are right out of the pages of the gold-plated hard rock playbook.
In the 1980s such music wasn't divided into genres, and was all considered to be metal in the'loosest sense. The solos on 'Rock 'n' Roll Lady' harken to an earlier era of UFO and Thin Lizzy, and to many will sound metal against the hard rockin' back drop.
'Shackled' on the other hand is a straight up merging of metal/rock. The strut of other songs replaced with a more considered approach as David rails against injustice and the guitar has an almost onomatopoeic echo of the anguish of the wrongly convicted. This is much musical narrative as it is a lyrical narrative.
Therein lies the success of this release. Whether it be the lusting or the longing; whether it is ranting or the wrongdoing of paramilitaries; or whether it is jut heads down hard rockin' Maverick know that telling the tale within each song is about composition and depth. Sure, you can just listen on a superficial level (which unfortunately some will), but take on board all elements of each song as a whole and you will find all the parts are pulling in the same direction.
The verse of 'Last Addiction' has a touch of SLF/Rudi/Outcasts about it, before the pre-chorus and chorus bring it back to the hard rock theme, with a stand-out backing vocal and melody section.
Strutting out of the speakers like Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx on steroids 'Side By Side' is about brotherhood, loyalty and a fist hoisted in the air to watching each other's back in the most desperate situations. Anthemic at times, and all wrapped up in an arrangement suited to the subject matter.
Album closer 'Took The Night' is perhaps the most derivative of the tracks, with Y&T's influence and a smidgeon of Reo Speedwagon lurking about the song. It would be easy to write it off on that basis, but ultimately this is Maverick putting a middle finger to the naysayers, the doubters and the devious bastards. It is about declaring their love of that era.
It is a simply five-minutes plus of angst, without an emo sentiment - seemingly a very personal translation: Regret and remorse are echoed by a sympathetic arrangement where the sound and vibe of the 80s is a comfort in difficult times..
In many ways, as 'One More Day' is the fulcrum, 'Took The Night' is the definition of Maverick right now. They have taken the hard rock genre and added a clear dose of 2014 technical expertise, tight playing and feelings. Yes, feelings.
Each song on the album appears to be derived from experiences both personal and in a wider context; emotions and observations that help it rise above much that is out there.
In the final analysis it is a great début from Maverick. It is chest thumping, raucous, powerful, pounding, melodic and oozing passion. This is an album that will make people sit up and notice. If there is justice in the music world there will be a clamour from across the globe to share this awesome album. Full marks for this release.
Review by Jonny
Pictures courtesy of MetalPlanet Belfast
Reproduction of any words or images by written consent only
Quid Pro Quo is released on November 27th on Massacre Records
Pre-orders are available from Nuclear Blast and Amazon's sites
[Search 'Maverick Quid Pro Quo' to find the listing]
PLAY IT FUCKING LOUD!
The album launch is in Belfast's Empire Music Hall on November 27th, with Maverick headlining and support from Conjuring Fate.
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