By infusing some of the best rock qualities of 80’s Motley Crue, 90’s Stone Temple Pilots, and 2000’s Staind, the four-piece L.A.-based band Railed creates music that is both harmonious and hard at the same time. Their latest six-song EP is the end product of years of practice and determination from the members, who seem to have come together by fate. Their pasts are as varying as the members of the faux pop group O-Town‘s, but Railed make it clear in their bio that they are not a manufactured band. Rather, they are four guys whose lives happened to converge on the Sunset Strip, and Hollywood hasn’t been the same since.
The first track on the disc is called “Push Me Down,” and with its gritty and heavy vocals and monster riffs, it is a model melodic rock tune. For all the rockers yearning for a classic guitar solo, this song has a good one. “I Could Never Be Your Friend” offers a slight change of pace for the CD, as it boasts a more funky and bouncy guitar sound. This song is about a guy who apparently just got the dreaded “I just wanna be friends” line from a girl, but has no intention of taking her up on that offer. In some ways, this album is kind of like a soap opera, as it documents one guy’s adventures in love, sex, and relationships.
The saga continues with the tune “Upinside,” which transitions from a smoky, dreamy vibe into a guitar-drenched power-jam, as lead singer Pete Owens questions, “Why can’t I feel you up inside?” That is a question every guy has wondered at one time or another, but probably never verbalized to his love interest. The most STP-esque offering on this CD is “I Promise You,” probably due to the fact that it gracefully alternates between blaring roars and deep vocals amidst crunchy guitar licks. And there is definitely nothing wrong with sounding a bit like the Pilots.
One of the most well composed pieces is called “All Wrong.” It begins with a Led Zeppelin feel, but progresses into a heavenly, guitar-heavy assault. This offering demonstrates the band’s talent and versatility as musicians. My favorite song is the very last track, called “Play.” With heavy melodicism and a catchy hook, you could either rock out, or sing along, to this dynamic tune. What a great way to conclude the voyage.
Who would have ever thought that former local choirboy Pete Owens would meet up with Mark Tolbert, who is from a small town in Minnesota, and John Stone, who is from upstate Connecticut. But they somehow did come together, and managed to form a band that even the L.A. Times urges “should not be missed.” Not even mega boy-band creator Lou Perlman could have thought of this one
-Rikk eLhaj
Rikk@UnEarthed.com.
